By: Andrew Metcalfe

Will Miami trade for Watson?

Given their abundance of draft capital and salary cap space, the Miami Dolphins have been a popular topic during the early parts of the NFL Off-season. Recent reports of them targeting a trade for Houston QB Deshaun Watson could mean that they are considering options at QB outside of Tua Tagovailoa, after his underwhelming rookie season.  While we continue to see daily trade rumors surrounding Watson, the Texans remain firm that Watson is not available for trade and they intend to move forward with him in Houston.

Falling out with FitzMagic

If Watson isn’t on the table, Miami needs to look elsewhere for additional QB competition that can replace Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick is set to become a free agent and it’s unlikely he returns to Miami after he appeared to be surprised by his mid-season benching back in October.  Despite putting up good numbers over the first six weeks (255 yds/game, 70% completion rate, 10-7 TD/INT), Fitzpatrick was pulled for Tua in the 4^th quarter of their Week 6 matchup against the Jets.  During the postgame interview, he admitted to reporters that the move caught him off guard and even went on to say that it hurt his heart once Tua was announced as the starter going forward. 

Even if the Dolphins decide to officially hand over the franchise to Tua, they will certainly need to find another viable option for the QB room.  Here are three available veterans that could come in and serve as a solid backup, if not outright compete for the starting role with Tua:      

Andy Dalton

To begin the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals decided to move on from Andy Dalton by drafting Joe Burrow first overall.  Dalton went on to sign a one-year deal with Dallas to become Dak Prescott’s backup, but ended up being thrown back into a starting role when Prescott dislocated his ankle in Week 5 and went to season-ending IR. 

Dalton didn’t put up any staggering numbers as the starter, but he did post his career-best completion percentage (64.9%) and matched his lowest interception rate of 2.4%.  This shows that his decision making has improved since his earlier days in Cincy and also proves that he is still capable of being a decent Game Manager as a Quarterback.  While that wasn’t enough for a team like the Cowboys who had a poor defense, Miami could find success with a QB like Dalton.  The Dolphins had the 5^th best scoring defense in 2020 and with most of their defensive starters still under contract for 2021, there is plenty of optimism they will continue to have a strong defensive team.  A solid veteran, like Dalton, could be just enough to turn them into a playoff squad next season.

Jameis Winston

There aren’t many NFL QBs that have experienced the same level of both highs and lows as Jameis Winston over the past several years.  He went from leading a high-powered Buccaneers offense with 33 TDS and 5,000+ passing yards (and of course 30 INTs) in 2019, to sitting most of the 2020 season behind Drew Brees and Taysom Hill as a backup in New Orleans.  With only 11 total pass attempts all year, it’s difficult to evaluate how much he might have developed while in the same QB room as a future Hall of Famer. 

One of the major weaknesses of the 2020 Dolphins was the lack of a vertical passing attack, especially when Tua was in at QB.  Tua ranked 23^rd among QBs in Intended Air Yards Per Pass Attempt (7.5).  Winston’s 10.4 IAY/PA in 2019, was the 2^nd highest that during that season.  Jameis has shown no fear when it comes to slinging it downfield, which is exactly what Miami was looking for every time they replaced Tua with Ryan Fitzpatrick mid-game.  The Dolphins are expected to address the WR position early in the rookie draft and/or with a top-tier free agent, so they will need a QB that’s able to stretch the field for them to reach their full potential. 

Marcus Mariota

Once Marcus Mariota was benched by Tennessee for Ryan Tannehill back in 2019, many expected his NFL career to be finished.  The Las Vegas Raiders picked him up last off-season to backup Derek Carr.  Despite training camp buzz that suggested he would compete with Carr for the starting job, he ended up sitting behind him for most of the season. 

Mariota finally got his chance in Week 15, after Derek Carr left the game early due to injury.  Marcus did not disappoint, completing 17 of 28 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown.  He also scored a rushing touchdown and added 88 yards on the ground.  This was against a respectable Chargers defense that allowed the 9^th fewest passing yards on the season.  Mariota is not a free agent for 2021, but he can be cut without penalty.  There has been speculation that Las Vegas is looking to extend Carr and release Mariota to save over $10 million in cap space. Miami could be a great spot for him to revive his career.

The post Top QB Options for the Miami Dolphins appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andrew Metcalfe

After dominating the AFC East for two decades, the New England Patriots are officially going into the dreaded “Rebuild”.  They expect to return all eight of the players that opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID, which will mainly help them on the defensive side of the ball.  The offense in 2020 was the worst that we’ve seen from them during the Belichick era, ranking third-worst in passing yards and 27^th in scoring.

I don’t know who will be the starting QB for NE in 2021, but whoever it is will need major upgrades to the receiving options.  The Patriots don’t typically sign skill position players to large contracts, so I don’t expect any of the big names to land there.  Here are the Top 5 free agents they should target:    

Corey Davis, WR

The former first-round pick has been a disappointment for Tennessee after they took him fifth overall in the 2017 NFL draft.  He did have somewhat of a resurgence this season, posting career highs in Yards (984) and TDs (5).  The Titans have declined his fifth-year option while AJ Brown has thrived as the top WR, so it is likely they will be moving on from Davis.

Davis only saw 92 targets in 2020, but his efficiency was very impressive.  His Yards per route run and Yards per target were both top 10 in the NFL.  He also gained 15.1 Yards per reception which was good for 15^th best among WRs.  At 26 years old, he is still in his prime and should be affordable based on the limited production to start his career.

John Ross III, WR

Speaking of 2017 NFL draft busts, the Bengals selection at ninth overall is the next name on my list.  John Ross III was never able to get his career going during his four years in Cincinnati, mainly due to various health issues.  Tyler Boyd is signed through 2023 and Tee Higgins flashed huge potential as a rookie in 2020, so the Bengals have no reason to keep Ross around.

We have yet to see Ross on the field for a full season, but he had his most productive year in 2019 when he caught 28 passes for 506 yards in 8 games.  That’s a full season pace of 56 receptions for 1,012 yards.  Don’t forget that he still holds the all-time fastest 40-yard dash record, when he ran a 4.22 in 2017.  Putting that type of speed on the field to threaten defenses will help any offense. 

Marvin Jones, WR

New England has one of the youngest WR groups in the NFL, so they could explore adding an experienced veteran to the room.  Marvin Jones just finished a five-year stint with the Detroit Lions, who appear to be going into a rebuild themselves.  They have multiple WRs with expiring contracts and will likely prioritize retaining Kenny Golladay and/or acquiring young talent through the draft. 

Jones is usually a complimentary WR, but the hip injury to Kenny Golladay forced him into more of an alpha role in 2020.  He saw a career high 115 targets and put up a respectable 978 Yards and 9 TDs.  He is still better suited as a #2 WR, but I expect for him to have 2-3 more productive years as a deep receiving threat. 

Hunter Henry, TE

The Patriots should also look into TE options, which is a position that has been severely lacking production for them since Gronk left.  Hunter Henry played the 2020 season on the franchise tag.  If the Chargers want to tag him again, it would cost them $12.7 million in 2021.  They have expressed interest in bringing him back, but they also have Donald Parham rostered, who was signed before the season.  Parham was a star in the XFL and has flashed with limited opportunities at the NFL level.  He would be a viable option for LA, if they can’t agree on a long-term deal with Henry.

This is a shallow free agency class of TEs and Henry has the most production by far out of all options.  If New England wants to make a splash while avoiding the high costs of premier WRs, Hunter Henry is the guy.  Bill Belichick had glowing remarks towards him during this press conference from December:

Jonnu Smith, TE

Jonnu Smith got off to a hot start with the Titans in 2020, scoring 5 TDs and averaging over 55 receiving yards per game through the first 4 weeks.  From week 6 on, there were only 3 games that Smith saw more than 5 targets.  He also battled with both other TEs for targets/snaps throughout the second half of the season, which could be a sign that the Titans are open to letting him walk.

Although Smith is a superior athlete and has shown to be a receiving threat at TE, he is also an elite blocker that played a major role in Tennessee’s rushing attack led by Derrick Henry.  New England would be elated to have a real dual threat at the position that would elevate both the pass and run game.  Belichick has also publicly praised Smith, this was a quote from him in January:

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