By: Jake Rajala

The Dolphins schedule was released and it is truly filled with a ton of interesting show-downs. They kick things off by facing Mac Jones at home. It will be pivotal that the Dolphins have a step ahead of the 2021 playoff featuring New England Patriots, so Tua needs to come out guns blazing in his first contest. The Dolphins will also face tough destinations in Cincinnati and San Francisco in the 2022 season. Although, the Dolphins still have the 12th easiest schedule next season.

The Dolphins were 4-2 against divisional opponents last season. I would trust them to sweep the NY Jets, split games with the Patriots, and split contests with the Bills.

Outside of the schedule, the Miami Dolphins recently inked the 2021 LA Ram Sony Michel (which follows McDaniel’s formula of keeping his foot on the gas pedal this entire off-season). Michel is a talented RB and he’s a nice power back for McDaniel’s arsenal. The Dolphins still have the third–most cap space in the NFL and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Dolphins add more firepower to their dream team.

The Dolphins are quite familiar with former Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower, as he’s frequently been a star play-maker against Miami in his career. Hightower might not be a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but he is a nice scheme fit and a great veteran presence.

The Dolphins could also target the versatile OLB Anthony Barr, who is surprisingly available. Barr recorded 3 interceptions, 2.5 sacks, and 6 QB hits in 11 games last season. Perhaps, they could even swing big at the OLB spot for Jadeveon Clowney.

The Dolphins may have a lot of new armor, but they are really leaning on Tua Tagovailoa to be a talented signal-caller next season. He threw 16 touchdowns, 2,653 yards, and 10 interceptions last season. If he can have a Derek Carr-like season and throw around 25 touchdowns and 4,500+ yards, I believe the Dolphins can crack an AFC wild-card spot in 2022 and potentially become a future, routine AFC contender.

The post Miami Dolphins rumors right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Sam Moores

Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins added another offensive weapon in former Patriots and Rams running back Sony Michel, on Monday evening. The addition of Michel comes after the Fins went through a massive offensive overhaul in the offseason.

Michel brings a unique style of strong running in-between the tackles for McDaniel’s offense. March’s free agency saw the Fins acquire their typical Shanahan style outside-zone back in Raheem Mostert, as well as Chase Edmonds, who not only is a scheme fit, but also a big asset in the passing game. Expect all three of those guys to get the ball in a running back by committee-style rushing attack, like the one we see in San Francisco.

The two-time Super Bowl champion signed a one-year, $2.1 million deal and is no stranger to the AFC East, having spent three seasons in New England before being traded to the Rams before the 2021 season. Michel went for 845 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns, with 128 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown on top of that in the regular season.

As I mentioned previously, this isn’t the first big offensive move the Dolphins have made this offseason. On top of the three running backs, Miami made headlines with the surprise trade for Tyreek Hill in the second week of free agency. General Manager Chris Grier gave up a 2022 first-round pick (29th overall), a 2022 second, two fourth-rounders, and a 2023 sixth to Kansas City for their star wideout. The six-time Pro-Bowler alongside Jaylen Waddle, new free-agent acquisition Cedrick Wilson, Preston Williams, Rookie Erik Ezunkama, and the versatile Lynn Bowden Jr is a pretty strong receiving core.

They also protected Tua Tagovailoa, their quarterback, by adding two pieces to one of the worst offensive lines in NFL history in free agency. The Pro Bowl LT Terron Armstead came over from New Orleans to play left tackle, whilst Connor Williams will slot next to him at left guard. Let’s hope the problem was the coaching last season because one of Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg will probably start at a spot on the right side of the offensive line (as those two OL were liabilities last season).

An interesting question arises with Michel in the RB room: what does the arrival of Michel mean for Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed? Both of these guys have had their moments for Miami over the past two years, but face an uphill battle to remain on the 53-man roster. I can see Gaskin being retained as a fourth back for his pass-catching ability, or potentially Ahmed instead, in case Mostert goes down. As it stands though, one of these ball carriers is unlikely to make the team.

All in all, I believe the shiny acquisition of Michel confirms that Mike McDaniel’s O will be similar to what Kyle Shanahan runs in San Fran. Expect a lot of outside-zone, a little bit inside, executed by 3 or 4 running backs, as the bell-cow RB should vary per matchup.

The post What does Sony Michel bring to the Dolphins? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Courtney Burrows

Now that the Superbowl is officially over and there is (gulp) 206 days until the 2022 season, we dive headfirst into free agency, dynasty, rookies, and the draft.  Superbowl LVI saw the Rams defeat the Bengals 23-20 in a battle till the end.  There are numerous free agents on both sides of the ball who are hoping to either resign or move to another team. 

Cincinnati Bengals

TE-CJ Uzomah

Drafted in the 5^th round in 2015, Uzomah has been a mainstay for the team.  He played only 2 games in 2020 and many thought he was fading into the background.  He came back staying in sync with Burrow for five touchdowns and 493 yards.  Now, those aren’t insane TE numbers, but they are decent and consistent especially when you consider he is the 3^rd to 4^th target on the team.  It’s always hard to lose a player that has been with the team since the beginning, but they do two other TEs on the roster, (though I believe Uzomah to be a better pass-catcher than Sample).  I think they keep Uzomah due to his big middle-of-the-field presence, chemistry with Burrow, but he is coming off an MCL sprain that could be lingering.   

Prediction: Retained( but really depends on money)

CB Eli Apple

Apple unfortunately was the defender that allowed Cooper Kupp to score the game-winning touchdown in the Superbowl.  This after much controversy has surrounded him when in the last few weeks he has taken to Twitter to speak of his distaste of the Saints and Giants (two of his former teams).  These Twitter comments have included hating the fanbase to the actual cities themselves.  While in New Orleans he had 11 passes defended and only one interception, and in 30 games with the Giants, he was suspended and only racked up 102 tackles.  It seems to me that someone with a rocky background should keep his head down and just play hard to win every game and prove his worth.  I don’t think this time he did.  This season with the Bengals, he had 11 assists and two interceptions.  There are younger, stronger, faster CBs out there not only in the draft but coming up in free agency like Casey Hayward Jr, or Steven Nelson.

 Prediction:  Released

QB Brandon Allen

It is quite obvious Allen is a backup and Burrow is not going anywhere anytime soon, but when Burrow went down last year, it was Allen who stepped in.  He has learned under Coach Taylor’s offensive system and has developed a great rapport with Burrow.  At 29 years old, it might be smart to retain him one more year and make a trade for a younger back up next year as there will be lots of QB shuffling this off-season.  Allen fits well behind Burrow, and with the Bengals looking to make another run at the big game next season, it makes sense to prioritize your off-season elsewhere than another QB.  During the 2021 season when Allen stepped in, he threw for 925 yards and five TDs.  He has proven himself to be coachable, consistent, and able to do the smaller tasks asked of him. 

Prediction:  Retained

Los Angeles Rams

WR Odell Beckham Jr.

After numerous up and downs seasons with the Browns, OBJ signed a one-year deal with the Rams.  We all know now that the Rams organization was “all-in” signing all the missing pieces to make a Superbowl caliber team, and that helped propel them to Superbowl Champions.  Immediately following the Superbowl win, OBJ tweeted he really wanted to stay in LA and was even willing to take a salary cut, and that is good news considering the Rams’ salary cap.  OBJ came up big when Robert Woods went on IR and complemented Kupp as a huge red-zone target.  He genuinely seemed to mesh with this team well, and there were no on or off-field antics swirling around him.  Maybe the sea air refreshed him enough to focus on football and the job he was paid to do.  In 9 games with the Rams, he had 359 yards on 31 receptions and five touchdowns.  He was instrumental in the first quarter of the Superbowl for Stafford catching the 1^st TD of the game.  I feel teams will be gunning for him after his turnaround time with the Rams, but I think the Rams would be wise to hold on to him one more year, especially at a discount as they make another run for the glory.

Prediction: Retained

RB Sony Michel

Akers is back and Henderson looked good as the passing-back in the Rams Superbowl victory.  Michel was the lead back Weeks 13-16 when Henderson went down carrying the ball for 423 yards, and overall had 845 yards and four TDs last season.  He is a great 3^rd-down back but struggles in the passing game.  I would love to see him in Atlanta complementing Patterson.  I think Davis is not a viable option, and I am guessing that Atlanta focuses on a QB in RD 1 or 2 to rep and learn behind Matt Ryan.  Don’t forget Michel is a graduate of Georgia, so coming home probably has a nice ring to it. 

Prediction:  Released

OLB Von Miller

Oh, how I love Von.  I loved watching him lead the defense for years with Denver and when he went to the Rams, my first thought was”¦they are going to win the Superbowl with him!  He is 32 and will be 33 before the start of the 2022 season, but when healthy he is a beast, and that may carry a high dollar price.  I could see him wanting to see what else is out there as he contemplates retirement within the next few years, but what could be better than LA”¦sun, sand, and another run at a back-to-back Superbowl appearance?  He most likely will desire to stay with the Rams, but they might not be able to afford him.  If he is willing to lower his salary terms, maybe, but there are plenty of teams that would love him for one to two more years including the Cardinals, Colts, Bears, and Raiders. 

Prediction:  Released (unless a lower salary is bargained)

The post Bengals and Rams free agency outlook appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Chris Moore (Twitter: @fantasy_moore)

Sony Michel used to be viewed as an upcoming star at the running back position when the Patriots drafted him in 2018. Michel battled with injuries during his tenure in New England. Due to the emergence of Damien Harris and Michel’s injuries, the Patriots decided to move on from Michel this offseason. The Patriots traded him to the Rams for a sixth-round pick in 2022 and a fourth-rounder in 2023. It was clear both parties needed a fresh start, as Michel will now fill the Rams’ massive need at running back while the Patriots added some draft capital. Following his arrival in Los Angeles, Michel is now the backup for Darrell Henderson.

Big Opportunity?

Through two weeks of the NFL season, Michel has 11 carries for 51 yards. Michel hasn’t seen a heavy workload yet, but this weekend may be his first shot at receiving a larger workload as the season goes on. The Rams starting running back Darrell Henderson suffered a rib injury in the Rams Week 2 victory over the Colts. As of the time I am writing this article, Henderson is a game-time decision for Week 3. If Henderson were to miss Week 3, Michel would be in line to receive a heavy workload versus the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers currently have one of the best defensive lines in the entire league, and it will be hard for the Rams to get anything going on the ground this week regardless of who the starting running back is. But, this would be a huge opportunity for Michel to show he still belongs in the league. A strong showing out of Michel may have the Rams rethinking their current backfield. Michel may have a chance this week to show he deserves more playing time in this backfield.

What’s Left In The Tank

While the Patriots believed they didn’t need Michel’s services anymore, I still believe Michel can be a viable running back in the league. Michel looked good in the preseason for the Patriots, averaging 4.6 yards per carry in the two games he played. Michel also showed improvement in the passing game, as Michel caught every target he saw in the preseason (4) for 37 receiving yards. Michel looked like a better player than the one he was last season. Michel took over last week when Henderson left the game and had a strong showing. Rushing 10 times for 46 yards, with his longest run being 11 yards.

He might not be the impressive rookie running back he used to be, but Michel has an opportunity to establish a greater role for himself in the Rams backfield starting this week. Michel looked prepared when he took over for Henderson last week, and I expect that to be the case if he starts in Week 3 for the Rams. Michel is an established running back in the league, who’s looking for another chance, and he might get one.

The post Why Sony Michel will dominate in Week 3 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.