Jones and T.J. McDonald rehab from injuries. “He’s done a really good job,” Flores said of Fitzpatrick. “He’s a hard-working kid, does a good job with his communication, practices well every day. Obviously, it’s n

The Dolphins had one of the most interesting drafts in the NFL http://www.thedolphinslockerroom.com/authentic-larry-csonka-jersey , but how does it grade out?" 2019 NFL DraftGrading the Dolphins 2019 draft classNew,60commentsThe Dolphins had one of the most interesting drafts in the NFL, but how does it grade out?EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Grading the Dolphins 2019 draft classTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesThe 2019 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the Dolphins roster now looks dramatically different than it did just one week ago.The team garnered national media attention with its trade for last year’s 10th overall draft pick, Josh Rosen, and his landing in Miami will absolutely be factored in to my overall grading of Miami’s draft class. Aside from Rosen, the Dolphins added some quality players at a number of positions, but how does it all stack up?First, let’s lay out all of the picks. Below is Miami’s full list of 2019 draft selections (including Rosen):Round 1 (13th overall) - Christian Wilkins, DL, ClemsonTrade - Josh Rosen, QB, Arizona CardinalsRound 3 (78th overall) - Michael Dieter, OL, WisconsinRound 5 (151st overall) - Andrew Van Ginkel, LB, WisconsinRound 6 (202nd overall) - Isaiah Prince, OT, OhioRound 7 (233rd overall) - Chandler Cox, FB, AuburnRound 7 (234th overall) - Myles Gaskin, RB, WashingtonThe Dolphins began the draft by selecting Wilkins, one of the top defenders in all of college football last season. He routinely caused havoc for opposing offenses and helped lead Clemson to a College Football National Championship. He was also the recipient of the William V. Campbell trophy (often called the “Academic Heisman”) for his achievements off the field and in the classroom. He received his degree from Clemson in just 2 & 1⁄2 years.On the field, his performance culminated in being named a first-team All American for the 2018 season. Wilkins accumulated 57 tackles, including 15 for loss Womens Bob Griese Jersey , six sacks, and two forced fumbles last season. He’ll be an immediate contributor on Miami’s d-line and should start as early as Week 1. His presence in the locker room should result in Wilkins becoming one of the leaders of Miami’s defense, and the team as a whole, very early in his career.Round 2 is where Miami’s draft become most interesting. After intense negotiations with the Arizona Cardinals for quarterback Josh Rosen resulted in Miami’s top brass feeling as though the 48th overall selection was too steep a price for the QB, the Dolphins initiated a trade with the New Orleans Saints. Miami sent its 48th overall selection and a 2019 fourth-round pick to New Orleans in exchange for the 62nd overall selection, a 2019 sixth-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick. Now holding an extra second-round pick in next year’s draft, and having maximized the value of this year’s second-round pick, Miami traded the 62nd overall selection and a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Cardinals in exchange for Rosen, who just last year was picked 10th overall by Arizona. In essence, the Dolphins traded a 2019 second-round pick, a 2019 fourth-round pick, and a 2020 fifth-round pick in exchange for Josh Rosen, a 2020 second-round pick, and a 2019 sixth-round pick. No matter what you think of Rosen and his potential, the fact of the matter is that he is just one year removed from being the 10th overall pick, has a load of potential, and will cost the Dolphins virtually nothing on the salary cap for the next three years. When the draft compensation is taken into account, it’s only fair to say this was a masterful move by general manager Chris Grier. Even if Rosen doesn’t pan out as a franchise QB, the Dolphins paid proportionally very little to test him out when compared to what most teams spend on QB’s of his stature (often first-round picks).In the third round, the Dolphins selected Dieter, one of the top interior linemen in this draft class. Given the fact that this draft class was top heavy on the defensive side of the ball, some top tier offensive talent got pushed down the draft board, and Miami took advantage. Dieter may not be the most athletic lineman on the field, but his versatility is unparalleled, something head coach Brian Flores has mentioned he values in his players. Dieter has played double-digit games at tackle Adam Joseph Duhe Jersey , center, and most recently, left guard. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He will likely compete for the starting left guard spot right away. Dieter’s durability has also been a big asset, as he played in 13 or more games in four straight collegiate seasons.Van Ginkel will likely start out as a developmental player for the Dolphins. Last season, he started 11 games for the Badgers and accumulated 46 tackles, seven for loss, 4.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and one blocked kick, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors. With Flores likely to employ a variety of schemes, Van Ginkel should see time as a hybrid OLB/Edge defender when the team takes the field in 3-4 packages. While Van Ginkel takes time to acclimate to the defense, he should be able to make an immediate impact on special teams.Prince is a hulking offensive lineman (6’6”, 305 lbs) that could compete for the starting job at right tackle as early as his rookie season. He was a three-year starter at Ohio State and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2018. Prince was also elected team captain for his senior season. He cited Buckeye’s practices, where he went against Nick Bosa, the second overall pick in this year’s draft, every day, as one of the keys to his development. Don’t be surprised if he swipes the starting job from Zach Sterup before Week 1.Cox was listed as both a fullback and a running back at various points in his career at Auburn. If he makes the 53-man roster, he’ll likely help out in the red zone and as an extra blocker in the backfield. Cox said that his visit with the Dolphins during the pre-draft process was by far his favorite, and he calls it a “dream come true” to be drafted. Gaskin earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. His production over the course of his collegiate career is truly remarkable, as he rushed for over 1,200 yards in four consecutive seasons at Washington while accumulating 62 total touchdowns. He will compete with Cox, Kenneth Fowles, and a number of undrafted free agents for the chance to backup Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage on Miami’s depth chart.Given the selection of Wilkins, who should be an immediate starter, and the additions of Dieter and Prince, who are potential Week 1 starters http://www.thedolphinslockerroom.com/authentic-minkah-fitzpatrick-jersey , I would give Miami’s draft a solid B+ because I believe the team still needs help at defensive end and cornerback. Unfortunately, the Dolphins simply didn’t have enough picks to address every position of need in this draft, and I believe taking the best player available regardless of position is the best draft philosophy anyway. With all that said, Grier’s deft maneuvering that allowed the team to trade for Josh Rosen while still netting an extra second-round pick in next year’s draft deserves applause, and it boosts my draft grade for 2019 to an A-.Bravo, Mr. Grier. Bravo. The Miami Dolphins get back on the field tonight in a Preseason Week 2 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second preseason game typically sees the starters play a little longer into the..." 2019 Miami Dolphins What to Watch For2019 Miami Dolphins PreseasonDolphins at Buccaneers: What to watch for Miami in Preseason Week 2New,12commentsEDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Dolphins at Buccaneers: What to watch for Miami in Preseason Week 2TwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Miami Dolphins get back on the field tonight in a Preseason Week 2 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second preseason game typically sees the starters play a little longer into the game, with the depth players then taking over for a majority of the contest. Then, for next week’s game three of the preseason, teams go for a full dress rehearsal of a regular season game, with starters playing all of the first half and possibly coming back after halftime for early third-quarter play.If Miami is going to use the third game, a nationally televised game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, then they need to have a fairly good idea of who their starters will be across the lineup. There are still positions, including the quarterback and the offensive line, where there are question marks. Strong performances tonight against the Buccaneers could settle some of those remaining questions.Who will have an impact? Who should you be watching tonight?Josh RosenRosen had a strong first outing with the Dolphins last week. By no means was it perfect, but a second-year quarterback with upside who is on his sixth offensive coordinator in his last five years of football is probably going to make a few mistakes. He finished the game last week against the Atlanta Falcons 13-for-20 for 191 yards with an interception, giving him a 75.2 passer rating. Earlier in the week, head coach Brian Flores discussed Rosen’s body language and control of the huddle as an issue. Flores told the media, “I think he has to do a better job getting guys in and out of the huddle, his communication, body language. There were some plays there he didn’t like and we just have to move onto the next play. That’s the case for him and all the quarterbacks; but I think at that position, that’s something that’s part of the evaluation as well. But he got in there with some of those other guys and I thought he did an okay job.”Tonight, Rosen needs to show that he can get guys in and out of the huddle, control his emotions, and have better body language. Not everything will go his way, but if he can put up another strong day Womens Cameron Wake Jersey , plus improve on some of those other things, he has a chance to put himself in the lead of the quarterback battle.Mark Walton, Myles Gaskin, Patrick Laird, Kenneth FarrowKenyan Drake is injured, which makes Kalen Ballage a “feature back” instead of a player platooning with Drake. The Dolphins will likely look at Ballage early, then get him out of the game, leaving extra reps for the rest of the position group. Walton likely has the inside track for the third running back spot on the 53-man roster, but Gaskin and Laird have been playing well. Farrow needs a strong performance tonight. If one of them has a great game, they could lock themselves into the third spot, or possibly force Miami to keep a fourth halfback on the roster (plus Chandler Cox at fullback).Offensive lineThe offensive line is still a giant question mark, and tonight may not be enough to answer everything. Laremy Tunsil is obviously the left tackle and the only sure-thing on the line. If Miami is going to start two rookies, Michael Deiter and Shaq Calhoun, at guard this year, there are going to be moments of rookie mistakes, but they have to use each game to get better and clean up past mistakes. Facing Ndamukong Suh all week should be helpful, but the coaches need to start seeing some cohesion along the line. Jesse Davis seems locked into the right tackle position now, with Daniel Kilgore at center. After those five, there are a lot of players with some highs and some lows that have to step up and fill a role on the team, either working as a swing tackle, a utility interior lineman, or simply just solid depth at one position. The offensive line will continue to show up on the “what to watch” list every week until it proves itself.Pass rushDoes anyone have a spare pass rush they can send to Tampa for tonight and do not mind giving up until the winter? Right now, Miami needs it. Charles Harris has to step up - it really is that simple. The former first-round pick continues to disappoint, and the Dolphins need him to turn it around. Nate Orchard and Jonathan Ledbetter saw snaps as the first team defensive ends this week, replacing Harris and Tank Carradine in that role, which is not a good sign. The coaches could have just been getting them experience or sending a message Jason Taylor Jersey , but Harris being replaceable is worrisome as we hit the mid-way point of the preseason.There is still some scheming that can be done to help generate a pass rush, but linebacker Jerome Baker cannot be Miami’s top defender harassing opposing quarterbacks. He is needed in other roles - coverage, run stopping, etc. - more. Minkah FitzpatrickI was going to make this the second starting cornerback again like last week, but we all already know that needs to be answered. Instead, I want to watch Fitzpatrick this week. I would guess he is not in the game long, but the coaching staff is moving him around a lot right now, and it came to a head this week when South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporter Omar Kelly tweeted a comment about the second-year player not performing well in practice. His family responded that the coaching staff is using him in the box as a strong safety, which does not fit his skill set as well, in order to allow other players to play to their strengths. The Dolphins likely are looking to Fitzpatrick to serve as a strong safety as Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald rehab from injuries. “He’s done a really good job,” Flores said of Fitzpatrick. “He’s a hard-working kid, does a good job with his communication, practices well every day. Obviously, it’s never perfect for anybody, but he’s a guy who we’ve used in multiple roles. He’s taken to that and really learned them all at a pretty good level. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement from a technique, from a fundamental standpoint – just an understanding of the game. He’s still a young player. It’s a new system, but he’s really a joy to work with from an abilities standpoint, as a kid – he’s a really good kid, too. I’m looking forward to working with him some more.”How will the Dolphins use Fitzpatrick? Will he be asked to be up in the box? He should be an interesting player to watch tonight.Bonus: Preston WilliamsA strong Preseason Week 1 performance thrust Williams, an undrafted free agent, into the national spotlight. Can he continue that tonight?