The 2019 Miami Dolphins will bring intrigue and a new direction

The 2019 Miami Dolphins will bring intrigue and a much-needed new direction. With new leadership and philosophy, they should be headed in the right direction, finally!

I know, we’ve heard this story before. The new regime has come in to clean house and turn the ship around, but rarely does it ever go as planned or even work. The 2019 draft has come and gone, and it looks to me at least as if the Dolphins have done a lot of good with it.

The first pick drew a resounding applause from experts and fans as almost everyone agreed that Christian Williams (defensive tackle from Clemson) will be a real asset both with his on the field play and his leadership. An athletic wrecking ball with a huge motor. Pairing and rotating him with Godchaux, Spence and Taylor, should solidify this young talented defensive front for many years. Check box number one, checked!

The much discussed second pick or trade was one Josh Rosen. This personnel move came in as a 50/50 split amongst experts and fans, some really liked it, some thought it was a wasted maneuver and draft capital. Let me throw my two cents at you. First and foremost, this kid has talent, he has fire and he has the ability to read a dam defense, period. As I am a UCLA Bruins guy, I had the pleasure to watch Rosen throughout his entire collegiate career, from the moment he came in as the heralded 5-star passer from St. John Bosco High School and became the first Bruin true freshman to start a season-opener at quarterback for UCLA. If you have questions that Josh Rosen can’t play football, take a look at his collegiate career stats and records here or just watch the game he had against Texas A&M in 2017 in what became a historic comeback for the UCLA Bruins. Now, I have a better picture of who this young man is, than most of the idiots who continue to question his leadership and attitude, based off some stories that they have heard about him or things taken out of context that he said. I won’t bore you with defending him as I know it’s always hard to change someone’s perception of somebody until you get him in your face for some time and can create a realistic opinion of that person. The simply fact is this guy can play football at any level and is a student of the game, a leader and a great teammate. Jim Mora Jr. former head coach of Josh Rosen and the UCLA Bruins via twitter in 2018 said,

"” Those that question @josh3rosen and his toughs, competitiveness and love of the game are so far off anything I’ve seen in 6+ years knowing this man. He’s the real deal, he has it all, he will be a great one, he will win championships."

Check box number two, checked!

The third pick was a solid selection as the Miami Dolphins selected Michael Deiter, a guard from Wisconsin. I looked at this big man after the season ended and saw a diverse three position experienced offensive line bully, a mauler and a very athletic offensive linemen, who can pull and will be excellent at the run and screen pass game Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage will be utilizing in this offense. This was a much-needed pick and Michael Deiter could become a day one starter and will definitely create some needed beef and depth for a thin offensive line unit. I really liked his versatility and motor while at Wisconsin. I think he will be on the offensive line here at Miami for years to come. Check box number three, checked!

Then next came the round five pick of Andrew Van Ginkel, an Outside Linebacker from the Wisconsin Badgers. Van Ginkel does possess some good lateral mobility and did excel for the badgers the last two seasons. Van Ginkel spent his first two years at FCS program south Dakota and Iowa Western Community college, until transferring to Wisconsin and earned a starting OLB position for them last season. He fought through a nagging ankle injury last season but still produced. This pick could potentially pan out better than everyone’s initial thoughts due to his speed and could be a great situational linebacker and special teams’ player for the Dolphins, he will bring immediate depth to a thin linebacker unit and could grow with this young unit into a legitimate contributor. Check box number four, sort of checked!

Round 6 brought a not so popular selection in one Isaiah Prince offensive tackle from Ohio State. A lot of people did not like this big fella for his struggles particularly in pass protection. After watching some of his work there seems to be real concerns with twists and stunts. I’m having nightmares thinking this might be another Ted Larson who suffered with the same problems. But you have to keep hope that this man can developed or at minimum be depth on a line that desperately needs some beef.

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Then something happened, that I for one thought may never happen ever again, a freaking fullback was drafted, yes, a fullback. Chandler Cox a fullback from Auburn was selected in round seven. I really knew nothing about this guy, so I had to dig in and see what Miami got here, and to my surprise I think the Dolphins picked up a very tough and great blocking football player who can be utilized in many ways. Hell, Belichick has used a fullback in New England for quite some time, so why not, right. I think you get a little more here than just a blocking fullback as well, he’s got pass catching skills and is a beast of a lead blocker. I’m actually excited to watch this guy, who potentially could be a starter that the Dolphins just picked up in the seventh round. Wasn’t a check box here but check something!

Finally, with the last of their selections the Miami Dolphins picked Myles Gaskin, running back of the Washington Huskies. This guy was an absolute workhorse for the huskies. He possesses quick feet, with a great ability to plant and cut. He has great vision of the field and is two moves ahead of the defense. At 5 foot 9 inches and 205 with some speed and very athletic, he fits right in with the running backs room for the Dolphins. He could really develop into something special for this team. I’m sure they will see his abilities and find ways to get him on the field. Check box number five, Checked!

So, I think overall with the draft and the trade the Miami Dolphins have addressed some needed gaps and added some needed depth to multiple areas and should be a competitive football team. With talent on this team I cannot imagine they are the NFL’s or even the AFC East’s worst team. They have some glaring needs still but, could be a lot better than most are giving them credit for. I’m telling you Josh Rosen is going to make you a believer, and if the offensive line can create a unit that can stay somewhat healthy and play together most of the season, our running backs can produce some electricity. This team does have a lot of talent and I’m ready to see what the new coaching staff can put together and what the new look Miami Dolphins can do.

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