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Ryan Fitzpatrick

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Fitzpatrick, Jets

January 15th, 2020 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins enter the offseason with tons of cap room and a bevy of draft capital. Will GM Chris Grier‘s capitalize on those picks? History suggests that he just might. ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe took a trip down memory lane recently, and highlighted some of Grier’s biggest hits over the past three years.

Successful selections include offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil (2016 first-round pick), cornerback Xavien Howard (2016 second-round pick), cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick (2018 first-round pick), and linebacker Jerome Baker (2018 third-round pick). Of course, Grier wasn’t as fortunate in 2017 as he whiffed on first-round defensive end Charles Harris and third-round corner Cordrea Tankersley.

The Dolphins are currently set to pick at Nos. 5, 18, and 26 overall in the first round, but they’re also expected to move around as they kick their rebuild into high gear.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • For what it’s worth, Grier says the Dolphins‘ plan “right now” is for Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen to both be on the offseason roster, as Wolfe writes. It remains to be seen whether Fitzpatrick, 37, will return for another season, but the quarterback has confessed that retirement would be difficult for him. As it stands, Fitzpatrick is under contract for $8MM in 2020 with $4MM guaranteed. Pairing Fitzpatrick with a rookie quarterback like Tua Tagovailoa – who will be ready to throw in April – would make a lot of sense. Meanwhile, it’s hard to see Rosen fitting into the picture.
  • When asked about the power dynamic between head coach Adam Gase and general manager Joe Douglas, Manish Mehta of the Daily News pointed to the lengths of their respective contracts. Gase, who came along first, received a four-year deal from the club. Douglas, who joined late in the 2019 offseason after Mike Maccagnan‘s ill-time ouster, got a six-year deal with Gang Green. Gase helped push the Jets to hire Douglas, and has influence on personnel decisions, but Mehta writes that Douglas indeed has the upper hand on 53-man roster matters. In other words, as Mehta writes, a tie goes to Douglas.
  • The Bills could lose assistant GM Joe Schoen to the Browns.

Dolphins Hire Chan Gailey As OC

December 31st, 2019 at 8:31am CST by Rory Parks

One day after firing Chad O’Shea, the Dolphins are bringing in a familiar face to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Miami will hire Chan Gailey as its new OC. Gailey served in that same capacity with the Dolphins from 2000-01.

It’s something of a curious move, given that the Dolphins seemed to be finding their groove under O’Shea. Although the overall offensive numbers look bleak — the team finished 27th in the NFL in total offense, last in rushing offense, and 25th in scoring offense in 2019 — they did rank in the top-10 in passing offense and top-15 in scoring offense after Ryan Fitzpatrick took over the starting QB job on a full-time basis beginning in Week 6.

However, as Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com writes, O’Shea’s system was frequently described as complex — which makes sense given the amount of time he spent in the Patriots’ organization — and with a number of young players on the roster and a rookie signal-caller likely coming in, head coach Brian Flores perhaps wanted something a little more digestible. Gailey’s spread offense could fit the bill.

Plus, it’s not as though Fitzpatrick is unfamiliar with Gailey’s system. Gailey was Fitzpatrick’s OC with the Jets from 2015-16 and his head coach with the Bills from 2010-12. And as Wolfe says, the team wants Fitzpatrick back in 2020 for the final year of his two-year deal and to bridge the gap to the young QB it will presumably select in the upcoming draft.

Gailey, 67, is a familiar name to NFL fans. He has served as the offensive coordinator for four different teams (the Steelers, Dolphins, Chiefs, and Jets) and as the head coach of two (the Cowboys and Bills). He is just 34-48 as a head coach, including an 0-2 mark in the playoffs, and he has not been successful at every stop, but he obviously has the respect of Flores and will attempt to mold Miami’s young offense.

Josh Rosen Unlikely To Play Again In 2019

December 16th, 2019 at 7:33pm CST by Rory Parks

With the Dolphins looking to the future, it’s fair to wonder if head coach Brian Flores will reinsert second-year QB Josh Rosen into the starting lineup for the final two games of the season instead of continuing to roll with 37-year-old journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick.

But as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, Flores has shot down the idea that he needs to get another look at Rosen this year. “We will always do what we feel is in the best interests of this team and play the guy that gives us the best chance to win; we feel that’s Ryan,” Flores said. “It’s [been] that way for the last 8 to 10 weeks.”

Of course, Miami acquired Rosen from the Cardinals this offseason for second- and fifth-round picks, and given his status as the No. 10 overall pick of the 2018 draft, it made sense for the draft pick-rich Dolphins to take a flier on the UCLA product. But in six games (three starts) this season, Rosen has completed 53.2% of his passes and has thrown one touchdown against five interceptions. He was similarly disappointing in his rookie campaign with Arizona, and while the 2018 Cardinals and the 2019 Dolphins boasted little offensive firepower of any kind, Jackson says Miami does not view Rosen as its long-term QB.

The team could save a little money by turning back to Rosen, as Fitzpatrick will earn $2.5MM in incentives if he plays in 75% or more of Miami’s offensive snaps this season (he has currently played in 76.9% of the team’s snaps). That money is guaranteed and is in addition to his $5.5MM base salary for 2020, but that is not a pressing issue for the Dolphins, who will have a ton of cap space to work with.

When asked if there is anything more to learn about Rosen by seeing him in additional game action, Flores said, “[y]ou can always get more information, but we have what we have [and that’s] practice reps and the game reps he had and his play for [Arizona] a year ago. The most important thing is what we see in practice on a weekly basis.” Reading between the lines, it sounds like Rosen hasn’t been any more impressive in practice than he has been in games.

AFC Notes: Marrone, Dolphins, Lawson

November 24th, 2019 at 7:56pm CST by Marc Delucchi

After the Jaguars ugly 42-20 loss to the Titans, the team fell to 4-7 and reporters asked head coach Doug Marrone if the team would be making any changes at quarterback or defensive coordinator. Marrone remained steadfast that he is not considering changes at either spot, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.

Marrone, currently in his third season as Jacksonville’s official head coach (he served as the interim at the end of 2016), is still looking to replicate the success he found in his first year at the helm. That season the Jaguars had one of the best defensive units in football that carried a team with questionable quarterback play to the AFC Championship Game. Since, the team is 9-18 and recently looks in disarray defensively. On the opposite side of the field, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew showed promise while Nick Foles was out with a broken collarbone. Foles returned last week, but has yet to lead a strong offensive performance.

Here’s some more Sunday notes from the AFC:

  • Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is perfect for the Dolphins situation, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Fitzpatrick has helped their offensive unit maintain an acceptable level of competence, but not to a level that could cause the team to win enough games to have their first round pick fall outside the top five in next year’s draft. Salguero also notes that head coach Brian Flores’ choices have made clear that Miami believes that Josh Rosen is not the franchise’s answer under center.
  • The Bills defense dominated the Broncos offense in Sunday’s 20-3 victory. It’s no secret that Buffalo has one of the best defensive units in football, but one player seemed to be playing with a little chip on his shoulder. According to Denver7’s Troy Renck, Bills edge rusher Shaq Lawson, who recorded two sacks on Sunday, looked for Broncos center Connor McGovern after the contest to tell him, “You will remember me now.” Apparently, McGovern said he did not who Lawson was prior to the game and the Clemson alum took note.

AFC Notes: Jackson, Miller, Fitzpatrick

November 20th, 2019 at 11:07am CST by Marc Delucchi

Former Ravens offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and the Ravens released a statement denying a report by Michael Lombardi of The Athletic claiming Mornhinweg wanted to move Lamar Jackson to wide receiver. Jackson, of course, was the subject of much debate as a draft prospect with many pundits, including ESPN’s Bill Polian, calling for a position change to wide receiver.

Jackson, however, remained adamant that he was a quarterback, was selected in the first round by Baltimore and has taken the NFL by storm over the past two seasons. Mornhinweg, who was replaced by Greg Roman as the team’s offensive coordinator entering this season, made clear in his statement that “My thoughts before the draft, and even more when we started working with Lamar, was that this young man was going to be a special quarterback.” Regardless of what his opinions were at the time, Jackson has proven he is an NFL signalcaller.

Here’s more notes from around the AFC:

  • The Broncos were deflated after blowing a 20-0 lead in their 27-23 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. To try and help team moral, all-pro linebacker Von Miller organized a team dinner just a couple hours after landing back in Denver, according to Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. Per Newman’s report, the dinner was a resounding success. Players brought their family members and seemed to rebound from their loss and get ready for another week.
  • Dolphins head coach Brian Flores told reporters that Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain Miami’s starting quarterback this week against the Browns, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Flores, however, would not rule out the possibility of backup quarterback Josh Rosen retaking the job from Fitzpatrick at some point this season.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Mosley, Fitzpatrick

October 23rd, 2019 at 2:30pm CST by Marc Delucchi

C.J. Mosley was one of the biggest free agent signings of the offseason. The Jets poached the inside linebacker from the Ravens for a record-setting contract. His career in New York has struggled to get underway due to injuries. Playing in just his second game of the season on Monday against the Patriots, Mosley re-aggravated his groin injury.

According to Rich Cimini of NFL.com, the organization is concerned about Mosley’s health. Head coach Adam Gase told reporters that “It might be more than the groin.” In fact, Gase’s comments suggested there is a certain level of uncertainty and that doctors are in the middle of a “deep dive” into his health.

Here is some more news from around the AFC East:

  • Jets starting quarterback Sam Darnold is limited and limping after a toe nail removal procedure, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The report notes that the operation does not put Darnold at risk of missing any upcoming games, but the injury will limit him in practice. Darnold returned to action in Week 6 after missing over a month recovering from mononucleosis.
  • In a separate tweet, Cimini noted that there was no sign of offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele at Jets practice today. When Gase was asked the organization’s stance on Osemele, he refused to comment. Osemele has been refusing to practice with a shoulder injury that it appears the team believes he can play through. The team has since fined him and this case could very well be headed towards a grievance. Regardless, a recent update from Pro Football Talk has reported that Osemele plans to proceed with shoulder surgery this week.
  • The Dolphins hapless season has had few storylines worth following. However, after stepping in for young quarterback Josh Rosen, Ryan Fitzpatrick put up a strong performance against a very good Bills defense. Head coach Brian Flores told reporters that Fitzpatrick earned another start, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Going forward, Fitzpatrick will prepare to play the Steelers next week on Monday Night Football.

Dolphins Revert To Ryan Fitzpatrick

October 16th, 2019 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

One week ago, Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Josh Rosen would be his starting quarterback for the rest of the season. On Sunday, he had a change of heart midway through and went with Ryan Fitzpatrick. On Wednesday, Flores announced that Fitzpatrick will lead the charge the rest of the way. 

That’s not quite in line with the “rest of the season” vow made to Rosen, but then again, the Dolphins’ season is more or less over here in October. On the plus side – the Dolphins showed serious signs of life on Sunday against the Redskins and nearly came from behind to win with Fitzpatrick under center.

After a few days of evaluating in practice, Flores says Fitz will be his guy. Or, at least, he’ll be Flores’ QB against the Bills on Sunday. What happens after that is TBD.

If it’s any consolation to Rosen – even under the best of circumstances, the Dolphins were, and are, still planning to take a quarterback in the first round of the 2020 draft.

Extra Points: Garrett, Rosen, Mariota

October 13th, 2019 at 9:02pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Cowboys got off to a red-hot start this season, and many were talking about them as Super Bowl contenders. Then the schedule toughened up, and Dallas has now lost three straight games. We heard earlier this morning that the Cowboys could make a coaching change after this season, and things certainly didn’t get better for Jason Garrett when he lost to the Jets Sunday. Speaking after his team’s loss to New York, owner Jerry Jones didn’t exactly offer a ringing endorsement. Asked about Garrett’s future with the team, Jones said “I’m not even coming close to those future type considerations,” via Jon Machota of The Athletic (Twitter link).

“I haven’t even glanced there in my mind about long-term future. I’m looking in the future as next week against those Eagles,” he continued. That’s obviously not a sign that Jones is very confident in Garrett, and things will get even worse if the Cowboys lose a pivotal divisional game to Philly next Sunday night. Garrett is in the final year of his contract as a lame-duck coach, and after the first few games it appeared he was well on his way to earning an extension. Things change fast in the NFL though, and Jones thinks his team is championship caliber and isn’t going to settle for anything less. For what it’s worth a Cowboys source said “absolutely not” when asked if Garret’s job was in immediate jeopardy, per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That being said, Garrett’s seat is definitely starting to heat up.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • The Dolphins benched Josh Rosen during their close loss to the Redskins today, and Ryan Fitzpatrick provided a spark off the bench. Fitzpatrick led two late touchdown drives and had Miami within a two-point conversion of their first win of the season, but he won’t be holding the job moving forward. Speaking after the game head coach Brian Flores confirmed Rosen would remain the team’s starter next week against the Bills, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com. Flores had said recently Rosen would be the team’s starter for the rest of the year barring injury, so this isn’t surprising. Still, Fitzpatrick undeniably played much better Sunday. Obviously winning isn’t the top priority for Miami right now so it sounds like they’ll continue to take a long look at the UCLA product, although it won’t be shocking if he gets pulled again soon.
  • Speaking of quarterbacks getting benched, the Titans yanked Marcus Mariota from their loss to the Broncos, replacing him with Ryan Tannehill. After the game head coach Mike Vrabel was tight-lipped about his plans moving forward, and didn’t say who would start next week. Tannehill also told the media he didn’t know if he’d be under center in Week 7 against the Chargers, so stay tuned as we should have an update in the next day or two. Mariota had thrown for just 63 yards on 18 attempts with two interceptions before getting pulled. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal so even if he retains the starting job moving forward, it’s highly possible we witnessed the beginning of the end of the Mariota era in Tennessee today.
  • In case you missed it, the Redskins are reportedly going to make a push to trade for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

Josh Rosen To Start For The Dolphins

September 19th, 2019 at 3:31pm CST by cwcrouse

It’s been a tough week for veteran quarterbacks. The Eli Manning-era in New York came to an end earlier this week. Ben Roethlisberger may have played his last game for the yellow-and-gold after going down with an elbow injury and Drew Brees is out of the Saints’ lineup with a thumb injury. Now, another veteran quarterback is on the outs, as the Ryan Fitzpatrick era in Miami appears to be over.

Josh Rosen will make his first start for the Dolphins against the Cowboys on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link). Rapoport hears that coach Brian Flores made the decision this afternoon.

Rosen, who Miami gave up a second-rounder for, started 13 games for the Cardinals as a rookie last season. The offensive line in Arizona wasn’t a strength because of injuries and a lack of talent and Rosen struggled, completing just 55.2% of his passes. Rosen will again be saddled with a poor offensive line and it’s arguable that the weapons around him in Miami are inferior to the ones he had out in the desert.

The former No. 10 overall pick has seen action on two occasions this season, both coming late in Miami’s pair of blowout losses. He’s completed 8-of-21 pass attempts for 102 yards so far during his time in Miami.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Adams, Dolphins

September 17th, 2019 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

We have more social media drama. On Tuesday, safety Jamal Adams unfollowed the Jets on Instagram.

In years past, this sort of teenage drama wasn’t on our radar, but we’ve seen countless players unfollow their respective teams and ask for trades as of late.

In case you were wondering, Adams still follows the Jets on Twitter as of this writing, so there’s that. Also, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears there’s nothing to this latest unfollow scandal, even though the Jets are 0-2 and suffered a Monday night embarrassment at the hands of the Browns.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

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