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Scouting the Fins-1-19-26 · 3 Yards Per Carry - Miami Dolphins

0:31
[SPEAKER_00]: What's up everybody and welcome to a live special edition episode of Scouting the Finns Part of the three yards per carried podcast.
0:39
[SPEAKER_00]: It is official almost official or a close enough that the direction is unmistakable.
0:47
[SPEAKER_00]: According to Adam Shepter, Tom Pilsaro and Ian Rapaport, Jeff Hathley is set to become the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
0:57
[SPEAKER_00]: After firing Mike McDaniel and hiring John Eric Sullivan as the general manager, Miami has made it choice.
1:05
[SPEAKER_00]: And it tells us everything about how this franchise now sees itself.
1:09
[SPEAKER_00]: This was not a splash higher.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This was not a scheme higher.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This was a culture, structure, and development higher.
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[SPEAKER_00]: As always, this show is brought to you by only Finch.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Go to discord.dgslash, only Finch to 99, just to read 499 for all access.
1:34
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you have been on only Finch,
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[SPEAKER_00]: that the Miami Dolphins have honed in on Jeff Hathley as their got the former Packers Defense of Coronator.
1:48
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, look, this higher makes sense if you understand a John Eric Sullivan.
1:53
[SPEAKER_00]: He comes from Green Bay, an organization that believes that culture can outlast talent.
1:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Teaching beats chasing traits, the defense, and offensive line, if they are stout, if they are built from the ground up, they reduce variants.
2:11
[SPEAKER_00]: And look, the quarterback development process, it takes time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: it's not a miracle.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And look, Jeff Hathley checks those boxes according to the mind of dolphins.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He is a communicator, he is a teacher, a disciplinarian without being rigid, and he's comfortable letting coordinators do their jobs as evident by his time at Boston College.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like this is more so a reaction to Mike McDaniel, not so much a continuation of him.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The Miami Dolphins, John Erick Sullivan, and Stephen Ross are choosing stability over sizzle.
2:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, look, who is exactly Jeff Hathley?
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[SPEAKER_00]: I know everyone has said he comes from Boston College.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He's been the Green Bay Packers Defense Coordinator, but let's unwind it a little bit more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, he's worked under Matt LaFlor, he's worked under Joe Barry as the former Packers defense coordinator.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He's worked under Ryan Day as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But the thing that really sticks out to me is his time in Cleveland with Mike McDaniel, with Anthony Weaver, with Kyle
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[SPEAKER_00]: influential coaching lineage.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, look under Mike Bettine, the defense was very rigid.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It was more so about the past wrestlers trying to feast all the offensive line and the secondary being left on the man to man cover one islands.
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[SPEAKER_00]: When he went to Ohio State as the as the co-defense corner, it was a lot of man to man and a little bit of a mix of zone schemes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: when he was with Boston College as the head coach, it was a hybrid 3, 4, 4, 3 mixed with over-fronts and having big guys in the secondary, letting them do their jobs specifically in Tampa 2 and Cover 2 type of defense with the mix of man-to-man consoles.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now look,
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[SPEAKER_00]: He's been with Matt LaFour for a little bit.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He has some experience with the Shanahan style scheme.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So it's going to be interesting to see what his offensive and defensive step is going to look like.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He is not a system guy at all.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He is a program builder.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He is a culture guy.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now let's talk about what Jeff Hathley football actually looks like under John Eric Sullivan.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Let's start with the defensive identity because he is a defensive coach first.
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[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of pattern match zone coverage with tapotoo with Invert.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The guys on the defensive line are going to be gap penetrators.
5:03
[SPEAKER_00]: You need your three text, you need your one text.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is going to both really, really well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: For guys like Kenneth Grant and Zach Sealer, who can eat a block and who can help the edge rushers.
5:14
[SPEAKER_00]: Right now, the Miami Dolphins only good edge rusher is Bradley Chub.
5:19
[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe if you're very positive,
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[SPEAKER_00]: If chop Robinson has the potential chop Robinson and Bradley Chab form a decent enough edge and defensive end duo, but it's not enough you need more past pressures we saw it last year when the packers had to volunteer why Michael Parsons were shot and Gary playing feasting getting all those sex.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The Miami Dolphins need to invest in the trying to specifically the defensive line they need more past freshers.
5:52
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like in terms of linebackers, I don't think Jordan Brooks in this game is the best fit, but Jordan Brooks will have to make it work.
6:02
[SPEAKER_00]: As far as the secondary, the dolphins have a lot of work to do.
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[SPEAKER_00]: in the second there they're going to need big tall strong and fast guys they they don't need five nine five ten defensive backs they need five eleven six foot six one that can play man to man coverage and are also disciplined in zone coverage they need to be able to have that top and speed that can run in man coverage the safety is right now as minca fits Patrick
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[SPEAKER_00]: And we don't know who else will be the opposite safety.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It could be Dante Trader Jr.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They could look towards someone in the draft.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If Caleb Downs falls to Miami, I pick number 11, that is a home run pick right there.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now again, coverage back in whites.
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[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of disguising heavy, pre-snap looks.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Think of Jeff Halfley's defense as a mix of
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[SPEAKER_00]: Vick Fangio and a mix of Anthony Weaver.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's a little bit like that, because guess what?
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[SPEAKER_00]: In Cleveland, Jeff Hathley worked under Jim O'Neal, who had Bangio principles in his system.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk a little bit more about this in an official episode, which scouting the fins with coach and Eric and maybe Alph might even join us, but this is a bit introductory.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This entire Jeff Haftly defense is about limiting explosives and forcing mistakes, forcing the quarterback to make mistakes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The defense has to be disciplined.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They cannot have high drama individuals and that goes the same for the offense.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You cannot have high drama individuals.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You don't want a team of free agents from different teams who are, quote-unquote, mercenaries.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's what the dolphins did.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Under Mike McDaniel, under Mike McDaniel and Chris Greer.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They got tired, we killed, they got Bradley Chub, they got Jalen Ranjee.
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[SPEAKER_00]: These are not homegrown guys.
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[SPEAKER_00]: John Eric Sullivan and Jeff Haffley want homegrown guys.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They want to build up a program in Miami.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And guess what?
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[SPEAKER_00]: This Jeff Haffley defense?
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[SPEAKER_00]: They are going to be able to play in the goal, and they have to be able to play in the goal.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The Miami Dolphins are a great team.
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[SPEAKER_00]: When the defense is the forefront, and they are the team's identity, then the offense has to complement.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Jeff Hathley wants to control games, not win shootouts.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And guess what?
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[SPEAKER_00]: That aligns directly with John Erick Sullivan's world view.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, look guys, the coordinator staff is going to be everything, this higher of Jeff Hathley only works if Hathley, John Erick Sullivan, and Steven Ross, they nail the coordinator staff.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The offensive coordinator is going to be the most important higher.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We don't know what type of offensive scheme Jeff Hathley wants to bring in.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If he's going to want to bring in a shanahan guy, if he's going to bring in someone from the Bill Kallenhan system or the Alex van Pelt system.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Or he doesn't care about scheme.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He wants an offensive coordinator who is a teacher first that can adapt their scheme to the players that they have to.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And to wherever and whoever they play, they will need an offensive coordinator that can develop a quarterback, whether it's still to a tongue by lower, whether they draft someone or Quinn Ewers.
10:11
[SPEAKER_00]: This offense has to be play action based.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They need to be able to be too high and single high coverage.
10:20
[SPEAKER_00]: And look, this offense of coordinator has to be willing to work under a defensive head coach.
10:26
[SPEAKER_00]: We cannot have the same issues as we did under Brian Flores where Tan Gaili did a no tool was going to be a starter where they have co offensive coordinators or under Mike McDaniel where Mike McDaniel
10:40
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, play call, can't have that anymore.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You need an experience offensive coordinator that is willing to teach.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And you need a guy that doesn't have an ego.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that does not experiment week over week day by day.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That can get this offensive line built.
10:59
[SPEAKER_00]: They need an offensive line coach, whether it's butchberry or Duane Ledford, who is not part of Atlantis coaching staff anymore.
11:07
[SPEAKER_00]: They need a good offensive line coach and a great offensive coordinator.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, realistically, you could take a look at Sean Manion.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Simon Clancy of the Thurrochbury podcast has said that Sean Manion could potentially be an option.
11:24
[SPEAKER_00]: However, in my opinion, with the current prop of star players in Miami's offense, Jalen Waddle, Erin Brewer, Patrick Paul, Devane Chene, Jalen Wright, Ali Gordon, League Washington.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You need a guy who comes from the McVay Shanahan tree with play calling experience, because that's what half the league has right now.
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[SPEAKER_00]: A West Coast timing-based offense.
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[SPEAKER_00]: that can protect young core backs, whether it be to a, whether it be Quinn or someone else they pick up in the draft or Malik Willis.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You need an offensive coordinator who is a run game designer that can protect young core backs and make sure the offensive line is set.
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[SPEAKER_00]: will have full autonomy.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Jeff Habley's job is culture, direction based and teaching, not calling plays for the offense.
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[SPEAKER_00]: As for the defense, Jeff Hathley will retain a strong influencer.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We talked about being very focused on the secondary, being very stout on the defensive
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[SPEAKER_00]: playing cover 2 from playing Tampa to invert to a little bit of cover 3 disguises, but also being able to play man match once it breaks down.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The safety's are going to have to rotate in and out to disguise.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's not going to be vanilla.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, like Fangio, it's going to be disguised like a little bit like Anthony Leibers.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This defense has to be flexible.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They have to have death.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They have to be young and less star dependent, more so scheme dependent.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I was always the big thing is going to be the quarterback.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This is not the fine, the savior approach.
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[SPEAKER_00]: we can say right now that Tua is not the saver.
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[SPEAKER_00]: However, we don't know if Jeff Hathley actually likes Tua, what if Tua stays?
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[SPEAKER_00]: What if Tua doesn't stay?
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[SPEAKER_00]: What if they really, really like Quenhours?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Or they bring Malik Willis in?
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[SPEAKER_00]: If it's one of those quarterbacks, you need that shanahan style of offense.
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[SPEAKER_00]: heavy on mental processing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They have to be coachable and they have to be tough willing to take the big hits and not injury prone.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They have to be comfortable playing on schedule, but as evident under the micromanic Daniel offense, they have to be able to make plays off schedule as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I think where this might go is that the dolphins will evidently draft a quarterback and sign Malikulis.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They don't want to keep the same cloud, the same culture.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That is over the Miami dolphins organization with this entire tool of Tonga Viola thing, whether or not they will keep him or they will trade him or they will cut him because he's taking up
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[SPEAKER_00]: a big chunk of the dolphin salary, same thing with Tyreek Hill, okay?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe Bradley Chub, but Bradley Chub seems to be a guy that is a little bit more culture based and he fits in Jeff Hatley's defense.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now look, this entire logic of the quarterback is based on the
15:09
[SPEAKER_00]: and they have someone work right behind them.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they take Malik Willis, let him be the bridge for someone else like a Trinidad Chambleus, like a tail and green.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe potentially Sawyer Robertson or they work towards a guy like Dante Moore in next year's 2027 NFL drop.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they want to get into play for Arch Manning.
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[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of factors here that we don't know just yet.
15:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, look, this offseason plan is going to be critical in building the culture for Jeff Hathley.
15:41
[SPEAKER_00]: The offensive line needs depth, needs depth for sure.
15:46
[SPEAKER_00]: They have the center figured out, they can sign Aaron Burr into an extension, he is your center going forward, Patrick Paul is your left tackle of the future.
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[SPEAKER_00]: When it comes to the left guard with Jonah Savanai, we know he's a rookie.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He had his bumps, he had his bruises.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And Coach Smith has said, he has gotten better, week over week.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He needs to be taught a little bit more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Wherever the offensive line coaches needs to teach Jonah Savanai because that is a big asset.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They spent a lot of time on him and they spent a high value draft pick on him.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and right tackle.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We don't know who their right guard will be.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They tried to go up and sign James Daniels last year after four or five snaps in the first regular season game against Indianapolis.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He gets hurt and does not ever play us.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They need to figure out the right court position as for right tackle.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's Austin Jackson.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He was given a contract.
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[SPEAKER_00]: was injured last year.
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[SPEAKER_00]: When healthy, he is a good run blocker.
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[SPEAKER_00]: For past protection, not so much.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If you have your right tackle, not a great past protector, but a good run blocker, he's only good for half of the game plan.
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[SPEAKER_00]: you need to draft or find another guy that can play right tackle for the Miami Dolphins.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That is the biggest key on offense.
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[SPEAKER_00]: As for defense, we know the Dolphins tried to shore up by drafting Kenneth Grant by drafting
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[SPEAKER_00]: Jordan Phillips by drafting Zeke Biggers.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Those three have shown promise.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Those three are young.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Those three can be taught, but there is nothing wrong with having too many defensive linemen and edge rusheres, especially in Jeff Hathley's defense.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Where you need to get after the quarterback.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Josh Allen, for right now as we know, is still a Buffalo bill.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Drake May is an MVP talks, and he's playing in the AFC Championship game, whoever the quarterback for the New York Jets will be the Dolphins defensive line has to take care of him, has to sack him in order for them to win.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Miami needs to stop prioritizing speed,
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[SPEAKER_00]: but needs to start prioritizing toughness and size.
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[SPEAKER_00]: As John Eric Sullivan said, there was a fantastic one-liner, one-liner, that speed, basically says something along lines that speed fades, and big does not go small.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Go big, go powerful.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if you can get some speed in there, the defense is gonna be the livelihood.
18:48
[SPEAKER_00]: of the Miami Dolphins.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They need to invest in the secondary in the draft.
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[SPEAKER_00]: There is a couple of guys there in the draft.
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[SPEAKER_00]: As we go on throughout the weeks through the draft podcast, as well we'll talk about some secondary fits.
19:01
[SPEAKER_00]: They need to add more linebackers along with Jordan Brooks.
19:05
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think Tyrell Dodson will be able to get this done.
19:08
[SPEAKER_00]: This defense has to be the safety net for the Miami Dolphins.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if they're not, it's not going to look so favorably
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[SPEAKER_00]: And look, the biggest thing that we've learned under Green Bay, with Brian Goonquist, with John Erick Sullivan and now Jeff Hathley, is that they let their aging veterans walk early.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They avoid restructuring to not be in cap paid.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They build layers, they build death upon their team.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's not a star-only roster.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They have core guys in the wide receiver room in the offensive line where they have death where it's plug and play in the defensive line in the secondary where it's also plug and play.
19:57
[SPEAKER_00]: The Miami Dolphins are not chasing something right now.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This is a multi-year plan, not a one-year push or a two-year push to expedite themselves into the playoffs where they are in the AFC championship game.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if this works, it's great.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They're ahead of schedule, but this is the start of a building block.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The Miami Dolphins are no longer trying to be,
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[SPEAKER_00]: the fastest, the smartest, the most innovative because it comes with the risks.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It comes with volatility.
20:32
[SPEAKER_00]: They're trying to be dependable.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They're trying to be physical.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They're trying to be discipline and they're trying to sustain and be consistent.
20:41
[SPEAKER_00]: This is the biggest thing for the Miami Dolphins.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They have been consistently mediocre.
20:48
[SPEAKER_00]: They cannot be mediocre anymore.
20:51
[SPEAKER_00]: They have to be consistently good.
20:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Now look, there is a little bit of a risk by hiring Jeff Hathley, right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: We all know his record at Boston College.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He's never been a head coach in the NFL.
21:06
[SPEAKER_00]: And the last seven head coaches for the Miami Dolphins have never coached, have never been head coaches in the NFL.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This is Jeff Hathley's very first NFL head coach,
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[SPEAKER_00]: As history goes to show, it is not favorable for the first time head coaches for the last seven hires, under Stephen Ross and Wayne Hunzinga.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now look, Jeff Hathley's offense coordinator higher.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He must be a hit.
21:37
[SPEAKER_00]: The offensive ceiling may not be what it was under Mike McDaniel.
21:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Admittedly, I feel like this dolphins fan base may confuse stability with a lack of ambition, with a lack of star power, with the lack of innovation.
21:56
[SPEAKER_00]: But here's what John Eric Sullivan and Jeff happily are betting on.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They're betting on winning more games in January than flashy headlines in September.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Jeff Hathley is not the headline hired.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He's a foundational hire.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if this works, it's not going to be loud.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be steady.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if it fails, it's not going to blow up in everyone's face.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It'll just stall.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And throughout this process, it tells you a little bit how Stephen Ross has changed the process by, you know, as reports have said, including his sudden law Daniel Solman by hiring and reaching out to Troy Eggman as a consultant to get the football aspect right.
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[SPEAKER_00]: he hired people to build a football philosophy.
23:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Jeff Hathley and John Erick Sullivan, they're betting that structure beats chaos and volatility and that patience beats panic.
23:14
[SPEAKER_00]: Stick with us here on scouting defense part of the three arch per carry podcast as we get into more about Jeff Hathley and John Eric Sullivan will talk about the offseason plan.
23:24
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk about the draft plan and maybe what this coaching staff will look like as always you'll stick with us here on scouting defense.
23:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Go offense, baby.