Chris Grier – September 17, 2019
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Tuesday, September 17, 2019
General Manager Chris Grier
(Obviously, we’ll ask about the S Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, shortly, but one big picture rebuilding plan we wanted to clarify with you. You’ll obviously – besides having a ton of draft picks – you’ll have a ton of cap space next offseason. Would your hope be to go out and spend on impact starting-caliber free agents before the draft with the hope of being a competitive team next year, or would you think it’d be best to hold off on major free agent spending until you’ve gone through a draft or two more in this cycle?) – “We’ve talked about building this long-term with sustained success right away, and for us, we’ll be very aggressive. We’re not going to sit here on a bunch of money or anything. The plan is to build a winner here. No one likes losing. We’ve talked about building a team that’s going to win and compete for championships for a long time instead of being in this one year, and then you fall back for two or three. Again, it is a long-term vision, but we will be aggressive.”
(What is the time schedule as far as, say, getting to the playoffs, getting to a Super Bowl, having a winning record – things along those lines?) – “I don’t know if you really put a time frame with it. For us, it’s – we’ve positioned ourselves to where we think the organization will be in a good place here shortly. How long that takes – like I said, we’ll be aggressive (in) free agency. Again, we’re not going to sit back and not do anything. We’re going to be very proactive and try and get this turned quickly.”
(Why have you given up on two of your last four first-round picks?) – “I wouldn’t say ‘given up.’ With Laremy (Tunsil), that was one where we got a phone call and they kept pursuing us. Multiple, multiple times, we talked and kept telling them ‘no’ and what it would take and they came and offered it. A funny story I was saying the other day was I called Laremy about the trade, and Laremy walked in my office and saw it on the board and goes, ‘I would trade me for that.’ (laughter) But seriously, we were not trying to do it. With Minkah (Fitzpatrick), it was just one of those things. The player had expressed that (it was) maybe time for him to change, so we tried to make it work. Myself, (Head Coach) Brian (Flores) and (Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner) Steve (Ross) – we had multiple conversations with him, saying we wanted him here and viewed him as a core piece and wanted him here. The kid just felt it was time for him to move, and we told him what the value was. We told teams we had multiple offers, and we felt that the Pittsburgh one was the one best for the organization.”
(You’ve lost the first two games by a combined roughly 90 points. Obviously season tickets are not cheap. What would you say to fans who are wondering if they’re getting their money’s worth?) – “I would say to the fans that I appreciate their support, and they deserve a winner. We’re trying to build them a winner. I would think the fans would also say that the cycle we’ve been in the last 10-plus years is not good enough, and we’re trying to right that as fast as we can. They deserve a winner, and we’re trying to do that for them.”
(What do you think you can do with up to seven picks in the first three rounds next year?) – “We can do anything we want. (laughter) Whether it’s free agency, as well, and the draft. For us, we’ve positioned ourselves where we think we can do anything or get whatever player we feel that will help us as soon as possible.”
(Are you looking to trade anybody that wants to be traded? It sounded like S Minkah Fitzpatrick came to you and said he wanted to be traded. So will you try to move people if they want to be moved?) – “No, no. For us, we had multiple conversations with Minkah. We told him we wanted him to be here multiple times. Brian (Flores), Steve (Ross) and myself – we all expressed that. For us, when we got to a point where we weren’t sure if it was going to work, we said, ‘Hey, if we get the value that we deem was worth moving him, we would do it.’ There’s no precedent here where any player is going to come in here and say, ‘I want out’ and we’re going to do it. Again, I have not had calls from any agents or any players asking to want out. We’ve extended some of our younger players –Xavien (Howard), etc., Jakeem (Grant) and all of those guys are bought in 100 percent. They’ve told me again as much Monday. So we have a good group of young guys that want to be here.”
(Did S Minkah Fitzpatrick say why he didn’t want to be here?) – “I’ll let him talk about that if he wants, but it was nothing – he likes Brian (Flores) a lot. He likes it here. He had talked a little bit about some of the position stuff he thought, and Brian I know told you guys the Patrick Chung story and stuff. I’ll just leave that for Brian and Minkah.”
(What have you said to Head Coach Brian Flores about the situation?) – “Brian and I have been lock-step on it. Again, we’ve had a lot of conversations. Brian and I communicate every day. I talk to Steve (Ross) every day. We’re in this 100 percent together. I believe in Brian. He’s a great leader, a great man. I think he’s the right guy to lead us through these times. So for us, Brian is a good football coach, he’s a good man, and Minkah said he appreciated that about Brian. He really liked him. It was just too bad it didn’t work out.”
(What is the plan for QB Josh Rosen this season, and have you guys kind of zeroed in on a quarterback for next season?) – “In terms of Josh, we just want him to keep developing. For him, it’s been a – and he will tell you – it’s been an eye-opener. He said he’s learned more here in the last couple months than he has, he said in his whole career. For him, having someone like ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) to mentor him and to be that kind of veteran influence to help him has been great. I think when he’s ready to go, if the coaches deem it’s time for him to play, he’ll play; but the good thing for us is we see him every day. We see him in the meetings, see how he prepares and learns and handles himself. We’ve been very pleased so far, so when the coaches feel they want to make a change – if they want to do that – then, that will happen.”
(Drafting a quarterback in the first round, are you committed to that for 2020?) – “We’re going to do whatever we can to make our team better right away. For us, yeah, we’ve all talked about the quarterback being an important piece, and it’s competition. We’re not shying away from that, so whoever’s here, there’s going to be competition at every position whether it’s quarterback, o-line, wide receiver, o-line; so, yes.”
(When you guys set up a strategy last January, February, March, was this part of it? Or as the season predicated, you’d make – trade S Minkah Fitzpatrick, trade T Laremy Tunsil and take the roster down further than you expected?) – “I would say (it was) very unexpected as far as the Laremy and Minkah situations. You can’t prepare for that. I’m not going to sit up here and lie about it; but for us, the opportunities as well were kind of unique with a little bit of the historic haul for him (Laremy Tunsil) and Kenny (Stills), with what we’re getting. So I think for us, to strike on this opportunity – because we know as the team was built right now, it wasn’t going to win a Super Bowl, much less – it’ll be hard to compete for a playoff spot. Again, we’re trying to build a team that’s going to win right now and do it, (and be a) long-term winner and bring a championship here hopefully to South Florida.”
Miami Dolphins make trade with Steelers
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September 17, 2019
Miami Dolphins make trade with Steelers
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have acquired a 2020 first-round pick, a 2020 fifth-round pick and a 2021 sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, a 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 seventh-round pick.
Fitzpatrick played in 18 games with 13 starts for the Dolphins over the past two seasons (2018-19). He totaled 90 tackles (57 solo), two interceptions, nine passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Fitzpatrick originally entered the NFL as a first-round pick (11th overall) by the Dolphins in the 2018 NFL draft.
Miami Dolphins Honor Maria C. Alonso Through the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards Presented by Nationwide
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September 16, 2019
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Miami Dolphins Honor Maria C. Alonso Through the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards Presented by Nationwide
MIAMI GARDENS – The Miami Dolphins have selected United Way of Miami-Dade President & CEO Maria C. Alonso as the recipient of the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award Presented by Nationwide.
The NFL, Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) and Nationwide have partnered for the ninth annual NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards during the 2019 celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The awards recognize the contributions of Hispanic leaders in each NFL market.
The Miami Dolphins honored Alonso at their game on Sept. 15, 2019 when they faced the New England Patriots.
“Raised a Dolfan, it is particularly rewarding to be recognized by my home team, joining a list of community leaders I have long admired,” Alonso said. “I am proud to be a part of Miami’s rich and diverse tapestry and am honored to be part of United Way, an organization whose very essence is fueled by building community, strengthened by its diversity and compassion.”
Born in Detroit, MI, and raised in Miami, FL, Alonso is a first generation Cuban-American. Following a 22-year career with Bank of America, she assumed the role of president and CEO of United Way of Miami-Dade in August 2017. In her position, she is responsible for engaging the passion and expertise of individuals, corporate and community partners in support of United Way’s mission of building the community by helping people care for one another. Working alongside a team of more than 200 professionals, she guides the strategic direction, operations and finances of the largest private, nonprofit funder of health and human services in Miami-Dade County. Most recently, United Way of Miami-Dade partnered with the Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald and Univision 23 to activate Operation Helping Hands in an effort to help those affected by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and other affected areas. For more information, please visit www.unitedwaymiami.org/ohh.
Prior to joining United Way of Miami-Dade, Alonso served on the United Way board, guiding the organizations’ programmatic investments in education, financial stability and health. Alonso has a rich history of community leadership, having chaired and served on the boards of several key South Florida institutions. She has an MBA from Florida International University and a degree in industrial engineering from University of Miami. She resides in Coral Gables with her husband and family pets.
Each award recipient will select an organization of their choice that serves the local Hispanic community to receive a $2,000 donation.
Alonso has chosen United Way Miami-Dade to receive this donation.
Now in its third year, Nationwide’s support of the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards continues to demonstrate the company’s commitment to the Hispanic community. In addition to Nationwide’s partnership with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Columbus-based insurance and financial services company also has partnerships with Latina Style, Unidos US, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Latino Professionals For America, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility and Prospanica. The sponsorship of the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards aligns with Nationwide’s goal of partnering with organizations that share the company’s values of improving the lives of others and giving back to the community.
“Nationwide is excited to continue to partner with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the National Football League to once again present this year’s Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards,” said Jennifer MacKenzie, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Nationwide. “Nationwide takes pride in providing resources, support and service to Hispanic consumers and business owners across the country. We look forward to celebrating the charitable efforts of Hispanic leaders in all 32 NFL markets during Hispanic Heritage Month.”
About the Hispanic Heritage Foundation
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation – a nonprofit established by the White House in 1987 – inspires, prepares, and connects minority leaders in the classroom, community, and workforce to meet America’s priorities. HHF also promotes cultural pride, accomplishment, and the great promise of the community through public awareness campaigns seen by millions. HHF is headquartered in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles with satellite workspaces in New York, Silicon Valley, San Antonio, and Miami (Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org).
About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side, and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2019
Miami Dolphins Announce Week 2 Play Football Award Winners
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September 16, 2019
#JuniorDolphins #PlayFootball
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Miami Dolphins Announce Week 2 Play Football Award Winners
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins announced their Play Football Week 2 award winners in a program designed to celebrate youth football in South Florida. For each home game, the Dolphins will identify a high school coach of the week, high school player of the week, youth player of the week and team mom of the week. The high school coach of the week selection will celebrate those with long-standing tenure in the coaching community, paying tribute to Don Shula’s 50th season with the Miami Dolphins organization.
Award recipients will receive tickets to a Dolphins home game, be presented with a plaque on the field at Hard Rock Stadium and receive acknowledgement of their accomplishment in the game program and through the Dolphins’ social media platforms. The Dolphins also will recognize a team of the week who will be on field during the national anthem.
The program concludes at the Dolphins-Bengals game where the Dolphins will honor yearly award winners in all categories with the exception of the team of the year.
Week 2 Winners:
- High School Coach of the Week: Steve Davis from Plantation High School. Davis has been coaching for a total of 25 years and 21 of those years he has been a head coach. He ranks 1st in total wins amongst all active Broward County high school football coaches with a record of 140-68. Davis has led the Colonels to eight FHSAA state playoff appearances. In 2002, Davis also lead Blanche Ely High School to the Florida 5A State Championship with a record of 14-1. That same year, Ely finished 20th nationally in the USA Today High School Final Poll. He was also named the 2002-2003 Miami Dolphins High School Coach of the Year and the 2002-2003 Florida 5A Coach of the Year. Davis has coached eight NFL players including Pittsburgh Steelers first round-pick Ryan Shazier. He has helped over 150 players obtain a college scholarship to Division 1, Division 2, FCS and NAIA schools.
- High School Player of the Week: Earnest Johnson III from Miami Northwestern Senior High School. Johnson had 16 tackles, one forced fumble and one pass breakup in a 10-0 win over Carol City.
- Youth Player of the Week: Jaivyn Darby from the Miami Shores Spartans 13U of the Miami Xtreme Youth Football League. Darby is one of the hardest working players at practice and throughout the game. He is one of the leaders of the 13U team and does a great job keeping his teammates motivated during practice. As the team’s center, he anchors the offensive line and works with his teammates during practice to make sure they are all on the same page. He controls the middle of the field and prides himself on making the correct in-game blocking scheme calls. Darby also anchors the defensive line and attacks offenses with the same attention-to-detail approach that makes him a great offensive player.
- Team Mom of the Week: Montoya Jackson from the Miami Shores Spartan 13U of the Miami Xtreme Youth Football League. Jackson is the only team mom for the Miami Shores Spartans. She does a fantastic job making sure all of the players stay hydrated throughout the game and also assists the coaches with maintaining an orderly sideline. Jackson also provides the players and coaches with halftime snacks and postgame refreshments. She always goes above and beyond for all the kids in the Miami Shores program and that is why her team believes Jackson is so special.
- Team of the Week: Plantation High School.
The Junior Dolphins program encourages youth players and coaches to teach, learn and play football in a fun and safe environment. The Junior Dolphins program is designed to give kids access to learn the fundamentals of football using the NFL’s top resources. To grow the game, the Junior Dolphins program will work to educate coaches, parents and youth on the health and safety of football with a strong emphasis on character development. Junior Dolphins is building the next generation of Dolphins Fans.
Miami Dolphins sign Witzmann
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September 14, 2019
Miami Dolphins sign Witzmann
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they signed guard/tackle Bryan Witzmann.
Witzmann has played in 37 NFL games with 20 starts. He played in 10 games with seven starts last year for Chicago. In two seasons with Kansas City (2016-17), he played in 27 games with 13 starts. Witzmann spent this offseason and training camp with Cleveland. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Houston on May 16, 2014.
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Bryan Witzmann |
G/T |
6-7 |
320 |
6/16/90 |
6 |
South Dakota St. ’14 |
Houlton, Wis. |
FA, ‘19 |
Miami Dolphins place Davenport on injured reserve
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September 13, 2019
Miami Dolphins place Davenport on injured reserve
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have placed tackle Julién Davenport on injured reserve.
Davenport was traded to the Dolphins from Houston on Sept. 1, 2019. He started at right tackle in the season opener last week at Baltimore. Davenport played two seasons (2017-18) for the Texans and has appeared in 28 career games with 20 starts. He originally entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick (130th overall) by Houston in the 2017 NFL draft.
Miami Dolphins Win Monthly NFL Huddle For 100 Club Competition for August
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September 12, 2019
#DolphinsHuddlefor100
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MIAMI DOLPHINS WIN MONTHLY NFL HUDDLE FOR 100 CLUB COMPETITION FOR AUGUST
MIAM GARDENS, Fla. – As part of Huddle for 100, the NFL’s season-long initiative to get 1 million people to give 100 million minutes of their time to community service, the league is awarding a monthly community-focused donation to top-ranking clubs based on volunteer minutes for each month. During the month of August, the Miami Dolphins donated the most time back to their community.
Throughout the month of August, the Dolphins and their community partners were able to contribute a total of 2,383,100 minutes through 27 #DolphinsHuddlefor100 events. Some of the Dolphins August Huddle events included: a meal pack at Hard Rock Stadium with Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ partner Feeding South Florida, a back to school shoe-shopping spree with Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ partner His House Children’s Home, and high school and youth football teams that visited the Miami Dolphins training camp practices through the Junior Dolphins program brought canned goods that were donated to Feeding South Florida and wrote thank you letters to those who have inspired them.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from the NFL and excited to make such as positive impact in our community through the Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ and Huddle for 100 program,” said Jason Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs. “We are passionate about our roles as community stewards led by Stephen Ross and Tom Garfinkel to make South Florida, healthier, educated and more united.”
“Feeding South Florida is ecstatic that the Miami Dolphins won the Huddle for 100 initiative during the month of August. Given their commitment to bettering the South Florida community, evidenced by the many volunteer and charity events they support, it’s no surprise the Dolphins won this competition. We’re proud to call the Dolphins a partner and appreciate their commitment to ending hunger in South Florida” said Sari Vatsake, Executive Vice President of Feeding South Florida.
Clubs are only eligible to win the monthly grant once, but there will be one community-focused grand prize at the end of the season that will be awarded to the club with the most volunteer minutes throughout the course of the initiative. Dolphins fans are encouraged to boost the Dolphins’ ranking by volunteering 100 minutes and logging their service using #DolphinsHuddlefor100 on social media.
Throughout the Huddle for 100 initiative, the League will give participating fans the chance to win a variety of prizes, including game tickets, team gear or a monetary donation to a charity they select when they track their participation on the Huddle for 100 website. Fans can also share their volunteer efforts on social media using both the #DolphinsHuddleFor100 and #Sweepstakes hashtags. For more information on the NFL Huddle and to see volunteer opportunities with the Dolphins, visit https://www.miamidolphins.com/community/specialteams.
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
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September 12, 2019
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed defensive end Tank Carradine and placed defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter on injured reserve.
Carradine joined the Dolphins on Feb. 15, 2019 before being released on Aug. 31, 2019. He played in all four preseason games, recording two tackles and five quarterback hits. Carradine originally entered the NFL as a second-round pick (40th overall) by San Francisco in the 2013 NFL draft. He has played in 45 career games with eight starts, totaling 77 tackles (55 solo), 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
Ledbetter joined the Dolphins as an undrafted college free agent on May 9, 2019. He started in his NFL debut last week vs. Baltimore and made four tackles (one solo) and had half a sack. Ledbetter was a four-year letterman (2015-18) and two-year starter with Georgia. He earned second-team All-SEC honors as a senior in 2018.
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Tank Carradine |
DE |
6-4 |
267 |
2/18/90 |
5 |
Florida State ’13 |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
FA, ‘19 |
