Articles by A to Z Sports,Kyle Crabbs

Technology

A trio of Dolphins players are currently threatening to derail one of Miami’s 2026 assets with their play this season

Compensatory picks are the NFL's effort to offset free agency losses to teams each year. The formula to calculate them is complex, but Nick Korte of OverTheCap has done tremendous work each year in projecting compensatory pick assignments in advance of the league's official release of the full NFL Draft order each spring. And for the Dolphins, the big loss of safety Jevon Holland to the New York Giants this offseason set the stage for Miami to collect a 4th-round draft choice for his lost services. But Miami is only in a position to collect a 2026 4th-round pick for Holland if the final calculations, which include playing time adjustments for this season, deem that the Dolphins lost more qualifying free agents than they gained in the free agency window. OverTheCap tabs Miami as having lost four qualifying free agents — Holland, Calais Campbell, Robert Jones, and Emmanuel Ogbah. But as Korte pointed out this morning, Miami has three veterans who are sitting directly on the edge of the cutoff to qualify as free agents gained in free agency. If more than one of them actually does qualify, Miami will get nothing for losing Holland. Miami Dolphins most recent selections in the top-5 of the NFL Draft order 2020: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (5th overall) 2013: EDGE defender Dion Jordan (3rd overall, via trade) 2008: Offensive tackle Jake Long (1st overall) 2005: Running back Ronnie Brown (2nd overall) 1968: Quarterback Bob Griese (4th overall) The players in question here are safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and offensive lineman Larry Borom. Borom has started six of seven games at right tackle for Miami this season — logging a snap count total that has him at 90% snap usage and teetering right on the bubble. The resolution here for Miami is simple if starter Austin Jackson is able to return at some point before December. Such a development would push Borom's snap usage back down and his ranking in the projections would fall off the pace. Melifonwu and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are a little more challenging. Melifonwu is playing 34% of the snaps, for Miami. If that number were just 7% lower, he's be on the outside looking in of Korte's lastest forecast. But if Miami were to lean away from playing Melifonwu, they'll need to stick with rookie Dante Trader Jr. in his role. Melifonwu's snap usage jumped up 21 snaps in Week 7 after Trader Jr. was a part of a missed tackle in the final minute that led to Miami's 29-27 loss to the Chargers. This can be done, but the Dolphins will need commitment to the bit. The injury to Tyreek Hill has prompted a higher usage for Westbrook-Ikhine, but Miami may have a name in-house who knows the system who could provide a hedge for the Dolphins to cut down on his snaps. They added veteran Cedrick Wilson Jr. from the Saints' practice squad after Hill's season-ending injury. Wilson Jr. was with the team in 2022 and 2023 — he should know the terminology and the assignments. Of course, the bigger issue at play with these talking points is Miami's coaches are not going to simply sign off on the idea of allowing a hypothetical draft choice to dictate who plays and who doesn't. There are jobs at stake. That's where the checks and balances of Miami's personnel department need to take hold. Whether that comes via sitting general manager Chris Grier or an interim decision-maker, knowing the full picture of all the assets at stake should give the Dolphins some added perspective as they continue to evaluate this roster the rest of the season. Allowing names like Melifonwu or Westbrook-Ikhine to eat into your mid-round draft capital in a lost season is bad business. So the powers that be need to keep that in mind as the trade deadline looms and decisions on the football operation are made. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll && event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-426').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-426').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*')

Technology

Three Miami Dolphins veterans who could quietly make sense to trade — even amid the pressure to win in 2025

The Miami Dolphins' efforts to to produce a winning season in 2025 while rebounding from last year's disappointment are not off to a great start. Miami, who has stumbled out the blocks with a 1-6 record and their one lone win coming at the expense of the winless New York jets, is at an awkward intersection as a result. The Dolphins should, in theory, be selling at the 2025 NFL trade deadline. But most opportunities to do so come with a non-verbal concession that this season is over. At that point, what does it all say about those atop the football operation who are trying to right the ship that another season has passed them by. But what if I told you there was a middle ground for the Dolphins, if they so desired? This roster has a few veteran players who may be better elsewhere — but aren't performing in Miami, either. No, you won't find blockbuster value with these potential trade targets, but the NFL team building exercise is one won in the margins — Miami would be wise to squeeze added value out of this roster where ever they can. Three Miami Dolphins veterans who could make sense to trade despite pressure to win

Technology

DeMeco Ryans and the Texans fumbled their fourth quarter in Seattle in more ways than one — and the clock is ticking for a 2025 turnaround

Three decisions in particular loom for Houston as missed opportunities in the final three minutes alone. Houston took a 1st & goal from the Seattle 3-yard line with 3:01 remaining in regulation. After an incomplete pass, the Texans chose to run up the middle with 2:55 remaining. They lost a yard and rolled a fully 40 seconds off the clock before their next play — and 51 seconds in total by the end of the play in question, a touchdown to rookie running back Woody Marks. Time management in that moment? Not great. But then the Texans, trailing by nine, decided to kick the extra point as compared to going for two with 2:04 remaining in regulation. Deferring the decision to go for two may be overlooked among the other mistakes, but doing so puts you at a strategic disadvantage later. Your two-point play is either going to succeed for fail. Should it fail, you would want to know with as much time left as possible in order to give yourself as good a chance possible to manage clock and also get the necessary possessions to score twice if needed. Houston Texans fourth-quarter miscues versus Seahawks in Week 7 Possession ends on downs inside the Seattle 5-yard line with 5:08 remaining Burned 51 seconds of clock in the final 3 minutes between plays in a goal-to-go situation Decided not to go for a two-point conversion with 2:04 remaining Allowed kickoff return to burn 2-minute warning and lose timeout Tim Settle called for personal foul for pile-jumping on a third-down stop in final minute And then there was the kickoff decision. Seattle was able to return the ensuring kickoff, which started at 2:04 of clock left, and burn 6 seconds, costing the Texans a down and a timeout on their ensuring defensive possession. Had no play result on the ensuing defensive possession change, barring Tim Settle's pile-jumping, Houston could have feasibly gotten the ball back with 1:10 left in regulation down eight. They never got the chance. And when you compound those decisions with a missed opportunity from Seattle's 3-yard line earlier in the fourth quarter, a possession in which Houston got zero points, DeMeco Ryans' team likely had a very long, frustrating flight home as a 2-4 football team. It was a hard matchup made harder by some decisions down the stretch. And Houston paid the price for it. As the gap widens between them and the Colts atop the AFC South, the question for the Texans now is how quickly they'll be able to learn for next time. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll && event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-355').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-355').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*')