Legedu Naanee is no longer a Miami Dolphin, and the fan base rejoices. The Dolphins finally saw what everyone else with two eyes saw, and that is that Naanee was not very good. At all. So now that that is over, the Dolphins have signed WR Jabar Gaffney and hope to have him up to speed within a week or two, and he should be in great shape by the time the Dolphins Bye comes up in three weeks.
The Dolphins also released the recently signed LB Mike Rivera as well as DT Andre Fluellen. They filled one of those roster spots by calling up CB DeAndre Pressley from the practice squad and still have one roster spot available. Gaffney of course is the biggest upgrade and could give QB Ryan Tannehill a viable third receiving option to help spread out the offense and not be as predictable going forward. Last week’s game saw only three Dolphins catch more than one pass, not a recipe for success.
MDD Staff Writer: Chad Pullen
Fantasy Advice:
Reggie Bush RB
The Bengals have been the opposite of Miami in terms of stopping the run as they allow over five yards per carry. Bush looked a step slower last week vs. Arizona dealing with his sore knee, hopefully he will be stronger this week and be able to shift and cut more precisely getting to the second level more often against Cincy. The Bengals do have some young talent on defense though, and may make Bush their focal point to stop the Dolphin offense. My bet at this point though is that after last week’s showing by Tannehill, the Bengals may adjust and try to limit his game and leave the door slightly open for Bush and the rest of the backs to gain some yardage out of the backfield.
Brian Hartline WR
Hartline will probably see the biggest jump in fantasy starts this week compared to last week after his Miami record setting performance vs. the Cardinals. 12 catches and 253 yards will cause some people to play him even if he isn’t in a favorable matchup but Cincinnati should not be caught unaware like Arizona was. Still, it remains clear that Tannehill and Hartline have a connection on the field and play well together. Ryan may even force a few throws Hartline’s way trusting in his arm more so than what he sees the coverage’s dictating. That can be good and bad, but for fantasy purposes the more looks for Hartline, the better.
Charles Clay TE
Offensive Coordinator Mike Sherman talked this week about needing to get Clay more involved in the offense noting that Clay had been running very good routes, Sherman just wasn’t making the calls to get the ball in Clay’s hands. Clay looked very promising last season and was expected to take a big step forward in this offense, however, he’s taken a step backwards as he has produced very little this season. Sherman just may change that this week and if the Cincy defense keys in on Bush and Hartline all day, Clay could find plenty of room in the seams to maybe steal a touchdown and get his season on track for the rest of the year.
Injuries:
CB Richard Marshall – Back
Marshall has been bothered by his back for a while now and looks to be just resting during the week to keep himself as fresh as possible for Sundays.
RB Reggie Bush – Knee
Bush was able to play last week albeit a little slower than usual but was still effective and used more in pass blocking than he’s probably ever played. He should be a bit stronger this week and should again be in the lineup barring any unforeseen mishaps.
DT Tony McDaniel – Knee
The cutting of Fluellen could signal that McDaniel is healthy enough to begin playing again and he could be out there this weekend.
LB Kevin Burnett – Back, knee, foot
Like Marshall, Burnett has been dealing with various ailments since camp began and is probably taking it easy to be as close to full strength as possible for Sunday.
Draft Notes:
Early on this season it has been speculated that the Dolphins would no doubt need to address the receiver position in the draft. This is still true, however, some shape may be taking form as the season progresses and with Hartline and WR Davone Bess’s showings last week, wide receiver may become more of a fill in spot through the draft, rather than a priority. With that, a secondary pass rusher is becoming more and more of a need for Miami as DE Olivier Vernon is still too raw to make an impact right away. It’s possible that GM Jeff Ireland could look to the first round to address his pass rush need, and save the receiver position and cornerback position for his multiple second and third round picks. There is no shortage of wide receivers having big years in college football and several should still be available well into the third and fourth rounds. An elite pass rusher though, comes at a premium and early in the draft is the safest place to find one. The Draft is only seven months away, but still a lot of football to see this year to see how the team’s needs shape up. We could see several changes to Miami’s draft board as players grow and develop during the season.
