Is ‘Sellers Remorse’ Growing on Minkah Trade?
Minkah Fitzpatrick’s play so far has him in contention for Defensive MVP
One of the many shocking Miami Dolphins storylines this year was the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some fans were furious, others cheered, and some saddened. Everyone though was waiting to see how Minkah played for the Steelers and what the value of pick Miami received for him end up.
With Minkah playing lights out and the value of the Steelers pick diminishing week-by-week as they win, are the Phins and their fans feeling ‘sellers remorse?
The answer is obviously, yes… at the moment. But, will the same be said over the long-term?
Let’s lay all the factors out on the table:
First, Chris Grier put his job on the line to draft Minkah. Dolphins owner Steven Ross wanted to trade back and draft quarterback Lamar Jackson, but Grier overrode him and drafted Fitzpatrick against his boss’s wishes.
Though Minkah isn’t a lemon, Jackson and an extra pick was the right move in hindsight. But at this point, Miami only has a 1st rounder at ever lessening value. This is a downward trajectory for the 11th pick in the 2018 Draft.
With Jackson in the running for league MVP and Fitzpatrick in the running for defensive MVP, it will take one hell of a draft pick to equal Jackson or Minkah. They could very well draft equal value or better. That’s a long way from here to there though.
Right now, we can only focus on the situation since the hiring of Flores and prior to this coming draft.
Flores and Grier have taken the road less traveled since they paired up, Fitzpatrick is just one in a long line. They are consistent if nothing else.
The Fitzpatrick trade wasn’t about value
As a refresher, the Dolphins shipped Minkah off to the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with a 2020 fourth-round-pick and a 2021 seventh-round-pick, in exchange for a first-and-fifth-round pick in 2020, and a sixth-rounder in 2021. So, Miami also lost a quality pick in the 4th rounder, where analytics gives a 25-30% chance to find a starter.
Under a pure value grade, right now Miami is losing big… but this trade and Flores’ philosophy isn’t about ‘raw value’. For better or worse, the foundation of this team is an uncompromising adherence to a culture built on character, mental toughness, intelligence and, most of all, team above self. Talent is the cherry on top, not the other way around.
This isn’t the way most teams go about it. Oh, they preach it all right, but you can bet with Price Per Head Sportsbook Solutions like www.AcePerHead.com that they’ll compromise if the talent is big enough.
The Fitzpatrick trade was all about Flores putting his money where his mouth is.
Let clear up who Minkah Fitzpatrick is
Minkah is known as Nick Saban Jr. So if we want to know who Minkah is we must know who Nick Saban is?
Nick Saban is one of the most accomplished football minds of this generation, but he is also a quitter and selfish. Saban slithered his way out of Miami because the going got tough and brighter pastures lay elsewhere. He left Miami to hold the bag of his failures.
Ambition is higher on Saban’s ethical food chain than loyalty or honesty. Of course, he espouses otherwise. But, I’ll take his actions and Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor’s take any day of the week over his.
Is Minkah any different?
He said in pre and post-draft interviews that he was a man of many skills and could (and would) play anywhere. But, this season he complained that he was given too much to handle. Derwin James was noted as the athlete and Minkah the brains/character safety. Yet, Derwin did exactly what Minkah was asked without a glitch as a rookie.
Listen to this interview again:
Was it really too hard for Minkah… or was it simply that the job was crimping his plans and wants?
When was the last time you’ve heard of a 2nd year rookie forcing himself off a team? I actually can’t remember one. Let me know if I missed someone. This type of hardwired personality doesn’t jive with Flores’ philosophy.
One or the other had to go.
To quote Minkah:”When it comes to coaches, they can only do so much. Once the top guy on the team is doing what he’s supposed to be doing and people see him having success and doing it the right way, then everybody will do it the right way… and vice versa.“
Pretty much sums it up. Easier to preach it than live it? Isn’t it?
Minkah isn’t a bad guy and he is very talented, but his core nature doesn’t match the image he projects. He is Nick Saban Jr. How can the player the defense is being built around be selfish and the type of person who puts himself above the team? How could Flores ask Rowe or McCain to put the team first if the star is above it?
For many teams, this isn’t a problem. But for Flores, this type of personality undermines the very core of the team he is trying to build.
Fitzpatrick was not playing with 100% effort and was a growing distraction with his mother’s tweets and his backhanded insults. Flores and Grier had to either comprise their process and culture for talent or get what he could.
They got what they could.
Sometimes you have to cut off a limb to save the body
Talent is a sure thing, and building a team based on selflessness in a selfish age is very risky. But, this is the vision Flores has and the type of team most Phins Fans grew up watching. The chances that Flores will build a great team under this system aren’t high… but it is certainly a noble pursuit. All football fans should be rooting for him to succeed because this culture is the very heart of what football is: utilitarian sacrifice.
This is why Phins fans should see this as a winning trade: If Flores succeeds many modern-day Dolphins fans will get to feel what we old-timers felt under Shula… a team to be proud of for their character as much as the wins. Go Phins!!!
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Admin
I can respect your Boy Scout little league mentally approached its okay everyone gets a hits and trophy we are not trying to win games. Maybe Saban was talking about Supper Bowls and that’s what he was hearing from the Management and owner.
In the real world the Dolphins have up rooted allot of lives this season due to their own inept practices and stubbornness which has resulted to there current position in the NFL???? WHICH IS WHO ARE THEY?
What’s at hand this season for the Dolphins is a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to achieved the number one picked in the draft. Admin if there is no value in that why do teams trade to get lower??????
The plan I thought was We trade this season, this is really the season for that under dog player to be found?, continue to lose the games to achieved the number spot. Evidently the Dolphins cannot follow instruction to win enough games to make the playoff nor lose enough to gain the 1st picked in the draft.
This season has shown us that there’s about 5 teams that should not qualify for the NFL????The Dolphins are not in that group. When It’s all said and done 6 to 8 wins the next five years Admin do you rally think the Fans can handle watching the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets or Giants,Washington,Atalanta or Bills draft Tua or Joe Burrow’s come to Miami and Wimp them in addition to making a playoff?? 6 to 8 wins is unacceptable in College Football.
“Boy Scout little league mentally” that’s downright condescending.
That’s fine. Surprising since I have never spoken to you in that manner. But, okay, let’s talk reality: Patriots, Chiefs, Texans, Steelers, Viking, San Fran, Seattle, Bills, Ravens, Colts, Raiders, Cowboys, Packers, Saints, and Panthers all found their Qbs out of the Top 5. All have winning records.
Jets, Cleavland, Chargers, Philly, Bears, Lions, Panthers as well with cam, Bucs, Falcons, Rams, Cards all spent Top 5 picks (mostly #1s or 2s on their QBS. Only Rams and Philly have winning records and their QBs aren’t very good (except panthers who are winning without Cam).
So, in what world is getting a Top 5 QB winning odds? Hmmm? This boy scout can do math. Maybe you need smelling salts?
I don’t know how many games this team will win, but I do know for certain that the #1 pick rarely equates into a winning franchise. For every Aikmen there are a dozen failures. That’s the facts, Jack. Not an opinion. Now, will this FO be good enough to find what it needs? Don’t know. I like Marvin Allen. He pretty much had a major hand in building the Chiefs. Maybe your man Hurt is the guy. I do know that purposely losing would be 100% noticed by the players and good luck getting them to believe you in the future. This isn’t Madden. It’s dealing with humans who you are asking to endure a ton of pain to ride into battle on an HCs words.
I like you… a lot. But don’t talk down to me or twist my words… I said nothing offensive. Not exactly sure what got your panties in a bunch.
Admin
I apologize Sir! No way the intent meant to be condescending towards you.
I was a Coup Scout and Boy Scout so to me I interpreted that a compliment to your character.
On the honest note I’ve always believed that you operate the best sport forum out there!
So keep up the Fantastic Work Sir!
Thanks, Steve… I had (have) the flu, so I’m edgy. I was a scout and boy scout to… never made eagle. All good. And thanks for the kind words and helping me see it clearly.
Thanks Admin!
Never made it to Eagle Scout either. My sons were not interested there lost though.
Well Dang’ Steve ! I had to go back and read your beginning sentence because I read it as condescending as well ? Just goes to show ya’ ? As a Life Scout and JASM during a great time in my youth, I see your focus now. Happy to see that you cleared it up. I sometimes forget myself that what we write is just an opinion anyway. No one ( that I know here ) gets paid here to be RIGHT. And Michael….what I wrote about Albert Wilson ( WR ) was meant in reference to his ” Kneeling “. That might add clarification to my intent as well ?
FIDred1
Thanks a lot! I’m grateful I was allowed to cleaned it up. Yeap! just an opinion.
Well we will see how the Bills game fair! I read that Tua got injured again and had to leave the game. It’s time for him to rest for the season.
I agree with this article, because if you watched any of these games Fitzpatrick was not playing with the same passion he is playing with in Pittsburgh. Also failed extra points and playing bad teams at the time and the results may be different.Give it time and let’s see where this goes.
I saw him dodge some tackles in Miami this year and that’s when my love for him became like. Good kid, just not as advertised.
“Give it time and let’s see where this goes.” That’s it in a nutshell. I love what Flores is trying to build. Can Grier get him the talent and can Flores coach this team to some real meaningful wins? We’ll see. The thought of the tank man me sick given his speeches of being a man of character… if he had been another coach with another style, okay. I’d of got it. But, I don’t like fakes. I hope he wins more games so he cements the value of ‘team’ and the value of his process.
I don’t agree that Saban slithered his way out of Miami because the going got tough and brighter pastures lay elsewhere. Jimmy Johnson got the hell out of Miami also?
Claimed nat’l titles 5 (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017)
13 season, 154–22 (.875)
At the end of the 2004 season, Saban left LSU to coach the Miami Dolphins for 2 seasons.
7 coaches later: Totaling 85 wins and 114 losses
The Owner wanted Lamar Jackson MVP headed there maybe? Fitzpatrick MVP possibly.
Miami has just been bad and mismanaged, I think the QB should be reserved for the Owner finale say so. (THAT’S WILL ALWAYS BE MY TAKE)
Admin what I have seen with the Dolphins if things don’t work out with a players some Fans and sports writer’s hate on them. Why would M. Fitzpatrick do well in High School, Alabama the Steeler’s and Miami have Problems?
Miami will screw this upcoming draft up also if they planned to give away draft picks to get lower?
I keep reminding the Patriots has always had Tom Brandy-allowing them to focus on other things.
1994 American basketball drama film, starring Nick Nolte as a college coach and real-life basketball stars Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway as talented finds. Bottom line he understood you go no where
without those blue chip players. He gave up his integrity to do it and lost everything. On the other hand we have given up a team of key players to lose then fool ourselves we are not trying to lose? Whats worse? What is the goal?
“I don’t agree that Saban slithered his way out of Miami because the going got tough and brighter pastures lay elsewhere. Jimmy Johnson got the hell out of Miami also?” He said he’d stay and wasn’t looking elsewhere and then bamm he was gone. He lied his way out and didn’t even talk to the players. That’s slithering to me.
“I don’t agree that Saban slithered his way out of Miami because the going got tough and brighter pastures lay elsewhere. Jimmy Johnson got the hell out of Miami also?”
Marvin Allen give me a TON of confidence. A TON. But, we’ll see. I don’t believe in overreaching for a QB. Great when you hit, end of a regime if you miss. Build right. Take shot every year on QBs without overreaching. Heck, trade tade with one or more 1sts this year. If we win 5-6 this year 7-9 next year I’m happy. Keep working on Rosen, build the team, pick up some QBs and if by year 3 we don’t have the QB then take the big shot. We have sucked for 25 years. No need to panic. Building right is the only hope… Flores is here for 4 years at least. I figure if we don’t have a real QB by then, I start to get antsy. But trading a bunch of picks this year isn’t my cup of tea. Look at Cleavland. Baker is an good talent and they suck.