Minkah Fitzpatrickis billed as a man of supreme character and intelligence. But, now Minkah wants out of Miami because he doesn’t like the complexity of his job.
To be fair, Minkah has been made the centerpiece of the defense and the task is tall. Leadership and greatness are never easy. Handling multiple roles with shifting responsibilities week to week isn’t for the mediocre. But he has already played Nickel and boundary corner extensively in the NFL and played Safety and Nickel corner in college.
Minkah is experienced at every spot Brian Flores is asking him to play.
So what gives?
The media billed Minkah as a player who could fill many roles for Miami. But, it appears Fitzpatrick wants to fill the single role of a quitter.
The cheerleaders have become boo-birds.
Trey, Minkah asked for a trade because he doesn’t want to be the “Swiss army knife” you billed him as. Should Miami force him to stay even though he’s checked out? Would the great Belichick keep him? You can bet with the pay per head review sites Minkah would be gone from New England ‘tout de suite’.
I’m sure your tune would be different then. You gotta’ love the journalistic integrity.
I mean… No wonder ESPN is dead, Trey.
Even Minkah billed himself as a man of many positions coming out of the draft. But, as the wise sage, Mike Tyson, so aptly said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”.
Maybe all the money has fostered some weeds among the roses?
And that’s what this is about, Minkah wants to be great and has said so himself. His poor performance this season is killing his dream… and ego. I’m a fan of Minkah’s (or maybe was… we’ll see), this ‘heel turn’ hurts. Past all the quiet ‘aw-shucks’, head down and work attitude is plenty of hidden hubris.
I’m sure those pre-draft interviews included talks about playing multiple positions, to which Minkah said, “Yes, sir!” Now that the bank account is loaded, maybe we are finding out who Minkah really is.
The Dolphins made Minkah a millionaire. Is making it through Year 2 without quitting too much to ask?
Why do I picture Reshad Jones and Minkah Fitzpatrick as Lord Palatin and Anakin Skywalker?
Much of Minkah’s poor play has nothing to do with his many roles. His poor tackling last year is still poor tackling this year. At some point, Minkah needs to look in the mirror to find the answers.
If all the points below about the Minkah were true, would there be a problem? Nope! Maybe, Minkah wasn’t as he appeared?
Great players thrive in adversity
In Alabama, he was asked to play many roles. He thrived right out the gates and became a star. Easy-peasy. Minkah is finding out that success in the NFL isn’t so easy. A truly humble man looking to be great would embrace the challenge not run from it.
Patrick Chung embraced the challenge. So did the Charger Safties, who moved to LB in the playoffs and shocked the world by stopping the Ravens vaunted run game. Troy Polamalu and Rod Woodson were all over the field and had Hall of Fame production.
Football is about overcoming adversity… like life.
Look no farther than little ole’ Jesse Davis to find a man of many responsibilities and true humility. Days before Week 1, Davis was moved from Right Tackle to Left after playing Right Guard the year before. This was after a sprinkling of Right Tackle and Left Tackle in the year before that.
Davis has embraced the challenge and been rewarded with a good name and a big check
BUT, Minkah is a 1st Round pick and Jesse a nobody UDFA, so I guess Minkah has the right to call the shots.
As I said in my post Ravens game article, “The English word crisis is derived from the Greek word ‘krisis’ which means “to separate, to sift, to pass judgment, to keep only what is worthwhile”.
Sift Brian Flores, sift!
I hope Minkah will see the opportunity in the crisis and embrace it. His story in South Florida isn’t over… just in crisis. Greatness will only come by going through the fire. Greatness isn’t made by running… and never has.
Rudyard Kipling’s simple poem “If” gives all the wisdom needed.
In Alabama, he was asked to play many roles while surrounded with some of the best players in the nation.
Miami is rebuilding and really need to be careful. Most of us understand that this rebuilding will be a very painful process. Picture after this 2019 the Phins may not have ZIP players at any position left on this roster who are true starters.
Out of the 12 to 14 draft picks we at most will inherit 3 starters maybe 4 starters who can play right away. In next years free agency the player are telling their agents not to make any deals with Miami base on the culture that the Fins don’t care about their players and the fans are hater’s.
What should happen this season is that Coach Flores has won over those key players too hang in there and lets make it threw this season.
We are going to need these players from this roster who can start and lead without a doubt. Remember in the movie draft day and no one in the organization had a clue what Kelvin Costner was doing etc. He was able to convinced everyone from Coach, Owner, Staff his starting QB to just trust him and hang in there.
This is not New England! M. Fitzpatrick is best serve at FREE SAFETY if it will keep the peace. Coach Bend some. This does not make you a push over. LET’S GO DOLPHINS!
I think if flore can win Minkah back and get him to play well it will be a massive morale booster. I think Minkah can do all the assignments, but I think he is finding the job harder than he expected. Even last year at Nickel he had a ton of holding calls that weren’t called. He is playing very tight… I think for the first time in a long while he is afraid on the football field. He just needs to keep pushing ahead… it will come. Flores might be putting him in the fire to see what he’s made of. Plenty of Safeties play all over the field. I do like him at S most though… boundry and nickel not so much, Steve.
I say if they can’t work out a position that best suites him and allows him to focus on just one task now, then trade him. I am sure Grier could get at least a 2nd or 3rd pick for him. If his head is not in the game, then he needs to go. It’s not like Minka is going to get this team to a winning record this year! No way, not gonna happen. I do agree with MJ that the media has been way too tough on Flores and his staff. Just because he came from NE does not mean he is a miracle worker. This is a hard-core rebuilding year and the wins will be far and few between. I don’t want to see this kid go. Flores needs to sit down and find out what the issues are and put him in a position that helps both Minka and the team succeed. Unfortunately this is going to be a rough season, but the future is bright with lots of early round draft choices and a salary cap that will exceed $100 million. 2020 starts the climb back to respectability.
They are firm on a 1st and some more… I’m fine with it, Stephen. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to handle the gig if he is as he was billed. Despite his good numbers at Nickel, he has been grabby… I do think he could be good at High Saftey, but his great aspect was he could do a ton. The future may be bright and it may not… tons of picks could end up netting little. BUT, I do like the process, even with the ugliness. I expect the ugliness to diminish. I still aim for six wins and I’m not so certain the Phins will go all in for Tua… It’s a minority opinion I quite sure of that.
Thanks! REALLY, Steven! I’ll make sure that payment we agreed on for the compliment is in the mail ASAP. 🙂 Since becoming a writer here at Phinsnews for the last few years I’ve developed a deep empathy for Dolphins writers. It’s so tough to have your guts ripped out (in an endless cycle of failure) after a terrible loss and then have to write something rational and positive. It’s tough and it never seems to end. I don’t agree with the bitter, cynical, and jaded attitude of some who cover the Phins, but boy do I understand it. But, this regime has had the media’s claws sunk too deep into them far too early and it’s more annoying than past regimes. It seems very agenda laden to tell you the truth. That being said, if you can pull some string and get me a gig at the Herald, by all means, please. 🙂 In all seriousness, thanks, Steven. Truly! Go Phins!!!
In Alabama, he was asked to play many roles while surrounded with some of the best players in the nation.
Miami is rebuilding and really need to be careful. Most of us understand that this rebuilding will be a very painful process. Picture after this 2019 the Phins may not have ZIP players at any position left on this roster who are true starters.
Out of the 12 to 14 draft picks we at most will inherit 3 starters maybe 4 starters who can play right away. In next years free agency the player are telling their agents not to make any deals with Miami base on the culture that the Fins don’t care about their players and the fans are hater’s.
What should happen this season is that Coach Flores has won over those key players too hang in there and lets make it threw this season.
We are going to need these players from this roster who can start and lead without a doubt. Remember in the movie draft day and no one in the organization had a clue what Kelvin Costner was doing etc. He was able to convinced everyone from Coach, Owner, Staff his starting QB to just trust him and hang in there.
This is not New England! M. Fitzpatrick is best serve at FREE SAFETY if it will keep the peace. Coach Bend some. This does not make you a push over. LET’S GO DOLPHINS!
I think if flore can win Minkah back and get him to play well it will be a massive morale booster. I think Minkah can do all the assignments, but I think he is finding the job harder than he expected. Even last year at Nickel he had a ton of holding calls that weren’t called. He is playing very tight… I think for the first time in a long while he is afraid on the football field. He just needs to keep pushing ahead… it will come. Flores might be putting him in the fire to see what he’s made of. Plenty of Safeties play all over the field. I do like him at S most though… boundry and nickel not so much, Steve.
I say if they can’t work out a position that best suites him and allows him to focus on just one task now, then trade him. I am sure Grier could get at least a 2nd or 3rd pick for him. If his head is not in the game, then he needs to go. It’s not like Minka is going to get this team to a winning record this year! No way, not gonna happen. I do agree with MJ that the media has been way too tough on Flores and his staff. Just because he came from NE does not mean he is a miracle worker. This is a hard-core rebuilding year and the wins will be far and few between. I don’t want to see this kid go. Flores needs to sit down and find out what the issues are and put him in a position that helps both Minka and the team succeed. Unfortunately this is going to be a rough season, but the future is bright with lots of early round draft choices and a salary cap that will exceed $100 million. 2020 starts the climb back to respectability.
They are firm on a 1st and some more… I’m fine with it, Stephen. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to handle the gig if he is as he was billed. Despite his good numbers at Nickel, he has been grabby… I do think he could be good at High Saftey, but his great aspect was he could do a ton. The future may be bright and it may not… tons of picks could end up netting little. BUT, I do like the process, even with the ugliness. I expect the ugliness to diminish. I still aim for six wins and I’m not so certain the Phins will go all in for Tua… It’s a minority opinion I quite sure of that.
WOW, absolutely fantastic article. Too bad YOU don’t write for the Herald instead of Mando.
Thanks! REALLY, Steven! I’ll make sure that payment we agreed on for the compliment is in the mail ASAP. 🙂 Since becoming a writer here at Phinsnews for the last few years I’ve developed a deep empathy for Dolphins writers. It’s so tough to have your guts ripped out (in an endless cycle of failure) after a terrible loss and then have to write something rational and positive. It’s tough and it never seems to end. I don’t agree with the bitter, cynical, and jaded attitude of some who cover the Phins, but boy do I understand it. But, this regime has had the media’s claws sunk too deep into them far too early and it’s more annoying than past regimes. It seems very agenda laden to tell you the truth. That being said, if you can pull some string and get me a gig at the Herald, by all means, please. 🙂
In all seriousness, thanks, Steven. Truly! Go Phins!!!