How about a first-string TE? It makes sense since they'd like to keep the solid Baker as the fifth guy.
Unfortunately, I don't know if they're going to get that for him. Maybe. He hasn't truly played all that bad this preseason and they've been showing him off against 1st stringers at times. We'll see. Dreessen is not going anywhere though. He produced in place of Owen Daniels when he got hurt, AND he's the team's long snapper. He's not for sale. Should probably not have him in mind for this sort of thing. If only they'd signed Jeff Cumberland as a UDFA last year. He's turning into a quality #2 up in New York.
Heh, we shall see, Denver, Texas, AZ, Dallas could all use a DE Toss Seattle on that list as well, and Carlson is on the outs.
Green Bay would be the obvious choice, wouldn't it? Fasano can stay in and block if need be. I think it would have to be a receiving TE. Quarless?
I can't see either of those guys being traded period, let alone for a guy like Merling who has done absolutely nothing in this elague.
I can't see Carlson being traded, but I definitely could see Bennett moved if they feel John Phillips is recovered enough. However, I have no clue if Merling would be considered adequate compensation for Bennett. Both are honestly underachievers, so maybe.
Denver would be the first place to look. They have all those TEs over there. They have Daniel Fells, Dante Rosario, Julius Thomas, Virgil Green, Richard Quinn, Dan Gronkowski... Of course, the only ones worth rostering are Daniel Fells, Dante Rosario, Julius Thomas and Virgil Green...and somehow I think they'd only offer Richard Quinn or maybe Dan Gronkowski who is a rock that this staff already flipped over in the past. They probably plan on rostering Fells, Rosario, Thomas and Green. Fells plays a lot of fullback for them, if I'm not mistaken. MAYBE the Broncos would consider trading us Virgil Green for Phil Merling. If that's the case, that would be a steal.
Not saying Merling fits in GB, but their TE situation is crazy too: Finley, Quarless, Crabtree, DJ Williams, Ryan Taylor, and Spencer Havner
All depends on who they would trade. Miami has the luxury of not being locked in to trading just Merling. Not saying they should , but they certainly may have the option of trading Langford , MCD or Starks instead of Merling. See what team may be be in dire need of a DE and see how much they want to pay for one. Miami is in an enviable position imo. See if they take advantage of it or not .
The guy that fits the mold we're looking for is Quarless. That guy has some potential to be a starting tight end and unseat Fasano. The difference between having him in there and Fasano would be immediate. Whether they can get him or not is a great question but I think it can be done.
Merling has had his moments. He was about the same, production wise, in 09 as McD in 2010. I always thought he was a better fit as a 4-3 DE than a 3-4. Getting a quality 2nd TE for him is very reasonable. He is in the last year of his contract, and his salary is not a big number. I think it's around $1M but, will double check.
bennett would be nice, but who is the 3rd TE in dallas, would they be comfortable with them as a 2nd ? don´t know if dallas needs dline help either
John Phillips is 3rd and had he not got hurt last preseason I could've seen him as 2nd TE during the season last year for them. They have Martin Rucker as #4 and he's probably and adequate #3.
I just don't see the Cowboys or Seahawks trading quality players like Martellus Bennett or John Carlson for Phil Merling. Doesn't make sense to me. And Dreessen is almost certainly out of the picture. I think in Denver I would ask for Virgil Green or Dante Rosario. I think pocoloco is on the right track with Green Bay, with Jermichael Finley there and D.J. Williams having just been drafted then they might feel like trading Andrew Quarless or Tom Crabtree. In Arizona they brought in Todd Heap and drafted Rob Housler who they like. That leaves guys like Jim Dray, Jeff King, Stephen Skelton and Steven Spach fighting for spots. I don't know which would be the most ideal among them but they might be willing to deal one of them. Cleveland has a situation to monitor, with Ben Watson, Jordan Cameron, Evan Moore, Alex Smith and Evan Frosch. Alex Smith has played well in the past but Evan Moore just made a big splash by catching two touchdowns in this last preseason game. He's got 6 catches for 51 yards and 2 TDs this preseason and it's possible the Browns could think about dealing Smith or Moore to us.
From a team whose offense doesn't feature a TE heavily. Not the same rationale for Quarless I would imagine.
virgil green would be my choice, given denvers thin DLine with the latest ty warren injury they might make that deal
I can't see Quarless being worth less than the 5th they spent on him, but even then you have to consider that Olsen got a new contract too. Not to mention Chicago really didn't want him any more, Quarless by all accounts is in no way on the outs in GB. Does GB have a need along the DL? I certainly didn't think they did, but maybe they do.
You would trade one of those guys for a #2 TE? I wouldn't. Maybe McDaniel but that's uncommon, trading a guy that was a free agent this year that you re-signed. McDaniel signed with us because he wanted to be here. You create a lot of bad will if you do something like that. Agents will think twice about signing with you. More bad than good can come from that. And I wouldn't trade Langford or Starks for a Tight End.
I have no idea why some are so down on Fasano. He had TWO drops all of last year, and people keep mentioning his drops, without mentioning Marshall's 13 or Bess's 6. They also forget his average, YAC, and the fact that he is a VG blocker. I just don't get it.
Good point. And we should keep in mind they may have already been doing work on Merling once they gave permission to the Dolphins to start talking contract with Kyle Orton. The deal for Orton may never have explicitly gotten to the point of discussing price, but front offices tend to do their homework and have an idea who/what they want, and Merling is one of the lowest hanging pieces of fruit on the Dolphins' roster.
The reason we're a bit down on him is if we can get a guy that can stretch the field like Quarless that changes everything. We have three WRs without great speed on the field right now, if we get a fast TE that can threaten down the middle it will change coverages dramatically.
OK Guys.... So...does this mean that the Phins have decided NOT to play Clay at the TE position...and at FB? The guy just seems so athletic....and to me looked like he really caught the ball well... As well.... Why dont we ever look at oversized WR's as TE's? As a second TE...one we are looking for as a seam threat....what physical dimensions would you think would be what we are looking for....
Anthony Fasano can get into the seam. Andrew Quarless isn't really all THAT fast. I'm not looking for "field stretching" or whatever. I'm looking for a guy that can play football. Miami doesn't have many of those at Tight End. It's to the point where Dedrick Epps shows a bare minimal amount of skill getting off the ball and running in space and I'm all like "Oh that's interesting"...but the problem there is just a lack of perspective because Miami's backup TE situation is so bad.
Clay is a H-Back more or less. They want a guy that can perhaps unseat Fasano or replace him in case of injury. You're looking for a guy that can block well, has solid speed to threaten the seam (not Fasano), and is athletic. There aren't all that many guys that can do that but they're are some talented tight ends that haven't gotten a chance all that much. This would be the final move in changing the dynamic of this offense from slow to well-balanced. Henne would be thrilled if he could get a guy that scares defenses at TE. I don't think I've ever seen a safety panic due to Anthony Fasano CK. Quarless is just about David Martin speed-wise, maybe a tad slower.
Let's wait to see what the injury situation may be after this weeks games and next weeks as well. If a team has a significant injury along the defensive line Miami's position becomes evenmore favourable ... remember Washington !
