Minkah receives trade permission

[Dolphster]

Minkah Fitzpatrick asked for and received permission from the Fins to seek a trade.  I knew he was a quality player coming out of college but as I stated here after that draft, I was against the Fins taking him because they had so many pressing needs in other areas and there was really no place to put him in the secondary.  But I feel bad for the guy because they have never given him a specific role.  They have moved him around pretty much everywhere except Nose Tackle.  It is hard for anyone to flourish like that, especially a really young guy like him.  The Fins have essentially never really given him a chance to excel.  And if they do trade him, they are getting nowhere near what they spent on him.  He was the 11th pick in the First Round.  They will get MAYBE a 3rd rounder for him. 

[CF DolFan]

As I understand it ... after making several comments to the press he was brought into the office to discuss his criticisms of the coaching staff. During this meeting he was asked several times if he was the one wanting to leave to which he never admitted he was. It was then said to him that if he wanted to leave feel free to have his agent seek a trade but they weren't giving him up cheap.

The hope is that he and coach work it out but it sounds like they aren't letting him go for less than a 1st round pick. That wouldn't go over too well with Ross considering he wanted to pass on Minkah and select Lamar Jackson.

I don't see them getting "significant" return for him. Omar called him out in the preseason practices and everyone thought he was just being Omar. Turns out Minkah hasn't been playing well.

Omar Kelly
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I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t playing well.

8:17 AM - 14 Aug 2019

[EDGECRUSHER]

I thought he was such a high character guy, but playing poorly and requesting a trade in your 2nd season is terrible behavior.

I agree with Miami on this though, do not give him away for anything other than an equal value 1st rounder. Not like he is some bust with a year left on his rookie deal, this is a high legit 1st round player.

[Dolphster]

The thing is though that when a player doesn't want to be on a team, they usually don't stay on the team for very long.  Teams consider it "bad for the locker room" to have someone in it that doesn't want to be there.  So the Fins can publicly say all they want about how they want multiple high round picks for him.  When push comes to shove, the team will take what it can get for him if the situation starts to become a distraction to the team. 

[EDGECRUSHER]

The thing is though that when a player doesn't want to be on a team, they usually don't stay on the team for very long.  Teams consider it "bad for the locker room" to have someone in it that doesn't want to be there.  So the Fins can publicly say all they want about how they want multiple high round picks for him.  When push comes to shove, the team will take what it can get for him if the situation starts to become a distraction to the team. 

Normally I would agree, but not for a guy they just spent a 1st rounder on making cheap money. They will either play him or bench him until his attitude changes before they except a 3rd rounder for him. Like I said, this isn't some kid in the lats year of a rookie deal. He has 4 years of team control left. If the team that offers a 1st rounder is going to have one in the high 20's, they'll probably be asked to throw in a 4th rounder as well. This management team has done well so far with trading players, I doubt they will let him dictate the situation for them.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Miami hasn’t been exactly fair with him. First rounders typically get to prove themselves in a single position rather than need to learn multiple positions and never get to truly develop.  

And Minka requested a trade.  He has not taken a play out of the Antonio Brown playbook for forcing a trade.

[stinkfish]

This sucks. Is he the first of a few that are going to start looking to jump ship?
You can't put draft picks on the field. You need actual human football players.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Miami hasn’t been exactly fair with him. First rounders typically get to prove themselves in a single position rather than need to learn multiple positions and never get to truly develop.  

And Minka requested a trade.  He has not taken a play out of the Antonio Brown playbook for forcing a trade.

Yeah, we definitely are not doing the kid any favors with how he has been handled. If a trade doesn't come, it is in both parties best interests to lock him down for ONE position and play him there. It's pointless to not make a very talented player happy and even more pointless to turn a 1st rounder into a 3rd rounder in a year. I think this blows over when no suitable offers come in and the team works this out. Young, cheap and talented are exactly the type of player that a rebuilding team needs.

[CF DolFan]

Two ... count them ... two different staffs have not been able to find a spot for him. Sooner or later you have to ask yourself if you’re the problem.

[hordman]

This is from May:

“We’re going to move guys around,” Flores said. “It may look like he’s playing corner, he’s playing safety, he could be playing linebacker. It depends. I’ll know what he’s doing. You guys probably won’t.”

As a rookie last season, the former Alabama All-American started five games at safety, three at cornerback and three at nickel back. He was one of the five Miami defensive backs who started at least 11 games in 2018 (and none started more than 14).

Personally, I think they should play him at one position (whatever they may be) let him grow into it and go from there. I think the Dolphins brass is expecting hm to be a jack of all trades, and frankly, it may be too much on his plate.  That doesn't anything bad about the kid, but it's alot IMO

[EDGECRUSHER]

Two ... count them ... two different staffs have not been able to find a spot for him. Sooner or later you have to ask yourself if you’re the problem.

I think the issue is that he is very talented so while he can handle different positions, he can't handle different positions within the same quarter. He graded out amazing as a slot corner last year, so let him play slot corner. Every single team is going o be calling us, that should tell the organization something.

[Sunstroke]

If we can't get at least a 2nd and a 3rd for a very good young first round DB, then I say don't deal him...

[pondwater]

I think the issue is that he is very talented so while he can handle different positions, he can't handle different positions within the same quarter. He graded out amazing as a slot corner last year, so let him play slot corner. Every single team is going o be calling us, that should tell the organization something.

The dolphins should play to his strengths. He's a smallish type finesse player, he doesn't need LB or in the box responsibilities on a consistent basis. While I'm sure he could to some extent, you don't see Brady out there punting the ball or long snapping? Everyone on the team should have their job clearly defined.

You don't flex 1st round draft pick all over the defense. Maybe down the road when he's got a few years under his belt and he's ready for it. But Flores is being stupid. And by watching his press conferences, he seems to be a cocky dickhead like Gase was. 

[CF DolFan]

Minkah Fitzpatrick: I’m focused on Patriots, not a trade.

Supposedly he has a much larger role in this week's game. I guess we will see how it goes on Sunday.

Flores said he wasn’t irritated that Fitzpatrick would ask for a trade and praised him, saying: “He’s done a really good job all week. This is a tough kid, a hardworking kid. He loves football. I expect him to play well Sunday. He’s going to be a big part of the game plan.

“I’ve had this kind of similar situation and others in the past, so I think we’ll be able to move past it and move through it. I think as an organization, we’ll be fine.”

[EDGECRUSHER]

If we can't get at least a 2nd and a 3rd for a very good young first round DB, then I say don't deal him...

I wouldn't trade him for anything but what we paid for him. This isn't a Josh Rosen where he played poorly and we wanted his replacement badly. Minkah did very well and we don't need to trade him at all. Unless some team comes in with a Tunsil offer, we should keep him and work things out. We aren't being fair to him with multiple positions.