Miami, FL
Free agent linebacker Anthony Walker talks Miami homecoming, Dolphins defense, overcoming injuries
![Free agent linebacker Anthony Walker talks Miami homecoming, Dolphins defense, overcoming injuries Free agent linebacker Anthony Walker talks Miami homecoming, Dolphins defense, overcoming injuries](https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Walker.jpg?w=576&h=309)
The last time Anthony Walker Jr. played a football game in South Florida, he finished off his high school career at Miami Monsignor Pace with a win over rival Belen Jesuit.
Since then, he went to Northwestern for college and played in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.
After a decade in the midwest, it was time for a homecoming for the 28-year-old South Florida native heading into his eighth professional season.
“I stressed to my agent it’s very, very important to get me out the cold,” Walker said. “I was sick of it. I hadn’t been home in a while — since I was 17 years old. I was like, ‘It’s about time I get some warm weather.’ He said Miami. I said, ‘Whatever. Let’s go. Let’s get it done.’
“Obviously, being home is great, everything like that, but the opportunity to play this game at the highest level is something that I’ll always cherish. … First time, with my family over here, to have so much closeness to me for practice and games. It’ll be a cool opportunity, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Although Walker is making a Miami homecoming, he cannot claim Dolphins fanhood. His father, Anthony Walker Sr., who is coach at Pace, had him root for another team since childhood.
“My dad grew up and was in love with the Dallas Cowboys, and he told me I had to become a fan or I couldn’t live in his house,” Walker explained. “So I became a fan really quickly.”
That said, Walker’s father had him watch a lot of local high school football and Miami Hurricanes games growing up. He remembers watching linebackers Lavonte David and Sean Spence when they were on the 2007 Miami Northwestern High national championship team, with Spence also playing for UM and David putting together a standout NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also threw quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in as someone he looked up to from South Florida.
Walker joins the Dolphins after a pair of injuries the past two seasons in Cleveland. In September 2022, he tore his quadriceps tendon to miss the rest of the year. He rehabbed it, came back, and deep into the 2023 season, a knee issue popped up that cost him the rest of that campaign. He is all set for this offseason and the buildup into 2024, though.
“It wasn’t anything significant. I didn’t think it was and the team didn’t think it was. Just soreness or whatever, ended up being a low-grade infection or something inside the knee,” Walker said. No structural damage, but more so, just had to clean it out with antibiotics and all that stuff. I don’t know how it came. They don’t know how it came.
“All my tests were negative. Just followed the protocol with antibiotics and rehab, and I’m back full-go training and everything.”
Walker joins new Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver after the two competed for the past three seasons in the rough-and-tough AFC North, Weaver as defensive line coach with the Baltimore Ravens.
“Very aggressive, very downhill,” Walker said of the linebacker play in Weaver’s defense. “Obviously, playing against them the last three years, trying to go against that defense was almost impossible at times. The linebacker play, just downhill, physical football, and then you protect the second level, protect the middle of the field. That’s something that they did really well in Baltimore, and that’s something that I pride myself on.
“If the team wants to attack the middle, they pay for it every time.”
He looks forward to competing and working with new Dolphins acquisition at inside linebacker, Jordyn Brooks, and returning linebacker David Long Jr.
“Two elite linebackers that have been playing at an elite level for a very long time,” Walker said. “It’d be good to compete with those guys and show what we can bring to this team.”
Walker, a captain with the Browns, said he plans on being consistent as a leader as he comes down to Miami.
“For me, just being myself every day, being the same guy every day,” Walker said. “Intentional about my work, intentional about the details, and I’ll just do that every day. How that feeds off on others and everything like that, only time will tell.”
Walker’s last two jersey numbers with the Browns, 4 and 5, are taken on the Dolphins roster, by cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Jalen Ramsey, respectively. In Cleveland, he gave up No. 4 to quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“If I have to get another number, it’s not a big deal. I’ll make the most of it,” Walker said.
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Miami, FL
Dolphins extend Tua Tagovailoa: Will the potential rewards outweigh the risk?
![Dolphins extend Tua Tagovailoa: Will the potential rewards outweigh the risk? Dolphins extend Tua Tagovailoa: Will the potential rewards outweigh the risk?](https://a2.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2024%2F0706%2Fr1355070_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg)
MIAMI — For just the second time since Dan Marino retired, the Miami Dolphins have signed a quarterback to a multiple-year extension.
Tua Tagovailoa agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million deal with the Dolphins that includes $167 million guaranteed, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’s the richest contract in franchise history and the guaranteed money is the eighth-most among quarterbacks.
It also ends a two-day standoff between Tagovailoa and the team, in which he was a minimal participant in Miami’s practices at training camp.
Tagovailoa joins Ryan Tannehill as the only quarterbacks to re-sign with Miami since Marino retired after the 1999 season. Tagovailoa, who the Dolphins selected fifth overall in 2020, is also the fourth quarterback from the 2020 class to sign an extension with the team that drafted him, joining Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts.
“We’re strong believers in him. And you guys all feel (coach) Mike (McDaniel’s) passion about him when he talks about him,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said in February. “Just in the two years of what he’s done, he’s grown in areas to where he led the league in passing and did some great things this year. And we all feel there’s still another level he can take it.
“The way he’s attacked this and wants to be great and the combination of Mike and working with that and that trust and belief in each other, we do think there’s still another level which he could go.”
The Dolphins have publicly supported Tagovailoa over the past two years under McDaniel but offered their largest display of faith to date by giving the new deal.
Here’s how both sides got to this point.
Why did the Dolphins make a commitment to Tagovailoa?
Tagovailoa was unremarkable during his first two NFL seasons, completing 66.7% of his passes for 4,467 yards and 22 touchdowns against 15 interceptions in 2020 and 2021.
He has blossomed under McDaniel while completing 67.4% of his passes. The Alabama product led the NFL in passing yards in 2023 with a career-high 4,624, playing a full season for the first time in his career (more on that later).
His draft classmates got off to stronger starts to their careers, but Tagovailoa’s first two years in Miami were marked by a lack of continuity. The Dolphins cycled through three offensive coordinators and two quarterback coaches in those first two seasons before hiring McDaniel in February 2022.
Since McDaniel’s arrival, Tagovailoa has thrown for the fourth-most passing yards (8,172) and fifth-most touchdowns (54) in the NFL. Tagovailoa’s 102.9 passer rating and 67.4% completion percentage also rank second and fifth in the league, respectively.
The Dolphins have started 25 different quarterbacks since Marino retired at the turn of the century, but Miami believes Tagovailoa is its franchise cornerstone and has rewarded him as such.
Is there any risk in the long-term deal?
Entering the 2023 season, there was considerable skepticism regarding Tagovailoa’s ability to stay healthy for an entire season — skepticism which he met by changing his offseason preparation.
Tagovailoa bulked up to 225 pounds and trained in a jiu-jitsu break-fall course to learn how to keep his head from hitting the ground as it did on three notable occasions in 2022. It worked, and he finished the 2023 season without any major injuries.
But while Tagovailoa has thrived inside the structure McDaniel has built, he has struggled to create when plays broke down. He ranked third in quarterback rating when he attempted a pass in under 2.5 seconds (78.9). Beyond 2.5 seconds, he dropped to 16th (43.2).
His off-target throw percentage doubled on passes that took longer than 2.5 seconds to throw, from 11.2% to 22.1%. Considering his concussion history, teams don’t fear him as a runner; he picked up five first downs on the ground in 2023, which ranked 41st among qualified quarterbacks.
Tagovailoa’s accuracy and anticipation are his trademark strengths. His playmaking ability falls short of some of his peers, such as Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, but the Dolphins are banking on his strengths outweighing his weaknesses moving forward.
What took so long?
The negotiations left Tagovailoa feeling “ansty” as he watched the Detroit Lions sign quarterback Jared Goff to a four-year, $212 million deal with $170 million guaranteed.
The feeling didn’t subside after the Jacksonville Jaguars inked Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million extension with up to $200 million in guaranteed money.
Tagovailoa was absent for a portion of the team’s offseason program prior to mandatory minicamp — which he attended, in full — and kept an eye on how the quarterback market was managed this offseason.
“I’m not blind to people that are in my position, who are getting paid,” he said. “Am I concerned about it? I’m not concerned about it, but there’s a lot of discussion that we’ve had. We’re just trying to move that thing in the right direction to where everyone can be happy.”
The guaranteed money — which ended up being $167 million — Tagovailoa’s deal may have been a point of contention through the negotiating process, a front office source told ESPN in May. Tagovailoa’s durability concerns were prevalent entering the 2023 season (more on that later), but he played all 18 games for the Dolphins last season and seemingly debunked said concerns.
What does this mean for the Dolphins’ Super Bowl window?
It’s still open, but it’s time to capitalize.
Miami now has premier offensive players signed for the foreseeable future in Tagovailoa, wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, and running back De’Von Achane. The NFL’s top-ranked offense last season also added veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as well as rookie wideouts Malik Washington and Tahj Washington.
With a couple tweaks and some good health, Miami’s offensive line is good enough to give its playmakers time to make an impact.
Defensively, the Dolphins have several young core players under team control, plus a star veteran in Jalen Ramsey. But the clock is ticking. Eventually, those budding stars will need contracts and Tagovailoa’s deal will ultimately hinder Miami’s ability to bring everyone back at market value.
The AFC features a gauntlet of talented quarterbacks Miami must get through to reach its first Super Bowl since 1984. It believes that, with Tagovailoa under center, it has enough to do exactly that.
Miami, FL
Miami Stealth Overpowers NYC Attitude to Secure Semifinal Spot
![Miami Stealth Overpowers NYC Attitude to Secure Semifinal Spot Miami Stealth Overpowers NYC Attitude to Secure Semifinal Spot](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_522,h_293,x_0,y_117/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/boxing/01j3qhzv1z5m2z3prs9f.jpg)
By Mohamed Bahaa
In a high-energy showdown at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena on July 21, 2024, the Miami Stealth triumphed over the reigning champions, NYC Attitude, with a score of 229-222, advancing to the Team Combat League (TCL) Season 2 semifinals. Coached by Herman Caicedo, the Miami team showcased remarkable prowess, securing an early lead and maintaining it throughout the match.
The Stealth’s initial momentum was unstoppable, winning four of the first six bouts. Despite NYC Attitude’s efforts to narrow the gap, coming within a single point in Round 13 after Kayla Yontef’s 10-9 victory over Katharina Lehner, Miami’s Yordan “El Diamante” Barrera extinguished their hopes with a decisive knockout of Eslih Owusu in Round 14. Barrera’s performance earned him the night’s first star award.
“This feels excellent. I train very hard to do that, especially when my team needs it,” Barrera expressed. She also mentioned that she appreciates NYC’s strong competition. Thanks to TCL, teammates hard work in the gym is paying off, and it feels like they’re on our way to winning it all.
Miami’s middleweight Raidel Rodriguez also shone, earning the second star for his victories over NYC’s Lasha Gurguliani in Rounds 6 and 19, both scored 10-9. The third star went to NYC’s Pryce Taylor, who secured dual 10-9 wins against Nestor Santana and Gustavo Trujillo in Rounds 8 and 23, respectively.
NYC’s welterweight Ryan Zempoaltecatl, a dual nominee for TCL Rookie of the Year and TCL Most Entertaining Fighter, had a mixed night, defeating Orestes Velazquez 10-9 in Round 12 but falling to Claudio Marrero by the same score in Round 20. Similarly, Yunieski Gonzalez, a nominee for the TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award, defeated Tre’Vaughn Jones 10-9 in Round 18 but lost to Atif Oberlton in Round 15.
Among other notable performances, Enrique Leon, a featherweight Rookie of the Year nominee, was defeated 10-9 by Opeyemi Adeyemi in Round 1. “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey, a former world champion and TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award nominee, won her bout 10-9 against Tyler Schaefer.
Miami’s welterweight Samantha Ginithan, a Rookie of the Year nominee, experienced her first TCL loss, dropping to 8-1 after a 10-9 defeat by NYC’s Feifilimai Faiva in Round 5.
NYC’s Lightweight Sherbek Rakhmatulloev had a fierce Round 3 with Miami’s Armando Rabi, featuring mutual knockdowns. Rabi emerged victorious 9-8, boosting Miami’s lead to 29-26.
Coach Herman Caicedo praised his team’s cohesion, saying, “We’ve been together the whole year and I’ve been able to coach them. They know what to expect. I believe that’s an advantage. I feel fabulous and I’m happy to be here.”
With this victory, Miami Stealth eyes the championship, driven by teamwork and relentless training.
Miami, FL
Miami police officers forced to use deadly force
![Miami police officers forced to use deadly force Miami police officers forced to use deadly force](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/07/26/5553a249-ce9f-4f1f-b2af-615d98ed8878/thumbnail/1200x630/58f5d50a1c54888925abda9bed58189b/d4eafc752d846f4824416bccfab8071c.jpg?v=5501038cbc281520ff9fdc308faab7dc)
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