Dolphins place Darren Waller on PUP list - are expectations for him too high? - video Dailymotion

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Following roster moves by the Miami Dolphins, Solana explains why he believes the expectations that Waller will look like he did prior to retirement are probably not realistic.

Transcript

00:00Okay, Tyreek Hill spoke to the media today, and he talked about new mentality

00:05and how he feels like the team has matured, mentioned himself.

00:11They didn't practice today, did they?

00:13Did they just have media availabilities?

00:15Yeah, first practice tomorrow.

00:17Only four players met with the media today.

00:20Darren Waller was one of them, but he has been placed, along with Liam Eikenberg,

00:25on the physically unable to perform list.

00:30Hmm.

00:34Afitu Malafonwu, we call him Ify.

00:37He's on the non-football injury list, and the Dolphins did sign Daniel Brunskill.

00:43I had never heard of him, but a pretty long career in the NFL has been starting

00:48for a couple teams over the past couple years.

00:52What is it?

00:52I'm just looking.

00:53I'm going to click on the article here in a second, but Chris Perkins tweets,

00:56Dolphins' Darren Waller is a success regardless of season's outcome.

01:01What do you think that's about?

01:06Coming back to the NFL, being able to stage name.

01:09Just like overcoming, being able to persevere.

01:12Right.

01:12Yeah, because he talked about some of the mental hurdles over the past couple years

01:17that he was away from the league.

01:20Let's see what it says.

01:20He got divorced, right?

01:23He got divorced.

01:24He was dealing with some stuff, though, right?

01:26Yeah, it says, I'm just skipping down towards the middle.

01:30Waller is sober, and he's playing football again.

01:33That's a success, considering he missed the 2017 season on an NFL-mandated

01:38substance abuse suspension and surprisingly retired after the 2023 season.

01:43Nowadays, he's got a different approach to life and football.

01:49I don't think I knew all that stuff.

01:51Yeah.

01:52He was on the pivot talking about his substance abuse.

01:56Then I asked him to go to the strip club with me, and he looked at me crazy.

02:03Probably not the best place to recover.

02:06You have to drink if you don't want to, but you can see these dibbles and dabbles.

02:11Chris Perkins writes in the Sun Sentinel.

02:13I'm just going down towards the bottom.

02:14The puzzling part of this acquisition, aside from Waller abruptly retiring,

02:17is he'll be 33 in September, and the Dolphins are on a youth movement.

02:22Plus, active tight ends were available.

02:24Well, but Waller's strong relationship with Dolphins' OC Frank Smith was a determining factor

02:30in joining the Dolphins.

02:32Frank is my guy, Waller said.

02:34Yeah, more like his history.

02:46He's going to get the ball early and often in the season.

02:53I don't know.

02:54You don't often throw to the tight end when you're playing from behind.

02:56Are we over-hyping?

02:59I'm just asking a question here.

03:01Are we over-hyping Darren Waller?

03:02Are we setting expectations here?

03:05What are the expectations?

03:07Johnnie Smith?

03:08That's what it is.

03:09Those numbers from last season?

03:11No, but he's going to be a starting caliber tight end.

03:14I think that's the expectation.

03:16He's not going to be Johnnie Smith.

03:17I think it's that he's going to be a starting caliber tight end.

03:21He's going to be able to play, whatever, 15 to 17 games,

03:24and he's going to play most of the snaps at tight end for the Dolphins.

03:29And luckily, I hope so.

03:30You know, but I don't know if that's realistic to expect from a guy

03:39who hasn't been in the league for two years and at his age.

03:42Genuinely, like, I don't know.

03:45I think so.

03:46I think they saw what Johnnie did last year,

03:49and they have now a faster Johnnie.

03:51Johnnie's stronger, but I would say Darren has two years ago,

03:55and he's removed, to your point, Solana.

03:57But two years ago, he has better hands than Johnnie

04:00and is faster than Johnnie.

04:02So what can I do with that guy?

04:03And I think that's why Frank Smith brought him in,

04:05because he knows what he can do if he's at his top level.

04:09I just feel like we're setting ourselves up here for –

04:13and not to – you know, it's not a detriment on him.

04:18I just think, look, like, you're getting what you paid for,

04:22and how many guys across the NFL who make $2 million at that position

04:26end up having, like, great seasons, great tight end seasons?

04:31Not many, man.

04:32At $2 million?

04:33Guys who aren't rookies?

04:35Not many.

04:36There's a reason why he's making that much money in Miami

04:39and didn't go and get paid somewhere else.

04:42I know he wanted to come here, wanted to play with a specific coach,

04:46but there's a reason why he's taking that paycheck.

04:48How much did he make in his career?

04:51We know.

04:51He killed – he hit the – who did he hit?

04:53The Raiders in the head.

04:54He hit somebody in the head.

04:56Yeah.

04:57Yeah.

05:00I'll tell you right now, career earnings, Darren Waller, $44 million.

05:06Ooh.

05:09And you know what, Solana?

05:10I know Julian Hill is going to have a breakout season in your mind,

05:14but Darren Waller is the best tight end on our roster right now.

05:18That's a guarantee.

05:19Oh, right without question.

05:20Yeah.

05:21Yeah.

05:22But that's not good.

05:24Right.

05:25Well, it could be good.

05:26Again, if he's the Darren Waller of a few seasons ago, it's great.

05:30Yes.

05:30If he looks like he was recently retired, then no,

05:35that's a really bad thing to say about your tight end group.

05:41And honestly, to your point, you know, like I said,

05:43I did this earlier in the show and I hate to say on Solana's point

05:46because you're going to say something crazy after this.

05:48For him to start camp on PUP list as an old retired guy,

05:53that doesn't look good.

05:55So you come in, we give you 2 million with incentives,

05:57and you're still not ready to play football,

06:00and you didn't play last season.

06:02It doesn't – that doesn't look good.

06:03I don't know what it is, if it's roster play or just moving people around

06:07or putting people on to sign people, whatever it is.

06:10But it doesn't look good to Solana's point.

06:12All right.

06:16So we're starting Julian Hill, and I'm going to bet him anytime Julian Hill

06:21touchdown every game, it's done.

06:24Boom.

06:24How many touchdowns does he have?

06:26Zero.

06:27And his whole career.

06:29He almost had one because me and Toby did it all game day uncensored last year.

06:33We almost had one, huh?

06:35Julian Hill touchdowns.

06:37And last year –

06:37So did Antonio Callaway.

06:38He caught a pass last year.

06:41I don't know if you guys remember.

06:42He caught a pass inside the five-yard line, took two steps.

06:45He's at the three.

06:46He fumbled at the three-yard line.

06:47And that was the closest he got to a touchdown all season.

06:50I can't believe I don't remember that.

06:54Tell me how the play went again.

06:55It's hard to believe I don't remember this.

06:59He catches an out route, fumbles on the two, and the other team gets it.

07:04Man, nothing I need to put in the old memory bank.

Dolphins place Darren Waller on PUP list - are expectations for him too high?

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