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.
05:21Yeah.
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.
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