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USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Predicting the Steelers 53-man roster: Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith trade edition
The Steelers' blockbuster acquisitions of ex-Dolphins All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl TE Jonnu Smith have flipped both sides of the ball upside down. Pittsburgh didn't replace Minkah Fitzpatrick in our updated prediction — instead choosing to run with three safeties on the 53-man roster. Quarterback (3) Fullback (1) Running back (3) Wide receiver (6) Tight end (4) Offensive tackle (4) Offensive guard (4) Center (2) Defensive tackle (2) Nose tackle (2) Defensive end (2) Outside linebacker (4) Inside linebacker (4) Cornerback (6) Safety (3) Kicker (1) Punter (1) Long snapper (1) What's changed? In our previous 53-man roster prediction, the Steelers carried three tight ends, six cornerbacks, and four safeties — but with the loss of Fitzpatrick and the additions of Ramsey and Smith, one position group had to give. In our updated projection, the Arthur Smith-led offense opts to keep four tight ends, with TE Connor Heyward earning the fourth spot. Ramsey's versatility to play anywhere in the secondary allows the Steelers to roll with just three safeties. Unfortunately, CB Brandin Echols didn't make the final 53-man roster projection. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-Dolphin Raheem Mostert rips team following trade of Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith: 'Be a Pro-Bowler, get treated like s***'
Raheem Mostert has candid thoughts on Monday's NFL trade that sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's happy for his former Dolphins teammates. But he's clearly not happy with his former team. The ex-Dolphins running back who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason had this to say on social media: Hot take: Be a Pro-bowler on the Dolphins, get treated like sh*t. Happy for my guys though! GO BALL OUT!! The Pro Bowlers in this instance are Ramsey and Smith. The Dolphins traded both to the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday morning in exchange for All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in a deal that also included pick swaps. Advertisement Mostert didn't expound on his displeasure with the Dolphins. But he appears to be unhappy with his own exit this offseason after three seasons in Miami that included a Pro Bowl selection in 2023. Raheem Mostert appears to be displeased with how his own Dolphins tenure concluded. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) (Diamond Images via Getty Images) Why so mad? Mostert joined the Dolphins from the 49ers as a free agent in 2022 on a one-year, $2.1 million contract. After starting 14 games in 2022, Mostert re-signed with the Dolphins on a two-year, $5.6 million deal. He followed up with the best season of his career in 2023 that featured 1,187 yards from scrimmage, an NFL-best 21 touchdowns and his first career Pro Bowl selection at 31 years old. That effort earned him an extension through the 2025 season worth up to $9.1 million over two years that included $3.71 million in newly guaranteed money. Advertisement The following season, Mostert took a secondary role in the backfield to second-year standout De'Von Achane. Mostert finished 2024 with 439 yards from scrimmage after making just one start. He didn't see the second, non-guaranteed year of his contract extension. The Dolphins released Mostert in February as part of a series of veteran cuts in an effort to get under the salary cap. The move saved Miami $3.065 million in cap space. Mostert later signed with the Raiders on a one-year, $1.6 million deal, a pay cut over the non-guaranteed money he would have made had he remained in Miami. And he's clearly not pleased with how the end of his Dolphins tenure transpired.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Miami Dolphins quiet in NFL free agency, but AFC East rivals are making a lot of noise
Miami Dolphins quiet in NFL free agency, but AFC East rivals are making a lot of noise A few hours into NFL free agency, the one team still to move the needle on major moves was … the Miami Dolphins. A major reason, of course, is the Dolphins are strapped for cash under the NFL salary cap. At least the Dolphins entered the fun early Monday evening when it was learned they'd come to terms with former Broncos and Jets quarterback Zach Wilson to back up Tua Tagovailoa. But the general lack of movement in the first wave of free agency is noteworthy given how active their AFC East rivals have been. Advertisement The Buffalo Bills made major news. So did Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots. And Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets landed a starting quarterback. More: NFL free agency: Backup QB options for Miami Dolphins as Jimmy Garoppolo comes off the board True, the Dolphins did make one minor move early Monday: they re-signed defensive tackle Matt Dickerson, who appeared in four games in 2024 after being promoted from the practice squad. Breaking down Miami's AFC East rivals: Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen isn't going anywhere Buffalo's biggest move was taking care of quarterback/MVP Josh Allen. The Bills are giving Allen a six-year, $330 million deal with $250 million guaranteed. The total package averages out to $55 million per. Advertisement The Bills made sure Allen has a couple of dependable targets. They locked up Khalil Shakir with a four-year, $60.2 million extension. Shakir had 821 receiving yards and four TDs in 2024, his third NFL season. And they signed fellow receiver Josh Palmer, who had 584 receiving yards for the Chargers last year, to a three-year, $36 million deal. Two defenders also received four-year extensions: ex-Miami Hurricane Greg Rousseau, an end, and Terrel Bernard, a linebacker. Rousseau's deal is worth $80 million; Bernard's is for $50 million. Dolphins free agency tracker: Follow every move Miami makes in free agency Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams (93) celebrates after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images New England Patriots: Mike Vrabel lands Eagles DT Milton Williams Vrabel was clearly going to make news in free agency given the Patriots' massive cap space. Advertisement He grabbed a coveted defender on the market, agreeing to give Eagles tackle Milton Williams a four-year contract averaging $26 million per year. The Patriots made room for Williams by trading ex-Dolphins defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to New Orleans earlier in the day. The Patriots nabbed Tennessee linebacker Harold Landry for $43.5 million over three years and Detroit cornerback Carlton Davis for $60 million over three years. Las Vegas linebacker Robert Spillane also is joining the Patriots. Offensively, New England is giving $24 million over three years to offensive tackle Morgan Moses, formerly of the New York Jets. New York Jets: Justin Fields is new starting QB New coach Aaron Glenn has a starting quarterback he can build around, reaching agreement with Justin Fields on a two-year, $40 million deal, including $30 million guaranteed. Advertisement Fields was 4-2 in 2024 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording a career-high 93.3 passer rating. Linebacker Jamien Sherwood also is re-signing for $45 million over three years. And former Baltimore cornerback CB Brandon Stephens will wear Jets green via a three-year, $36 million deal. Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@ Follow him on social media @gunnerhal. Click here to subscribe. NFL free agency: Miami Dolphins could target these defensive tackles NFL free-agent market opens as X picks terrible time to go on siesta This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins AFC East rivals active on first day of NFL free agency
Miami Herald
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cote: 15 years later, Dolphins Cancer Challenge is the life-saving legacy of Jim Mandich
Jim Mandich was dying, and he knew it. Bile duct cancer was taking his life, by degrees. It was aggressive, and the prognosis was grim. I last saw Mandich in the Miami Dolphins lockerroom after a game in the midst of the 2010 season. I knew he was battling cancer but did not then know any details, or that he would leave us by the following spring at age 62. He looked thin. I asked how he was doing. He answered with a wan smile and two words that had a haunting double meaning I've never forgotten. 'Never better,' he said. The Dolphins were then planning a fundraiser in Mandich's honor to raise money for cancer research. The event would be in November of that year, starting at the football stadium. It would be a 170-mile bike ride over two days. Mandich, weakened by the cancer, rode only a ceremonial lap around the stadium. 'You could tell how gaunt he was, but he was sure as hell determined he was gonna be there at the start,' Michael Mandich, his son, recalled Wednesday. 'And he was there at finish line.' It was the dying and death of Mandich, the Dolphins glory-days tight end and popular longtime local broadcaster, that inspired what would become the annual Dolphins Cancer Challenge, and the 15th edition -- the DCC XV -- is this Saturday. Because of Mandich and in his eternal memory has grown a South Florida institution in cancer research, with the Dolphins out front in showing other professional sports teams how best to serve the community that supports them. The Dolphins Cancer Challenge is now the NFL's largest team-affiliated fundraiser as it celebrates its 15-year milestone having raised more than $75 million since 2010. (In 2020 the Dolphins pledged to reach the $75M goal by 2026 and did it two years early, in '24.) All participant-raised funds go directly to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami to fund lifesaving cancer research. That first event in 2010 saw some 400 trailblazing participants raise $533,000. In 2024, the DCC had more than 6,700 participants and raised about $12.5 million, both records that they hope to top on Saturday. Those involved may do so as individuals or as part of corporate teams or personal teams. Every year, hundreds of cancer survivors are among the multitude of supporters. The Challenge began as a cycling-only event held during the NFL season, with participants biking 170 miles over two days. And credit Dolphins president and CEO at the time, Mike Dee, for getting behind the idea. It now is held annually each February and has evolved to four different distances in cycling from 13 to 99 miles, plus a 5K (3.1-mile) walk or run. The event has enjoyed the wide support of the franchise itself, ownership to players to staff. Head coach Mike McDaniel is peddling a bike every year. Players Jaelan Phillips and Braxton Berrios serve on the organization's board. Prominent alumni including Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Zach Thomas will ride Saturday. Several ex-Dolphins playing for rival teams also return for the event. One, Bills' receiver Mack Hollins, rides 99 miles for the cause every year and will again Saturday. Mandich's son Michael, now 41, helped run the event in its early days and still participates every year. He leads Team Mad Dog, named after his late father's nickname. 'It had a special feeling even from the beginning, and it quickly took off,' he says of the event. 'It has a Field of Dreams type of attitude. It's hard for any living soul to not know a person who's been affected by cancer.' Today, the chair of the DCC's board of directors is Elizabeth (Liz) Jenkins, the widow of Jason Jenkins, the former Dolphins senior vice president of communications and community affairs who died unexpectedly of a blood clot in August 2022. The annual Cancer Challenge was dear to him, but Liz was taken aback when soon after his death the club invited her to take over leadership of the event. 'It was probably the best yes I ever said besides saying yes to [Jason,],' she told us Wednesday. The Dolphins Cancer Challenge, her third as chair, is her Super Bowl. She feels that running it enables her to grow her husband's legacy of commitment to the community. 'Jason wanted to bring people together, people from all walks of life,' she said. 'He was always about giving back to the community. And cancer doesn't look at age or socio-economics or anything. It can affect anybody.' Jason had signed up to bike the 99-mile event just before he died. His widow took his place. 'It was the hardest thing physically I had ever done,' she said. 'I'm a crossfitter, but at about 80 miles I hit a wall.' She pushed through at the finish line, where emotion overwhelmed her. The physical pain. The accomplishment. The still-raw grief over her loss. 'I burst into tears. I could not stop crying.' As Liz Jenkins works to nurture her late husband's legacy of community service, Michael Mandich can relate. Jim Mandich was an accomplished athlete, a star at Michigan who played his entire 1970s NFL career with the Dolphins before a final season in Pittsburgh. He helped win Super Bowl rings in Miami's 1972 Perfect Season and again in '73. He might have been even better in broadcasting, player, as a radio sports-talk host for WIOD and later for WQAM, also doing color commentary on Dolphins radio broadcasts. But his most enduring legacy may be that he inspired the Dolphins Cancer Challenge that celebrates its 15th year Saturday. 'There's a generation that remembers my father from football, or maybe as announcer, but that '72 season was 53 years ago,' says Michael. 'Those memories will fade. But in another 15 or 20 or 30 years from now this event will still take place and perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars will have been raised largely inspired by my father. What better memory would anyone ever have for him?'
