Miami Dolphins

Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick plans to play in 2021 and "should have a sizable free-agent market," according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

This comes after NFL reporter John Clayton wrote for The Fan 104.3 that Fitzpatrick "looks like he's going to retire."

The 38-year-old is a free agent after spending the past two years with the Miami Dolphins. He has appeared in games for eight different organizations during his 16 years in the NFL.    

Though he lost his starting job to rookie Tua Tagovailoa last season, Fitzpatrick was playing well before the switch and finished the year with 2,091 passing yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games (seven starts).

He also had some late-game heroics off the bench in a come-from-behind win over the Las Vegas Raiders:

In 2019, the veteran totaled 3,529 passing yards and 20 touchdowns while also leading the Dolphins with 243 rushing yards.

Fitzpatrick was even better in limited action with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, leading the NFL with 9.6 yards per attempt while splitting time with Jameis Winston. Even at his age, the quarterback continues to show he can help teams either as a starter or as a reserve when needed.

His next destination could be another opportunity to either compete for a starting job or help groom a young player at the position.

One year after he signed a four-year, $51 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, Kyle Van Noy is expected to play for a new team in 2021.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo initially reported the Dolphins were going to release Van Noy, who then appeared to confirm the news by issuing a statement:

Per Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald, Van Noy potentially returning to the New England Patriots is "in the realm of possibility."

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Miami hopes to find a trade partner for Van Noy, but he will eventually be released if no deal materializes. 

Per ESPN's Cameron Wolfe, the Dolphins will save $9.75 million against the cap in 2021 if they release him. 

Van Noy was part of Miami's offseason spending spree last year that also saw the team sign Byron Jones, Jordan Howard, Emmanuel Ogbah and Shaq Lawson. 

Miami gave Van Noy $30 million in guaranteed money as part of the deal. He was due to make $12.5 million in base salary next season, per Spotrac. 

Van Noy rebuilt his value during four seasons with the Patriots from 2016-19. He had 35 quarterback hits and 16.5 sacks in 51 games with them. The BYU alum also won two Super Bowl titles with the team in 2016 and 2018. 

During his lone season with the Dolphins, Van Noy ranked third among all non-defensive linemen with 28 total pressures. He finished second on the team with 10 quarterback hits and third with six sacks. 

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson does not have any interest in joining the Miami Dolphins via trade this offseason, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. 

Rumors surrounding Wilson's availability began circulating Thursday after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the quarterback would only play for the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders if the Seahawks are considering moving him. 

Wilson has not demanded a trade, and there are few indications that a deal is imminent.

Miami added Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in last year's draft, but even after recovering from a devastating hip injury that ended his college career, the former Alabama star is still looking to prove himself. 

The Dolphins rotated between Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick throughout the 2020 season, with the rookie finishing with a 6-3 record as a starter with 1,814 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games. His 87.1 passer rating ranked 26th among qualified passers, seven spots below the 38-year-old Fitzpatrick (95.6). 

Tagovailoa may still prove to be the answer in Miami. There's just no question Wilson would be an upgrade. 

That the Seahawks star doesn't want to look at the Dolphins as a potential destination doesn't exactly mean Miami will move ahead with year two with Tagovailoa. The franchise is reportedly interested in trading for disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, though the Texans have stated they have no desire in moving him. 

The price for Watson is likely to exceed the cost for the Los Angeles Rams to acquire Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford—two first-round picks, a third-round pick and a starting QB in Jared Goff—should Houston reverse course. 

Wilson may command a similar haul. Even if the Dolphins were willing to make that happen, Wilson currently has no desire to play in Miami. 

NFL teams may want to take note. 

According to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, one of the potential first-round quarterbacks available in the 2021 NFL draft is trying to follow a path that leads to seven Super Bowl rings.

"I think he's going to be more than fine when he enters the league," Tagovailoa said of his former Alabama teammate Mac Jones during an interview with Bleacher Report. "He's a very smart quarterback; he's sneaky athletic. I think he emulates his game after someone like Tom Brady. While I was at Alabama, it looked like he kind of dressed a little like Tom ... For him to look up to someone like Tom Brady, that's not bad at all."

Jones led Alabama to a College Football Playoff national championship and was a Heisman Trophy finalist in his one full season as a college starter. He is one of five quarterbacks who could realistically go in the first round alongside Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State's Justin Fields, BYU's Zach Wilson and North Dakota State's Trey Lance.

While the two Alabama quarterbacks are being compared now more than ever after Albert Breer of The MMQB reported wide receiver DeVonta Smith was "bold and definitive" about picking Jones over Tagovailoa, that hasn't stopped the latter from reaching out and offering some advice.

Tagovailoa did not reveal what he specifically told Jones but said he was there to answer any questions the prospect had about the NFL and draft process.

Jones is not the only person the Dolphins quarterback connected with this offseason.

Tagovailoa teamed up with USAA and virtually met up with Kerry Smith after the military veteran was selected as one of the five grand prize winners of the Salute to Service Sweepstakes. Smith is a Navy veteran who worked on radar operations and navigation while based in Virginia Beach.

Smith got the opportunity to meet and talk with Tagovailoa as part of a prize package that also included a television, sound system, gaming system, gift cards and more.

"I'm really happy that I got a chance to join USAA," Tagovailoa said. "I think it's awesome that Kerry won the USAA Salute to Service sweepstakes because I had a great time learning and talking to him about his service in the Navy. I enjoy meeting with our military veterans."

Tagovailoa said he was "honored" to participate and explained having multiple family members who are in the military provides "a different kind of appreciation" for veterans.

Connecting with the community is nothing new for the 22-year-old, who is the chairman of the Tua Foundation that focuses on charitable efforts in the South Florida, Alabama and Hawaii areas. Tagovailoa also established a $300,000 scholarship endowment to Saint Louis School in Hawaii, which is where he went to school before Alabama.

The Tua Foundation recently awarded three grants of $16,667 (totaling $50,000) to the Police Athletic League of North Miami, Big Oak Ranch in Alabama and the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in Hawaii.

Tagovailoa explained how an early connection with fellow Hawaiian football player Manti Te'o helped pave the way for his own ability to give back to the communities that helped him on his path to the NFL:

"It's very important to me because growing up I've seen what we have on the islands and I've also seen what we didn't have. I've also seen guys who are able to give back and the joy that they brought to someone like me and the joy you can see everyone else having. It was awesome when Manti had his camp in Hawaii and I got to go. When you meet someone like that, it's cool when you're at such a young age. Now that I'm grown up, I'm able to do the same and give back to my community and the community that helped shape me into who I am today. And that's in Hawaii, that's Alabama, that's also here in Miami."

Like Te'o, Tagovailoa became a household name during his collegiate career.

He capped the 2017 season with the Crimson Tide by replacing Jalen Hurts in the CFP national championship game and leading Alabama back from a 13-0 halftime deficit to beat Georgia in overtime with a game-winning touchdown strike to Smith.

Miami selected him with the No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft following a dominant collegiate career even though he was coming off a significant hip injury that required surgery.

Tagovailoa appeared in 10 games as a rookie for the Dolphins and completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding three scores on the ground. He showed flashes of his potential but, as many rookies do, also struggled with consistency.

The Dolphins went from 5-11 in 2019 to 10-6 in 2020, and head coach Brian Flores appears to be building a winner in the AFC East. While Miami has not won a playoff game since the 2000 campaign, Tagovailoa said the coach is taking a day-by-day approach rather than trying to turn things around all at once.

"What Flo stresses every time," the quarterback said. "He preaches just getting better each day. For me, that's what it is. We just need to get better with what we feel we need to get better at as individuals."

The Alabama product appeared to be following that advice when he posted pictures from a recent workout with the caption "work." He seems to have added strength during his first healthy offseason of his NFL career after using much of last offseason to recover from his hip injury.

It is easy to speculate that Tagovailoa may be motivated by recent rumors.

After all, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported in January that Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson would consider going to the Dolphins if he is traded. Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reported Miami was a "front-runner" to land Watson if the three-time Pro Bowler's relationship with the Texans cannot be salvaged.

Whether Watson, who led the league with 4,823 passing yards in 2020 and is just 25 years old, is traded is the biggest storyline of the offseason.

Miami seems like a logical trading partner for Houston because it could offer Tagovailoa as a potential building block to replace Watson, as well as draft capital that includes the Nos. 3 and 18 picks in the 2021 draft.

Despite the speculation, Tagovailoa said he is motivated by something else.

"The motivating factor for me is just being able to get better from year one to year two," he said. "I just want to be a better version of myself. I wasn't satisfied with what I did last year. There's always more that I can do; I'm just trying to get better to help our team win some games next year."

That is surely exactly what Dolphins fans want to hear.

The Miami Dolphins are reportedly "among the teams" that Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones is "willing to consider" in free agency this offseason, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. 

Per that report, "the interest is mutual."

Other teams may be in the running, too:

Jones, 26, had another excellent season for the Packers in 2020, rushing for 1,104 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games, adding 47 receptions for 355 yards and two scores. It was his second straight year exceeding 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns. 

The question for Jones is what type of market will develop for him in free agency. The running back position has steadily been devalued by NFL teams, and while Jones has been productive in recent years, he isn't an explosive playmaker on the level of the position's elite like Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara. 

As such, his expected payday won't be in that tier either. 

The Dolphins would present an interesting match. The running back position has been an area of need for several seasons, even if Myles Gaskin (584 rushing yards, 41 catches for 388 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games) showed promise in his sophomore campaign.

Jones' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, offered the following answer when asked about any potential interest between Jones and the Dolphins by WSVN-Fox 7 sports anchor Josh Moser over the weekend (h/t Jackson): 

"The Dolphins like their current running back group, including Myles Gaskin, who had a big year last year... Aaron Jones is one of the best overall players in free agency. First-class person, first-class player. Just too early to say if the Dolphins might be interested. Obviously, they've got my number. We talk a lot about different things. For right now, we'll find out in a couple of weeks."

As for his future in Green Bay, the Packers drafted A.J. Dillon with a second-round pick in 2020 and may not be willing to get into the bidding for Jones for that reason, though they also could choose to use the franchise or transition tag to keep him for another year. 

They could instead use the money freed up by parting ways with Jones to address other positions of need, namely on the defensive side of the ball. If that's their play, the Dolphins might await with arms open for Jones. 

Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is listed as a person of interest in a shooting at NFL agent Damarius Bilbo's house that took place last June.

The Miami Herald obtained a police report that lists Howard among the people wanted for an interview regarding the shooting, but the Pro Bowler has not cooperated with the investigation. No one was hurt in the shooting, which saw a bullet go into a child's playroom.

Police have contacted Howard on multiple occasions in an attempt to discuss the matter, but he has declined. The Herald reported police have been in contact with Howard in "the past few weeks."

“Xavien was not involved in this incident and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise,” sports attorney Darren Heitner said.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. 

A child who was at the residence said "he saw a four-door sedan pull up to the front of the yard, and a black man wearing a grey hoodie, dark pants and flip flops jump out," according to the Herald. 

Police do not believe Howard was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

The bullet traveled through multiple rooms at the residence, but no one was harmed. Bilbo was not home at the time of the shooting.

Ray Gibson, Angelica Brown and Leonardo “Ken” Underwood are also listed as persons of interest. None of the people listed in the report have been cooperative with the investigation.

Underwood is a known friend of Howard's, and Gibson is an associate of Underwood's. Police records show Gibson's cell phone was off at the time of the incident, but Brown's vehicle was spotted near the scene.

Bilbo was Howard's agent until the pair parted ways in October. 

It's been speculated for some time, but the Miami Dolphins reportedly will pursue Deshaun Watson if the Houston Texans make their star quarterback available. 

Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins "expect to be in the mix" for Watson if he hits the trade market. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last month that Watson formally requested a trade from the Texans. 

Despite Watson's desire to leave the organization, Houston doesn't appear to be in a hurry to deal the three-time Pro Bowler. 

Schefter reported on Feb. 7 that Houston is telling teams that call to inquire about Watson that he isn't available. 

"Other teams around the NFL have gotten that message and now they are waiting to see whether the Texans' stance will change, but sources within and around the organization told ESPN that their position will not change," wrote Schefter. 

Speculation about Watson going to Miami increased last week when he was photographed in the city with Dolphins players Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis. The team also has extensive resources to offer the Texans, including two first-round picks this year (No. 3 and 18 overall) and second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. 

Watson signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension with Houston last September. The 25-year-old led the league with 4,823 passing yards and set career highs with 33 touchdowns and a 70.2 completion rate.