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

WQAM-AM / AM 560 Sports WQAM

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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