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Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Dolphins add another productive Power 4 defensive lineman. And draft pick update, Ramsey
Miami Dolphins Dolphins add another productive Power 4 defensive lineman. And draft pick update, Ramsey In their continued search for bulky run-stuffers on their defensive front, the Dolphins have added a fourth 300-plus pound rookie defensive lineman. Tre'vonn Rybka, a productive defensive lineman at Kentucky, agreed to a deal as an undrafted rookie that included $10,000 guaranteed, according to a source. He becomes the 16th undrafted rookie to sign with the Dolphins; none had been announced as of midday Wednesday. Rybka, who is listed at 6-4 and 310 pounds, played in 48 games and started 25 times in four seasons with the Wildcats. He had 95 tackles (including 11.5 for loss), five sacks and a forced fumble. He started all 12 games last season and finished with 34 tackles (including five for loss), three sacks and a forced fumble. The Dolphins have added four defensive linemen through the draft process — first-round pick Kenneth Grant (the 6-4, 331-pound Michigan product is a likely rookie starter), fifth-round pick Jordan Phillips (the former Maryland player is 6-2, 312 pounds), Rybka and undrafted South Carolina rookie Alex Huntley. Huntley — 6-4, 305 pounds — had 82 tackles, including eight for loss, and four sacks in five seasons and 50 games for the Gamecocks. Rybka was a three-star recruit and 247 Sports' No. 53 defensive tackle in the 2020 class coming out of Dickson County High School in Tennessee. Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Bluegrass named him 'Big Ambassador of the Year' in 2024 for his commitment to mentoring young people. Sieler, Brewer weigh in The Dolphins will be holding weekly Zoom sessions with players this month, and Zach Sieler was asked to address the team's tardiness issue and what the Dolphins say is a mutual decision to try to trade cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Asked if he agrees with the Dolphins saying that trading Ramsey is in the best interests of both parties, he said: 'Ramsey is a great player. Everyone knows that. What he's done is nothing but amazing. That's not my decision, not my realm. I don't know what happened there. I look forward to the best for both parties.' Referring to Ramsey and Arizona-bound Calais Campbell, Sieler said: 'It's tough losing guys of that caliber. Two great players.' Regarding the tardiness problem last season and the team's culture and whether it has improved, Sieler said: 'If we're going to be here, we're going to be here. We're going to be on time and ready to work, not just halfway going through things.' Center Aaron Brewer, the other player who spoke to reporters Wednesday, said more players have been staying later to work during the first three weeks of the offseason program. ▪ Brewer said of new guard James Daniels, the standout veteran lineman added in free agency: 'I love James. He's a football junkie. I like his mentality toward football. Film wise, he's on it. You can talk football with the dude all day. He wants everything to be right. I watched his film when he was in Pittsburgh, and he can move. He's got that motor in him, that finish.' Draft pick update Nick Korte, compensatory pick expert, said the Dolphins could get a compensatory fourth-round pick in next April's draft, as a result of free agent losses and additions. Any free agents signed for the remainder of the year do not count toward the compensatory pick formula. Next year, the Dolphins have all their picks, plus a third-rounder from Houston (from the trade made on April 26), plus that potential compensatory pick, and a possible pick that could be involved in a potential Jalen Ramsey trade. The Dolphins continue efforts to trade Ramsey, who wants out of Miami. ▪ The Dolphins haven't announced who will be at their rookie camp this weekend, but Miami Hurricanes players Sam Brown (a receiver) and Zach Carpenter (a center) accepted invitations to try out. So did former UM offensive lineman John Campbell, who played 32 games at UM and then 22, over two seasons, at Tennessee. Among others invited for tryouts: Rhode Island defensive back Branden Price, Kentucky tight end Jared Casey, Brown tight end Mark Mahoney, West Virginia interior lineman Nick Malone, Jackson State defensive end Phillip Webb and Oregon linebacker Jestin Jacobs. Unlike the draft picks and the 16 players who have or will sign contracts with the Dolphins, the tryout players do not have contracts. Last year, the Dolphins offered contracts to two of the 27 players who tried out at rookie minicamp: Wisconsin cornerback Jason Maitre and Rutgers offensive lineman Ireland Brown. Maitre spent time on the Dolphins' practice squad last season and is now on the roster. ▪ The Dolphins wanted BYU cornerback Jakob Robinson in the undrafted rookie market, but he signed with the 49ers. He had 11 interceptions in five college seasons. But Miami is very happy with the two undrafted rookie cornerbacks it added: UCF's BJ Adams and Minnesota's Ethan Robinson. Fifth-round pick Jason Marshall, the former Florida Gator, is the other new rookie cornerback. ▪ The Dolphins have deals with 94 players, including retiring Terron Armstead and guard Bayron Matos, who has a roster exemption. They will need to make multiple roster moves by the start of minicamp on Friday. The NFL offseason roster limit is 90. This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 1:15 PM.
USA Today
26-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
MLB offseason grades: Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox pass with flying colors\u00a0– but who got an F?
MLB offseason grades: Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox pass with flying colors – but who got an F? Show Caption Hide Caption Johnny Damon says Dodgers will win World Series again in 2025 Johnny Damon explains why he thinks the Dodgers and Yankees are bound for a rematch, but why the former is an easy choice to win again. Sports Seriously Major League Baseball's offseason is never really over, but it's about time to call it. From Juan Soto in December to Andrew Chafin come late February, all 30 teams took steps to improve themselves – some more aggressively than others. But a big spend and a lot of noise doesn't always add up to a prosperous winter. Sure, there's still the chance a late veteran signee wanders into your spring training camp, or a major trade is pulled off before teams head north. But what you see now is almost certainly what you'll get – at least until the trade deadline. With that, USA TODAY Sports hands out the off-season grades for major league franchises: American League By Gabe Lacques Baltimore Orioles: B- Didn't really have a shot at retaining Arizona-bound Corbin Burnes, but a team in the heart of contention still left itself plenty of question marks, much of it riding on Charlie Morton, 41, continuing to see the sixth inning. Boston Red Sox: A- Forget Alex Bregman: Perhaps the most impactful acquisition this off-season was the trade for Garrett Crochet, giving Boston an ace for two years and significant hope that an inconsistent club will finally land its win total in the mid- to high 80s for the first time in four years. Chicago White Sox: D A decent but not overwhelming return for Crochet, as Braden Montgomery and Kyle Teel profile as potential regulars, if they can navigate this moribund franchise without incident. Cleveland Guardians: C Encouraging move to bring Shane Bieber back and some intriguing high-upside plays on Jakob Junis and John Means. It's on right-hander Luis Ortiz to prove that the trade of Andrés Giménez wasn't just a salary dump. Detroit Tigers: B+ Bregman would've been a nice cherry on top, though he might not have fit Comerica Park so well. Still, they lured Jack Flaherty back after trading him for their eventual starting shortstop last summer, added solid bullpen pieces and Gleyber Torres for reasonable prices. Houston Astros: C Losing Bregman and Kyle Tucker in one offseason feels like walking a tightrope without a net. The winter can eventually be viewed a success if two things happen: Isaac Paredes becomes the fixture he wasn't in Tampa Bay and Chicago, and Cam Smith – acquired for Tucker from the Cubs – populates the Crawford Box with baseballs as they anticipate. Kansas City Royals: B Adding Jonathan India and Carlos Estévez lengthens the lineup and bullpen, respectively, for a club that won 86 games and reached the AL Division Series. Los Angeles Angels: B- Signs of a presentable, or at least recognizable squad: Yusei Kikuchi joins Tyler Anderson as effective lefties atop the rotation, Kenley Jansen is a capital-C closer, Travis d'Arnaud can still handle a staff and swing the bat, Yoan Moncada pragmatically replaces Anthony Rendon and veterans Kyle Hendricks and Kevin Newman are also present. Minnesota Twins: D+ Tempting to grade this on a curve, as the Twins – up for sale and taking a hit on TV revenues – are apparently financially hamstrung. But losing Max Kepler and backfilling with Ty France and Harrison Bader won't do the lineup many favors. New York Yankees: B+ The relatively quick strikes for Max Fried and Cody Bellinger were great, but the team might have truly solidified its 2025 hopes by adding Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz and retaining Tim Hill from a bullpen beset by defections. (Sacramento) Athletics: B Pretty decent maneuvers under the duress of 'spend money or lose your welfare checks,' even if Luis Severino was a significant overpay and Brent Rooker might be 34 by the time they play a game in Las Vegas. Seattle Mariners: D- We double- and triple-checked it and yes, retaining Jorge Polanco and adding Donovan Solano constituted the bulk of 'maintaining' an offense that ranked 22nd in OPS and 21st in runs scored. Criminal support of a unicorn pitching staff. Tampa Bay Rays: C A .500 team added bats Danny Jansen and Ha-Seong Kim – who will miss the first couple of months – and will lean on a pitching staff that should be incredibly deep as the franchise remains in a bit of limbo. Texas Rangers: B+ They brought back rotation rock Nathan Eovaldi thanks to a $75 million guarantee, traded for corner slugger Jake Burger and added Joc Pederson's left-handed bat at DH – a nice amalgam of 2023 championship holdovers, new blood and legit hope that folks like Jacob deGrom will make impactful injury returns. Toronto Blue Jays: D Imagine having three or so years to cram for a final and still flunking it. Forget the noble but fruitless pursuits of Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto: Failing to extend Vlad Guerrero Jr. was such an unnecessary failure. National League By Bob Nightengale Arizona Diamondbacks: B+ They stunned the baseball world by digging into their wallets and signing ace Corbin Burnes for $210 million. They have a starting rotation that could beat anyone, even the Dodgers, in the postseason with Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez. Yet, they also lost a valuable piece of their nucleus in three-time Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker and still don't have a proven closer. Atlanta: C- They lost valuable starters Max Fried and Charlie Morton in free agency without trying to keep them, and dumped outfielder/DH Jorge Soler. But just when you thought they were in a tight money crunch, they paid $42 million over three years for Jurickson Profar, hoping that last year wasn't an aberration. They badly need Ronald Acuña and Spencer Strider to bounce back from their injuries if they're going to win the NL East again. Chicago Cubs: B The Cubs definitely got better during the winter, while the Brewers, who finished 10 games ahead of them, got worse. Their bold move was acquiring All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker, but they also had to trade center fielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger to get financial relief. While they struck out in an attempt to land third baseman Alex Bregman, they signed veteran Justin Turner for infield depth. Their biggest improvement was shoring up their bullpen with Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier, Eli Morgan, Caleb Thielbar and Cody Poteet, while also grabbing starting pitching depth with Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea. Cincinnati Reds: B The Reds grossly underachieved a year ago, and manager David Bell paid the price. Now, they have future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona running the show, which should be their greatest acquisition. They also added pitching depth by acquiring Royals starter Brady Singer, bringing back starter Nick Martinez, and trading for left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers. They brought in offensive depth too by signing outfielder Austin Hays, and trading for infielder/outfielder Gavin Lux as well as backup catcher Jose Trevino. And second baseman Matt McLain is back after missing all of last season with shoulder surgery. They could be this year's biggest surprise. Colorado Rockies: F+ They lost a record 101 games last year, and didn't make any significant signings or trades to improve. Their big moves were signing infielder Kyle Farmer, second baseman Thairo Estrada and catcher Jacob Stallings to cheap one-year contracts. One day their youth movement could pay off, but their best hope to contend in the coming years would be realignment – perhaps finding a way to get into the NL Central. Los Angeles Dodgers: A+ They didn't sign Juan Soto, because they didn't need Juan Soto. Instead, they signed absolutely everyone else they desired and wound up with nine legitimate starters (adding Rōki Sasaki and Blake Snell) and four potential closers (adding Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates). They are so rich in talent that they can afford an injury to anyone, even Shohei Ohtani. Grade: Miami Marlins: F Another year, another massive rebuild. They didn't trade Sandy Alcantara or Eury Perez, but if they bounce back from Tommy John surgeries, they'll be open for business. It's going to be a long time before they're competitive again. Milwaukee Brewers: F The Brewers lost All-Star shortstop Willy Adames in free agency and traded All-Star closer Devin Williams. They replaced them by signing Elvin Rodriguez, Tyler Alexander and Grant Wolfram. The Brewers defy expectations year after year. They're going to have to find a way to do it again. New York Mets: A- They dropped $765 million on Juan Soto, giving him the richest contract in sports history. They finally relented and re-signed first baseman Pete Alonso too. Yet, their rotation lacks a true ace, or even a No. 2 starter. For a team that spent over $1 billion this winter, they have a questionable rotation with two starters (Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas) already hurt, and losing 21 victories and 352 innings from Luis Severino and Jose Quintana. Philadelphia Phillies: C+ Agents used them all winter as a stalking horse, but the truth is that they were sitting out free agency They had no interest in Juan Soto. Never talked about Alex Bregman. Their biggest signings were outfielder Max Kepler (1 year, $10 million) and closer Jordan Romano (1 year, $8.5 million), while also trading for starter Jesús Luzardo. The Phillies have a deep, talented rotation led by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, but need Romano to stabilize their bullpen. Pittsburgh Pirates: D+ The Pirates have one of the finest young rotations in baseball with rookie sensation Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Jared Jones, but instead of augmenting their team with proven veterans, all they did was sign Andrew Heaney to a one-year, $5.25 million contract, bring back DH Andrew McCutchen, sign left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson and trade for first baseman Spencer Horwitz. If they ever want to be a contender again, they need to shake the cobwebs off that checkbook. San Diego Padres: D They lost two major pieces in outfielder Jurickson Profar and infielder Ha-Seong Kim, not to mention closer Tanner Scott. Yet, despite their money crunch, they were able to convince free-agent starter Nick Pivetta to play for only $4 million this year, and backloaded some contracts. They should have one more ride in them, but they're not nearly as powerful as a year ago when they had had the Dodgers on the ropes in the postseason and may have won their first World Series title in franchise history. San Francisco Giants: C+ They started off strong, signing All-Star shortstop Willy Adames to a $182 million contract, but instead of adding more marquee pieces, stopped. They started to pursue ace Corbin Burnes, but never got serious, but they did land future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. They need more help if they're going to return to the postseason for only the second time since 2016. St. Louis Cardinals: F- No trades. No free agent signings. No hope. They're supposed to be in a rebuild, but they still haven't been able to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado, after he rejected trades to the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels. They wanted to trade starter Sonny Gray, but he told them he's not waiving his no-trade clause. And for some reason, All-Star closer Ryan Helsley is still on the team, perhaps believing they'll get more value for him at the trade deadline. Strange times in St. Louis. Washington Nationals: D If they really believed they could contend this year, they would have hit free agency hard. Instead, their biggest signing was starter Trevor Williams (2 years, $14 million). If they show promise this year with their young core, they could jump back into the deep waters of free agency next winter.
