Getty Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
Now-retired offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz sounded off on one NFL head coach recently for his misuse of one of the league’s most explosive tight ends.
Schwartz, a former All-Pro for the Kansas City Chiefs, reacted to a report from PFF’s Doug Kyed that the Miami Dolphins have brought up tight end Mike Gesicki’s name in trade discussions.
“Maybe don’t try to make Gesicki into Kittle and he’ll be a better fit? There’s only one Kittle, good luck finding another for that type of offense, Schwartz wrote on August 24. “We spent a whole off-season praising the genius of Mike McDaniel and he can’t find a way to properly utilize a pass catching TE?”
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McDaniel Downplays Dolphins Shopping Gesicki
A day later, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked about the report regarding Gesicki being shopped.
“During training camp and during the offseason in general, GMs have work to do,” McDaniel said during his press conference on August 25. “And they’re not just watching us coach. So when people report that somebody is – when they use that loose verbiage of ‘his name has been brought up,’ or whatever, the report is kind of misleading because there probably should be a lot of names on that report.”
There has been a disconnect between Gesicki and McDaniels’ offense this summer, which is why the veteran led all Dolphins’ tight ends in snaps in Week 2 of the preseason, per PFF, despite being one of the better tight ends in the NFL. That is why it’s very possible that the Dolphins are looking to ship him out of town.
While McDaniel did downplay the urgency in which Miami was trying to shop Gesicki, all it takes is the right offer for Gesicki to be playing in a different jersey come the regular season.
L’Jarius Sneed Calls Rookie CB ‘Steph Curry’
One of the interesting developments for the Chiefs this summer has been the play of the young cornerbacks.
Rookie first-round pick Trent McDuffie, as well as fourth-round pick Joshua Williams and seventh-round pick Jaylen Watson, have played so well this summer that Kansas City has parted ways with some of the team’s veteran corners competing for a roster spot. Those players include Deandre Baker and Lonnie Johnson Jr., who the team traded for earlier this year.
“I (could) tell from OTAs they were ready to go from when they first came in,” Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed told Arrowhead Pride of the rookie cornerbacks. “I (could) tell that they were learning a lot, taking everything in and soaking it in.”
Cutting a player the team surrendered a draft pick for just months ago doesn’t happen very often. But it speaks volumes about how quickly the rookies have picked up the way things work in Kansas City.
Sneed, who is entering his third year in the league and is the most tenured corner on the Chiefs’ roster, further detailed what he’s seen from the young corners to merit their ascension up the depth chart.
“I see that they’re hungry; they want to be successful,” said Sneed.
Sneed had particularly high praise for McDuffie, who was expected to come in and immediately fill the starting role left by Charvarius Ward. The rookie has done that and so much more, according to Sneed.
“I call Trent ‘Steph Curry.’ He a swift little guy; he can do it all — from the inside to the outside,” Sneed said.