Day 2,254, Quasi-Quarantine: Miami Looks For Foundational Pieces On Either Side Of The Ball on Active Day One Of Draft

In what must have been something of a surprise to new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and his crew, when the clock started at pick No. 11, the Dolphins had their choice of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Miami edge Rueben Bain. 

Instead of taking one of those standout defenders, however, Sullivan moved down one spot (acquiring two more fifth-rounders in return) and selected Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor. Then, later in the round, they moved from No. 30 to No. 27 (at the cost of moving from No. 90 to No. 138 later in the draft) to pick San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.

The pluses: Proctor is young (won't turn 21 until close to the season) and massive (6-6, 352 pounds), with demonstrations of dominance as an All-America last season for the Tide. Scouts consider him to have rare explosiveness, good lateral agility for his size, a nasty streak, and uncommon athleticism -- he even ran the ball five times for 'Bama, including an 11-yarder. He's also durable and sound, playing 40 games at left tackle over three seasons and going 18 straight starts without a holding penalty.

Johnson is instinctive, collecting 13 pass breakups and four interceptions (including two pick-sixes) while allowing zero touchdowns and just a 41.9-percent completion rate when he was targeted. Scouts give him high marks in mechanics, awareness, fluidity, transitions, anticipation, feel, closing burst, and recovery speed. He's considered a high-character teammate, sticking with San Diego State despite many opportunities to transfer to a bigger program and earning All-America and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors.

In addition, Johnson is versatile enough to play both man and zone, is an eager run defender, and possesses good special teams experience, even blocking a punt along the way.

The minuses: Analysts have documented Proctor's struggles to play in space and understand leverage, with poor fundamentals, discipline, and technique at times. His timing has been questioned, he's shown late recognition on pass-rushing moves, he needs work on combo blocks, and he has no experience at guard -- where the 'Fins intend to play him initially. Perhaps most troublingly, he had significant weight issues early in his career, leading Bitch Saban to bash him unnecessarily during the draft process.

For Johnson, his thin frame (6-0, 193 pounds) and average long speed have caused him to be out-physicaled on 50-50 balls on occasion. Scouts question his tackling form, level of competition, and lack of experience in the slot. He did miss one game due to injury as a senior and skipped his team's bowl game, though he did play in and show out for the Senior Bowl.

The best-case scenario: Proctor lines up next to Patrick Paul on the left side of Miami's offensive line, creating a behemoth wall for new quarterback Malik Willis and opening sizeable holes for tailback De'Von Achane. Later in the season, Proctor transitions to right tackle, giving the 'Fins promising bookend tackles for the next decade-plus.

Johnson seizes a starting job from jumpstreet, giving the secondary a desperately needed playmaker and giving coach Jeff Hafley the confidence to create some exotic packages. The rookie emerges as one of the defensive cornerstones Miami needs to start to make some noise in the AFC East.

The worst-case scenario: Proctor struggles to adjust to the guard position -- mirroring the experience of highly touted 2025 rookie Jonah Savaiinaea -- and his weight becomes in issue in second-level and reach blocks. He earns a replacement-level (or worse) grade at a lower-impact position while Downs and Bain take the league by storm.

Johnson is targeted early and often by opposing signal-callers, and he loses more than he wins against a more physical and accomplished caliber of competition. He struggles in run support and his overall impact is diminished by the level of play that surrounds him in a secondary that lacks talent and experience.

The bottom line: Proctor was rated the No. 19 overall prospect in the draft by analyst Dane Brugler, so taking him as high as Miami did was a bit of a reach. He was also rated the fourth-best offensive tackle by Brugler, and since the Dolphins plan to play him at guard, one wonders whether the team could have prioritized more pressing needs at higher-impact positions.

Johnson was rated No. 24 overall and the third-best cornerback in the draft by Brugler, and his selection goes at least some of the way toward filling a massive void in the roster. No issues whatsoever with this selection.

You could make a compelling case for drafting either player, and I'd feel better about Proctor if he eventually takes over as the starting right tackle. Being a Dolphins fan, I fear that bypassing Downs (especially) and Bain will come back to haunt the franchise, but Miami needs players -- and a lot of them. While this braintrust has yet to earn the trust of the fanbase, you have to hope they had a conviction on both of these players that will pay off in the long run.

Day 2,248, Quasi-Quarantine: Pacing, Humor Propel "Lost Lambs" To Must-Read Status

“She did not subscribe to the notion that some things were the way they were, always had been, always would be. That the sun set early in the winter, limiting playtime. That, once out, toothpaste could not be put back in the tube. Things only were the way they were because she had not yet been around to fix them.”

Mix bizarre family dynamics and teen angst, stir vigorously, insert dark themes, and somehow produce freshly baked hilarity? Somehow that's what Madeline Cash has achieved with her debut novel, "Lost Lambs."

“Louise was in a prison of her own mundanity. She’d taken to intentionally throwing out the metal forks with the food scraps when she scraped her dinner plate, just so that she might feel a momentary rush.”

Three teenage girls face adolescent challenges interlaced with global scandals while their parents experiment with an open, confusing marriage. The result is a series of subplots that ends up overlapping in delightful ways at the end.

“It was the best part of a new relationship, when you could fill a library with what you didn’t know about another person. Pure potential.”

The slight quibbles are that Cash employs an intentional stylistic device that doesn't quite work and ends up being an unnecessary distraction. Also, the pivotal scene in the mansion resolves without a real explanation of what happens.

Beyond that, "Lost Lambs" is an escapist's delight, capturing the weighty, existential issues of our time without ever forgetting to laugh.

“Control what people do and you’re a king. Control how people think and you’re a god.”

Day 2,246, Quasi-Quarantine: The Sharing Spirit Was Missing With This Noel Puzzle

 

'Twas the season for puzzling, and this one was a good follow-up to another Yule puzzle we'd wrapped up a bit earlier. It was a fun one, but unfortunately my partner worked on it quite a bit behind my back and ruined part of the experience.

7.1, would cobble together again with a better teammate

Day 2,245, Quasi-Quarantine: Fever-Dream Writing Of "Brawler" Undermined By Cardboard Characters

“I look around and can see it in so many other women, passed down from a time beyond history, this wind that is dark and ceaseless and raging within.”

~“Wind”

This gut-wrenching collection features short stories that include large twists and real emotion. Groff examines gender dynamics, relationships between guardians and children, and the lasting effects of trauma.

Some of the standouts include "Wind," "What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?", and "Under the Wave." In addition, "Between the Shadow and the Soul" was complex, "Such Small Hands" was nuanced, "Annunciation" had a compelling ending, and "Sunland" was straight-up gutting.

“Oh, but she hadn’t wanted to leave him, not really, had she. She had just wanted to know what it was like to brush up against the dazzling future again. She felt the part of her that the lush spring had stirred to life go dormant, deep in her, once more. She knew that it would not awaken again in her lifetime.”

~“Between the Shadow and the Soul”

I had some experience with Groff's work, but the short-story form feels like a better fit for her than the novel. Despite it coming highly recommended, "Fates & Furies" was a bit overwrought for me. 

While the bulk of these tales highlight one-dimensional male characters -- with a lack of nuance hurting some of the plots -- "Brawler" as a whole is well worth the time for those readers ready to experience a full range of feelings.

“But that was the moment when she knew he would lie to her, and everything her spun away from him, and he was the one she hated as she walked out the door.”

~“Brawler”

Day 2,235, Quasi-Quarantine: "The Director" Captures The Whirlwind Experience Of A Captive Director During World War II

“ … There was one thing experience had taught her: directors didn’t accept a gentle no, for the simple reason that people who accepted a gentle no never could have become directors.”

Daniel Kehlmann's sprawling tale follows the exploits of famed director G.W. Pabst, who eventually finds himself captive and coerced into creating movies for the appeasement of his Nazi overlords. 

“It was one of those moments when everything seems to have been said, when it suddenly feels like the present has been used and nothing is left but a threatening future.”

Kehlmann's strongest accomplishment is allowing the narrative to veer into farce and satire without ever giving short shrift to the mild terror directly underneath. His story -- translated by Ross Benjamin -- allows for exploration of questions about the relationship between dictatorship and identity, the role of artistic license, and the value of autonomy.

“Suddenly there was silence. All conversation had stopped. The director stood in front of him, her mouth half open, looking at him. I was wrong, he thought. You actually can recognize the truly evil people at a single glance.”

"The Director" bounces around from Austria to Los Angeles to Czechoslovakia to France to Nazi Germany, lending a manic pace to elements of the narrative. The tale serves as a worthy exploration of the true meaning and merit of talent -- what is it worth and what is it worth sacrificing for?

“This was exactly what it had to be about–that music only seemed to speak of beauty, but in reality it spoke of how nothing was ever enough, how everything always fell short. How so much would never be ours.”

The appearance of famous people and stars from history lends weight to the novel. Kehlmann does a stellar job of capturing the fragile state of culture against the backdrop of horror, making "The Director" a memorable -- and vital -- read.

“‘Times are always strange. Art is always out of place. Always unnecessary when it’s made. And later, when you look back, it’s the only thing that mattered.’”

Limerick Friday #650: The Mets Keep Digging For Rock Bottom -- Day 2,221

Lost twelve in a row

It's a long road to hoe

Now wins back to back

It's not too late to sack

Mendy now, don't you know

So Will Wade is a bitch

Steered the Pack into a ditch

Now Gainey's here

And hope is near

Through this transfer portal sitch

Another draft day for the 'Fins

After another season for the bins

Draft picks galore

But forgive me if I snore

Wake me up when we have some wins

All these ticking clocks

For entitled families of jocks

Paul McNeill is disrespecting State

Refusing to decide his fate

Time to tell him to kick rocks

Ass-kissing simps

And visibility pimps

Sell your creative soul

To that AI slop hole

Find some self respect, ya gimps

Last time ...

Day 2,220, Quasi-Quarantine: "Football" Serves As Thoughtful Love Letter To The Sport

“Football imitates American society by generating a sensation of chaotic freedom within an environment of near-total control.”

Chuck Klosterman’s meandering missive on America's actual national pasttime can feel a bit dense and esoteric -- while somehow managing to be hilarious and absorbing. "Football" is an eclectic mix that works, with the author dropping surprise bits of wisdom into discussion of the vagaries of six-man football.

Along the way, the author also manages to almost perfectly capture my feelings toward the Miami Dolphins.

“ … I sometimes fear I’m experiencing the most bottomless version of fandom, where I love a team I don’t even like, emotionally betrothed against my will.”

Klosterman peppers the prose with fortune cookie-ish sayings, giving the work heft interspersed with nostalgia, concern, and doubt.

“Pervasive institutional control, so entrenched that it’s become unremarkable, is both the facilitator for society’s overall enhancement and the reason so many individuals within that society feel alienated by the very things making their life easier. Everything was upgraded and nothing got better.”

Klosterman closes with an entirely plausible scenario that predicts the eventual disappearance of the game, serving as a fitting ending to a fascinating read.

“If football did not already exist and was being invented today, there’s no way this amount of idle loitering would be included. The elevator pitch would seem like a joke: ‘Let’s create a complicated, violent game where nothing happens during 94 percent of the telecast, shown from a camera perspective that limits the viewer’s ability to see what’s happening.’”