SUNDAY BUZZ COLUMN

With the Dolphins' most pivotal game of the season looming on Sunday, I asked four former NFL general managers still involved in the game (Charley Casserly, Bill Polian, Mark Dominik and Ken Herock) to assess the team.

Some of their thoughts:

### Quarterback Ryan Tannehill: Despite the improvement, the evaluators were measured in their praise.

Casserly: “I like the progression. The ball is coming out quickly, and they’re doing what he does best. He can be an above average NFL starter and he’s good enough to take them to the playoffs. Do I see the upside of Aaron Rodgers? No, I don’t. But I see a guy that can give you some consistency. He needs to master the deep throw to take another step.”

(Tannehill is 8 for 34 on balls thrown 20 yards or more, compared with 16 of 41 for Baltimore’s Joe Flacco, who visits Sunday)…

Dominik: “He’s above average to a little better than that. He can lead a team to the playoffs. What I think is happening with him is the more they’re surrounding him with weapons, the more effective he’s becoming. [Becoming] a top 10 quarterback isn’t too ambitious. He’s got the makeup and leadership. Players respect him.”

Polian: “Tannehill is getting there but he still has a ways to go.”…

Though he is eighth in completion percentage, “that’s a misleading stat because anyone can complete short passes,” Herock said. “The intermediate and deep routes, he’s still so inaccurate at times. I think he’ll always be a 7-9, 8-8 quarterback, will be a guy that teases you.”

### Running back: Casserly: “Lamar Miller is a good back, not an elite back. He has speed, some instincts.”… Dominik said Miller “has played a little better than I thought” but needs to “continue to break more tackles to ascend” to the next level.

### Receiver: Evaluators are impressed how Mike Wallace has been effective even with Tannehill unable to capitalize on the skill he's most known for (catching deep balls).

Dominik: “He’s becoming the player Miami was hoping to get. He’s caught the ball better away from his body with stronger hands. And you don’t hear Wallace as much this year being frustrated and disappointed.”…

Jarvis Landry, Polian said, “has been a great pickup. Runs really good routes, catches well and runs after the catch well, with a lot of energy.”

### Tight end: Dominik: “Charles Clay is very good, a little underrated. Has got a real toughness to him and makes clutch catches. Dion Sims is a big-bodied guy who creates a mismatch physically in the run game but is nimble and athletic enough to catch balls in seams.”

### Offensive line: Casserly and Herock, who evaluated Ja’Wuan James before the draft, say they are surprised how good he has been. “I thought it would be a struggle for him with speed rushers,” Casserly said. “But he’s tenacious.” … Herock: “James was soft, inconsistent coming out. He’s playing better than I anticipated.”…

Polian: “Moving from right to left tackle is really difficult, and James has done a great job getting that done.”… Dominik: “The versatility of their line has been most impressive. Mike Pouncey can move out to guard. Dallas Thomas or Shelley Smith can play both guard spots; that’s such a hard trait to have for offensive linemen. That allows them to endure the injuries they’ve had.”

### Defensive line: “Their defensive ends aren’t the biggest guys, so they are susceptible to runs on the outside,” Casserly said…. Herock: “Jared Odrick is a decent player, but [overall], their tackles are run of the mill guys.”…

Dominik: “Their tackles are physical and can penetrate and be disruptive, but sometimes they’re a little out of position…. Cameron Wake is still one of the most underrated players and Olivier Vernon is a model of consistency… Dion Jordan will have to be a situational pass-rusher. He’s got to work on his craft of being a great pass-rusher.”

Polian: “They adjusted [in the second half] against the Jets and they’ll be fine. It’s a good group.”…

### Linebackers: Lots of plaudits for Jelani Jenkins: “Athletic, good instincts, makes plays,” Polian said… Casserly says shifting Koa Misi to middle linebacker “was an enlightened move. [The Dolphins] told me every time they turn on the tape he makes plays.”… Herock: “Philip Wheeler is not the real physical guy you would want and is limited in coverage areas.”… Dominik: “You see a high energy group; they play their tail off. That’s what resonates.”

### Defensive backs: Polian: “That’s a group with a lot of strengths; Brent Grimes is excellent and those safeties make a difference in the run and pass. Louis Delmas and Reshad Jones both have really good instincts and ball skills….Defensively [overall], I compare them with anyone in the league.”…

Dominik: “That’s a good group. You have physicality and toughness of the two corners; you have vertical speed. Delmas and Jones complement each other. Signing Delmas was a good move.” (Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey worked for Dominik when Dominik was GM of Tampa Bay.)

### Sunday’s critical game: “Baltimore can’t defend the pass; the rest of team is pretty good,” Casserly said. “This will come down to the ability of Tannehill to make plays and the line protecting him. That game is a toss-up.”

All four former GMs are still involved in the game: Dominik and Polian work for ESPN; Casserly works for NFL Network and Herock works extensively with prospects before the draft.

CHATTER

### The Heat would be open to trades before the February trade deadline if things don’t improve (Norris Cole likely would be in play), but a person in touch with Pat Riley said Riley is not going to lose patience to the point that he does anything to jeopardize having enormous cap space in 2016. Trades in the league should start happening after Dec. 15, when most players who signed last summer are eligible to be dealt….

### So why did it take the Heat this long to use Danny Granger, who had a hamstring injury much earlier in the season? He said the Heat’s reluctance to use him much (and by much, we mean more than two games) before Luol Deng’s injury was because the team wants his knee to get stronger “to make sure I’m super effective” --- like Greg Oden last year.

Granger, who has been dealing with flu symptoms this week, had seven points and two blocks in 22 minutes against Milwaukee but also had five fouls, no rebounds and missed four of five free throws. There is clearly rust that he needs to work through, and it's too soon to tell how much he can provide. But the Heat must determine that, because even with Deng returns, Granger's bench scoring is needed.

### The Heat's lack of height keeps being exposed: Besides its league-worst rebounding numbers, no team averages fewer blocked shots.

### UM junior safety Deon Bush has asked the NFL Draft advisory board to give him an assessment of where he would go in the draft, according to his father. Some UM people are worried he might go pro, but his father said there’s a 90 percent chance he will return to UM and will advise him to do that so he can get his degree.

At least two other juniors --- Duke Johnson and Ereck Flowers --- have considered turning pro. NFL people expect Johnson will enter the draft, and nobody at UM will be surprised if Flowers does, too. But neither has announced his intentions.

### Former UM great Alonzo Highsmith, now a Green Bay Packers executive, said he’s launching the “first-ever grass roots football fundraising” campaign to raise $25 million for UM sports but will set up a trust with a lawyer before starting to accept donations.

He hasn’t consulted with UM officials but wants the money to go toward building an indoor facility (for football practice and other sports), and constructing a new Hecht Center to complement the new Schwartz Center and a new Hall of Fame.

Though UM has significantly upgraded its facilities in recent years, Highsmith said they’re still not at the level of Alabama, Oregon and some others. He said this campaign “has nothing to do with Al Golden” and the money won’t be offered to buy out the coach.

“I’m not calling for anyone’s firing,” he told me. But he said UM fans “should be angry. We should never lose to Pittsburgh, Virginia. The standard and expectations have to be higher. Our program cannot survive not being a top 10 program year after year. The only way we’re going to get crowds is by winning."

Later in the week, he told The Ticket's Brian London: "Al Golden has to get better but everything else has to get better [also].”

### Several UM players argued in the locker-room after last Saturday’s loss to Pittsburgh, according to a witness. Some younger players believed the older players should have given more effort and some older players are resentful about the amount of playing time given to some young players.

### Meanwhile, criticism from former Canes players continues to ratchet up.

“I wonder if [basketball coach Jim Larranaga] could coach the football team, too,” Tennessee Titans linebacker Colin McCarthy tweeted.

Former All-American center Brett Romberg said "a lot" of former players “are up in arms" about the administration "standing behind Golden” but there no plans for former players to go to the administration in unison.

“We’re stuck in a horrible situation,” Romberg said. “Their type of coaching isn’t what makes Southeastern U.S. athletes successful. That style is better with less athletic kids.”

### Derek Jeter, who toured Marlins Park this week (as first reported by WINZ's Andy Slater), would like to own a team someday and the New York Post reported he might end up putting a group together to buy the Marlins. But Jeter has had no discussions with Jeffrey Loria about purchasing a piece or all of the team.

### Though National League Comeback Player of the Year Casey McGehee, arbitration eligible for the final time, said he would be interested in a multiyear contract, the Marlins haven’t offered one, though they do want him back next season. He was great before the All-Star break (.319, 53 RBI), but those numbers dipped to .243 and 23 afterward.

### Twitter: @flasportsbuzz