K happenings in Miami (1 Viewer)

[Mike Herman]

Some speculation and gossip regarding the Dolphins kicking job:

Besides Shelton, the Dolphins also brought in kicker Mike Vanderjagt, fullback Fred Beasley and offensive lineman Tom Ashworth for visits. Bringing in Vanderjagt is curious. The former Pro Bowl kicker is the most accurate in NFL history at 87.5 percent, but his visit comes after Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare posted his best season since 2001. Mare has been with the Dolphins for nine years, holds all the team records for kicking and is the fifth-most accurate kicker in league history at 82 percent. Mare is also exceptionally good at kickoffs, ranking near the top in touchbacks annually.

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While the Dolphins still search for a quarterback, they may have to add a kicker to their wish list. According to a source, Pro Bowl kicker Olindo Mare has asked to be released or traded after recently being told to take a substantial pay cut. "They told him he was overpaid and not worth the money, and to take a pay cut or they'll trade him,'' the source said. "He said, `Are you kidding me? Release me now to give me a chance to find out my market value.' He was shocked.''

Mare's agent Drew Rosenhaus denied a trade ultimatum was given. "Olindo has a contract with the Dolphins. He would love to stay with Miami. If it doesn't work out, he'll be a coveted guy as a free agent,'' Rosenhaus said. "But he would love to stay. If the Dolphins decide to go in another direction, he will be thankful for the 10 years he's had here. But that's their decision and Olindo will be fine. We understand the speculation. That's part of the business. We're taking things one day at a time."

According to Mike Vanderjagt Sr., the father of Colts free-agent kicker Mike Vanderjagt, his son dropped by Dolphins headquarters Monday morning to meet with special teams coach Keith Armstrong and General Manager Randy Mueller. Vanderjagt has a second home in Marco Island and owns a sports bar with his former teammate Edgerrin James, called Vandy's With An Edge. "It was nothing official, just a how do you do, a few people shaking hands,'' said Vanderjagt Sr., from the bar. "It was just a walk-through to see if the Dolphins might be interested. Seven teams have called for Mike, but being in Marco it would be good. It all depends if Mare is traded. It would be good for business.''

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[Mike Herman]

More along the same lines:

The Dolphins appear ready to release kicker Olindo Mare after he was unwilling to take a pay cut. Mare is set to have a base salary of $1.4 million this season.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus declined to discuss any specifics about talks with the Dolphins over Mare, but said he wasn't worried about what might happen if Mare were to be cut. ''Don't cry for Olindo if he gets let go,'' Rosenhaus said. ``There will be plenty of takers for him if he's out on the street.''

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[Mike Herman]

The requisite day-after denial:

A Dolphins source denied a published report that the team asked kicker Olindo Mare to take a pay cut and that he declined and asked to be released.

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[Mike Herman]

Vandyspeak:

Mike Vanderjagt has yet to land the "big one'' on the NFL's free agent market. Thus far the consolation prize for the veteran place-kicker, a free agent after the Indianapolis Colts opted not to re-sign him, has been a successful fishing expedition on the Gulf of Mexico. "Just caught a 10-foot shark,'' he said Tuesday.

As far as his occupation, Vanderjagt remains unemployed after eight rocky years with the Colts. He met with Miami on Monday, and his agent has contacted several teams, including Green Bay, to gauge their interest in a kicker who has converted 87.5 percent of his career field goals. "I'm very much up in the air as to what my future is,'' Vanderjagt said.

linkMore info on Vandy's with an Edge

Q. We heard you, Edgerrin James and Reggie Wayne opened a bar in Florida.

A. "Yeah, it's Vandy's with an Edge Sports Bar & Grill, next to the Marco Island post office on Elkcam Circle. My dad and half brother run it when I'm away. Edgerrin and I are both down there in the offseason and thought it would be a good investment. As of today (Jan. 13), now Reggie Wayne is a part of it. I did it for a lot of reasons; to diversify my portfolio, investment reasons and I already have a house on the island."

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Vandy's with an Edge

1089 N. Collier Blvd, Marco Island, FL, 34145

Phone: 239-394-8767

* Cuisine: American, Pizza, Pub Fare

* Atmosphere: Casual, Bar and Grill

* Price range: $10 - $15

* Outdoor seating? Yes

* Smoking? Outside only

* Serves alcohol? Full bar

* Party room? Yes

* Reservations accepted? No

* Call-aheads accepted? No

* Kids menu? Yes

* Occasional live music? Yes

* Number of vegetarian dishes: 5

* Payment options: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express

* Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

* Business hours: 11 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week

* Kitchen hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week

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Vandy's is decorated with framed and signed jerseys, many belonging to Colts football players. Each booth has its own TV, with two eight-foot big screens in the room. In the center of the building is a huge indoor chickee bar, complete with a thatched palm roof. There are tables both inside and outside. A huge aquarium at the entrance of the building is home to an eel, two rays and a couple of sharks.

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[Mike Herman]

Marespeak:

Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare expressed some frustration Wednesday with the team's latest request to restructure his contract. "I've taken two or three in the past couple years. Every year, I've gotten basically a pay cut," said Mare, who is scheduled to make $1.4 million this season. "How far down we'll go, I don't know. I don't even know if we will (go down any further). It just depends."

After signing Ola Kimrin on March 1, the Dolphins brought former Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt in for a visit. He has not been offered a contract.

"Hopefully, we can come to a happy agreement," said Mare, a South Florida native who has been with the Dolphins for nine years. "We have a team meeting Monday. I have a contract. I'm going to go out there and play. Whatever happens after that is not in my hands. They're trying to work something out, and I want to stay here."

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[BlueOnion]

Just my opinion but Vanderjagt is a worthless kicker. He is money in non-cluth situations but that kick against the Steelers in the playoffs was God awful.

It would be one thing if he just missed the kick, but the pressure of the moment weighted on him so much he made the worse kick in his life. For whatever reason, this is a huge red flag for me.

 

[Gatorman]

Just my opinion but Vanderjagt is a worhtless kicker. He is money in non-cluth situations but that kick against the Steelers in the playoffs was God awful.

It would be one thing if he just missed the kick, but the pressure of the moment weighted on him so much he made the worse kick in his life. For whatever reason, this is a huge red flag for me.

Don't forgrt his terriblr KO stats as well.Go after Viniteri if you want an upgrade from MAre. If not, he is better than anything else out there.

 

[glock]

Vandyspeak:

Mike Vanderjagt has yet to land the "big one'' on the NFL's free agent market. Thus far the consolation prize for the veteran place-kicker, a free agent after the Indianapolis Colts opted not to re-sign him, has been a successful fishing expedition on the Gulf of Mexico. "Just caught a 10-foot shark,'' he said Tuesday.

As far as his occupation, Vanderjagt remains unemployed after eight rocky years with the Colts. He met with Miami on Monday, and his agent has contacted several teams, including Green Bay, to gauge their interest in a kicker who has converted 87.5 percent of his career field goals. "I'm very much up in the air as to what my future is,'' Vanderjagt said.

linkMore info on Vandy's with an Edge

Q. We heard you, Edgerrin James and Reggie Wayne opened a bar in Florida.

A. "Yeah, it's Vandy's with an Edge Sports Bar & Grill, next to the Marco Island post office on Elkcam Circle. My dad and half brother run it when I'm away. Edgerrin and I are both down there in the offseason and thought it would be a good investment. As of today (Jan. 13), now Reggie Wayne is a part of it. I did it for a lot of reasons; to diversify my portfolio, investment reasons and I already have a house on the island."

link

Vandy's with an Edge

1089 N. Collier Blvd, Marco Island, FL, 34145

Phone: 239-394-8767

  * Cuisine: American, Pizza, Pub Fare

  * Atmosphere: Casual, Bar and Grill

  * Price range: $10 - $15

  * Outdoor seating? Yes

  * Smoking? Outside only

  * Serves alcohol? Full bar

  * Party room? Yes

  * Reservations accepted? No

  * Call-aheads accepted? No

  * Kids menu? Yes

  * Occasional live music? Yes

  * Number of vegetarian dishes: 5

  * Payment options: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express

  * Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

  * Business hours: 11 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week

  * Kitchen hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week

link

Vandy's is decorated with framed and signed jerseys, many belonging to Colts football players. Each booth has its own TV, with two eight-foot big screens in the room. In the center of the building is a huge indoor chickee bar, complete with a thatched palm roof. There are tables both inside and outside. A huge aquarium at the entrance of the building is home to an eel, two rays and a couple of sharks.

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WTF is a chickee bar?

 

[Bri]

what a thorough set of posts Mike

 

[Mike Herman]

WTF is a chickee bar?

What is a chickee?a) A little chicken

b) The Seminoles' house

c) A sandwich

Answer: (b) The early Seminoles built a tightly-thatched palmetto roof over a wooden platform built of smooth cut cypress or hardwood hand-hewn planks leveled and fastened together. The floor was raised to keep out critters. Personal belongings and clothing were stored on the rafters above. Some chickees were large enough for three separate areas (two sleeping rooms and a room to eat); some were just the thatched roof supported by four upright cypress logs over the cook fire.

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[Mike Herman]

Friday morning update:

No progress has been made on the Dolphins' proposed renegotiation of kicker Olindo Mare's contract.

linkAnd for those who missed it the first time around, Mike Vanderjagt's appearance on David Letterman will be rerun this evening. Check your local listings for the time, which may be later than usual due to basketball.

 

[Mike Herman]

Monday morning update:

The Dolphins are receiving lots of interest from agents of kickers who are waiting to see whether the team and Olindo Mare can resolve their contractual differences. Last week Colts free-agent kicker Mike Vanderjagt, the NFL's most accurate kicker, stopped in to team headquarters for a meeting. Ken Harris, agent for free-agent Vikings kicker Paul Edinger, also called the Dolphins to gauge their interest. Edinger, 28, not only played for Nick Saban at Michigan State, but Dolphins special teams coach Keith Armstrong was the driving force that led to the Bears to draft Edinger in the sixth round of the 2000 draft when Armstrong held the same position in Chicago. Edinger had three game-winning kicks for the Vikings last season.

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[Native]

This thread averages like one post per day

 

[Mike Herman]

Coach Nick Saban said the Dolphins have not asked kicker Olindo Mare to take a pay cut but are trying to ''restructure'' his contract so he can finish his career in Miami.

''We have some players that have made a tremendous contribution to the tradition of the Miami Dolphins organization, and in years past, in a different system, those guys could play and end their career with that team,'' Saban said. "I guess what we're trying to do is develop some kind of strategy that would allow some of the players on our team right now to have an exit strategy in terms of their contract so they could guarantee themselves an opportunity to be Miami Dolphins the rest of their pro career, and in doing that not make them sacrifice a tremendous amount relative to what's fair and what they earn. So if Olindo is saying in the paper [that he has been asked to take a pay cut], he shouldn't be. He swears to me he's not, but I know it keeps ending up in the paper.''

Mare is set to have a base salary of $1.4 million this year.

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