By most accounts, swapping Day 3 picks to acquire William Hayes from the Los Angeles Rams was a steal: the Dolphins moved down 17 spots from their original 6th round selection #206 to #223 in the 7th round. Yet, we selected Charles Harris in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft on top of having Cameron Wake and Andre Branch. What do we have in Williams Hayes? He projects as a #3 or #4 DE in the rotation. (Per Armando Salguero, William Hayes is not expected to be a starter.)
Let’s get to it.
William Hayes, 6’3”, 275
Mr. Hayes recently turned 32, a 2008 4th round selection by the Tennessee Titans. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2012, and has been with that organization until getting traded for “a stapler and a coffee machine” to the Miami Dolphins.
Game tape - #95
I should’ve warned you to put on some Depends adult diapers (or Oops, I Crapped My Pants if you remember the SNL skit [when it used to be good]) before watching this play. I have no shame in admitting I sharted in my first view of this while digging into his tape. That’s a vicious tackle.
Seattle tries some kind of off-tackle/stretch run, Hayes gets inside, and blows the absolute turds out of this play. You just don’t see too many 7 yard TFL’s on standard rushes.
In the red zone...patience, then violent arms. That’s a savvy move.
Chasing down Russell Wilson...if his run stopping abilities have created the illusion the guy can’t move well in passing situations, have faith.
Tremendous bull rush. He’s had 26.5 sacks in the 5 years since joining the Los Angeles Rams. Pass rush skill is on tape. For what it’s worth, PFF had him as the overall #17 edge defender in the league, which includes 4-3 DE and 3-4 OLB’s.
Why He Might Succeed
Hayes is a 9-year NFL veteran, so the guy is going to produce when given opportunities. The Miami Dolphins shaved his 2-year contract to a 1-year contract, and although I can’t confirm it at this point, I believe it was a mutual decision as per the terms of the trade. He’s “betting on himself”, and from a motivational standpoint, it doesn’t get much deeper than that.
Why He Might Not
Devastating injury or suspension are the only roads to failure, in my opinion. No question, the Dolphins have a crowded DE rotation, and that’s a good thing (and a dearth of snaps doesn’t even make the Hayes acquisition a “lack of success”). But Hayes might be the 4th wheel of the group, considering A) Cameron Wake is the favorite son of Miami football, B) the Dolphins spent a fair amount of dollars on Andre Branch, and C) the Dolphins just drafted Charles Harris in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
However, it’s likely that William Hayes has a quasi-prominent role on earlier downs with his penchant for run defense.
Odds of Making Roster
99%. In my opinion, the Dolphins brought him in with specific purpose. This wasn’t a released veteran, this was a trade. You’d hope you’d trade for someone because you have a vision for them (that’s worth the price). In this particular trade, the price is insignificant, but the potential value is incredible. A+ to the Miami Dolphins organization for this move.