Last Thursday I told you about Jeremy Shockey potentially joining the Miami Dolphins, and I was almost certain that Miami would be signing him within 24 hours of the post.
Well, that obviously didn't happen, and I don't know if they will be signing him at all anymore.
Miami has been silent about Shockey after it was reported that he passed a physical given by them. I assumed that they were just being silent while they figured out the details of a contract with Shockey, but I was wrong.
What really makes me think that the Dolphins won't be signing him are multiple reports saying that he will be visiting the Carolina Panthers for a physical. On the surface this just looks like a player exploring all of his options, but in reality I believe it is him looking for another team after he and the Dolphins failed to come to an agreement.
This is disappointing news for me because I would have liked for him to come and be a compliment to Anthony Fasano. Fasano is a more "conservative" tight end, while Shockey is much more "aggressive" and attacks downfield.
That is all I have time for today. I apologize for a shorter post, but I am in a hurry.
Thanks for reading, and let me know your reactions.
Jeremy Shockey Seems Less And Less Likely To Join The Miami Dolphins As Each Day Passes
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Monday, February 28, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Jeremy Shockey Seems Less And Less Likely To Join The Miami Dolphins As Each Day Passes
2011-02-28T15:07:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Anthony Fasano|Jeremy Shockey|Miami Dolphins|NFL|Paul Smythe|
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Miami Dolphins QB Chad Pennington Stands Behind Brian Daboll
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Sunday, February 27, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
There was a lot of doubt about whether Brian Daboll would be able to turn the Miami Dolphins offense around when he was hired as the Offensive Coordinator, and justly so.
Daboll had just been fired from a Cleveland offense that was ranked even worse than Miami's last year, and hiring him didn't really inspire much confidence in a turnaround. Daboll did just get a little boost in confidence from Dolphins veteran QB Chad Pennington. Pennington said this about Daboll courtesy of Mike Berardino of the Sun Sentinel:
Yes, Pennington has been playing for a while and should be able to tell pretty well if a new coach is good or not, but I'm not sure if he isn't doing anything more than just trying to build up Daboll's image in the eyes of us fans.
Pennington is very smart, and because of that I believe that he is just saying good things about Daboll to try and inspire some confidence by the fans. I'm not saying he is this deceiving athlete who is trying to manipulate the fans. I am just saying he is trying to paint as rosy a picture as possible of Brian Daboll in order to inspire confidence and take some of the weight off his shoulders.
There is also the possibility that Pennington really does have a lot of faith in Daboll's abilities. Pennington played under Daboll for a year with the Jets, so he has been around him before. I hope that he really does trust Daboll's abilities, but I don't think he does.
What do you guys think? Let me know below.
Thanks for reading.
Daboll had just been fired from a Cleveland offense that was ranked even worse than Miami's last year, and hiring him didn't really inspire much confidence in a turnaround. Daboll did just get a little boost in confidence from Dolphins veteran QB Chad Pennington. Pennington said this about Daboll courtesy of Mike Berardino of the Sun Sentinel:
"I think you have to understand he was also an integral part of a very successful offense in New England. He was really involved in the passing game, coordinating the passing game. He coached some really great pros with the receivers as far as Troy Brown and Deion Branch and those guys. When he came to New York, I really saw the wealth of knowledge that he had and how he could help build a game plan and really take advantage and attack the weaknesses of the defense. I don’t think you can look at the work that's happened in Cleveland. I think you have to look at the whole perspective and see that he is a young coach and he has a lot to offer and he will do a good job."Now, while I strongly respect Chad's opinion, I'm not really sure that what he said makes me feel any better about Daboll.
Yes, Pennington has been playing for a while and should be able to tell pretty well if a new coach is good or not, but I'm not sure if he isn't doing anything more than just trying to build up Daboll's image in the eyes of us fans.
Pennington is very smart, and because of that I believe that he is just saying good things about Daboll to try and inspire some confidence by the fans. I'm not saying he is this deceiving athlete who is trying to manipulate the fans. I am just saying he is trying to paint as rosy a picture as possible of Brian Daboll in order to inspire confidence and take some of the weight off his shoulders.
There is also the possibility that Pennington really does have a lot of faith in Daboll's abilities. Pennington played under Daboll for a year with the Jets, so he has been around him before. I hope that he really does trust Daboll's abilities, but I don't think he does.
What do you guys think? Let me know below.
Thanks for reading.
Miami Dolphins QB Chad Pennington Stands Behind Brian Daboll
2011-02-27T12:27:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Miami Dolphins Should Consider Drafting JacQuizz Rodgers
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Saturday, February 26, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
There is a lot of talk about the Miami Dolphins drafting RB Mark Ingram in the first round of the NFL Draft.
While Ingram would be a great addition, I do not think that the Dolphins should use their first pick for a running back. That pick needs to be used on a potential franchise quarterback. Instead, I propose an alternative that will hopefully still fix Miami's running back situation while allowing them to draft a quarterback in the first.
That alternative is JacQuizz Rodgers, running back for the Oregon State Beavers. Rodgers is very small, standing at just 5-7 and weighing 191 pounds. His size may not be perfect for the NFL, but his quickness and agility make him an incredible prospect. I have embedded a video so you guys can see some of what he is capable of:
I expect Rodgers to be taken some time in the 4th round, and the main reason he won't be chosen any earlier is his size. Running backs as small as him normally aren't any more than just third down backs, and he will have to bulk up if he ever wants to be an every-down back (which I think he could do).
Him bulking up could take a couple of years, so I think it would be smart for Miami to look to free agency. They could find a back like Cedric Benson or DeAngelo Williams to take the bulk of the carries while we wait for Rodgers to develop.
I want to know what you guys think. Should the Dolphins take Rodgers and sign a free agent or take Ingram in the first round?
Let me know what you think. I look forward to your comments.
While Ingram would be a great addition, I do not think that the Dolphins should use their first pick for a running back. That pick needs to be used on a potential franchise quarterback. Instead, I propose an alternative that will hopefully still fix Miami's running back situation while allowing them to draft a quarterback in the first.
That alternative is JacQuizz Rodgers, running back for the Oregon State Beavers. Rodgers is very small, standing at just 5-7 and weighing 191 pounds. His size may not be perfect for the NFL, but his quickness and agility make him an incredible prospect. I have embedded a video so you guys can see some of what he is capable of:
I expect Rodgers to be taken some time in the 4th round, and the main reason he won't be chosen any earlier is his size. Running backs as small as him normally aren't any more than just third down backs, and he will have to bulk up if he ever wants to be an every-down back (which I think he could do).
Him bulking up could take a couple of years, so I think it would be smart for Miami to look to free agency. They could find a back like Cedric Benson or DeAngelo Williams to take the bulk of the carries while we wait for Rodgers to develop.
I want to know what you guys think. Should the Dolphins take Rodgers and sign a free agent or take Ingram in the first round?
Let me know what you think. I look forward to your comments.
Miami Dolphins Should Consider Drafting JacQuizz Rodgers
2011-02-26T19:13:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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You Tell Me: Anthony Fasano Or Jeremy Shockey For The Miami Dolphins
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Friday, February 25, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Ok, since all signs are pointing to Jeremy Shockey signing with the Miami Dolphins, let us just assume for this "You Tell Me" that he has already signed with the Dolphins.
So now, Miami will have to decide between Shockey and current TE Anthony Fasano as their starter. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, but I want to know who you guys would rather have as the official starter on the depth chart.
If I were to explain both players in a nutshell, I would say that Fasano is a short to mid-range receiver and a very good blocker and Shockey is more of a big-time receiver who can make great catches, but is only an average-at-best blocker.
I know that both players will be on the field a lot, but I want to know who you guys would rather be the "premiere" tight end of the team. Do you want the explosive Shockey who doesn't always block well, or do you want the "safe" Fasano that is very good at blocking.
Let me know who you would like with your comments and thanks for reading.
Also, you guys may have noticed the new tab up top, but if you didn't I made a new page on the blog called "Chad Henne Debate." I know you guys were getting tired of the constant Chad Henne talks, so I have moved it to a different page where you can go if you want to talk about Henne, but you don't have to go if you don't want to talk about him. So, if you are so inclined, please check the page out and help start up the debates.
So now, Miami will have to decide between Shockey and current TE Anthony Fasano as their starter. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, but I want to know who you guys would rather have as the official starter on the depth chart.
If I were to explain both players in a nutshell, I would say that Fasano is a short to mid-range receiver and a very good blocker and Shockey is more of a big-time receiver who can make great catches, but is only an average-at-best blocker.
I know that both players will be on the field a lot, but I want to know who you guys would rather be the "premiere" tight end of the team. Do you want the explosive Shockey who doesn't always block well, or do you want the "safe" Fasano that is very good at blocking.
Let me know who you would like with your comments and thanks for reading.
Also, you guys may have noticed the new tab up top, but if you didn't I made a new page on the blog called "Chad Henne Debate." I know you guys were getting tired of the constant Chad Henne talks, so I have moved it to a different page where you can go if you want to talk about Henne, but you don't have to go if you don't want to talk about him. So, if you are so inclined, please check the page out and help start up the debates.
You Tell Me: Anthony Fasano Or Jeremy Shockey For The Miami Dolphins
2011-02-25T13:19:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Report: Miami Dolphins Place Franchise Tag On NT Paul Soliai
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
The Miami Dolphins have placed a franchise tag on Nose Tackle Paul Soliai, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com. The tag will be worth around $12.5 million, and it will keep Soliai in Miami for a minimum of one more year.
This news comes after Soliai was expected to enter free agency because the Dolphins wouldn't have been able to pay him the contract he was expecting due to the 30% rule.
This is very good news because the Dolphins were likely going to have to enter into a bidding war with multiple other teams for Soliai if he did hit free agency. Nose tackles with his size and talent are at a premium in the NFL, and it is important that Miami locked him up for another year.
Thanks for reading, and let me know your thoughts on tagging Soliai.
Report: Miami Dolphins Place Franchise Tag On NT Paul Soliai
2011-02-24T17:38:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Jeremy Shockey Linked To The Miami Dolphins
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Jeremy Shockey has passed a physical with the Miami Dolphins, just two days after he was released by the New Orleans Saints.
Another report linking Shockey to the Dolphins came when Shockey's agent Drew Rosenhaus went on the Joe Rose Show (radio) Thursday morning and said this about Shockey's desire to play for the Dolphins:
Shockey won't have to wait for a new CBA to be reached to sign with a new team, either, because he was cut by the Saints before his contract expired.
All signs are pointing to him joining with the Miami Dolphins in the very near future. The fact that Shockey's agent was basically asking the Dolphins to come sign him makes me think that Shockey has a strong desire to play in Miami.
This is somewhat similar to Plaxico Burress' case because both are reported to have a desire to play near their homes in Miami. I believe it is much more likely that the Dolphins will sign Shockey over Burress, but they are both still in a similar situation.
Stay tuned for anything new, because I expect to hear something very soon.
Another report linking Shockey to the Dolphins came when Shockey's agent Drew Rosenhaus went on the Joe Rose Show (radio) Thursday morning and said this about Shockey's desire to play for the Dolphins:
"I can't speak for the Dolphins but I will tell you Jeremy does have an interest in Miami. Jeremy lives in Miami, has always been a big fan of South Florida, obviously, going back to his great days at the University of Miami. ...From our standpoint we are very interested in the Dolphins but I cannot comment on whether that feeling is mutual at this time."I wouldn't be surprised if we hear something soon about Shockey signing with the Dolphins. I would actually be a little surprised if we didnt' hear something soon. Both reports make it sound like Shockey is only considering Miami as long as they are willing to take him in.
Shockey won't have to wait for a new CBA to be reached to sign with a new team, either, because he was cut by the Saints before his contract expired.
All signs are pointing to him joining with the Miami Dolphins in the very near future. The fact that Shockey's agent was basically asking the Dolphins to come sign him makes me think that Shockey has a strong desire to play in Miami.
This is somewhat similar to Plaxico Burress' case because both are reported to have a desire to play near their homes in Miami. I believe it is much more likely that the Dolphins will sign Shockey over Burress, but they are both still in a similar situation.
Stay tuned for anything new, because I expect to hear something very soon.
Jeremy Shockey Linked To The Miami Dolphins
2011-02-24T17:15:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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A Final In-Depth Look Against Chad Henne Starting For The Miami Dolphins
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
This is the final post of my series on why the Miami Dolphins need to replace Chad Henne before the beginning of next season.
Yesterday I used some of Henne's basic stats to help me argue against the Dolphins relying on him next season, and the day before I listed out more reasons against him. I will provide links below if you guys haven't had a chance to read either.
Now, for the numbers.
Chad Henne got progressively worse as the season went on. He actually started the season off pretty well in 2010. In September he threw a pretty respectably passer rating of 88.1, and he threw more touchdowns than interceptions with 3 TDs and only 1 INT.
But he only got worse as the season went on. From October to January his passer rating decreased each month. I have listed out his passer rating, interceptions thrown, and touchdowns thrown by month below:
Probably the most revealing statistic for Henne, though, is his fourth quarter passer rating. During just the fourth quarters of each game last season, Henne had a pathetic 55.7 passer rating. He threw a whopping 8 interceptions and only 3 touchdowns, and he played worse in the fourth quarter than he did in any other quarter. You can blame coaching all you want, but there are some things you can't coach, and one of those things is the ability to play well late in games, which Henne obviously isn't capable of doing.
Something interesting I found is that Henne was bad in second quarters as well. His second quarter passer rating was 68.7 and he had 7 interceptions to only 3 touchdowns. Not only is he bad at finishing a game, he is also bad at finishing up the first half. He played well in the first and third quarters, but he was terrible in the second and fourth, and that is a puzzling statistic to me. It's almost like as soon as any real pressure got to him, he just started messing up.
Further reinforcing Henne's lack of an ability to finish are his numbers from the first half of the season compared to the second half. His first half passer rating was 78.2, but in the second half of the season he had a 71.1 rating. His completion percentage dropped by about 5% in the second half, too, and he threw 30 less yards per game. He just can't finish, and his numbers have consistently reflected that.
The above statistics are the ones that have really let me know Henne isn't the answer and never will be. He shows no ability to rally the team and bring them back (or keep them ahead) late in games.
I would like to quote my good friend Riverdog (his real name is Gary), and I believe most of you know him because he is a frequent commenter on this blog who provides extremely valuable insight. This is a quote from one of his comments, and I believe it sums up a lot of what I am trying to say:
One's confidence in a quarterback's ability late in games is a great gauge of whether or not they can be successful in the NFL. The great quarterbacks will put the team on their shoulders and put together game-winning drives, which Chad Henne can't do, nor has he shown any indications that he will ever be able to.
Henne also hasn't shown me any signs that he is a leader or is capable of leading the team. Heck, his backup was one of the team captains. I know that Pennington was an experienced veteran, but you can't just allow your teammates to respect and follow the person who you are supposed to be in front of more than they respect and follow you. It just doesn't work like that.
I cannot stress enough that I understand the playcalling wasn't doing Henne any favors, but he still was never able to take the team on his shoulders and will the Dolphins to a victory. He never showed us any signs of leadership that made us hopeful about what he is capable of.
The worst part of all of this is that Henne didn't seem to care. He showed no emotion, whatsoever. If I were to ask a Miami Dolphins fan to picture Chad Henne's face in their mind, 99% of those fans would have pictured him with that blank stare that he always had. Miami could have had a nice lead against the Oakland Raiders and Henne would still have that same stare, or they could have just lost to the lowly Cleveland Browns the following week and his facial expression wouldn't have changed a bit.
It is frustrating that we are in this situation less than a year after we all thought he was going to be something special, but that is the NFL for you, and hopefully the Dolphins will be able to move on and be successful soon.
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post, and feel free to email me or leave a comment.
Here are the links to the other two posts of this series like I promised:
Post 1: Chad Henne Better Not Be The Miami Dolphins Starter
Post 2: Further Proof That The Miami Dolphins Must Not Rely On Chad Henne Next Year
Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you guys soon.
Yesterday I used some of Henne's basic stats to help me argue against the Dolphins relying on him next season, and the day before I listed out more reasons against him. I will provide links below if you guys haven't had a chance to read either.
Today I am taking a more in-depth look at Henne last season and then I will explain some other reasons why he just isn't reliable enough.
I hope you guys have enjoyed this series. For those of you who haven't, I apologize, but I was getting frustrated hearing people who thought Henne should get another chance. There are plenty of other quarterbacks that are available for Miami to go after that can do what he can't, so there is no excuse for the Dolphins to rely on Chad "robot" Henne any longer.
Now, for the numbers.
Chad Henne got progressively worse as the season went on. He actually started the season off pretty well in 2010. In September he threw a pretty respectably passer rating of 88.1, and he threw more touchdowns than interceptions with 3 TDs and only 1 INT.
But he only got worse as the season went on. From October to January his passer rating decreased each month. I have listed out his passer rating, interceptions thrown, and touchdowns thrown by month below:
- October: 79 rating, 6 interceptions, 5 touchdowns
- November: 78.1 rating, 5 interceptions, 3 touchdowns
- December: 66.9 rating, 6 interceptions, 4 touchdowns
- January (the Patriots game): 25.8 rating, 1 interception, 0 touchdowns
Probably the most revealing statistic for Henne, though, is his fourth quarter passer rating. During just the fourth quarters of each game last season, Henne had a pathetic 55.7 passer rating. He threw a whopping 8 interceptions and only 3 touchdowns, and he played worse in the fourth quarter than he did in any other quarter. You can blame coaching all you want, but there are some things you can't coach, and one of those things is the ability to play well late in games, which Henne obviously isn't capable of doing.
Something interesting I found is that Henne was bad in second quarters as well. His second quarter passer rating was 68.7 and he had 7 interceptions to only 3 touchdowns. Not only is he bad at finishing a game, he is also bad at finishing up the first half. He played well in the first and third quarters, but he was terrible in the second and fourth, and that is a puzzling statistic to me. It's almost like as soon as any real pressure got to him, he just started messing up.
Further reinforcing Henne's lack of an ability to finish are his numbers from the first half of the season compared to the second half. His first half passer rating was 78.2, but in the second half of the season he had a 71.1 rating. His completion percentage dropped by about 5% in the second half, too, and he threw 30 less yards per game. He just can't finish, and his numbers have consistently reflected that.
The above statistics are the ones that have really let me know Henne isn't the answer and never will be. He shows no ability to rally the team and bring them back (or keep them ahead) late in games.
I would like to quote my good friend Riverdog (his real name is Gary), and I believe most of you know him because he is a frequent commenter on this blog who provides extremely valuable insight. This is a quote from one of his comments, and I believe it sums up a lot of what I am trying to say:
"With any football team no matter what happens the players look to their QB to will them to a victory. I never had that (oh my Henne is going to win this game for us) even though we stunk up the field during the game. I don't think any of us had that feeling this year."And he is exactly right. Were any of you guys ever confident that Henne was going to be able to lead the team to a win late in a game this year? I know I wasn't. Most of the time I was worried that he was going to be the one who messed everything up, and not the one who saved the day.
One's confidence in a quarterback's ability late in games is a great gauge of whether or not they can be successful in the NFL. The great quarterbacks will put the team on their shoulders and put together game-winning drives, which Chad Henne can't do, nor has he shown any indications that he will ever be able to.
Henne also hasn't shown me any signs that he is a leader or is capable of leading the team. Heck, his backup was one of the team captains. I know that Pennington was an experienced veteran, but you can't just allow your teammates to respect and follow the person who you are supposed to be in front of more than they respect and follow you. It just doesn't work like that.
I cannot stress enough that I understand the playcalling wasn't doing Henne any favors, but he still was never able to take the team on his shoulders and will the Dolphins to a victory. He never showed us any signs of leadership that made us hopeful about what he is capable of.
The worst part of all of this is that Henne didn't seem to care. He showed no emotion, whatsoever. If I were to ask a Miami Dolphins fan to picture Chad Henne's face in their mind, 99% of those fans would have pictured him with that blank stare that he always had. Miami could have had a nice lead against the Oakland Raiders and Henne would still have that same stare, or they could have just lost to the lowly Cleveland Browns the following week and his facial expression wouldn't have changed a bit.
It is frustrating that we are in this situation less than a year after we all thought he was going to be something special, but that is the NFL for you, and hopefully the Dolphins will be able to move on and be successful soon.
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post, and feel free to email me or leave a comment.
Here are the links to the other two posts of this series like I promised:
Post 1: Chad Henne Better Not Be The Miami Dolphins Starter
Post 2: Further Proof That The Miami Dolphins Must Not Rely On Chad Henne Next Year
Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you guys soon.
A Final In-Depth Look Against Chad Henne Starting For The Miami Dolphins
2011-02-24T14:50:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Further Proof That The Miami Dolphins Must Not Rely On Chad Henne Next Year
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Continuing from yesterday, I would like to provide you, my readers, with a few of Chad Henne's numbers last season with the Miami Dolphins. Today's post is the second in a three article "series" in which I will attempt to convince you, my readers, that Henne is not the answer for the Dolphins and shouldn't get another chance. I want to convince you that Miami would be better off just drafting a rookie or trading for/signing another quarterback already in the NFL.
My hope is that this little series will convince some of you that last year's woes weren't all Dan Henning's fault. Yes, Dan Henning was an atrocious playcaller and I am glad that he is gone, but his quarterback was not much better and should not avoid blame.
If you missed yesterday's post, I listed reasons why the Dolphins need to find somebody else to replace Henne, but I did not show a lot of statistics because I wanted to save them for today and tomorrow. I included reasons that you will not see by looking at statistics, as well, so you may want to check it out. I will add a link to yesterday's post at the bottom of this one.
But, onto today's post. Today I will be using the basic numbers that most people use to compare QBs. I will go more in-depth tomorrow, but I figured that it would be a good idea to compare Henne against other quarterbacks first.
So without further ado, here are the basics.
Chad Henne's passer rating this season was 75.4, which was worse than 25 other quarterbacks in the NFL. His rating only went up by .2 from last year, which is an unacceptably small margin of growth for a quarterback that is supposed to be improving after posting a low passer rating the previous year.
Henne threw 19 interceptions and only 15 touchdowns this year. Both touchdowns and interceptions were higher than last year, but he threw five more interceptions compared to just three more touchdowns. So, not only is he throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, his td/int ratio has gotten worse, as well.
He also averaged only 6.7 yards per completion, which was 24th in the NFL. I will say that this number is definitely not all Henne's fault, but he was still out there making the final decision on whether to throw the ball or not. You cannot just assume that Henne's mistakes are completely and utterly Dan Henning's fault, because Henne is the one deciding who to pass it to in the end, and many times he would decide to go with the shorter option, thus the low yards per completion.
Another stat that is partly Henning's fault and partly Henne's is the number of 20+ and 40+ yard completions. Henne was 21st in completions of 20 yards or more with 37, and he only had more 40+ yard completions than four NFL quarterbacks. Henne was too afraid to throw the ball long, and it showed with those numbers. Stephen Ross talked a big game for Henne during the off season, but he didn't show up and it is time to move on.
Henne will never be anything more than a game manager, and game managers don't win Super Bowls. The Dolphins need to get a young quarterback with a lot of potential, and I can think of a lot of available QBs with the potentail to be very successful in the NFL. Miami just needs to take a chance and get one.
Those are just some of the basic numbers and a little argument at the end. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading what I have written so far (whether you agree or not), and please be sure to check back tomorrow for the final post.
Please let me hear your feedback and/or opinions. You can either leave a comment or shoot me an email at paul@dolphinshout.com.
I look forward to hearing from you, and here is a link to yesterday's post if you didn't get a chance to read it:
Chad Henne Better Not Be The Miami Dolphins Starter
My hope is that this little series will convince some of you that last year's woes weren't all Dan Henning's fault. Yes, Dan Henning was an atrocious playcaller and I am glad that he is gone, but his quarterback was not much better and should not avoid blame.
If you missed yesterday's post, I listed reasons why the Dolphins need to find somebody else to replace Henne, but I did not show a lot of statistics because I wanted to save them for today and tomorrow. I included reasons that you will not see by looking at statistics, as well, so you may want to check it out. I will add a link to yesterday's post at the bottom of this one.
But, onto today's post. Today I will be using the basic numbers that most people use to compare QBs. I will go more in-depth tomorrow, but I figured that it would be a good idea to compare Henne against other quarterbacks first.
So without further ado, here are the basics.
Chad Henne's passer rating this season was 75.4, which was worse than 25 other quarterbacks in the NFL. His rating only went up by .2 from last year, which is an unacceptably small margin of growth for a quarterback that is supposed to be improving after posting a low passer rating the previous year.
Henne threw 19 interceptions and only 15 touchdowns this year. Both touchdowns and interceptions were higher than last year, but he threw five more interceptions compared to just three more touchdowns. So, not only is he throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, his td/int ratio has gotten worse, as well.
He also averaged only 6.7 yards per completion, which was 24th in the NFL. I will say that this number is definitely not all Henne's fault, but he was still out there making the final decision on whether to throw the ball or not. You cannot just assume that Henne's mistakes are completely and utterly Dan Henning's fault, because Henne is the one deciding who to pass it to in the end, and many times he would decide to go with the shorter option, thus the low yards per completion.
Another stat that is partly Henning's fault and partly Henne's is the number of 20+ and 40+ yard completions. Henne was 21st in completions of 20 yards or more with 37, and he only had more 40+ yard completions than four NFL quarterbacks. Henne was too afraid to throw the ball long, and it showed with those numbers. Stephen Ross talked a big game for Henne during the off season, but he didn't show up and it is time to move on.
Henne will never be anything more than a game manager, and game managers don't win Super Bowls. The Dolphins need to get a young quarterback with a lot of potential, and I can think of a lot of available QBs with the potentail to be very successful in the NFL. Miami just needs to take a chance and get one.
Those are just some of the basic numbers and a little argument at the end. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading what I have written so far (whether you agree or not), and please be sure to check back tomorrow for the final post.
Please let me hear your feedback and/or opinions. You can either leave a comment or shoot me an email at paul@dolphinshout.com.
I look forward to hearing from you, and here is a link to yesterday's post if you didn't get a chance to read it:
Chad Henne Better Not Be The Miami Dolphins Starter
Further Proof That The Miami Dolphins Must Not Rely On Chad Henne Next Year
2011-02-23T16:12:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Chad Henne Better Not Be The Miami Dolphins Starter
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post predicted that Chad Henne would be starting for the Miami Dolphins next season, simply because the Dolphins will have no better option.
While I respect Volin's opinion and enjoy reading his work, I really hope he is wrong on this one.
The Dolphins NEED to find Chad Henne's replacement this offseason.
The following are some of the major reasons I have for why Miami needs to get rid of him. I thought I would make a little list for you guys.
If you are reading this Stephen Ross, please, don't allow your staff to keep Henne as the starter. If you are so concerned about winning, then you better find somebody else to lead your team's offense.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment. You can add some extra bullet points if you think I forgot something.
If there isn't any news tomorrow I will go more into why we need to bench Henne for next year, so be sure to check back.
While I respect Volin's opinion and enjoy reading his work, I really hope he is wrong on this one.
The Dolphins NEED to find Chad Henne's replacement this offseason.
The following are some of the major reasons I have for why Miami needs to get rid of him. I thought I would make a little list for you guys.
- He has shown no sign of progression: I went back and watched some of his college highlights, and he looks no different than he did while he was at Michigan.
- His 4th quarter numbers are terrible: He may be the worst fourth quarter QB in the NFL when you compare him to the other starters.
- He throws way too many interceptions: Only three other QBs threw more interceptions than Henne last season. He had 19 interceptions and only 15 touchdowns. The only other three quarterbacks who threw more interceptions than him were Eli Manning, Drew Brees, and Carson Palmer, and they threw 31, 33, and 26 touchdowns, respectively.
- He is too robotic: He shows no emotion on the field. He just runs the plays without improvising, and he often went down his progressions way too early.
- He stares down his receivers: Everyone in the stadium knew exactly who Chad Henne was throwing the ball to as soon as the ball was hiked. Immediately when a play would start, Henne would start staring down one receiver and throw it to that player without even looking at anyone else. The other receivers could have been just lying down on the field, and Henne wouldn't have even gotten mad at them because he wouldn't have seen them.
- He doesn't take risks: Henne was so scared to make a mistake that he would hardly ever throw it long unless the play was specifically designed to go to one receiver streaking down the field. Other than those specific plays, Henne would always check down past his deeper receivers and throw it to someone who was closer.
- He just doesn't have what it takes: At the beginning of this year there were a lot of excited people in Miami, but Henne just hasn't lived up to any of the hype that surrounded him before the season. His lack of improvement and poor performance has been extremely frustrating, and it is time to move on.
If you are reading this Stephen Ross, please, don't allow your staff to keep Henne as the starter. If you are so concerned about winning, then you better find somebody else to lead your team's offense.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment. You can add some extra bullet points if you think I forgot something.
If there isn't any news tomorrow I will go more into why we need to bench Henne for next year, so be sure to check back.
Chad Henne Better Not Be The Miami Dolphins Starter
2011-02-22T09:22:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Plaxico Burress To The Miami Dolphins?
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Monday, February 21, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
According to a NY Daily News Report, WR Plaxico Burress, who was in prison for two and a half years on gun charges, may want to play in Miami with the Miami Dolphins next season.
In the report, it says that someone familiar with Burress thinks that he would want to play in a warm climate that is near to his home in Miami. Well, what better team to play for to be closer to your Miami home than the Dolphins?
While there is a lot more that goes into the decision of whether or not a player signs with the team, I actually think Burress' desire to play near his Miami home is significant. The draw for him to be able to go to his home instead of an apartment at night could be enough to make him seriously consider the Dolphins.
The question is whether or not we need him, though. The Miami Dolphins passing game wasn't exactly the best ever, but that wasn't the fault of our receivers. Miami's receiving corps is actually really good. The Dolphins have Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, and Brian Hartline, so adding another receiver probably isn't necessary.
I'm not saying that I wouldn't like the move, though. Brian Hartline is a really good receiver, but he isn't nearly as good as Plaxico was before he went to jail. The thought of Brandon Marshall and Plaxico Burress lining up on opposite sides with Davone Bess in the slot is an absolutely delightful one, and my greedy side wants Miami to go after him as soon as they are allowed to.
The problem comes in when you start to look at money and the quarterback dilemma. I don't know how much Plaxico will be expecting to be paid, but if he wants a lot, then it probably wouldn't be worth going after him.
The money can be worked out, though. The real problem is the Dolphins quarterback situation. There is no point in having an incredible receiving corps if you don't have a QB capable enough of getting them the ball.
The Dolphins must get a quarterback to compliment their receivers. It is as simple as that. Having the three best receivers in the history of the NFL wouldn't help if you don't have an adequate passer, which is why the Dolphins need to make sure that they get a good QB this offseason.
I say it over and over, and you guys are probably tired of me saying it, but Chad Henne needs to go. He just won't cut it. The Dolphins better draft a QB or trade for one, because Henne isn't what we were hoping he would be at the beginning of the season.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about bringing in Plaxico.
If you are at all interested in Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, I put up a post yesterday with links to ten different scouting tapes, so feel free to check it out here: Ryan Mallett NFL Draft Prospect
Plaxico Burress To The Miami Dolphins?
2011-02-21T14:56:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Miami Dolphins|NFL|Paul Smythe|Plaxico Burress|
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Ryan Mallett Scouting Tape
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Sunday, February 20, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Since there is absolutely nothing to talk about today regarding the Miami Dolphins I figured that I would share some scouting tape with you guys that I found.
Below I have links to ten different Arkansas Razorbacks games from last year, so if you are interested feel free to watch QB prospect Ryan Mallett.
September 4th: Tennessee Tech vs. Arkansas
September 11th: Louisiana-Monroe vs. Arkansas
September 18th: Arkansas vs. Georgia
September 25th: Alabama vs. Arkansas
October 9th: Arkansas vs. Texas AM
October 16th: Arkansas vs. Auburn
October 23rd: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas
November 13th: UTEP vs. Arkansas
November 20th: Arkansas vs. Mississippi State
November 27th: LSU vs. Arkansas
I hope you guys enjoy. I am attempting to watch as much of it as possible, as well
Thanks for reading.
Below I have links to ten different Arkansas Razorbacks games from last year, so if you are interested feel free to watch QB prospect Ryan Mallett.
September 4th: Tennessee Tech vs. Arkansas
September 11th: Louisiana-Monroe vs. Arkansas
September 18th: Arkansas vs. Georgia
September 25th: Alabama vs. Arkansas
October 9th: Arkansas vs. Texas AM
October 16th: Arkansas vs. Auburn
October 23rd: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas
November 13th: UTEP vs. Arkansas
November 20th: Arkansas vs. Mississippi State
November 27th: LSU vs. Arkansas
I hope you guys enjoy. I am attempting to watch as much of it as possible, as well
Thanks for reading.
Ryan Mallett Scouting Tape
2011-02-20T15:38:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
Miami Dolphins|NFL|NFL Draft|Paul Smythe|Ryan Mallett|
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Black And Yellow Remix: Miami Dolphins Edition (Video)
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Saturday, February 19, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
I stumbled across this video on YouTube today, and I figured that I would share it with you guys. It doesn't have a lot of views, but I think it is really good, so you guys should check it out.
I have embedded the video below, but if that doesn't work here is the link as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phsdh9l2hHk
The video does have swearing including the f-bomb multiple teams, so please don't watch if you will be offended.
I know that video probably isn't the style of a lot of my readers, but I still thought it was pretty good and worth posting about.
Let me know what you think about the video. I am interested to hear your thoughts. I know some of you won't care for the video, but I just thought that I could add a bonus post that caters to my younger audience.
I have embedded the video below, but if that doesn't work here is the link as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phsdh9l2hHk
The video does have swearing including the f-bomb multiple teams, so please don't watch if you will be offended.
I know that video probably isn't the style of a lot of my readers, but I still thought it was pretty good and worth posting about.
Let me know what you think about the video. I am interested to hear your thoughts. I know some of you won't care for the video, but I just thought that I could add a bonus post that caters to my younger audience.
Black And Yellow Remix: Miami Dolphins Edition (Video)
2011-02-19T23:10:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Black and Yellow|Miami Dolphins|NFL|Paul Smythe|
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As Tempting As It May Sound, The Miami Dolphins Don't Need O.J. Atogwe
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Saturday, February 19, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
The St. Louis Rams released FS O.J. Atogwe yesterday, who was due to get an $8 million roster bonus if they decided to keep him. The move was purely a business decision, and it means that Atogwe is now available to all 32 teams once a new CBA is reached.
I have heard a few different Dolphins fans say that they would love to have Atogwe on the team, and there was a report that said the Dolphins were making a push at Atogwe. When asked about the Miami Dolphins interest in Atogwe Miami GM Jeff Ireland told Mike Berardino the following:
The Dolphins already have two really talented free safeties with a lot of potential in Chris Clemons and Reshad Jones. Both players had very good seasons, and it doesn't seem worth paying Atogwe the amount of money he would be expecting to play in Miami. Clemons and Jones are both really young, and they have a lot of productive years ahead of them. Atogwe is 29, which isn't old, but he still doesn't have nearly the same number of years left as Clemons and Jones.
I think that the Dolphins should just let this one go. It doesn't seem worth paying Atogwe a lot of money when we have two good safeties already.
Clemons actually had close to the same numbers as Atogwe from last year. Clemons had 61 tackles compared to Atogwe's 73, 1 interception compared to Atogwe's 3, 5 passes defensed compared to Atogwe's 9, and both he and Atogwe had 2 forced fumbles. I know that a lot of what safeties do isn't reflected when you look at their statistics, but I still don't think Atogwe is that much better than Clemons (or Jones for that matter).
The best part is that Miami has two young safeties with a lot of potential. One of them is bound to turn out really well, and having two to compete with each other can only help them improve.
So, Jeff Ireland, Tony Sparano, and whoever else is making the decision about Atogwe for the Miami Dolphins needs to pass him up and worry about different things. Atogwe is good, but unless they can get him for a really cheap salary, he isn't worth it.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you guys think.
I have heard a few different Dolphins fans say that they would love to have Atogwe on the team, and there was a report that said the Dolphins were making a push at Atogwe. When asked about the Miami Dolphins interest in Atogwe Miami GM Jeff Ireland told Mike Berardino the following:
"I'm very happy with the safeties we've got on our team right now, very happy."Ireland did not specifically say that the Dolphins were not pursuing Atogwe, which makes me think that they are considering him, but I don't expect Miami to offer him any significant amount of money.
The Dolphins already have two really talented free safeties with a lot of potential in Chris Clemons and Reshad Jones. Both players had very good seasons, and it doesn't seem worth paying Atogwe the amount of money he would be expecting to play in Miami. Clemons and Jones are both really young, and they have a lot of productive years ahead of them. Atogwe is 29, which isn't old, but he still doesn't have nearly the same number of years left as Clemons and Jones.
I think that the Dolphins should just let this one go. It doesn't seem worth paying Atogwe a lot of money when we have two good safeties already.
Clemons actually had close to the same numbers as Atogwe from last year. Clemons had 61 tackles compared to Atogwe's 73, 1 interception compared to Atogwe's 3, 5 passes defensed compared to Atogwe's 9, and both he and Atogwe had 2 forced fumbles. I know that a lot of what safeties do isn't reflected when you look at their statistics, but I still don't think Atogwe is that much better than Clemons (or Jones for that matter).
The best part is that Miami has two young safeties with a lot of potential. One of them is bound to turn out really well, and having two to compete with each other can only help them improve.
So, Jeff Ireland, Tony Sparano, and whoever else is making the decision about Atogwe for the Miami Dolphins needs to pass him up and worry about different things. Atogwe is good, but unless they can get him for a really cheap salary, he isn't worth it.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you guys think.
As Tempting As It May Sound, The Miami Dolphins Don't Need O.J. Atogwe
2011-02-19T13:58:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Chris Clemons|Miami Dolphins|NFL|O.J. Atogwe|Paul Smythe|Reshad Jones|
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You Tell Me: Would It Be Worth It For The Miami Dolphins To Pursue Ricky Stanzi
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Friday, February 18, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
This week's "You Tell Me" involves University Of Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi.
Stanzi is a possible 2nd or 3rd round draft pick, and I want to know if you guys think that the Miami Dolphins should try and draft him.
By drafting Stanzi, the Dolphins will probably not draft any other quarterbacks, so take that in mind when you answer.
Stanzi had pretty good numbers last year (3004 yards and 25 touchdowns), and here is a little highlight film for you guys to see what he can do:
I will reveal what I think about Stanzi in the comments after you guys have finished up your answering, so be sure to check back soon.
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Stanzi is a possible 2nd or 3rd round draft pick, and I want to know if you guys think that the Miami Dolphins should try and draft him.
By drafting Stanzi, the Dolphins will probably not draft any other quarterbacks, so take that in mind when you answer.
Stanzi had pretty good numbers last year (3004 yards and 25 touchdowns), and here is a little highlight film for you guys to see what he can do:
I will reveal what I think about Stanzi in the comments after you guys have finished up your answering, so be sure to check back soon.
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
You Tell Me: Would It Be Worth It For The Miami Dolphins To Pursue Ricky Stanzi
2011-02-18T17:50:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Is Brandon Marshall Worth Two Second Round Picks To The Miami Dolphins?
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Thursday, February 17, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
I figured I would continue the talk of Brandon Marshall from yesterday, so get ready for more of the Miami Dolphins star wideout. My question today is: Do you guys think that the Dolphins made a good move by trading for Marshall?
The Dolphins traded for Marshall during the offseason last year and then signed a huge contract with Miami. He came with huge expectations as well, but he ended up playing poorly compared to what he had been able to do with the Broncos. Most people, including Marshall himself, can agree that he had a disappointing season, and he has already begun working hard to be prepared for next year.
So, that brings up the question: Was it worth Miami trading two of their second round picks for him?
I think it was. Despite not having the greatest season, Marshall was still able to put up 86 receptions and 1014 receiving yards. Those numbers are among the best in the league. His real problem was only scoring three touchdowns. The lack of scoring wasn't really his fault, but we still have to take that into consideration when we look at the question.
Losing the two second rounders is hurting the Dolphins a bit. Last year wasn't so bad because Miami traded down and got a second round pick, but this year it could hurt a little more because the Miami Dolphins need a quarterback, and trading down wouldn't allow them to get the best available QBs. They could end up with a passer with a lot of potential in the second round, but they would have a better chance at being successful if they drafted one in the first. The dilemma is that the Dolphins then wouldn't have another pick until the third round, which would hinder their ability to rebuild the offensive group.
I can't help but still like the trade, though. Brandon Marshall is an absolute beast. The man didn't even have a consistent quarterback throwing the ball to him and he was still able to catch the ball 86 times. Add the fact that he has already started his workouts for next season, and it is hard to argue against trading for him.
Let me know what you guys think. I am interested to hear what you have to say.
Thanks for reading.
The Dolphins traded for Marshall during the offseason last year and then signed a huge contract with Miami. He came with huge expectations as well, but he ended up playing poorly compared to what he had been able to do with the Broncos. Most people, including Marshall himself, can agree that he had a disappointing season, and he has already begun working hard to be prepared for next year.
So, that brings up the question: Was it worth Miami trading two of their second round picks for him?
I think it was. Despite not having the greatest season, Marshall was still able to put up 86 receptions and 1014 receiving yards. Those numbers are among the best in the league. His real problem was only scoring three touchdowns. The lack of scoring wasn't really his fault, but we still have to take that into consideration when we look at the question.
Losing the two second rounders is hurting the Dolphins a bit. Last year wasn't so bad because Miami traded down and got a second round pick, but this year it could hurt a little more because the Miami Dolphins need a quarterback, and trading down wouldn't allow them to get the best available QBs. They could end up with a passer with a lot of potential in the second round, but they would have a better chance at being successful if they drafted one in the first. The dilemma is that the Dolphins then wouldn't have another pick until the third round, which would hinder their ability to rebuild the offensive group.
I can't help but still like the trade, though. Brandon Marshall is an absolute beast. The man didn't even have a consistent quarterback throwing the ball to him and he was still able to catch the ball 86 times. Add the fact that he has already started his workouts for next season, and it is hard to argue against trading for him.
Let me know what you guys think. I am interested to hear what you have to say.
Thanks for reading.
Is Brandon Marshall Worth Two Second Round Picks To The Miami Dolphins?
2011-02-17T14:38:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Brandon Marshall Is Showing His Commitment To The Miami Dolphins
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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Miami Dolphins star WR Brandon Marshall may do some questionable things every once in a while, but this isn't one of them.
Marshall told the Denver Post that he will only be taking two weeks off this offseason before he starts preparing for next year because he was upset at how badly the Miami Dolphins did last season.
He also said that he isn't considering trying out for an NBA team anymore if there is a lockout. He probably wouldn't have even come close to making a team anyways, but it is good to hear that he is putting that distraction aside.
I am very pleased to hear that Marshall is going to be preparing early after last season's disappointment. With the exception of his rookie year where he only started one game, last year was the worst year of his career. He put up less receptions (86), yards (1,014), and touchdowns (3) than any other year except his rookie year.
Admittedly, that wasn't all Marshall's fault. Chad Henne wasn't exactly the best man to throw it to him, but Marshall did drop a good number of very catch-able passes.
To some of you, two weeks off sounds like a normal vacation period, but I promise you, it isn't for NFL players. I am willing to bet that 75% (or more) of NFL players take more time off than just two weeks. The NFL season is a very grueling one that takes a toll on players' bodies. It probably takes a minimum of two weeks just for most NFL players to fully recover, and then they would likely want to go on vacation after recovering.
Marshall's determination excites me, because it shows that he is still passionate and wants to do well. The extra work he does will pay off during the season, and it is good to know that he is still committed to the Miami Dolphins after they weren't able to give him a good enough offense to succeed.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a comment.
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Marshall told the Denver Post that he will only be taking two weeks off this offseason before he starts preparing for next year because he was upset at how badly the Miami Dolphins did last season.
He also said that he isn't considering trying out for an NBA team anymore if there is a lockout. He probably wouldn't have even come close to making a team anyways, but it is good to hear that he is putting that distraction aside.
I am very pleased to hear that Marshall is going to be preparing early after last season's disappointment. With the exception of his rookie year where he only started one game, last year was the worst year of his career. He put up less receptions (86), yards (1,014), and touchdowns (3) than any other year except his rookie year.
Admittedly, that wasn't all Marshall's fault. Chad Henne wasn't exactly the best man to throw it to him, but Marshall did drop a good number of very catch-able passes.
To some of you, two weeks off sounds like a normal vacation period, but I promise you, it isn't for NFL players. I am willing to bet that 75% (or more) of NFL players take more time off than just two weeks. The NFL season is a very grueling one that takes a toll on players' bodies. It probably takes a minimum of two weeks just for most NFL players to fully recover, and then they would likely want to go on vacation after recovering.
Marshall's determination excites me, because it shows that he is still passionate and wants to do well. The extra work he does will pay off during the season, and it is good to know that he is still committed to the Miami Dolphins after they weren't able to give him a good enough offense to succeed.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a comment.
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Brandon Marshall Is Showing His Commitment To The Miami Dolphins
2011-02-16T12:29:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Would It Be Worth The Miami Dolphins Trading Their First Pick For Kevin Kolb?
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Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
The Philadelphia Eagles have officially placed a franchise tag on Michael Vick. That means Kevin Kolb will most likely be available for trade.
I want to know if the Miami Dolphins should trade their first-round pick for Kevin Kolb.
There is a good chance that the Dolphins will take a QB in the first round of the draft, so why not get a young quarterback who already has some experience in the NFL with that pick instead?
It sounds like a pretty safe bet, but I don't know if that is what we want. It is safe because at least we are guaranteed to get him. There is always the possibility that draft prospects like Ryan Mallett and Cam Newton will already be gone by the 15th pick.
I think that is a good risk to take, though. In my opinion, both Newton and Mallett will be more successful than Kolb, and they are also a few years younger, giving them more time to help the team out.
We will see what happens, but I want to know what you guys think: should Miami trade a first-rounder for Kolb?
Let me know with your comments, and thanks for reading. Sorry for doing such a small post, but it's the offseason and nothing is happening.
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I want to know if the Miami Dolphins should trade their first-round pick for Kevin Kolb.
There is a good chance that the Dolphins will take a QB in the first round of the draft, so why not get a young quarterback who already has some experience in the NFL with that pick instead?
It sounds like a pretty safe bet, but I don't know if that is what we want. It is safe because at least we are guaranteed to get him. There is always the possibility that draft prospects like Ryan Mallett and Cam Newton will already be gone by the 15th pick.
I think that is a good risk to take, though. In my opinion, both Newton and Mallett will be more successful than Kolb, and they are also a few years younger, giving them more time to help the team out.
We will see what happens, but I want to know what you guys think: should Miami trade a first-rounder for Kolb?
Let me know with your comments, and thanks for reading. Sorry for doing such a small post, but it's the offseason and nothing is happening.
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Would It Be Worth The Miami Dolphins Trading Their First Pick For Kevin Kolb?
2011-02-15T15:32:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Cam Newton|Kevin Kolb|Miami Dolphins|NFL|Paul Smythe|Ryan Mallett|
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Will You Buy Miami Dolphins Tickets Next Season?
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Monday, February 14, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
The Miami Dolphins were an obvious disappointment last season, and Stephen Ross didn't help the team much when the season ended by going out and looking for a new coach while he was still paying his old one.
So, I would like to know: Will you buy tickets to see the Miami Dolphins play next season?
Fan support is pretty low right now, but there are also a lot of you out there who are still optimistic about next year. I can see valid points for both sides of the ticket argument.
For instance, last year's defense was really good only a season after they were really bad. If it only took one year for Miami to turn around such a bad defense, why wouldn't they be able to turn around a bad offense in a year?
On the flip side, the Dolphins don't know who their quarterback is after last year's "quarterback of the future" failed. In the 11 years since Dan Marino retired, Miami hasn't been able to find a QB good enough to replace him. They have tried and failed many times, so why would we actually expect them to succeed this time?
If you want to look on the positive side again, Head Coach Tony Sparano and General Manager Jeff Ireland's jobs are on the line. If they don't turn in a successful season, then they will have to be looking for new jobs next offseason. The pressure to succeed could be enough to get them to put together a good team. They are also bound to take more risks with their jobs at risk, which could make for an exciting team to watch if nothing else.
But, a bad thing about Sparano and Ireland is that they, along with CEO Mike Dee, lied to us fans about Bill Parcells' involvement. In all reality, their lie wasn't too severe, but it did reveal that the three of them are willing to work together in order to lie to us fans. Doing so creates trust issues between the team and its fans, and could very well affect ticket sales.
So, let me know whether you will buy tickets this year. Also, if you could, please include how many tickets you would normally buy, whether they are individual tickets or season tickets, so we can know if you will buy more or less than usual.
I am not sure what kind of answers I am going to get, so I am excited to see what you guys will say.
I look forward to reading your responses. Thanks for reading!
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So, I would like to know: Will you buy tickets to see the Miami Dolphins play next season?
Fan support is pretty low right now, but there are also a lot of you out there who are still optimistic about next year. I can see valid points for both sides of the ticket argument.
For instance, last year's defense was really good only a season after they were really bad. If it only took one year for Miami to turn around such a bad defense, why wouldn't they be able to turn around a bad offense in a year?
On the flip side, the Dolphins don't know who their quarterback is after last year's "quarterback of the future" failed. In the 11 years since Dan Marino retired, Miami hasn't been able to find a QB good enough to replace him. They have tried and failed many times, so why would we actually expect them to succeed this time?
If you want to look on the positive side again, Head Coach Tony Sparano and General Manager Jeff Ireland's jobs are on the line. If they don't turn in a successful season, then they will have to be looking for new jobs next offseason. The pressure to succeed could be enough to get them to put together a good team. They are also bound to take more risks with their jobs at risk, which could make for an exciting team to watch if nothing else.
But, a bad thing about Sparano and Ireland is that they, along with CEO Mike Dee, lied to us fans about Bill Parcells' involvement. In all reality, their lie wasn't too severe, but it did reveal that the three of them are willing to work together in order to lie to us fans. Doing so creates trust issues between the team and its fans, and could very well affect ticket sales.
So, let me know whether you will buy tickets this year. Also, if you could, please include how many tickets you would normally buy, whether they are individual tickets or season tickets, so we can know if you will buy more or less than usual.
I am not sure what kind of answers I am going to get, so I am excited to see what you guys will say.
I look forward to reading your responses. Thanks for reading!
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Will You Buy Miami Dolphins Tickets Next Season?
2011-02-14T13:32:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Bill Parcells|Jeff Ireland|Miami Dolphins|NFL|Paul Smythe|Tickets|Tony Sparano|
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Is Bill Parcells Still With The Miami Dolphins? Yet Another Scandal Unfolds
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Sunday, February 13, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Apparently, yes, Bill Parcells still is with the Miami Dolphins.
This could only mean one of two things, either Stephen Ross is asking Bill Parcells to help out with the draft process without GM Jeff Ireland, HC Tony Sparano, or CEO Mike Dee's knowledge (highly unlikely and proven to be false later in this article), or the last three men I mentioned are lying to us (much more likely and proven true later in the article).
First, proof of what they said: Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post noted in his Friday Notebook that Ireland, Sparano, and Dee all clearly said last month that Parcells is no longer with the Dolphins in any way, shape, or form.
Normally, I would believe the three of them over one man's word, but when that man likely has no idea (or concern) about what is happening in Miami other than their interest in his son, something is wrong.
Let me explain:
The man who caught the Dolphins in a flat-out lie probably had no idea he was doing so. That man is Greg Dalton, father of NFL QB prospect Andy Dalton.
Andy Dalton was participating in the Senior Bowl, and part of the Senior Bowl is interviewing sessions with individual teams. From what I can tell, Greg Dalton was not present during the interviews, but Andy obviously talked to him about the interviews afterwards. When Greg was asked by The Katy Times about the team interviews, here is what he said with the parts important to us underlined:
A closer look at the dates ends up further incriminating the Miami Dolphins organization.
Ben Volin's Friday Notebook was posted Friday, February 11th. He says that the three men denied Parcells involvement last month. I am not sure of the exact date they made their denial, but all we need to know is that they did so in January.
Next, we look at the date The Katy Times posted their article with the father's quote. It was posted on January 30th, which is a day after the Senior Bowl game on the 29th. The interviews occured during the previous week, so the earliest he would have been interviewed is the 23rd.
This just reinforces that Jeff Ireland, Tony Sparano, and Mike Dee all lied to us. Either they claimed "zero involvement" before the Senior Bowl and then brought Parcells along for the interviews, or they did the interviews with Parcells there, and then lied afterwards about him helping the team.
They denied that he was no longer helping "in any way," but all it took was an unknowing father to accidentally shoot a hole right through their claims.
I am surprised at how foolish the three were. How did they think they could lie to the passionate fans of the Miami Dolphins without anyone finding out? What makes things even worse is that they relied so heavily on his criteria for picking a quarterback. Somebody like Greg Dalton was bound to mention one of Parcells criteria that the prospect didn't meet, and then the news would get out that Parcells actually was involved.
I don't understand why they couldn't have just told us that Parcells was helping them out with the draft. Telling us fans the truth is a lot better than lying to us because lying removes trust. Some fans may have been mad if they found out that Parcells was still consulting with the team, but that would have been a lot more manageable problem than lying to the fans and them still finding out.
So, what does this mean to us? In a nutshell, our coaches lied to us and Parcells is still a part of the team. My guess is that he is just a draft consultant now, but I would like it if the team came out and told us his exact involvement. There's no use lying anymore.
This also means that every time we hear something from Jeff Ireland, Tony Sparano, or Mike Dee, we have to take a second and question whether they are telling the truth.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think. I am interested to hear your reactions to the tuna being back and the team lying to us.
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This could only mean one of two things, either Stephen Ross is asking Bill Parcells to help out with the draft process without GM Jeff Ireland, HC Tony Sparano, or CEO Mike Dee's knowledge (highly unlikely and proven to be false later in this article), or the last three men I mentioned are lying to us (much more likely and proven true later in the article).
First, proof of what they said: Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post noted in his Friday Notebook that Ireland, Sparano, and Dee all clearly said last month that Parcells is no longer with the Dolphins in any way, shape, or form.
Normally, I would believe the three of them over one man's word, but when that man likely has no idea (or concern) about what is happening in Miami other than their interest in his son, something is wrong.
Let me explain:
The man who caught the Dolphins in a flat-out lie probably had no idea he was doing so. That man is Greg Dalton, father of NFL QB prospect Andy Dalton.
Andy Dalton was participating in the Senior Bowl, and part of the Senior Bowl is interviewing sessions with individual teams. From what I can tell, Greg Dalton was not present during the interviews, but Andy obviously talked to him about the interviews afterwards. When Greg was asked by The Katy Times about the team interviews, here is what he said with the parts important to us underlined:
"Really, this week is the first chance that NFL teams have to talk to you as a player. He met with the Miami Dolphins coach and general manager and Bill Parcells, Pete Carroll and the Seattle staff, and Jason Garrett of the Cowboys. Parcells has developed a criteria for drafting quarterbacks. The height was fine, and he has to put on a few pounds."What is so incriminating about this quote isn't necessarily the first time he mentions Parcells name. He could have just wrongly assumed that Parcells was with the team because he heard that they had hired him a couple of years ago. The real incrimination was what he said about Parcells' criteria for a quarterback. That part of the quote makes it obvious that Parcells was present in the interview, and that he told Andy what he would need to do if he wanted to be with the Dolphins.
A closer look at the dates ends up further incriminating the Miami Dolphins organization.
Ben Volin's Friday Notebook was posted Friday, February 11th. He says that the three men denied Parcells involvement last month. I am not sure of the exact date they made their denial, but all we need to know is that they did so in January.
Next, we look at the date The Katy Times posted their article with the father's quote. It was posted on January 30th, which is a day after the Senior Bowl game on the 29th. The interviews occured during the previous week, so the earliest he would have been interviewed is the 23rd.
This just reinforces that Jeff Ireland, Tony Sparano, and Mike Dee all lied to us. Either they claimed "zero involvement" before the Senior Bowl and then brought Parcells along for the interviews, or they did the interviews with Parcells there, and then lied afterwards about him helping the team.
They denied that he was no longer helping "in any way," but all it took was an unknowing father to accidentally shoot a hole right through their claims.
I am surprised at how foolish the three were. How did they think they could lie to the passionate fans of the Miami Dolphins without anyone finding out? What makes things even worse is that they relied so heavily on his criteria for picking a quarterback. Somebody like Greg Dalton was bound to mention one of Parcells criteria that the prospect didn't meet, and then the news would get out that Parcells actually was involved.
I don't understand why they couldn't have just told us that Parcells was helping them out with the draft. Telling us fans the truth is a lot better than lying to us because lying removes trust. Some fans may have been mad if they found out that Parcells was still consulting with the team, but that would have been a lot more manageable problem than lying to the fans and them still finding out.
So, what does this mean to us? In a nutshell, our coaches lied to us and Parcells is still a part of the team. My guess is that he is just a draft consultant now, but I would like it if the team came out and told us his exact involvement. There's no use lying anymore.
This also means that every time we hear something from Jeff Ireland, Tony Sparano, or Mike Dee, we have to take a second and question whether they are telling the truth.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think. I am interested to hear your reactions to the tuna being back and the team lying to us.
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Is Bill Parcells Still With The Miami Dolphins? Yet Another Scandal Unfolds
2011-02-13T12:52:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Bill Parcells|Jeff Ireland|Latest News|Miami Dolphins|Mike Dee|NFL|Paul Smythe|Scandal|Tony Sparano|
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You Tell Me: Cam Newton Or Ryan Mallett For The Miami Dolphins?
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Saturday, February 12, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Today's "You Tell Me" is a special Saturday edition, which doesn't mean anything really except for there has been news about the Miami Dolphins every day this week until today.
I believe I know what most of you will answer, but I still want to ask the question and see, so here it is:
Would you rather the Miami Dolphins pick Cam Newton or Ryan Mallett in this year's draft?
There has been a lot of buzz about Newton this week, and I wanted to know whether you guys would rather him or Mallett. Most of you probably know who I would rather, but I won't say it here because that would be me influencing your answers, which is against my rules.
So let me hear it and thanks for reading.
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I believe I know what most of you will answer, but I still want to ask the question and see, so here it is:
Would you rather the Miami Dolphins pick Cam Newton or Ryan Mallett in this year's draft?
There has been a lot of buzz about Newton this week, and I wanted to know whether you guys would rather him or Mallett. Most of you probably know who I would rather, but I won't say it here because that would be me influencing your answers, which is against my rules.
So let me hear it and thanks for reading.
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You Tell Me: Cam Newton Or Ryan Mallett For The Miami Dolphins?
2011-02-12T15:00:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Cam Newton|Miami Dolphins|NFL|NFL Draft|Paul Smythe|Ryan Mallett|
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Will Allen Is Returning To The Miami Dolphins
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Friday, February 11, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
A couple of weeks ago it was reported that the Miami Dolphins wouldn't be keeping Will Allen because of how much they would have had to pay him for his services next season. Now, it turns out that Miami will keep him after the two sides agreed on a restructured contract.
Allen's original base salary that the Dolphins weren't willing to pay was $5.5 million. The details of his newly restructured contract have not been released yet, but Allen's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has said that the deal's base salary is much smaller than the previous $5.5 million.
This could end up being a good move or a bad move for Miami depending on how much the new deal is worth.
If the Dolphins were able to significantly reduce Allen's contract to under, say, $3 million, then I think it would be a good deal because they are getting a veteran presence for a cheap price. If the deal is worth more than $3 million, then I don't think they made a good decision, because while he would contribute, Miami doesn't need him that badly. Vontae Davis and Sean Smith should be playing most of the time, and I don't think it's worth paying $3 million or more for a backup.
One thing that Allen does do that Sean Smith sometimes struggles with is catching the ball. That is probably one of the reasons why the Dolphins still want to hold on to him, but hopefully Sean's catching has improved enough so Allen won't need to come in for him.
I am interested to see how many years are in the deal. Allen has been in the NFL for 10 seasons, and the most recent four seasons have been with Miami. If both sides are willing, this could be a contract that keeps him with the Dolphins for the rest of his career.
We will see what happens. Thanks for reading, and please feel free to comment.
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Allen's original base salary that the Dolphins weren't willing to pay was $5.5 million. The details of his newly restructured contract have not been released yet, but Allen's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has said that the deal's base salary is much smaller than the previous $5.5 million.
This could end up being a good move or a bad move for Miami depending on how much the new deal is worth.
If the Dolphins were able to significantly reduce Allen's contract to under, say, $3 million, then I think it would be a good deal because they are getting a veteran presence for a cheap price. If the deal is worth more than $3 million, then I don't think they made a good decision, because while he would contribute, Miami doesn't need him that badly. Vontae Davis and Sean Smith should be playing most of the time, and I don't think it's worth paying $3 million or more for a backup.
One thing that Allen does do that Sean Smith sometimes struggles with is catching the ball. That is probably one of the reasons why the Dolphins still want to hold on to him, but hopefully Sean's catching has improved enough so Allen won't need to come in for him.
I am interested to see how many years are in the deal. Allen has been in the NFL for 10 seasons, and the most recent four seasons have been with Miami. If both sides are willing, this could be a contract that keeps him with the Dolphins for the rest of his career.
We will see what happens. Thanks for reading, and please feel free to comment.
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Will Allen Is Returning To The Miami Dolphins
2011-02-11T13:05:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Miami Dolphins Show Strong Interest In Cam Newton
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Thursday, February 10, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
According to Draftinsider.net, the Miami Dolphins are showing a lot of interest in QB prospect Cam Newton.
The report mentions that six different teams have Newton ranked as the number one prospect in the draft, but it does not mention any team names other than the Dolphins saying that they are "inquiring heavily into Newton at this stage of the game.
While I would be happy if Miami did pick Newton (if he is even on the board at pick 15), I think that they would be better off going after Ryan Mallett or trading down. Newton has a lot of talent, but I don't know how he will be in the NFL.
We all know how well Cam Newton was able to do against college defenders, and I don't want to take anything away from that, but he will be playing against much stronger and faster defenders in the NFL. Running the ball won't be nearly as easy, and I don't know how well Newton will be able to play if you take away his legs.
Picking Ryan Mallett is the smarter move in my eyes. He's got the arm, and he's got the intensity (which is a welcome change after having a robot at QB for two years). I believe Mallett will be a successful NFL quarterback, and I am confident that he will be more successful than any other QB in this year's draft class.
I also mentioned that I think Miami should trade down instead of getting Newton. If the NFL and NFLPA reach an agreement on the new CBA, then the Dolphins could trade their first-round pick for a second-round pick and an offensive lineman to help revamp their blocking. If a new CBA isn't reached before the draft, then the Dolphins could just trade their first pick for a second-rounder and another pick that they would use to take a lineman. Either way they can fix their offensive line and still be able to get a quarterback with whatever second round pick they get.
I know a lot of you guys like Cam Newton, but have you really analyzed his skill sets other than just watching his highlight films? He has questionable decision-making at times, and he can't fit passes into tight holes nearly as well as Mallett. He also has questions about his maturity and character. He has been arrested for stealing a laptop and has allegations against him for academic cheating while he was with the University of Florida. There are too many question marks with Newton, and it wouldn't be worth the risk for the Dolphins to take him.
The Dolphins have a lot of different needs on offense, and the draft is a good way to fill those needs. Things don't look so good for the Miami Dolphins right now, but one good draft could change all of that, so cross your fingers and hope that the 2011 NFL Draft is a good one.
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The report mentions that six different teams have Newton ranked as the number one prospect in the draft, but it does not mention any team names other than the Dolphins saying that they are "inquiring heavily into Newton at this stage of the game.
While I would be happy if Miami did pick Newton (if he is even on the board at pick 15), I think that they would be better off going after Ryan Mallett or trading down. Newton has a lot of talent, but I don't know how he will be in the NFL.
We all know how well Cam Newton was able to do against college defenders, and I don't want to take anything away from that, but he will be playing against much stronger and faster defenders in the NFL. Running the ball won't be nearly as easy, and I don't know how well Newton will be able to play if you take away his legs.
Picking Ryan Mallett is the smarter move in my eyes. He's got the arm, and he's got the intensity (which is a welcome change after having a robot at QB for two years). I believe Mallett will be a successful NFL quarterback, and I am confident that he will be more successful than any other QB in this year's draft class.
I also mentioned that I think Miami should trade down instead of getting Newton. If the NFL and NFLPA reach an agreement on the new CBA, then the Dolphins could trade their first-round pick for a second-round pick and an offensive lineman to help revamp their blocking. If a new CBA isn't reached before the draft, then the Dolphins could just trade their first pick for a second-rounder and another pick that they would use to take a lineman. Either way they can fix their offensive line and still be able to get a quarterback with whatever second round pick they get.
I know a lot of you guys like Cam Newton, but have you really analyzed his skill sets other than just watching his highlight films? He has questionable decision-making at times, and he can't fit passes into tight holes nearly as well as Mallett. He also has questions about his maturity and character. He has been arrested for stealing a laptop and has allegations against him for academic cheating while he was with the University of Florida. There are too many question marks with Newton, and it wouldn't be worth the risk for the Dolphins to take him.
The Dolphins have a lot of different needs on offense, and the draft is a good way to fill those needs. Things don't look so good for the Miami Dolphins right now, but one good draft could change all of that, so cross your fingers and hope that the 2011 NFL Draft is a good one.
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Miami Dolphins Show Strong Interest In Cam Newton
2011-02-10T09:15:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Nose Tackle Paul Soliai Might Not End Up With The Miami Dolphins Next Season
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Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
The Miami Dolphins defense played exceptionally well last season, and one reason for Miami's success was the surprisingly exceptional play by Paul Soliai, their nose tackle.
Despite his good play, though, the Miami Dolphins aren't going to be able to re-sign him before he becomes a free agent. While it would be possible for Soliai to re-sign before a new CBA is reached, he isn't going to because he doesn't want to be held back by the 30% rule.
In a nutshell, the 30% rule states that once a player's rookie contract expires, his new contract (if he re-signs with the same team that he signed with as a rookie) cannot be higher than 30% more than his original rookie contract.
That was just a short, basic description, and I am honestly not sure what the point of the rule is, but all you need to know is that in order for Soliai to get the big contract he deserves, he needs to become a free agent this offseason. The Dolphins will be able to sign him once he reaches free agency, but they will be competing with other teams to sign the 355-pounder.
According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Soliai wants to stay in Miami, but he also wants to get paid the money that he deserves, which he wouldn't be able to do if he just re-signed with the Dolphins.
I hope that Miami does whatever they can to sign Soliai when he hits free-agency. He really showed up this year, and the Dolphins would be smart to keep him. It is hard to find someone that is his size with his talent, and when a team has a chance to lock up a player like Soliai, they better take it.
Miami's defense was really good last season, and it is important to keep as many players from that group as possible. The old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and I think that applies to the Dolphins defense of last year.
Miami could try the Randy Starks experiment at Nose Tackle again now that Jared Odrick will be back, but that seems to me like a risk not worth taking. They would probably save money by going with Starks instead of Soliai, but if Stephen Ross wants to fill Sun Life Stadium, then he needs to show that he is willing to make investments in talent.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about Soliai.
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Despite his good play, though, the Miami Dolphins aren't going to be able to re-sign him before he becomes a free agent. While it would be possible for Soliai to re-sign before a new CBA is reached, he isn't going to because he doesn't want to be held back by the 30% rule.
In a nutshell, the 30% rule states that once a player's rookie contract expires, his new contract (if he re-signs with the same team that he signed with as a rookie) cannot be higher than 30% more than his original rookie contract.
That was just a short, basic description, and I am honestly not sure what the point of the rule is, but all you need to know is that in order for Soliai to get the big contract he deserves, he needs to become a free agent this offseason. The Dolphins will be able to sign him once he reaches free agency, but they will be competing with other teams to sign the 355-pounder.
According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Soliai wants to stay in Miami, but he also wants to get paid the money that he deserves, which he wouldn't be able to do if he just re-signed with the Dolphins.
I hope that Miami does whatever they can to sign Soliai when he hits free-agency. He really showed up this year, and the Dolphins would be smart to keep him. It is hard to find someone that is his size with his talent, and when a team has a chance to lock up a player like Soliai, they better take it.
Miami's defense was really good last season, and it is important to keep as many players from that group as possible. The old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and I think that applies to the Dolphins defense of last year.
Miami could try the Randy Starks experiment at Nose Tackle again now that Jared Odrick will be back, but that seems to me like a risk not worth taking. They would probably save money by going with Starks instead of Soliai, but if Stephen Ross wants to fill Sun Life Stadium, then he needs to show that he is willing to make investments in talent.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about Soliai.
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Nose Tackle Paul Soliai Might Not End Up With The Miami Dolphins Next Season
2011-02-09T15:05:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Miami Dolphins Work Out OLB Rashad Jeanty
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Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Finally some news.
According to Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Dolphins worked out linebacker Rashad Jeanty on Monday. Miami was stop number one of eight for Jeanty.
The Dolphins and Jeanty do not currently have any type of contract in the works, but that may have more to do with the fact that the CBA will expire than anything else.
Jeanty isn't a big name player, and he doesn't have many great stats to speak of, but Miami may be looking to bring in an LB that will be able to step in and replace Channing Crowder in the near future. Crowder's contract will expire in two years, so maybe Jeanty could come in and be ready to replace him if the Dolphins elect not to re-sign Crowder.
From what I gather about Jeanty on his scouting reports, he won't be much more than a consistent contributor, but that could be a good thing for the Dolphins. Not every defender needs to be a star player, and I think he could fit in well with the likes of Karlos Dansby and Cameron Wake.
I know that Jeanty is an outside linebacker, but with a little work I think he could be able to pass Channing Crowder and play on the inside. Crowder isn't exactly the best ILB out there, so we could always use some improvement.
We actually don't even know if Jeanty could be any better than Crowder, but it would be worth taking a chance because Jeanty would be a cheap free agent prospect.
We will see if Miami and Jeanty do come to some sort of agreement that Rashad will sign with the Dolphins when a new CBA is in place, so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about Jeanty and him being a possible replacement for Channing Crowder.
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According to Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Dolphins worked out linebacker Rashad Jeanty on Monday. Miami was stop number one of eight for Jeanty.
The Dolphins and Jeanty do not currently have any type of contract in the works, but that may have more to do with the fact that the CBA will expire than anything else.
Jeanty isn't a big name player, and he doesn't have many great stats to speak of, but Miami may be looking to bring in an LB that will be able to step in and replace Channing Crowder in the near future. Crowder's contract will expire in two years, so maybe Jeanty could come in and be ready to replace him if the Dolphins elect not to re-sign Crowder.
From what I gather about Jeanty on his scouting reports, he won't be much more than a consistent contributor, but that could be a good thing for the Dolphins. Not every defender needs to be a star player, and I think he could fit in well with the likes of Karlos Dansby and Cameron Wake.
I know that Jeanty is an outside linebacker, but with a little work I think he could be able to pass Channing Crowder and play on the inside. Crowder isn't exactly the best ILB out there, so we could always use some improvement.
We actually don't even know if Jeanty could be any better than Crowder, but it would be worth taking a chance because Jeanty would be a cheap free agent prospect.
We will see if Miami and Jeanty do come to some sort of agreement that Rashad will sign with the Dolphins when a new CBA is in place, so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about Jeanty and him being a possible replacement for Channing Crowder.
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Miami Dolphins Work Out OLB Rashad Jeanty
2011-02-08T13:51:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
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Would Trading For Matt Flynn Be A Good Idea For The Miami Dolphins?
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Monday, February 07, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Since the Miami Dolphins are going to be looking for a new quarterback this offseason, why not add multiple prospects and let them battle it out during the preseason?
What I'm proposing is, the Dolphins could trade for a player like Kevin Kolb or Kyle Orton, or they could draft a rookie like Ryan Mallett or Colin Kaepernick, and then they could trade with Green Bay for the Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn.
I believe that scenario could actually be a very good one for the Dolphins. Flynn would be relatively cheap to trade for, and he would be more than able to battle it out with whoever else during the preseason for Miami's starting quarterback position.
Flynn is a young and talented prospect that, I think, has the ability to be a starter in the NFL. He already showed us a little bit of what he is capable of last season when he started for an injured Aaron Rodgers against the New England Patriots. In that game he threw for 251 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, and had a 100.2 passer rating. Those are numbers that Aaron Rodgers would put up, and Flynn was able to put up those numbers without much work at all as Green Bay's starter.
I believe that Flynn could be a great investment, and the best part of this whole scenario is that Miami wouldn't even have to rely completely on Flynn. He could compete with whomever else the Dolphins add, and the QB who does the best will be named the starter. Miami wouldn't have to pay Flynn much, so they would hardly be taking any risk at all by trading for him.
We will see if the Miami Dolphins do show any interest in Flynn. I hope they do, but I'm not sure whether they actually will.
Thanks for reading, and let me hear your thoughts on Flynn and him going to Miami.
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What I'm proposing is, the Dolphins could trade for a player like Kevin Kolb or Kyle Orton, or they could draft a rookie like Ryan Mallett or Colin Kaepernick, and then they could trade with Green Bay for the Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn.
I believe that scenario could actually be a very good one for the Dolphins. Flynn would be relatively cheap to trade for, and he would be more than able to battle it out with whoever else during the preseason for Miami's starting quarterback position.
Flynn is a young and talented prospect that, I think, has the ability to be a starter in the NFL. He already showed us a little bit of what he is capable of last season when he started for an injured Aaron Rodgers against the New England Patriots. In that game he threw for 251 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, and had a 100.2 passer rating. Those are numbers that Aaron Rodgers would put up, and Flynn was able to put up those numbers without much work at all as Green Bay's starter.
I believe that Flynn could be a great investment, and the best part of this whole scenario is that Miami wouldn't even have to rely completely on Flynn. He could compete with whomever else the Dolphins add, and the QB who does the best will be named the starter. Miami wouldn't have to pay Flynn much, so they would hardly be taking any risk at all by trading for him.
We will see if the Miami Dolphins do show any interest in Flynn. I hope they do, but I'm not sure whether they actually will.
Thanks for reading, and let me hear your thoughts on Flynn and him going to Miami.
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Would Trading For Matt Flynn Be A Good Idea For The Miami Dolphins?
2011-02-07T14:08:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
Dolphin Shout Blog|Paul Smythe|
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Confirmation: Yes, The Miami Dolphins Will Address The QB Position For Next Season
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Sunday, February 06, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
According to Omar Kelly's Twitter post, the Miami Dolphins are going to address their QB problems in 2011.
Here is the exact post written by Kelly:
I think that there is a good chance that the Dolphins will get Ryan Mallett if they are willing to pick him in the first round, which would be a great move in my opinion. I highly doubt that Mallett will end up being picked before Miami has a chance to get him at 15, and I really hope that the Dolphins will consider taking him.
Thanks for checking in on Super Bowl Sunday. I hope you guys enjoy watching the game, and hopefully next year the Dolphins will be in the same position as the Steelers and Packers.
P.S. I love comments, so don't be shy!
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Here is the exact post written by Kelly:
"The Dolphins are WITHOUT A DOUBT going to address the quarterback position in '11 and haven't ruled out drafting one in the first round."This is good news for me, and I hope that they do end up drafting a first round QB.
I think that there is a good chance that the Dolphins will get Ryan Mallett if they are willing to pick him in the first round, which would be a great move in my opinion. I highly doubt that Mallett will end up being picked before Miami has a chance to get him at 15, and I really hope that the Dolphins will consider taking him.
Thanks for checking in on Super Bowl Sunday. I hope you guys enjoy watching the game, and hopefully next year the Dolphins will be in the same position as the Steelers and Packers.
P.S. I love comments, so don't be shy!
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Confirmation: Yes, The Miami Dolphins Will Address The QB Position For Next Season
2011-02-06T11:36:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Breaking News|Dolphin Shout Blog|Latest News|Miami Dolphins Blog|NFL|NFL Draft|Omar Kelly|Paul Smythe|Ryan Mallett|
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Why Do Some Miami Dolphins Fans Still Cling To Chad Henne?
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Saturday, February 05, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
The thing is, there are a small percentage of Dolphins fans that still cling to Chad Henne and still believe he should be starting. I am not sure why, honestly, but they act surprised when people say that Henne should be benched or cut.
Well, my question is: Why shouldn't he be cut? Why would the Dolphins still start him? He has not improved one bit in the two years Miami has had him as their starter. If anything, you could make a case for his regression from the first season to the second. He may have thrown for three more touchdowns in his second season than he did his first, but he also threw five more interceptions.
In the last two seasons, Henne has thrown more picks than TDs. Why would anyone still believe in that?
Brandon Marshall, who has been around good quarterbacks before, started complaining late in the season about Henne, and I don't blame him. Too many times, Henne would be afraid to let the ball fly or he would audible what was originally a passing play into a running one. Good quarterbacks want the ball in their hands. They don't audible into a run so they don't have to throw it.
This article is a combination of me saying my point, and then you guys countering with yours (whether you agree with me or not). So please, leave a comment with your own point and we can begin a discussion.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks for reading.
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Why Do Some Miami Dolphins Fans Still Cling To Chad Henne?
2011-02-05T13:31:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Bill Parcells|Brandon Marshall|Chad Henne|Dolphin Shout Blog|Latest News|Miami Dolphins Blog|NFL|Paul Smythe|QB|
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Ryan Mallett And Jake Locker's Stock Have Fallen: Good Thing For The Miami Dolphins?
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Friday, February 04, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
In Mel Kiper's latest Big Board, which is him ranking the Top 25 prospects in the NFL Draft, he doesn't have QBs Ryan Mallett or Jake Locker on the list. Kiper says that he thinks both could still possibly be taken in the first round, but each has question marks that forced him to drop them off of the list.
This doesn't really concern me, actually. I know that Kiper is obviously not as confident in either quarterback anymore, but I still believe both players can have great careers in the NFL with whoever picks them. I think Mallett can be better than Locker, but Locker still has potential.
If anything, Kiper dropping the two is good for the Miami Dolphins. It's a good thing because if they decide to pursue either, then they could trade down in the draft, get an extra draft pick or player, and then pick Mallett or Locker with their new pick.
Before, I was concerned that Mallet would be taken before Miami would be able to get him with their 15th overall pick, but now it looks like they will be able to trade down and still get him.
While Mallett did fall a lot since the last Big Board, he hasn't fallen nearly as hard as Jake Locker has. Locker was considered by many to be a strong contender for the first pick of last year's draft before he decided to stay another year, but in this year's draft he may not even be taken in the first round. I actually wouldn't be surprised if he fell to late in the 2nd round or early in the 3rd.
Locker hasn't shown much progression at all from last year, and he has been plagued by terrible accuracy. Both those reasons have to be why Kiper dropped him from the list, and I don't blame him. In all honesty, I don't know how much I want the Dolphins to get him anymore. I guess I wouldn't mind if they picked him with a 2nd round pick that they traded down for or a 3rd round pick, but it would be a huge, huge mistake if they took him in the 1st round.
No, I don't actually expect them to take Locker 15th overall, but I am just saying it would be a very bad mistake if they did. I wouldn't put it past the current Dolphins, though.
So, yes, it does seem to be a bad sign if Mel Kiper drops both Mallett and Locker, but I am actually excited by the move because the Dolphins may still end up picking Mallett even if they trade down. I think he is the real deal, and I want Miami to take a chance on him.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to comment. I know there isn't anything going on with the Dolphins at the moment and the news is really slow, but hang in there because there is bound to be something new happening soon.
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This doesn't really concern me, actually. I know that Kiper is obviously not as confident in either quarterback anymore, but I still believe both players can have great careers in the NFL with whoever picks them. I think Mallett can be better than Locker, but Locker still has potential.
If anything, Kiper dropping the two is good for the Miami Dolphins. It's a good thing because if they decide to pursue either, then they could trade down in the draft, get an extra draft pick or player, and then pick Mallett or Locker with their new pick.
Before, I was concerned that Mallet would be taken before Miami would be able to get him with their 15th overall pick, but now it looks like they will be able to trade down and still get him.
While Mallett did fall a lot since the last Big Board, he hasn't fallen nearly as hard as Jake Locker has. Locker was considered by many to be a strong contender for the first pick of last year's draft before he decided to stay another year, but in this year's draft he may not even be taken in the first round. I actually wouldn't be surprised if he fell to late in the 2nd round or early in the 3rd.
Locker hasn't shown much progression at all from last year, and he has been plagued by terrible accuracy. Both those reasons have to be why Kiper dropped him from the list, and I don't blame him. In all honesty, I don't know how much I want the Dolphins to get him anymore. I guess I wouldn't mind if they picked him with a 2nd round pick that they traded down for or a 3rd round pick, but it would be a huge, huge mistake if they took him in the 1st round.
No, I don't actually expect them to take Locker 15th overall, but I am just saying it would be a very bad mistake if they did. I wouldn't put it past the current Dolphins, though.
So, yes, it does seem to be a bad sign if Mel Kiper drops both Mallett and Locker, but I am actually excited by the move because the Dolphins may still end up picking Mallett even if they trade down. I think he is the real deal, and I want Miami to take a chance on him.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to comment. I know there isn't anything going on with the Dolphins at the moment and the news is really slow, but hang in there because there is bound to be something new happening soon.
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Ryan Mallett And Jake Locker's Stock Have Fallen: Good Thing For The Miami Dolphins?
2011-02-04T09:04:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Big Board|Dolphin Shout Blog|Jake Locker|Latest News|Mel Kiper|Miami Dolphins Blog|NFL|NFL Draft|Paul Smythe|Ryan Mallett|
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Is Anthony Fasano A Good Enough Tight End For The Miami Dolphins?
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Thursday, February 03, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
Fasano's Famous Fake-out |
At the time, most Dolphins fans supported the move because of Fasano's game against Tennessee. Now that we can look at his whole body of work from the year, the extension doesn't look as good. Fasano had 528 yards and four touchdowns, and while those may not be terrible numbers they don't really merit such a rich extension.
But, I still believe he deserves the extension. He is a very good blocker on top of being a consistent receiver, and his numbers don't look very good because of Chad Henne's inaccuracy more than his own fault.
So, to the main question, is Anthony Fasano a good enough TE for the Miami Dolphins?
Yes, I believe he is.
Despite low receiving yardage last season, he still has very high yards-per-catch at 13.5. If he had a better quarterback, he would be able to get more receptions, and, in turn, more yards.
When he had Chad Pennington throwing to him, he had a great season and was among the best in the league numbers-wise. In the last two seasons with Henne throwing to him, he has had much worse numbers and his combined touchdowns from both years aren't even equivalent to his one year with Pennington.
If we can get a new quarterback, Fasano should be able to return to his numbers of three years ago. It's as simple as that, and I hope the Dolphins staff realizes that Henne isn't the one anymore.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about Fasano with a comment.
I apologize for talking about such a random topic, but the Miami Dolphins news has been extremely slow this week, and I didn't have anything to write about.
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Is Anthony Fasano A Good Enough Tight End For The Miami Dolphins?
2011-02-03T09:26:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Anthony Fasano|Chad Henne|Chad Pennington|Dolphin Shout Blog|Latest News|Miami Dolphins Blog|NFL|Paul Smythe|TE|
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Brian Daboll Is At Least A Good Coach For The Miami Dolphins Running Game
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Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
While we may question some of Brian Daboll's credentials as an Offensive Coordinator, one thing we can be somewhat assured about is his ability to put together a good running game.
It surprised and angered a lot of Miami Dolphins fans when Daboll was hired as the Offensive Cordinator, and they were upset for good reason. Daboll doesn't have a successful track record as an OC in the NFL, so the decision to hire him obviously came into question.
While I am not sure how good the offense will be next season, I am, at least, pretty sure that the Dolphins will have a good running game. Whoever Miami does bring in as the main running back, Brian Daboll will be able to make him successful.
Daboll turned the little-known Peyton Hillis into one of the best backs in the NFL despite not being one of the fastest, so why wouldn't he be able to do something similar in Miami?
Daboll will probably end up having a better known running back than Hillis at the beginning of next season, but that back should be able to do just as well as Hillis did, and maybe even better.
As much as I would rather the Dolphins get a quarterback with their first pick, I am excited to think about what Mark Ingram would be able to do under Daboll's leadership if the Dolphins do end up drafting him 15th overall.
If Daboll can turn a relatively unkown running back into a premeire back, what would he be able to do with the best available back in the draft?
That's it for now, what do you guys think about Brian Daboll? Are you at all excited about what the running game will look like next year? Let me know with your comments.
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It surprised and angered a lot of Miami Dolphins fans when Daboll was hired as the Offensive Cordinator, and they were upset for good reason. Daboll doesn't have a successful track record as an OC in the NFL, so the decision to hire him obviously came into question.
While I am not sure how good the offense will be next season, I am, at least, pretty sure that the Dolphins will have a good running game. Whoever Miami does bring in as the main running back, Brian Daboll will be able to make him successful.
Daboll turned the little-known Peyton Hillis into one of the best backs in the NFL despite not being one of the fastest, so why wouldn't he be able to do something similar in Miami?
Daboll will probably end up having a better known running back than Hillis at the beginning of next season, but that back should be able to do just as well as Hillis did, and maybe even better.
As much as I would rather the Dolphins get a quarterback with their first pick, I am excited to think about what Mark Ingram would be able to do under Daboll's leadership if the Dolphins do end up drafting him 15th overall.
If Daboll can turn a relatively unkown running back into a premeire back, what would he be able to do with the best available back in the draft?
That's it for now, what do you guys think about Brian Daboll? Are you at all excited about what the running game will look like next year? Let me know with your comments.
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Brian Daboll Is At Least A Good Coach For The Miami Dolphins Running Game
2011-02-02T12:20:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Brian Daboll|Dolphin Shout Blog|Latest News|Mark Ingram|Miami Dolphins Blog|NFL|Offensive Coordinator|Paul Smythe|Peyton Hillis|RB|
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Good News For The Miami Dolphins? DeAngelo Williams Likely Not Happy With The Carolina Panthers
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Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
According to the Charlotte Observer, the Carolina Panthers have informed their Running Backs Coach Jim Skipper that they will be going in a different direction that doesn't involve him.
This could potentially be good news for the Miami Dolphins. The following was in an article at the Charlotte Observer's website:
Note that Williams has not said anything about the matter since November, but that could still be very good news for the Miami Dolphins because it increases the chances that Williams won't be with the Panthers next season.
Let's cross our fingers and hope that the Panthers don't just place a franchise tag on Williams.
Let's also hope that the NFLPA and the NFL reach a new CBA soon so we can get back to football and the offseason.
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This could potentially be good news for the Miami Dolphins. The following was in an article at the Charlotte Observer's website:
Free agent-to-be DeAngelo Williams said in late November keeping Skipper would go a long way toward convincing him to stay
Note that Williams has not said anything about the matter since November, but that could still be very good news for the Miami Dolphins because it increases the chances that Williams won't be with the Panthers next season.
Let's cross our fingers and hope that the Panthers don't just place a franchise tag on Williams.
Let's also hope that the NFLPA and the NFL reach a new CBA soon so we can get back to football and the offseason.
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Good News For The Miami Dolphins? DeAngelo Williams Likely Not Happy With The Carolina Panthers
2011-02-01T15:12:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Breaking News|Carolina Panthers|Charlotte Observer|Deangelo Williams|Dolphin Shout Blog|Jim Skipper|Latest News|Miami Dolphins Blog|NFL|NFLPA|Paul Smythe|
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You Tell Me: DeAngelo Williams Or Mark Ingram For The Miami Dolphins?
at
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Posted by
Paul Smythe
It is Tuesday, so here is today's "You Tell Me."
Continuing the discussion from yesterday, I want to know who you would rather the Miami Dolphins get. Would you rather them draft Mark Ingram or sign DeAngelo Williams?
Drafting Ingram would require the Dolphins 15th overall pick. Signing Williams wouldn't, so take that into consideration when you put your answer.
Thanks for reading, and let me hear what you've got to say.
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Continuing the discussion from yesterday, I want to know who you would rather the Miami Dolphins get. Would you rather them draft Mark Ingram or sign DeAngelo Williams?
Drafting Ingram would require the Dolphins 15th overall pick. Signing Williams wouldn't, so take that into consideration when you put your answer.
Thanks for reading, and let me hear what you've got to say.
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You Tell Me: DeAngelo Williams Or Mark Ingram For The Miami Dolphins?
2011-02-01T08:34:00-05:00
Paul Smythe
AFC East|Deangelo Williams|Dolphin Shout Blog|Latest News|Mark Ingram|Miami Dolphins Blog|NFL|Paul Smythe|You Tell Me|
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