Canamdolphin asked if anyone was following the BountyGate, so I would like all of you to blame him if you don't like what I think. This entire post is his fault. So here it goes.
Once again I will use what I believe in Parenting skills and apply them to what happened with the Bounties. For me it doesn't matter if the players actually put money on the table as the NFL believes. The players suspended didn't need to do that.
To use my Parenting theory in this case. There are many times a Parent isn't sure if their Child created a scene about something, they may have no clear evidence that their Child did something wrong. They may only have the fact that their Child was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that alone is reason enough to take action.
I believe that is what happened with the suspensions to the players involved. It seems pretty clear there were bounties. Drew Brees with all his crying has never denied that. His biggest complaint to the NFL, is prove to everyone the players involved were the ones that supplied the money. Daddy Roger doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. There was a bounty. Someone supplied the money. The team was warned and they didn't stop the bounty program. The head coach was suspended for one year, the DC was suspended indefinitely. The players were supplying the money. Everyone knows it!!! Daddy Roger decided some players are going down also.
How can the NFL protect the players safety when the players themselves are collecting money for the big hits? To be honest with you, I don't want to see players get hurt, but if some team racks up Brady for the year I'm not going to cry about it. The players themselves would sue the NFL in a heart beat if they found out the NFL did nothing to protect the players from injury. The players that were involved in the bounty would jump in the line to sue the NFL.
Daddy Roger is Judge, Jury, and executioner. Maybe the suspensions were to heavy, and maybe Daddy Roger doesn't have iron clad proof. It is interesting as canamdolpin said none of the NFL teams have said a thing. Not even Tom Benson the owner of the Saints. Sean Payton and Williams have also said nothing. They could be under a gag order, who knows.
What I do know is, I side with Daddy Roger on the suspensions. When you are a Parent, you will do a number of things that are not popular with your Children, but you do them because you feel it needs to be done. Most of the time it doesn't seem fair to the child. In this case there was a bounty, and Daddy has a good idea who was behind it. My suggestion to the players is this: take your medicine and shut up!!!
The New "Holy Trinity" in Miami
RiverdoG just posted that he felt the Dolphins
would hold on to Jake Long based on the opinion of a players poll. Please take
a moment to read DoG’s post otherwise he might come after me with a hatchet! While,
I agree Jake is a great player, I have my own theory Dolphinshout readers may
enjoy that says Jake could be on another team next year. Please forgive my
inability to write short blogs…
Taking time to analyze the difference in
philosophy between Joe Philbin and Tony Sparano will give Dolphin fans an idea on
the shape of the roster in the future. Several names may surprisingly end up
signing elsewhere and others could demand higher value in Philbin’s system.
The Parcells / Sparano offensive system was
schematically ancient and the ideology that made it work was the reason for
their downfall. Great news for Jet fans! Parcells had a term called, “The Holy
Trinity,” it was the three players most needed to build an NFL franchise,
Quarterback, Left Tackle and Left Cornerback. We can make the example of how
the game has changed, by analyzing these three key positions and how they
relate to the Dolphins during the Parcells / Sparano era.
They thought the QB was the essential piece of
the trinity, but they did not give it the proper attention from their very
first draft. By passing on Matt Ryan, they missed the vertex of the triangle
and tried to work backward from the base. Because Jake Long is one of those
base ingredients, that first draft was not a failure in their minds. Indeed,
they had selected perhaps the best player in the draft at a position in the
holy trinity, but it was the principles of the trinity that fooled them into
believing it was the right choice.
Their scheme breaks down because they believed
in an antiquated attack featuring the left tackle as the fulcrum of a power
offense. The top four scoring teams in the NFL last season, the Packers, the
Saints, the Patriots and the Lions, featured only one former first-round pick
at left tackle, Jeff Backus of the Lions. It gets worse, only once in the past
11 seasons has the starting left tackle for the Super Bowl champion been a
first-round pick. Finally, of the 11 offensive tackles taken with top-10 draft
picks from 2004 to 2011, none has won a Super Bowl.
The Dolphins drafted Jake Long and passed on
Matt Ryan, but compounded the problem by not recognizing the importance of the
QB in the modern offense. Chad Henne, never considered a great collegiate
passer, was better known as a field general in a power offense, perfect for the
Parcells/Sparano scheme, but an NFL relic. When Chad Pennington fell in the
Dolphin’s lap, the oft-injured signal caller allowed them to think they could
groom an NFL QB from an average college passer.
Drafting Pat White showed the depth of their
illusion. Enthralled with visions of Wildcat grandeur, they realized Henne was
not the right leader for an offense featuring the formation. The weakness they
surmised was that Ronnie Brown was not capable of throwing accurately enough to
be a passing threat and Henne would never be the runner Brown was. Pat White
showed incredible promise at both. Consider these numbers and how they relate
to the Wildcat; White finished his
career with 6,051 yards and 56 touchdowns passing and 4,480 yards and 47
touchdowns rushing - a total of 10,531 yards and 103 touchdowns over his college
career. White, finished his NCAA career sixth in victories and is the only
college QB in history to win 4 consecutive bowl games.
The
diminutive White did not pass the eye test, he did not meet all the criteria of
a Parcells QB, but he was a winner and he could run as well as pass. White
looked like the perfect addition as the triggerman for the Wildcat. There is no
need to delve into the reasons for the failure of the Wildcat, suffice to say,
NFL defenses caught up to it and White proved ineffective in a pro offense.
Not
many folks outside NFL film rooms and scouting circles had ever heard of the
term, “quick release” prior to the emergence of Dan Marino in Miami. The West
Coast type offense was maturing at the same time and together they represent
the turning point in the evolution of the NFL. Unfortunately, this turning
point was missed by Parcells and mitigated the importance on the Holy Trinity.
When the onus switched from giving the QB time to find a receiver to getting
rid of the ball as quickly as possible, it changed the way teams rushed the
passer.
The
switch, evident in teams like the Giants and the Patriots, no longer put a
premium on outside LBs or even DEs taking a circuitous speed rush around offensive
tackles. Releasing the ball in less than three seconds negates the outside speed
rush. This means the power rush, taking the most direct route to the QB is much
more effective against the quick release offense. These factors diminish the
importance of the offensive tackle position and mean the center and the guards
are the primary QB protectors in the west coast offense.
Quick!
Name any of the players in the Giants defensive backfield? Quick! Name any of
the players on the Giants defensive line? A couple DBs come to mind, but most
fans can easily name at least three of the Giants DL and none of them are
outside speed rushers. Is it any wonder the Giants have beaten the Patriots
both times they met in the Super Bowl? The Giants run a 4-3 defense, they use
athletic power rushers taking the most direct route to Tom Brady. Once Brady’s
timing is thrown off, his game suffers.
This
means that Jake Long does not command the salary he is likely to ask in the new
Dolphin offense and is probably the reason the Dolphins have not yet re-signed
him. Martin was not drafted to take over the right tackle position, he was
drafted to replace Jake Long with a player more suited to his salary slot among
the Dolphin personnel. Unless Long reduces his salary demands, he will likely
be a free agent next year.
In
the second Parcells / Sparano draft, the Dolphins used two of the top three
picks on cornerbacks. In light of the holy trinity, those picks make a lot more
sense. In 4-3 defense using direct route pass rushing, the DBs, while always
important, do not demand the value of an athletic power rusher. The Dolphins
again fell victim to thinking in the past and placed more importance on the CB
position instead of the power rusher. Sean Smith is in a contract year and
there has been little talk of re-signing him. If Smith reaches his potential,
he may not sign with the Dolphins because the LCB no longer holds the value it
demanded in the holy trinity.
The Miami
defensive linemen coming up for free agency include Randy Starks, Tony
McDaniel, Ryan Baker and Isaako Aaitui, of these names only Starks has a
chance of being re-signed. These players do not fit the profile of an athletic power
rusher; they are mainly run stuffers and will not fit in a 4-3 defense. Paul
Soliai is a mountain of a man and can wreak havoc in the middle of a defense,
that is why he was signed.
The question for Dolphinshout readers is, what constitutes
the “Holy Trinity” for the new Dolphin regime? Which positions in the new
scheme have more value than in the Parcells’ regime? Obviously, I have given
this some thought and have some of my own ideas, there are a lot of hints in
this article, but we at Dolphinshout would like your opinion. In following RiverdoG's post, will Jake Long be a Dolphin after this season?
Top 100 Players
NFL.com released a list today of the top 100 players in the NFL voted on by the players. Here is the link to that list
http://www.nfl.com/top100/2012#video=09000d5d82a2b013
You will notice that Jake Long was listed as the 59th best player in the league. It has always been a contention of mine that a player must live up to there contract. If they don't do that, then the team must reduce there salary or trade them. I don't think I will ever feel any differently when it comes to that theory. I always want the Dolphins to get the best bang for their buck because of the salary cap, that will be the best thing for the team.
At the end of last year I felt that Jake Long was slipping a bit, and because of the size of his contract I was leaning toward the prospects of trying to make a trade for him. Then today I heard about this list and I saw that the players, his peers, said he was the best LT in the business. I can't tell you how many posts this list has completely trashed for me.
Something else has came to the forefront from this list. It tells me that I should always trust my eyes. You see, during the year except for the one game against Julius Peppers, I thought that Jake Long played pretty well. When the season ended I noticed that the Dolphins gave up an astounding 52 sacks. Upon further checking I saw that Jake Long was responsible for more than his usual share of sacks and QB pressures, even though he missed a few games. Those stats lead me to believe that Jake Long wasn't as effective as he had been. Add to that his contract is up this year, and all of that had me thinking Jake Long could be trade bait.
The NFL players have told us what they think of Jake Long. If he is good enough for them, then he is surely good enough for me. Sometimes it takes the players to set you straight.
http://www.nfl.com/top100/2012#video=09000d5d82a2b013
You will notice that Jake Long was listed as the 59th best player in the league. It has always been a contention of mine that a player must live up to there contract. If they don't do that, then the team must reduce there salary or trade them. I don't think I will ever feel any differently when it comes to that theory. I always want the Dolphins to get the best bang for their buck because of the salary cap, that will be the best thing for the team.
At the end of last year I felt that Jake Long was slipping a bit, and because of the size of his contract I was leaning toward the prospects of trying to make a trade for him. Then today I heard about this list and I saw that the players, his peers, said he was the best LT in the business. I can't tell you how many posts this list has completely trashed for me.
Something else has came to the forefront from this list. It tells me that I should always trust my eyes. You see, during the year except for the one game against Julius Peppers, I thought that Jake Long played pretty well. When the season ended I noticed that the Dolphins gave up an astounding 52 sacks. Upon further checking I saw that Jake Long was responsible for more than his usual share of sacks and QB pressures, even though he missed a few games. Those stats lead me to believe that Jake Long wasn't as effective as he had been. Add to that his contract is up this year, and all of that had me thinking Jake Long could be trade bait.
The NFL players have told us what they think of Jake Long. If he is good enough for them, then he is surely good enough for me. Sometimes it takes the players to set you straight.
2012 Miami Dolphin Embryonic Roster Projection
Hey SHOUTsters, and Fin Fans everywhere : ) !!
It's early, but seeing that our Miami Dolphins are celebrating somewhat of a rebirth lets take a look at what we've conceived ..
A glimmer in only their own fathers eye's, some potential of development, or pleasant surprises ?? Maybe there is a diamond in the ruff or one of 7 inactive gameday roster spots that they can fill toward the mandated 53 man roster, while several others may be destined for the Developmental Practice Squad ??
On the outside looking in !!
DL ..
-- Jarrell Root DE 24 6-3 262 R Boise State
-- Derrick Shelby DE 23 6-3 271 R Utah
-- Jacquies Smith DE 22 6-4 255 R Missouri
-- Isaako Aaitui DT 25 6-4 315 1 Nevada-Las Vegas
-- Chas Alecxih DT 23 6-5 285 R Pittsburgh
LB ..
-- Cameron Collins LB 22 6-2 238 R Oregon State
-- Shelly Lyons LB 22 6-2 228 R Arizona State
DB ..
-- Trenton Hughes DB 23 5-11 190 R Maryland
-- Kelcie McCray DB 23 6-2 195 R Arkansas State
-- Kevyn Scott DB 23 5-11 208 R Syracuse
TE ..
-- Les Brown TE -- 6-5 234 R Utah State
OL ..
-- Andrew McDonald OT 23 6-6 285 R Indiana
-- Dustin Waldron OT 22 6-6 280 R Portland State
-- Derek Dennis OG 23 6-5 316 R Temple
-- Josh Samuda OG 23 6-4 312 R Massachusetts
RB ..
-- Jonas Gray RB 21 5-10 230 R Notre Dame
-- Richard Medlin RB 25 5-11 200 R Fayetteville State
-- Marcus Thigpen RB 26 5-9 193 R Indiana
WR ..
-- Jeff Fuller 22 6-4 215 R Texas A&M
-- Chris Hogan 23 6-1 220 1 Monmouth (N.J.)
-- Rishard Matthews 22 6-2 215 R Nevada-Reno ( I like this guy )
QB ..
#9 Pat Devlin 24
On the bubble .. ( Could go either way, Up or Down )
DL ..
-- Kheeston Randall DT 23 ( Rookie ) I like this guy too, he was 47th on my list !!
LB .. We will more than likely need at least one of these four ..
-- Jamaal Westerman 27 6-3 255 4 yr FA
-- Jonathan Freeny 23 6-2 242 1 yr FA ( I like him )
#53 Austin Spitler 25 ( I tried to find room for him on the 46 )
#93 Jason Trusnik 28 ( see Spitler )
DB ..
-- Quinten Lawrence DB 27 ( Free Agent addition 2 yr exp )
-- Anderson Russell S 25 ( Free Agent addition 2 yr exp )
-- Marcus Brown CB 25 ( Free Agent addition 1 yr exp )
-- Vince Agnew CB 24 ( Free Agent addition 1 yr exp )
#32 Jonathan Wade CB 28 ( Free Agent addition 5 years experience ), I like him ..
TE ..
#88 Jeron Mastrud 24 6-6 253 3 yr exp
#89 Will Yeatman 24 6-5 268 2 yr exp
OL ..
#69 Ray Feinga OG 26 6-4 337 1 yr exp
#62 Ryan Cook C 29 6-6 328 7 yr exp FA
#61 Will Barker OT 24 6-7 325 3 yr exp FA
RB ..
-- Jorvorskie Lane FB 25 5-11 277 Rookie Texas A&M
-- Jerome Messam FB -- 6-4 248 Rookie Graceland/Canada
#23 Steve Slaton RB 26 ( 5 years experience )
WR ..
-- B.J. Cunningham 23 ( Rookie ) 6-2 215 Michigan State
#14 Marlon Moore 24
#11 Julius Pruitt 26
#18 Roberto Wallace 26
Philbin's first Fin Family of forty six ..
Special Teams ..
1 Dan Carpenter PK 26
2 Brandon Fields P 28
3 John Denney LS 33
Defense ..
Defensive-Line ..
4 Jared Odrick DE 24
5 Randy Starks DE 28
6 Paul Soliai DT 28
7 Olivier Vernon DE 21 ( Rookie )
8 Tony McDaniel DE 27
9 Ryan Baker DE 27
Line-Backers ..
10 Cameron Wake 30 ( OLB/DEnd )
11 Kevin Burnett 29
12 Karlos Dansby 30
13 Gary Guyton 26 ( Free Agent addition, 5 years experience with the Pats )
14 Josh Kaddu 22 ( Rookie )
15 Koa Misi 25
Defensive-Backs ..
16 Sean Smith CB 24
17 Vontae Davis CB 24
18 Richard Marshall CB 27 ( Free Agent addition, 7 yrs exp Carolina, Az, 17 Ints )
19 Nolan Carroll CB 25
20 Jimmy Wilson CB/S 25
21 Reshad Jones S 24
22 Chris Clemons S 26
23 Tyrone Culver S 28
24 Tyrell Johnson S 27 ( Free Agent addition, 5 yrs exp Minnesota )
Offense ..
Running-Backs ..
25 Reggie Bush 27
26 Daniel Thomas 24
27 Charles Clay 23 ( FB/TE/RB/WR )
28 Lamar Miller 21 ( Rookie )
Wide-Receivers ..
29 Chad Ochocinco 34 ( Free Agent addition )
30 Brian Hartline 25 ( Where's Waldo )
31 Davone Bess 26
32 Legedu Naanee 28 (Free Agent addition )
33 Clyde Gates 26
Tight-Ends ..
34 Anthony Fasano 28
35 Michael Egnew 22 ( Rookie )
Offensive-Line ..
36 Jake Long OT 27
37 Richie Incognito OG 28
38 Mike Pouncey C 22
39 Artis Hicks OG 33 ( Free Agent addition )
40 Jonathan Martin OT 22 ( Rookie )
41 Nate Garner OT 27
42 Lydon Murtha OT 26
43 John Jerry OG 26
Quarter-Backs ..
44 David Garrard 34 ( Free Agent addition )
45 Matt Moore 27
46 Ryan Tannehill 23 ( Rookie, THE anatomically correct perfect porpoise ) that will mature to one day lead the entire Miami Dolphin Pod with cunning and grace !!
That's the active game-day forty six that I see which includes thirteen new additions !!
We may desire one more game day WR !! Who is he ( amongst what we currently have ), and what position risk's depth towards his inclusion ?? Maybe you envision an entirely different five WR's, and/or roster ?? Who would you include toward the game day 46 while excluding one for every inclusion, and what positions would you add depth to while minimizing options at others ?? Who are your seven game day in-actives, Who are your Practice Squad prospects ??
We are also extremely likely to have to make room for a free-agent or two, or three upon the league-wide final cuts ( OL, TE, WR, D )!! Do the eventual free agent additions simply replace one of the 46 from the position that they themselves play, and who most needs to be upgraded at the bottom of each position of the 46 list ??
It's early in the gestation period, but I think I can see the head, while believing that fewer than five fingers worth of moves are yet to fully form toward altering and finalizing the 2012 forty six man game day active roster ..
What would you suggest toward the current embryonic 2012 Miami Dolphin Roster ??
http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/roster/_/name/mia/miami-dolphins
THANX for an Open-Minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view ;) !
GOFINS!!
It's early, but seeing that our Miami Dolphins are celebrating somewhat of a rebirth lets take a look at what we've conceived ..
A glimmer in only their own fathers eye's, some potential of development, or pleasant surprises ?? Maybe there is a diamond in the ruff or one of 7 inactive gameday roster spots that they can fill toward the mandated 53 man roster, while several others may be destined for the Developmental Practice Squad ??
On the outside looking in !!
DL ..
-- Jarrell Root DE 24 6-3 262 R Boise State
-- Derrick Shelby DE 23 6-3 271 R Utah
-- Jacquies Smith DE 22 6-4 255 R Missouri
-- Isaako Aaitui DT 25 6-4 315 1 Nevada-Las Vegas
-- Chas Alecxih DT 23 6-5 285 R Pittsburgh
LB ..
-- Cameron Collins LB 22 6-2 238 R Oregon State
-- Shelly Lyons LB 22 6-2 228 R Arizona State
DB ..
-- Trenton Hughes DB 23 5-11 190 R Maryland
-- Kelcie McCray DB 23 6-2 195 R Arkansas State
-- Kevyn Scott DB 23 5-11 208 R Syracuse
TE ..
-- Les Brown TE -- 6-5 234 R Utah State
OL ..
-- Andrew McDonald OT 23 6-6 285 R Indiana
-- Dustin Waldron OT 22 6-6 280 R Portland State
-- Derek Dennis OG 23 6-5 316 R Temple
-- Josh Samuda OG 23 6-4 312 R Massachusetts
RB ..
-- Jonas Gray RB 21 5-10 230 R Notre Dame
-- Richard Medlin RB 25 5-11 200 R Fayetteville State
-- Marcus Thigpen RB 26 5-9 193 R Indiana
WR ..
-- Jeff Fuller 22 6-4 215 R Texas A&M
-- Chris Hogan 23 6-1 220 1 Monmouth (N.J.)
-- Rishard Matthews 22 6-2 215 R Nevada-Reno ( I like this guy )
QB ..
#9 Pat Devlin 24
On the bubble .. ( Could go either way, Up or Down )
DL ..
-- Kheeston Randall DT 23 ( Rookie ) I like this guy too, he was 47th on my list !!
LB .. We will more than likely need at least one of these four ..
-- Jamaal Westerman 27 6-3 255 4 yr FA
-- Jonathan Freeny 23 6-2 242 1 yr FA ( I like him )
#53 Austin Spitler 25 ( I tried to find room for him on the 46 )
#93 Jason Trusnik 28 ( see Spitler )
DB ..
-- Quinten Lawrence DB 27 ( Free Agent addition 2 yr exp )
-- Anderson Russell S 25 ( Free Agent addition 2 yr exp )
-- Marcus Brown CB 25 ( Free Agent addition 1 yr exp )
-- Vince Agnew CB 24 ( Free Agent addition 1 yr exp )
#32 Jonathan Wade CB 28 ( Free Agent addition 5 years experience ), I like him ..
TE ..
#88 Jeron Mastrud 24 6-6 253 3 yr exp
#89 Will Yeatman 24 6-5 268 2 yr exp
OL ..
#69 Ray Feinga OG 26 6-4 337 1 yr exp
#62 Ryan Cook C 29 6-6 328 7 yr exp FA
#61 Will Barker OT 24 6-7 325 3 yr exp FA
RB ..
-- Jorvorskie Lane FB 25 5-11 277 Rookie Texas A&M
-- Jerome Messam FB -- 6-4 248 Rookie Graceland/Canada
#23 Steve Slaton RB 26 ( 5 years experience )
WR ..
-- B.J. Cunningham 23 ( Rookie ) 6-2 215 Michigan State
#14 Marlon Moore 24
#11 Julius Pruitt 26
#18 Roberto Wallace 26
Philbin's first Fin Family of forty six ..
Special Teams ..
1 Dan Carpenter PK 26
2 Brandon Fields P 28
3 John Denney LS 33
Defense ..
Defensive-Line ..
4 Jared Odrick DE 24
5 Randy Starks DE 28
6 Paul Soliai DT 28
7 Olivier Vernon DE 21 ( Rookie )
8 Tony McDaniel DE 27
9 Ryan Baker DE 27
Line-Backers ..
10 Cameron Wake 30 ( OLB/DEnd )
11 Kevin Burnett 29
12 Karlos Dansby 30
13 Gary Guyton 26 ( Free Agent addition, 5 years experience with the Pats )
14 Josh Kaddu 22 ( Rookie )
15 Koa Misi 25
Defensive-Backs ..
16 Sean Smith CB 24
17 Vontae Davis CB 24
18 Richard Marshall CB 27 ( Free Agent addition, 7 yrs exp Carolina, Az, 17 Ints )
19 Nolan Carroll CB 25
20 Jimmy Wilson CB/S 25
21 Reshad Jones S 24
22 Chris Clemons S 26
23 Tyrone Culver S 28
24 Tyrell Johnson S 27 ( Free Agent addition, 5 yrs exp Minnesota )
Offense ..
Running-Backs ..
25 Reggie Bush 27
26 Daniel Thomas 24
27 Charles Clay 23 ( FB/TE/RB/WR )
28 Lamar Miller 21 ( Rookie )
Wide-Receivers ..
29 Chad Ochocinco 34 ( Free Agent addition )
30 Brian Hartline 25 ( Where's Waldo )
31 Davone Bess 26
32 Legedu Naanee 28 (Free Agent addition )
33 Clyde Gates 26
Tight-Ends ..
34 Anthony Fasano 28
35 Michael Egnew 22 ( Rookie )
Offensive-Line ..
36 Jake Long OT 27
37 Richie Incognito OG 28
38 Mike Pouncey C 22
39 Artis Hicks OG 33 ( Free Agent addition )
40 Jonathan Martin OT 22 ( Rookie )
41 Nate Garner OT 27
42 Lydon Murtha OT 26
43 John Jerry OG 26
Quarter-Backs ..
44 David Garrard 34 ( Free Agent addition )
45 Matt Moore 27
46 Ryan Tannehill 23 ( Rookie, THE anatomically correct perfect porpoise ) that will mature to one day lead the entire Miami Dolphin Pod with cunning and grace !!
That's the active game-day forty six that I see which includes thirteen new additions !!
We may desire one more game day WR !! Who is he ( amongst what we currently have ), and what position risk's depth towards his inclusion ?? Maybe you envision an entirely different five WR's, and/or roster ?? Who would you include toward the game day 46 while excluding one for every inclusion, and what positions would you add depth to while minimizing options at others ?? Who are your seven game day in-actives, Who are your Practice Squad prospects ??
We are also extremely likely to have to make room for a free-agent or two, or three upon the league-wide final cuts ( OL, TE, WR, D )!! Do the eventual free agent additions simply replace one of the 46 from the position that they themselves play, and who most needs to be upgraded at the bottom of each position of the 46 list ??
It's early in the gestation period, but I think I can see the head, while believing that fewer than five fingers worth of moves are yet to fully form toward altering and finalizing the 2012 forty six man game day active roster ..
What would you suggest toward the current embryonic 2012 Miami Dolphin Roster ??
http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/roster/_/name/mia/miami-dolphins
THANX for an Open-Minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view ;) !
GOFINS!!
The Dolphins will find an Identity Under Joe Philbin
Since Dan Marino retired the Miami Dolphins have had an identity crisis. A brief walk through the team history shows how the team lost its way, but also highlights why it is important for Joe Philbin to establish an identity.
Jimmy Johnson tried to create a defensive team with a power running game that controlled the clock, but with Marino still at the helm, the team never really took to the power game. When Wannstedt forced Marino to retire and took over Johnson’s team, he also tried to develop the power philosophy, but a team led by Jay Fiedler without a dominate running back would never make it over the top.
Wannstedt then sold his soul to the devil in the name of Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. in exchange for a 2002 first-round draft choice and a conditional third-round pick in 2003. The conditional pick became a 1st round pick, when Williams led the NFL in rushing with 1,853 yards. Wannstedt tried to make Ricky the center piece and face of the franchise, but with 383 carries in 2002 and 392 carries in 2003, Williams had amassed an astonishing 775 carries in two years and it took a toll on his body. Williams may have liked his weed, but he was health freak who did not take pain medication because he believed masking the pain led to more injuries.
Leadership was not a role the enigmatic Williams was cut out for and he knew another 375 carry season was going to end with him in a hospital bed. Shortly before training camp in July 2004, Williams publicly disclosed his intent to retire from professional football. Rumored to have failed a third drug test, Williams made his retirement official on August 2, 2004. Without Ricky or a QB to rudder the ship, the Dolphins floundered to a 4-12 record and Wannstedt was run out of town by an angry mob carrying pitch forks and shouting obscenities that would make Dennis Rodman blush.
In 2005, Nick Saban arrived to resurrect the Dolphins from the mess Wannstedt had made, and had the 2nd pick in the draft to begin his legacy. There were 3 QBs taken in that draft, Alex Smith to San Francisco with the number one pick, Aaron Rodgers to Green Bay at 24 and Jason Campbell to the Redskins at 25. In hindsight, perhaps the Dolphins should have drafted Rodgers, who has since become one of the best QBs in the game, but at the time Rodgers was not considered worthy of the 2nd pick.
With Ricky gone (although he did return) Saban , decided to go the free agency route for a QB and draft a running back to replace Ricky. As fate would have it, Saban chose Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees and Miami fans are well aware of how that decision worked out. The Dolphins selected Ronnie Brown, who was a good player but never a great player, Williams returned but never found the same magic sharing time with Brown. Culpepper never returned to the form he showed in Minnesota prior to injuring his knee and again the Dolphins were left without an identity.
The personality of the Dolphins took a turn for worst (if that was even possible) with the words, “fail forward fast…” The fear of failure leads to a state of inaction, or at least an inability to take risks. Since the best results always come from shrewd risk taking, one cannot be afraid to fail if one wishes to be successful. So then the lessons learned, feedback, mistakes, etc., all propel people forward. The faster one learns from failure, the more quickly they will become successful. Sounds simple, but take a punk like Joey Porter and try to teach him philosophy and what happens is the disaster that was Malcolm “Cam” Cameron.
This was the lowest point in Dolphin history, about to become the only team to ever go undefeated and also winless. Charting the Dolphins on a graph would look like spiral down the drain from the day Shula left the building to this lowest of low. Then in walks the Czar, Bill Parcells, fresh off winning the Super Bowl in 1990, not that 28 years of elapsed time should diminish the accomplishment, and his handpicked coach, Tony Sparano and handpicked GM Jeff Ireland. Gifted from the catastrophe Cam Cameron left behind, Parcells and company had the very 1st pick in the draft.
Finally, with the chance to build around a QB who was a can’t miss prospect, Matt Ryan, the Dolphins chose left tackle Jake Long. Long was safest pick in the draft, there would be no “fail forward fast” risk taking with this group. Instead Sparano placed his future in the hands of 2nd round pick Chad Henne. The fickle finger of fate intervened again when the Jets let go oft-injured Chad Pennington and the Dolphins had a QB. The season started rocky with two consecutive losses, but on the plane flight back from a loss to the Cardinals, Tony Sparano and QB coach David Lee Came up with a plan to run a high school formation known as the Wildcat…
The following week the Dolphins routed the hated New England Patriots 38-13 and the legend of the wildcat was born. Finally the Dolphins had an identity, maximizing the strength of the team, Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Patrick Cobbs running and Chad Pennington’s short pinpoint passing, the Dolphins completed the greatest single-season turnaround in NFL history going from a 1–15 regular season record in 2007 to an 11–5 record. Despite having only 16 turnovers throughout the entire regular season, the Dolphins committed 5 turnovers (4 interceptions and a lost fumble) in a 27-9 playoff loss against Baltimore culminating with Ed Reed returning a Chad Pennington interception 64 yards for a touchdown.
The Season was over, and the Ravens had exposed the Wildcat... It was the beginning of the end. It became known as the wildcat illusion; it led to drafting Pat White, an unmitigated 2nd round failure. In week 3 of the 2009 season Chad Pennington went down with a shoulder injury and he would essentially never return. Then Ronnie Brown, the triggerman for the Wildcat went down and he would never be the same player again… The Wildcat was over, the Dolphins were back in identity crisis mode which Sparano could never overcome and consequently, he was fired in 2011.
That leads all the way to Joe Philbin, but does not alleviate the problem… Who are the Miami Dolphins? After 29 years a QB was selected in the 1st round, after 16 years the offense will no longer favor a power running game and the defense will return to a 4-3. One would think Joe Philbin has taken a page from Cam Cameron’s book but with a few exceptions. Philbin does not pontificate that he is not afraid of failure, Philbin actually takes the risks necessary for change instead of talking about them.
This is what can be expected out the Dolphins, a team that will take chances, perhaps like starting a rookie QB or trading away an accomplished receiver because he does not fit the personality of the team. This is key, because it is difficult to know a player does not fit the team’s personality when the team does not have one. Clearly Philbin has a plan and that plan will be to go wide open, completely changing the formula Dolphin fans have come to know since Marino retired. If Ryan Tannehill is a bust, Philbin will be undeterred; he knows the value of the QB and will continue drafting one until he gets it right.
The Miami Dolphins will no longer sit on a lead or try to run the clock, the Dolphins will be full throttle all the time. The OTAs have been fast and furious, the pace is lightning quick and the Dolphins will play a game of reckless abandon. For Dolphin fans it will be a pure delight to see the team playing like each play is the last. So buckle up Dolphin fans, if the glimpses seen so far continue, excitement will be the name of the game in Miami.
Way to go Joe !!!
Every once in awhile a great story comes about that has nothing to do with football. This is one of those stories. Click on the link supplied and enjoy the read.
http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/article-1/Coach-Philbin-Takes-Team-Off-Site-For-Surprise-Community-Project-And-Outing/92b7da54-0fc0-425f-9554-e3ae830aba58
http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/article-1/Coach-Philbin-Takes-Team-Off-Site-For-Surprise-Community-Project-And-Outing/92b7da54-0fc0-425f-9554-e3ae830aba58
Report: Miami Dolphins Sign Chad Ochocinco
Chad Ochocinco has signed with the Miami Dolphins according to Ochocinco's own news network, OCNN.
This news comes on the same day that the Miami Dolphins acknowledged holding a private workout with him.
I'm curious to see how this plays out. I'm optimistic about bringing him in. One of his biggest problems with the Patriots offense was that it was too complicated and he never really felt comfortable running in it. That shouldn't be a problem in Miami because the Dolphins offense is supposed to be very simplified and not nearly as complicated.
What do you guys think? I know we're going to have some strong opinions on this signing.
Thanks for stopping by. Follow me on twitter @PaulDSmythe.
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| Ochocinco's new twitter avatar |
I'm curious to see how this plays out. I'm optimistic about bringing him in. One of his biggest problems with the Patriots offense was that it was too complicated and he never really felt comfortable running in it. That shouldn't be a problem in Miami because the Dolphins offense is supposed to be very simplified and not nearly as complicated.
What do you guys think? I know we're going to have some strong opinions on this signing.
Thanks for stopping by. Follow me on twitter @PaulDSmythe.
Salary Cap Again?
As promised. I have dug into where the team stands for next year as far as who the free agents will be. I know there will be many who think it is much to early to talk about next year. Please bare with me on this.
Next year we have 25 players who's contracts run out, and will be Free Agents. Amoung the big names are. Long, Bush, Starks, Fasano, McDaniel, Moore, Fields, Hartline, Smith, and the site that I looked at has Pouncey and D. Thomas on the list, although I don't think either of them will be free agents.
If you take a look around the NFL most teams have a small core of players the teams try to build around. Some teams have as little as 5 players and others may have as many as 8 or 10.
If the Dolphins don't resign any of there projected free agents they will have roughly 40 million dollars in cap space for the 2013/14 season. Needless to say we are not going to let all of these players walk, so that number will be less.
So the question becomes who goes and when. Which players of those mentioned above are core players. For me a core player is a player we can not do without. Or a player that shows so much promise he must be resigned. Jake Long fits that mold. Although from a personal stand point Jake Long has been a bit of a let down for me. Maybe he hasn't been healthy, but he is still a player I wouldn't want to lose, he has so much value to the team he must be resigned. One thing must be kept in mind when we resign him. He will cost the team 1/10 of the cap space for the length of his contract. That is a big number for a player that is not a QB.
Other than Jake Long, and Brandon Fields (a punter) I don't think any of those players are core players. If Bush, Hartline, Moore, Starks or Smith step up and have good years, they would most likely get hefty pay raises.
So as you can see next years free agents will be determined in this years production or lack there of. Although it is hard to imagine a few of these guys may not make the team this year because they don't fit the system, or this staff doesn't view them as the past regime did. That could very well happen.
Next year we have 25 players who's contracts run out, and will be Free Agents. Amoung the big names are. Long, Bush, Starks, Fasano, McDaniel, Moore, Fields, Hartline, Smith, and the site that I looked at has Pouncey and D. Thomas on the list, although I don't think either of them will be free agents.
If you take a look around the NFL most teams have a small core of players the teams try to build around. Some teams have as little as 5 players and others may have as many as 8 or 10.
If the Dolphins don't resign any of there projected free agents they will have roughly 40 million dollars in cap space for the 2013/14 season. Needless to say we are not going to let all of these players walk, so that number will be less.
So the question becomes who goes and when. Which players of those mentioned above are core players. For me a core player is a player we can not do without. Or a player that shows so much promise he must be resigned. Jake Long fits that mold. Although from a personal stand point Jake Long has been a bit of a let down for me. Maybe he hasn't been healthy, but he is still a player I wouldn't want to lose, he has so much value to the team he must be resigned. One thing must be kept in mind when we resign him. He will cost the team 1/10 of the cap space for the length of his contract. That is a big number for a player that is not a QB.
Other than Jake Long, and Brandon Fields (a punter) I don't think any of those players are core players. If Bush, Hartline, Moore, Starks or Smith step up and have good years, they would most likely get hefty pay raises.
So as you can see next years free agents will be determined in this years production or lack there of. Although it is hard to imagine a few of these guys may not make the team this year because they don't fit the system, or this staff doesn't view them as the past regime did. That could very well happen.
Traditions or Superstitions
Once again it is slow here in Shout Land with little going on in Davie. I thought I would post something, a little different. I was going to do a post on who the Dolphins might resign, looking further down the road. That would have required some research on my part and I hate doing research. So I came up with this. No research is required for this and that is my kind of post. I will do something on which players the Dolphins may keep, but that will be at a later time. We have a large number of players in the final year of contracts.
When I had season tickets many years ago, my friends and I had a tradition. We would get to the game early and eat at the Arthur Treachers Fish and Chips across the street from the Orange Bowl. On the way home we would stop at the Lums in North Miami Beach on A1A. During the away games we would go outside and toss a football around during half times. For some reason we felt if we didn't do those things the Dolphins would lose. During the 1972 season this seemed to work very good. We were convinced that these traditions were the reason the Dolphins went undefeated that year. Looking back at that time now, I think all the beer we consumed on game days had allot to do with the delusional idea that where we ate could influence a game. Then again who could argue with our theory ?
At this time I bring up the chat box Paul puts on this site and bitch about crappy the Dolphins are playing. So I would like to know if you have any type of Traditions or Superstitions before or after a game on game day ? Do you have tailgate party at home or when you go to a game ? If so what is your favorate food to bring to a tailgate party ?
If I were to go to a tailgate party before a game I would do something simple. Like burgers and dogs on the grill with chips and beer or soda. The last thing I want to be bogged down with at tailgate party is cooking something that takes allot of time to cook.
When I had season tickets many years ago, my friends and I had a tradition. We would get to the game early and eat at the Arthur Treachers Fish and Chips across the street from the Orange Bowl. On the way home we would stop at the Lums in North Miami Beach on A1A. During the away games we would go outside and toss a football around during half times. For some reason we felt if we didn't do those things the Dolphins would lose. During the 1972 season this seemed to work very good. We were convinced that these traditions were the reason the Dolphins went undefeated that year. Looking back at that time now, I think all the beer we consumed on game days had allot to do with the delusional idea that where we ate could influence a game. Then again who could argue with our theory ?
At this time I bring up the chat box Paul puts on this site and bitch about crappy the Dolphins are playing. So I would like to know if you have any type of Traditions or Superstitions before or after a game on game day ? Do you have tailgate party at home or when you go to a game ? If so what is your favorate food to bring to a tailgate party ?
If I were to go to a tailgate party before a game I would do something simple. Like burgers and dogs on the grill with chips and beer or soda. The last thing I want to be bogged down with at tailgate party is cooking something that takes allot of time to cook.
Who Will End Up Being the Miami Dolphins Starting Quarterback?
When the Miami Dolphins drafted Ryan Tannehill the consensus among draft experts was that they would need to sit him for a year or two in order for him to develop. But, after drafting Tannehill Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland said something a little unexpected when he said Tannehill would be competing for the starting job immediately.
Thankfully (in my opinion at least), Tannehill doesn't look likely to start this year. He needs some time to develop, and he is going to get that time while learning behind two experienced and somewhat successful veterans.
The thing is, I think Jeff Ireland had a very good idea how Miami's quarterback battle would turn out when he added David Garrard and drafted Ryan Tannehill. He is saying that there is a QB competition between Garrard, Matt Moore, and Ryan Tannehill, but he already knows who's going to win:
David Garrard.
Think about it. Tannehill needs time and isn't ready to start this year, so he's out. That leaves Moore and Garrard. Miami is running a west coast offense, which automatically gives Garrard an advantage.
Garrard has been able to consistently produce in the NFL. The last time Moore had a great run near the end of the season in 2009 he followed it with a terrible one where he threw 5 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in six games in 2010.
They'll all say that the battle is "very close", but I can assure you that the Dolphin coaches and evaluators have already started to see who the better quarterback is.
Don't interpret this as me disliking Matt Moore, because the opposite is true. I admire what he did last year in helping turn the team around. He was tremendous in helping rally the Dolphins when everyone questioned whether they could even win a game. I just don't think he is good enough to be a consistent starter. He played well for most of the year, but he was never great when he needed to be. Sure, when the game wasn't on the line he played great, but when we needed him to "go in for the kill" and win us the game he couldn't do it.
Add in the fact that Matt Moore isn't a very good practice player, and it only makes sense that Garrard will end up starting when Miami opens up the season in Houston Week 1.
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know what you think will happen with Miami's QB competition.
Feel free to contact me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.
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| Of course I'm going to include Mrs. Tannehill |
Thankfully (in my opinion at least), Tannehill doesn't look likely to start this year. He needs some time to develop, and he is going to get that time while learning behind two experienced and somewhat successful veterans.
The thing is, I think Jeff Ireland had a very good idea how Miami's quarterback battle would turn out when he added David Garrard and drafted Ryan Tannehill. He is saying that there is a QB competition between Garrard, Matt Moore, and Ryan Tannehill, but he already knows who's going to win:
David Garrard.
Think about it. Tannehill needs time and isn't ready to start this year, so he's out. That leaves Moore and Garrard. Miami is running a west coast offense, which automatically gives Garrard an advantage.
Garrard has been able to consistently produce in the NFL. The last time Moore had a great run near the end of the season in 2009 he followed it with a terrible one where he threw 5 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in six games in 2010.
They'll all say that the battle is "very close", but I can assure you that the Dolphin coaches and evaluators have already started to see who the better quarterback is.
Don't interpret this as me disliking Matt Moore, because the opposite is true. I admire what he did last year in helping turn the team around. He was tremendous in helping rally the Dolphins when everyone questioned whether they could even win a game. I just don't think he is good enough to be a consistent starter. He played well for most of the year, but he was never great when he needed to be. Sure, when the game wasn't on the line he played great, but when we needed him to "go in for the kill" and win us the game he couldn't do it.
Add in the fact that Matt Moore isn't a very good practice player, and it only makes sense that Garrard will end up starting when Miami opens up the season in Houston Week 1.
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know what you think will happen with Miami's QB competition.
Feel free to contact me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.
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