Wow! What a difference eight games can make. Eight games into the season the Dolphins had a record of 4-4. We were on the way to having a great chance of making the playoffs with the 5th at the time.
At that time we were talking about getting some of our free agents under contract so we could keep them out of free agency. At that time I was thinking that Reggie Bush, Sean Smith, Randy Starks, Brian Hartline, and Anthony Fasano were shoe-ins to get contract extensions.
I felt that the team had turned the corner, and those that were up for free agency needed to be here for the future.
Then, the second half of the season arrived, and all of those bug-a-boo problems that we have began to creep back in like losing to teams that are beatable. In two consecutive weeks we played two teams that we should have easily been able to control: the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills, in that order. The Titans came to town and beat us like a drum. How in the hell does a lousy team like the Titans do that to us? That pretty much ended our chances of making the playoffs.
Eight games later I sit here at this keyboard and I find myself thinking why resign any of the 12 free agents? I mean, what's the point? Are those 12 difference makers? We sent Brandon Marshall and Vontae Davis on their way because they didn't have the right makeup for this team. Well, what about Reggie Bush, Jake Long, Randy Starks, Sean Smith, Chris Clemons, Tyrone Culver, Anthony Fasano, Tony McDaniel, Nate Garner, Brian Hartline, Nate Kaeding, and Matt Moore. Do they have the right stuff?
Statistically, neither the offense nor the defense played as well as they did last year. The turnover ratio continues to plague this team. Teams that lose in the NFL have one thing in common, and that is they are on the losing end of the turnover ratio. I feel that is a direct correlation to a few things. One of them is a hustle factor, and the second one is team speed.
I'm really not that upset about our record even though we missed the playoffs once again. I must keep in mind most of the players here were selected with a different philosophy in place. Our entire offense is being asked to do something they don't have the skillset to do. So, many of those players are out of place in this offense. The defense is in the same boat because the 3-4 defense is gone.
Honestly I have no idea who the Dolphins will try to resign. For the most part I think there are six players on this list that aren't needed here. The remaining six are Bush, Long, Starks, Smith, Fasano, and Hartline. Of those six only two or three have had a real impact for this team. Maybe they will let them all walk. Who knows?
