The Dolphins traveled to San Diego for their fourteenth game of the season as an uninvited guest to a Chargers fair-well party. San Diego's Chargers have resided there since 1961 and are now the leading candidate to move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season. This was quite possibly the last game that they'll ever play for their home town fans as their two remaining games are on the road, and they came to play for those that have supported them for 54 years.
They hadn't scored a touchdown in 22 offensive possessions and/or three weeks. Enter the Miami Dolphins. San Diego scores on their first 12 play possession of 86 yards with a twenty yard pass to the mini-me-esqe Danny Woodhead. They managed a field goal on their fourth possession. They had tabulated zero rushing touchdowns since week one until their 5th possession against Miami when Danny Woodhead scored from two yards out. Their team hadn't rushed for over 100 yards in eleven weeks until the 140 against the Dolphins. On their sixth possession Danny Woodhead struck again with a touchdown reception from 9 yards out for a 23 - Zipp halftime lead. Woodhead wasn't done as Miami's Dolphins allowed him a third touchdown reception in the second half to go along with his second quarter rush for 6 points.
On the Chargers third possession with a 6 - 0 lead 27 seconds into the second quarter the Dolphins defense actually made a play that a typical 2015 Miami bounce upended. San Diego ball at their own 41, 2nd down and eight to go. Phillip Rivers heaves a 52 yard bomb that the Dolphins tip-drilled into the hands of Rashad Jones for an interception at the Miami 7 yard line. Jones returns the ball 49 yards and fumbles into the hands of the quarterback who hasn't moved since releasing the ball. A Dolphin interception and return of 49 yards turns into a three yard gain and a first down for San Diego of which they managed the previously mentioned field goal. Time and again, that's just the way that the balls have bounced for the 2015 Miami Dolphins!
Miami's offense was no better as they ran just 31 plays on their first eight possessions that resulted in 7 punts and the end of the first half. The Dolphins just this week had released reserve offensive lineman Jeff Linkenbach who knows all of the Miami offensive signals as well as formations, and the Chargers picked him up. One would think that Linkenbach called all the Charger defensive plays because they somehow managed to have the right guy in the right place in every Dolphin offensive instance. But then again. That's just how the balls have bounced for the 2015 Miami Dolphins!
The visitors entered the game with just seven active offensive lineman, and Dolphin Left Tackle Brandon Albert left the game (never to return) due to injury in the first quarter. The Dolphin guards were pressed into the tackle positions, got eaten alive, and Miami didn't score until they were inside the last two minutes of the third quarter when rookie running back Jay Ajayi scored his first NFL touchdown from 12 yards out. Miami Center Mike Pouncey left the game due to injury during that 3rd quarter Jay Ajayi touchdown drive. The Dolphins managed just their second score of the day inside the last two minutes of the game with a Ryan Tannehill one yard touchdown run as the final score ended up being 30 - 14 for the home team.
With a Detroit Lions Monday Night win. The Dolphins will move up into the 7th overall pick of the 2016 draft while they are within one game of a potential third overall pick, and two games within a potential first overall pick. The Dolphins will be going to all lengths in listening for potential draftee options.
So left tackle Brandon Albert missed 99% of the seasons first four games, and it took him a few weeks to get up to speed. At just about that same mid-season point right tackle Ju'Waun James went down and has yet to return. So in truth. The Dolphins haven't had their true starting offensive line on the field together but for just a few games of what is a 16 game season, and their offensive line depth is absolutely atrocious!
Albert is injured yet again, to what extent is not known but something drastic has to take place in order to fix this offensive line atrocity. Albert is scheduled to receive 10 plus million dollars for his 2016 services, and Miami has a minimal amount of cap space presently available towards next season. Depending on the severity of his most recent injury! Perhaps it's time to cut ties with the often injured reason for offensive line shuffling, non-cohesion, and ineptitude?
If they are to go offensive line with the first pick? It's gotta be Notre Dames Jr. tackle Ronnie Stanley who could instantly start at left tackle (minus Albert), or at left guard until Albert is truly done. He'd be a great pick for those who have zero faith in Dallas Thomas at guard because Stanley could play guard until Albert is done, and D. Thomas as well as rookie guard Jamil Douglas (who like Thomas couldn't play tackle if his life depended on it) would instantly become two with some sort of viable guard depth.
There are other early first round tackle options, but the guy ranked ahead of Stanley (Jr. Laremy Tunsel of Ole-Miss) has an injury history that most wouldn't want to hear the fans scream about, and the third likely option (Sr. Taylor Decker of Ohio St) is extremely tall and has trouble getting under the defender but is very good otherwise.
There are a couple really good linebacker options to be had with the first round, top ten pick, and Notre Dames outside linebacker Jaylon Smith is the only one to fiercely pursue as he's the most ready for the NFL! Another OLB Myles Jack of UCLA is also very special but as a Dolphin fan who's seen too many injured draft picks come our way, he is to be avoided because he's recovering from November meniscus surgery. Alabama's ILB Reggie Ragland could potentially be a first pick option for Miami, but he's not quite as special as Bama's previous first round inside linebacker CJ Mosley.
Seeing that the 2015 Miami defense will have allowed the most touchdown passes in franchise history! There are two corner backs among others that the Dolphins could surely use with their first pick in Vernon Hargreaves the third of Florida, and Jalen Ramsey out of Florida State. Meanwhile. At this present moment, Brent Grimes 2016 services will cost 9.5 million smacks in the face! As will tight end Jordan Cameron!
And of course (minus the dismissal of Brandon Albert) and/or the absolute need of a starting left tackle. The conchs absolute first choice (if available at the Dolphins pick however unlikely that is) would be Ohio States defensive end and pass rusher extraordinaire Joey Bosa who without missing a beat would be the immediate replacement of Cam Wake!
Cam Wake will be 34 come January and nearing 35 by the time he's able (if ever) to return from an torn achilles injury which will surely minimize his explosion abilities. He (like Brandon Albert) is fading into obscurity, aging quickly, often injured, and scheduled to be paid 10 million 2016 dollars for his services of which Wake's won't be available until late next season.
If Free Agent Olivier Vernon gets away? And perhaps even if he doesn't.
Miami has to do whatever in the world it takes to land Joey Bosa!
Bosa AND Vernon together (for the next decade) would be as good as o15 was supposed to be at rushing the quarterback while minimizing the possibility of breaking (in back to back seasons) the franchise record of touchdown passes allowed! Defensive Ends Quinton Coples and Dion Jordan are contracted to 7.75 and 6.2 million for 2016.
Miami should cut both Albert and Wake (if not the whole lot'of'em) in order to open up at least 20 plus million of cap space, but they can't feasibly cut both and leave themselves in dire need of both a first round left tackle and a trouble making to the oppositions quarterback defensive end! The Dolphins need multiple bodies of legitimate depth at offensive line (if Albert is kept), starters if he isn't. They're corner back play has been extremely questionable if not totally absent. They could use a stud first round linebacker, while with the current predicament of Cam Wake and free agent status of Olivier Vernon they absolutely need Joey Bosa! At quarterback despite what some might think about Ryan Tannehill, he is by far the last and/or least of their immediate concerns!
What are the Miami Dolphins to do?
Trade their first round pick for an experienced head coach?
Don't put it past owner Stephen Ross!
That's just how the balls have bounced for the 2015 Miami Dolphins!!
Thanks for your time, and as always we look forward to your angle of view : )) !!
GOFINS???
MERRY CHRISTMAS, and/or HAPPY HOLIDAY'S TO ALL !!!
