The 2017 Miami Dolphins waded their way through an unparalleled chain of events that began upon the final preseason game and continued on a weekly basis through week 11!
It started with a catastrophe, was followed by uncontrolable disasters which precedded a number of rediculous off the field calamities. An inside of doors snow blizzard, in Miami? A proven LB of high character goes AWOL, and another gets the drunk & disorderly handcuffs? A cancelled week one & Bye Week 11? The Dolphins were done before even getting started, and they were most definitely worn beyond worn over the season's final 6 games! And after the week one disaster, tropical storms continued to soak Miami into the seasons final third!!
You remember the field conditions in Miami for their first six or so of eight home games? DISGUSTINGLY EMBARRASING!! As was the final tally of 6 - 10..
Our team was not only challenged via all the above and then some.. They were severely lacking (due to injuries for the most part) at the CB, LB, TE & OL positions from beginning to end, and ohh yea at QB too !!
The Miami Dolphins can't control what's beyond their control !!
So they went above and beyond in taking command of what they can control with fresh, proven, Highly qualified personnel throughout the coaching staff and on the roster/field !!
They went so drastically deep into changing what takes place on the field of 6 - 10 team, that (compared to game one starters of 2017).. The probability is extremely high for THIRTEEN (if not 14) different starters taking the field in week one of 2018! Lucky 13, thats more than one half of a 25 man starting roster!
So here's how some of it is visualized from one Miami Dolphins Fans Perspective..
2017 Miami Dolphins Game One Starters,
and ( The Replacements ) Projected for 2018.
OFFENSE
QB Jay Cutler, ( Ryan Tannehill )
LT Laremy Tunsil
LG Anthony Steen, (Josh Sitton)
C Mike Pouncey, (Danial Kilgore)
RG Jermon Bushrod, (Jesse Davis)
RT JuWaun James
RB Jay Ajayi, (Frank Gore/Kenyan Drake, and rookie Kalen Ballage)
WR DeVante Parker
SR Jarvis Landry, (Danny Amendola/Albert Wilson/Jakeem Grant)
WR Kenny Stills
TE Julius Thomas, (Rookies Mike Gesicki/Durham Smythe)
Miami's 2018 offense would be very likely to stomp 2017's TEAM into lost & forgotten obliteration!
DEFENSE
FS Nate Allen, (TJ McDonald/Minkah Fitzpatrick)
SS Rashad Jones
DE Andre Branch, (Robert Quinn/Charles Harris)
DT Jordan Phillips
DT Ndamukong Suh, (Davon Godchaux, William Hayes, Akeem Spence, Vincent Taylor)
DE Cameron Wake
OLB Kiko Alonso
MLB Mike Hull, ( Raekwon McMillan )
OLB Chase Allen, (Stephone Anthony/rookie Jerome Baker/CAllen/MHull, and another rookie Quinton Poling) etc.
CB Xavien Howard
CB Byron Maxwell, ( Minkah Fitzpatrick/Cordrea Tankersley/Tony Lippett)
Minus the third LB Base Defense
Slot = Bobby McCain/Tank/Fitz/Lipp, and rookie Cornell Armstrong etc..
SPECIAL TEAMS
LS John Denney
P Matt Haack
K Cody Parkey, ( Jason Sanders )
I have Minkah Fitzpatrick (over the seasons duration) starting at any one of seven different Defensive positions via ( S X 2, CB X 3, LB X 2 ). For game one, play one, if they start in base 4-3, I see him starting over Cordrea Tankersley opposite of Xavian Howard..
Anyone remember the name Byron Maxwell?? Man he went from the one, to the two, to being inactive in o17’s first 3 weeks which was when rookie Tankersley took over and did pretty well..
Maxwell never played another down and was released a month later..
I think that Tank is pretty damn good, but Fitz teamed up with X makes for a total shutdown tandem at CB!!!
As far as who ended-up as o17 DB starters. Tankersley (last witnessed) would appear to be the weakest link, (though he’s not weak in any sense). It's just that it's quite apparent that Fitzpatrick offers farr more proven talents, and skills..
That would be my basic Defensive lineup for getting the best 7 on the back-end, play one..
But of course. There is also the possibility that Minkah Fitzpatrick may very well start at one of the other 6 positions he excels at? Shoot Saban suggest that #29 Fitz could even play MLB in certain situations, (which makes 8 different positions he can morph into) while Butterfly-Bellied-Brady is at the LOS attempting to dissect !!
The other positional player that Minkah may likely be a better option to start for would be the third LB (whoever that may endup being among numerous previously mentioned qualified candidates)..
While (if not a true OLB starting at that spot)? One of either Fitzpatrick or TJ McDonald could start/play/lineup at an OLB's vicinity with the other at FS..
An order to get the 7 best of the back-end on the field, game one, play one, and throughout the season.. Should make for quite the confusing puzzle for offensive opponents!!
TJ McDonald an established/proven/productive/deserving player & First Round Pick Minkah Fitzpatrick should both start somewhere !!
So in the 4-3 base game one, play one,
I have TJ'Mc at FS, & Minkah in place of Tankersley at CB.
Or.
(My Goodness, Fitzpatrick brings with him soooo many alternative options)..
It's mind boggling!!
Fitz at FS & TMc at OLB?
But (in that moment) who knows? Perhaps one of them true OLB’s (Jerome Baker etc) blows the doors off TMc at OLB for the game one, play one start?
Of course a lot will depend on how the Titans lineup.. In o17 Miami started in the base 4-3 against them..
With get this at LB
Kiko, Maualuga, Timmons
Hmmm..
Think The Dolphins are a little better off at LB, DB, overall defense, TE, OL, and ohh yea QB ??
Not a headscratcher, DATTS’FER'SURE!!
I BELIEVE that The Swiss Army Knife, Jack & Master of All Football Trades, and true leader Minkah Fitzpatrick will be farrr more valuable than the one dimensional Suh as the Future Franchise Face of the Defense!!
And we’ll have him for 5 years for the cost of one year with what we were scheduled to pay Suh!!!
Loved Suh (zero disrepect intended), but Minkah Fitzpatrick (from Anywhere and Everywhere) will be farrr more impactful and indecipherable !!
The Miami Dolphins 2018 Defense could very well become the class of the AFC East!
What Are Your Thought's 3 months before kickoff ??
GOFINS!!!
