Dolphin Shout - Miami Dolphins Community: Where Are the Miami Dolphins and Their Free Agents?

Where Are the Miami Dolphins and Their Free Agents?

at Friday, January 04, 2013 Posted by Riverdog

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?

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

You can't let everybody let go. We have only 5 good picks in the draft and FA is only full of leftovers.
In FA, I would only pursue (AND GET!) Mike Wallace. I put money on the table on this one. Maybe add one or two players for depth (maybe on the OL) at a good price.
I would resign Bush, Starks, Smith, Clemons, Fasano, Garner, Hartline for their fair price.
And I would make my move : trade Davone Bess. He is not needed on this team. Bush and Thigpen should share the slot position. They are much faster than Bess. I get a 3th round pick from Bess and some money under the cap.
In the draft : Keenan Allen, then Zach Ertz. Margus Hunt. That's 3 out of the 6 picks in the first 3 rounds. With the other 3, watch for OL help, Secondary help, LB help. In the lower rounds, draft one QB to be n°3 on the depth chart. Watch for a steal to be made. Watch for a kicker.
Team set. Play-Offs ahead.

5 replies · active 639 weeks ago

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djpeverill 47p · 639 weeks ago

Good assesment JP, but I think only Ireland would give up a 3 for Bess, maybe we can get a 5 or lower, small slow WR's are a dime a dozen but he does have a decent track record in the pros already. I would go all out for Wallace too, he's exactly what we need, keep Hartline and draft a WR w/ one of the top 5 picks and I think we're on our way. I would also hold of signing Fasano and see if we can get T. Eifert from ND in the 1st round, he's taller, faster, has great hands and offers more big play opportunities than Fasano, I like fasano, but we just need more from that position like what NE gets.

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BuckeyeFinfan · 639 weeks ago

I think we need to resign Fasano and get another TE, with the way he looked this year we may as well cut bait with Egnew now, he was just awful, maybe he can be coached I dont know. At this point I would like to see how our accountant did over the season, did he bulk up and get stronger to improve his blocking? He was fast and as hard a worker as you will ever find, just dont know if he can get strong enough to block anyone. As far as WR's, Wallace would be my first choice too, I wouldnt mind seeing Jennings but not at a mega contract. We have to resign Hartline, he was our only receiving threat and everyone knew it and he still had around 75 catches and 1100 yards, and he would be even better with a true #1 on the other side. I have said 100 times I think we should resign Reggie, there in no one out there FA wise that is better and Thomas and Miller have proven that they arent ready yet. Smith, Long and Starks I would love to keep but they may be too expensive if they explore FA offers.

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BuckeyeFinfan · 639 weeks ago

Just for the record, I love MM, I think he is probably the ultimate team player and the best teammate you could have. I would love to have him back but I think he deserves to go somewhere where he has the chance to start, guarantee there are not 31 better QB's right now than him. As far as the rest of them, say goodbye.

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Jimmy · 639 weeks ago

Good thoughts JP. I'd like to see Wallace in a Dolphins uniform. I think that was what our offense was missing this year was a deep threat. We didn't have anyone to keep the safeties honest. I haven't seen too much of Greg Jennings.... is he a deep threat at all? Someone help me out here?
I don't see Bess getting traded. We have plenty of cap room and he had a good year (61 catches, 778 yds). I don't see us trading away a good wideout. I think he will be all the more effective if we can acquire a deep threat.

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Riverdog · 639 weeks ago

I had a feeling you would say get rid of all of them. :)) I don't think that will happen, but we are going to see a lot of changes next year. So there is no telling what they will do. I can say this. We haven't the made the playoffs with these guys on the team. How much worse could it be without them ?

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

Hey dj... There isn't so much of a difference between Eifert and Ertz.
And for Bess : there are always teams willing to do dumb things, lol! And more seriously, think about Welker. Lots of similarities. Welker, undrafted, 5-9, 185 pounds, 4,61-40 time. Bess, undrafted, 5-10, 194 pounds, 4,64-40 time.
So comparable. We got a second and a seventh on Welker... If somebody somewhere thinks Bess can be his Welker...
I agree on Fasano. He must be kept and paired with his opposite, I mean a great receiver and fair blocking type of a TE.

2 replies · active 639 weeks ago

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djpeverill 47p · 639 weeks ago

Hey JP, but I'm a ND fan!!! LOL, GO IRISH!!! would love to trade our 10million $$ MLB and get Mantei Teo also but I doubt anyone would take that contract for no playmaking ability. Welker blosomed under that system and w/ Brady, not sure he would have done what he's done playing here. I think the key to this offseason (besides dumping Ireland, but we won't open THAT can of worms again :) is whether Philbin is going to run the WC offence like he said last off season or not, I think Wallace and Bush would be perfect fits for that, and Egnew might even fit too, but if we continue to go old school and pound it b'tween the tackles and be conservative in the passing game, then we need to let Bush go, keep Fassano and aquire bigger OL's, but we're already going in the smaller more athletic OL's w/ Pouncey and Martin so the Old school doesn't make sense, as it didn't this year.

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

A Notre-Dame fan wanting to dump Ireland... Duh! Can you believe that, folks???
LOL!

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TXDOLFAN · 639 weeks ago

I really like discussion articles so kudos to you Dog for posting this. I watched Wallace in a couple of games and didn't see the same player from previous seasons. He didn't have a great attitude because the Steelers wouldn't mortgage the farm for him. I suspect that he would want a Jake Long level of contract to sign and unless he gets his head straight, he would not be worth that degree of investment. We do need a WR, in the mold of Andre Johnson, who can be a number one and push DBs around. Hartline would really excel then. Bess has been good but getting separation is key for the slot. Yes, Welker did well for us but his other value back then was kickoff and punt returns. Our slot guy needs to get attention to open up the coverage. No doubt we need a brute for TE. Fasano caught alot of passes at ND and Dallas cut bait with him real easy. He has produced for us but we need a Gronk or Jason Witten playing first string. Fasano would be better in the two TE sets. Starks gave us some production in the sack and run defense departments and I would keep him. We do need another animal on the line and at LB. .

6 replies · active 639 weeks ago

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TXDOLFAN · 639 weeks ago

Had to split the post. I've talked before about Smith. Re-sign but not at a feature CB salary. Bring in a stud CB and Safety. Moore will find a home somewhere. There are enough teams that could use him. Perhaps we could trade him before his contract runs out and get a decent draft choice.

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Riverdog · 639 weeks ago

Thanks TX. I'm with you on Wallace. If you are going to mortagage the house it needs to be on someone that wants to be THE MAN. I didn't like what I saw out of Wallace this year. The last thing this team needs is another baby on the team like Brandon Marshall was. I would bring Jennings in here for just a few years before I would Wallace. Jennings can teach this team a lot about the WCO.

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TXDOLFAN · 639 weeks ago

Bravo!!!!

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sec70 80p · 639 weeks ago

Agreed!!!

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djpeverill 47p · 639 weeks ago

Wallace was dissappointed w/ his contract and reported late, on top of that Pitts. had a new OC that big ben didn't like and restrickted the pass offence. As I said B4, IF and I mean IFFFFF, coach joe is going to run the WC offence, Wallace, or someone like him is a must, is there someone else like him out there?

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Riverdog · 639 weeks ago

dj. I don't think we had the offensive linemen to run the WCO. From I have heard a WCO uses zone blocking scheme. Any time we tried to do that this year the opposing defenses were getting to out RB from the backside. Our linemen weren't athletic enough to cut them off, and there were no running lanes because of that. So about 25% of our running game was useless.

I am sitting here watching the Texans running plays using the zone blocking and looks nothing like what we do. As much as hate to say this, I think we will be drafting another offensive lineman with one of out first 3 picks. I am so sick of us drafting olinemen every year.

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13kvFINS · 639 weeks ago

Where'd the 3-4 D go ?? Typo, I'm sure !! Or did I miss something ??

Offensively, JP and I have been on the same train for awhile with FA Wallace (or Bust)... Where we differ is that if we land Wallace, I'm upgrading the slot with draftee Tavin Austin (giving us the fastest slot receiver in the league) as well as one of the fastest #1 WR's in the league with Wallace... JP doesn't like Tavin Austin (thinks he's Dexter McCluster) who was primarily a RB in college that never caught more than 44 balls.. Tavin Austin has been the ultimate slot receiver in college with 58 2010, 101 2011, and 114 2012 receptions in college, he runs great routes, has great hands and has huge YAC stats in being the fastest WR available in the 2013 draft, he can run circles around Bess and/or Welker!!

Wallace, Austin, and Hartline would be an undefendable threesome, and I'd keep Bess to backup Austin & Hartline..

If we don't land an obvious #1 WR (Wallace) in FA, I'm drafting SR WR Terrance Williams out of Baylor over Keenan Allen !! I like Williams' #1 WR strength and speed over Kennan Allens, but Allen is a stud in his own right too while Williams is also the Senior that Ireland prefers to target !! Could go either way depending on what happens in FA !!

LOVE TE's ERTZ & EIFERT, as well as DE's Alex Okafer and Sam Montgomery while hoping to land one of those four in the 2nd round, AFTER A 1st ROUND WR SELECTION.. If we go TE or DE in the 1st, I'm goin with WR's Justin Hunter or Robert Woods in the 2nd... Also like TE Travis Kelce (Cincy) in the 4th round, though he's not the athletic type playmakers that Eifert or Ertz are, just a giant, strong, 6.5, 260, 4.68 forty guy out of the TE position (who could make Fasano expendable)... Don't forget we have Clay as the explosive-type TE..

As for our own FA's, I'm keepin Hartline, Bush, Starks, SS, Fasano, Clemons and Garner ...

JMHO's, GOFINS!!

3 replies · active 639 weeks ago

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

Well pretty much on the same line indeed, with a difference here and there!

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Jimmy · 639 weeks ago

Glad I'm not the only one on the Tavon Austin wagon!! Hes not a #1 WR, but I think we need more playmakers like him that can score from anywhere on the field. If we can sign Jennings/Wallace or someone who can stretch the field, I think he would make a good 1/2 punch. I know we have a whole slew of picks, and if he slides into the 2nd, I hope we move up and get him.
I'm hoping that Ireland lands some playmakers this year. We ranked 27th in PPG, 16.8 ppg behind NE. We need more guys who can score, guys like Austin or Wallace.

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TXDOLFAN · 639 weeks ago

Austin helped out RGIII alot:)))

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sec70 80p · 639 weeks ago

Only 3 of our FAs showed they are worth new contacts this season, in order;

1. Brian Hartline
2. Randy Starks
3. Reggie Bush

Not sure if Starks will get resigned only because of the depth on the D-line.

11 replies · active 639 weeks ago

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

Worthy or not... the bottom line is : if you dump the guy, are you sure you get easily an upgrade in the draft (or FA... but cautious with FA! I would gamble on one guy (Wallace) not on three or four starters!)

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sec70 80p · 639 weeks ago

The players I listed are one's I find to be solid keepers. Wallace is a talent with speed to burn but my concern about him which got him in Mike Tomlin's doghouse was his "me first attitude". "GAMBLE" is the key word you used.

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TXDOLFAN · 639 weeks ago

We don't need another Brandumb Marshall

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djpeverill 47p · 639 weeks ago

As we all know most top WR's are divas, just seems to be the way it is, I think it was the holdout that got him in Tomlins doghouse and we all know most players holdout when looking for a new deal. If we run the WC offence then we need to sign Wallace, period, even if he's the only FA we sign, but we'll also need to sign or draft an OT and OG. We pretty much have to franchaise CB Smith after trading Davis, we're too thin at CB not to. love to also bring back:
1. Brian Hartline
2. Randy Starks
3. Reggie Bush (If we install the WC O)
J. Long is in decline physically and for the $$$ he'll want I say wish him well and let him go.

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sec70 80p · 639 weeks ago

DJ, I agree about Long. Love the dude, but this may be his final year in Miami.

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sec70 80p · 639 weeks ago

No we don't.

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

Yeah, I used the word "gamble" and I stand by it. You have to gamble sometimes in this game. Not often, but here and there. I feel we have no choice. WR class is thin in FA AND in the draft. Everybody else is more of a gamble than Wallace. Let's spend money on him.

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PaulSmythe 93p · 639 weeks ago

I've actually been hearing that the WR class is the strength of the draft. QB and RB are awful.

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

Where did you hear that, Paul? They say it's thin at WR and CB.

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Jimmy · 639 weeks ago

There aren't any top wideouts like Blackmon or Green this year in the draft. It is not strong, but there is depth, if that makes sense. I can see a couple WRs being late 1st picks (Hunter, Allen, Austin or Patterson) and a slew of guys going in the 2nd-3rd round. I think a lot of teams will find solid 2nd day WRs in this draft.

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

Ok so! There is a depth of average WRs! Problem is : we need a stud or two.

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13kvFINS · 639 weeks ago

Dolphins | Anthony Fasano not expected to be priority

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 11:48:35 -0800

Miami Dolphins impending free-agent TE Anthony Fasano is not expected to be priority for the team this offseason because he is not able to make catches down the seam. The team hopes TE Michael Egnew can develop into a starter next season.

Share: Tweet! Share on Facebook | Source: ProFootballWeekly.com

Read more: http://www.kffl.com/team/22/nfl#ixzz2HAGCziSU

4 replies · active 639 weeks ago

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13kvFINS · 639 weeks ago

• On the Dolphins’ long list of key free agents, TE Anthony Fasano is not expected to be a priority to re-sign. Though he’s a good blocker and effective in the red zone, leading the team with five TD catches, he is not a seam threat. The hope is that Michael Egnew, a 2012 third-round pick who appeared in two games without making a catch and appears to need more time to develop, can make the leap in Year Two and be the starter, especially if Fasano is not re-signed. Egnew does have the ability to make catches down the seam.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/2013/01/05/mcclu...

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

See also what they say about Wallace in the same article! Time to send love letters to the guy, green ones.

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13kvFINS · 639 weeks ago

Wonder what Pitts cap status is ?? Poison pill, like what NE did to us with Welker, make Wallace an offer that Pitt can't possibly afford !!

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JPBelgianPhin · 639 weeks ago

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/08/an-early-loo...
Doesn't look good for them, Kenny!

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13kvFINS · 639 weeks ago

The Indianapolis Colts wound up getting cornerback Vontae Davis from the Miami Dolphins at a discount.

The Colts acquired Davis before the season for a second- and conditional sixth-round pick. The condition on the sixth-round pick was that Davis play in 65 percent of the Colts' plays during the regular season, according to a league source.

But a sprained left knee sidelined him for enough of the season that Davis played just short of the 65 percent threshold and now the Dolphins only will get the Colts' second-round pick, according to sources.

Davis, 24, finished the season with 51 tackles and three interceptions. He has 12 interceptions in his four-year career.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8818139/miami-d...

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13kvFINS · 639 weeks ago

DAMNNNNN, SS lookin for 7 mill per, or there abouts ?? Good Luck with that !!

Dolphins | Not close to deal with Sean Smith

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 12:39:01 -0800

The Miami Dolphins are not close to an agreement with impending free-agent CB Sean Smith. Smith is looking for a deal close to the six-year, $43 million contract Tennessee Titans CB Jason McCourty signed before the season.

Share: Tweet! Share on Facebook | Source: The Palm Beach Post - Ben Volin

Read more: http://www.kffl.com/team/22/nfl#ixzz2HKqjToJJ

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