A Review & Preview of the Miami Dolphin Front Seven

In the first of a series of articles, the writers at Dolphinshout will analyze changes in key areas of the Miami Dolphin football team. This installment focuses on the defensive front seven.

The responsibility of the front seven begins most notably with pass rushing. In today’s NFL, money goes to the players that pass the ball, protect the passer, catch the ball, rush the passer and cover the receivers. The front seven is the main force in rushing the passer, but must also shut down the running, while covering the middle of the field.

The pass rush is where the players on the front seven earn their reputation. The Miami defensive backs take the blame for the lack of big plays on the defense, but balls fluttering in the air are easy pickings compared to perfect passes thrown in rhythm. Pressuring the QB disrupts the passing game and takes the pressure off the coverage unit. The QB has a much better chance of completing passes the longer he has to survey the field.

The brain trust of the Miami Dolphins is well aware the DBs are not solely to blame for the team’s inability to create turnovers. Moving from a base 3-4 to a base 4-3 defense, changes the roles of several players in the component most experts believe is the overall best unit on the team. There is talent left from the Sparano regime, but Kevin Coyle’s defense attacks differently from the scheme coached by Mike Nolan.

The pressure is now applied mainly by the defensive ends where it previously came from the outside linebackers. Where there was a primary nose tackle in a 3-4, there are two tackles in the 4-3. The following illustration shows the difference in the two alignments side by side.

The dolphins will interchange these two formations in a hybrid defense; the base scheme is pictured on the right. Under coach Coyle, the Miami defense changes from the left picture to the right picture. In this simplistic interpretation, a defensive lineman replaces a linebacker.

The change does not seem drastic, but the type of players required for the scheme to work presents issues when transforming to the new the system. Paul Soliai manned the nose tackle position in the 3-4, but he is now joined by Randy Starks at the under tackle position. The NFL game is evolving from common five and seven step QB drops replaced by 3 step drops in a rapid-fire up-tempo sling fest.

In this modern passing game, the QB releases the ball so quickly, the outside linebackers in the 3-4 are mitigated by the release time of the football. Here is a look at the same illustration with the arcs of the pass rushers added in red.

Notice the distance required to get the passer in a 3-4 versus the distance in a 4-3. As the game evolves to a quicker tempo, the pass rushers have to find ways to get to the QB fast. Lining up closer is one obvious advantage as the red lines indicate. There is an added benefit in the 4-3 by having two tackles coming up the middle. Any pass rush coming around the end is going to have issues reaching the passer in the 3-step drop.

Bringing pressure up the middle can disrupt the timing of the up-tempo offense. The 3-step drop with only a single nose tackle is much easier than a 3-step drop with two tackles. Fortunately, Miami has two players already on the team capable of playing the positions, Soliai and Starks, but there needs to be rotational players to rest the starters. For that the Dolphins will need Jared Odrick to bulk up. A heavier Odrick cannot man the DE position in a 4-3, because he does not have pure pass rusher speed.

The Dolphins began reshaping last year by drafting DE Olivier Vernon but the process was not complete until they jumped up to the number three spot in the draft to add Dion Jordan. With Cameron Wake at RDE, the addition of Jordan on the left side will strike fear in QBs and the Miami defensive line has now made the complete transition to the new defensive scheme.

Soliai, Starks and Odrick at the tackles with Wake, Jordan and Vernon at the ends, are as solid a group as there is in the NFL. Keeston Randall, Vaughn Martin and Dereck Shelby will fight it out with a large group of rookies for the final two or perhaps three DL roster spots.

The linebackers feature free agents Danell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler joining Koa Misi in a change from four linebackers to three. By releasing Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett, the Dolphins cut ties with two older free agent linebackers but the need for more change is still evident when looking closely at the alignment.

The areas circled in red demonstrate how the roles of the OLBs change from one scheme to the other. The simple diagram shows why Dansby and Burnett are no longer with the Dolphins. The need for speed becomes obvious when shown graphically. The OLBs in the 4-3 have twice as much ground to cover and the two aging veterans were a mismatch for the defense.

Both OLBs needed to be replaced with more speedy players and the dolphins are probably not done, but will wait for next off-season to tweak in the LB corps. Dion Jordan and Cameron Wake will be used in hybrid type roles leaving the LB corps manned by more special teams’ demons than by actual starting caliber LBs.

The Names Jason Trusnik, Austin Spitler and Josh Kaddu don’t inspire thoughts of greatness and hoping a host of rookies led by Jelani Jenkins will sure up the LB corps is wishful thinking. The Linebackers may be the weakest unit on the team. The free agent acquisitions are still unknowns, but there is a lot riding on the two new players stepping up in a big way.

In conclusion, the defensive front seven is a unit with impressive talent on the line, backed by an unknown group of linebackers. The line will hold its own and the linebackers should be sufficient without being spectacular. The group will be outstanding if Ellerbe and Wheeler make the leap from spot starters to true every down players. The group could go the other direction if these two players fail to step up.

As go Ellerbe and Wheeler, so goes the front seven…

The Miami Dolphins Off-Season of Transformation

RiverdoG is a big fan of Dawn Aponte for her work as the Miami Dolphin's Capologist. The Voodoo Science of the NFL has some interesting features in the latest version of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). These changes drove the Dolphins to make a splash in free agency after a self-proclaimed desire to build through the draft. Many experts quote the minimum or cap floor figure as 89% of the cap value. This is true in a sense, but there is a little more behind it that drove the Dolphins and other teams to make sure they spent now or face penalties later.

The language of the CBA states, for each four-year period from 2013-16, and from 2017-2020, the minimum guaranteed team cash spending for each team is 89% of Salary Cap. Over the two four year periods, each team must spend a minimum of 89% of the aggregate total Cap for those four years. For example, if the Salary Caps for the 2013-16 periods are $100, $120, $130, $150 million respectively, each team must spend a minimum of 89% ($445 Million) of that $500 million total. To be clear, the minimum spending is over a four-year period for each team, not each season.

The 2011 and 2012 seasons had no salary floor and some teams took advantage of those years by cleaning house so to speak. Miami came into the 2013 season with over $40 million available cap space. The Dolphins had an announced agenda to build through the draft, but it is impossible to build exclusively through the draft in today’s NFL because of the rookie Salary Cap. The NFL Salary Cap is a “Hard Cap” meaning each team must remain under the Cap. The Salary Cap is the same amount for each team. The rookie cap fluctuates with the number and round of the picks a team has in any give year.

A team can “carry over” room from one League Year to the next by having the owner submit notice to the NFL within 14 days prior to the beginning of the next League Year. The owner must indicate

the maximum amount of room the team wishes to carry over. With the minimum spending change from one-year to an aggregate total over four-years, teams like Miami could have found themselves in a bind in the final two years of the four-year period if they did not spend the money this year.

By following the money, the new TV contract begins in 2013 and extends to 2022. The contract will increase revenues for NFL teams incrementally and teams falling below 89% this year will find it increasingly difficult to reach the 89% figure over the four-year aggregate. It is possible a team could find itself unable to reach the aggregate 89% in the fourth-year because doing so would take them over the hard cap number for that year. The penalty is unknown but the NFL usually takes these opportunities to come down hard on the perpetrator.


The CBA and the facts associated with the agreement are the real reasons behind Miami abandoning its stated objective to build through the draft. The Dolphins have used the second season under Joe Philbin to align the locker room with players more fit for his schemes and to adhere with the complexities of the CBA. From this point on the Dolphins will need to make fewer moves in free agency to remain in compliance with the CBA. Miami fans must hope the Dolphins bought the right players to fit the mold during the mandatory shopping spree.

The future of the team is now riding on the decisions made during this crucial off-season. Miami will not get the opportunity to make this type of sweeping change again without gutting the team of quality players. Many fantasy football fans will point out Mike Wallace is not a ranking player in their leagues and other Pittsburgh receivers had better numbers. It has become easy to miss the value of players by following a stats sheet in the fantasy league.


Wallace demanded the salary for more than fantasy numbers; he opens the offense and creates opportunities for other players. Safeties cannot sneak into the box as readily when they know Wallace can beat them over the top. They cannot cheat up and the running game benefits by not having an extra defender in the box. If a corner needs deep help to protect from the long ball, other receivers find less coverage and get more opportunities. The Steelers know the value of a deep receiver even if the fantasy geeks don’t understand the true value of football players.


Miami allowed Jake Long to seek greener pastures (Benjamin Green) even though they needed to spend on premium positions for the reasons documented above. It is a telling sign when the Dolphins held the line on Long. Two motives seem obvious, his injury history and the devaluing of the left tackle position. With the need to spend for cap purposes Miami passed on Long and then shocked the league by not drafting his replacement after trading up for Dion Jordan and not Lane Johnson. The Dolphins then left Brandon Albert and others waiting at the altar before signing Clabo, clearly, the position has lost its luster.

Mixed emotions flow from Miami fans about the deportation of Reggie Bush, but this is another position with declining demand. Bush had issues working against him off the field, there is a fascination between the media and Reggie Bush. Perhaps dating Kim Kardashian and having to return a Heisman Trophy make reporters wonder what juicy story Reggie will lead them to next. For whatever reason, like Tim Tebow, coaches hate distractions and Reggie, perhaps through no fault of his own, is a distraction. Declining value and a penchant for the spotlight, led Reggie to take his show to Detroit and join the circus already in progress there.

Karlos Dansby had a different problem, he was a shining example of the "all show and no go" cliché. He proclaimed himself the best linebacker in the NFL and failed to live up to the proclamation. Largely, this was not as much of a problem as the fact that he believed this was true even when his performance did not reconcile with his illusion. In this belief, he portrayed himself as a leader, making his presence known in the locker room as the veteran voice of the defense.

Kevin Coyle and Joe Philbin as football coaches could not allow this to continue. Dansby could easily have remained on the Dolphins if he understood his place in the locker room or matched his real performance with his illusion. It was not going to happen and perhaps Karlos got the message by waiting until May to sign a contract. His words brought hope, "It was frustrating with the release and a humbling situation, but I knew God had a plan for me," Dansby said.

With any luck, God has bigger troubles to worry about than his plan for Karlos, but lessons come to different people in different ways. The leadership council of players wanting to police themselves with Long-Dansby-Bush in the forefront made it clear; Philbin was not onboard with the self-proclaimed team leaders. The opportunity to make a complete change in culture coincided with the need to spend cap dollars or face fines later.

The results will come when this new version of the Dolphins takes the field in the fall. The house is order, from the financial side and from the leadership side. Joe Philbin and Jeff Ireland with the agreement of Boss Ross have done the business off the field, it's up to the players to complete the transformation on the field.

A new era in Miami begins at the Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio with the enshrinement of Bill Parcells. Parcells is the man many feel responsible for the Dolphins continued downfall. Perhaps facing the blighted past is the only way to burst into a new future. One thing is certain, not many Miami fans will be cheering for Parcells as a team he will not recognize takes the field in Canton. The irony of Parcells' enshrinement and the Dolphins playing in the Hall of Fame game is not lost on Miami Dolphin fans...

Turnovers Tell the Story in Miami

Consider the following charts...

All the talk in Miami has been about a rookie QB and whether he should be labeled "franchise." There is talk about the offensive line being well, offensive. There is talk about the talent level in Miami being inadequate. There is talk about Miami lacking breakaway speed. There is talk about the blue moon that will rise and coincide with the alignment of the planets and wipe out Joe Robbie Stadium on December 21st. There could be some truth to all of these assessments, but they are not the reason the Dolphins record is 5-8 and the team will once more watch the playoffs from their living rooms like mere mortals.

The team has lost 5 of the past 6 games. During that 6 game stretch, the Dolphins have forced 1 turnover. Miami forced 11 turnovers between Week 2 and Week 9, but the only turnover since was the Reshad Jones interception against New England in week 12. The 27th league ranking in turnover differential is pathetic and has more to do with Miami losing than Ryan Tannehill's rookie QB play.

This stat from the Palm Beach Post is amazing, the Dolphins have forced 17 fumbles this year, but recovered only three of them. Offensively, the Dolphins have fumbled 21 times and lost 11. That means overall, they have recovered only 14 of 38 fumbles (36.8 percent). Forget about Tannehill's 12 interceptions, the Dolphins have missed 24 opportunities to maintain possession or to gain an extra possession.

One look at the teams leading in turnover differential margin and it's easy to see how important this statistic is. The Colts are an anomaly, but when they get bounced from the playoffs, turnovers will be their downfall.

This has been an on-going issue in Miami for many seasons. The players on this defense never seem to be in the right place to make a play, whether it is dropping INTs or not recovering fumbles.

In his junior season prior to declaring for the NFL draft, Sean Smith had 5 INTs. In 4 seasons with the Dolphins, Smith has 3... Karlos Dansby has 15 forced fumbles, 9 recoveries and 11 INTs in his career, this year... O forced fumbles, O fumble recoveries, O INTs. These numbers are representative of the entire defense. It's not meant to be all on Smith or Dansby, this defense is incapable of forcing turnovers.

It is a major issue in Miami. If Ryan Tannehill had as many second chances as Tom Brady and NE's +24 differential the Dolphins could easily be heading to the playoffs instead of being home for the holidays.

Joe Philbin and Kevin Coyle are well aware of these numbers. It is well known at any level of football that takeaways equal victory and giveaways equal defeat. Before all the experts go off on the lack of speed or line play or even QB play, perhaps the problem in Miami is a little more basic.

Christmas is a nice time for gifts, but in the NFL, gifts will lead to losses and coaching jobs will soon follow. Even though turnover differential should land squarely on the players, it is often viewed as a coaching issue. Kevin Coyle won't last long as a defensive coordinator and Joe Philbin will follow him out the door.

If there was one single statistic that could have a significant impact on the win/loss record, turnover differential is the one. Fix it Joe!

Miami Dolphin Veterans Need to Step Up

The rookie quarterbacks put on the show Sunday, but it was the veteran leaders on the Dolphins that proved Miami's undoing. The closest thing to veteran leadership in Miami comes from Reggie Bush, Jake Long and Anthony Fasano on offense and Cameron Wake, Karlos Dansby and Sean Smith on defense.

Reggie Bush and Cameron Wake exonerated themselves from criticism by making plays, but their veteran teammates must be held accountable. Joe Philbin needs to send the right message to the youngsters by calling out the pathetic play of the leaders during film study.  

Jake Long had perhaps his worst day as a professional and his final trip to Hawaii may have come and gone. Dwight Freeney’s early spin move resulted in a sack of Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill fumbled and Long somehow managed to catch the ball and make a positive play, but Freeney had his number the entire game. 

Freeney’s bull-rushes made Long look feeble, slow and flatfooted. The first half ended with a speed rush that confused both Long and running back Daniel Thomas resulting in another big hit on Tannehill. The veteran Long missed the assignment. The tackle should always take the defensive end and leave the linebacker to the halfback. Even if it gone for a first down, the final offensive play of the game for the Dolphins would not have counted as the Colts declined Long’s holding penalty.

Jake Long is destined for free agency after the season. After four straight pro-bowls, his reign as a dominant left tackle could be in jeopardy. Long will have to take a significant pay cut to remain in Miami and that could even include a switch to right tackle. If Long demands more than his mediocre performance is worth, this may be his last year as a Dolphin. Jake Long needs to step up if Miami has any true playoff hopes, his position is critical to protecting Miami’s prized rookie QB. Should long's immobility cause an injury to Tannehill, it will not be forgotten in the off-season. 

Anthony Fasano was unable to find an opening in the Colts secondary and only caught one pass. Because of the problem Long and his fellow line-mates were having slowing down Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, Fasano was used mainly as a blocker. Averaging 4.7 yards per carry, the Dolphins inexplicably only rushed the ball 18 times in the entire game. Fasano’s holding call midway through the third quarter eventually forced a Dolphin punt. Fasano did not play a terrible game, but it was not good enough to win. 

On defense, Karlos Dansby had 9 tackles but there were receivers running open through the middle of the Dolphin defense the entire game. Dansby will not be highlighted as a prime suspect in the losing effort, but he was nearly invisible. When the Dolphins needed a veteran to step up and make a play, Karlos was chasing receivers and making many of his tackles ten or more yards down the field allowing long third down conversions. 

Many of the thirteen out of nineteen times Luck and the Colts converted on third down came on passes in the center of the field with Dansby unable to make a play. Seven of those passes went for nine yards or longer and are the kind of plays that left the defense shaking their heads and gasping for air. Dansby needed to provide a veteran spark, but instead allowed a rookie QB to steal the show. 

Sean Smith reverted to the inconsistent player that has infuriated Dolphin fans since he was drafted four years ago. Smith is a gifted athlete, but his mistakes from the cornerback position are glaring. Smith was in coverage on both Luck’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne and his 36-yard touchdown pass to TY Hilton. 

On the long pass to Hilton, Smith said, “I lost it in the light, went blind.” The wobbling desperation pass was easy pickings for Smith, but he turned awkwardly with his back to the receiver and knocked Miami safety Chris Clemons off the coverage. Smith simply needed to follow the receiver and he would have been able to locate the ball, but he reacted as if the stadium lights were rays of kryptonite. 

With 2:59 left and the game still in the balance Smith had another opportunity to redeem himself. Andrew Luck found him again for an easy interception that would have given the Dolphins the ball at the Colts’ 30, already in range for a game tying field goal. Instead, after pulling in the pass he somehow managed to let it slip through his hands and fall harmlessly to the ground. The Colts punted and their defense held the Dolphins to end the game. 

It seems our entire society has grown insistent on the blame game, the word accident may as well be struck from the dictionary, unfortunately it was no accident or coincidence this article is focused on Jake Long and Sean Smith. The Colts saw something other teams had missed, the Colts saw two veterans living off their reputation and not playing at an elite level. Long’s quick feet have turned to stone and Smith's unusual height and athleticism have caused him to ignore technique. 

These two players needed to make strides this season as leaders on the field and if this game is an indication, it has not happened. 

The Dolphins cannot afford to spend more draft picks on offensive linemen. Long and Pouncey are first round picks, Martin is a second, Jerry is a third along with Richey Incognito (Rams 2005). Samson Satele who started for the Colts was a second round pick for Miami who was let go for Jake Grove who the Dolphins paid $14 million dollars to before drafting Pouncey. 

Sean Smith was drafted in the second round in 2009 along with first round pick Vontae Davis. Davis is already gone, making Smith the leader in the secondary and with a performance like this, coaches must be wondering if he can be entrusted with the future. Miami will be forced to add players to the secondary in 2013, but with the hope Smith would be a veteran leader. Unfortunately, Sean Smith has not shown the maturity and consistency to be a leader and the Dolphins may have to revert to free agency. 

The failure of these two players has a ripple effect now and in the future for the Dolphins. In the present, both have been exposed and both will be challenged relentlessly in the coming weeks. There will be no reputation to live off any longer. The Dolphins will know by season’s end whether these two players will need replacements. 

The drafting of Jonathan Martin is already an indication Miami may know more about Jake Long’s long-term viability in the NFL than they are letting on. Long is not the same player that was picked with first selection of the 2008 draft. After four seasons, a consistent light is not burning in the heart of Sean Smith. These are huge gaps for the Dolphins to fill whether through the draft or in free agency. 

Fans that were disappointed a wide receiver was not selected high in the 2012 draft will be livid when a tackle or corner must be selected because these two players have not lived up to the billing. The spotlight is no longer on Ryan Tannehill, the light will be burning bright on Jake Long and Sean Smith after Miami’s future opponents spend time breaking down the Colts film. 

The rookie is doing just fine, it’s time for Jake Long and Sean Smith to step up or their days are numbered in Miami...

Tony Sparano Should Keep His Job

Tony Sparano has certainly made what once seemed his inevitable firing a little easier to second guess. For the past 5 weeks, the Dolphins have been playing at a level not seen in these parts since the Wildcat made the Patriots wonder what hit them. Things are a little different this time; there is no gadget play to account for the turnaround, the team is using conventional plays and emotion to dominate opponents. It is important to understand what has changed in Dolphin land and in the case of Tony Sparano, can we expect it to continue.

Several factors have created a new identity for the Dolphins and we can begin on the defensive side of the ball. Earlier in the season, many called Kevin Burnett a complete bust, another miss in free agency for Jeff Ireland. Burnett looked lost on defense and as we often hear, he was thinking instead of reacting. The change for Burnett came when he was relieved of his job of calling the defense. Karlos Dansby whose experience in the defense made it easier for him to make the calls, took over the job.

Dansby had some issues of his own, coming into training camp a whooping 270 pounds he was moving more like a DT than a LB and was a complete liability in coverage. The big fat FA contract must have filled Dansby’s fridge with meals measured for Refrigerator Perry and undoubtedly, his teammates wondered whether he came to play this season. One thing learned from the “New NFL” after the lockout is waiting until training to start getting into shape can no longer work without two-a-day practices. It took Dansby much longer to shed the weight then he had anticipated and it clearly affected his play.

Vontae Davis showed up thinking all he had to do was walk on the field and things would come easy to him. A hamstring injury slowed him down and instead of taking the proper steps to rehab the injury; he used the down time to extend his nightlife into the wee hours. Coming to the facility late, hung-over and not ready to work, infuriated his fellow defenders. Tony Sparano, not known for being a disciplinarian, shocked Davis and the rest of the team by leaving him behind when they traveled to KC. That was the beginning of the change in the Dolphin season. Davis Finally woke up and intercepted his first pass of the season against the Redskins the following week.

Tony Sparano showed the defensive players none of them was untouchable, nor were any of them above the team, when one of them started acting that way, the bus left without him. It doesn’t seem like such a simple act of discipline could have the ripple effect it had on the Dolphin defense. A coach can easily lose a locker room when he treats players who are not performing differently because of their draft or salary status. By benching Davis, Sparano woke up players like Dansby, Burnett and Smith.

Once Dansby began the hit parade, Yereiamh Bell, Burnett, Davis and even Sean Smith started getting into the act. For the past month, opposing receivers are thinking twice about coming over the middle, QBs are holding the ball just a second longer and RBs are not hitting holes without expecting to meet some serious resistance. Passion, confidence and winning feed on themselves, when a coach shows he takes exception to a player he feels has given up, the rest of the team takes notice.

On the offense Matt Moore started rough, in his first 4 games he was completing less than 60% of his passes, he had thrown only 1 TD and 4 Ints and his QB rating was abysmal. But it was not only Moore who had the light go on before the KC game, it was Tony Sparano as well. Sparano made the critical decision to stop forcing the run on 1st down and throw the ball.

The offense was so predictable it was joke; no one could expect a QB to play well when the opposing defense knew invariably Miami would run the ball on 1st down. It comes from Sparano’s old school Parcellian training that it is essential to establish run before trying to throw. It’s a ridiculous notion, made worse by the amount of data available on play calling charts that show team tendencies. When 80% of a team’s 1st down calls are a running play, it becomes easy to defend them. Stuck in unfavorable down and distance on 2nd and 3rd down left the team again predictable and allowed pass rushers to come after the QB without worrying about running plays or gap integrity.

Whether it was Daboll or someone else in the organization that convinced Sparano to open things up on first down we will probably never know. A certain writer on this blog was constantly ranting about it. Regardless of why or who, by spreading Reggie Bush out into the formation and using more 3 receiver sets on 1st down, opposing defenses were forced to loosen up the front 7, pull a safety or LB out on Bush and bring in a 3rd corner.

They began by calling easy West Coast style passes for Moore on early downs. He responded by completing these throws, which helped his confidence and got the defense on its heels. Once the defense loosened up, lanes began to appear between the tackles and Bush was able to use his speed and quickness to make bursts into the 2nd level. Now defenses had some issues because if they shrunk in to defend the run, they would be vulnerable to the short passing game and if they remained spread, they were susceptible to the rushing attack. For the 1st time in a number of years, Miami was dictating the flow of the game on offense.

The major difference between Moore and Chad Henne has to do with touch. For a West Coast throw to be an easy throw, the delivery must hit the receiver in stride, leading him to the open space. From there the receiver has a step to make moves to elude tacklers and make positive yardage. Chad Henne is not capable of making these throws because he lacks the touch required throw short passes over linemen. A true West Coast offense is more like a rushing attack and designed to gain 5 yards, but when the receiver makes one defender miss, the gains can then become substantial. It is the beauty of the scheme, because it allows skilled players to maneuver in space. It’s the perfect attack for a scat player like Reggie Bush and a big WR like Brandon Marshall; it’s all about yards after catch.

Couple Dan Henning at OC with a stubborn run-first head coach and the Dolphin players probably felt they were in the football stone ages. It was a leap of faith for Sparano to release the reigns on Brian Daboll and a stroke of luck the West Coast style fit perfectly with Matt Moore. These two factors are what led to the change in the Miami offensive we now see on the field.

Talent at QB is obviously of great importance in this league but it is the talents around the QB that makes the engine run and contrary to reports, blogs and stories, Miami has an abundance of talent, which up until the last several games had been largely misused. The Miami Dolphins have hit upon a formula for success and should have a nice run the rest of the season, but will it be enough to give Tony Sparano a second chance at coaching the Dolphins?

The Dolphins must continue the late season surge to keep Tony Sparano in the picture, but if they do, keeping him may be the best option for the Dolphins. The team has found a formula for success and the proper utilization of the talent currently on the roster. Blowing up the coaching staff now will place Miami in the same position it was in at the beginning of this season, trying to find which pieces fit where in the puzzle. The continuity gained over the second half of the season will be lost and new systems will put the Dolphins back to square one. Sparano has kept this team together through an awful stretch that would have sent a lesser man packing.

Like any rookie, Sparano is learning on the fly. Having the arcane influence of Bill Parcells only made his job worse as he tried to bring his team into the modern era of football. Tony Sparano has shown the most vital ingredient great coaches possess, a willingness to change with the personnel he has and get the most out of his players. Most coaches fail because they fall into the trap of forcing rigid systems on mismatched personnel. Sparano has changed everything Parcells put in place; he fired both the offensive and defensive coordinators. He saw the folly of the Wildcat and he worked through the poor personnel decisions that folly precipitated. Only now is he playing with his team.

To reiterate, this team needs to finish strong or there will be no chance for Tony Sparano. If it does, making a change would be like pulling the plug after just filling the tub with hot water. A rookie QB is needed, but the best place for him will be carrying a clipboard and learning from Matt Moore. The firm grasp the staff now has on the personnel will allow them to draft complimentary players instead of trashing everything and starting over. Many coaches come from humble beginnings and only begin to flirt with greatness when the pieces fall into place. That is what is happening in Miami.

From this vantage point, a successful end to the season will earn Tony Sparano a chance to prove, he should continue to be the coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Who's the Face of the Dolphins Franchise?

Hello Dol-Fans!

With the whirlwind of roster changes in Miami (and every other NFL franchise) this year, my lovely bride asked me, “who will be the ‘Face of the Franchise’ for the Dolphins now?” I have to admit… that’s a great question, and deserves to be addressed, Here goes...

Key veteran departures of RB’s Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams leaves an obvious franchise marketing void, and this wasn’t addressed through electric FA acquisitions, or a sexy First Round Draft pick. So who will be “that guy” now?

Before I proceed… please allow me to go on the record by clarifying that I firmly believe in drafting the “best player available”, and I applaud Miami for selecting OL Mike Pouncey for that very reason. I simply don’t believe he’s worthy of such a high profile honor at this point.

Logic would dictate that an easily recognizable figure like newly acquired RB Reggie Bush, Miami’s prodigal son DE/OLB Jason Taylor (“J.T.”), Pro Bowler OLB Cameron “Earthquake” Wake, high profile WR Brandon Marshall, or even Defensive leader ILB Karlos Dansby could potentially assume the part, but would that be prudent for the Dolphins Organization? Do they want fans to cling to the ghosts of seasons past (“J.T.”), unproven commodities of the present (Bush), or boldly leapfrog into the future(Pouncey)?

Many NFL franchises splatter the image of their sexy First Round Draft selections all over the media, as to boldly announce… this is our future! Stereotypically, these are Heisman Trophy winning QB’s (i.e. Cam Newton) or RB’s (i.e. Mark Ingram) that franchises mortgage their futures against, hoping to boost ticket and merchandise sales. Rarely do you see a franchise market an Offensive or Defensive Lineman as their representing “face” (aside from the Detroit Lions of course). If Miami were to use a Lineman, wouldn’t it make sense to use back-to-back Pro Bowler OT Jake Long? Nah, Jake’s not that kind of player; he’s a blue collar kind of guy – thank God!

So who will hail as face of South Beach football? If it were up to me… I’d pick a motivated, fearless, team-first player like WR Davone Bess, FB Lousaka Polite, or CB Vontae Davis. Thank goodness I’m not the Head of Dolphins Marketing and Sales huh’!

What’s your take?

The Miami Dolphins Need To Hold On To Vontae Davis

Guess What Happens Next

I believe that Vontae Davis is the second most important player on the Miami Dolphins behind only Chad Henne.

Vontae Davis is a young and talented player whom the Miami Dolphins drafted in the first round of the 2008 draft. He is a playmaker who the Dolphins can count on to make big plays.

But, I think the biggest thing that Davis adds to this team is his mentality.

He has a winner's mentality, and that sort of mentality can be contagious for the rest of the team. He always plays to win, and it you can really tell that he cares how the team does.

Some players will just show up and "do their job" without really caring too much about how the team does. They just want to get their paychecks and go home. Other players don't care so much for the team as they do about their individual performance. They don't mind if the team loses as long as they are able to do well.

I can tell you that Vontae Davis is neither of those players. Sure he wants to get a big salary and to do well individually, but he is really concerned with winning football games. He is the type of player that a franchise needs to pay a lot of money and never let go, because those types of players turn into leaders real fast and make huge contributions whenever they are on the field.

I will be honest. I have never met Vontae, and I don't really know what he is like as a person. I follow him on twitter, but 140 words don't really tell you much about people. I do believe that he is concerned about the Dolphins winning, though. You can just see it by the way he plays.

He is extremely energetic, and when he makes a big play you can just see how excited he gets. Heck, the man even hurt himself from celebrating after he made a play. Other teammates feed off of that type of energy, and it can really help get a team fired up.

He is the type of player that people should want to follow instead of the TO's and Ochocinco's. Those guys may be interesting, but I'm pretty sure they care more about themselves than the team.

And, without Vontae the Dolphins could very well be 1-3 right now. If he hadn't helped Karlos Dansby on the 4th down goal line stand against the Vikings the Dolphins might have very well lost.

Basically, we need to keep Vontae on this team for as long as he is willing to be here. He will be a key to a successful Miami Dolphins team, and we can't really afford to lose him.

Let me know what you think about Vontae on the Dolphins with a comment. Thanks or reading.

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2-0 Baby! The Miami Dolphins Pull Out A Great Win Against The Minnesota Vikings

2-0!

What a game!

Even though Adrian Peterson was able to run everywhere in the second half we should still be really encouraged by the Miami Dolphins defensive showing. There is only so much you can do against a guy like Peterson, so performances like that will happen to the best of them.

What really saved the Dolphins was our ability to turn the ball over. Miami's secondary had three interceptions, and all three were crucial. The biggest surprise today was CB Jason Allen's impressive showing. Allen had 11 tackles and two interceptions. I apologize to Jason for ever doubting him, and I am extremely glad that he was in and able to make the big plays he did.

Another huge contributor was CB Vontae Davis. Without Davis we would have lost this game. Simple as that. He had a crucial interception on the goal line and he put the finishing hit on Adrian Peterson on the hugely important goal line stand in the 4th quarter. Yes, Karlos Dansby was the first player to wrap Peterson up and he was also crucial in saving the game, but without Davis there Peterson would have been able to reach for the endzone.

The pressure the Dolphins were able to put on Favre was incredible, too. Not only did they sack him three times, but they were able to bat the ball down on a big 4th down play early in the game. The best part about the pressure, though, was the fumble they forced on Favre that Koa Misi was able to recover for a touchdown.

Not only was it the first career touchdown (of hopefully many more) for Koa Misi, but it was also the touchdown that gave the Dolphins the points they needed to pull the game out in the end.

Moving along to the offense now.

Who loved the play call for Chad Henne to immediately throw the ball long to Brandon Marshall to start off the game? I know I did, and it helped the Dolphins to start their momentum and get in position for their first score.

It was great seeing the Dolphins start off with a statement like that game even though they didn't throw many more long balls afterwards.

And, did anyone else notice how well Jake Long covered Vikings DE Jared Allen? Allen was held to basically nothing. The only time he did do anything was when Henne scrambled and all he had to do was move in the other direction to tackle him. One of those tackles was considered a sack, but don't let that statistic fool you. Jake Long had him on lock all game.


I am so glad that the Miami Dolphins hired Mike Nolan as the defensive coordinator. Even with a young defensive corps that made a few mistakes (i.e. 12 men on the field call twice in the same drive) he was able to help lead the Dolphins to a victory.

Let me know what you guys thought about the game with your comment. If you would like to leave a comment you can just click here and it will take you to the commenting.

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How Much Better Is Miami's Defense This Year Than Last Year?

Vontae Davis

Last year's defense was pretty bad.

The Miami Dolphins gave up way too many big pass plays, and put their offense in a hole early on in games. It was obvious that that group needs to improve if Miami wants to be a top team in the NFL.

My question is: have they improved, and if so, how much have they improved?

First, I want to say that they have definitely improved. The loss of Jason Taylor and Joey Porter wasn't the best thing that could have happened, but it was also not the worst thing.

Miami replaced Joey Porter with another talented LB who can get 100+ tackles in Karlos Dansby. Dansby is also a veteran who shows great leadership ability, which isn't really something we had with Joey Porter. Porter was somewhat of a leader, but not as much as Dansby can be.

Koa Misi is one player who will be able to replace Taylor this year. While Misi is only a rookie, he has had a very good training camp so far.

And while I do like Misi a lot, I don't like him as much as Cameron Wake. Wake was the Canadian Football League defensive player of the year two years ago before he came to Miami. The man is an absolute beast, and is able to get to the quarterback extremely well. He didn't even play that much and he still had 5.5 sacks last season.

I like Wake to replace, and surpass, Jason Taylor as an OLB this year.

The weakest part of the Miami Dolphins defense was the secondary, though. There aren't many new faces that will most likely be starting in the secondary, but that doesn't mean they will be as weak as last year.

Both of the Dolphins main starting CBs of last year, Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, are back, and they are more experienced than last year when they were only rookies thrust into starting spots against the best receivers in the NFL.

The experience has got to help, and another thing that I think will have an impact on their development is the fact that they have two other backup cornerbacks ready to take their spots: Will Allen and Nolan Carroll.

Allen is a veteran CB who has been in the league for 10 years. Carroll is a rookie drafted in the fifth round of this years draft. Carroll has been a very pleasant surprise during training camp as he has been able to make a lot of great plays so far.

And, for those of you that think that Ted Ginn Jr. never did any good for the Miami Dolphins, well you are wrong. The Dolphins traded Ginn to the 49ers for the fifth round pick that they used to draft Carroll. Wierd, huh?

The last, and biggest, concern is the safeties. Miami seems pretty set at Strong Safety with Yeremiah Bell. The problem is the Free Safety spot. But, I am not nearly as concerned about that now as I was before training camp started.

The current leader at FS is Chris Clemons, a second year safety out of Clemson. Clemons has gotten the most reps in training camp so far and, according to Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano, has made only one mental error. That sounds pretty good since Clemons has had well over 200 repetitions.

I think Clemons will be the biggest surprise this year.

So, to answer the question of whether or not Miami's defense will be better than last year, I have to say they will. I just don't see anywhere where the Dolphins have gotten any worse, just better.

Let me know what you think. I am eager to hear your opinions.

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7 Concerns Going Into The Miami Dolphins Training Camp

With training camp a month away, I figured it is never too early to start analyzing things we should be watching during the Miami Dolphins training camp.

Every team has concerns going into training camp, and some teams have more than others. Here are seven of the concerns going into the Miami Dolphins training camp on July 30.

1. The FS Position?

The Dolphins biggest weakness last year was their pass defense. They have improved much of their defense and added a successful defensive coordinator. The only real glaring hole left is the free safety position. There are a few potential players that could be a starting safety. Among those prospects are Reshad Jones, Chris Clemons, and Tyrone Culver. It will be interesting to see if any of them are able to step up during training camp.

2. How Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne Work Together?

I'm not sure how big of a concern this will be, but it should still be thrown out there. Brandon Marshall missed a good bit of the OTA's this offseason. While he probably didn't need the OTA's physically, it still would have been better if he was there so he could work with quarterback Chad Henne. It is important for a quarterback and his receiver to have timing and be able to work together to be successful. Hopefully they will be able to develop that during training camp.

3. How The Tight Ends Will Perform?

Last year was a disappointing one for Miami Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano. He didn't play near as well as he did the previous season when he was one of the top tight ends in the NFL. Fasano will probably do better this year, but we will see how he does during training camp.

4. Who Will Return Kicks?

Now that we lost Ted Ginn Jr, the Dolphins need a new kick return man. Ginn definitely wasn't a consistently good return man and I am glad that he is gone, but I just don't know who can replace him. Hopefully someone can pop up during training camp.

5. Can Karlos Dansby Adequately Replace Joey Porter?

The Dolphins got rid of linebacker Joey Porter this offseason, but they gained linebacker Karlos Dansby to replace him. Porter was a dominant linebacker who was a defensive leader for the Dolphins last year. He was also an emotional leader, and we will see if Dansby is able to match up to him. Hopefully he can be an emotional, as well as physical, leader for the Miami Dolphins defense like Porter.

6. Ronnie Brown

There are two concerns about Brown, but one of them may not even be a problem when training camp actually starts. The first concern is how Brown will be able to come back from his season-ending ankle injury from last season. Brown was very instrumental to the Dolphins success last year, so his health is important. Another concern is his current contract situation. He hasn't signed a deal with the Dolphins yet, and he is apparently looking for a long-term contract. We will see what the Dolphins are willing to do.

7. Leadership

The Dolphins lost a couple of leaders this offseason. There are some potential athletes that could become leaders this year for Miami's offense and defense. It will be interesting to see who can step in when training camp starts. Look for players like Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall to become leaders on offense. Defensively look for at least Karlos Dansby, and we don't know about who else yet.

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Did Someone Say Leadership? A Look At Leadership And The Miami Dolphins

In the past week I've seen a lot of talk about team leaders. Talk like who is going to be one and what it takes to be one. I can only give my views on the subject and what I think a leader is.

Many fans seem to think the leaders are the team captains.

I don't think that is the case at all. Team captains are, in my view, no more than a figure head for the flip of the coin. That's when we will see all the names we are so familiar with. This years most likely captains may be QB Chad Henne and T Jake Long on offense. On defense the captains will probably be SS Yeremiah Bell and LB Karlos Dansby. Special teams would most likely be awarded to K Dan Carpenter. Those will be the most noticeable names and fan favorites.

The media constantly tries to anoint leadership to a name brand player or name brand players. But really, the players are the one who choose their leaders. Leaders can come from any part of the team, and they can even be a bench player. It could be a guy that doesn't have great speed or that extra gear, so to speak. That leader may play only a few plays a game, but he brings with him that extra something that other players look up to and want to follow.

What ever the case may be, leaders are not chosen by outsiders. I doubt we know who they are usually, unless somebody from the team flat out says so.

Let me know what you guys think: do you think that the Team Captains are chosen because they are the leaders on their teams or just simply figure heads for fans?

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