Josh Rosen: Historical Miami Dolphin Steal

Why Josh Rosen
Written by: Joe Tarell (Quadzilla)

All the reasons he can be the starting QB in 2020 and win a Super Bowl


The second of a two part series –

This analysis will not spend much time with Arizona Cardinals because frankly, what I saw was a really poor example of an NFL franchise. Winning three games was a masterpiece playing for that dysfunctional team. The only good decision Cardinal GM Steve Keim made, was realizing quickly how badly he had botched the decision to hire former head coach Steve Wilks. If you want to see a highlight, the only video to watch is the victory over the Green Bay Packers that got Mike McCarthy fired.

Let’s start with the obvious; check out this video of his game against Texas A&M in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H_BQAimYfA.  If this is not enough, you aren’t paying attention.

His footwork in eluding the rush, his ability to throw while being hit, the pump fakes and leading defenders away with his eyes to allow another receiver to get open, are the very definition of an NFL QB. Now, granted the TXA&M defense gave up 30.7 points per game and finished 87th of 109 schools in that category, but a 34 point 3rd quarter deficit is the 2nd greatest comeback in the history of the NCAA.

I believe he can be a high percentage passer in the NFL. In his final season at UCLA, without much talent around him, he completed 62.5% of his passes and that included 63% against the blitz and 31 dropped passes. He did all this while getting sacked 26 times in 11 games and taking many more hits. Add in the drops and he is at 69.4% for his last season at UCLA.

While draft pundits looking for flaws will say he does not have the strongest arm, he can make all the throws, but just occasionally underthrows the deep ball. His mechanics are as good as anyone I have watched coming out of school. Take a look at some other film and you see the same things from the Texas A&M game. He climbs the pocket exceptionally well and though he is not fast, he has the footwork that you might see from a Marino or a Brady while in the pocket.

Another good piece of film to watch is Josh versus Washington in 2017 playing against two DB’s, two LB’s and a DT who were drafted into the NFL; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUJpey8Yhc  He gets hit and harassed throughout this game. In the first seven plays shown, he get hits on five of them, two sacks, a roughing call, and a scramble but sticks in there. Washington has an exceptional defense and is 6-1 and ranked when they play. At the 2:08 mark check out the footwork in the pocket that results in a throw away, but is followed by a TD pass where he threads the needle.

Another game I watched was this against USC in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ZIFvl6L84  He demonstrates his toughness again as they come after him throughout the game. I especially like the two deep passes he throws in the first 2:15 of this video, especially the second one where he drops a dime, so much for not having a strong enough arm. In this video you will see him lead players perfectly to catch the ball in stride, you will see him as a willing blocker on a reverse and also see some of those drops we referenced earlier. Now we see plenty of tipped balls, one of those fumbles and an interception on this film too, so there are some good reference points for evaluation, including plenty examples of his toughness.

I realize I am asking for you to invest some time watching these video breakdowns, but they are very telling and this is the kind of detail we all need to make an evaluation of his skills as a quarterback.

Playing QB, to paraphrase Liam Neeson, requires a very particular set of skills. I believe that Rosen has those skills in spades. He throws with anticipation and demonstrates very good spatial awareness. He sees players and knows where they will be and where others around them will be when the ball is traveling at a particular velocity to arrive at the point he has chosen.

As you will recall from my pre-draft article, this is one of the key defining traits of an elite NFL QB. But if you read my draft musings you also know that the first two traits mentioned were leadership and competiveness. These are the traits everyone questions about Rosen.

I looked at these three particular pieces of film for a reason. I was looking for leadership and competitiveness. A 34 point comeback takes leadership, playing a tough defense that has your players overmatched and playing your clearly superior rival that is 9-2, requires competitiveness and the toughness to never backed down in the face of adversity.

None of us were in the locker room, nor on the practice field where we can tell how the players around him treat him and react to him. I thought his departure from AZ showed some growth in this regard, particularly his video message. But also no one spoke up, even anonymously to say anything negative about him as a teammate or a leader.

Let me add this from a personal experience perspective. My career has been spent leading sales teams, coaching and training future leaders in our company. I believe leadership is not something you have at birth. It can be taught and we do it all the time. Mitch Trubisky spent a bunch of time after his first year reading and learning about how to be a better leader. Let’s all hope that Josh is doing the same thing because the evidence supports that he has been trying.

Another thing I will mention about Josh that can’t be overlooked; he is smart as hell and he is a really good athlete, from a strong athletic background. He may not be a Manning, but his bloodlines and his exploits of youth (high school state champion, top ranked tennis player) serve notice that he can and will understand how to perform in the moment.

Leadership is the only thing we still want to see and that high school state championship gives us a little hope, but he needs to prove this every day. How he competes with Fitzpatrick, how the team arrives at that final decision after the competition. These will be things to watch for, especially what is not said or what the body language of his teammates tells you after it all shakes out. Does he win the locker room?

All of this points to someone who damn sure could be a future leader of an NFL franchise. What stands out and what else do you see that tells YOU he can be a Super Bowl winning QB in the league?

Josh Rosen: The Historical Miami Dolphin Steal

Why Josh Rosen
Written by: Joe Tarell (Quadzilla)

All the reasons he can be the starting QB in 2020 and win a Super Bowl

The second of a two part series –

This analysis will not spend much time with Arizona Cardinals because frankly, what I saw was a really poor example of an NFL franchise. Winning three games was a masterpiece playing for that dysfunctional team. The only good decision Cardinal GM Steve Keim made, was realizing quickly how badly he had botched the decision to hire former head coach Steve Wilks. If you want to see a highlight, the only video to watch is the victory over the Green Bay Packers that got Mike McCarthy fired.

Let’s start with the obvious; check out this video of his game against Texas A&M in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H_BQAimYfA.  If this is not enough, you aren’t paying attention.

His footwork in eluding the rush, his ability to throw while being hit, the pump fakes and leading defenders away with his eyes to allow another receiver to get open, are the very definition of an NFL QB. Now, granted the TXA&M defense gave up 30.7 points per game and finished 87^th of 109 schools in that category, but a 34 point 3^rd quarter deficit is the 2^nd greatest comeback in the history of the NCAA.

I believe he can be a high percentage passer in the NFL. In his final season at UCLA, without much talent around him, he completed 62.5% of his passes and that included 63% against the blitz and 31 dropped passes. He did all this while getting sacked 26 times in 11 games and taking many more hits. Add in the drops and he is at 69.4% for his last season at UCLA.

While draft pundits looking for flaws will say he does not have the strongest arm, he can make all the throws, but just occasionally underthrows the deep ball. His mechanics are as good as anyone I have watched coming out of school. Take a look at some other film and you see the same things from the Texas A&M game. He climbs the pocket exceptionally well and though he is not fast, he has the footwork that you might see from a Marino or a Brady while in the pocket.

Another good piece of film to watch is Josh versus Washington in 2017 playing against two DB’s, two LB’s and a DT who were drafted into the NFL; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUJpey8Yhc  He gets hit and harassed throughout this game. In the first seven plays shown, he get hits on five of them, two sacks, a roughing call, and a scramble but sticks in there. Washington has an exceptional defense and is 6-1 and ranked when they play. At the 2:08 mark check out the footwork in the pocket that results in a throw away, but is followed by a TD pass where he threads the needle.

Another game I watched was this against USC in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ZIFvl6L84  He demonstrates his toughness again as they come after him throughout the game. I especially like the two deep passes he throws in the first 2:15 of this video, especially the second one where he drops a dime, so much for not having a strong enough arm. In this video you will see him lead players perfectly to catch the ball in stride, you will see him as a willing blocker on a reverse and also see some of those drops we referenced earlier. Now we see plenty of tipped balls, one of those fumbles and an interception on this film too, so there are some good reference points for evaluation, including plenty examples of his toughness.

I realize I am asking for you to invest some time watching these video breakdowns, but they are very telling and this is the kind of detail we all need to make an evaluation of his skills as a quarterback.

Playing QB, to paraphrase Liam Neeson, requires a very particular set of skills. I believe that Rosen has those skills in spades. He throws with anticipation and demonstrates very good spatial awareness. He sees players and knows where they will be and where others around them will be when the ball is traveling at a particular velocity to arrive at the point he has chosen.

As you will recall from my pre-draft article, this is one of the key defining traits of an elite NFL QB. But if you read my draft musings you also know that the first two traits mentioned were leadership and competiveness. These are the traits everyone questions about Rosen.

I looked at these three particular pieces of film for a reason. I was looking for leadership and competitiveness. A 34 point comeback takes leadership, playing a tough defense that has your players overmatched and playing your clearly superior rival that is 9-2, requires competitiveness and the toughness to never backed down in the face of adversity.

None of us were in the locker room, nor on the practice field where we can tell how the players around him treat him and react to him. I thought his departure from AZ showed some growth in this regard, particularly his video message. But also no one spoke up, even anonymously to say anything negative about him as a teammate or a leader.

Let me add this from a personal experience perspective. My career has been spent leading sales teams, coaching and training future leaders in our company. I believe leadership is not something you have at birth. It can be taught and we do it all the time. Mitch Trubisky spent a bunch of time after his first year reading and learning about how to be a better leader. Let’s all hope that Josh is doing the same thing because the evidence supports that he has been trying.

Another thing I will mention about Josh that can’t be overlooked; he is smart as hell and he is a really good athlete, from a strong athletic background. He may not be a Manning, but his bloodlines and his exploits of youth (high school state champion, top ranked tennis player) serve notice that he can and will understand how to perform in the moment.

Leadership is the only thing we still want to see and that high school state championship gives us a little hope, but he needs to prove this every day. How he competes with Fitzpatrick, how the team arrives at that final decision after the competition. These will be things to watch for, especially what is not said or what the body language of his teammates tells you after it all shakes out. Does he win the locker room?

All of this points to someone who damn sure could be a future leader of an NFL franchise. What stands out and what else do you see that tells YOU he can be a Super Bowl winning QB in the league?

Why Josh Rosen Will Fail in Miami

Quadzilla (Joe Tarell) analyzes a simple question:

Why Josh Rosen will not be the starting QB in 2020 and beyond:

In the first of a two part series – we are going to see how disciplined our readers are… We want you to hold off on defending Josh in your comments and wait for part two where we will give the flip side of this argument; and yes that means you Kenny! Tell what else you don’t like about him and your opinion on why these factors will hinder his ability to lead the Dolphins.

He has been known to be difficult to coach, his college coach said he would take Darnold over Rosen. He was perceived as arrogant and spoiled rich kid, inquisitive to the point where he appears to think he is smarter than the coach, strong political opinions that might not sit well with teammates. He is known to ask why whenever a new play concept or offensive scheme is introduced.

In reality, Joshua Ballinger Lippincott Rosen might have gotten the “entitled” tag from birth. His great-great-great grandfather is Joseph Wharton, the namesake of the prestigious Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school. His father was a champion ice skater. His mother was captain of the Princeton lacrosse team. Josh was a nationally ranked youth tennis player. He grew up as a child of privilege in a house in L.A. valued at $8 million.

He has shown some immaturity including when he and some friends rearranged a neighbor's lawn ornaments in sexually suggestive positions. Since arriving at UCLA he has set off a social media firestorm over presidential politics, deleted at least one provocative post and been forced to apologize to the school, including after putting a blow-up hot tub in his dorm room and posting pictures on social media. And then there was his quote that in college “football and school don’t go together” and the more he tried to explain it the worse it sounded.

Not the strongest arm, evaluators before last year’s draft were very complimentary of his touch and anticipation but felt he would have trouble fitting the ball into tight windows and making the difficult throws in the NFL, though is somewhat of questionable review to some.

Build is weak and skinny, he has had injury problems in high school and college including a shoulder and multiple concussions, ran 4.92 40 and has shown poor mobility in the past, registering 53 sacks in his college career in 30 games started and 45 in 13 games with Arizona. He completed 42% of his passes when forced to move in college, though he did run for 138 yards at 6 yards a carry last year in AZ.

Started at UCLA as a freshman and they entered the season ranked 13th in the AP Poll, but lost three of their last four and finished unranked at 8-5, including losses in the final two games to USC and Nebraska who were also unranked.

UCLA finished 4-8 in 2016, 3-3 in the games Josh started before injuring his shoulder.  He had surgery to repair damage and missed the second half of the season, returning in time to participate partially in spring practice.

UCLA finished 6-5 in the 2017 games he started, Josh sat out the bowl game, after another concussion, but it was never certain if he was still feeling the effects or was protecting his draft stock. The school said it was a 100% medical decision, but Rosen was quoted as saying, “I think players are just starting to realize they have a lot of power and they don't need to be exploited when it's to their detriment". It's just every single situation is unique, and I don't think you can lump them all together." Then later said "I want to do everything I can to play in this game, I love these guys. I would give anything to get another game after this."

His college record ends up as 17-13 in games he started and his coach, Jim Mora was fired before the final game of his final season.  He left after 3 years as a true Junior after enrolling early and was 3 classes shy of a degree in Economics.

Rosen’s career statistics in college were mediocre with 61% completions, 59 TD’s to 26 Interceptions and a College Passer Rating of 139.9 with 20 fumbles.  To put that into perspective, the career leader all time is Kyler Murray at 181.3 and Rosen would not be in the top 45 of players in last year’s ranking where both Murray and Tua Tagovailoa had 199+ ratings for the season.

His record last year at AZ was 3-10 with 11 TD’s, 14 interceptions, 55.2% completions and 2278 yards for a passer rating of 66.7, which was ranked 41st of passers with at least 100 attempts. He also had 10 fumbles.  It was widely acknowledged that the AZ offensive line was weak and David Johnson ran for only 940 yards despite playing all 16 games, but this was a historically bad offense last year when they ranked 32nd in passing yards, 32nd in average per attempt, 32nd in points, and 32nd in total yards.

All of this points to someone who is not the future leader of an NFL franchise.  What stands out and what else do you see that might prevent him from succeeding in the league?

Miami Dolphin 2019 Draft Musings

2019 Draft Musings
BY: Joe Tarell (Quadzilla)

The 2019 NFL Draft beginning on April 25th in Nashville is going to be a notable draft for a number of reasons.  The main theme for this class is that it will be remembered three to five years from now as very weak in overall talent.  First let me explain that and then I will dig into some of the players and how it will likely play out.

We all know that the QB class of 2020 is supposed to be a very strong group, just as in 2017 everyone pointed to the 2018 class.  The fact is this draft is not that strong overall or at the QB.  The unanimous top player in this draft is Nick Bosa.  While many expect him to be a good NFL prospect, the injury history and the measurables do not equate to an elite prospect.  He was well-trained, having NFL level players for a father, brother and uncle, but he will not out-technique everyone in the NFL the way he did in college.  The good news is that there is awesome depth in the D-line prospects, just not elite talent.  It appears to be the same at OT.  The two places where there appears to be elite talent are at ILB and TE, which are not the glamour positions. I just think this is a draft where we may not see a single HOF candidate when it is all said and done.

The QB’s in this class are led by Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray.   Both have strengths that can’t be denied, but both are one year starters with some major concerns as well.  I list Haskins first because his weakness is mobility and that can be overcome easier than size, which is Murray’s weakness.  I would rather go watch Kyler Murray play, but I would rather not draft either of them and risk my job on it.  After that, the talent drops off very quickly as I do not believe that Drew Lock is an NFL caliber starting QB, though I believe that Daniel Jones has the most upside of all of them considering he played at Duke and not a single player from that roster is going to be drafted.  The Dolphins should wait until next year for their QB in my opinion unless Haskins falls to them in the first or Jones in the second.

Drafting a QB is more art than science and most people get it wrong.  The fact is that three of the best QB’s in the history of the NFL are Tom Brady, Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas.  They were drafted in the 6th, 3rd and 9th rounds respectively.  Even Dan Marino, though technically a first rounder, was the sixth QB taken in 1983.  The key defining trait of great QB’s is leadership.  John Elway is the picture of the athlete you want playing QB, but took nearly 15 years to win a Super Bowl because it took time to become a leader and we are seeing that now in his role as a GM.  After leadership comes competitiveness.  And the next is the ability to deliver a football amid the chaos of an NFL pocket accurately and on time while seeing 22 moving parts and knowing how the movements will culminate in a completed pass… better known as spatial awareness.  Now tell me how the hell you measure those three things at the Combine or a freaking pro day?

Kyler Murray sat behind Baker Mayfield, but his three high school state championships and his one year at Oklahoma tell me all I need to know about his competiveness and leadership. I also think he has great spatial awareness and accuracy.  If he were over 6 feet tall we would have an Andrew Luck grade on him.  Draft him if you get the chance.  Haskins on the other hand, sat behind TJ Barrett (he’s an NFL star now isn’t he) and played on arguably one of the top three most talented teams in the country and still could not make the playoffs.  If you watch his tape closely, he has three NFL caliber WR’s and he waits for them to get clearly open before delivering the ball.  He got away with that because of the talent level at OSU but it caught up to him at times.  I still think he has a chance to be good in the NFL, but not elite.

I won’t spend much time on RB and WR because I do not believe there is a single player worthy of a first round choice in this draft.  I would almost never pick a RB in the first round and with WR’s it is almost as bad.  My theory on RB’s goes back to pee wee football and the best player is always at RB so by the time they get draft-eligible they are a dime-a-dozen and they only last three to four years anyway.  The WR position is similar these days with the proliferation of the spread offenses at the lower levels of football.  You add in the Diva Factor and the belief that this position is totally relying on the other 10 guys to have any chance for success and it is bad recipe.  Josh Jacobs is the best RB prospect and he did not even start in college.  Marquis Brown came to college weighing 144 pounds and now is a hefty 166, while DK Metcalf looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.  Really?  These are the top two prospects?  I will wait until rounds two through four and reduce the Diva Factor, thank you very much.

The TE class is intriguing again this year.  TE’s usually take a year to develop in the NFL so there is still some hope for Gisecki and Smythe.  I bring those two names up for a couple reasons; one, because this is a Dolphins blog and I am still pretty high on both of them, but also because they are two separate types of TE.  One is primarily a blocker and the other is primarily a receiver. The feeling is that T.J. Hockenson can be both so he is expected to go early, Noah Fant and Irv Smith, Jr. are better receivers than blockers but Smith is probably closer to being a combo than Fant.  All three could go in round one as the TE position has become more of a focal point lately.  Teams play follow the leader and the Patriots have always been the leaders in utilizing the TE, but now with Philadelphia winning a Super Bowl and the Chiefs having Kelce as a primary threat, they are becoming all the rage.  We will see 15 or more TE’s get drafted this year after 14 went each of the last two years.

The OT class is not very strong this year.  If there is top LT prospect he is usually going in the top five and we may not see one come off the board until after 10 and even some of the other Tackles expected to get first round attention are potentially moving to OG.  Jawaan Taylor seems to be the top  OL prospect followed by Andre Dillard, Jonah Williams, Cody Ford and a couple of interior guys like Garrett Bradbury and Chris Lindstrom or Erik McCoy.  Again, some good depth, but not exactly rated as elite.

The defensive line is the strength of this draft and  is usually split into two groups these days.  The edge rushers, who could be OLB’s in a 3-4 or DE’s in a 4-3, but they are primarily edge defenders who rush the passer and set the edge in the run game.  The second group is the interior players, which may be a 3-4 DE, a DT or NT.  The edge group is pretty strong and deep, but not elite in my opinion.  Bosa, Josh Allen, Montez Sweat, Rashan Gary, Clelin Ferrell, Brian Burns and potentially one or two others could all go in round one.  When it comes to edge defenders I always count productivity over measurable, that is why Sweat, Allen and Bosa should all go well ahead of Gary.  The leading sacker of all time in the NCAA is in this draft, Jaylon Ferguson, who went to Louisiana Tech – I want him before I want Rashan Gary.  A wise person once wrote, ‘whatever they are before they get paid, they will only become more like that after they get paid.’

In the interior defensive line we again have a strong and deep group led by Quinnen Williams, who may be the best player in the draft.  Ed Oliver, Christian Wilkins, Jeffrey Simmons (who is recovering from a torn ACL), Dexter Lawrence and Jerry Tillery could all go in the first round.  There are also enough good players here that talent can be found into rounds three and four.  Again, though, other than Williams, I do not see any elite players.  You can pick them apart for a variety a flaws; Oliver had some attitude issues and is on the small side, Lawrence has minimal production, Simmons has the ACL and some character flags, so buyer beware.  The Dolphins first pick could come from these two groups, my guess is Wilkins.

At the LB position there a couple of players that really turned heads at the combine.  Normally, I am opposed to the workout warrior, but when the production is there and with Devin White and Devin Bush it is definitely on film, and they run 4.41 at the combine, hello first round.  Bush will go later because he is only 5’11”, but these two guys are three down linebackers with a ton of tackles and plays made from sideline to sideline at two big time schools.  Plug and play.  Unfortunately there is not much depth here.

Defensive back is another area where there is no truly elite player in this draft.  Many have the best CB as Greedy Williams from LSU but I wouldn’t draft him before the third round for one simple reason; he won’t tackle.  Watch his tape and you will see he is a pile inspector.  Tackling is about desire, not talent or skill, it does not get better in the NFL.  Deandre Baker and Byron Murphy are much better candidates and likely first rounders, but there really is not much to get excited about.  Some safeties like Jonathan Abram or Taylor Rapp may go in round one but they are mostly graded as 2nd rounders.

So what is the consensus? Miami at 13 should be able to get a really good OL or DL candidate.  I don’t expect an all-pro to be sitting there unless you want to draft Jeffrey Simmons and give him a redshirt year.  He has top 5 talent, but tore his ACL in February preparing for the draft so there is little chance he contributes this year.  If the Dolphins are truly rebuilding for 2020 and beyond this pick make sense.  Otherwise pick Andre Dillard, Jonah Williams or Cody Ford for the OL.  I also like Garret Bradbury as a guard or center, but this is a little early.  Maybe a trade back is in order.

Then in the second round Miami should just flip the side of the ball.  If you go Simmons in round one, go OL at 48, where Kaleb McGary, Titus Howard or one of the highly ranked interior players should be available.  If you go OL in round one, then Jaylon Ferguson, Jerry Tillery, L.J. Collier or Chase Winovich should be available.  The point is stick to the strength of this draft and go get some big uglies.

Miami should avoid skill positions until at least round three unless a DB falls in their lap in round two.  If Dwayne Haskins somehow slips to 13, take him.  I have a good feeling about him, but all of this talk of him slipping is a just smoke screen.  Remember, it is lying season.  Three or four QB’s will likely come off the board before the Dolphins pick at 13.  And this means with T.J. Hockenson also likely off the board, the Fins will get one of the top 9-10 linemen in the draft at 13.  Get a big ugly that sacks the QB or protects the QB or trade out of the pick.  And don’t be surprised if they trade out multiple times next weekend and take 2020 choices in return.

The Miami Dolphins Leap into the Future

Miami Dolphin fans watch the ugly business of shedding contracts hoping it ends in a sustainable winning team. The Dolphins have dominated free agent signing many times in a twenty stretch of mediocrity without fielding a playoff caliber roster. Finally recognizing that building teams through free agency is not a winning formula in the NFL, Miami embarks on an interesting journey through the minefields of the NFL draft.

"Building through the draft," has a wonderful sound to it, but selecting which human is best prepared for the rigors of NFL football, is an inexact science at the very least, a guessing game at best. Agents have become teachers, processing players through a myriad of classes designed to provide answers to questions in preparation to present the perfect football player. How can a person be courteous and kind, yet mean as rabid pit-bull.

It's an interesting dichotomy...

Meeting face-to-face with prospects about to become the team's future is essential when failure is fatal. Attempts to trip up scripted responses have led to interesting questions. Jeff Ireland's callus inquiries about Dez Bryant's mother, or whether a player prefers men, or how many cars did he steal, have made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In reality, these meetings have little bearing on whether a prospect will make a great professional. During the pageantry, they are actors auditioning, not players playing.

Miami Dolphin fans can relate to Dion Jordan as a great example of all that can go wrong. When it seems too good to be true, it probably is. The Dolphins were picking 12th in 2013 and the Raiders were willing to accept Miami's 12th and 42nd pick to give Miami the 3rd overall pick. One look at these names is all you need to know the Dolphins should have traded down, instead of trading up.

1 Eric Fisher OT
2 Luke Joeckel OT
3 Dion Jordan DE
4 Lane Johnson OT
5 Ezekiel Ansah DE
6 Barkevious Mingo OLB
7 Jonathan Cooper OG
8 avon Austin WR
9 Dee Milliner CB
10 Chance Warmack OG
11 D.J. Fluker OT
12 D.J. Hayden CB
13 Sheldon Richardson DE
14 Star Lotulelei DT
15 Kenny Vaccaro SS
16 EJ Manuel QB
17 Jarvis Jones OLB
18 Eric Reid FS
19 Justin Pugh OT
20 Kyle Long OG
21 Tyler Eifert TE
22 Desmond Trufant CB
23 Sharrif Floyd DT
24 Bjoern Werner OLB
25 Xavier Rhodes CB
26 Datone Jones DE
27 DeAndre Hopkins WR
28 Sylvester Williams DT
29 Cordarrelle Patterson WR
30 Alec Ogletree OLB
31 Travis Frederick C
32 Matt Elam FS

The Dolphins committed the Cardinal Sin of selecting a player based on his measurements and combine numbers. They overlooked the player's obvious troubles, exacerbated by bringing that player within reach of South Beach. Jordan cost Miami picks 12 and 42. Imagine if they had traded down for a couple of 2nds, here are few names selected later in 2013.

35 Zach Ertz TE
37 Giovani Bernard RB
46 Kiko Alonso MLB
48 Le'Veon Bell RB
57 D.J. Swearinger SS
61 Eddie Lacy RB
63 Travis Kelce TE
69 Tyrann Mathieu FS
71 T.J. McDonald SS
76 Keenan Allen WR
85 Jordan Reed TE

Miami actually ended up paying two of these players premium free agent contracts. The problem in today's selection process is placing too much weight on profile numbers and not enough on what's on film. Jeff Ireland's glaring example with Dion Jordan should serve as the poster child for every want-to-be general manager.

It is obvious, Ireland was unprepared for the 3rd pick in that draft. Looking at the first round players, Oakland knew every player in the 3rd slot could be had with the 12th or indeed, the 42nd pick. There were some good offensive linemen at the top of that draft, but Ireland was under pressure to make something happen. He had submarined his coach in a power play, leaving his owner hanging out to dry. Ireland needed to take a chance. In the end, it cost him his job and very nearly his career.

Oakland ended up with D.J. Hayden and Menelik Watson. Watson never turned into much, but Hayden has been a starter in the league since that draft. What rings true is, there are very few can't miss prospects. The only position worth taking risks on is the quarterback. The irony is, there was only one QB taken in the 1st round of that draft, EJ Manuel. In fact, there was only one QB taken in the second round, Geno Smith. Not one true starting QB came from the 2013 draft.

If the only reason to trade up is for a QB, Jeff Ireland did it in the poorest NFL QB draft class in the last twenty years. Ireland believing Ryan Tannehill was a franchise quarterback in 2012, created a disaster from which, the Miami Dolphins have yet to recover.

The reason for this comparison is only two possible franchise QBs are available in this draft, Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray. Neither of these QBs is an absolute sure thing which means, the teams at the top of this draft will be looking to opt-out.

Miami must not, for any reason become a player in these reindeer games. The second and third rounds of this draft overflow with talent and this is the prefect year to forget the splash and trade down.

Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater have both opted for contracts as backup quarterbacks rather than join the Miami Dolphins as a one-year starter.

The term "placeholder quarterback" has become vogue when discussing the position in Miami. Miami is looking to stock draft picks in the coming years and the most painful way to do that is by losing starters through free agency and not replacing them. This creates opportunities for compensatory draft picks the following year.

If Taylor or Bridgewater was a starting free agent QB in Miami (and indeed, they would) then it would displace the loss of Wake or James. Those two players will start on other teams and by not replacing them, Miami earns compensatory draft picks.

Bridgewater or his agent may have an over inflated idea of his value, but if a QB is coming to a team as the starter, than he should be paid as a starter. Why get killed and not get paid? Miami is not willing to pay a placeholder quarterback and hence, they have no incentive to come to Miami.

The press will malign the Dolphins as a place no quarterback is willing to play. The truth is, this is the pain Miami must endure to erase the errors reaching all the way back to Jeff Ireland.

It's interesting how none of this is ever tied to a man named Bill Parcells, but it was Parcells who began the downhill run. Parcells hired Ireland and Sparano (RIP) without understanding, once Jeff Ireland smelled the scent of power, the strength would overwhelm him.

The Dolphins swapped their 6th round pick for a 7th round pick in the 2019 draft and obtained a 4th round pick in the 2020 draft in trade for QB Ryan Tannehill.

The Dolphins understand, 2019 is not going to be a pretty season so why add players now. It means a QB position manned with marginal talent that will not impair the ability to obtain compensatory draft picks. It also assures the team will not be very good.

It's going to be a tough ride for Miami fans... Rigorously adhering to a plan is painful but there is some relief. In the past, Miami was under the illusion of being constantly one player away from a playoff team. They did not seem to understand the difference between a minor playoff team and a Super Bowl caliber team. The new regime clearly understands this difference and it starts at quarterback.

The quest to find a great quarterback in the draft, begins now...

Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be an interesting ride Miami Dolphin fans!

Miami Dolphins Must Pass on Kyler Murray

The NFL combine finds Dolphin fans gushing at the prospect of hands bigger than a Baker, taller than a fleeting Russell, stronger than a basking Haskins...

It's Super Kyler!

He, with Heisman Trophy hoisted high, fills the Miami skies with footballs flung like rockets into every corner of the stadium. Super Kyler, able to leap tall rushers in a single bound, leads a band of first-year coaches on a journey to the rarified grass of Super Bowl's past.

Super Kyler, winner of three state high school championships, rips off 4 second forty's while juggling intricate passing routes and blocking schemes.

Disguised as mild mannered, cool as a cucumber quarterback, with a perfect moral compass, fights a never-ending battle against the evil forces of player profiling everywhere.

Kyler Murray, the savior of the Miami Dolphins, destined to break the stigma that has stifled Heisman Trophy winning QBs since Jim Plunkett won the Super Bowl in 1981.

It's that time of year ladies and gentleman, when lights shine brightly on the Underwear Olympics. Where pro-days extol the greatness of passes thrown to uncovered receivers, stopwatches click the virtues of speed unheard of, and bench presses uncover the superhuman strength hidden beneath flabby exteriors.

Meaningless information, when a film-room will quickly show whether real football production lurks beneath the flashy numbers.

It's the motion of the ocean, not the size of the wave. It's the size of the fight in the dog, not the size of the dog in the fight. It's the production shown on that tape, therein lies the hope of Kyler Murray. An overtime loss to the Georgia Bulldogs kept Oklahoma from a chance at the national title where Murray may have cemented his legend.

Size is always in question, because NFL players fit neatly into prototypical profiles. Football is likened to chess and mistaking a pawn for a queen is instant death. Two quarterbacks that were less than 6 feet tall have each won a single Super Bowl in the last 30 years. That is 28 other winners and every multiple winner - ever.

The implications are not that a less than 6 foot tall QB cannot win the Super Bowl, the implications are that it is statistically unlikely. It's even more unlikely that quarterback will win more than one. Here is where a rebuilding team must think clearly about the future. There are enough improbabilities in selecting football players, why add to those by risking even greater improbability.

When a team is ranked near the bottom offensively and defensively, there is an obvious lack of talent across the entire roster. There is one position that can make up for that lack of talent and every team in the NFL is looking for it, the quarterback.

Miami, having somehow won 6 games, will more than likely have to vault over other teams to select Super Kyler. This means, they will not only be taking a huge chance on the size of the fight in the dog, but they will also have to give up other potential pieces needed to rebuild a faulty roster.

All jocularity aside, the only Super Kyler question the Miami Dolphins need ponder is what to do if he is still available at 13. In which case, the team should sell him off to the highest bidder. Miami would be much better served not taking a bold but foolish chance on the diminutive quarterback.

Miami is rebuilding because of foolhardy decision-making, drafting first round players like Charles Harris, DeVante Parker, Dion Jordan and alas even Ryan Tannehill. These players are no better than any second or third round talent in the same class. These players were mere fodder for a smart team looking to gain more from second and third round picks.

Here's the 2019 rundown from a team that plays the draft game very well.

1st: 32nd
2nd: 56th
2nd: 64th
3rd: 73rd
3rd: 97th
3rd: 101st

In those same three rounds, the Miami Dolphins will select:

1st: 13
2nd: 48
3rd: 78

The mistakes of the past resonate in those numbers...

There is a sentiment, that a quarterback must be selected even if it proves wrong, because the position dictates the game and hence Super Kyler is on the radar of every Miami fan. It is the absolute truth, Miami must find a QB, but they would be foolish to trade up for Super Kyler, knowing it would take all of the selections listed above to pull it off.

There is one thing Super Kyler cannot resolve in Miami...

Kyler Murray cannot absolve the sins of the past. Murray cannot wipe out Mike Tannenbaum's mistakes that have left the Dolphins without picks or salary cap room. The reason Tannenbaum made those mistakes is because winning now was more important than sustaining a team capable of winning every season.

The year is not right for Miami to take a chance on Kyler Murray. There will be another Super Kyler next year and the year after. A cap healthy Miami team, well stocked with starting talent, will be in the position to select him. This year, unfortunately the Dolphins must pass.

Super Kyler will be leaping tall rushers on another team.

While the Miami Dolphins fix the mistakes of the past...

Is Brian Flores Right for the Miami Dolphins

As the Miami Dolphins await new head coach Brian Flores, the idea of a defensive hire amid the offensive revolution deserves scrutiny. For the first time in Super Bowl history, the four highest scoring teams in the league head into the conference championship games. A place Miami has not seen since 1992, over 25 years ago.

The ancient axiom, defense wins championships, has followed the Dolphins into obscurity. Of the four remaining teams, only the Patriot defense, ranking seventh in points allowed, was better than the league average. The Saints, Chiefs, Rams and Patriots outscored their opponents by a combined 549 points, ranking first, second, third and fifth in point differential.

Here’s the saddest fact of all, the Patriots have the lowest scoring average of the four remaining teams at 27.3 points. The last time the Miami Dolphins averaged anywhere close to that was in 1984. The epic second season of a kid named Dan Marino.

The intent is not to ostracize Brian Flores for being a defensive coach, but as the Patriot’s LB coach and defensive play caller, he certainly is not an offensive guru. This hire reeks of Chris Grier bringing in a friendly face to quell his personal job insecurity. Is it understandable for a first time GM to hire a man he's well acquainted with, but is it in best interest of the Miami Dolphins?

This is consistent with the failings of Stephen Ross. His lack of football knowledge leaves him unable to determine the direction of his football team. Grier may indeed have a solid plan to re-build the Dolphin franchise, but any plan in 2019 and beyond must sway decidedly toward the offense.

There is a reason all the Dolphin coaching candidates are still available, none of them is an offensive coach. Even if Flores has an offensive coordinator up his sleeve, the longevity will be fleeting. As soon as the Miami offense achieves any level of success, the OC will become the hot coordinator of the moment and leave to try his luck as a head coach.

Flores is no Bill Belichick. Even sprouting from the Belichick tree says little about his potential. He landed the Miami job because of New England’s success, but consider the esteemed names that came before him. Bill O’Brien has had a little success at 42-38 (1-3 in playoffs), but Eric Mangini: 33-47, Romeo Crennel: 28-55, Josh McDaniels: 11-17, Matt Patricia: 6-10.

In a league that has litigated out any form of dominant defense, the highest-flying offenses are vying for the title. The Miami Dolphins last attainted any level of success when the team had the highest scoring offense in the league, that was 1984.

Hello, 34 years ago!

Yet the Dolphins hire a Linebacker coach because the rookie GM is comfortable with him?

The team has publicly stated it will draft a franchise quarterback in the next several years. There's a reason Bill Belichick wins, and Andy Reed Wins, and Bill Walsh won, and Don Shula won, it's because they can see and coach greatness at the QB position.

Stephen Ross has entrusted a rookie GM that was the head of college scouting when Miami last picked a first round QB. That was Ryan Tannehill and Chris Grier never spoke loud enough to draft another in seven years when it was apparent Tannehill was nothing special.

The irony in this decision making process is, a linebacker coach is now expected to somehow select and teach the quarterback that will define the future of the Miami Dolphins...

Ross has done it again, he's left his franchise hanging on a whim, good to be rich one guesses...

Pundits will say Bill Belichick is a defensive coach, and while it's true, Belichick evolved his offense around Tom Brady. After so long with Brady, Belichick doesn't need stability at offensive coordinator, the coaches are interchangeable. None has had great success after leaving the system, but Grier expects Flores to be different.

Every person with a modicum of NFL football knowledge knows that a great QB leads every good team in the league. Miami can talk the talk about drafting a QB in the near future. The problem is, what does the team do then, hire a whisperer? Isn't that putting the cart in front of the horse? If there is no one who understands what a great QB looks like, how can the team acquire one?

We're going to build from the inside out... Bla bla bla bla... It's like Bart Simpson. Miami made a declaration, we're drafting a franchise QB in 2020 and will concentrate on the interior line in 2019. Franchise QBs don't fall out of the sky. Tua this and some other guy that in 2020, no one knows if those guys will even be available in two years.

It's the same mistake Bill Parcels made when he thought he was the smartest football guy in the room. Let's draft Jake Long and leave Matty Ice out there because, oh we're building from the inside out. No, Chad Pennington was too frail, Chad Henne was nothing more than a backup and let's not even get into Pat White. They don't grow on trees and thinking they do will get you fired.

The point is, hiring a defensive coach 2019 is a questionable decision. Waiting for a franchise QB to fall in your lap is a questionable decision. Hiring a GM who doesn't understand these facts is a questionable decision.

But this is nothing new...

Stephen Ross may be a real estate genius, but football...

Not so much...

Meanwhile Miami fans wait for a man who can go to the Super Bowl with David Woodley and still pick Dan Marino in the following draft. A man who knows what a great QB looks like.

Stephen Ross, is not that man and it doesn't look like he hired that man either.

Miami Dolphins Must Step Back to Leap Forward

From a swamp the Miami Dolphins came and to a swamp they have returned. While South Florida has expanded wildly over the past 20 years, the Dolphins have regressed. Interestingly enough, Chris Grier has seen it all in his 19 years with the team. Somehow the longest tenured Dolphin, who rode the ebbing tide, will now reside at the top of the heap.

And it is a heap… 31st in offense, 29th in defense, scored the 26th most points on offense and gave up the 27th most on defense. The Dolphins were outgained by 1619 yards and outscored by 114 points. Miami’s 31 sacks were fourth fewest in the league, while allowing 52, tied for fifth most. The quarterback was ranked dead last by Pro Football Focus.

It is amazing this team was able to scrape out 7 wins while being so statistically horrendous. The axe fell on Adam Gase and Mike Tannenbaum, but Gase realistically had little to work with as a fool’s game was playing out behind the scenes. The win now philosophy was doomed without a true star at quarterback and a penchant for paying older free agents that plagued the team with injuries.

The Miami Dolphins are a complete mess and any coach with winning aspirations is certain to choke on this franchise. Not only is Miami once again in a middling draft position, they have very little cap space to work with and enough dead money to fill Davy Jones’ locker.

The Dolphins would have to cut, Ryan Tannehill, Robert Quinn, Cameron Wake, Ja’Wuan James, Andre Branch and rescind the fifth-year option for receiver DeVante Parker, in order to amass $60 million in cap space. Even with these drastic cuts the Dolphins will carry close to $30 million in dead money from Tannehill and Ndomukong Suh’s terrible contracts.

Not a good look for a coach to step into, no money, no quarterback and no early draft picks to acquire one. While division rivals are loaded with cap space and have either the GOAT at QB, or a shiny new QB heading into his second year. The win now philosophy that only ever produced mediocrity has left the Miami Dolphins in dire straights that may take years to overcome.

Wherever Adam Gase is at, he’s probably grinning from ear to ear, having a Miami Miracle of his own being pushed off the sinking ship just before the final plunge. Sometimes a team must sink before it can swim, and Miami is destined to be underwater for the next two or three years trying to amend the mistakes Mike Tannenbaum inflicted.

The only players likely to see the renaissance are Larimy Tunsil, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Xavien Howard. That means Miami should trade players like Reshad Jones, TJ MacDonald, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, Kiko Alonzo. Even Kenyan Drake should be included because by the time Miami is relevant, he will be an older running back. The cuts and trades will leave the cupboard bare, but only then can Miami find a way out of the perpetual purgatory of mediocrity.

The six prominent choices making a splash in the press are, Chiefs offensive coordinator - Eric Bieniemy. Bears defensive coordinator - Vic Fangio, Patriots linebacker’s coach - Brian Flores, Steelers’ offensive line coach - Mike Munchak, Cowboys’ passing game coordinator/DBs - Kris Richard, and the Dolphins own special team’s coordinator and assistant head coach - Darren Rizzi.

Of the above names, only Mike Munchak has prior head coaching experience in the NFL and in three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, he never produced a winning team. The problem with this coaching search is, no candidate with any hopes of winning for three years should take this job.

The Miami Dolphins have been gutted and more cuts are needed to add draft picks and cap space. The Dolphins need to find a true stud at quarterback before any coach is going to win with any consistency. The truth is, the Miami Dolphins are at least a three-year project away from winning anything. Coaches who lose for three seasons, are fired like the last five in Miami.

There is one candidate in this bunch that will approach this job without any illusions. Darren Rizzi knows exactly what he is getting into. Rizzi knows what must happen, knows the expectations of Chris Grier and Stephen Ross and knows the players currently on the roster. Rizzi can quickly look at these players and decide which will be peaking in three years and which will have passed their prime.

Rizzi is not the shiny new coordinator of the moment looking to blaze into head coaching with last-to-first aspirations. It’s not to say the next Dolphin coach shouldn’t have expectations, but the shiny coordinators are much like Adam Gase, they want win now and it’s just not going to happen in Miami.

The Dolphins need a coach willing to purge and rebuild. They need a coach who knows this roster. When it’s open season for trading and cutting, there is no worry about being the jerk who sent some player to Cleveland. This coach gets a clean slate without the expectation of winning now. It’s the perfect place for a first time coach with the patience to rebuild.

Miami also needs a homer coach that really likes South Florida, one who understands the pitfalls of places like South Beach. That knowledge is critical in the player selection process because no matter how talented, troubled players always find the dark side of Miami. Rizzi knows this, he knows this town. Newcomers may have heard tales, but when presented with super talent, they make the critical mistake of believing they can change and control people.

For these reasons, Darren Rizzi is the best candidate for the Miami Dolphins. He must tell the ownership he cannot be judged by his record for at least three seasons. After his third season, then the clock can begin ticking because make no mistake about it, the Miami Dolphins will take at least three years to overcome the win-now philosophy that has gutted this team.

Sorry Dolphin fans, sometimes it takes a step backwards to make a leap forward…

Miami Dolphins Fire Adam Gase

Adam Gase was fired after another Miami Dolphin football season came to an agonizing end. The team lost three games in a row for the second straight year. Some glaring problems surfaced as the season ground to a screeching halt. Players once again ejected in the final minutes of play, dispelling the notion that good guys replacing locker room bad guys really made a difference.

When referencing the three out of four games he does not play well, Ryan Tannehill used the word “obviously” a lot. “Obviously myself, and the team, we need to finish better… Obviously, we didn’t finish strong and you want to be playing in the postseason and competing for a championship.”

When asked to define the problems he replied, “We need to find a way to win these games down the stretch when we have opportunities to put ourselves in the postseason. To answer your question, I don’t know.”

Obviously, the quarterback didn’t know how to win, but it went much deeper.

There were subtleties in player comments that gave outsiders a glimpse of their true feelings. “It’s been up and down,” Danny Amendola said. “Had some great wins. Tough losses. Lost some key players to injuries. It’s the NFL. Ultimately, we’ve got to play better. We’ve got to learn how to practice and play at a championship level. And we didn’t have it.”

“We’ve got to learn how to practice and play at a championship level.”

“It’s been a roller-coaster,” Xavien Howard said. “A couple injuries. Everybody couldn’t get on the same page. It was either the offense, defense or special teams. We’ve just got to be on one page and just work together. So, you know we haven’t been on the same page and the injuries haven’t helped at all.”

“Everybody couldn’t get on the same page.”

“We bite ourselves in the feet,” Ja’Wuan James said. “Penalties. Not starting fast. We just. We never honestly had an identity. When you don’t have an identity as an offense it’s hard because you don’t know what to go to when things go wrong. You’re just trying stuff. We never really found our identity this year.”

“We never really found our identity this year.”

Put all those comments together and what’s under the surface begins rising to the top…

“Obviously myself, and the team, we need to finish better.”
“We’ve got to learn how to practice and play at a championship level.”
“Everybody couldn’t get on the same page.”
“We never really found our identity this year.”

Tannehill can’t finish games or seasons or even third downs very well and when taken in the context of, “Everybody couldn’t get on the same page.” “We never really found our identity this year.” “We’ve got to learn how to practice and play at a championship level.”
 
How do you accomplish this when half the starting roster is on injured reserve and those players have very specific skill sets? Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant have very similar body types and Gase’s early offensive game plan was based around those skills. When an offense is built around certain skills and those skills end up on injured reserve, the offense must adjust to healthy players.

Easier to understand why, “We never really found our identity this year,” was true, without those speedsters. Once those players were lost, Gase tried to use Frank Gore in a power running game but after practicing fancy RPOs through training camp, “everybody couldn’t get on the same page.”

Gore is another player Gase fell in love with, while Kenyan Drake sat. Drake the ascending player, sat watching Gore probably playing in his last season. It made little sense.

The whole thing begs to ask, how do you “learn how to practice and play at a championship level,” While sitting your most explosive player? Gase could never settle and was continually changing the offense to use players with drastically different skill sets.

Gase had built the Miami Dolphins without an identity.

Gase's platform was not team identity or systemic, it was whether or not he loved the player, even if the player did not fit the system. Gase could not hope to find consistency with perpetually injured players all having random skill sets.
 
This is the failure of the Miami Dolphin triumvirate, Gase, Grier and Tannenbaum. Gase fell in love with players and was smart enough to design an offense around the skills of those players. But this trait betrayed him when he designed his offense around one or two of key players. The offense tailored around them changed drastically when they went down due to injury.

With a stable identity, the team may have filled the roster with players fitting the identity. Then, game planning and practices would not alter drastically during the course of the season. Gase never understood the importance of continuity on his roster, on both sides of the ball. Because of this, his team, like his plan, played Jekyll and Hyde all season never knowing which would show up.

The Miami Dolphins lost a good coach, it was reported that he would not relinquish control of the 53-man roster. In other words, he would go down in the same ship with Ryan Tannehill.

The coach killer claims another victim…

Take two lessons Adam Gase:

Don’t fall in love with players…

Build your team around an identity so there is depth to mitigate injures…

Good luck Adam Gase...

Tannehill Decision Will Define Gase's Future

The Miami Dolphins spiral into another dismal off-season with some amazingly offensive stats…

2 of 9 on third down against Jacksonville…

57.7 completion percentage…
 
83 yards gained on the first drive and 100 on the final nine possessions...

Tannehill’s sixth time in 10 games failing to throw for 200 yards...

Averaging 183.2 passing yards per game...

Failed to generate 200 yards of offense in three of the past four games...

Miami’s offense is 25th in points this year, was 25th in points last year, and was 24th in points in 2016...

Former first-round pick DeVante Parker has three catches for 31 yards in his past three games and 122 receiving yards in the past six games.

“It’s terrible,” coach Adam Gase said. “I mean, the offense was awful. It was brutal to watch, to be a part of.  I think today was a rough day for {Ryan}. I wish he would have played a little better. I wish he would have made a few more decisions that were different. I think there’s been games that he has – that he’s played really well – and there’s been some games where we haven’t played well.”

“I think every position has its faults,” Tannehill said about the inept offense. “Start with me and just go right down the line. I think when you have that, it all stacks up and you’re not moving the ball. We have to be cleaner, every position, starting with me and that will give us our best chance, obviously, to put the ball in the end zone.”

Why take a 36-year-old Frank Gore and make him the fixture of your offense when it takes carries away from more explosive backs like Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage? The reason is because there is no trust in the passing game and the only true option left is a power running game.

The stats above define why there is no trust in the passing game and it’s time the Miami Dolphins face the simple truth, Ryan Tannehill is not a Super Bowl quarterback…

There seems to be a misunderstanding in Miami as to why there are football games. There is a single goal in professional football…

Win the Super Bowl.

Certainly, no team can win the big game every year, but the big picture focus seems to have eluded the Miami Dolphins. Frank Gore is a great locker room guy, but he’s not going to take this team to that Super Bowl in the sky. Sitting future players like Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage and using Gore makes little sense in the big picture.

Sitting them because the quarterback cannot consistently show up for football games and then praising that quarterback opens all kinds of questions…

Winning is an interesting conundrum when taken in the context of time. A momentary win can actually hinder long-term success. There is a simple way to remember this, “short-term gains no long-term returns.”

Those short gains by Gore can keep the ball moving slowly down the field in hopes of some success, but in the end the big prize is just an illusion. That prize goes to players like Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, who is averaging 324.5 yards passing in his second NFL season.

Seven years later, any thought of creating a great person out of one that never was, is an illusion. This needs to be addressed unless Stephen Ross is also delusional. If the coach has no ability to project long-term success and is simply mired in short-term day-to-day management, than the expectation for the future should be the results of the present.

Simply stated, doing the same thing over and over again will produce the same results…

The expectation cannot be to remain with Ryan Tannehill, whether it’s perceived as his fault or not. Calling out injuries, or penalties, poor game planning, not playing complimentary football, are all excuses that will not change the result. The only constant on this team has been Ryan Tannehill, not Joe Philbin, Jeff Ireland, Mike Sherman, Bill Lazor, Mike Tannenbaum, Chris Grier or Adam Gase…

Ryan Tannehill...

Tannehill is a really good person and that is what keeps the illusion alive, but make no mistake, it is an illusion.

Think - big-picture - Super Bowl picture.
 
The Miami Dolphins must somehow find this understanding. Adam Gase has the potential to be a great football coach, but great coaches have one thing in common, they can sense and see great quarterbacks. They can take that quarterback, make him better and together they can achieve the ultimate football success…
 
Winning the Super Bowl.

This is what Stephen Ross should be looking for, a coach who can sense a great quarterback and make him better. Adam Gase? Maybe, but if he’s locked in on Ryan Tannehill, than he’s caught in the illusion. He’s not what Ross though he was and the boss-man has no other option but to move on from Gase and keep searching for a coach that can see greatness.

It is pivotal for the Miami Dolphins to make a clear rational decision and cut ties with Ryan Tannehill. Once the cord is cut, then other pieces of the future can begin to establish themselves. A team cannot plan for the future if it is stalled in the past.

Adam Gase ran the most productive offense in NFL history with Payton Manning. Gase has shown the ability to work with greatness, but attaching himself to Tannehill will end his career in Miami. Fighting to keep Tannehill this off-season will only prolong the agony of Miami fans should both remain. Gase will be fired before the 2019 season is concluded and the Dolphins will be left floundering.

Will Adam Gase’s legacy be remembered for being the guy who signed Jay Cutler and stuck with Ryan Tannehill. Will he be the coach who fell in love with players, has no business savvy or vision. Will laughs and scoffing follow decisions like offing Jarvis Landry, Jay Ajayi and Ndamukong Suh.

Gase must square his jaw and step boldly into his future. Those aforementioned players never took to a team led by Ryan Tannehill. It is not a coach’s job to create leadership at the highest level on the football field. Either that player has the respect of his teammates or he does not and clearly there’s something wrong with Tannehill’s leadership in the huddle.

From the outside, it appears Tannehill is the teacher’s pet. The boy who finishes every assignment on time, brings in cookies and listens intently to every word from the teacher’s mouth. In the back of the room, the boys who should defend this QB on the field secretly despise him. This can no longer go on, and if Gase cannot see it, than he’s as blind as the teacher and it’s time for a change.

Gase must come to terms with all of these obvious issues or he may never land a head coaching job again.

It’s time coach...

Time to find your own quarterback...

Time to stake your own future...

Before the coach killer strikes again…

Miami Miracle Crashes and Burns in Minneapolis

Twenty-one first quarter points quickly erased the Miami Miracle as the Dolphins crashed and burned in Minneapolis. The Vikings running game gashed the Miami defense on three straight drives, while the Miami offense floundered. The game and Miami's playoff hopes ended before halftime. An average Minnesota Vikings team resembled the purple people eaters, annihilating the hapless Dolphins.

Minkah Fitzpatrick stepping in front of a Kirk Cousins pass and dashing into the endzone and a Kalen Ballage 75-yard touchdown run were the only hint of life Miami showed all day.

It was not enough, Ryan Tannehill stood flat footed in the face of a fierce pass rush, throwing for only 108 yards. After a brilliant performance against New England, Tannehill completed only 11 of 24 passes, looking beleaguered, confused and shell-shocked.

Enough of the Tannehill debate...

Clearly we've seen enough.

The Miami offensive line played an atrocious game allowing nine sacks. Even the invincible Frank Gore could not endure the pounding and left the game with an injured ankle. The Dolphin defense surrendered the line of scrimmage from the onset as the Vikings rushed for 220 yards and Cousins passed for another 215.

Six straight road losses for the Dolphins is the tale of the season. Miami does not bring the same intensity on the road, playing uninspired football in a game broadcast nationally. The euphoria of a walk off victory the previous week quickly gave way to the reality that the Miami Dolphins cannot match up with quality teams on the road. Miami has lost by an average of 17.7 points per road game during the six game skid.

The Dolphins are 7-17 on the road during Adam Gase's tenure and only three of those defeats have been less than ten points. While the Miami defense looked like a revolving door, the offense was equally pathetic. After the 75 yard Kalen Ballage burst to open the second half, Miami's next five drives totaled -27 yards...

Reverting to bad Tannehill, the Miami quarterback completed only 45.8 percent of his passes for 108 yards. His magical 155 rating a week ago, sunk to 59 this week as the Vikings took away the dink passes and forced him off his spot. The offensive line was downright offensive and did not show up for the game.

Enough debate...

It's time for a change.

Both sides of the ball looked lackadaisical and the 41-17 loss was not even that close. Nine sacks are a team record for a single game. Kirk Cousins came into the game as the worst free agent acquisition of the season only to put up 215 yards, 2 TDs and a 112 rating against perhaps the worst defense in the NFL.

It is time for this team to take a long realistic view at how far it is from the next level. In the present form, mediocrity is the definition of the Miami Dolphins. The quarterback has been here for seven years and has yet to reach the playoffs or finish a winning season. The coach has been here three years and his team has played 500 football and is routinely blown out on the road.

It is time for a change. If Adam Gase is unwilling to part ways with Ryan Tannehill, than it is time for Stephen Ross to fire the coach and allow the QB to move on. Any fear that Tannehill will somehow acquire greatness is a foolish notion. Quarterbacks do not take eight years to find some magic formula and anyone who thinks differently is delusional, including the coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Adam Gase has the potential to be a great coach, he can win games he should lose. Unfortunately he will never be that coach with a wildly inconsistent quarterback. If Dan Marino had been in that huddle, the words from his mouth would be ringing in the stands. Tannehill has no leadership skills and it shows vividly on the road.

Enough debate...

It's time for a change.

If Gase is unwilling to make the changes needed on this football team, there is no other recourse than to fire him. Tannehill is what he is, a backup quarterback. Joe Philbin was fired for trying to draft his replacement...

Will Adam Gase be fired for trying to keep the same quarterback?

Tannehill is a coach killer...

Meanwhile, Dolphin fans must agonize season after season mired in his mediocrity. If Mike Tannenbaum is unwilling to do what is right for this team and insists on maintaining the status quo, than he too must be fired.

The personnel people have been changed, the coaches have been changed and the Miami Dolphins remain the same. The only constant on this team is Ryan Tannehill, whether he's a tough guy, whether he has a rocket arm, whether he's smart, whether he's a team guy is irrelevant, you are what your record says you are... Mediocre.

Miami beat New England with a miracle play...

It was a euphoric moment in a season that has been grinding down to this, 7-7 mediocrity. It will be eight years next season.

Enough debate...

We've seen enough...

Time to move on...

Dolphins Pull Out a Miraculous Victory

There are games that define teams and players, games that erase all the critics, games with such a warm afterglow; they leave you reaching for a cigarette. The Miami Dolphin win over the Patriots was one of those games.

The idea of using Rob Gonkowski as the deep safety seems so Belichickian, until the Gronk actually has to become a defender and make an open field tackle. Kenyan Drake was feeling lonely watching Frank Gore run through the New England defense. When Drake got the ball on the final play, nothing would stop him from outrunning the Gronk all the way to victory.

For Dolphin fans, the moment will live forever in the lore of a team desperately needing spark. The Dolphins stood up to the AFC East bullies, duking it out toe to toe, but seemed destined for the knockout blow with 7 seconds left, down by five points.

Somehow the magic happened, a pass to Kenny Stills, a lateral to Devante Parker, another lateral to Kenyan Drake and the field of dreams opened up. The Miami Dolphins won the game.

New England fans will call it luck, high school shenanigans and of course, there was a certain amount of luck involved. This one play is the perfect example of how a football team learns how to win. How a football team learns that luck only matters if the team is in a position to win.

With a minute left in the first half, New England blocked a punt and had a very short field to score. The Dolphins did not allow a single point, in fact, they forced Brady to make an uncharacteristic mistake, he was sacked with no timeouts and the half ended.

What does this have to do with luck? Every person and every team has the same amount of luck, what matters is, if you're in a position to benefit from that luck. If Miami had been 8 points behind at the end of the game, the last play would have been a lot different.

By fighting for every inch at the end of the first half, Miami was able to stay alive and within in a touchdown at the end of the game. By making that goal line stand, the Dolphin's final lucky play turned into victory.

This is the difference between winning and losing. It is the reason Miami can be outgained, lose in time of possession and turnovers, yet still win. Luck does not matter if you are not in a position to win. Adam Gase knows this, he teaches it and his players do not quit until the final whistle blows.

Ryan Tannehill had perhaps his finest game as a Miami Dolphin. The local press and indeed this site have been insistent that Tannehill is nothing more than an average quarterback. If any player on the Dolphins was an example of staying in the game until the final whistle, it was Ryan Tannehill.

JaWaun James stomped his 300 pounds firmly on Tannehill's right ankle and it looked like Tannehill was done. No one would have said a word if Tannehill did not return to that field, but he taped the ankle and hobbled back out there to lead his team. A team one last desperate breath from playoff elimination. In the end, Tannehill and his team deservedly sucked in the sweet aroma of victory.

Kenny Stills, made some ugly mistakes. He slid to the ground in the fourth quarter with his team leading and needing a first down. Had he simply dove over the line, Miami may have won the game without those final heroics. He dropped another first down throw that caused the final punt.

Stills didn't quit, he stepped into the open zone, caught that final pass and flipped it to Parker, who flipped it to Drake, who found the endzone. Stills knew it was a desperate play, but he also knew it was possible because Miami had left themselves in a position for luck to do its magic.

Maybe all Dolphin fans need to learn the lesson of luck. When you give up and put a lucky break out of reach from helping, you lose. The luck was there, the same luck everyone has, but luck doesn't matter if you can't use it.

Tannehill may never be a great quarterback, Stills may never be a great receiver and Adam Gase may never be a great coach, but they will win. The will win because they do not give up.

The Miami Dolphins probably need a better QB, could use some linebackers and secondary...

But in the end, if they believe they can win and keep victory in their grasp...

These Miami Dolphins will find a way...

Lifeless Dolphin Defense Leads Defeat

Yawn...

Sorry guys, I'm not going to show up this week.

I'm tired, my typing fingers are sore, my butt's dragging from sitting in this chair.

I couldn't figure out how the old New England defensive coordinator could possibly lead his offense in the exact same manner as his former boss.

I'm not going to wonder why no wrinkles were devised to stop  the dissection of the Miami secondary.

I'm just going to leave the massive "A" hole gaps in my wide nine even after it's been completely exploited.

But really, I'm tired, I get paid zero to be a fan and so why should I show any more passion than the players on the field?

I'll just take this article off...

Maybe I'll take the rest of the season off...

Maybe I'll keep insisting I can make a winner out same quarterback that has never won.

Maybe I'll keep running dive plays to Gore on first down so I can go three and out on the first possession of the game, that'll set the tempo perfectly.

Maybe I can continue not scoring a first possession touchdown for the 19th straight game. The defenses will forget about Gore and the dive play sooner or later.

Maybe the opponent will play a wide nine and leave the "A" gaps wide open on the first possession like Miami does. Come on, there's bound to be another team so stubborn it will continue failing 18 straight times and still run the same plays.

Yawn...

I feel like my team's gaping "A" holes...

Exploited...

Brock Osweiler Leads Miami to a Wild Victory in OT

The Miami Dolphins came up big with a wild win against the Chicago Bears.

There was a collective groan and the echo of, "careful what you wish for," when Ryan Tannehill was ruled out for the game. It was his 21st missed game in the last three years. Brock Osweiler meanwhile, is certainly no Jay Cutler, but since leaving Denver with a huge free agent contract to play in Houston, he has been unable to regain the magic, until Sunday.

After exchanging punts, Osweiler and the Dolphins put together a 54-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to newly signed tight end Nick O'Leary. O'Leary is a local Palm Beach native, who also happens to be the grandson of golf legend, Jack Nicholas. O'Leary did Jack proud, playing a very fine football game for his hometown team.

On the ensuing drive, the Bears seemed to find their stride and went for it on 4th and 1. It wasn't to be, as Miami's premier defender Reshad Jones, sniffed out the screen and shut down the Bears. Plays like this demonstrate why Miami is not the same team without Jones on the field. His presence lifts the entire defense.

After punting back and forth, the Bears got it going again with a 74-yard drive to the Miami 1 yard line. Just when it seemed Chicago would tie the game Robert Quinn stripped Howard and the ever-present Kiko Alonso jumped on the loose ball. Miami had stuffed the Bears again.

Miami began driving the football again, moving 64 yards in 11-plays when Brock Osweiler took a shot down field to Devante Parker. Parker failed to protect his QB, leading to an Osweiler INT without Parker even attempting to make a play on the ball. Miami went into half time leading 7-0. The play may have been the final straw for Parker, who did not play another down.

On the heels of that disparaging play, the second half started disastrous for the Miami Dolphins. The Bears scored in three plays. Osweiler proceeded to telegraph an awful interception trying to find Albert Wilson on the sideline. In one play, the Bears scored again, erasing the tie to lead 14-7. It was easily Osweiler's worst play of the game.

Miami drove 43-yards in 8 plays but settled for a field goal to pull within 14-10. Three plays later, the Bears cut through the Miami defense like a hot knife through butter and scored again. With the score now 21-10, the Dolphins looked shell-shocked and it seemed the rout was on.

Miami did not cave as expected and drove the ball 68-yards in 11 plays, giving the defense a much needed rest. Osweiler did not seem bothered by much of anything and team followed his leadership. Unfortunately, the Dolphins were unable to convert the touchdown and settled for a field goal to end the third quarter, down 21-13.

The bears began the fourth quarter by driving all the way to the Miami 3 yard line when the magic began to happen. TJ McDonald stepped in front of a Trubisky pass in the endzone and the Dolphin defense breathed new life into the entire team.

The Dolphins worked the field for six plays when Osweiler flipped a short pass to Albert Wilson. Wilson shredded the Bears secondary leaving would be tacklers clutching nothing but air. 43-yards later, Wilson danced into the endzone leaving the Dolphins down by 2 points.

Adam Gase, decide to ride the train out and went for two. Osweiler was chased from the pocket. On a typical non-call for Miami, Danny Amendola was pushed to the ground. Unfazed, Osweiler kept the play alive long enough to throw a rope to Kenny Stills in the back of the endzone and Miami had completed the comeback to tie the game at 21.

The Bears again took control of the Miami defense, immediately driving 75-yards in 11 plays, while eating nearly 6 minutes off the game clock to take back the lead 28-21.

Albert Wilson would have none of that and in one play, raced through the entire vaunted Chicago defense, 75-yards into the endzone and Miami had tied the game at 28 in less than 30 seconds.

Miami could not convert after Kiko Alonso forced a fumble recovered by Howard and went 3 and out. With only 34-seconds left, deep in their own territory, Chicago opted to take the game into overtime.

Miami won the toss and promptly rode the horse named Frank Gore all the way to the one yard line. Then disaster struck, Kenyon Drake took a handoff and bounced right heading for the winning TD when the ball was popped loose. Drake lost the handle and hung his head in despair as the Bears drove down for the winning field goal.

But the great Gods would have none of it and former Dolphin Cody Parkey promptly missed the game winning field goal, wide right...

Osweiler one more time took the reigns, getting the ball three straight times to a redeemed Kenyon Drake for a total of 22-yards. A quick throw to Amendola for 6 yards positioned Miami at the 29 yard line. Osweiler spiked the ball with only 3 seconds left before the game would end in a tie.

After a Chicago icing, rookie kicker Jason Sanders stepped up and knocked through the game winning 47-yard field goal as time expired. All over Miami fandom pandemonium exploded. The Dolphins had miraculously gutted out an incredible victory after two straight agonizing losses.

For the much maligned Brock Oweiler, the victory was sweet. For Kenyon Drake, what could have been a confidence destroying fumble was washed away with the savory flavor of victory. The Miami defense showed again that this unit is moving toward something special.

Coach Adam Gase stuck with his team and never allowed them to think victory was impossible. We're left to ponder the future of Ryan Tannehill, but allow that to rest while the sweet scent of this win resonates in the hearts of Miami fans everywhere. :) :) :)