A SHOUT-OUT TO THE DOLPHIN SHOUT COMMUNITY!!

On an April 24th Saturday in the year 2010 a youthful 17 year old entrepreneur wrote an introductory post to his new Miami Dolphin Shout Community Blog site.

Paul Smythe. Our Host, Founder, Owner, Writer, Editor, Creator, Designer, and whatever else of Dolphin Shout opened with this on that initial Dolphin Shout day.

""I am obviously a huge Miami Dolphins fan. I love football in general, and I want to write about it as much as I can.""

Six or so weeks later on June 4th, 2010 one of the Shouts first followers Gary (RiverdoG) Cowell was recruited by Paul to write his first article. The title was. My First Post: Don't Worry Miami Dolphins Fans, Jason Taylor Is Replaceable.

""He was always a liability in the running game. Most of the time he was so intent to get his sacks he took himself out the play and face it his coverage skills were well, lets just say not very good.""

""Yea, yea I know I'm going to take some heat on this, I understand I'm taking on what most fans feel is an icon for the Dolphins. So it's not going to be popular.""

Say What? How Dare You!

In the Shouts (About Us) section the doG wrote.
""What you will get from me on Paul's site is a bit different from many others, and you may not agree with what I say. You may even question if I am a "true Dolphin fan" as I have heard that many times before. I can assure you that I am a Dolphin fan no matter what you may think. So sit back, buckle up, and enjoy. It could be a bumpy ride...""

Gary/RiverdoG's self proclaimed unpopular thought process made him the Shouts driving force as attendance began to soar to read and respond to the most wisely approachable, popular enigma, and Dolphin Shout Hero. Boy did he ever have it right with that last thought! ""It could be a bumpy ride"" Upon the ending of a much too exciting Miami Dolphin Victory over the New England Patriots on December 15th 2013, Our Beloved doG was called upon to do good deeds elsewhere, but he will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!


Previous to the worlds loss!
In July of 2011 Paul asked Gary to recruit some writing for the Shout prospects. In being associated with through other blogging sites over the previous handful of years the doG brought home Patrick and myself.

In the Shouts (About Us) tab. Patrick wrote some stuff that I personally found very amusing.

""I grew up in a small town near Carlisle Pennsylvania, my brother and I used to ride our bikes to the Washington Redskins training camp at the war college. One day while sitting in the stands the coach of the Redskins walked up, he said hello and talked with us for a bit, his name was Vince Lombardi…

My three brothers and I never liked to root for the same team, it wasn’t as much fun, so when they all stayed in the NFC East choosing the Redskins, Eagles and Cowboys I had to select either the Giants or the Cardinals (at the time) neither was very appealing to me, so I selected this start up team in Miami, the Dolphins.

As fate would have it, a few years later my dad got a job in Fort Lauderdale and we moved to Florida. The year was 1972 and I got to witness the undefeated season, going to many of the games with my father who had taken a liking to Don Shula. I have been in Florida ever since, now living on the west coast.

Some folks might say I’m obsessed with the Dolphins, I prefer the word passion. Just because I pace around the room, yell at the TV using language better fit for a brothel and call every official a flaming idiot does not mean I’m obsessive! I prefer to call it passion…

Hopefully I can bring some of that passion to the readers of Dolphin Shout!""

And he's killed-it with every article he's ever written!


On December 5th of 2012 Paul brought Shawn Carlson and Todd Bartley aboard, and in 2014 Tony Nicoletti started writing his take for The Dolphin Shout Community.

Numerous others have come and gone (John Bleech, Richard Anderson, James Tieman, Jeff Brennan, and Mike Ferguson) have all assisted greatly with their contributions.

Five plus years, and 1250 articles later Dolphin Shout is still a favored community of intelligently civilized Miami Dolphin fan contributors that drive the site. Too many to mention as it would be an injustice to all in forgetting to mention any one single name! So, Let It Be Known that every one of you is a force that drives us toward the success of Dolphin Shout, and that you are greatly appreciated within the community as well as beyond our time here together!


Back to the reasoning for this particular piece.
In the midst of that initial Dolphin Shout introductory post, our host Paul included.
""I am into more than just football, though. I am pursuing degrees in Real Estate and Marketing. I am also planning on obtaining my Masters in Real Estate Development.""

Our youthful entrepreneur Paul Smythe Graduated College this past Friday!
CONGRATULATIONS Paul, and good luck to you in all your future endeavors!
THANK YOU for all the good times and great people that your initial vision of Dolphin Shout has provided us over the years!

Here's to all for five more years on a less bumpy, and more joyous ride!

THANK YOU ALL for your Open-Minded Reads and contributions over the duration,
(as always) we look forward to your angles of view : )) !!

GOFINS!!!

Hear'Ye, Hear'Ye

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL NATIVE AMERICANS, PILGRIMS OF EVERY SORT, AND BLOGGERS!!

May you ENJOY a FULL-FILLING FEAST of food, fun, and LOVE amongst all BRETHREN!!


MONJA : )) !!

Dolphins Sign Branden Albert

The Miami Dolphins finally have their man.

A year after almost trading a second round pick for him, Miami has signed free agent Branden Albert to a five year deal worth $46 million. This is a step in the right direction for one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Albert is a Pro Bowler who will give Miami help they desperately need on the line.

Miami wasn't done with signings for the day, though. They signed defensive tackle Earl Mitchell to a four year deal worth $16 million. Albert had been with the Texans for four years before becoming a free agent. He was a full-time starter last year, and hopefully he'll fill the void left by Paul Soliai and (possibly) Randy Starks.

Thanks for stopping by. Free agency is upon us. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Miami Dolphins Hire Dennis Hickey as General Manager

The Miami Dolphins have hired Buccaneers director of player personnel Dennis Hickey as their next general manager. Hickey had spent 18 seasons with Tampa Bay in their front office.

As I am unfamiliar with general managers and their abilities I don't think I am qualified to state an opinion on this. It has been well documented that I was firmly on the Jeff Ireland boat, but that isn't important now. We shall see what Hickey is able to do.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Dolphins Hire Bill Lazor as Offensive Coordinator

The Miami Dolphins have hired former Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor as their offensive coordinator. This move follows shortly after the perceived favorite for the job, Ben McAdoo, joined the Giants as their offensive coordinator.

Lazor spent one year as the Eagles offensive coordinator. Under Lazor Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles flourished. My assumption is Miami is hoping he'll help Tannehill do the same. It seems like a smart hire to me. My main concern with our hiring of a new offensive coordinator is how the change would slow down Tannehill, but the Eagles put in a new offense last year and Lazor was a part of that.

Lazor was a bit of a surprise to me. I fully expected Miami to hire McAdoo fairly quickly, but that didn't end up happening. If I was placing bets at the Football Betting Center then I would have been fairly confident in picking McAdoo, but apparently the Giants had a different outcome in mind.

I'm really excited to see what Lazor will do with Miami's running game. Philadelphia had a special running back in LeSean McCoy, and Lamar Miller isn't on his level, but hopefully he saw how to properly use a talented back and will do so with Miller.

I was definitely disappointed when McAdoo went to the Giants, but hiring Lazor is a move that sits well with me. Now we'll just have to see who the Dolphins hire as general manager. Hopefully they can have that done quickly to get on to building this team for next season.

Miami is almost there in terms of talent. Lazor is a step in the right direction. If a few plays had gone the other way in Miami the Dolphins could have still been playing in January. This team isn't far off. I'll stand by that.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Miami Dolphins Fire Mike Sherman

Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman has been fired, according to multiple media reports. Sherman's offense this year was very poor and he seemed to be the scapegoat (other than Jeff Ireland, of course).

I agree with the move. I would like Miami to bring someone who can help Tannehill's development. Tannehill was able to have two years of NFL experience with a familiar coach where he knew the playbook. Now it's time for him to take the next step.

It was reported that owner Steve Ross wanted Sherman gone while head coach Joe Philbin wanted to keep him. It appears in the end the man with the money won the battle.

There are rumblings that Ben McAdoo, who is currently the Packers QB's coach, is a favorite to be Sherman's replacement. To me that seems like an excellent move because McAdoo has experience mentoring one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Aaron Rodgers. Joe Philbin actually requested to interview McAdoo when Miami was looking for an offensive coordinator two years ago, but the Packers denied that request (source).

We'll see what happens. I'm sure there will be more news soon.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Dolphins Shut Out by Bills in Disappointing Loss

The Miami Dolphins came into Buffalo following an emotional victory over the New England Patriots last week. All they needed to do to make the playoffs was beat the Bills this week and the Jets next week. Instead, the Dolphins laid a goose egg against a stout Buffalo defense.

The Dolphins barely reached 100 yards on offense (103 total yards) and allowed the Bills to gain close to 400 (390). It was a truly embarrassing performance by a team that has looked so good recently.

Miami's offensive line was bad, allowing seven sacks, one of which resulted in a Ryan Tannehill knee injury. The injury wasn't serious, but we all knew it was a matter of time before Tannehill went down this year. Thankfully he was able to return briefly.

If Miami wants any chance at making the playoffs they need Baltimore to lose to New England, which is looking pretty good right now as I am writing this (the Patriots are winning 17-0).

We'll see what happens. Let's hope that they can fix whatever is wrong this week.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. Follow me on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

RIP Riverdog.

Jonathan Martin Releases Statement

Jonathan Martin's lawyer David Cornwell has released the following statement regarding Jonathan Martin and the "bullying" he was subjected to:

Jonathan Martin's toughness is not at issue. Jonathan has started every game with the Miami Dolphins since he was drafted in 2012. At Stanford, he was the anchor for Jim Harbaugh's "smash mouth" brand of football and he protected Andrew Luck's blind side.

The issue is Jonathan's treatment by his teammates. Jonathan endured harassment that went far beyond the traditional locker room hazing. For the entire season-and-a-half that he was with the Dolphins, he attempted to befriend the same teammates who subjected him to the abuse with the hope that doing so would end the harassment. This is a textbook reaction of victims of bullying. Despite these efforts, the taunting continued. Beyond the well-publicized voice mail with its racial epithet, Jonathan endured a malicious physical attack on him by a teammate, and daily vulgar comments such as the quote at the bottom. These facts are not in dispute.

Eventually, Jonathan made a difficult choice. Despite his love for football, Jonathan left the Dolphins. Jonathan looks forward to getting back to playing football. In the meantime, he will cooperate fully with the NFL investigation.

Quote from teammate: "We are going to run train on your sister. . . . She loves me. I am going to f-k her without a condom and c- in her c-."

Let me know your thoughts.

Where Do the Dolphins Go from Here?

It has been a crazy nine days since the Miami Dolphins suffered a loss to the Patriots in New England.

In that time Miami offensive lineman Mike Pouncey was served a subpoena in the Aaron Hernandez case, Jonathan Martin left the team with an undisclosed (at the time) illness, Miami won a thrilling overtime Thursday night matchup against the Bengals with a walk-off safety, and just yesterday a rather nasty transcript of a voicemail sent from Richie Incognito to Martin was made public, which prompted the Dolphins to suspend Incognito indefinitely.

If you thought the Dolphins offensive line was bad before, you probably won't want to see what it looks like now. We have witnessed a historically bad offensive line this season, and it's not looking any more promising.

Source: Robert Mayer

We can look on the bright side, though. Miami snapped their four-game losing streak with a huge victory last week. They are back in the playoff hunt at .500 and face the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Monday night in another prime time game. Miami isn't getting much respect before that game, so if you're looking to place a bet SBO.ag is the site for your football odds.

The Dolphins finally committed to the run last week, with Lamar Miller running for his first career 100-yard game. If Miami continues to make an attempt to run the ball they should hopefully be able to confuse the defense enough to give Ryan Tannehill a little time to throw the football.

Will this team rebound from losing two of its starting offensive linemen? The national eye is on them following a big win, but for all the wrong reasons. Winning cures everything, though, so let's hope for a little Thursday night magic.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Report: Dolphins Mike Pouncey Subpoenaed in Relation to Aaron Hernandez Case

The bad news continue for the Miami Dolphins.

Miami's Mike Pouncey, who is among the best centers in the NFL, has been served a grand jury subpoena, according to Pete Thamel and Greg Bedard of SI.

credit: Phelan M. Ebenhack

Pouncey was served the subpoena shortly after Miami's loss to the Patriots in New England.

The subpoena is related to the high profile Aaron Hernandez criminal case, and, more specifically, Hernandez's involvement in interstate gun trafficking. The SI report goes on to say that the subpoena doesn't mean Pouncey is being charged with a crime, but police are focusing on "multiple transactions that involve him and Hernandez."

It would be very premature to assume Pouncey is guilty of any wrongdoing. He and his brother Maurkice were good friends with Hernandez at the University of Florida and were "credited with keeping Hernandez out of trouble" while there, but this is definitely not good news for a Dolphin team on a four game skid that may have also lost receiver Brandon Gibson for the season.

There is no way of knowing what, if anything, will actually happen to Pouncey. Let's hope that he wasn't at all involved in any of Hernandez's criminal activity.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Will the Dolphins Bounce Back against the Bills?

The Miami Dolphins have started off 3-2 after what was expected to be a brutal opening stretch of games. That's good, right? Kind of.

None of us expected them to do this well, but even the most pleasant surprises will sour if less pleasant surprises come around. After two straight losses and some of the worst blocking in the NFL, the Dolphins have come back down to earth. Now they welcome Buffalo in a game that they should be able to win against a team with a quarterback who was just promoted from the practice squad last week.

So can Miami beat the 2-4 Bills this weekend? I sure think so. Buffalo is not a very good team other than their running backs, CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson, who are definitely among the best in the NFL. If the Dolphins can stop the run, they can force Bills quarterback Thad Lewis to throw the ball. Lewis had a good game against the Bengals last week, but I don't expect him to be able to keep that up.

It is my hope that Miami can get a run game going. There are only four teams in the NFL who have allowed more rushing yards than the Bills this season. Miami has the talent. It's just a matter of getting the ball to that talent a little more consistently.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Be sure to stop by during the game for our live game chat. The more the merrier.

You Tell Me: Will the Miami Dolphins Win on Monday Night?

The Miami Dolphins have shocked much of the football world after starting the season with three straight wins. Now Miami has to go into New Orleans for some prime time football on Monday night.

My question to you guys is simple: will the Miami Dolphins beat the New Orleans Saints on Monday?

I'll leave the rest to you guys. I'm curious to see what you have to say.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

The Miami Dolphins Are Here to Stay

Ryan Tannehill led the Miami Dolphins on a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, propelling the Dolphins to 3-0, and showing the rest of the NFL that they are, in fact, a team to be reckoned with.

Tannehill threw for 236 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in Miami's 27-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. His second touchdown was a crucial throw to rookie Dion Sims right on the goal line.

Surprisingly, both teams ran the ball well. Miami had 90 combined yards rushing, and Atlanta, without starter Steven Jackson, ran for 146 yards. Miami's defense struggled stopping the run early, but they tightened up when they had to. That's a running theme with this group. When it comes down to it they'll get the stops needed to win the game. There are definitely things that need to be fixed (i.e. sub-par secondary play, not enough pressure by the defensive line), but overall this team is looking pretty darn good.

No player really stood out on offense other than Tannehill. This was an all-around team effort. Nine different players caught a pass from Tannehill (including the oft-maligned Michael Egnew, who had an eight yard catch on the crucial scoring drive). Brandon Gibson was excellent on the last drive. He had multiple catches and almost scored a touchdown, but he was stopped at the one yard line.

Looking ahead, the Dolphins head to New Orleans next week for a Monday night matchup against the 3-0 Saints. A win against Drew Brees would be huge. That's going to end up being a really good game.

I'll leave you guys with this statistic: historically, whenever a team starts out 3-0 they have a 75% chance of making the playoffs.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Dolphins Outlast Colts in Battle of Second Year Quarterbacks

The Miami Dolphins were able to stop Andrew "Captain Comeback" Luck late and hold on to a 24-20 victory over the Colts.

Tannehill went 23-for-34 with 319 passing yards and a touchdown. His 107.4 passer rating was significantly better than Luck's 79.7 thanks to an interception by Brent Grimes in the fourth quarter.

Miami's running game bounced back from a terrible Week 1 thanks in part to much better blocking by the offensive line. Lamar Miller had 14 carries for 69 yards and Daniel Thomas added eight carries for 30 yards.

Mike Wallace, who made national news this week because of his frustration following a poor performance in the season opener, finished the game with nine receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. His production came at the expense of Brandon Gibson, who only had one catch, but I think that's how this offense will work a lot of the time. Different receivers will have big games from week to week because of more favorable matchups. It doesn't really matter to me as long as it works.

The Dolphins struggled against Luck on defense. If Brent Grimes hadn't intercepted a pass intended for Reggie Wayne in the end zone this could have been a completely different game. Miami missed a few potential sacks because of Luck's ability to shake off tacklers and scramble with the ball. It really almost bit them in the butt late when the Colts were driving.

I know it's still early in the season, but things are looking promising for the Dolphins. Ryan Tannehill is really showing that he deserves to be an NFL quarterback.

I can't forgive to give a special mention to Charles Clay. Clay had a big 67 yard reception that helped lead to Miami's second touchdown. He finished the game with five receptions for 109 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you guys enjoyed the game. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Miami Dolphins Top Browns 23-10

Miami opened the season in Cleveland with a 13-point victory over the Browns on Sunday off of an excellent day from the Dolphins defense.

Second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill had a very good game, throwing for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He seemed in control of the offense and was able to go through Cleveland's secondary with relative ease.

Miami had an abysmal day running the ball, averaging 0.9 yards per carry. I can't remember the last time I saw a Dolphins offense run that poorly. Hopefully it won't end up being a trend.

Miami was a terror on the defensive side of the ball, sacking Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden six times and intercepting his throws three times. They also held Browns back Trent Richardson to only 47 yards on the ground (3.6 per carry).

Overall it was a good game for Miami. They were able to move the ball through the air easily despite some early pass protection issues, and they were able to limit Cleveland to only 10 points. At this point those who chose to use a bookmakers offer to back the Dolphins in the betting will have been extremely hopeful for a return on their bet.

Next week the Dolphins head to Indianapolis in a rematch of last year's loss to the Andrew Luck-led Colts. The Colts are coming off of a narrow victory to the Raiders this week, so they are definitely beatable.

Hope you guys enjoyed the game. Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame Game: Is the Season over Already?

Overreactions are common in football. Because we see so little football from the Miami Dolphins each year it is common to overreact to a certain play, drive, or game.

I get that, but you guys do realize this is the preseason, right? Heck, it's hardly even the preseason. It's the Hall of Fame game. It is impossible to draw any conclusions about players or a team from a few drives of their first team offense.

So, to answer my own question:
Q: Is the season over already?
A: What kind of stupid question is that?

How's that for an answer?

Any conclusions drawn about this season from last night's game are unnecessary.

I understand most fans still realize this game meant very little at all, but there are still a good number of fans who are reading too far into this, and for those of you, I am not questioning your football knowledge. I am just saying that you are getting a little too into such a meaningless contest.

The Hall of Fame game is more "important" than an intrasquad game, sure, but it isn't even as important as a normal preseason game. So much changes in the five weeks between
this game and the regular season opener. The only thing this over-analysis will do is make us more stressed out and worried, which I don't think many of us need.

The only conclusion you needed to draw from this game was an opinion of the Dolphins new jerseys, which I thought were pretty sweet. I was originally not much of a fan because of the lack of orange in them, but I think Miami is going to look pretty nice in their uniforms this year. It's also worth a mention that at sites like bwin.com/en/live/live-betting you can bet on any NFL matches as they happen, exciting stuff!


Thanks for stopping by. I was seeing some of the reaction and I just wanted to quell it before it became excessive.

Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Dolphin Shout 2013 Miami Dolphins Manifesto

I have been on a writing hiatus for two months now (62 days), and I would like to apologize. A lot has happened since my last piece in the football world and I haven't been around much to discuss it. 62 days is a long stretch without writing anything, and it has to be a personal record for me (definitely not a good thing).

I started Dolphin Shout in 2010 with the goal of writing something new every day, and while I don't have to write nearly as often as I did when the Shout was in its infancy I still need to write more than once every two months. I'm very proud of this site and I don't want anyone to attribute my lack of work to indifference towards Dolphin Shout, because that is not the case. As long as the internet exists Dolphin Shout will too.

A Look at the Miami Dolphins Offensive Line

Patrick just did an analysis on the Miami Dolphins defensive front, so I am going to continue our series and take a look at the other side of the ball today. I am going to be taking a look at the offensive line, which was solid last year but nothing to speak of.

Right now my projected starters for the Dolphins line are:

| LT Jonathan Martin | LG Dallas Thomas | C Mike Pouncey | RG Richie Incognito | RT Tyson Clabo |

Now what I'm going to do is take a look at each guy and who could potentially compete with them for the spot.

Left Tackle - Jonathan Martin

Jonathan Martin

Martin only played four games last season as a left tackle filling in for the injured Jake Long. He was not very impressive at that spot, but a large part of that is due to him being underweight. He claims that he has gained 15 pounds this offseason, which is an encouraging sign. All signs are pointing to him starting at left tackle this year.

The guy who I could see as potential competition to Martin would be versatile rookie lineman Dallas Thomas. I am expecting Thomas to be the starting left guard, but Miami wants him to learn guard and tackle on the left side, so he could potentially beat out Martin for the job.

Left Guard - Dallas Thomas

Miami drafted Thomas out of Tennessee in the third round (77th overall) of this year's draft. Thomas is a very versatile offensive lineman. He is capable of playing tackle, but he is better suited to play guard. The Dolphins want him on the left side, and they have been working him at both tackle and guard. I expect Martin to take the left tackle job, though, so that leaves the guard spot for Thomas.

Dallas Thomas in Tennessee

Thomas, like Martin last year, is a little on the light side. He could stand to gain a little weight, and I fully expect that Miami will work on bulking him up this offseason. He is an excellent pass protector and should be able to block for Ryan Tannehill very nicely. His run blocking isn't quite as excellent, but he is still very good at it.

Potential competition for Thomas would be Richie Incognito and John Jerry, depending on who doesn't win the right guard spot. Incognito was the starting left guard for Miami last year, but the Dolphins desire to have Thomas on the left side makes me think that they'll move Incognito to the right. Jerry was the starter on the right side, and if he doesn't win the competition against Incognito then we could see him competing with Thomas on the left.

Center - Mike Pouncey

Pouncey is 100% safe at center after last year's Pro Bowl-worthy season. He will be the starter and we can expect him to be an anchor on the offensive line.

Nothing to see here. Move along

Right Guard - Richie Incognito

Richie Incognito

This is where it gets a little more interesting. John Jerry was Miami's starting right guard last season after he was finally able to get his weight under control, but Richie Incognito will probably be replaced by Dallas Thomas so he will be looking for a new job on the right side. I think that Incognito will be able to win out. Richie is an important part of the team and, in my opinion, is the better lineman, so it makes more sense to have him starting.

Like I said above, whoever loses out on this job will likely be competing for the spot at left guard as well, but unfortunately for John Jerry, it looks like Incognito and Thomas will have the starting jobs at the start of the season. Jerry makes for excellent depth, though.

Another possible competitor is Lance Louis from the Chicago Bears. Louis was awful as a tackle for the Bears, but he is a good guard. He will add competition to the line.

Right Tackle - Tyson Clabo

The Dolphins needed another tackle, so after the draft they signed free agent veteran Tyson Clabo out of Atlanta. Clabo is a very solid all-around tackle who was cut from the Falcons for cap reasons. He is a little on the old side, though, at 31 years old, but he should fill in nicely and give Miami time to find a replacement in the next year or two. Like Pouncey, Clabo is pretty much a lock to be the starter.

Tyson Clabo

So there you have it. I am very optimistic about our offensive line this season. The biggest question mark is Jonathan Martin, but I have confidence that he will be able to play well. He will have had an offseason to bulk up, and he will be able to play on the left side from the start.

Thanks for stopping by. What do you guys think about our offensive line? Let me know below. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Ryan Tannehill: the Question and Answer for the Miami Dolphins

How well will the Miami Dolphins do this season?

It's one simple question, but there are so many possibilities. So many different things could go right or wrong for the Dolphins. It's impossible to know what will really happen.

The truth, though, is the above question isn't even the right question to ask. The real question is actually also the answer to the question above (am I making sense here?). The real question is this:

How well will Ryan Tannehill perform this season?

That's the real question, because how well he does will dictate how well Miami does. A quarterback is so crucially important that even if you surround a poor one with a top-shelf group of players you will still struggle to be successful. Miami has brought in loads of talent on both sides of the ball, but if Ryan Tannehill isn't able to hold up his end of the bargain then none of it will matter.

Please, Ryan, save me

It's almost unfair to put that much pressure on a second year quarterback. Jobs are riding on his performance. Tannehill holds Jeff Ireland's job in his hands. Ireland has done an excellent job of building a team with real potential, but if his hand-picked quarterback doesn't work out then it won't matter.

Heck, if he does poorly enough he could put Joe Philbin's job on the line. Philbin would seem to be safe for at least this year, but a three or four win season could change that. No, I don't expect Miami to win three or four games, but anything is possible (any given Sunday, right?).

Tannehill has been overshadowed and overlooked this past season. This year he has the chance to shine.

Can he do it?
Can Ryan Tannehill carry this team? Does he have what it takes to bring Dolphins fans the winning record that they're clamoring for?

Absolutely. Now that he has weapons he will start to blossom. Tannehill is a great quarterback. He's been vastly underrated this year because his numbers haven't been spectacular. No one seems to care that his receiving corps was one of the worst in the NFL.

Numbers. Numbers. Numbers.

The average fan will just look at statistics and not bother studying the player on the field. You guys can't be average fans. Don't allow yourselves to only look at numbers and not bother watching a player play before you form an opinion of them. Statistics are nice. In general they give you a good idea of how well a player can play (except for cornerbacks. Conventional cornerback statistics are almost worthless), but you have to watch the tape too.

Want an example where statistics can be misleading? Just look at Christian Ponder and compare his numbers to Ryan Tannehill. Ponder threw six more touchdowns than Tannehill and one less interception.

Is Ponder better than Tannehill? No, not by a mile, but Ponder had one of the best receivers in the NFL in Percy Harvin and the incredible Adrian Peterson taking pressure off him. Tannehill had the "pretty good" Brian Hartline and Reggie Bush, who are far inferior to Harvin and Peterson.

Statistics are great, but they're not always the whole picture.

Tannehill has the talent and the football IQ to be a successful quarterback. Now he has the necessary tools to go earn that success. It's going to be a fun season to watch.

A Prediction...
Here's what I envision happening for the Miami Dolphins this season.

Tannehill will do just like Mike Sherman predicted and be the "most improved" quarterback in the NFL statistically, which really won't be hard for him to do. He has a lot of weapons at his disposal and another year of experience under his belt.

The Dolphins as a team perform well, despite a difficult early stretch of games and finish the season as a possible wild card at 9-7.


What do you guys think? Will Ryan Tannehill carry Miami enough to earn a winning record? How many games will the Dolphins win? Let me hear it.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Report: Miami Dolphins to Sign Tyson Clabo

The Miami Dolphins have found their right tackle for this season. Offensive tackle Tyson Clabo will be signing with Miami today, according to his agent Chad Speck.

Clabo has been the Atlanta Falcons starter at tackle for the past five seasons. He went to the Pro Bowl once as an alternate in 2010. He is currently 31 years old, so he will be able to give the Dolphins a year or two as a starter opposite Jonathan Martin.

Clabo's agreement with the Dolphins is reportedly a one-year deal.

Clabo was released by the Falcons earlier this season, possibly for cap reasons as he was due $4.5 million next year from Atlanta.

Miami's main question on the offensive line now has to be second year tackle Jonathan Martin. Martin wasn't quite strong enough last season and he was pushed around pretty easily. Thankfully, Martin has said that he's added 15 pounds this offseason, so he should be a lot stronger and harder to move.

I am a big fan of this move. Miami did their due diligence on the remaining right tackles available, and apparently Clabo was the tackle that impressed them the most.

Here's a little video on the Falcons release of Clabo so you can get an idea of him.


Miami left the draft with only one hole remaining at right tackle. The Dolphins seem like a complete team now. It's going to be a fun season to watch.

Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.