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!!!
Showing posts with label Todd Bartley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Todd Bartley. Show all posts
2013 Dolphins Secondary: New Faces in New Places
Let me start off by saying this has been a very exciting offseason, whether you like/agree or not with them is another thing, but there is no one that can say it hasn't at least been interesting. With all of the comings and goings that have occurred, the writers here at the Shout have decided to break down the Dolphins by position groups. It is my duty to bring you the secondary. Here we will have a few new names and we have said goodbye to a couple old friends.
Let me start with the departure of Sean Smith. Smith was a very good cover corner. He was in the right position to make a play more often than not. Unfortunately for Smith and Dolphins fans, he dropped more than he caught. The outcome of many games could have been changed if he had hung on to a few of those possible interceptions. I'm not going to go into Smith's stats. We all know the interceptions just weren't there, so now he's not here.
On to the guys that are here:
Reshad Jones, S
Jones had a very good season last year. His stat line was on the verge of being impressive:
| 94 tackles | Nine passes defensed | Four interceptions | One sack |
That's a nice line. Pro Football Focus ranked him third in the NFL among safeties, behind only Eric Weddle and Jarius Byrd. I have heard a lot of clamoring for a long term extension for Mr. Jones, and based on last year he probably deserves one, but can we base $30-40 million on one year? Here are Jones' stats the previous 2 years:
| 2010 | 14 tackles | One sack | One interception |
| 2011 | 62 tackles | Two sacks | One interception |
Not great, but not terrible. In my opinion if he has another year like last that's when we make the bigger offer. I would just hate to sign a one year wonder to a long term, big money deal.
Chris Clemons, S
Clemons had a steady season. He registered 96 tackles and two interceptions. At only 27 years old, Clemons still has a lot of football left in him. The Dolphins just re-signed him to a one-year deal, probably looking to see what results they get this year before offering a multi-year deal.
Jimmy Wilson, S
The Dolphins only have one other safety currently on the roster with any NFL experience at all, and that would be Jimmy Wilson. Wilson had 35 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble last year.
The other safeties currently on the roster are either rookies or undrafted free agents:
Don Jones - Seventh round pick out of Arkansas St.
Keelan Johnson - Undrafted free agent out of Arizona St.
Kelcie McCray - Spent all of last year on the injured reserve after being an undrafted free agent
In my opinion we still need to address the safety position. Reshad Jones could be the answer, but after only one year of production it's too early to tell.
Brent Grimes, CB
On to the cornerbacks. Let's start on the left side. This is where the newly acquired Brent Grimes will most likely line up. Grimes isn't particularly big at 5'10", 185 pounds. Maybe that's why in his six year career he has only played all 16 games twice (2009 and 2010), and it's probably no coincidence that those were his best years in the takeaway department with six 2009 and five in 2010. I have to think that no matter how we slice it, we have gained talent in the secondary just by his signing.
One thing that I do see as interesting is the fact that in his six years with Atlanta he never registered a sack. Maybe that's because of the system they ran. I'm not sure, but I would think that at some time in six years they would have used him to run a corner blitz at least once. Coming off of his achilles tear and only signing a one year deal, I think Mr. Grimes will feel he has a lot to prove so that he can get a long term deal here or somewhere else.
Backing up Grimes will be Nolan Carroll and the newly drafted Will Davis. Carroll was a fifth round draft choice by the Dolphins back in 2010. He doesn't have a great stat line just because he hasn't had a ton of field time. He has two interceptions and one sack to his credit. He's also returned some kickoffs, and he averaged 24.3 yards per return back in the 2010 season. Davis was a 3rd round pick in this year's draft. He has nice size, but isn't too big at 5'11" and 186 pounds. Davis is physical and in the right place most of the time as his senior season college number show:
| 3 interceptions | 14 passes defensed | Three and a half tackles for a loss |
Now let's take a look at the right side. Richard Marshall was signed before last season to man this position, which he did for four games before a back injury put him on the shelf for the remainder of the year. Marshall has nice size at 5'11 and 200 pounds and was relatively quick seven years ago when he was drafted in the second round by the Carolina Panthers. He ran a very respectful 4.42 40-yard dash. Marshall's stats are consistent, if not spectacular: 18 interceptions and seven sacks in his six and a quarter seasons.
I'm not sure he will hold onto the starting job, though. His backup is Jamar Taylor, the Dolphins second round selection out of Boise State. Taylor is a force on defense. He's 5'11" and 192 pounds of physical talent. He ran a 4.39 40 and says he's faster than that.
The thing I like about Taylor is he's always around the ball. As a senior he had three and a half tackles for a loss, two and a half sacks, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups. He's not completely polished. He does have a couple of flaws. He bites hard on play action, and he will need to learn how to stay home or he will get torched early and often.
Next on the depth chart would be R.J. Stanford. He was drafted in the seventh round in 2010 by Carolina, and he had one interception for them as a rookie and basically no stat line for the Dolphins last year.
There is one more player that I would like to go over: Dimitri Patterson. Patterson is a 5'10", 200 pound seven year veteran. He has five interceptions and one sack in his career. The Dolphins signed him to a three year, $16.05 million dollar contract before last season with $6 million guaranteed. He will have a 2013 salary of $4.5 million and a 2014 salary of $5.3 million. In many people's eyes these figures make him a cap casualty this year, probably during training camp. The play of the two rookies will probably dictate Patterson's Dolphins fate. If they play well, he will become expendable.
Well there you have a brief synopsis of the Dolphins current secondary.
Compared to last year this Shout writer is overjoyed with the new talent. I still wish we had gone after the "Honey Badger" Tyrann Mathieu. I think he may be the steal of the draft, but we didn't so let's move on with what we have. I didn't get into systems or salaries (other than Patterson's) for a reason. I didn't want to lean the conversation one way or the other so we can just talk about who we think will be here in September and who we think won't be.
Thanks for reading along and offering YOUR OPINIONS.
Let me start with the departure of Sean Smith. Smith was a very good cover corner. He was in the right position to make a play more often than not. Unfortunately for Smith and Dolphins fans, he dropped more than he caught. The outcome of many games could have been changed if he had hung on to a few of those possible interceptions. I'm not going to go into Smith's stats. We all know the interceptions just weren't there, so now he's not here.
On to the guys that are here:
Reshad Jones, S
Jones had a very good season last year. His stat line was on the verge of being impressive:
| 94 tackles | Nine passes defensed | Four interceptions | One sack |
That's a nice line. Pro Football Focus ranked him third in the NFL among safeties, behind only Eric Weddle and Jarius Byrd. I have heard a lot of clamoring for a long term extension for Mr. Jones, and based on last year he probably deserves one, but can we base $30-40 million on one year? Here are Jones' stats the previous 2 years:
| 2010 | 14 tackles | One sack | One interception |
| 2011 | 62 tackles | Two sacks | One interception |
Not great, but not terrible. In my opinion if he has another year like last that's when we make the bigger offer. I would just hate to sign a one year wonder to a long term, big money deal.
Clemons had a steady season. He registered 96 tackles and two interceptions. At only 27 years old, Clemons still has a lot of football left in him. The Dolphins just re-signed him to a one-year deal, probably looking to see what results they get this year before offering a multi-year deal.
Jimmy Wilson, S
The Dolphins only have one other safety currently on the roster with any NFL experience at all, and that would be Jimmy Wilson. Wilson had 35 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble last year.
The other safeties currently on the roster are either rookies or undrafted free agents:
Don Jones - Seventh round pick out of Arkansas St.
Keelan Johnson - Undrafted free agent out of Arizona St.
Kelcie McCray - Spent all of last year on the injured reserve after being an undrafted free agent
In my opinion we still need to address the safety position. Reshad Jones could be the answer, but after only one year of production it's too early to tell.
On to the cornerbacks. Let's start on the left side. This is where the newly acquired Brent Grimes will most likely line up. Grimes isn't particularly big at 5'10", 185 pounds. Maybe that's why in his six year career he has only played all 16 games twice (2009 and 2010), and it's probably no coincidence that those were his best years in the takeaway department with six 2009 and five in 2010. I have to think that no matter how we slice it, we have gained talent in the secondary just by his signing.
One thing that I do see as interesting is the fact that in his six years with Atlanta he never registered a sack. Maybe that's because of the system they ran. I'm not sure, but I would think that at some time in six years they would have used him to run a corner blitz at least once. Coming off of his achilles tear and only signing a one year deal, I think Mr. Grimes will feel he has a lot to prove so that he can get a long term deal here or somewhere else.
Backing up Grimes will be Nolan Carroll and the newly drafted Will Davis. Carroll was a fifth round draft choice by the Dolphins back in 2010. He doesn't have a great stat line just because he hasn't had a ton of field time. He has two interceptions and one sack to his credit. He's also returned some kickoffs, and he averaged 24.3 yards per return back in the 2010 season. Davis was a 3rd round pick in this year's draft. He has nice size, but isn't too big at 5'11" and 186 pounds. Davis is physical and in the right place most of the time as his senior season college number show:
| 3 interceptions | 14 passes defensed | Three and a half tackles for a loss |
Now let's take a look at the right side. Richard Marshall was signed before last season to man this position, which he did for four games before a back injury put him on the shelf for the remainder of the year. Marshall has nice size at 5'11 and 200 pounds and was relatively quick seven years ago when he was drafted in the second round by the Carolina Panthers. He ran a very respectful 4.42 40-yard dash. Marshall's stats are consistent, if not spectacular: 18 interceptions and seven sacks in his six and a quarter seasons.
 |
| Jamar Taylor |
The thing I like about Taylor is he's always around the ball. As a senior he had three and a half tackles for a loss, two and a half sacks, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups. He's not completely polished. He does have a couple of flaws. He bites hard on play action, and he will need to learn how to stay home or he will get torched early and often.
Next on the depth chart would be R.J. Stanford. He was drafted in the seventh round in 2010 by Carolina, and he had one interception for them as a rookie and basically no stat line for the Dolphins last year.
There is one more player that I would like to go over: Dimitri Patterson. Patterson is a 5'10", 200 pound seven year veteran. He has five interceptions and one sack in his career. The Dolphins signed him to a three year, $16.05 million dollar contract before last season with $6 million guaranteed. He will have a 2013 salary of $4.5 million and a 2014 salary of $5.3 million. In many people's eyes these figures make him a cap casualty this year, probably during training camp. The play of the two rookies will probably dictate Patterson's Dolphins fate. If they play well, he will become expendable.
Well there you have a brief synopsis of the Dolphins current secondary.
Compared to last year this Shout writer is overjoyed with the new talent. I still wish we had gone after the "Honey Badger" Tyrann Mathieu. I think he may be the steal of the draft, but we didn't so let's move on with what we have. I didn't get into systems or salaries (other than Patterson's) for a reason. I didn't want to lean the conversation one way or the other so we can just talk about who we think will be here in September and who we think won't be.
Thanks for reading along and offering YOUR OPINIONS.
What If the Miami Dolphins Moved up to #1 Overall?
This is just going to be a short and sweet hypothetical post. It's just something to talk about really. The other day I read a quote from Jeff Ireland that said:
My question to all of the Shouters out there is this: if the Miami Dolphins were to trade into the first or second overall spot, who would you take if you were Jeff Ireland? I personally see no one there that I would give up multiple picks for, but for the sake of the article I will pick someone.
I would take Dion Jordan. I really wanted to say Jarvis Jones, but I think in the end Jordan is going to be a better all-around player. Cameron Wake will get some help with this pick for years to come.
Again, this is just a what-if thing. There is no right or wrong. I was just curious who the one player is that Shouters would feel confident moving up to get. But don't forget, to move up we have to get rid of multiple picks. So, make your choices with that in mind.
Thanks for reading along, I look forward to your opinions.
"I have enough to move to number one, if I want to."That was a reply to a question about if he thought he would move up, and how far he thought he could move if he desired.
My question to all of the Shouters out there is this: if the Miami Dolphins were to trade into the first or second overall spot, who would you take if you were Jeff Ireland? I personally see no one there that I would give up multiple picks for, but for the sake of the article I will pick someone.
I would take Dion Jordan. I really wanted to say Jarvis Jones, but I think in the end Jordan is going to be a better all-around player. Cameron Wake will get some help with this pick for years to come.
Again, this is just a what-if thing. There is no right or wrong. I was just curious who the one player is that Shouters would feel confident moving up to get. But don't forget, to move up we have to get rid of multiple picks. So, make your choices with that in mind.
Thanks for reading along, I look forward to your opinions.
The Miami Dolphins and Draft Grades: What Is Your Take?
The NFL draft is less than 60 days away and the Miami Dolphins need to have a great draft to put us back on the right track, but what is considered a good draft? What is considered a great draft? I think most people's opinion of each would vary.
Me, I think that I am a lot harder to please than most. What I consider an average draft class several others would consider a great class. As the old saying goes "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder".
What I would like to hear from everyone is what do you think constitutes a successful draft class? To me, drafting guys who end up being starters is a great place to start. The problem with that is, if the team was terrible to begin with the players that are drafted may just be the best of a bad batch of players. Just because they are starters on a bad team doesn't make them a good draft choice.
A rule of thumb is that it takes two to three years to know what you really have in any given draft class. That would be true on a team that has talent on it. If your team is devoid of playmakers, the impact of a draft class should be more immediate. The first thing that has to happen is impact players have to be taken. You can't fill your roster with players that are average and do nothing but add depth to your roster. Those type of players are a dime a dozen.
In the first three rounds teams should be drafting this year's starters or a replacement for a current starter they assume they will need to replace in the near future. A miss here can be a disaster to the rebuilding process of a team.
The new rookie wage scale lightens the burden a little bit. When rookie wages were out of this world bad teams got worse if an early pick didn't pan out. The guaranteed money would just eat the team's cap, and they wouldn't be able to get rid of a bad player's contracts.
In rounds four through seven a starter can sometimes be found. A lot of late round gems have become All Pros. Normally these rounds are used to fill roster spots for depth and special teams players.
Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, the Miami Dolphins have done a very poor job of drafting in the past several years. And I'm not just talking about Jeff Ireland. Randy Mueller wasn't much better. The Dolphins have lacked anything that resembles a playmaker for quite some time. The Ted Ginn Jr experiment failed in the end, but I give them credit for at least an attempt on that. Ronnie Brown tried to be a playmaker, but he just wasn't. I couldn't tell you the last playmaker we had that we actually drafted.
There have been playmakers available in the last few drafts, and why we choose to go in a different direction I have no idea. I still don't understand the Daniel Thomas pick when Torrey Smith and Randall Cobb were both still available and we were in desperate need of a playmaker wide receiver. But, we did what we did. There are several other examples just like that but I'm not going to reference them all.
I'm just not sure whose feet to lay the blame on this. Ultimately, it's the general manager's job to make the right picks, but teams pay a group of scouts hundreds of thousands of dollars to put the proper research in the general manager's hands so he can make the right choice. Quarterbacks, head coaches, and general managers get all the praise and glory when teams win, so I guess it's only fitting that they get the blame when teams lose.
So, with that being said I think we have to look at our general manager and ask "has he made the right moves to get us the playmakers to make us competitive?" My answer would be look at our record and tell me if something between 6-10 and 8-8 every year is doing a good job. I would have to say no, but that's just me.
I know I covered several points, but ultimately the question is this: does anyone think that the players we have drafted constitute us getting a passing grade and what actually constitutes a passing grade?
So, I will go back to my opening sentence: what is considered a good draft and what is considered a great draft? Please someone tell me! After the draft I will write a follow up article where everyone can give me their grade for this year's draft.
Thanks for your time and I look forward to everyone's opinion.
Me, I think that I am a lot harder to please than most. What I consider an average draft class several others would consider a great class. As the old saying goes "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder".
What I would like to hear from everyone is what do you think constitutes a successful draft class? To me, drafting guys who end up being starters is a great place to start. The problem with that is, if the team was terrible to begin with the players that are drafted may just be the best of a bad batch of players. Just because they are starters on a bad team doesn't make them a good draft choice.
A rule of thumb is that it takes two to three years to know what you really have in any given draft class. That would be true on a team that has talent on it. If your team is devoid of playmakers, the impact of a draft class should be more immediate. The first thing that has to happen is impact players have to be taken. You can't fill your roster with players that are average and do nothing but add depth to your roster. Those type of players are a dime a dozen.
In the first three rounds teams should be drafting this year's starters or a replacement for a current starter they assume they will need to replace in the near future. A miss here can be a disaster to the rebuilding process of a team.
The new rookie wage scale lightens the burden a little bit. When rookie wages were out of this world bad teams got worse if an early pick didn't pan out. The guaranteed money would just eat the team's cap, and they wouldn't be able to get rid of a bad player's contracts.
In rounds four through seven a starter can sometimes be found. A lot of late round gems have become All Pros. Normally these rounds are used to fill roster spots for depth and special teams players.
Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, the Miami Dolphins have done a very poor job of drafting in the past several years. And I'm not just talking about Jeff Ireland. Randy Mueller wasn't much better. The Dolphins have lacked anything that resembles a playmaker for quite some time. The Ted Ginn Jr experiment failed in the end, but I give them credit for at least an attempt on that. Ronnie Brown tried to be a playmaker, but he just wasn't. I couldn't tell you the last playmaker we had that we actually drafted.
There have been playmakers available in the last few drafts, and why we choose to go in a different direction I have no idea. I still don't understand the Daniel Thomas pick when Torrey Smith and Randall Cobb were both still available and we were in desperate need of a playmaker wide receiver. But, we did what we did. There are several other examples just like that but I'm not going to reference them all.
I'm just not sure whose feet to lay the blame on this. Ultimately, it's the general manager's job to make the right picks, but teams pay a group of scouts hundreds of thousands of dollars to put the proper research in the general manager's hands so he can make the right choice. Quarterbacks, head coaches, and general managers get all the praise and glory when teams win, so I guess it's only fitting that they get the blame when teams lose.
So, with that being said I think we have to look at our general manager and ask "has he made the right moves to get us the playmakers to make us competitive?" My answer would be look at our record and tell me if something between 6-10 and 8-8 every year is doing a good job. I would have to say no, but that's just me.
I know I covered several points, but ultimately the question is this: does anyone think that the players we have drafted constitute us getting a passing grade and what actually constitutes a passing grade?
So, I will go back to my opening sentence: what is considered a good draft and what is considered a great draft? Please someone tell me! After the draft I will write a follow up article where everyone can give me their grade for this year's draft.
Thanks for your time and I look forward to everyone's opinion.
Miami Dolphin Free Agent Look: Tight Ends
The tight end position is evolving greatly in today's NFL. I'm just not sure the Miami Dolphins have one capable of keeping up with the demands of the position at this time.
We have a very nice tight end in Anthony Fasano, but he is a free agent this year so a decision on his future with the team has to be made. Fasano has a couple of strengths, but he also has a couple of weaknesses. He is a very good blocker and a nice red zone target. He has good hands and excellent footwork for a big guy. His problem is that he isn't the seam threat that we need in the new west coast offense that Joe Philbin is installing. He's just not fast or quick enough to get the separation needed to make the big plays required from that position. So, he may only be resigned as a second tight end option, which might not be a bad thing depending on the value of the contract.
I know the Dolphins invested a third round pick in a tight end last year in Michael Egnew. I think that as of now we may have to realize that we made a mistake. All reports are that he has a couple of issues. First of all he doesn't appear able to grasp the playbook. Second, he plays soft, which is unacceptable for that position. He was only a rookie this past season so I would hate to say he was a bust, but it sure doesn't look like he has done much to earn anyone's trust enough to get on the field. When a third round pick is inactive 14 out of 16 games that has to mean something. We fans may not know exactly what it means but I'm sure the coaching staff does.
There are a couple of tight ends available through free agency that may fit what Coach Philbin is looking for (if we so choose to take that route). There are also a couple of tight ends that are projected as first or second round talents in the upcoming draft. I seriously doubt we take a TE that early, but that's just my opinion.
Listed below are the top free agent tight ends that are going to be available:
Number one on the list would be Tony Gonzalez. The only problem here is that if he doesn't return to Atlanta it's because he wants to retire. So, we won't have a chance at him, but we can dream.
Jared Cook, Tennessee
$800,000 in 2012
25 years old and has all the tools. Suffered a torn rotator cuff and missed the last couple of games in 2012, but he should be fine for start of 2013. He averaged 12 yards per reception in 2012.
Fred Davis, Washington
$5.4 million in 2012
27 years old and banged up a lot. Suffered a torn achilles in October. Davis is a great blocker and pass catcher, an offensive coordinator's dream weapon. Averaged 13.5 yards per receptions in 2012 before the injury.
Dustin Keller, New York Jets
$4 million in 2012
28 years old and injury prone. Only played eight games in 2012 due to ankle and hamstring issues. Did average 11.3 yards per receptions in a rather vanilla Jets offense. I'm not too keen on getting a Jet leftover, but he's not a bad player when healthy.
Brandon Myers, Oakland
$600,000 in 2012
27 years old and had a career year in 2012. Myers had 79 catches for 806 yards and 4 touchdowns and averaged 10 yards per reception. It was a breakout year compared to the prior three years where he only had 32 catches for 250 yards and zero combined touchdowns.
Dallas Clark, Tampa Bay
$2.7 million in 2012
33 years old, but still very productive. Had 47 catches for 435 yards and 4 touchdowns and averaged 9.3 yards per reception. Probably not exactly what we are looking for, but I thought I would throw him in with the rest.
There are two tight ends that have 1st round grades that will be available in the draft come April, but there are several more with second through fourth round grades.
Email me at todd@dolphinshout.com.
We have a very nice tight end in Anthony Fasano, but he is a free agent this year so a decision on his future with the team has to be made. Fasano has a couple of strengths, but he also has a couple of weaknesses. He is a very good blocker and a nice red zone target. He has good hands and excellent footwork for a big guy. His problem is that he isn't the seam threat that we need in the new west coast offense that Joe Philbin is installing. He's just not fast or quick enough to get the separation needed to make the big plays required from that position. So, he may only be resigned as a second tight end option, which might not be a bad thing depending on the value of the contract.
I know the Dolphins invested a third round pick in a tight end last year in Michael Egnew. I think that as of now we may have to realize that we made a mistake. All reports are that he has a couple of issues. First of all he doesn't appear able to grasp the playbook. Second, he plays soft, which is unacceptable for that position. He was only a rookie this past season so I would hate to say he was a bust, but it sure doesn't look like he has done much to earn anyone's trust enough to get on the field. When a third round pick is inactive 14 out of 16 games that has to mean something. We fans may not know exactly what it means but I'm sure the coaching staff does.
There are a couple of tight ends available through free agency that may fit what Coach Philbin is looking for (if we so choose to take that route). There are also a couple of tight ends that are projected as first or second round talents in the upcoming draft. I seriously doubt we take a TE that early, but that's just my opinion.
Listed below are the top free agent tight ends that are going to be available:
Number one on the list would be Tony Gonzalez. The only problem here is that if he doesn't return to Atlanta it's because he wants to retire. So, we won't have a chance at him, but we can dream.
Jared Cook, Tennessee
$800,000 in 2012
25 years old and has all the tools. Suffered a torn rotator cuff and missed the last couple of games in 2012, but he should be fine for start of 2013. He averaged 12 yards per reception in 2012.
Fred Davis, Washington
$5.4 million in 2012
27 years old and banged up a lot. Suffered a torn achilles in October. Davis is a great blocker and pass catcher, an offensive coordinator's dream weapon. Averaged 13.5 yards per receptions in 2012 before the injury.
Dustin Keller, New York Jets
$4 million in 2012
28 years old and injury prone. Only played eight games in 2012 due to ankle and hamstring issues. Did average 11.3 yards per receptions in a rather vanilla Jets offense. I'm not too keen on getting a Jet leftover, but he's not a bad player when healthy.
Brandon Myers, Oakland
$600,000 in 2012
27 years old and had a career year in 2012. Myers had 79 catches for 806 yards and 4 touchdowns and averaged 10 yards per reception. It was a breakout year compared to the prior three years where he only had 32 catches for 250 yards and zero combined touchdowns.
Dallas Clark, Tampa Bay
$2.7 million in 2012
33 years old, but still very productive. Had 47 catches for 435 yards and 4 touchdowns and averaged 9.3 yards per reception. Probably not exactly what we are looking for, but I thought I would throw him in with the rest.
There are two tight ends that have 1st round grades that will be available in the draft come April, but there are several more with second through fourth round grades.
Email me at todd@dolphinshout.com.
The Miami Dolphins Offensive Line: What to Do and with Who?
Let's take a look at the Miami Dolphins offensive line.
We all know that there is a major decision looming in Miami on what to do with Jake Long, and if he leaves it also creates another decision for the front office to make. What do we do opposite of Jonathon Martin if we let Jake Long leave, be it at right or left tackle? Do we look at free agents? Do we look at the draft? Do we try to make a trade? These are all very good questions, so I did a little homework to see who is going to be available in free agency and the draft. It would be a little premature to try and figure out who could be traded for, so we won't get into that yet.
Including Long there are eight so-called "top shelf" offensive linemen available in free agency: four left tackles, two right tackles, and two guards.
Here are the players with their current teams and their current salaries, along with a brief statement about each. You will notice there is a repeating theme:
Jake Long, LT, Miami Dolphins:
$12.8 million in 2012 salary
Has been injury prone the last couple of years, but when healthy is one of the best in the game. Supposedly his agent wants him to be the highest paid lineman in the game, so good luck with that Jake. This was the last year of his rookie contract.
Ryan Clady, LT, Denver Broncos:
$5.8 million in 2012 salary
Considered by most the best LT available this year. Recently turned down a 5 year, $50 million extension, and it has been said that he wants a contract similar to Joe Thomas'. Also the last year of his rookie contract.
Branden Albert, LT, K.C. Chiefs:
$4.2 million in 2012 salary
Widely considered to be one of the best run blocking left tackles in the NFL. This was the last year of his rookie contract.
Andre Smith, RT, Cincinnati Bengals:
$7.5 million in 2012 salary
Taken 6th overall in the 2009 draft. He has never lived up to the expectations and has always had major weight concerns. The last two years he has started to play much better, but he does realize his rookie contract was his big payday. This was also the last year of his rookie contract.
Sam Baker, LT, Atlanta Falcons:
$3.7 million in 2012 salary
Fighting chronic back issues, has had 3 back surgeries since signing his rookie contract, the last one removing a herniated disc just last year. The news out of Atlanta right now is that he's healthy and playing well. This is the last year of his rookie contract.
Sebastian Vollmer, RT, New England Patriots:
$1 million in 2012 salary
A back injury cost him almost all of the 2011 season, but he was back and healthy for 2012. If teams think he is healthy he is due a big pay raise. This was the last year of his rookie contract, although he is 29 years old.
Andy Levitre, OG, Buffalo Bills:
$1 million in 2012 salary
Has started every game since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2009. He has said he will listen to all offers, but he does expect a big pay increase. This was the last year of his rookie contract.
Brandon Moore, OG, New York Jets:
$4.5 million in 2012 salary
At 33 years old, he is the only player on this list of free agents that isn't coming off of his rookie deal. A very good guard who is good at both run and pass blocking.
As far as the draft goes, there is really only one offensive lineman with a first round grade, and he just happens to be a junior. Luke Joeckel is a bookend tackle from Texas A&M. Anyone out there remember that school?
Joeckel is 6'6" and 310 pounds, runs a 5.15 40 yard dash, and he protected our own Ryan Tannehill's blind side last year. He is projected to be a top 10 pick, so he will probably be gone when we pick at 12.
There are two other names being thrown around in the first round, depending on who you want to listen to. They are being viewed as projects because of strength or health issues. They are:
Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
He is 6'8", 305 pounds, and plays left tackle. He is viewed as a project for strength concerns. Fisher has been linked to the Dolphins at 12 by some draft pundits. Others have him going early to mid-2nd round. I personally don't want another offensive lineman drafted in the 1st round.
Chase Warmack, Alabama
He is 6'3", 320 pounds, and plays guard. He is a road grader as a run blocker, but has had some health concerns.
This is supposedly a very deep draft for offensive linemen, so there could be a lot of movement up and down by the names that I mentioned, and also some that I didn't. The all-star games and the combine will make someone's stock skyrocket, and someone's fall like a rock. It happens every year.
Well, there you have it. Those are the offensive linemen that can and will be available for the Miami Dolphins to choose from, if they want to use a free agent or an early round draft pick to fill one of our holes on the line. Now, keep in mind. There are several other free agents out there. I just hit on the ones that would make a splash in the free agent market or would be early round draft choices. If anyone has a different name to discuss please bring them to the table.
One more thing to keep in mind is that there will probably be several good linemen released or cut for salary cap reasons by teams over or at the salary cap maximum. This will take a little while to take place, so our answer may not be included in this list of names.
Thanks for reading along. I look forward to everyone's input.
We all know that there is a major decision looming in Miami on what to do with Jake Long, and if he leaves it also creates another decision for the front office to make. What do we do opposite of Jonathon Martin if we let Jake Long leave, be it at right or left tackle? Do we look at free agents? Do we look at the draft? Do we try to make a trade? These are all very good questions, so I did a little homework to see who is going to be available in free agency and the draft. It would be a little premature to try and figure out who could be traded for, so we won't get into that yet.
Including Long there are eight so-called "top shelf" offensive linemen available in free agency: four left tackles, two right tackles, and two guards.
Here are the players with their current teams and their current salaries, along with a brief statement about each. You will notice there is a repeating theme:
Jake Long, LT, Miami Dolphins:
$12.8 million in 2012 salary
Has been injury prone the last couple of years, but when healthy is one of the best in the game. Supposedly his agent wants him to be the highest paid lineman in the game, so good luck with that Jake. This was the last year of his rookie contract.
Ryan Clady, LT, Denver Broncos:
$5.8 million in 2012 salary
Considered by most the best LT available this year. Recently turned down a 5 year, $50 million extension, and it has been said that he wants a contract similar to Joe Thomas'. Also the last year of his rookie contract.
Branden Albert, LT, K.C. Chiefs:
$4.2 million in 2012 salary
Widely considered to be one of the best run blocking left tackles in the NFL. This was the last year of his rookie contract.
Andre Smith, RT, Cincinnati Bengals:
$7.5 million in 2012 salary
Taken 6th overall in the 2009 draft. He has never lived up to the expectations and has always had major weight concerns. The last two years he has started to play much better, but he does realize his rookie contract was his big payday. This was also the last year of his rookie contract.
Sam Baker, LT, Atlanta Falcons:
$3.7 million in 2012 salary
Fighting chronic back issues, has had 3 back surgeries since signing his rookie contract, the last one removing a herniated disc just last year. The news out of Atlanta right now is that he's healthy and playing well. This is the last year of his rookie contract.
Sebastian Vollmer, RT, New England Patriots:
$1 million in 2012 salary
A back injury cost him almost all of the 2011 season, but he was back and healthy for 2012. If teams think he is healthy he is due a big pay raise. This was the last year of his rookie contract, although he is 29 years old.
Andy Levitre, OG, Buffalo Bills:
$1 million in 2012 salary
Has started every game since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2009. He has said he will listen to all offers, but he does expect a big pay increase. This was the last year of his rookie contract.
Brandon Moore, OG, New York Jets:
$4.5 million in 2012 salary
At 33 years old, he is the only player on this list of free agents that isn't coming off of his rookie deal. A very good guard who is good at both run and pass blocking.
As far as the draft goes, there is really only one offensive lineman with a first round grade, and he just happens to be a junior. Luke Joeckel is a bookend tackle from Texas A&M. Anyone out there remember that school?
Joeckel is 6'6" and 310 pounds, runs a 5.15 40 yard dash, and he protected our own Ryan Tannehill's blind side last year. He is projected to be a top 10 pick, so he will probably be gone when we pick at 12.
There are two other names being thrown around in the first round, depending on who you want to listen to. They are being viewed as projects because of strength or health issues. They are:
Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
He is 6'8", 305 pounds, and plays left tackle. He is viewed as a project for strength concerns. Fisher has been linked to the Dolphins at 12 by some draft pundits. Others have him going early to mid-2nd round. I personally don't want another offensive lineman drafted in the 1st round.
Chase Warmack, Alabama
He is 6'3", 320 pounds, and plays guard. He is a road grader as a run blocker, but has had some health concerns.
This is supposedly a very deep draft for offensive linemen, so there could be a lot of movement up and down by the names that I mentioned, and also some that I didn't. The all-star games and the combine will make someone's stock skyrocket, and someone's fall like a rock. It happens every year.
Well, there you have it. Those are the offensive linemen that can and will be available for the Miami Dolphins to choose from, if they want to use a free agent or an early round draft pick to fill one of our holes on the line. Now, keep in mind. There are several other free agents out there. I just hit on the ones that would make a splash in the free agent market or would be early round draft choices. If anyone has a different name to discuss please bring them to the table.
One more thing to keep in mind is that there will probably be several good linemen released or cut for salary cap reasons by teams over or at the salary cap maximum. This will take a little while to take place, so our answer may not be included in this list of names.
Thanks for reading along. I look forward to everyone's input.
To Stay or Not to Stay: A Look at the Impending Miami Dolphin Free Agents
With two games left in the 2012 regular season there is a lot of chatter all over Dolphin land about what to do with the young guys on the roster. Should they get the majority of the playing time to see what we have, or should the veterans keep playing to see if the ones that are impending free agents are worth keeping?
I know some are going to say...
We are going to get a good look at Jonathan Martin on the left side to determine if he can be our left tackle of the future or if we need to look at re-signing Jake Long or someone else. This decision to put Martin at left tackle was made for us by Long's injury. In the early stages, so far, I think we have had a mixed bag from Martin. He's been steamrolled on occasion, but he has also looked good at times. I personally think a year in the weight room will do him wonders. He is a good player, but second round draft picks are supposed to be better than good. I say we give him time to develop.
I'm not going to touch on every player or every position, I just brought those two examples up because running back is a high profile position and there is usually a demand for good running backs that don't get re-signed. I brought up left tackle because of Jake's injury and Jonathan Martin already playing there.
What I would like from anyone willing to throw in their two cents is an idea of who you would like to keep. Here is a list of our impending free agents:
Here are our restricted free agents:
And one exclusive rights free agent:
Please let me know if I missed anyone.
Also, please remember that we have $35 to $45 million in cap space to work with, so bringing in other free agents is a possibility, though I don't think that is Mr. Philbin's preferred method. If there is someone out there that you would like us to go after, please drop the name for discussion.
Thanks for reading along, please let us know your thoughts.
I know some are going to say...
"Let the vets sit, we know what we have there"...and in some cases that is probably a fair statement, but in other cases the younger guys just may not be ready. I have seen and heard several people say...
"Let's play Lamar Miller the last 2 weeks"Well, the problem with that is that if we do we will need to draft another quarterback this year too, because it doesn't appear he will be able to help keep Ryan Tannehill upright due to his lack of blocking ability. I'm not saying that he shouldn't get some playing time, but to make him our feature back could be risky.
We are going to get a good look at Jonathan Martin on the left side to determine if he can be our left tackle of the future or if we need to look at re-signing Jake Long or someone else. This decision to put Martin at left tackle was made for us by Long's injury. In the early stages, so far, I think we have had a mixed bag from Martin. He's been steamrolled on occasion, but he has also looked good at times. I personally think a year in the weight room will do him wonders. He is a good player, but second round draft picks are supposed to be better than good. I say we give him time to develop.
I'm not going to touch on every player or every position, I just brought those two examples up because running back is a high profile position and there is usually a demand for good running backs that don't get re-signed. I brought up left tackle because of Jake's injury and Jonathan Martin already playing there.
What I would like from anyone willing to throw in their two cents is an idea of who you would like to keep. Here is a list of our impending free agents:
- Jake Long
- Reggie Bush
- Brian Hartline
- Randy Stark
- Sean Smith
- Tony McDaniel
- Anthony Fasano
- Chris Clemons
- Matt Moore
- Nate Garner
- Jason Trusnik.
Here are our restricted free agents:
- Austin Spitler
- Jonathon Amaya
- Bryan McCann
- R.J. Stanford
- Jeron Mastrud
- Marlon Moore
And one exclusive rights free agent:
- Pat Devlin
Please let me know if I missed anyone.
Also, please remember that we have $35 to $45 million in cap space to work with, so bringing in other free agents is a possibility, though I don't think that is Mr. Philbin's preferred method. If there is someone out there that you would like us to go after, please drop the name for discussion.
Thanks for reading along, please let us know your thoughts.
Is the Dolphins Offensive Line as Bad as I Think It Is, or Are My Eyes Deceiving Me?
I know I've been pretty hard on our offensive line, telling everyone that will listen how bad I think they are and even telling some people who don't want to listen what I think. After doing a little homework on the subject now I'm more confused than ever. Here are the facts as we know them.
2011 Team Stats
Passing Yards
3425 total yards, or 215/game with a 60% completion percentage. We allowed 52 sacks in a 16 game season at a 10% sack rate for passes attempted.
Rushing Yards
1987 total yards, or 124/game with an average per attempt of 4.2 yards per carry.
Our Offense scored a total of 31 touchdowns in 2011, which was an average of 1.9 touchdowns per game. They also had an average yards-per-game of 339.
2012 Team Stats
Passing Yards
2690 total yards, or 224/game with a 58% completion percentage. We have allowed 25 sacks so far in our 12 games, which is a 6% sack rate for passes attempted.
Rushing Yards
1299 total yards, or 108 per game with an average per attempt of 4.0 per carry
Our offense so far in 12 games has scored 22 touchdowns for an average of 1.8 touchdowns per game with an average yards-per-game of 332.
Please keep in mind that this is only offensive touchdowns. It does not include defense or special teams.
As you can see the numbers are almost identical to last year except for the sacks are way down. I know that having a rookie QB is part of the reason that we haven't improved on some of these stats, and maybe the mobility of that QB is the reason that the sacks are down, but I would have to think that after investing a 2nd round draft pick in an offensive lineman that we should have made better gains than what we have.
Now, I'm not blaming Martin for the lack of production because, as I said, we have almost mirror stats as last year. But were we any good last year? Maybe, but just because we have the same stats doesn't mean that we weren't bad last year too. One glaring difference that we have right now is the difference in 100 yard rushing games. Last year we had a running back rush for over 100 yards five times, this year one time through 12 games. Is that the line's fault or the running back's fault?
So I will ask the question one more time.
IS OUR OFFENSIVE LINE AS BAD AS I THINK IT IS, OR ARE MY EYES DECEIVING ME?
Thanks for stopping by. I'm looking forward to someone giving me the correct answer.
Email me at todd@dolphinshout.com
2011 Team Stats
Passing Yards
3425 total yards, or 215/game with a 60% completion percentage. We allowed 52 sacks in a 16 game season at a 10% sack rate for passes attempted.
Rushing Yards
1987 total yards, or 124/game with an average per attempt of 4.2 yards per carry.
Our Offense scored a total of 31 touchdowns in 2011, which was an average of 1.9 touchdowns per game. They also had an average yards-per-game of 339.
2012 Team Stats
Passing Yards
2690 total yards, or 224/game with a 58% completion percentage. We have allowed 25 sacks so far in our 12 games, which is a 6% sack rate for passes attempted.
Rushing Yards
1299 total yards, or 108 per game with an average per attempt of 4.0 per carry
Our offense so far in 12 games has scored 22 touchdowns for an average of 1.8 touchdowns per game with an average yards-per-game of 332.
Please keep in mind that this is only offensive touchdowns. It does not include defense or special teams.
As you can see the numbers are almost identical to last year except for the sacks are way down. I know that having a rookie QB is part of the reason that we haven't improved on some of these stats, and maybe the mobility of that QB is the reason that the sacks are down, but I would have to think that after investing a 2nd round draft pick in an offensive lineman that we should have made better gains than what we have.
Now, I'm not blaming Martin for the lack of production because, as I said, we have almost mirror stats as last year. But were we any good last year? Maybe, but just because we have the same stats doesn't mean that we weren't bad last year too. One glaring difference that we have right now is the difference in 100 yard rushing games. Last year we had a running back rush for over 100 yards five times, this year one time through 12 games. Is that the line's fault or the running back's fault?
So I will ask the question one more time.
IS OUR OFFENSIVE LINE AS BAD AS I THINK IT IS, OR ARE MY EYES DECEIVING ME?
Thanks for stopping by. I'm looking forward to someone giving me the correct answer.
Email me at todd@dolphinshout.com
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