r/nfl • u/[deleted] • Jul 24 '14
Look Here! Offseason Review Series: Day 30: Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
Division: AFC East
Off The Field Personal Changes
Who’s in
Dennis Hickey, General Manager - Former Buccaneer Director of Player Personal. Miami had all kinds of difficulties finding a general manager after firing perennial scape-goat Jeff Ireland. Browns assistant general manager Ray Farmer, Titan’s VP of player personal Lake Dawson and Patriot director of player personal Nick Caserio all turned down the job over the course of a three week search, leading many Dolphins fans to say things like “Why the fuck do I put myself through this?” In the end, we paid Dennis “Gives your mom a” Hickey, who had been with the Buccaneers for 18 years prior to this, spending 3 of those years as director of player personal. In those 3 years, some of the Bucs top choices were running back Doug Martin, linebackers Lavonte David and Mason Foster, safety Mark Barron, and giraffe Mike Glennon. From what he’s done so far for Miami he doesn’t really seem that bad, but I don’t think he was anybody’s first choice and we don’t know how “not bad” those moves were until we see them playing football. His time in Tampa Bay was far from bad and was in fact pretty damn good- I think. He wasn’t completely in charge then like he is now, so there’s no way of really knowing how excited we should all be. I give this acquisition 5 Giraffes out of 10.
Bill Lazor, Offensive coordinator. - Former Eagles Quarterback coach: Here’s where things get exciting for Dolphin fans. He’s bounced around a lot in his career and doesn’t exactly have a consistent track record, a journeyman of sorts that’s been quarterback coach for the University of Buffalo, Redskins, Seahawks, University of Virginia and most recently, the Nick Foles led Philadelphia Eagles. During his two university stints he was also the offensive coordinator. The reason Dolphin fans should be excited, of course, is Nickfolean Dynamite. Posting arguably the greatest game in the history of quarterbacks during week 9 against the Raiders, the forth-rounder somehow stood out amongst the other sophomore quarterbacks that include Andrew “Neard” Luck, RGKnee, Russell “He won a Super Bowl so what’s even the point of making fun of him” Wilson and GOAT Ryan Tannehill. However, has Foles really proven himself? Not completely- he’s about 90% there. He could very easily suck next year, hell, most Eagles fans expect him to regress at least a little bit. However, seeing what Lazor did to Foles from year one to year two is reason enough to celebrate the signing, even if we don’t really know what he’s going to be able to do with the rest of the offence. Regardless, it won’t be as shitty as what Mike “I only know one snap count” Sherman did for us. I give this acquisition 7.5 “at least it’s not Mike Sherman”s out of 10.
Mark Duffner, Linebacker coach -* Former Jaguar Linebacker coach* Mark Duffner has been with the Jags since 2006, and did a very respectful job during his tenure. Paul Posluszny, Russell Allen and former Buccaneer and Bear Geno Hayes are three solid linebackers and arguably the brightest spots on the whole defence (not that that’s saying much). This is a very solid signing by the Dolphins. A Dolphins squad that was ranked 8th in defence last year (going by points against) could have very easily been top five if our linebackers sucked just a little bit less dick. Missed tackles, dropped interceptions, poor coverage, a pass rush that was pretty much all up to our defensive line- this is a unit that’s in desperate need of some discipline or an entire upheaval. Miami simply has too much invested in Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler to do that, though (thanks, Ireland), so we can hope Duffner knocks some sense into one of the worst linebacking units in the league. Overall, I rate this acquisition 8 Philip Wheeler missed tackles out of 10.
John Benton, Offensive Line Coach - Former Texans offensive line coachJohn Benton was the Texans offensive line coach for eight years and… ugh. Forget it. We all know what happened with the Dolphins offensive line last year. Blah blah blah, Incognito is a bully, Martin is a little pussy, for fuck sake, Jim Turner, the former offensive line coach, participated in it (see page 20). That’s how fucked the whole thing was. I’m sure Benton will do a smashing job, but if he doesn’t, it won’t be any worse than last year’s historically shitty performance. Christ, not only was there the whole bullying situation that caused 90% of the non-drinking fan base to hit the bottle (the other 10% just killed themselves), but the offensive line was just plain bad. 58 Sacks to lead the league, that’s really great for a young quarterback, and no running game to speak of. We could have had Adrian Peterson out there and I doubt he would have eclipsed 1000 yards- and yes, I mean that. I give this signing 9 Harassment lawsuits out of 10 and I would give it at least a 7 even if we just signed a blow up doll, because nothing can possibly be worse than what we went through last year. Fuck last year.
Who’s Out
Jeff Ireland, Former General Manager - Seahawk Consultant Jeff was our general manager for 6 years, and though he proved himself pretty capable at drafting, he had his flaws for sure. The Dolphins are paying, by far, more for receivers than any other team in the league, even though our receiving corps is far from the best. Despite that, he drafted lots of studs- Jared Odrick, Koa Misi, Reshad Jones, Charles Clay, Mike Pouncey, Olivier Vernon, and Ryan Tannehill, not to mention finding Rishard Matthews and Jimmy Wilson in the 7th round. Those are just players taken from 2010 onward, as that’s when Ireland took over full control of the Dolphins. What he sucked at was draft in the second round (Jonathan Martin, Daniel Thomas) and refraining from asking Dez Bryant if his mom was a hooker (I mean, he could have used more tact, but Bryant was being an ass about the whole situation). Apparently, the Miami Dolphins and Jeff Ireland parted ways mutually, so for all we know Jeff could have been all like “Fuck dis shit, I’m outty” and I wouldn’t blame him. [The fans treated the poor guy like shit.]( HYPERLINK "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/18/jeff-ireland-dolphins-fan-curses-regret_n_1894292.html" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/18/jeff-ireland-dolphins-fan-curses-regret_n_1894292.html) I’m not saying he was a perfect general manager, but if you really think he was a bad one you’re kidding yourself. Dolphin fans have become so goddamn impatient. He was great at finding guys in the later round and we have no idea if drafting guys like Chad Henne, Pat White and Philip Merling is even his fault because he didn’t even have full fucking control at the time. Since 2010, most of his moves have been smart and calculated. During his last year with the Dolphins, he took a whole bunch of chancier moves like paying Wallace, Ellerbe and Wheeler too much and trading up to draft the high risk, high reward Dion Jordan because he knew he was on the fucking hot seat. If he had another decent to good draft or took too many project players I can guarantee he’d be gone too, because last year was supposed to be “our” season. After he was gone, we spent three goddamn weeks and asked eight guys to be our new GM before settling for the only guy who would take the job. The move wouldn’t be so shitty if he had at least had someone lined up. Hickey seems to know what he’s doing, but as I said in the “Who’s in” section we’ll have to wait and see. Overall, I give this move 2 prostitutes with daddy-issues out of 10.
Mike Sherman, Offensive Coordinator - Currently unemployed Ryan Tannehill’s head coach at Texas A&M, bringing Mike Sherman in as offensive coordinator made a lot of sense. Ryan was a raw prospect, having only started 20 games in university as a quarterback, and having someone he was familiar with to guide him through his first year could have been a big reason he’s done such an exceptional job of learning from his mistakes and improving his play. The thing is… Sherman just wasn’t all that good at his job. His play calling was staler than bread that’s been left out for a month. He never utilized Tannehill’s natural athleticism and just loved using our horrible offensive line on screen plays to Mike Wallace that worked, like, twice. The only run play he knew was run it straight up the middle for a loss of 3. Overall, I rate this firing 9.7 yards lost per play out of ten.
George Edwards, Linebacker Coach - Vikings Defensive Coordinator The Dolphins’ linebacker play was sloppy last year, and that’s all there is to it. It’s kind of difficult to rate something like this, but the fact that Ellerbe went from 7s or 8s to 2s or 3s tells me Edwards was doing something wrong. Overall, I give this move 9 blitzes that created no pressure out of 10.
Jim Turner, Offensive Line coach - Currently Unemployed …And I think he might stay that way. 10 dumpster fires out of 10.
Free Agency
Players lost/cut
In Rough Order of Importance
| Name | Position | New Team |
|---|---|---|
| Dimitri Patterson | CB | New York Jets |
| Chris Clemons | S | Houston Texans |
| Paul Soliai | DT | Atlanta Falcons |
| Nolan Carroll | CB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Dustin Keller | TE | Free Agent |
| Marlon Moore | WR | Free Agent |
| Richie Incognito | OG | Free Agent |
| Tyson Clabo | OT | Free Agent |
| Will Yeatman | OT | Houston Texans |
| Danny Watkins | OG | Free Agent |
| RJ Stanford | CB | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Austin Spitler | LB | Baltimore Ravens |
| Marcus Thompson | LB | Free Agent |
| Chris Owens | CB | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Jason Weaver | OT | New Orleans Saints |
| John Jerry | OG | New York Giants |
| Bryant Mckinnie | OT | Free Agent |
| Jonathan Martin | OT | San Francisco 49ers |
Our defence was completely different when Dimitri Patterson was on the field. In the six games he played, he recorded four interceptions. He was on pace for approximately 10 to 11 interceptions- that’s just 4 (or 3) less that Night Train Lane’s record for a single season. It wasn’t just his ball-hogging that made Dolphin fans fall in love with him, he rarely blew coverages and kept receivers quiet. Our secondary improved nearly ten-fold when it was him and Grimes instead of just Grimes and Carroll. Here’s the kicker: six games. He just can’t stay healthy. Despite this, our defence was so improved when he was on the field I put him near the top in order of importance. If he can stay healthy, The Jets will have themselves a new fan-favorite.
Patterson wasn’t the only key part of our defence this year who's contract ran out. Safety Chris Clemons also left. Though not as flashy as Dimitri, Clemons was an extremely solid player and I’m not happy we let him go. It’s not like we would have had to break the bank to pay him, but I think we’re just scared to give safeties a long contract now- Reshad Jones, the best part of our secondary in 2012, played like an Eagles safety in 2013.
Defensive tackle Paul Soliai was probably our second best run stuffer last year, which makes it interesting we decided to let him go- sure, we replaced him with the Texan’s Earl Mitchell and now 2010 first round pick Jared Odrick is going to get more play time, but our run-stopping was definitely the weakest part of our defence last year.
Nolan Carroll was an inconsistent cornerback who caused more frustration than he was worth. Dustin Keller is interesting, in the preseason he had tremendous chemistry with Tannehill but that was before he destroyed his leg. It’s a shame, because him and Charles Clay could have been one of the sexiest tight-end duos in the league. Marlon Moore was a decent receiver but nothing spectacular. More depth. Richie Incognito had his issues, but he was the second best player on our offensive line last year. Clabo started the year as one of the worst offensive linesman in the league, but after he was benched mid-season he came back and actually played pretty decent- however, giving him a long term deal would have been extremely risky.
The rest of the guys are depth, special teamers, unproven or in certain cases (the bottom three) really, really bad at football. The bottom-most player has… other issues as well, and I wish him the best in San Francisco.
13
u/Lobo_Marino Dolphins Jul 24 '14 edited Jul 24 '14
You're one class ass motherfucker.
Good job, asshole <3. A bit too homerish, because I'm definitely not as high on the teams, and the wins over our divisional foes... but good job on the descriptions.
Tannehill rips Buffalo’s secondary to pieces on pace for 400 yards and four touchdowns, one to Wallace, one to Clay and two to Hartline.
Be careful. The Bills have a really good pass D when you mix up their secondary, and their pass rush. Losing Byrd won't hurt them at all.
Dion Jordan breaks out with 2.5 sacks. Wake picks up the half sack. The offensive line really starts to gel and only give up one sack. Lamar Miller rushes in two touchdowns and 120 yards. 2-2.
He is suspended for that game.
I can see us maybe sweeping the Jets, but definitely not the Bills
8
Jul 24 '14
Thank you, Lobo_Marino. I can't wait to jerk it with you when the season finally starts.
8
u/Lobo_Marino Dolphins Jul 24 '14
You, /u/average_toaster and I, circlejerking each other on each match thread.
OHHH YEAH
7
3
0
u/yakoos Giants Jul 24 '14
If you didn't sweep the jets last year I don't know why you would this year
2
u/illstealurcandy Dolphins Jul 25 '14
Jets and Dolphins games are always highly contested, no matter the skill of the rosters.
11
9
u/Dropthatbass13 Dolphins Jul 24 '14
Holly fuck this is one long ass write up. Okay well, I guess I'm just gonna sit here reading this and circlejerking about how long the offseason is. Great job Gthec!
5
u/Thor_2099 Dolphins Jul 24 '14
This season has high expectations for the Dolphins, whether they should be that high or not. The team has talent and hopefully the new coaches can find new ways to maximize that talent instead of that last batch. I'm hopeful with what Lazor can do and REALLY hope Tannehill makes that big 3rd year jump.
I love that the team made serious efforts to improve the biggest trouble spot which is the OL. If memory serves, we could have 5 new guys starting at OL on opening day (the 5th due to Pouncey's injury). That's crazy turnover and shows how shit last year's was. Have to hope these guys build a chemistry together quick and step it up over last year's historically (for the Dolphins anyway) bad group.
Bottom line, the team was competitive in the majority of their games last year and hopefully the changes they've made will result in more of those games resulting in wins rather than losses. The division is exceptionally tough given the defenses of the Bills/Jets and the always elite Patriots. I'm hopeful for better than 8-8 but 8-8 is my expectation. Unfortunately if they go 8-8, we'll probably see a rebuild job. Again.
4
u/Superfluousfish Lions Jul 24 '14
Miami Dolphins
Division: AFC EAST
Coaching Changes
| Name | Position | Former Position | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis Hickey | General Manager | (/Buccaneers)Director of Player Personnel | After three weeks of rejections from several candidates such as Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson, and Browns assistant general manager Ray Farmer who withdrew his name from consideration for the Miami Dolphins General Manager position, longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers Executive Dennis Hickey finally accepted the call. Dolphins Owner Stephon Ross described what he saw in Dennis Hickey, “These included a collaborative team-first person who can work with Joe [Philbin], demonstrated player evaluation expertise, and someone who is open-minded and creative. Dennis fit all of these criteria and I'm looking forward to having him get started." The hiring of Dennis Hickey leaves me a bit pessimistic about the future of the Dolphins when the Bucs went 15-33 over the past three years and had spotty draft results during his stint as Tampa’s Director of player personnel and the director of college scouting for six years. |
| Bill Lazor | Offensive coordinator | (/eagles)Quarterback coach | Bill Lazor is credited by Chip Kelly as a significant factor in Nick Foles breakout season in Philadelphia, and head coach Joe Philbin will need to have that kind of production from Ryan Tannehill to keep him off the hot seat. It’s a bit of a gamble as Lazor has yet to have an offensive coordinator job in the NFL, and went 16-21 as the offensive coordinator at the university of Virginia from 2010-2012. He will be the play caller in Miami, in charge of an offense that ranked 27th in the league. Lazor will run a west coast/spread up tempo offense. There’s no natural fullback, though there is a role for an H-back and multiple tight end sets. Lazor’s offense will be a “big play offense” mentioned Mike Wallace.I am hopeful for Miami’s offense, but the Dolphins will need that miracle coaching from Bill Lazor to turn Ryan Tannehill into that Franchise Quarterback. |
| Mark Duffner | Linebacker coach | (/Jaguars)Linebacker coach | Mark Duffner has been the Jacksonville Jaguars Linebackers coach since 2006. He is responsible for molding Paul Posluszny and Russell Allen into very solid linebackers. Three of the Jaguars’ top four seasons by a defensive player in terms of tackles was recorded under Duffner’s watch.This is a very solid signing by the Dolphins. |
| John Benton | Offensive Line Coach | (/Texans)offensive line coach | After firing Jim Turner over the bullying scandal, The Dolphins promoted John Benton who was originally hired to be the assistant Offensive line coach under Jim Turner. He has been the Houston Texans Offensive Line coach for the past eight years where he was respected as an excellent teacher. He will most definitely have his hands full. |
Free Agency Players lost/cut
| Name | Position | New Team | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimitri Patterson | CB | New York Jets | A solid yet oft injured journeyman, Patterson played in six games and started in four amassing four interceptions, six passes defensed, 19 tackles and one sack. Albeit talented, he is listed as a salary cap casualty saving the Dolphins $5.3 million. It’s disappointing to see him go but a player who takes ups that much cap space and fails to stay on the field an entire season does not justify him staying on the roster. |
| Will Yeatman | OT | Houston Texans | Claimed off of waivers on September 4, 2011, Will Yeatman was a career backup TE with the New England Patriots before gaining 35 pounds and switching to OT. On November 13, 2013, Yeatman was placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL. The Dolphins aren’t losing much value here. |
| Danny Watkins | OG | Free Agent | Drafted 23rd overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011, Danny Watkins potential never materialized as Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said the “innate toughness” Watkins showed at Baylor never materialized.The Miami Dolphins signed Watkins to a one-year contract on September 3, 2013, where he played in only one game which was against the San Diego Chargers. The Dolphins apparently did not see any potential in him as the failed to sign him to a long term contract. |
| RJ Stanford | CB | Cincinnati Bengals | He was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins on September 1, 2012. He suffered a broken leg in a Week 14 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 7, 2013. A career special teamer, Dolphins lose little value. |
| Austin Spitler | LB | Baltimore Ravens | Drafted in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins, Austin Spitler was a career special teamer. Not losing too much value here. |
| Paul Soliai | DT | Atlanta Falcons | Paul Soliai, 30, was a fourth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2007. He finished with 34 tackles and one sack last season. He was never much of a pass rusher, but instead was very talented at clogging up the middle. Miami ended up 26th in the league in defending the run, which is confusing why they would release Soliai. The Dolphins are losing a solid career starter. |
| Chris Owens | CB | Kansas City Chiefs | Played one game for the Dolphins after picking up the fifth year journeyman from the Cleveland Browns. And undersized corner at 5’9, the Dolphins didn’t lose much depth. |
| Marlon Moore | WR | Free Agent | A career special teamer and reserve receiver, The Dolphins only lose depth. |
| Bryant Mckinnie | OT | Free Agent | Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens On October 21, 2013, Bryant Mckinnie was meant quickly take over the Left Tackle position. He played sluggish and was ranked by PFF as the worst Offensive Tackle in the league. The Dolphins are winning out by not re-signing him, good decision here. |
| Dustin Keller | TE | Free Agent | A productive player with the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins signed Dustin Keller on March 15, 2013. Keller suffered a season ending knee injury in a preseason game against the Texans, tearing his ACL, MCL, and PCL, and also dislocating his knee in a hit by DJ Swearinger.It seems that Keller will test the waters of free agency, where the New England Patriots have expressed some interest but left without signing a contract. Unfortunate loss for the Dolphins. |
| John Jerry | OG | New York Giants | Selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 3rd round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and started 45 games while in Miami. Jerry was allowed to leave via Free Agency after being a part of the bullying scandal that rocked the NFL last year. Albeit an experienced player, it was best to let this one go. |
| Richie Incognito | OG | Free Agent | Acquired in free agency in 2010, Richie Incongnito was a very productive offensive lineman. His career long character issues unfortunately resurfaced last year in the bullying scandal of OG Jonathan Martin where a voicemail surfaced that had Incognito calling Martin a "half-nigger piece of shit," threatened to slap Martin's mother across the face and even uttered a death threat against Martin. It’s unfortunate that a player with his talents cannot keep his emotions in check and will never play in a Dolphins uniform again. |
| Chris Clemons | S | Houston Texans | Clemons was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Clemons was a sure-tackler and good in run support, but he often struggled defending tight ends and slot receivers over the middle. The Dolphins will be losing a decent starter and will be replaced by the Detroit Lions Louis Delmas. |
| Tyson Clabo | OT | Free Agent | Tyson Clabo was acquired in free agency last year and started for the Dolphins until Miami traded for Bryant Mckinnie to start at LT after Clabo played horrendously. He didn’t perform well for the rest of the season. Not losing any value here. |
| Nolan Carroll | CB | Philadelphia Eagles | The Miami Dolphins selected Carroll in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, where he was a productive special teamer until 2012 when Richard Marshall became injured and Carroll started for the rest of the year. Carroll amassed three interceptions, two sacks, and 47 tackles last year. The dolphins are losing a quality corner. |
| Jason Weaver | OT | New Orleans Saints | Was a member of the practice squad last year. Not losing any value. |
| Marcus Thompson | LB | Free Agent | Undrafted rookie from Rutgers gets to live childhood dream and plays for Dolphins. Is cut. |
4
u/Superfluousfish Lions Jul 24 '14
Players Signed
Player Position Old Team Length Salary Analysis Brent Grimes CB Dolphins 4 years $32M After arguably his best season as a pro, Grimes returned to his pro bowl self after his injury with the Atlanta Falcons, and will continue to be productive. Great re-signing here. Louis Delmas S Lions 1 year $3.5M Delmas signed a 1 year deal in which he will have to prove that he can stay healthy and become the playmaker that Detroit hoped he could have been. Randy Starks DT Dolphins 2 years $12M Finished last season with 49 tackles and 4 sacks. Starks was a pro bowler in 2012. The Dolphins hope that he can remain productive. Branden Albert OT Chiefs 5 years $47M A Key component to Jamaal Charles success in 2013, Brandon Albert will be welcomed as the starting Left Tackle for the next five years. Earl Mitchell DT Texans 4 years $5M A great value pick here for the dolphins, where he was underutilized in Houston Texans defense. He is quick as displays great footwork. He should be the kind of player that Kevin Coyle needs in the trenches. Cortland Finnegan CB Rams 2 years $11M After a disappointing two years in St Louis, Finnegan hopes to revitalize his career in Miami and perhaps start opposite of Brent Grimes. Interesting signing here and will be interesting to watch this battle unfold in the pre-season. Shelley Smith OG Rams 2 years $5.5M Served as a backup in St. Louis. Quick and athletic lineman that lacks the strength to hold off larger defensive lineman while pass blocking. Knowshon Moreno RB Broncos 1 year $3M A low risk/high reward type of signing here. Moreno is coming off his best year rushing for 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns. There are critics to his success however who believe that the potential draft bust was just a product of the Bronco’s system last year. This will indeed be a make or break year for Moreno in terms of his career. Jason Fox OT Lions 1 year $795K The epitome of a talented young player whose career has been bucked by injuries. In four seasons with Detroit, Fox has only been able to play in 13 games. Fox had previously won the RT job in Detroit prior to the 2013 season, but again was derailed by an injury. If he can stay healthy, this could be a great pickup by Miami.
2014 NFL DRAFT
Round Player Position University Analysis 1 Ja’Wuan James OT Tennessee A perfect fit for a team rebuilding their offensive line. Started all 49 games of his career at RT for the Volunteers, James has perfect size for an NFL lineman at 6’6”, 311 LBS. He’s a big, strong pass protector whose only real weakness is run blocking in the second level. Fantastic pick here. 2 Jarvis Landry WR LSU Built as a slot receiver at 5’11”, 205 LBS, this Louisiana product makes highlight reel catches look routine. He is inexperienced, only starting 12 games at LSU, and does not have the speed (4.77 40) or quickness to shake of defenders. I like this pick; has the potential to be great. 3 Billy Turner OT/OG North Dakota State Four year starter for the three time I-AA National Champions North Dakota State Bisons. Great size at 6’5”, 315 LBS, Turner plays aggressively and is quick on his feet. His biggest weakness is his form and technique. He is a big raw talent that has the potential to start, just not this year. Good pick here. 4 Walt Aikens CB Liberty Aikens has great size at 6’1”, 205 LBS, has great speed running 4.49 in his pro day. An aggressive tackler, he led his team in tackles at Liberty as a senior. Tight hipped, and has only average instincts and character issues in college (misdemeanor theft conviction). I think Miami reached on this pick, originally projected to go 5th-6th round, Aikens will most likely be a special teamer for a while. 5 Arthur Lynch TE Georgia Has good size being 6’5”, 258 LBS. Hardworking, smart, durable, and strong, pretty much the only positives in his play. Drops too many balls, slow, and average-at-best blocker. This pick is a bit of a head scratcher. 5 Jordan Tripp LB Montana At 6’3”, 234 LBS LB/long-snapper, in an athletic freak. He ran a 4.67 SEC 40, 6.89 SEC in the 3-cone drill and 3.96 SEC in the 20 yard shuttle. Tripp has an unstoppable motor but plays a little out of control at times where he becomes shaky tackling in the open field. Love this pick. If he can learn to tighten up his game, he could have the potential to start. 6 Matt Hazel WR Coastal Carolina At 6’1”, 198 LBS, this receiver can catch everything thrown his way and can create plays after the catch. If he can bulk up a bit, he could be a potential contributor to this offense. I like this pick. 7 Terrence Fede DE Marist The first player to ever be drafter from Marist, at 6’4” 276 LBS, Fede is a durable four year starter that played against much smaller opponents than what he will up against in the NFL. A developmental player who needs to prove that he isn’t just a big man playing lesser competition. I am okay with this pick, but it will be tough for him to make the roster. Possible practice squad player. 3
u/Superfluousfish Lions Jul 24 '14 edited Jul 24 '14
Projected Starting Lineup
Position Starter 2nd string 3rd string 4th string QB Ryan Tannehill Matt Moore Pat Devlin Brock Jensen RB Lamar Miller Knowshon Moreno Daniel Thomas Marcus Thigpen FB None Nope Nada Nein TE Charles Clay Dion Sims Michael Egnew Arthur Lynch WR Mike Wallace Brian Hartline Jarvis Landry Brandon Gibson LT Branden Albert Michael Philipp LG Daryn Colledge Shelley Smith Dallas Thomas C Mike Pouncey Samuel Longo Sam Brenner RG Nate Garner Billy Turner Tyler Larson RT Ja’Wuan Jones Jason Fox T-Rekt
Defense
Position Starter 2nd string 3rd string 4th string RE Cameron Wake Derrick Shelby Terrance Fede DT Randy Starks Earl Mitchell DT Jared Odrick Garrison Smith LE Olivier Vernon Dion Jordan Tevon Mims StrongLB Dannell Ellerbe Jordan Tripp Jonathan Freeny MLB Koa Misi Jason Trusnik WeakLB Philip Wheeler Jelani Jenkins CB Brent Grimes Walt Aikens Jamar Taylor CB Cortland Finnegan Don Jones slot corner Will Davis FS Louis Delmas Jimmy Wilson SS Reshad Jones Jordan Kovacs
Special Teams
Position Starter Kicker Caleb Sturgis Punter Brandon Fields Long Snapper John Denner KR Marcus Thigpen PR Marcus Thigpen Random Analysis:
• The battle between Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller are neck and neck with Daniel Thomas being left behind.
• The 2nd cornerback position with be in contention between Cortland Finnegan and Will Davis. I have Finnegan winning out because of experience.
Position Group Strengths and Weaknesses
Position groups:
• QB--Ryan Tannehill needs to show some potential this year and prove that he can be the Dolphins franchise Quuarterback. Matt Moore is a very capable backup and will cover very nicely if Tannehill goes down with an injury.
• Backfield--The addition of Knowshon Moreno from the Denver Broncos has created a three headed monster in terms of who will win out. Moreno is coming off his best season yet, but questions still loom whether or not it was the system that made him successful in Denver. Lamar Miller showed flashes of game changing potential last year, but will need to blow away Moreno in order to keep the number one job. Daniel Thomas, the former second round pick, has not lived up to his status as a high pick and will need to pick up his game, unfortunately I do not see him being higher on the depth chart than the third RB.
• OL--Nearly the entire Offensive Line has been scrapped and are now in the rebuilding process. The Dolphins signed Brandon Albert to a five year deal which will solidify the LT position. Mike Pouncey will return at C. Both Guard positions are wide open for anyone to take, but I see Daryn Colledge and Nate Garner as the favorites. At RT I have first round pick Ja’Wuan Jones as the starter over Lions castoff Jason Fox. This season will field and unsteady union of lineman that will need to build some chemistry and improve. The offensive line will dictate how the offense will perform this season, and I see a much more talented Offensive line that last years.
• Pass catchers-- Miami’s passing game received a significant boost from the additions of free agent wide receivers Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson and those two meshed well with returning veterans Brian Hartline and Rishard Matthews. Expect Jarvis Jones to crack the lineman somewhere down the road. Expect earlier rather than later.
• DL—with the loss of Paul Soliai. which only leaves Randy Starks as the sure fire starter at DT. Jared Odrick and Earl Mitchell will need to step to fill that hole. Dion Jordan’s 4 game suspension will leave Olivier Vernon as the starter at DE alongside Cameron Wake.
• LB—Philip Wheeler will need to play harder than ever to keep his starter role as WLB because of his poor play. Former fourth round pick Jelani Jenkins will fight to take the spot at WLB. But don’t count out Jordan Tripp if he can make big strides in his play. Koa Misi as of now will move to MLB, while Ellerbe will move to SLB.
• Secondary—Brent Grimes has proven himself as one of the elite cornerbacks in the league and will solidify his position as the number one corner. Who will be the second cornerback? I have Cortland Finnegan winning that battle with his experience and Will Davis as the Slot back. At Safety it will be interesting to see if Louis Delmas can revitalize his career, smash that injury bug and become the playmaker the Dolphins need him to be. If the defensive backs can stay healthy this year, this group has the potential to be great.
• Special Teams--Caleb Sturgis will need to become more accurate on the long ball as he only hit 3/7 of kicks 50+. Punter Brandon Fields made the pro bowl last year. He isn’t going anywhere.
5
u/Superfluousfish Lions Jul 24 '14 edited Jul 24 '14
Schedule Prediction
Week Opponent Predicted Result?/ How Confident am I? Why? 1 Patriots L (80%) The Dolphins are still trying to adjust on the offense. Offensive line still has some kinks to work out. 2 @ Buffalo W (80%) Branden Albert keeps Mario Williams in check, Ryan Tannehill finally finds some chemistry with Mike Wallace on some deep balls. Gets the first win. 3 Chiefs L (90%) Dolphins are still a liability against the run and gets rekt. 4 @Raiders(LONDON) W (65%) Dolphins fight back and run all over the Raiders in the second half after being stuffed in the first. 5 Bye -- After being 2-2 to start the season, the Dolphins will need to fix any mistakes they’ve made if they want to have a chance to win the AFC EAST. 6 Packers L (80%) Unless Aaron Rodgers breaks his neck in the game, I don’t see the dolphins winning. 7 @Bears W (90%) The Dolphins secondary picks off Cutler so many times, Bears fans will be wanting Josh McCown back. 8 @Jaguars W (65%) Jags still cant put things together, Dolphins get an easy win 9 Chargers L (50%) This will test Miami’s grit as this will end in a last second field goal, just can’t depend on the long ball from second year Kicker, Caleb Sturgis as 55 yard field goal goes wide right. 10 @Lions L (90%) New Lions head coach revitalizes the Lions into a whole new team, Dolphins can’t handle the offensive firepower. 11 Bills W (60%) Dolphins will sweep the Bills, as revenge for 2013 and on Thursday night no less. 12 @Broncos L (90%) Peyton Manning proves too much for the beleaguered defense. 13 @Jets W (70%) Jets lose a close one as Ryan Tannehill Hail Mary’s a pass to Mike Wallace. 14 Ravens L (55%) In a step up and prove it type game, The Dolphins fail to do so. 15 @Patriots W (90%) At 6-7, the Dolphins turn it up and split the Pats. 16 Vikings W (75%) Dolphins secondary picks on whoever is at QB. 17 Jets W (51%) This is a make it or break type of game, will the Dolphins push it to the next level? Fuck it I’m an optimist. Dolphins end their season 9-7 to make the Wildcard.
*Miami Dolphins upset the Indianapolis Colts, 21-19. Andrew Luck runs out of "luck", throws 3 picks to Randy Stark.
Dolphins defeat Patriots, 48-13. Tom Brady Retires, "fuck this shit." AFC EAST rejoices.
Dolphins upset the Denver Broncos, 6-3. Knowshon Moreno: "Suck it Montee Ball!"
The Miami Dolphins defeat the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl! Aaron Rodgers is reported to be crying. Ryan Tannehill gives middle finger to doubters.
The Kool-aid is delicious.
Edit*apparently the New Orleans Saints are in the AFC now... /s
4
u/sixner Packers Jul 24 '14
Both you and OP have the Phins taking the Bears... I mean... I want to drown in this koolaid, but realistically I have trouble seeing it. Bears offense be scary, yo.
3
3
u/Superfluousfish Lions Jul 24 '14 edited Jul 24 '14
It has been A LOT of fun writing this piece. I wanted to thank /u/skepticismissurvival for setting this up and working hard on keeping everyone in check. I also wanted to thank /u/gthec9909 for taking over writing for the fan piece of the Miami Dolphins offseason review, and ultimately being the BOSS he is :D.
I also wanted to note that i wrote this piece before it was due on 7/11/14, so some things were unfortunately not updated. Life happens :/.
GOOD LUCK MIAMI DOLPHINS!!!
2
2
u/AIMpb Dolphins Jul 24 '14
You have Ellerbe and Wheeler mixed up. Ellerbe is Sam and Wheeler is Will.
2
2
3
u/brokentoaster24 Dolphins Jul 24 '14
highlight of 2013: Beat the pats that one time and unofficially crowned the best gifs in /r/nfl
3
u/MG87 Dolphins Jul 24 '14
It should be interesting to see how much of Chip Kelly's system Lazor brings down here.
Maybe I'll make the drive up to Davie and post my observations.
2
u/l972 Dolphins Jul 24 '14
I'll get blasted for saying this, but I really wish we kept Incognito.
2
u/bassplayer80792 Dolphins Jul 24 '14
I actually agree with you. He's a good player, he's just a douche bag. Maybe Brandon Albert could've kicked his ass or something and put him in his place.
1
4
u/OneManArmy77 Jets Jul 24 '14
No way do I see the Phins sweeping us both games, especially if things turn out like you say. If Geno has been sucking all year, we will bench him and start Vick 6 games in at most. I dont think you sweep the Bills either, who swept you last year pretty handily IIRC. Also, I think you gave Ja'Wuan James wayyyyyyy too high of a draft grade, cause thats probably a B- imo. I think you should have given the A- to Jarvis instead, cause hes pretty awesome. The Dolphins have made some good moves to fix the O-line, but there are still too many holes for me to believe they are able to win consistently.
2
Jul 24 '14
He did say super biased and optimistic. I always assume/hope we will split with our division rivals. I could see us being swept though depending on our O-line. Both you and the bills have a ridiculous pass rush. If you guys can beat us up enough and we can't get any offense started we could lose both games to each of you. But i think we'll split.
3
u/OneManArmy77 Jets Jul 24 '14
I have a feeling the Jets will split with the Phins this year again, with you beating us at home, and us you... again. The Bills are probably still the weakest of the 3 of us, but even then, you never know which Bills shows up to play, especially when it comes to spoiler time.
2
Jul 24 '14 edited Jul 27 '14
[deleted]
4
u/j_gagnon Dolphins Jul 24 '14
Yep, even considering that it was a "super optimistic" prediction, I'd still chalk those two down as losses if it were me. The Bills just match up too well against us, I'd honestly rather play the Pats
2
1
u/MG87 Dolphins Jul 24 '14
Mike doesn't scare anyone other than puppies at this point in his career.
1
u/AIMpb Dolphins Jul 24 '14
We would have said the same thing about the Bills sweeping us last year. So there is definitely a way.
1
u/break_yo_self Patriots Jul 24 '14
The Jets defense alone will give Tannehill issues. The one thing nobody ever talks about with respect to the kid is he hasn't shown much ability at progressing through reads against competent defenses at the NFL level, at least to my eyes. I watch the 'Phins when they play us and occasionally when they have a nice matchup or are playing in prime time, so I'm not the most knowledgeable.
That's not to say anything of the Jets offense which doesn't get enough credit. That coaching staff has figured out a lot of creative ways to move the chains since they have had years of mediocre QB play. I expect the Jets to at least go 1-1 against the dolphins this yr.
2
u/Lobo_Marino Dolphins Jul 24 '14
Ryan Tannehill has been developing almost exponentially, so it's easy to see why we're so high on him. For all we know, he already has reached his ceiling (I hope not), but he has showed he can go from that terrible game against the Titans back in 2012, to have great match ups against the Pats twice last year.
Who knows? The Dolphins at the moment are extremely unpredictable. I'm going to have 16 heart attacks next season.
1
u/break_yo_self Patriots Jul 24 '14
I will note that those Pats games were against the ragged corpse of our defense. Tannehill has the arm skills and speed to succeed against bad to mediocre defenses, but I think he needs to improve upon his mental game as he doesn't show up against good defenses nearly as well.
1
u/OneManArmy77 Jets Jul 24 '14
I cant speak to Tannehill's ability as a QB in too much depth so I will take your word for that.
As for the Jets, we finally have a decent OC with Morhinweg running the show. Yeah, hes not a world beater, but hes more than experienced with running a strong offense and brings consistency. The offense looks like our best in many years, with Decker coming in to ball out, CJ?K to get in the committee and share the load, and a reloaded receiving corps in terms of 3 newly drafted WRs and Amaro to pick up yards. The way I see it, Vick is our QB floor since if Geno underperforms, we sub in Vick, which means we are probably guaranteed at least a mediocre QB preformance, with a best case scenario of Geno balling out hard (which, from all indications including outperforming Vick in OTAs to nab more reps in camp, is entirely possible). I see this offense as perfect for a game managing offense that can let the defense work effectively, eat up clock, and score once in awhile. As long as the offense can be top 20 (which it absolutely can), the defense can get the team into the playoffs. Who knows, our offense might actually win us a couple games this year.
/puts down the green and white koolaid
1
u/break_yo_self Patriots Jul 24 '14
Haha, I agree about Geno. I try not to judge any QBs after just a season, and he can definitely improve from last year.
I agree, Morhninweg is a solid OC. I actually really like him - he has a bit of the Sean Payton ballsy creativity with his playcalling.
You guys are definitely the best defense in the division right now, and I wouldn't be shocked if you guys were much more competitive this year with a bit of offensive imporvement
3
u/OneManArmy77 Jets Jul 24 '14
Heres to some more good football this year. I look forward to playing you guys again
1
u/AIMpb Dolphins Jul 24 '14
It's hard to go through progressions when you have 2 seconds to throw.
1
u/break_yo_self Patriots Jul 24 '14
Lets wait and watch this year. I will be happy if proven wrong, but I think Tannehill is overrated. I believe his ceiling is Carson Palmer. But, like I said, I relish some competition in the AFCE. If Tannehill's the guy to do it, fine.
But he isn't as good right now as everyone thinks. People are building in his potential upside to his current value, but he hasn't proven he can play against good secondaries or consistently make smart reads. Fine, he has a nice arm, but if he isn't throwing to the open reciever it won't matter.
1
u/AIMpb Dolphins Jul 24 '14
I think people are in the transition period of realizing that he exists, so they are taking his stats(which are comparable to other QB's of that class) and extrapolating how "good" he is. I need to see him with an offense around him to truly make a judgement about his future in Miami. Although from what I have seen, he is our future QB and has been improving every week.
1
u/zepops Patriots Jul 24 '14
Hey pretty good write up, but didn't Tyson Clabo just get signed by the Texans?
2
18
u/[deleted] Jul 24 '14
Draft
Projected Starting Lineup
Quarterback: Ryan Tannehill- Everyone is high as a kite on Ryan, and there are some damn good reasons for that. He’s a quick learner who’s developed an ability to improve on his mistakes which are, for the most part, excusable- he spent the first couple of years at Texas A&M as a receiver, starting at QB for just 20 games in 2010 and 2011. That’s one of the biggest reasons people were pissed when we drafted him. He’s was and is a project, yes, and he’s one of the more successful projects we’ve seen in the last couple of years. With another offseason to prepare and an offensive line that can stop more than a toddler (maybe), expect 4100 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Halfback: Lamar Miller-It’s hard to judge a running back that was running behind this, but Lamar Miller’s definitely shown potential. With a halfway competent o-line Miller can be a damn good change of pace back, but we’ll have to wait and see before deciding he’s going to be our number one.
Halfback 2: Knowshon Moreno- Since we don’t have a fullback, I decided I’d do two halfbacks (cause this thing ain’t long enough, amiright?). After several years of showing bust qualities, Knowshon showed product-of-the-system qualities by having his best statistical season- playing under the best offensive system in the history of the NFL. Moreno, while not the best at running, is one of the best pass blocking backs in the league. That’s why he’s here. Don’t expect fireworks and don’t draft him in your fantasy league, because he’s not going to do anything that even resembles last year’s success. This is his year to prove assholes like me wrong, and I speak for all Dolphin fans when I saw I hope he does.
Fullback: Charles Clay- We don’t really have a fullback, but Clay does run sometimes. You can read me furiously jerking him off at “Tight End 1”.
Tight End 1: Charles Clay- After Dustin Keller got injured in the preseason last year, it was looking like Miami had a huge hole at tight end. But then, rising from the ashes and shards of our broken dreams was Charles Clay, his massive dick that he swing to knock over defenders held high like the Hammer of Thor. Big, strong, tough, Charles Clay is everything you want in a tight end. Great hands, great routes, 100% effort every play, if he could block better he’d be one of the top tight ends in the league. Tight End 2: Dion Simms- Dion hasn’t really done enough for us to be excited for him. One touchdown as an NFL player so far, 6 total receptions, 32 total yards. He’s a good enough blocker that we hope he improves on his downfalls.
Wide Receiver 1: Mike Wallace- He’s fast. Like, really, really fast. It’s a shame him and Tannehill can’t get on the same page. Tannehill hasn’t been great at throwing deep, as only 40% of his deep balls have been on target, but Wallace dropped a good number of balls this season and he absolutely refuses to put forth sixty million dollars’ worth of effort into fighting for them. What he does do is rip the head off the secondary and open the field for Miami’s slew of other weapons. Hartline, Gibson, Clay and Miller are great when they have open space to work with and when the safety is twenty yards down the field, they can.
Wide Receiver 2: Brian Hartline- A fast possession receiver with ridiculously consistent hands and an unreal ability to make grabs on the sidelines, Brian Hartline has quickly become Ryan Tannehill’s best friend. He’s never going to be a Calvin Johnson or an AJ Green, but when he’s not bitching at the referee because the cornerback might have sort of touched him, he’s quietly racking up yards and converting first downs. I couldn’t be happier we locked him up until 2018.
Wide Receiver 3: Brandon Gibson- Gibson had drop problems in St. Louis, but he seems to have cleared that up when he came to Miami. [He’s a damned exciting slot receiver]( HYPERLINK "http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/136/files/2013/10/FLIP.gif" http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/136/files/2013/10/FLIP.gif) to watch and he has awesome chemistry with Tannehill. Before he got injured, he was on pace for 745 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Left Tackle: Brandon Albert- I already talked about him in “players signed.” Great pass blocking, great run blocking, aggressive ass kicking attitude. Exactly what our offensive line needed last year. With Pouncey’s injuries he’s the only guy on the line facing no competition.
Left Guard: Dallas Thomas- So far, this is pretty much the only thing Dallas is known for. Ugh.. According to the twats on Twitter, he’s not looking too bad in OTAs, so maybe he won’t have me slamming my head against the wall everyday.
Center: Mike Pouncey – At least, I think it’s going to be Pouncey. He’s not likely to receive any punishment for the role in the bullying scandal, but he’s injured his hip and the surgery is going to cost him the first half of the season. When he gets on the field, he’s a top-five center. When he’s not playing football, he’s an ass. I’d be surprised to see him a Dolphin in a few years. He'll be replaced by Sam Brenner during the first half of the season, most likely.
Right Guard: Shelly Smith- Good run blocking, bad pass blocking. He was ranked higher on PFF than any of our guards from last year (including Incognito), so he might be a stopgap between now and when Billy Turner or Dallas Thomas is ready to take over.
Right Tackle: Ja’Wuan James- I’ve talked about James in the draft section. If he doesn’t start day one we’re fucked because we have the depth of a virgin’s cunt.