Kelly: Dolphins need to avoid returning to a state of dysfunction

by rightchea Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:31 pm

Too late for that

Omar Kelly wrote:he Miami Dolphins should have one goal in 2018, and it does not involve a Super Bowl appearance.

This franchise’s focus this coming season should be to avoid returning to a state of dysfunction, because I’m sensing a storm is brewing, which is usually the case once adversity hits.

Consider the 2016 season, when the Dolphins had a miraculous year, turning around from a 1-4 start to win 10 games and make the playoffs for the first time since 2008, as the honeymoon of the Mike Tannenbaum, Chris Grier and Adam Gase marriage.

Everything that could go wrong did, and those Dolphins managed to overcome it.

That season presented hope, teased upside, tempted us with promise.

Then came 2017, a season in which everything that could go wrong did, again, and last year’s team wilted amid the adversity, folded under pressure. The season ended 6-10.

Fingers were pointed, blame was privately assigned, and now we’re dealing with the aftermath.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-sp-dolphins-kelly-column-20180330-story.html

by Umix10 Fri Mar 30, 2018 1:02 pm

The dysfunction is really unavoidable. The issue for me like most fans is that there is no clear cut plan as to how we change the culture/scheme/roster/coaching staff or anything remotely close to it. I thought it was a bold move getting ride of Suh, Pouncy, and Landry. IMHO we were strapped for cash. But, then we go and retain James. SMH. I really thought DE wise we were ok to hang for another year or use a 4th and get lucky. But, then we go and trade for a guy we gotta pay 12mil whose declined the last 3 years. If thats the case, we should have just paid Landry. No outline or reason or rhyme for the chaos. Overpaying for a 35yr old Frank Gore? Even Andre Johnson called it when it was time.

I am rooting for this team 100% all the time. No matter what. Tannebaum is the same. He does what he does 100% of the time. Which is what got him fired to begin with. So in conclusion, if he keeps doing the same stupid mother f--king sh-t. Why in the f--k is he called a trusted advisor?

by scotgif Fri Mar 30, 2018 2:18 pm

I agree on most things but Gore is definitely NOT finished. He has played every game the last 6 years. Yes, his average has gone downhill but, for what they are asking him to do, be a backup and mentor to the RB room, I feel it is worth it. I don't know what his salary is, but I imagine it can't be too high.

The problem I have with his signing is that this type of move is usually reserved for the team that feels it is just one or two players away from a SB. Plus, it is just a one year deal and then he will most likely retire. Obviously, that is not the case here. Supposedly, Drake has some immaturity and professionalism issues that they want Gore's work effort and professionalism to rub off on. I think they would have re-signed D. Williams, but he was thought of as somewhat of a flake and not much of a practice guy. Bad example for Drake.

by white1 Fri Mar 30, 2018 2:26 pm

Agree on Gore signing, I am in favor. Not that he's the savior, but a great guy to add to the roster.

Omar's article here was excellent. And depressing. Of course, no one can avoid finger pointing (to an extent) when a season goes south like ours did. However, this has been a FAR TOO OFTEN occurrence here in Miami. It needs to stop.

Unfortunately, I don't think it stops until Tannenbaum is gone and we have a real VP in place. HE IS the one who is constantly scheming, power grabbing, and trying to cover his ass when we are losing.

by **JMP** Fri Mar 30, 2018 2:28 pm

scotgif wrote:I agree on most things but Gore is definitely NOT finished. He has played every game the last 6 years. Yes, his average has gone downhill but, for what they are asking him to do, be a backup and mentor to the RB room, I feel it is worth it. I don't know what his salary is, but I imagine it can't be too high.

The problem I have with his signing is that this type of move is usually reserved for the team that feels it is just one or two players away from a SB. Plus, it is just a one year deal and then he will most likely retire. Obviously, that is not the case here. Supposedly, Drake has some immaturity and professionalism issues that they want Gore's work effort and professionalism to rub off on. I think they would have re-signed D. Williams, but he was thought of as somewhat of a flake and not much of a practice guy. Bad example for Drake.

Signing players like Gore and Sitton are the reason we have no identity, continuity or real leadership. You keep signing all these guys that are gone after a year or two and what are you left with??? Let's say Gore turns out to be a great locker room leader this season - what happens next season when he's retired? We need to groom young leaders, not fill the locker room with "one and done" leaders.

The bottom line is this: the core of your team needs to be younger players that are in the team's long-range plans. This constant major roster turnover, with multiple veterans coming and going every season, is death for continuity. Every year, it's like starting over again. Like Umix said, there's no real plan in place...it's just throwing shit against the wall over and over.

by DolFan 316 Fri Mar 30, 2018 3:00 pm

RETURNING to a state of dysfunction??? RETURNING TO?!?! Shocked

Somehow, some way, I completely missed the part where they LEFT that state!

JMP wrote:Signing players like Gore and Sitton are the reason we have no identity, continuity or real leadership. You keep signing all these guys that are gone after a year or two and what are you left with??? Let's say Gore turns out to be a great locker room leader this season - what happens next season when he's retired? We need to groom young leaders, not fill the locker room with "one and done" leaders.

This is the exact same point I was making in another post on another thread, but you made it much better Laughing

by Umix10 Fri Mar 30, 2018 4:03 pm

Gore was a great player. He will always be a good guy. The secret trick football is you need great players not players that were great but, good guys. Again, I am absolutely 100% against signing “locker room” guys. Because, essentially you are telling me that the coach is not coaching or mentoring the player. I get it this ain’t high school but, this is your business, your player, a reflection of you. So i really don’t give a rats ass what you gotta do but nothing else should matter but developing the player. Teaching, Mentoring, and Coaching. All of which we failed miserably in the last 2 decades. I could fill a whole 53 man roster with all the players that we let go that were successful on other teams.

In fact here’s the format for my challenge. 24 Starters, 12 on offense and 12 on defense. If they were a receiver, they don’t have to be 1 or 2 just have to be a receiver. It can be any era. Just have to been a part of Miami’s team. PS or Spring Roster or OTA’s. As long as they swept the floor in Davie they count?

Who’s in?

316? JMP? Anyone. Someone’s gotta have a list like this?

by DolFan 316 Fri Mar 30, 2018 4:58 pm

Umix10 wrote:Gore was a great player. He will always be a good guy. The secret trick football is you need great players not players that were great but, good guys. Again, I am absolutely 100% against signing “locker room” guys. Because, essentially you are telling me that the coach is not coaching or mentoring the player. I get it this ain’t high school but, this is your business, your player, a reflection of you. So i really don’t give a rats ass what you gotta do but nothing else should matter but developing the player. Teaching, Mentoring, and Coaching. All of which we failed miserably in the last 2 decades. I could fill a whole 53 man roster with all the players that we let go that were successful on other teams.

In fact here’s the format for my challenge. 24 Starters, 12 on offense and 12 on defense. If they were a receiver, they don’t have to be 1 or 2 just have to be a receiver. It can be any era. Just have to been a part of Miami’s team. PS or Spring Roster or OTA’s. As long as they swept the floor in Davie they count?

Who’s in?

316? JMP? Anyone. Someone’s gotta have a list like this?

So by "any era" does that mean I get to mention Freddie Solomon, Gary Fencik, Leon Gray and Joe Theismann?

http://pfref.com/tiny/4XQ2Y

by Umix10 Fri Mar 30, 2018 7:28 pm

You got it 316.....it just astonishes me how that bad at identifying talent we are for sooooooo long

by HalCHorn Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:48 pm

At least it is understandable that some talent got away during the 1971-76, since not everyone could crack what was then a Super Bowl lineup during much of that time. Leon Gray, for example, turned out great but would have had a hard time finding that playing time with Miami's deep and well established line in 1973.

But just look at what we've drafted or had in camp during the past decade or so, that became valuable for other teams. Hell, look at the skill position talent alone that the Pats either took off our hands for very little or signed off the street after the Fins just couldn't find a spot for them:

Wes Welker
Chris Hogan
Mike Gillislee

We give them young talent either waiting to break out or just emerging, they hand us guys in their 30's. Sell high and buy low is not a great formula.

Gary Fencik and Joe Theismann have to be the two greatest ones who got away of the 1970's, though Bill Kenney would have been much better long term than the more heralded Guy Benjamin from 1978's draft. At least we got one monster year out of Delvin Williams for Freddie Solomon. The greatest blunder of the 1980's IMO was letting Anthony Carter's rights go for virtually nothing. Even if we did have Clayton and Duper, Nat Moore was in his mid-30s at that time and we should have been thinking ahead.

by Degarmo Sat Mar 31, 2018 4:21 pm

I still say we should have kept Keith Jackson and Ferrell Edmunds and went with two big pass catchers off the line. I called in a radio show in Miami about that and was told that it was superfluous.

Yeah, Bill Bellichick seems to think it was an okay idea.

That's all I've got. Sorry guys, I mean, my contribution to this is, it's been broken for a long time. In the past we could make up for it with good draft acquisitions and good coaching.

We don't have anything at all in the front office that resembles one of Bobby Bethard's turds, let alone a mildly passable GM.

by **JMP** Tue Apr 03, 2018 3:11 pm

Umix10 wrote:Gore was a great player. He will always be a good guy. The secret trick football is you need great players not players that were great but, good guys. Again, I am absolutely 100% against signing “locker room” guys. Because, essentially you are telling me that the coach is not coaching or mentoring the player. I get it this ain’t high school but, this is your business, your player, a reflection of you. So i really don’t give a rats ass what you gotta do but nothing else should matter but developing the player. Teaching, Mentoring, and Coaching. All of which we failed miserably in the last 2 decades. I could fill a whole 53 man roster with all the players that we let go that were successful on other teams.

In fact here’s the format for my challenge. 24 Starters, 12 on offense and 12 on defense. If they were a receiver, they don’t have to be 1 or 2 just have to be a receiver. It can be any era. Just have to been a part of Miami’s team. PS or Spring Roster or OTA’s. As long as they swept the floor in Davie they count?

Who’s in?

316? JMP? Anyone. Someone’s gotta have a list like this?

Some relatively recent players would be
WR/returner Ted Ginn
RB Lamar Miller
TE Charles Clay
OL Joe Berger
DT Tony McDaniel
DE/LB Rob Ninkovich
DE Olivier Vernon
LB Erik Walden
LB Karlos Dansby (who was very good both before and after being a Phin)
CB Vontae Davis
K Dan Carpenter
K Caleb Sturgis

by DolFan 316 Tue Apr 03, 2018 3:37 pm

You forgot Evan Mathis. Just sayin' Cool

Ninkovich was the first recent era player I thought of, for some reason.

by Umix10 Tue Apr 03, 2018 4:46 pm

Sean Smith had a pretty good career. We let Surtain go for a 2nd. Madison could’ve played a bit more.

by **JMP** Tue Apr 03, 2018 5:16 pm

DolFan 316 wrote:You forgot Evan Mathis. Just sayin'

Yes, totally forgot him.

Sean Smith too, as Umix said.

by DolFan 316 Tue Apr 03, 2018 5:33 pm

Umix10 wrote:Sean Smith had a pretty good career. We let Surtain go for a 2nd. Madison could’ve played a bit more.

Madison has a SB ring from the '07 Giants. I think he was the one who broke up Brady's last gasp bomb to Moss in the final seconds of that game.

by HalCHorn Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:36 pm

DolFan 316 wrote:
Umix10 wrote:Sean Smith had a pretty good career. We let Surtain go for a 2nd. Madison could’ve played a bit more.

Madison has a SB ring from the '07 Giants. I think he was the one who broke up Brady's last gasp bomb to Moss in the final seconds of that game.

Yes. Madison's last year as a starter in the NFL. Nice career capper as it turned out.

He was one of the best DB's in the NFL from 1998-2000. Might well have been the Dolphins' best player during 1998 and 1999.

by **JMP** Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:32 pm

HalCHorn wrote:
DolFan 316 wrote:
Umix10 wrote:Sean Smith had a pretty good career. We let Surtain go for a 2nd. Madison could’ve played a bit more.

Madison has a SB ring from the '07 Giants. I think he was the one who broke up Brady's last gasp bomb to Moss in the final seconds of that game.

Yes. Madison's last year as a starter in the NFL. Nice career capper as it turned out.

He was one of the best DB's in the NFL from 1998-2000. Might well have been the Dolphins' best player during 1998 and 1999.

Man, those Dolphin defenses were simply STACKED back then...Madison, Surtain, Taylor, Thomas, Armstrong, Bowens, Gardner, etc. It's a shame JJ could never put an offense together.

by JEGnj Wed Apr 04, 2018 10:27 am

They never left the state of Dysfunction. I'm so done with this stupid ass team. If they don't make a move for a QB in round 1 I'm done.

by **JMP** Wed Apr 04, 2018 11:00 am

JEGnj wrote:They never left the state of Dysfunction. I'm so done with this stupid ass team. If they don't make a move for a QB in round 1 I'm done.

I think there's zero chance they take a QB in round one. I'm not sure they'll draft one at all...maybe late-round if anything. They already have three backups that Gase the QB guru loves, and they need to win now, so taking a QB probably isn't on their radar. I think all the recent talk about their interest in Baker Mayfield and Luke Falk is just a smokescreen.

by Umix10 Wed Apr 04, 2018 3:24 pm

I really think this could be the ‘83 QB draft all over again. There are some really talented QB’s here. I think Miami will have a good shot at getting a QB.

by rightchea Wed Apr 04, 2018 4:49 pm

Umix10 wrote:I really think this could be the ‘83 QB draft all over again. There are some really talented QB’s here. I think Miami will have a good shot at getting a QB.

Miami is not going for a QB in the first round unless it is either Baker or someone they really want at QB. I trade down get some extra picks and get a QB with that extra pick. Miami isn't desperate for a QB like other teams but Tannehill needs some better competition than what he has.

by Umix10 Wed Apr 04, 2018 11:47 pm

rightchea wrote:
Umix10 wrote:I really think this could be the ‘83 QB draft all over again. There are some really talented QB’s here. I think Miami will have a good shot at getting a QB.

Miami is not going for a QB in the first round unless it is either Baker or someone they really want at QB. I trade down get some extra picks and get a QB with that extra pick. Miami isn't desperate for a QB like other teams but Tannehill needs some better competition than what he has.

It’s funny but simply by acknowledging that Tannehill needs competition only bolsters the idea that he’s not the one. Bringing in Osweiler isn’t the way to bring in competition either. Tannehill is what he will always be, a guy the Miami dolphins ruined. Getting a top QB should be a priority. In the end of all this rebuilding er.... i mean culture change Miami will need a QB for the next decade to continue to build around.

by **JMP** Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:24 am

I'm telling you guys...QB will NOT be a priority in the draft - no way. The team is tied to Tannehill, and they already have three backups that Gase likes. Gase has also never developed a rookie QB, and I'm not sure a make-or-break season is the time to start.

Like Umix, I think that QB should be a priority...but the reality is, for Gase and Tannenbaum it simply isn't. To them, the position is set. At least that's how I see it.

by **JMP** Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:30 am

Just read that Brandon Doughty was released. Should never have been drafted in the first place, but better late than never.

I think the Phins will let Osweiler and Fales compete for the #2 job, and maybe an undrafted rookie is added for the practice squad. I don't expect anything else to be done at QB this year.

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