Matt Miller Article - How to Fix Worse Teams

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2671810-how-to-fix-the-nfls-worst-teams/page/9

I was hoping for more.

One good insight he gives is on our QB problem. His suggestion:

Should the Miami Dolphins move on from quarterback Ryan Tannehill? That's the biggest question on everyone's mind right now, and the answer is to give it one more year.

Tannehill is on what amounts to a year-to-year deal right now. If he struggles again in 2017, the team can release him and be free of his contract and move on in a loaded quarterback class in the 2018 draft.

With the quarterback position settled, for now, what's next in Miami?

Under "Blue Chip Players", he fails to mention Reshad Jones.

This is where he really loses me:

Roster Moves

Release DE Cameron Wake (cap savings of $4 million)
Release DE Mario Williams (cap savings of $8.5 million)


Free-Agent Moves

Re-sign WR Kenny Stills (5 years, $35 million)
Re-sign LB Kiko Alonso (3 years, $12 million)
Sign DE William Gholston (5 years, $55 million)

Okay, Wake is playing great right now. There is no need to rush into dumping him when we have absolutely zero viable replacements. Assuming his trade value is zero, let him finish his contract here and retire a Dolphin. Cutting Williams makes far more sense, and I can see that happening.

I hate these free agent moves. Why would we reward Stills with a contract of that magnitude, especially knowing that Landry is coming off his rookie contract soon? Makes no sense to me. Keeping Alonso at a reasonable cap number is probably a good idea. There's no way he remains at MLB though. If the team is smart this offseason, they find a starting MLB and kick Alonso over to his natural weak side position. I think he can be very good there, and well worth an average of $4 million per year. Signing yet another high priced free agent defensive end? Eh, I don't know about that. If Branch continues to play well, he could be worth keeping instead. IMO, DT next to Suh is probably the bigger need on our defensive line. Mitchell and Phillips have just not been good enough. Phillips is edging ever closer to "bust".

Now we get to the draft:

NFL Draft

Round 1, Pick 8: CB/S Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
Round 2, Pick 8: DE Solomon Thomas, Stanford
Round 5, Pick 8: TE George Kittle, Iowa
Round 6, Pick 8: QB Brady Gustafson, Montana
Round 7, Pick 8: Kyle Kalis, Michigan

I'm fine with the first two picks. Definitely address needs, and I like using early picks on the premier positions which can impact the passing game either on offense or defense.

Biggest issue for me is Round 6. He just said earlier in the article he'd keep Tannehill and look to the 2018 draft which is projected to be loaded with talent at QB. Fine, I'm good with that plan. So, given the fact we have only 5 picks in 2017, why burn one on a 6th round QB? It's not the time, and it doesn't line up with the plan he just proposed. Go for a position like MLB there that could actually net a starting player instead.

how to fix the Miami Dolphins? simple - draft better and stop tying the team to overpriced FAs.

Lately Miller has been horrible. The only thing I could stomach is drafting Peppers BUT after the combine he's a top 5 pick. If Jalen Ramsey is top 5 then Peppers is a lock to be top 5. He's twice the player Ramsey is. Cut Wake ? The dude looks incredible and I'll be the first to admit I was wrong about Wake. Also his number of 17 million under the cap is garbage. After carry over from this year, cutting Cameron and Mitchell alone they should be around 30 million under the cap.

Also Milller's love affair with Garrett, DE , Texas A&M is nauseating. He's good but I'll take Jonathan Allen from Alabama any day of the week over Garrett.

I'm guessing as of now Miami will be picking around 15. I'm taking Rueben Foster. I am so sick of not having a true MLB. Foster is a visious hitter and better in coverage than Ragland was last year. Second round pick, best DT on the board unless DT is our FA target which is possible.

Oh and there's no way Stills is resigned unless he absolutely lights it up the rest of the season.

Also we will get comp picks, so there is that.

How to fix ANY team: drafting, drafting, drafting.  Build through the draft - both for now and the future.

who says Miami wasn't trying to do that. for the fact that they are bad at drafting could mean a lot too.

rightchea wrote:who says Miami wasn't trying to do that. for the fact that they are bad at drafting could mean a lot too.

For years the Dolphins have been drafting mostly low-upside projects, role players and special teamers. That is not building through the draft - that's stockpiling the bottom of your roster and practice squad. Instead, the focus should be on stockpiling players that could one day become legitimate starters - not just guys that "earn" starting jobs by being the only option on the roster.

Look at this past draft - guys like Drake, Lucas, Duarte, Grant, Doughty and Carroo are simply not going to be legit NFL starters - ever. Obviously you can't draft 8 starters every year, but 6 of the 8 picks from this past draft are literally never going to be legit starters - they're just not. Sure, maybe Carroo gets handed a job next year if Stills leaves - but that will have more to do with what we gave up to get him than it will talent. You can't build a team long-term with draft classes like that.

finfanatic wrote:On Wake....they should have let him go a few years ago before they paid him, but yet again, when you draft like drunken monkeys in a vicious poo-flinging fight, you do not have many options if you actually have a player that produces something on the field.

ROTFLMAO!!! How did I miss this before?!?!

JMP wrote:Obviously you can't draft 8 starters every year...

Oh, I don't know. As devoid of talent as this roster is I'll bet someone out there smart enough could do it, at least for the next 3 drafts.