I am tired of this offseason, as much as anybody, I am also tired of all the negativity. After reading todays headlines and being slightly depressed, I read some positive posts from other members, and every time they were lameblasted by somebody who was intent on making others feel bad, JUST LIKE THEM. Well first off, I know I didnt' expect NE to win it all last year, or that the Colts would go from a 3-13 year to a 13-3 year, or that we would beat the eventual superbowl champions Ravens the year they won it all.
Let me go down the list.
RB. RW gone... after hearing his reasons, and then the real reasons, I am glad he is gone, we have heard nothing but good things about minor and morris (even bills fans are saying morris got shafted up there and wasn't given enough of a chance.) so I say we will be even there.
QB. It hasn't even been a full offseason, and yet Feeley is starting to get things done on offense. He doens't have full control of it yet, (heck our coaches are constantly changing it, so how can he?) but he is showing promise, if you couple that with the fact that he doesn't throw lame duck balls, I think he finally wins out. Better than last year or the year before, because no matter who wins if the starter goes down, the backup is better than any we have had.
FB. Same, as good as the gameplan allows.
WR. owwww. man this stings. Chambers, thank god it wasn't chambers, I have to wonder if the sudden weight drop had anything to do with the weakening of his body, and I remember his strength coach saying this was a possibility, maybe we should have let him play at 240, cause a 240 david is better than a sideline david, well we never even saw him play for us but yeah, I would have loved to. now, we have DT, and this is a speilman boy, so if he lives up to what we have seen for the past to training camps, and what sullivan is saying about him, (oh if B. B. is a genius coach for the patriots, then sullivan is his counterpart for WRS.) then he should at least make a decent receiver this year. Minnis, if he can stay away from the injury bug he should live up to his billing and at least make a solid number 3. tolver and newsom should at least show something in limited time as 4 and 5. Can't be worse than last year with the revolving door at number two, might not be better....
TE. I think this is where we are either make it or break it this year, if McMike and Lee can play out of thier minds in 2 TE sets and whenever they get on the field we will cause all the mismatches we want. NO LB can cover these two (at least one who isn't named Lewis, who should be injured this year thanks to the madden curse : ) Better than last year, plus perry is back, who will have more effect on Special teams. losing him last year probably cost us 3 games.
Offfensive Line. well is was offensive last year that was for sure. If they were able to help RW get over 1300 yards last year while he really didnt' want to play, then they couldn't have been too bad right? Well last year was also the reason DT didn't even have time to get open and superman chambers did all he could with the 2 seconds that the line actually pass protected to get 11 tds. I don't see how this line couldn't be better than last year. Smith is playing better, and stronger. we have James, and I don't need to say anthing about him. Mckinney, well he is stronger and meaner than ruddy, probably not as ready to lead the line, but he has to at least be equal. Carey as a guard or tackle, upgrade at guard, and can't be worse at tackle. St. Clair or McIntosh at tackle, worse if St. Clair, equal if McIntosh (a recoverd McI that is.) Line should be better if for no other reason than they are younger and shouldn't get worn out as easy.
Intangibles on offense.
Remember how DT couldn't get open last year or how CC was double teamed? won't happen this year, and I'll tell you why, the new defensive pass interference enforcement. Nobody is allowed to touch anybody, which means Wrs know where they are going and nobody can stop them. The problem was lack of seperation for DT, and since he won't be mugged this year, he will be better, and if he is mugged look for a flag. I don't care how we move it down the field...
Defense
This will be a lot shorter, because we know what we have and only thing it has done is gotten older and smarter.
DE. Brings a smile to my face, Why? because we haven't signed on dude, and the other dude is a former starter. I remember thinking that David Bowens was going to blow it up on the other side, and all he ended blowing up was a light bulb. If he is back, and grigsby comes on, I am not worried about Ogun. I would prefer to have him, but we made it work with less talented people before. Maybe slightly worse, same/better if Ogun comes back.
DT. Chester and Bowens. Solid, improved, aging, at least the same if not better.
LB. First time in years that we have depth. Awesome. If Zach gets injured this year, (doesn't he have a two game stint every year?) then Morlon goes to MLB and Moore (possibly our fastest best coverage linebacker) move into Morlons spot. Heck I almost wouldn't mind an injury to zach this year.
This position has done nothing but improve these last two years.
CB. Holy cow if all these guys stay healthy and continue on like they are, nodbody will pass against them, of course we have to see what the new rules do to them, but if the new rules were going to affect our defense, this is the year to bring it on. Better than last year, much better.
S. Well this was the weak spot last year, and most of the reason people ended up calling for Madisons head, (I do recall a touchdown where marion lost his assignment and went for the runner, only to have the wr catch the pass, and it cost us the game right?) Well off with Marion, and would he even have played for us this year? Speilman brought in the talent to make this a better position. If they gel like I hope or do anything right they are the same at the beginning of the season, and as they get used to playing they get better. All they have to do is stay within thier assignments.
K. He played injured at the beginning of the year, and it showed. As Mare's leg got better so did the kicking, and he still boomed the kickoffs into the endzone, allowing the dolphins a huge advantage of having one of the best Opps starting position, (23 or 26 I think) Mare should be better this year, with the injury gone.
P. Turk, same. He's going to look great and he is going to piss us off. At least he isn't Royals.
Coach. Well the staff got better, and lets just hope that Wanny lets his offensive Corrdinator do his job. If he does then it will be better than last year, if not... well that will make our season. I look at it this way, he has to know his way didn't work last year, or the year before... so with his job on the line, (and wayne H. probably told him to let his OC do his job or else...) I think this is the year where we see what originality can do.
I said it before and I'll say it again, 11-5 playoffs, and I am too biased and positive to predict the playoffs.
Go Team!!
Let me go down the list.
RB. RW gone... after hearing his reasons, and then the real reasons, I am glad he is gone, we have heard nothing but good things about minor and morris (even bills fans are saying morris got shafted up there and wasn't given enough of a chance.) so I say we will be even there.
QB. It hasn't even been a full offseason, and yet Feeley is starting to get things done on offense. He doens't have full control of it yet, (heck our coaches are constantly changing it, so how can he?) but he is showing promise, if you couple that with the fact that he doesn't throw lame duck balls, I think he finally wins out. Better than last year or the year before, because no matter who wins if the starter goes down, the backup is better than any we have had.
FB. Same, as good as the gameplan allows.
WR. owwww. man this stings. Chambers, thank god it wasn't chambers, I have to wonder if the sudden weight drop had anything to do with the weakening of his body, and I remember his strength coach saying this was a possibility, maybe we should have let him play at 240, cause a 240 david is better than a sideline david, well we never even saw him play for us but yeah, I would have loved to. now, we have DT, and this is a speilman boy, so if he lives up to what we have seen for the past to training camps, and what sullivan is saying about him, (oh if B. B. is a genius coach for the patriots, then sullivan is his counterpart for WRS.) then he should at least make a decent receiver this year. Minnis, if he can stay away from the injury bug he should live up to his billing and at least make a solid number 3. tolver and newsom should at least show something in limited time as 4 and 5. Can't be worse than last year with the revolving door at number two, might not be better....
TE. I think this is where we are either make it or break it this year, if McMike and Lee can play out of thier minds in 2 TE sets and whenever they get on the field we will cause all the mismatches we want. NO LB can cover these two (at least one who isn't named Lewis, who should be injured this year thanks to the madden curse : ) Better than last year, plus perry is back, who will have more effect on Special teams. losing him last year probably cost us 3 games.
Offfensive Line. well is was offensive last year that was for sure. If they were able to help RW get over 1300 yards last year while he really didnt' want to play, then they couldn't have been too bad right? Well last year was also the reason DT didn't even have time to get open and superman chambers did all he could with the 2 seconds that the line actually pass protected to get 11 tds. I don't see how this line couldn't be better than last year. Smith is playing better, and stronger. we have James, and I don't need to say anthing about him. Mckinney, well he is stronger and meaner than ruddy, probably not as ready to lead the line, but he has to at least be equal. Carey as a guard or tackle, upgrade at guard, and can't be worse at tackle. St. Clair or McIntosh at tackle, worse if St. Clair, equal if McIntosh (a recoverd McI that is.) Line should be better if for no other reason than they are younger and shouldn't get worn out as easy.
Intangibles on offense.
Remember how DT couldn't get open last year or how CC was double teamed? won't happen this year, and I'll tell you why, the new defensive pass interference enforcement. Nobody is allowed to touch anybody, which means Wrs know where they are going and nobody can stop them. The problem was lack of seperation for DT, and since he won't be mugged this year, he will be better, and if he is mugged look for a flag. I don't care how we move it down the field...
Defense
This will be a lot shorter, because we know what we have and only thing it has done is gotten older and smarter.
DE. Brings a smile to my face, Why? because we haven't signed on dude, and the other dude is a former starter. I remember thinking that David Bowens was going to blow it up on the other side, and all he ended blowing up was a light bulb. If he is back, and grigsby comes on, I am not worried about Ogun. I would prefer to have him, but we made it work with less talented people before. Maybe slightly worse, same/better if Ogun comes back.
DT. Chester and Bowens. Solid, improved, aging, at least the same if not better.
LB. First time in years that we have depth. Awesome. If Zach gets injured this year, (doesn't he have a two game stint every year?) then Morlon goes to MLB and Moore (possibly our fastest best coverage linebacker) move into Morlons spot. Heck I almost wouldn't mind an injury to zach this year.
This position has done nothing but improve these last two years.
CB. Holy cow if all these guys stay healthy and continue on like they are, nodbody will pass against them, of course we have to see what the new rules do to them, but if the new rules were going to affect our defense, this is the year to bring it on. Better than last year, much better.
S. Well this was the weak spot last year, and most of the reason people ended up calling for Madisons head, (I do recall a touchdown where marion lost his assignment and went for the runner, only to have the wr catch the pass, and it cost us the game right?) Well off with Marion, and would he even have played for us this year? Speilman brought in the talent to make this a better position. If they gel like I hope or do anything right they are the same at the beginning of the season, and as they get used to playing they get better. All they have to do is stay within thier assignments.
K. He played injured at the beginning of the year, and it showed. As Mare's leg got better so did the kicking, and he still boomed the kickoffs into the endzone, allowing the dolphins a huge advantage of having one of the best Opps starting position, (23 or 26 I think) Mare should be better this year, with the injury gone.
P. Turk, same. He's going to look great and he is going to piss us off. At least he isn't Royals.
Coach. Well the staff got better, and lets just hope that Wanny lets his offensive Corrdinator do his job. If he does then it will be better than last year, if not... well that will make our season. I look at it this way, he has to know his way didn't work last year, or the year before... so with his job on the line, (and wayne H. probably told him to let his OC do his job or else...) I think this is the year where we see what originality can do.
I said it before and I'll say it again, 11-5 playoffs, and I am too biased and positive to predict the playoffs.
Go Team!!
