Wilkins to raiders | Page 9 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Wilkins to raiders

eMCee85 said:
So no one matters to you on this team? That's cool I guess.
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IMO there are some guys worth keeping, guys like Achane, Mostert, Jackson, Smythe, that new FA TE Smith, Waddle, Seiler, and probably a few more. With someone like Chubb, it all depends on if he can still play and for how much. IMO, Hill is going to cost too much money to keep, and Tua is definitely not worth the 50 million people keep mentioning.
 
Mello Yello said:
I don't think there will be any excuses for the offense. It wouldn't be fair to make excuses. You have a QB & HC tandem going into year #3. The team has made more than enough excuses about how great this QB truly is. They've done everything to align the primary pieces and presumably have a DC who's now "on board." There should be 0 turmoil behind the scenes at this point.

There are no excuses to make for goodness sake.

You've got both OTs locked up, one who's a veteran and the other now in his prime. You've got 2 outstanding RBs. You've got 2 outstanding WRs. You've added to the TE room. In all likelihood you'll bring back Isaiah Wynn. At worst, you'll end up with the same C who played most of last year (Eichenberg) and that's if you don't re-sign the primary starter (Williams) who's been very productive.

I can only imagine how mad people would be if this offense failed to perform. OMG...

There should be no excuses. We're so far beyond even hinting as much at this point. If that unit is worth anything like what it's individual parts are hyped up to be, it should be able to carry us a good ways.
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Agree, it's crucial this year to see what we really have on offense. I don't want to hear we don't know what Tua is, what McD can get really get done. With the many issues on defense it's just critical we put most of what we have into the OL so we can definitively see if they can be elite, score against anyone, win high-scoring games routinely not occasionally. We supposedly have the core to do it, Tua, Tyreek, Waddle, Jonnu Smith at TE now, Achane/Mostert, we have two quality tackles. Pound that IOL and let's see what shakes out. If we are still scoring 10-17 whenever we line up against a contender then it's lights out for a lot of current players/coaches, maybe even GM.

If the offense can get there for the most part then you can go into '25 with $$ to spend and a boat load of picks and build up this defense. We would actually have a window again. Fail again offensively though and I'm not sure what we are doing other than spinning our wheels.

Today's moves were expected and part of the hard decision making I've been saying was necessary to even attempt the above 2-year mini-rebuild, shedding salaries and building comp picks. Now comes the harder part, filling holes w/ cheap available talent and then drafting really well. Offense first though, patch on D for now and if you get the O right then time to go for it again.
 
bward6460 said:
You say that, but clearly the league feels differently. DTs are quickly becoming a top paid position for a reason. Even a smart organization like the Ravens paid up for their DT.
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Exactly. When analytics becomes a thing, what does that tell you? It means the conventional wisdom has been brutally wrong for decades.

Likewise when positions like wide receiver and defensive tackle soar in price tag, it is league acknowledgment that those areas have been viewed incorrectly.

The issue is Christian Wilkins has always been red chip vs blue chip. A Clemson fan in this thread summarized perfectly. It was a solid pick but given his 5th year senior status and less than awesome size or athleticism, you knew what you were getting but the next level wasn't available. I don't mind the Raiders buying high.

Otherwise I don't pay attention to anybody who downgrades the value of a disruptive defensive tackle. I can remember all the related quotes, from Lombardi to Landry to Walsh and so forth. Jimmy Johnson had a phenomenal eye for defensive tackles. He recruited Cortez Kennedy out of North Mississippi Junior College. Russell Maryland became the first pick in the NFL Draft years after Johnson gave him the last scholarship available to the Canes. Before Johnson ever arrived, freshman Jerome Brown dictated the 1983 national championship game vs Nebraska just like Manny Fernandez dictated the Super Bowl vs. Washington. Then Brown as a senior was the best player on the field during the infamous 14-10 Fiesta Bowl loss to Penn State. His performance in that game isn't legendary only because Testaverde gave away the game via so many forced interceptions, and checking out of perfectly set up running calls during the final drive.

The key is pushing the pocket. Stationary defensive tackles like Raekwon Davis don't have a fraction of the value of guys who rearrange the interior. The Bill Walsh quotes are still online:

"The best defensive tackles move the offensive guard back into the quarterback. They won't have nearly as many sacks as others, but if they can move the guard back into the quarterback, then the quarterback has to avoid his own lineman as if he were a pass rusher before he throws the ball. So this is a key ability.

Dana Stubblefield would be a good example of a guy who can weigh the guard right back to the quarterback."

 
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