A Former Nfl Players Take On The Dolphins... | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

A Former Nfl Players Take On The Dolphins...

Butterfrog 2.0

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I've posted a few of these over the years as I have a friend who used to play in the NFL. Hes also a fan of the Phins having grown up in South Florida and these are some of the things he said when I talked to him recently...

On if he thought Gase should have been fired:

- He thought gase did some good things, but said that he has little doubt that some players were starting to turn on him. I asked about the whole sitting on the bench by himself thing and he said that coaches will fo that and it's not really a big deal, but the video of him sitting there pretending to draw plays was definitely a bad look. This didnt contribute to his thought that players were turning on Gase however as he thought it was basically because of the lack of faith the coach seemed to have in players and part of that showed in the playcalling. Stated that players definitely see that and take offense to it.

On if Tannehill got a raw deal in Miami:

-He kind of laughed at this one and said no, Tannehill got 7 years and a ton of money. Said he never though Ryan was the answer, and that poor o-lines and the outside excuses just didnt fly. Did say however that if you draft a qb like Tannehill you need a system in place to cater to his strengths which was never done.

On Tanking For Tua;

-He hates the idea of it. Said so many things can go wrong, and it doesnt guarantee anything. I asked if he thinks it's ever done in the nfl and he said "not that I was ever aware of" he went on to say that you'll lose players if it's obvious because guys will be playing for themselves and their next contract but either way it hurts their stock and bank account because the worse your team is the lower your stock becomes as a player(I'm not sure I agree with this part). But he did say that if you're a good player surrounded by bad ones because the team is dumping good players, and collecting resources for the future then it affects everyone else ability to make good plays. Said wr's seemed to be affected by and the most frustrated when they have a bad qb in this situation.

On if he thought Grier was the right choice in this organizational restructure:

-He said and I quote... "I dont know man" lol I asked further questions but all I could really get out of him was that he wasnt sure exactly what Grier did before, and that it's all up in the air.

On if a total rebuild is needed:

-He said no not necessarily. Says that teams in today's nfl can turn it around very quickly, and that we have playmakers on offense in Grant, Wilson, Stills, and Drake. Said Defense needs overhaul but there are good young players in place there too.

On his overall thoughts of the team and what he thinks they should do:

-Said team needed a new direction. Thinks a lot of plays have been left on the field not necessarily due to scheme but because of situational playcalling and using personell incorrectly. One thing he believes strongly in is scheming towards players strengths, and not the other way around of trying to force a scheme, play, or philosophy onto all players. Thinks that we can turn it around rather quickly, should keep draft picks, get a vet qb like bridgwater, or Foles and if we make smart decisions we will be a good team. Reiterated that we should under no circumstances try to tank a season for a QB. Said you basically have to lose every game to make sure you get the one you want, then what if he doesnt declare, gets injured, or flops. Said you'll lose good players in the process and if it doesnt work out then you're basically screwed for much longer than if you just stayed the coarse, spent wisely, and drafted well.

Now my take on all of this...

I really dont care about the process, I just want an elite QB. I've never ever been on any tank bandwagon, but if we lost every game in 2019 I wouldnt be upset knowing that we have pur pick of the litter and a higher chance at a stud QB. The problem is I dont think it's very feasible. A lot of you might not agree, but we have enough good players on this team to win enough games to keep us out of the running for the #1 pick. If healthy there are a handful of playmakers on offense. Howard is good enough to win us a game or 2, and Fitz will be even better next year. I just dont see any scenerio where we get the #1 pick without having to trade u for it... but to that I say go for it. Give up an entire draft if you have to. Oh and on Gase... I think he flat out sucked. Poor decisions, poor play calling, bad situational game management, and a know it all spoiled little brat... good riddance to him.
 
Thanks for sharing. One comment. Of course a player will never endorse tanking. If a team tanks, it's a horrible look for the players and their ability to find continued employment in a high income bracket.
 
It boggles my mind why anyone thinks the players would be involved in a tank, like it's some kind of top-to-bottom decision where everyone in the organization is in on it.

Probably one to three people know that's the ultimate goal. Everyone else senses it and speculates.
 
Tanking is not realistic anyways and won't happen no matter how much we root for it. The new HC is going to want to show progress even in a rebuild year. The only way it happens is if whoever the starting QB ends up being gets hurt and we roll with a true ham and egger you can't win with,
 
Agree about Gase and not tanking on purpose. However if start off 1 and 7 or 2 and 6 and it looks bleak I wouldn't care if we won another game
 
Yeah, your friend is way too kind to Gase. So Gase is ok, but too many plays were left on the field due to “situational play calling and personnel used incorrectly.” And who’s responsible for that— Gase.

And no way this is a good team with Fales at QB next year unless you have the 85 Bears/00 Ravens defense or the second coming of Csonka and a Hall of Fame OL out there too. Bridgewater is questionable as well. Way too much confidence in that guy being something.
 
This team won 7 games with freaking Adam Gase as the coach.
I think they would have done better with a better coach.
 
Let’s all speculate now and say what player said this. I go with Stills option 1, or Gore Option 2.

Edit. Says “Former” so my speculation was wrong. I’m going to go with Crowder.
 
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A "tank" is simple...

Cut/Trade Tannehill and start Ostweiler. That'a 5 losses in the division right there...a split in NY with the Jets.

Losses in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Dallas, Philly, Chargers, and Colts should be enough to get us a top 5 pick.
 
I mean you don’t practice a “tank playbook” and have the players implement the tank lol

It starts with playing an inexperienced guy at QB and have a bunch of green players learn on the job. Not a bunch of fill in overpriced vets over the roster overloading your cap.

And if you win a bunch of games with that group . . . .Great! But if you lose a bunch you have a top pick, a bunch of free cap and you are set to build the team the way it needs to be built to compete in the future.

There really is little downside outside of losing bunch and having people talk about you negatively and attendance being down.
 
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