finsforce
Practice Squad
A Change in Attitude
Since the turn of the century, the Miami Dolphins have had a relatively unpleasant history. From the casual NFL fan to the die-hards like us, the troubles that have affected this franchise have not gone unnoticed. Mediocrity has been the standard in recent years as the days of prominence in the modern-day NFL seem to be long forgotten.
The following chronology pinpoints the negative or "not so great" headlines involving the team beginning in late 1999 and ending on present day. (Editor's note: There may be omissions, but they were not intentional and corrections or comments are welcome.)
1999
December 16 - RB Cecil Collins was arrested on two counts of burglary.
2000
January 15 - The Dolphins lose to the Jaguars in an AFC Divisional Playoff game with a final score of 62-7.
January 16 - Jimmy Johnson, the Dolphins' General Manager/Head Coach since 1996, retires. Dave Wannstedt is named Head Coach.
February 10 - QB Dan Marino voids the final two years of his contract, thus becoming a free agent.
March 13 - Marino announces his retirement.
October 23 - On a Monday night(mare) at the Meadowlands, the Dolphins held a commanding 30-7 4th-Q lead over the Jets. The Jets, however, post 30 of the 37 points scored in the quarter to send the game into OT. John Hall ended the four hour, ten minute epic collapse with a 40-yard field goal, 6:47 into the extra period. It was the largest comeback win ever against the Dolphins.
2001
January 6 - The Raiders defeat the Dolphins, 27-0, in a Divisional Playoff game in Oakland. It is the first time that Miami has been shutout in 38 postseason contests.
February 2 - Head Coach Dave Wannstedt signs a one-year contract extension through the 2003 season.
April 30 - OT Richmond Webb officially ends his tenure with the team when he signs a three-year contract with the Bengals as a UFA.
2002
January 13 - The Ravens defeat the Dolphins, 20-3, in a Wild Card game in Miami. (The Dolphins haven't returned to the playoffs since.)
February 13 - Head Coach Dave Wannstedt signs a one-year contract extension through the 2004 season.
December 29 - The Dolphins drop a 27-24 overtime decision to the Patriots in their first-ever visit to Gillette Stadium. The Patriots produce 11 points over the final 2:46 to send the game into overtime, where Adam Vinatieri’s 35-yard field 2:03 into the extra period gives New England the victory. A win by the Dolphins would have given them the AFC East title. A win by the Jets over the Green Bay Packers later in the day makes the Jets the 2002 AFC East champions, thus eliminating the Dolphins from the playoffs for the first time since 1996.
2004
February 3 - Dan Marino resigns as Senior Vice President/Football Operations roughly three weeks after accepting the position.
March 3 - The Dolphins acquire QB A.J. Feeley from the Eagles in exchange for a second-round draft pick.
April 19 - Free agent WR Oronde Gadsden was arrested on one count of DUI. (Gadsden was on the active roster late in the 2003 season.)
June 29 - TE Randy McMichael was arrested on one count of domestic battery.
July 25 - RB Ricky Williams informs the Miami Herald of his intention of retiring from professional football.
July 30 - On the day the Dolphins report for the 39th training camp in franchise history, the club places Ricky Williams on its Reserve/Did Not Report list.
November 9 - Dave Wannstedt steps aside as head coach. Defensive coordinator Jim Bates takes over on an interim basis. (Maybe, this isn't so negative after all...)
November 21 - In Jim Bates’ first game as head coach, the Dolphins lose to Seattle, 24-17, dropping their record to 1-9. The loss clinches the franchise’s first losing season since 1988.
2005
October 18 - The Dolphins send QB A.J. Feeley and a 2006 7th-round draft pick to the Chargers for QB Cleo Lemon.
2006
February 20 - RB Ricky Williams reportedly violates the NFL Substance Abuse Policy for the fourth time and will be suspended for one full year.
March 14 - The Dolphins release 2005 starter QB Gus Frerotte. (Frerotte went 9-6 as a starter in his only year with Miami, and threw a career-high 18 touchdown passes. That's better than all three QBs from the 2006 roster combined.)
May 12 - The Dolphins acquire QB Joey Harrington from the Lions in exchange for a 5th-round draft pick.
October 8 - QB Joey Harrington starts for the Dolphins, replacing injured QB Daunte Culpepper.
December 21 - Head coach Nick Saban announces that "[he's] not going to be the Alabama coach."
2007
January 3 - Saban is the Alabama coach.
March 29 - The proposed deal to send Dolphins DT Dan Wilkinson to the Broncos for a 2007 6th-round draft pick is voided. Wilkinson did not report for his physical by the March 16 deadline and he couldn't be reached.
May 30 - While not a member of the Dolphins at the time of the incident, LB Joey Porter pleads guilty to battery on Bengals OT Levi Jones and subsequently fined $1,000.
June 23 - DT Frederick Evans is arrested for multiple counts of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest with violence, and one count each of disorderly conduct and trespassing.
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Granted, there have been personnel transactions that the fans may or may not have approved of. Knowing the grandiose number of those that occur from year to year, I opted not to include those in the aforementioned list of events.
There have been many instances where the morale of the franchise and its fan base have been lifted due to positive influences. For example, I recall that the signing of Daunte Culpepper brought on a frenzy. Many experts had predicted that the Dolphins would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl having had an unexpected 9-7 record the previous year. Of course, we know what transpired last season. Inevitably, the team extended its playoff drought to five seasons.
Wayne Huizenga felt like a used piñata. He had given his team and its fans a stellar Christmas gift in 2004 when he hired Nick Saban. Saban signs a five-year contract and is given total control over personnel. Many questioned this since many head coaches struggle with the GM/Coach balancing act. Following that 9-7 season, expectations were raised and excitement filled the Miami market. Fast forward one full year and chaos replaces that excitement. Huizenga was not pleased.
Sure, he acted calm and cool in his business-like demeanor when addressing the media. However, in a single moment, he understood what needed to happen. He had to change the face of this franchise. His product was becoming a ridicule in the NFL. Sportswriters and broadcasters alike were beginning to rip this team for its lack of success over the years. It was as if Saban's departure for the Crimson Tide was the icing on the cake. Perhaps, Huizenga thought along the same lines.
So, Wayne and Company spent countless hours searching for the new head coach. One without a huge ego and one who would begin the transformation of this team and return it to its rightful place among the league's elite. Many names were discussed in the public forum, but the Dolphins brass never really talked much about it. In the end, the team selected its new leader when hiring Cam Cameron.
While there was some criticism amongst the fans, some of which can be found on this site, I was satisfied with the decision. For the first time in the history of the organization, the head coach has a background coaching the offense. Little by little, the remainder of the coaching staff came together. They all worked diligently at finding the right core of players for the vision Cameron has in mind. While some may question the transactions up to this point (e.g. releasing TE Randy McMichael), others would revel in the results of trading WR Wes Welker for two draft picks.
Let us not forget the players selected in the 2007 draft: WR Ted Ginn Jr., QB John Beck, C Samson Satele, RB Lorenzo Booker, DT Paul Soliai, FB Reagan Mauia, C Drew Mormino, ILB Kelvin Smith, P Brandon Fields, and DE Abraham Wright. Some will be able to contribute as starters this year, while others will be on the depth chart and play intermittently this season. It may be one of the best and deepest drafts for this team in recent years. Combine that with young players like RB Ronnie Brown, T Vernon Carey, LB Channing Crowder, CB Travis Daniels, WR Derek Hagan, DE Matt Roth, DT Kevin Vickerson, DT Rodrique Wright and others, as well as the veterans on this squad, and you have a solid team on paper.
The essential question comes at the feet of the quarterback position. With the arrival of 13-year veteran Trent Green comes hope. While Culpepper was named "the best QB since Marino" to don a Dolphins uniform, I think the same applies to Green. His demeanor both on and off the field is exactly the type of leadership and professionalism that this team needs at that position. His career statistics are far better than his Miami predecessors post-Marino, but his relationship with Cameron and QB coach Terry Shea will ease his transition into this new offense.
Even so, what matters most is the final product on the field and how it results in wins. "Good on paper" is just a cliché and should have no relevance as to how successful this 2007 squad is going to be. However, I argue that this team is vastly improved from last year and should be more exciting to watch. I anticipate a defense that will be as competitive as the last with an offense that will provide rest for said defense by actually scoring more points per game.
Therein lies the point. There is a rejuvenated hope within the walls of the Davie training complex. One that, hopefully, will translate into success for this team. The overall complexity of the team has been positively altered. In the six months since Saban left this team in a quandary, the Dolphins have effectively removed the cloud of negativity that hovered over them. With the onset of training camp merely weeks away, I'm sure many of you would agree with these points.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked about the future and the direction the league is heading. The first step has been to heighten the importance of the league's conduct policy. Cameron reflected this by waiving troubled DT Evans. In addition, this team has been selected, along with the Giants, to represent the league in the first regular season game to be played outside North America [Editor's note: previously stated "the United States"]. This opportunity should be a welcome one for this team. It should add to what is already becoming a season full of anticipation.
Recent history has not been kind to the Dolphins. Some of the faults are self-inflicted, while others are coincidental. Regardless, there is a new regime in this town. With a new regime comes new hope. That is what happens when there is a new sheriff in town - you get a change in attitude.
Since the turn of the century, the Miami Dolphins have had a relatively unpleasant history. From the casual NFL fan to the die-hards like us, the troubles that have affected this franchise have not gone unnoticed. Mediocrity has been the standard in recent years as the days of prominence in the modern-day NFL seem to be long forgotten.
The following chronology pinpoints the negative or "not so great" headlines involving the team beginning in late 1999 and ending on present day. (Editor's note: There may be omissions, but they were not intentional and corrections or comments are welcome.)
1999
December 16 - RB Cecil Collins was arrested on two counts of burglary.
2000
January 15 - The Dolphins lose to the Jaguars in an AFC Divisional Playoff game with a final score of 62-7.
January 16 - Jimmy Johnson, the Dolphins' General Manager/Head Coach since 1996, retires. Dave Wannstedt is named Head Coach.
February 10 - QB Dan Marino voids the final two years of his contract, thus becoming a free agent.
March 13 - Marino announces his retirement.
October 23 - On a Monday night(mare) at the Meadowlands, the Dolphins held a commanding 30-7 4th-Q lead over the Jets. The Jets, however, post 30 of the 37 points scored in the quarter to send the game into OT. John Hall ended the four hour, ten minute epic collapse with a 40-yard field goal, 6:47 into the extra period. It was the largest comeback win ever against the Dolphins.
2001
January 6 - The Raiders defeat the Dolphins, 27-0, in a Divisional Playoff game in Oakland. It is the first time that Miami has been shutout in 38 postseason contests.
February 2 - Head Coach Dave Wannstedt signs a one-year contract extension through the 2003 season.
April 30 - OT Richmond Webb officially ends his tenure with the team when he signs a three-year contract with the Bengals as a UFA.
2002
January 13 - The Ravens defeat the Dolphins, 20-3, in a Wild Card game in Miami. (The Dolphins haven't returned to the playoffs since.)
February 13 - Head Coach Dave Wannstedt signs a one-year contract extension through the 2004 season.
December 29 - The Dolphins drop a 27-24 overtime decision to the Patriots in their first-ever visit to Gillette Stadium. The Patriots produce 11 points over the final 2:46 to send the game into overtime, where Adam Vinatieri’s 35-yard field 2:03 into the extra period gives New England the victory. A win by the Dolphins would have given them the AFC East title. A win by the Jets over the Green Bay Packers later in the day makes the Jets the 2002 AFC East champions, thus eliminating the Dolphins from the playoffs for the first time since 1996.
2004
February 3 - Dan Marino resigns as Senior Vice President/Football Operations roughly three weeks after accepting the position.
March 3 - The Dolphins acquire QB A.J. Feeley from the Eagles in exchange for a second-round draft pick.
April 19 - Free agent WR Oronde Gadsden was arrested on one count of DUI. (Gadsden was on the active roster late in the 2003 season.)
June 29 - TE Randy McMichael was arrested on one count of domestic battery.
July 25 - RB Ricky Williams informs the Miami Herald of his intention of retiring from professional football.
July 30 - On the day the Dolphins report for the 39th training camp in franchise history, the club places Ricky Williams on its Reserve/Did Not Report list.
November 9 - Dave Wannstedt steps aside as head coach. Defensive coordinator Jim Bates takes over on an interim basis. (Maybe, this isn't so negative after all...)
November 21 - In Jim Bates’ first game as head coach, the Dolphins lose to Seattle, 24-17, dropping their record to 1-9. The loss clinches the franchise’s first losing season since 1988.
2005
October 18 - The Dolphins send QB A.J. Feeley and a 2006 7th-round draft pick to the Chargers for QB Cleo Lemon.
2006
February 20 - RB Ricky Williams reportedly violates the NFL Substance Abuse Policy for the fourth time and will be suspended for one full year.
March 14 - The Dolphins release 2005 starter QB Gus Frerotte. (Frerotte went 9-6 as a starter in his only year with Miami, and threw a career-high 18 touchdown passes. That's better than all three QBs from the 2006 roster combined.)
May 12 - The Dolphins acquire QB Joey Harrington from the Lions in exchange for a 5th-round draft pick.
October 8 - QB Joey Harrington starts for the Dolphins, replacing injured QB Daunte Culpepper.
December 21 - Head coach Nick Saban announces that "[he's] not going to be the Alabama coach."
2007
January 3 - Saban is the Alabama coach.
March 29 - The proposed deal to send Dolphins DT Dan Wilkinson to the Broncos for a 2007 6th-round draft pick is voided. Wilkinson did not report for his physical by the March 16 deadline and he couldn't be reached.
May 30 - While not a member of the Dolphins at the time of the incident, LB Joey Porter pleads guilty to battery on Bengals OT Levi Jones and subsequently fined $1,000.
June 23 - DT Frederick Evans is arrested for multiple counts of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest with violence, and one count each of disorderly conduct and trespassing.
--------------------------------------------------
Granted, there have been personnel transactions that the fans may or may not have approved of. Knowing the grandiose number of those that occur from year to year, I opted not to include those in the aforementioned list of events.
There have been many instances where the morale of the franchise and its fan base have been lifted due to positive influences. For example, I recall that the signing of Daunte Culpepper brought on a frenzy. Many experts had predicted that the Dolphins would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl having had an unexpected 9-7 record the previous year. Of course, we know what transpired last season. Inevitably, the team extended its playoff drought to five seasons.
Wayne Huizenga felt like a used piñata. He had given his team and its fans a stellar Christmas gift in 2004 when he hired Nick Saban. Saban signs a five-year contract and is given total control over personnel. Many questioned this since many head coaches struggle with the GM/Coach balancing act. Following that 9-7 season, expectations were raised and excitement filled the Miami market. Fast forward one full year and chaos replaces that excitement. Huizenga was not pleased.
Sure, he acted calm and cool in his business-like demeanor when addressing the media. However, in a single moment, he understood what needed to happen. He had to change the face of this franchise. His product was becoming a ridicule in the NFL. Sportswriters and broadcasters alike were beginning to rip this team for its lack of success over the years. It was as if Saban's departure for the Crimson Tide was the icing on the cake. Perhaps, Huizenga thought along the same lines.
So, Wayne and Company spent countless hours searching for the new head coach. One without a huge ego and one who would begin the transformation of this team and return it to its rightful place among the league's elite. Many names were discussed in the public forum, but the Dolphins brass never really talked much about it. In the end, the team selected its new leader when hiring Cam Cameron.
While there was some criticism amongst the fans, some of which can be found on this site, I was satisfied with the decision. For the first time in the history of the organization, the head coach has a background coaching the offense. Little by little, the remainder of the coaching staff came together. They all worked diligently at finding the right core of players for the vision Cameron has in mind. While some may question the transactions up to this point (e.g. releasing TE Randy McMichael), others would revel in the results of trading WR Wes Welker for two draft picks.
Let us not forget the players selected in the 2007 draft: WR Ted Ginn Jr., QB John Beck, C Samson Satele, RB Lorenzo Booker, DT Paul Soliai, FB Reagan Mauia, C Drew Mormino, ILB Kelvin Smith, P Brandon Fields, and DE Abraham Wright. Some will be able to contribute as starters this year, while others will be on the depth chart and play intermittently this season. It may be one of the best and deepest drafts for this team in recent years. Combine that with young players like RB Ronnie Brown, T Vernon Carey, LB Channing Crowder, CB Travis Daniels, WR Derek Hagan, DE Matt Roth, DT Kevin Vickerson, DT Rodrique Wright and others, as well as the veterans on this squad, and you have a solid team on paper.
The essential question comes at the feet of the quarterback position. With the arrival of 13-year veteran Trent Green comes hope. While Culpepper was named "the best QB since Marino" to don a Dolphins uniform, I think the same applies to Green. His demeanor both on and off the field is exactly the type of leadership and professionalism that this team needs at that position. His career statistics are far better than his Miami predecessors post-Marino, but his relationship with Cameron and QB coach Terry Shea will ease his transition into this new offense.
Even so, what matters most is the final product on the field and how it results in wins. "Good on paper" is just a cliché and should have no relevance as to how successful this 2007 squad is going to be. However, I argue that this team is vastly improved from last year and should be more exciting to watch. I anticipate a defense that will be as competitive as the last with an offense that will provide rest for said defense by actually scoring more points per game.
Therein lies the point. There is a rejuvenated hope within the walls of the Davie training complex. One that, hopefully, will translate into success for this team. The overall complexity of the team has been positively altered. In the six months since Saban left this team in a quandary, the Dolphins have effectively removed the cloud of negativity that hovered over them. With the onset of training camp merely weeks away, I'm sure many of you would agree with these points.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked about the future and the direction the league is heading. The first step has been to heighten the importance of the league's conduct policy. Cameron reflected this by waiving troubled DT Evans. In addition, this team has been selected, along with the Giants, to represent the league in the first regular season game to be played outside North America [Editor's note: previously stated "the United States"]. This opportunity should be a welcome one for this team. It should add to what is already becoming a season full of anticipation.
Recent history has not been kind to the Dolphins. Some of the faults are self-inflicted, while others are coincidental. Regardless, there is a new regime in this town. With a new regime comes new hope. That is what happens when there is a new sheriff in town - you get a change in attitude.
