ArticleNinja
Lying in wait
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2004
- Messages
- 287
- Reaction score
- 0
Discuss this article or suffer dire consequences: http://www.finheaven.com/cms/147.html.
They are all gone and the end of the Wannstedt-Spielman era is now complete.
--Trades a second round pick for AJ Feeley.
--Prior to the 2004 season the Dolphins offensive line was downright terrible. Players like Tim Ruddy, Todd Perry, Todd Wade, and Jamie Nails were run out of town. Who did Rick bring in to replace these people? The answer is essentially nobody. How can the biggest weakness on your team get essentially no attention in your first off-season as GM? We enter the 2004 season with an offensive line worse than the one the year before.
-Oh wait, then there was Vernon Carey. And the trading of a 4th round pick to move up 1 spot, yes 1 spot to take Vernon Carey. The same Vernon Carey who couldn't crack the starting lineup on maybe the worst offensive line in the entire league last year. Why give up a 4th round pick to take this guy? Once again, Rick overpaying in a trade for a guy who isn't worth it. Take Vernon at the spot Miami is drafting, no problem. If he is a bust there, you don't complain. Give up a pick to move up to take him and if he is a bust, then you have a serious issue with the decision making of the GM.
--The O-Gun situation was a total and complete joke on every level. It started the day after the 2003 season eded when the Fins knew going into the off-season that O-Gun was going to hold-out and if he didn't get an extension he wasn't showing up for training camp, Week 1, and pretty much he wasn't showing up until he had to by league rules. Miami couldn't pay him, it wasn't even an option. Spielman sat on his hands and did nothing except get into a pissing contest with Drew Rosenhaus. February, March, nothing....April...draft day. Trade offers for O-Gun are coming in, Spielman does nothing. May, June, July....still nothing. Come August when Spielman realizes that O-Gun isn't kidding around and he isn't showing up, he is forced to make a bad trade with the Bears. Yes, Marty Booker is a good player but you don't trade the conference leader in sacks for an average wide receiver. That is just bad value. Not to mention according to numerous reports, Spielman turned down better trade offers for O-Gun the week of the NFL Draft.
--Lamar Gordon trade was a disaster in every way shape and form. Gordon was an injury prone player in St.Louis, anyone who is anyone in the league knew this. Speilman claiming he watched tape of every play Gordon had in the NFL, goes out and gives up a 3rd round pick for Lamar Gordon. Another panic move in the wake of Ricky leaving made by Rick Spielman that didn’t pan out. Just because Ricky left doesn't mean you once again overpay for a middle of the road player. And as expected, Gordon doesn't last more than 1 game and goes down to a season ending injury. Surprise Surprise!
I have no doubt that Rick Spielman will get another GM job in the NFL.
The Spielman supporters will say Rick never had a chance with Ricky leaving and David Boston going down.
The Dolphins have announced that G.M. Rick Spielman has decided to leave the organization. A league source tells us that Spielman was terminated by the team.
"I want to thank [owner] Wayne Huizenga, [coacj] Nick Saban, the Dolphin players, coaches, and staff, along with the South Florida community," said Spielman. "I have a lot of fond memories of my time here and made a lot of friends, and I hope the team goes on to have a great season."
As we've previously written, some folks around the league wonder why a change was necessary. Spielman did good work with the team until the roof fell in via a series of unfortunate events that began when Dan Marino backed out of an agreement to serve as team president.
Kudos to Rick for taking the high road. Saban has been interviewing replacements of late. Spielman has every right to do a little pissing and/or moaning -- and it's big of him to bite his tongue.
enigmatics said:AJ Feeley for a 2nd rounder still makes me ill to this day. Knowing that Owens and Dillon both went for 2nd rounders proves just how bad of a trade it turned out to be from a value stand point.
touborg said:It's funny how 99% of the fans wanted "anyone but Fiedler", but when we didn't get the next Dan Marion, everyone was screaming. The Phins were forced to try someone else, and whether or not that works out has yet to be seen. If it wasnt because of massive pressure (by us) that trade would never have gone down. As much as I don't think this trade is the best thing since sliced bread, us the fans have blood on our hands.
touborg said:Ah, that 1 year has suddenly turned into an era. I wonder if there are any other 1 year eras.
It's funny how 99% of the fans wanted "anyone but Fiedler", but when we didn't get the next Dan Marion, everyone was screaming. The Phins were forced to try someone else, and whether or not that works out has yet to be seen. If it wasnt because of massive pressure (by us) that trade would never have gone down. As much as I don't think this trade is the best thing since sliced bread, us the fans have blood on our hands.
Who did Houck, arguably the best OL coach in the league (Gibs is only working as a consultant due to his mental state), bring in this year? The correct answer is pretty much nobody, because Spielmans people are slated to start. Oh and on a sidenote, you write our team got no attention in Spielmans only year, yet we brought more OL people in last year than we did this year. I'll leave it at that.
I agree for once. Moving up to grab Carey was a mistake. But on the other hand, OL is not a position where people make an instant impact. In fact, apart from QB, imo OL is one of the most developmental positions. If Carey does not start this year, I'll agrre that he was a bust, and moving up for him was a mistake. But then again, every fan was crying for improvement, and we were all happy when we got him, but now we are trying to wash our hands.
You're talking apples and oranges here. On one hand, you say that we didn't have the money to keep O-Gun, and then you proceed to say that "he is forced to make a bad trade". Buddy, if we even had the slightest chance in hell to keep him, we would. I don't know where you have the information that we could "have gotten better trades" (I'd like to see some links confirming that actually). Booker is a fine reciever, and unless you come up with a very interresting link, I think we did as well as we could.
Oh yea, because you would have jumped up and down if Spielman said that Minor would be our starting tailback. Gordon was the best talent, and Spielman got it, the fact that he got injured (unless you're suggesting Spielman personally pushed him) was out of his hands. Injuries yes, but the talent was the best on the market.
Of course he will. Let me turn this around, who do you think is a better replacement right now? (obviously someone on the market).
Absolutely. Miami about broke the olympic record in injuries, had one of the most horrible coaching teams and had a cap situation that could only make even the most hardcore fans scratch their heads, and yet still Spielman is for some reason to blame.
Don't forget that Saban is plenty excited about starting Spielmans players this year.
byroan said:Take a look at these moves.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2005/06/04/dolphins_moves.html
Almost all of them are horrible.
Muck said:IIRC, Will Poole didn't beat out Howard. He had a great training camp. But Howard started for Surtain. And he played a lot more than Poole did.
Nothing for the rookie to be ashamed of. CB is one of the most difficult positions for a rookie to excel at.
Still, Speilman's MOVES were generally terrible. His evaluation of talent was pretty good. But he severely lacked that overall vision that the truly good GMs have.
vt_dolfan said:Well..IMO this article was nothing more than an anti spielman...wanny...Feeley...Gordon...Booker...slant. Nothing objective here in any way. Every point has been hashed and rehased over and over again. We can all agree that Spielman made mistakes. Calling Booker average is nutty. And we can all see just how good Ogun was away from Talyor. Next.