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- Apr 29, 2003
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Dave W. has really hurt the team (Rick S. has contributed), by trading away so many draft picks through the years. He duped himself into believing we were a running back away from the Super Bowl. He kept thinking that if we draft at a position of need and get that "one extra guy" to fill an immediate need, he could repeatedly trade away (as JJ did in his final draft) first or second round picks and get fewer and fewer players each year.
John Clayton made an excellent point in a recent article that in a league with so many injuries and the cap situation, the only way to go is to have several draft picks each year (as the New England Patriots have had for a number of years - hmm...).
The defense is aging and wounded. TIM BOWENS is probably on his last legs as a starter, if he even gets any starts at all this year - and even if he gets in a game he is at best a part-time player. SAM MADISON is slower and not as physical, gets beat by quick WR's and by big WR's. He wouldn't even bring a 3rd round pick after this season. There is little doubt that JR. SEAU is a reach to be back next year, unless there is a miraculous turnaround. EDDIE MOORE isn't even a standout special teams player. JT and ZACH and SURTAIN are still the stars, but they too are headed to the downside of their careers. The rest of the defense is mediocre.
Defensively, they will likely need a starting DT, a DE, an OLB, a S and a CB.
On offense, they clearly need a QB, a starting RB, another offensive lineman or two (though, as young as the OL is, it still has some hope despite being so bad). At WR they are not going to be fast. Booker is not fast, Chambers has some speed but is not a genuine burner. Boston will not be as fast or as quick off his second knee injury. They need genuine speed there.
This is with a depleted number of draft picks. The 2nd rounder for Feeley seems ludicrous at this point, even if there is potential there. So too does the 1st and 4th for Vernon Carey. Had the Dolphins stayed where they were, they could have had another 4th rounder, plus a starting DT in Wilfork, and still had the exact SAME starting OL they have today. In fact, Carey did not even suit up. I realize he's a rookie, but if he can't break in on this bad of an OL, then either they overestimated his value or the coaching staff can't get him ready - OR, both. Or, the Dolphins could have sought to trade up for Roethlisberger - or waited for a free agent to emerge. If they had done that they might still have a bad offense, but they would have draft picks to build for the future.
There is no doubt that they have mortgaged the future for the present and thought they could do this with a makeshift OL over the past several years.
John Clayton made an excellent point in a recent article that in a league with so many injuries and the cap situation, the only way to go is to have several draft picks each year (as the New England Patriots have had for a number of years - hmm...).
The defense is aging and wounded. TIM BOWENS is probably on his last legs as a starter, if he even gets any starts at all this year - and even if he gets in a game he is at best a part-time player. SAM MADISON is slower and not as physical, gets beat by quick WR's and by big WR's. He wouldn't even bring a 3rd round pick after this season. There is little doubt that JR. SEAU is a reach to be back next year, unless there is a miraculous turnaround. EDDIE MOORE isn't even a standout special teams player. JT and ZACH and SURTAIN are still the stars, but they too are headed to the downside of their careers. The rest of the defense is mediocre.
Defensively, they will likely need a starting DT, a DE, an OLB, a S and a CB.
On offense, they clearly need a QB, a starting RB, another offensive lineman or two (though, as young as the OL is, it still has some hope despite being so bad). At WR they are not going to be fast. Booker is not fast, Chambers has some speed but is not a genuine burner. Boston will not be as fast or as quick off his second knee injury. They need genuine speed there.
This is with a depleted number of draft picks. The 2nd rounder for Feeley seems ludicrous at this point, even if there is potential there. So too does the 1st and 4th for Vernon Carey. Had the Dolphins stayed where they were, they could have had another 4th rounder, plus a starting DT in Wilfork, and still had the exact SAME starting OL they have today. In fact, Carey did not even suit up. I realize he's a rookie, but if he can't break in on this bad of an OL, then either they overestimated his value or the coaching staff can't get him ready - OR, both. Or, the Dolphins could have sought to trade up for Roethlisberger - or waited for a free agent to emerge. If they had done that they might still have a bad offense, but they would have draft picks to build for the future.
There is no doubt that they have mortgaged the future for the present and thought they could do this with a makeshift OL over the past several years.