leib5638
Scout Team
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2006
- Messages
- 158
- Reaction score
- 47
QB: C +
This is basically my grade for Henne. Not a bad season, all things considered. I can honestly say he exceeded my expectations, and almost undoubtedly will walk into 2010 as the starting QB for the Miami Dolphins. He had some ups and downs, but seemed to be getting better towards the end of the season. There is so much potential for Henne, I just hope he proves to be a dedicated student of the game, like I'm sure Pennington taught him.
There are still a lot of things Henne needs to work on, i.e. cutting down on the picks, putting touch on his passes, settling down in the pocket, going down field more often and more efficiently etc. But for a first year starter, he did very well with a limited set of WR's.
RB: B+
Ricky was a blessing for us this year, as he was forced to carry the weight of the offense and step into the spotlight once again. What he gave us was one of the all time great seasons for an older running back. Our running game fizzled near the end of the year, but you can't place the blame on Ricky. His offensive line was inconsistent and hit with injuries, and I'm sure his body was wearing down as well.
For Ronnie, it was the same old story. Looked pretty good when he was healthy, but his season ended prematurely on IR. He's a solid, above-average power back when healthy. I don't think I've seen enough out of him to deem him "special," or "irreplacable". And the injury thing has gotten ridiculous. Who ever gives him his next contract should pay him by the game, not by the season. Love the guy, but he doesn't help the team when he's on IR.
Hilliard was a pleasant surprise this year. He'll never be a feature back, but he's a solid do-it-all type of player that you love having on your team in the mold of Patrick Cobbs. The RB spot on the roster looks like it will be pretty crowded next year, with Ricky coming back for a curtain call and Cobbs coming back from injury, and that's before the draft. It will be interesting to see what they do with Hilliard.
Finally, he's not a RB but we have to mention Lousaka Polite. He gets an 'A' for his work as our blocking FB and short yardage RB. Definately a guy I hope to see in a Phins uni for years to come.
WR: C-
TE: D
Ted Ginn aside, our WR's get an 'A' for heart. It's a pleasure to watch Bess, Hartline, and Camarillo on a weekly basis. The WR core seemed to be coming around towards the end of the season. I think Bess and Hartline are keepers, and will prove to be even more valuable as they gain experience and learn how to get open in the NFL.
As much as I love the heart that our WR's display, their final numbers are not impressive. Bess had a solid season, and Hartline showed great flashes for a rookie. But this is still a position that is in desperate need of an upgrade. For the most part, all of our WR's are short and slow. We need 1 or 2 WR's with size, who Henne can throw the ball to even when they're covered. Think N.O. Saints WR's. And we need a REAL deep threat. A guy with speed who knows how to use it.
And that brings us to Ted Ginn, to whom I'm devoting a special section to. Ted, I give you an 'F' for personal failure this year. I don't think I've ever been more frustrated watching one player all season. I tried to be patient. I was patient. But it's now been 3 full years. Let's call it what it is. Ted Ginn, you are a coward on the football field. I can't take another season of watching Teddy "play football," aka - sprinting for the sidelines or curling up in the fetal position after a catch. The reason the fans hate you is not because you fail, but it's the manner in which you fail. You show ZERO heart or desire on the field.
TE: Can you say "regress" ? We know Anthony Fasano can. What a shame. I don't know if his confidence was so fragile that it was shattered in the first game of the season or what, but he didn't look right all year. In fact, he looked so bad that we're likely going to be looking for a TE in the draft this year. Haynos was invisible 98% of the time, and neither he or Fasano displayed exceptional blocking. Sperry had one good game, but he is nothing to write home about either. Two years ago I never thought I'd say this, but this group of TE's made me miss David Martin. Hell, this group made me miss Randy McMichael.
O-Line: B-
They weren't bad, but they weren't the strength of our team like they should have been. Injuries had a lot to do with that. For as much money as they got paid, I wasn't impressed. Long had a couple bad games to start to the season, but overall he's the only solid, consistent guy we have. From the middle of the season until now, I'd say that Carey, Grove and Smiley regressed. Grove and Smiley fall into the Ronnie Brown category of "Guys You Are Thankful For Every Game They Aren't Injured." Thomas fell off the face of the earth. The backups stepped in and did a decent job, but there's a reason they're backups. It's hard to say if we need to make changes or not for next year. The guys we have are good when they aren't injured, but it's hard to count on them because they're injured so often.
D-Line: B
Randy Starks was a maniac this year, which bumps this grade up. Our nose tackle position was solid but not spectacular with Ferguson and then Soliai. Langford started the games, but didn't seem to make as much of an impact as he did last year. I think both he and Merling had sophomore slumps compared to last year. But on the whole, our D-Line did a pretty good job of stuffing the run, and they got decent pressure for a 3-4 defensive line. Our D-Line is relatively young and has good depth. We could definately use a Ngata or Wilfork at NT, but unfortunately that just ain't gonna happen. Those guys are HARD to find, and unless you're a team drafting in the top 5, you really never have a chance at them.
LB: D
I appreciate all that JT and Porter have accomplished in their careers, but it's time to go in a different direction. They're both one trick ponies - speed rushers who don't have their speed anymore. Taylor is adequate in coverage, Porter is not. We really need for Wake to develop, because if he can develop into a three down player, we won't have to draft another pass rusher early. As of now, Wake is a one trick pony too, and it seemed like most of the league caught on to his one trick (whether they held him on every play or not.)
Our ILB's were painful to watch this year. You think Crowder was bad, but then you see how his replacements play when he's out. I think it's safe to say that our ILB's were the weak spot of our team, slightly edging out safety and WR. We need a real play-making MLB. Crowder can be a servicable second fiddle. Adoyele should not be a starter for us next year. It was ridiculous how bad TE's scorched us this year. You know, I heard some team's MLB's actually force turnovers, tackle running backs in the backfield AND don't embarass themselves in coverage.
CB: C
Safeties: D
Like we all expected, our rookie CB's were up and down. Vontae shined more than I thought he would, and Smith struggled more than I thought he would. I think these two will probably be our starting CB's for years to come. Smith is the one I'm worried about. Vontae looks to be a superstar in the making. I hope Smith can turn it around next year.
Nate Jones looked good in a couple games but then really struggled down the stretch. Jason Allen impressed me in the limited amount of playing time he got. I think J.A. should be the third CB next year instead of Jones. I think Jones would be a solid 4th. I don't know what happens with Will Allen next year, or if he's even under contract with us, but he's getting old.
Gibril was an uber-disapointment, needless to say. Yeremiah was pretty solid at his SS spot. Wish he was a few years younger. Hopefully we can get a real FS next year. I don't care what they do with Gibril.
Coaching: ?
I'm not getting into that one ;-) I'll only say I like our coaching staff, I just don't think it was their best season.
This is basically my grade for Henne. Not a bad season, all things considered. I can honestly say he exceeded my expectations, and almost undoubtedly will walk into 2010 as the starting QB for the Miami Dolphins. He had some ups and downs, but seemed to be getting better towards the end of the season. There is so much potential for Henne, I just hope he proves to be a dedicated student of the game, like I'm sure Pennington taught him.
There are still a lot of things Henne needs to work on, i.e. cutting down on the picks, putting touch on his passes, settling down in the pocket, going down field more often and more efficiently etc. But for a first year starter, he did very well with a limited set of WR's.
RB: B+
Ricky was a blessing for us this year, as he was forced to carry the weight of the offense and step into the spotlight once again. What he gave us was one of the all time great seasons for an older running back. Our running game fizzled near the end of the year, but you can't place the blame on Ricky. His offensive line was inconsistent and hit with injuries, and I'm sure his body was wearing down as well.
For Ronnie, it was the same old story. Looked pretty good when he was healthy, but his season ended prematurely on IR. He's a solid, above-average power back when healthy. I don't think I've seen enough out of him to deem him "special," or "irreplacable". And the injury thing has gotten ridiculous. Who ever gives him his next contract should pay him by the game, not by the season. Love the guy, but he doesn't help the team when he's on IR.
Hilliard was a pleasant surprise this year. He'll never be a feature back, but he's a solid do-it-all type of player that you love having on your team in the mold of Patrick Cobbs. The RB spot on the roster looks like it will be pretty crowded next year, with Ricky coming back for a curtain call and Cobbs coming back from injury, and that's before the draft. It will be interesting to see what they do with Hilliard.
Finally, he's not a RB but we have to mention Lousaka Polite. He gets an 'A' for his work as our blocking FB and short yardage RB. Definately a guy I hope to see in a Phins uni for years to come.
WR: C-
TE: D
Ted Ginn aside, our WR's get an 'A' for heart. It's a pleasure to watch Bess, Hartline, and Camarillo on a weekly basis. The WR core seemed to be coming around towards the end of the season. I think Bess and Hartline are keepers, and will prove to be even more valuable as they gain experience and learn how to get open in the NFL.
As much as I love the heart that our WR's display, their final numbers are not impressive. Bess had a solid season, and Hartline showed great flashes for a rookie. But this is still a position that is in desperate need of an upgrade. For the most part, all of our WR's are short and slow. We need 1 or 2 WR's with size, who Henne can throw the ball to even when they're covered. Think N.O. Saints WR's. And we need a REAL deep threat. A guy with speed who knows how to use it.
And that brings us to Ted Ginn, to whom I'm devoting a special section to. Ted, I give you an 'F' for personal failure this year. I don't think I've ever been more frustrated watching one player all season. I tried to be patient. I was patient. But it's now been 3 full years. Let's call it what it is. Ted Ginn, you are a coward on the football field. I can't take another season of watching Teddy "play football," aka - sprinting for the sidelines or curling up in the fetal position after a catch. The reason the fans hate you is not because you fail, but it's the manner in which you fail. You show ZERO heart or desire on the field.
TE: Can you say "regress" ? We know Anthony Fasano can. What a shame. I don't know if his confidence was so fragile that it was shattered in the first game of the season or what, but he didn't look right all year. In fact, he looked so bad that we're likely going to be looking for a TE in the draft this year. Haynos was invisible 98% of the time, and neither he or Fasano displayed exceptional blocking. Sperry had one good game, but he is nothing to write home about either. Two years ago I never thought I'd say this, but this group of TE's made me miss David Martin. Hell, this group made me miss Randy McMichael.
O-Line: B-
They weren't bad, but they weren't the strength of our team like they should have been. Injuries had a lot to do with that. For as much money as they got paid, I wasn't impressed. Long had a couple bad games to start to the season, but overall he's the only solid, consistent guy we have. From the middle of the season until now, I'd say that Carey, Grove and Smiley regressed. Grove and Smiley fall into the Ronnie Brown category of "Guys You Are Thankful For Every Game They Aren't Injured." Thomas fell off the face of the earth. The backups stepped in and did a decent job, but there's a reason they're backups. It's hard to say if we need to make changes or not for next year. The guys we have are good when they aren't injured, but it's hard to count on them because they're injured so often.
D-Line: B
Randy Starks was a maniac this year, which bumps this grade up. Our nose tackle position was solid but not spectacular with Ferguson and then Soliai. Langford started the games, but didn't seem to make as much of an impact as he did last year. I think both he and Merling had sophomore slumps compared to last year. But on the whole, our D-Line did a pretty good job of stuffing the run, and they got decent pressure for a 3-4 defensive line. Our D-Line is relatively young and has good depth. We could definately use a Ngata or Wilfork at NT, but unfortunately that just ain't gonna happen. Those guys are HARD to find, and unless you're a team drafting in the top 5, you really never have a chance at them.
LB: D
I appreciate all that JT and Porter have accomplished in their careers, but it's time to go in a different direction. They're both one trick ponies - speed rushers who don't have their speed anymore. Taylor is adequate in coverage, Porter is not. We really need for Wake to develop, because if he can develop into a three down player, we won't have to draft another pass rusher early. As of now, Wake is a one trick pony too, and it seemed like most of the league caught on to his one trick (whether they held him on every play or not.)
Our ILB's were painful to watch this year. You think Crowder was bad, but then you see how his replacements play when he's out. I think it's safe to say that our ILB's were the weak spot of our team, slightly edging out safety and WR. We need a real play-making MLB. Crowder can be a servicable second fiddle. Adoyele should not be a starter for us next year. It was ridiculous how bad TE's scorched us this year. You know, I heard some team's MLB's actually force turnovers, tackle running backs in the backfield AND don't embarass themselves in coverage.
CB: C
Safeties: D
Like we all expected, our rookie CB's were up and down. Vontae shined more than I thought he would, and Smith struggled more than I thought he would. I think these two will probably be our starting CB's for years to come. Smith is the one I'm worried about. Vontae looks to be a superstar in the making. I hope Smith can turn it around next year.
Nate Jones looked good in a couple games but then really struggled down the stretch. Jason Allen impressed me in the limited amount of playing time he got. I think J.A. should be the third CB next year instead of Jones. I think Jones would be a solid 4th. I don't know what happens with Will Allen next year, or if he's even under contract with us, but he's getting old.
Gibril was an uber-disapointment, needless to say. Yeremiah was pretty solid at his SS spot. Wish he was a few years younger. Hopefully we can get a real FS next year. I don't care what they do with Gibril.
Coaching: ?
I'm not getting into that one ;-) I'll only say I like our coaching staff, I just don't think it was their best season.
