BGtoKNfor6
Where is the reset button?
and really started to break things down in my head. We know the past 10 year history and even to a much lesser impact, the past 25 years. Nobody is going to argue that a head coaching carousel is NOT productive in the maturation and future of a football team. Nobody else can argue that changing head coaches along with a HORRIBLE draft history the past 8 years or so and coupling that with house cleanings by new regimes and well you have a recipe for disaster.
However think of this. What did Sparano inherit?? He got two very good runningbacks, a shoddy o-line that needed help, a defense that was in transition and a secondary that needed replacing. If you take a step back and look at miami's wideouts, NONE of them probably would be starting on another NFL team besides Ginn maybe. Camarillo is a guy that would be possession wideout for a team that runs 3-4 wideouts and would probably be rotating in as well as Bess. However they are STARTERS on our team in different packages. Ginn was NEVER drafted by this current regime and really looks like he is going to be in the dog house, if not gone at the end of the year.
Then you have a defense that was switched to run a hybrid 3-4 scheme. Crowder wasn't a sparano pick and really shouldn't have been resigned IMO. Porter is still pretty good but a few years away from retirement. Taylor has never played linebacker before and made his bread and butter by coming off the edge. As a matter of fact, when taylor has been productive this year, it is from him coming from a down stance NOT a 2 point stance. Really Taylor still looks out of a place as a linebacker.
Moving on...then you have the secondary. They came together last year but really weren't BP and TS or JI guys. That was more apparent when 50% of the secondary was discarded and two rookies were drafted and either start or rotate in. Wilson was signed but he is not a true FS and is struggling as hell when he or Bell should have battled it out in camp for the starting SS spot.
However you have to look at what BP, JI and TS have done. Jake long? Looks to be pretty much a great foundation to start with. Smiley? He to me is one of the BEST pulling guards in the NFL (not part of BP decision making though). The dude gets to the 2nd line of the defense and makes blocks. Jake Grove? At least he isn't getting pushed back into the qb and has shown flashes of being a player for us. Donald Thomas? Awesome value for being a late round pick. Carey was left over from the old regimes.
The pat white pick baffles me when other needs should have been addressed. It was a luxury pick though and we got a "want" instead of a "need". They see something else we don't. I am going to leave it at that.
Chad Henne appears right now to be someone we can work with and MAY be the guy. Great pick by the regime. Merling and Langford are awesome picks. Lex Hilliard appears to be a decent pick as well.
Moving onto the brunt of the 09 draft. I don't question davis or especially smith. I feel both of these guys are going to be around for a long time if we bring them around properly. Tuner we have no clue about but I am not going to hold my breath. Hartline has very good hands and someone I bet Peyton Manning would LOVE to throw to or Tom Brady. This guy needs to get some reps. I think he could be in the mold of a ricky proehl or he could be a complete bust. However I love what I am seeing right now. Ginn would have never made that slant route catch and Hartline did and even almost took it to the house. Clemons is a intriguing pick but hasn't been able to press to get out onto the field. Considering how bad that Wilson has looked at various times this year, maybe clemons just isn't game ready . Nalbone hasn't pressed Fasano for playing time or Haynos. The rest are fodder.
So really the gist of this post is if you take a step back and put the last game out of your mind. Look at what BP, JI and TS have inherited. They have really drafted 2 DE that we may be able to build on. What appears to be a guy that may be our replacement at qb (more than any other guy that we have had except for fiedler..I don't want to hear it guys but Jay lead us to some decent wins but couldn't finish) as well as brought in 2 good possession wideouts (not starters IMO but can make some plays) and drafted a guy in Hartline that I think can have a very productive career in the nfl as a number 3 and maybe challenge for a number 2. They also anchored the left side of our line with Long. Jake Grove may someone who shows his worth after a season is under his belt and as this one progresses. Our cb's should be set for years and we have a guy with a great motor in wake that should give us some flexibility on the d-line and linebackers.
Now, that was all accomplished including an AFC EAST championship in 2 short years. There is more of a foundation in 2 years than we have had in 10. What will happen after one more draft? One more off-season? I don't believe for one minute that the players and owners will enter some kind of lockout or uncapped year. That will really hurt the NFL.
While I have not been short of critical for the phins this year and for years, just take some time to sit back and take it in. Do you really like what you see in terms of foundation talent in Smith, Davis, Long, D. Thomas, Polite, Brown, Henne, Merling, Langford, etc? If they can accomplish this in just 2 years, what is in store for the next 2.
We have to support this regime. We have to NOT have another coaching and F.O. turnaround. That has KILLED us over the years. No continuity means that the franchise will never amount to anything.
So lets get ready for the Jets and hope we can win. I don't believe that we are going to be a player in the post season this year but for one, even with all the crap we have dealt with over the years and losing 3 games this year that we should have won, I still believe in TS, BP and JI. Even if BP leaves after this year, I think we are in great shape. The big key for us is to make damn sure that we are happy with our qb play at the end of the year. Henne needs to keep playing and take his lumps. He looked really good in the game against the saints against the blitz all day. His teammates left him out to dry.
I think we are not there yet guys but lets believe in our guys (except Ginn...lol) and realize that this is year 2 of a rebuild and during those 2 years off a 1-15 season, we are 13-9. That is 4 games above .500 and we have played top tier teams all this year. This doesn't excuse our losses to the colts and saints but overall I am liking what I am seeing in the BIGGER PICTURE.
I am just as guilty as the next guy for sometimes having a knee jerk reaction and need to practice what I preach about patience, but please look at what has been accomplished and formulate a rational opinion as to the state of the franchise. When you do, you may be a bit surprised at what you find.
However think of this. What did Sparano inherit?? He got two very good runningbacks, a shoddy o-line that needed help, a defense that was in transition and a secondary that needed replacing. If you take a step back and look at miami's wideouts, NONE of them probably would be starting on another NFL team besides Ginn maybe. Camarillo is a guy that would be possession wideout for a team that runs 3-4 wideouts and would probably be rotating in as well as Bess. However they are STARTERS on our team in different packages. Ginn was NEVER drafted by this current regime and really looks like he is going to be in the dog house, if not gone at the end of the year.
Then you have a defense that was switched to run a hybrid 3-4 scheme. Crowder wasn't a sparano pick and really shouldn't have been resigned IMO. Porter is still pretty good but a few years away from retirement. Taylor has never played linebacker before and made his bread and butter by coming off the edge. As a matter of fact, when taylor has been productive this year, it is from him coming from a down stance NOT a 2 point stance. Really Taylor still looks out of a place as a linebacker.
Moving on...then you have the secondary. They came together last year but really weren't BP and TS or JI guys. That was more apparent when 50% of the secondary was discarded and two rookies were drafted and either start or rotate in. Wilson was signed but he is not a true FS and is struggling as hell when he or Bell should have battled it out in camp for the starting SS spot.
However you have to look at what BP, JI and TS have done. Jake long? Looks to be pretty much a great foundation to start with. Smiley? He to me is one of the BEST pulling guards in the NFL (not part of BP decision making though). The dude gets to the 2nd line of the defense and makes blocks. Jake Grove? At least he isn't getting pushed back into the qb and has shown flashes of being a player for us. Donald Thomas? Awesome value for being a late round pick. Carey was left over from the old regimes.
The pat white pick baffles me when other needs should have been addressed. It was a luxury pick though and we got a "want" instead of a "need". They see something else we don't. I am going to leave it at that.
Chad Henne appears right now to be someone we can work with and MAY be the guy. Great pick by the regime. Merling and Langford are awesome picks. Lex Hilliard appears to be a decent pick as well.
Moving onto the brunt of the 09 draft. I don't question davis or especially smith. I feel both of these guys are going to be around for a long time if we bring them around properly. Tuner we have no clue about but I am not going to hold my breath. Hartline has very good hands and someone I bet Peyton Manning would LOVE to throw to or Tom Brady. This guy needs to get some reps. I think he could be in the mold of a ricky proehl or he could be a complete bust. However I love what I am seeing right now. Ginn would have never made that slant route catch and Hartline did and even almost took it to the house. Clemons is a intriguing pick but hasn't been able to press to get out onto the field. Considering how bad that Wilson has looked at various times this year, maybe clemons just isn't game ready . Nalbone hasn't pressed Fasano for playing time or Haynos. The rest are fodder.
So really the gist of this post is if you take a step back and put the last game out of your mind. Look at what BP, JI and TS have inherited. They have really drafted 2 DE that we may be able to build on. What appears to be a guy that may be our replacement at qb (more than any other guy that we have had except for fiedler..I don't want to hear it guys but Jay lead us to some decent wins but couldn't finish) as well as brought in 2 good possession wideouts (not starters IMO but can make some plays) and drafted a guy in Hartline that I think can have a very productive career in the nfl as a number 3 and maybe challenge for a number 2. They also anchored the left side of our line with Long. Jake Grove may someone who shows his worth after a season is under his belt and as this one progresses. Our cb's should be set for years and we have a guy with a great motor in wake that should give us some flexibility on the d-line and linebackers.
Now, that was all accomplished including an AFC EAST championship in 2 short years. There is more of a foundation in 2 years than we have had in 10. What will happen after one more draft? One more off-season? I don't believe for one minute that the players and owners will enter some kind of lockout or uncapped year. That will really hurt the NFL.
While I have not been short of critical for the phins this year and for years, just take some time to sit back and take it in. Do you really like what you see in terms of foundation talent in Smith, Davis, Long, D. Thomas, Polite, Brown, Henne, Merling, Langford, etc? If they can accomplish this in just 2 years, what is in store for the next 2.
We have to support this regime. We have to NOT have another coaching and F.O. turnaround. That has KILLED us over the years. No continuity means that the franchise will never amount to anything.
So lets get ready for the Jets and hope we can win. I don't believe that we are going to be a player in the post season this year but for one, even with all the crap we have dealt with over the years and losing 3 games this year that we should have won, I still believe in TS, BP and JI. Even if BP leaves after this year, I think we are in great shape. The big key for us is to make damn sure that we are happy with our qb play at the end of the year. Henne needs to keep playing and take his lumps. He looked really good in the game against the saints against the blitz all day. His teammates left him out to dry.
I think we are not there yet guys but lets believe in our guys (except Ginn...lol) and realize that this is year 2 of a rebuild and during those 2 years off a 1-15 season, we are 13-9. That is 4 games above .500 and we have played top tier teams all this year. This doesn't excuse our losses to the colts and saints but overall I am liking what I am seeing in the BIGGER PICTURE.
I am just as guilty as the next guy for sometimes having a knee jerk reaction and need to practice what I preach about patience, but please look at what has been accomplished and formulate a rational opinion as to the state of the franchise. When you do, you may be a bit surprised at what you find.
