Ireland is not as bad as the pessimistic fans the fins have....

[BJJKID]

QB in the second round.

Like Chad Henne? Like Pat White?
There are noted exceptions, but most of the QB's who have been super successful the last decade, were taken in the first round. Peyton, Eli, Philip Rivers, Big Ben, Rodgers, all taken in the first round. Brees was taken in the first pick of round 2, but should have gone to US at pick 26 in round 1. Brady is a very noted exception. These players often go in the first round because they're worth it. Now, for every one of those guys, there is a Brady Qunn, but at least you took the chance. Regime after regime has been terrified to take that chance. It has been 29 years since we drafted a QB in the first round, that worked out pretty well. Before him, Griese was a first rounder as well.

 

[Canadianfishfan]

Draft Tannehill in round one, and things instantly look better for the Dolphins. We need to get that franchise quarterback this offseason.

I wouldn't stop there.. I would draft QBs every year until we find our guy. The Pats drafted Brady in the 6th rd while the still had Bledsoe.

Just keep drafting and stock piling QB I say.

 

[Finland]

Agreed. But just getting a franchise quarterback isn't enough to get Ireland off the hook in my opinion. Only way I will let that man off the hook is if we made a deep run in the playoffs.

What franchise quarterback?

 

[Lee2000]

Draft Tannehill in round one, and things instantly look better for the Dolphins. We need to get that franchice quarterback this offseason.

While I don't disagree with you, I am hearing some point to 2013 when there will be more choices, including the kids from Oklahoma, USC, and Arkansas. But there will be no doubt serious pressure on the the front office to take Tannehill or maybe Weeden.

 

[DDTDON]

I want to preface this by saying I am not a Ireland fan. Nor do I look at my team unrealistically. Under the threat of being flamed by every pessimistic supposed Phin fan I will try to explain why this team is not a complete mess as many on here believe.

First the offseason is not over yet, we were able to sign Soliai to a very reasonable contract, given what we payed him last year that was a very good move. Then we signed Marshall who is a a very good pick up in an area of need, he is productive and has some good years ahead of him, we also picked up a good running back from the CFL he is a bruiser and he could work out like Wake did a few years ago. We signed a few of our younger guys who could be starters soon. And although we lost some players Like B Marshall and Bell, we did this for obvious reasons. One was cap space, and in the case of Marshall we did get a couple 3rds in return. He just was not worth the hassle and his dropping of TD's and passes for first down was becoming an issue.In Bells case he was just getting too old to count so much against the cap. I am however holding out some hope he could be resigned at a later date for less money.

Next is the draft, If anyone remembers last year we had no 3rd and no 5th round pick. This hurt us in bringing in core players to fill in some holes we had. Even with that scenario we got a probowl center that was a huge area of need that is now taken care of. We got a big back in D Thomas who if healthy,has a ton of upside. We got some much needed speed with Gates who I think will be used much more this season with us going to a WCO.And lets face it we got two steals with Charles Clay and Jimmy Wilson. Clay had some really big plays last year and looks like the seam threat that we needed at TE and he is very versatile look for him to improve and be a big part of the offense this year. Wilson really came around as the season progressed and I really think he will take the nickle spot this year and be a stalwart on the defense he also has a lot of upside. So for what picks we had I would say it was a damn good draft and showed us a bit about what Ireland can do now that Parcells is out of the picture.

Miami has alot more picks this year than last and this draft is DEEP with wr's and d-line players as well as o-line prospects. These are all areas of need for our team so this draft sets up VERY well for us. Let me elaborate. We have 4 picks in the top 75 of this draft, that is damn good. I am also looking at the possibility that we trade back and acquire another 2nd rounder and possibly a 3rd or 4th rounder. This is a very real possibilty this year. Philbin has said he wants to build this team through the draft and we may finally learn how to get more picks, instead of wasting them moving up as we have done in the past. Even with out moving back, we still have 4 of thew top 75 and 5 of the top 103. How can anyone not be excited about that? This draft will truly be a start to a new era in Dolphins football and I for one have very high hopes about Philbins ability to help find the players we need to compete now and for the future.

Next, and I know I will hear it from the flamers, Ireland is learning his lessons. Yes the dez Bryant thing was bad, but that was long ago and he is showing that now that he is not under Parcells large thumb that he can make some good moves. Last year he brought in Reggie Bush for damn near nothing same with Matt Moore. Where would this team have been without those two guys last year? Not to mention he got Burnett to replace Crowder which although looked shaky at the start of the season looked damn good in the end. Say what you want but we won games because of them and we were in alot of games last year that we would not have been without them. Close losses to the Giants. Broncos, Browns, Cowboys, Pats two of those were one point losses and the others by just 3 points, This team was in it most of the time and with a few good plays who knows what we might have done. We have a damn good young defense that is still getting better. This team is just not as bad as many are making out.

We could be worse off, and dodged a bullet by not getting Fisher for coach. Look how that is turning out now that Williams will be gone Indefinitely with Fisher saying he "didnt know" how would that have played in Miami? Talk about ineptitude! We have Philbin now and I think this guy is a class act. I believe he will instill the kind of integrity that this team needs and I also believe he brings the offensive mentality that this team has been missing for a long time. We will be much more aggressive and that will allow our defense to really take care of business. Have faith Dolfans we are closer than you think to becoming the team that we have all been wanting, a consistent contender and in the playoffs again. Peace.

That was well written and in my opinion, completely impartial. Thanks! To be honest, this post makes me feel better about the season and just enjoy the Fins and see what this team has to offer now. GO FINS!!!

---------- Post added at 11:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:01 AM ----------

I am so looking forward to the draft now!

 

[Mogwai]

Mogwai, the point is that we could have payed him 12 mill last year and lost him completely this year, instead we get one of the top nose tackles in the league for 6 mill the next two years. He is in his prime and well worth the money IMHO. This also keeps the defensive line as one of the most potent run stuffing units in the league. Add a young pass rusher from the draft and continued improvement from Odrick, both real possibilities, and you can see how we could easily be one of the most dominant defenses in the league.

I have nothing against resigning Soliai but you call him one of the best NTs in the league when the talent gap between him and a Wilfork is much greater than the difference in salary. Take into account he's now a less valuable commodity not being a NT, and we're not sure how he'll transition to a 4-3. It would have made more sense to sign him to this contract before that crazy franchise tag. He's well paid for his position. Most DTs making substantially more are the very high 1st round picks like Suh or Dorsey.

I admired Nolan, so I'm not wildly optimistic about what our D might be this year, but they could be good. I'm definitely excited to see our dline. I'm a big Odrick fan, I really want to see him continue to develop.

 

[boomer10]

I want to preface this by saying I am not a Ireland fan. Nor do I look at my team unrealistically. Under the threat of being flamed by every pessimistic supposed Phin fan I will try to explain why this team is not a complete mess as many on here believe.

First the offseason is not over yet, we were able to sign Soliai to a very reasonable contract, given what we payed him last year that was a very good move. Then we signed Marshall who is a a very good pick up in an area of need, he is productive and has some good years ahead of him, we also picked up a good running back from the CFL he is a bruiser and he could work out like Wake did a few years ago. We signed a few of our younger guys who could be starters soon. And although we lost some players Like B Marshall and Bell, we did this for obvious reasons. One was cap space, and in the case of Marshall we did get a couple 3rds in return. He just was not worth the hassle and his dropping of TD's and passes for first down was becoming an issue.In Bells case he was just getting too old to count so much against the cap. I am however holding out some hope he could be resigned at a later date for less money.

Next is the draft, If anyone remembers last year we had no 3rd and no 5th round pick. This hurt us in bringing in core players to fill in some holes we had. Even with that scenario we got a probowl center that was a huge area of need that is now taken care of. We got a big back in D Thomas who if healthy,has a ton of upside. We got some much needed speed with Gates who I think will be used much more this season with us going to a WCO.And lets face it we got two steals with Charles Clay and Jimmy Wilson. Clay had some really big plays last year and looks like the seam threat that we needed at TE and he is very versatile look for him to improve and be a big part of the offense this year. Wilson really came around as the season progressed and I really think he will take the nickle spot this year and be a stalwart on the defense he also has a lot of upside. So for what picks we had I would say it was a damn good draft and showed us a bit about what Ireland can do now that Parcells is out of the picture.

Miami has alot more picks this year than last and this draft is DEEP with wr's and d-line players as well as o-line prospects. These are all areas of need for our team so this draft sets up VERY well for us. Let me elaborate. We have 4 picks in the top 75 of this draft, that is damn good. I am also looking at the possibility that we trade back and acquire another 2nd rounder and possibly a 3rd or 4th rounder. This is a very real possibilty this year. Philbin has said he wants to build this team through the draft and we may finally learn how to get more picks, instead of wasting them moving up as we have done in the past. Even with out moving back, we still have 4 of thew top 75 and 5 of the top 103. How can anyone not be excited about that? This draft will truly be a start to a new era in Dolphins football and I for one have very high hopes about Philbins ability to help find the players we need to compete now and for the future.

Next, and I know I will hear it from the flamers, Ireland is learning his lessons. Yes the dez Bryant thing was bad, but that was long ago and he is showing that now that he is not under Parcells large thumb that he can make some good moves. Last year he brought in Reggie Bush for damn near nothing same with Matt Moore. Where would this team have been without those two guys last year? Not to mention he got Burnett to replace Crowder which although looked shaky at the start of the season looked damn good in the end. Say what you want but we won games because of them and we were in alot of games last year that we would not have been without them. Close losses to the Giants. Broncos, Browns, Cowboys, Pats two of those were one point losses and the others by just 3 points, This team was in it most of the time and with a few good plays who knows what we might have done. We have a damn good young defense that is still getting better. This team is just not as bad as many are making out.

We could be worse off, and dodged a bullet by not getting Fisher for coach. Look how that is turning out now that Williams will be gone Indefinitely with Fisher saying he "didnt know" how would that have played in Miami? Talk about ineptitude! We have Philbin now and I think this guy is a class act. I believe he will instill the kind of integrity that this team needs and I also believe he brings the offensive mentality that this team has been missing for a long time. We will be much more aggressive and that will allow our defense to really take care of business. Have faith Dolfans we are closer than you think to becoming the team that we have all been wanting, a consistent contender and in the playoffs again. Peace.

This is the most reasonable and objective post I have read on this site in a long time!! Well done!!

 

[MARSHALL~LAW]

QB in the second round.Like Chad Henne? Like Pat White?There are noted exceptions, but most of the QB's who have been super successful the last decade, were taken in the first round. Peyton, Eli, Philip Rivers, Big Ben, Rodgers, all taken in the first round. Brees was taken in the first pick of round 2, but should have gone to US at pick 26 in round 1. Brady is a very noted exception. These players often go in the first round because they're worth it. Now, for every one of those guys, there is a Brady Qunn, but at least you took the chance. Regime after regime has been terrified to take that chance. It has been 29 years since we drafted a QB in the first round, that worked out pretty well. Before him, Griese was a first rounder as well.

The only reason Tannehill is projected to go in the 1st is because of supply and demand. No other reason. He's not a franchise saver!

 

[zach attach]

I'm not necessarily judging him on just this offseason, if you look at the downward progression for the last four seasons: 11-5, 7-9, 7-9, 6-10 and then factor in a questionable (at best) offseason thus far, you'll see why so many people are pessimistic. I'll cheer the team on every week just like I did during our 1-15 year, but my expectations for this season are at rock bottom, if they suprise me then great and if not then at least I'm prepared for another debacle of a season.

I agree with this totally. Our record has been getting worse. JI is picking the ingredients. Meatball is gone, good. I have a good feeling about Philbin. I believe he will have us win despite JI's direction.

 

[JoeFromManyPlaces]

referring to the top. Good post Badfoot. Thank you.

 

[damanref10]

well thought out post badfoot. I do however whole heartily disagree with a few points.

1. Jeff Ireland is learning his lesson? A day ago, he cut the captain of our defense after assuring him that wouldnt happen. Regardless if he had plans to release him or not... you don't flat out lie to one of the most loyal players, let alone a leader on your team

2. You can't lump clay, gates, and thomas together as great picks with upside yet. Clay was bright spot last year, but at this time, he's still an h-back learning. Gates and Thomas were colossal disappointments. A healthy Thomas could be good, but until he actually plays a stretch of games without incident... he has shown nothing. And Gates we all know is a speed demon..... the only issue is he was invisible last year as a WR. I don't see him coming in and contributing much more than last year, even with Marshall creating a 1100 yard void in our offense.

3. I don't know if you can say we dodged a bullet by not getting Fisher. Don't get me wrong, the Greg Williams bounty scandal is bad.. really bad. But a DC can be replaced, and so far St. Louis will escape any sort of punishment aside from having their DC suspended. Fisher is one of the most respected coaches in the league, and Philbin could turn out to be one as well, but right now Philbin is a totally new green Head Coach. If i had my pick between Fisher running my team or Ireland... i don't even have to think twice about it.. its Fisher by default

 

[TonyGsharp]

You've got your hopes way too high if you think Tannehill will be available at 8 and makes it past the Browns.

 

[BJJKID]

How ridiculous is it to really speculate about value at a pick?? I'm genuinely curious to know. Alex Smith went first overall and didn't show squat till last year. Ronnie Brown, taken number 2, is already on the skids. Aaron Rodgers, taken somewhere in the 20's, is an MVP.

 

[retarmyfinfan]

So without Bush, Burnett and Moore we would drafting Luck? Damn you Ireland.

 

[TheWalrus]

The Pessimist: "Brandon Marshall is nothing but a headache. He's not worth the hassle and drops too many passes".

The Optimist: "Lolz r u serious! Marshall is a stud!!! He's the best receiver Miami has in 4ever! Ireland got a steal for two 2nd rounders! We finally get a probowl receiver and u clueless clowns want to trade him away!"


(-4 hours after Marshall is traded-)


The Optimist: "Ireland is doing a great job! He got a couple of 3rd round picks for a headcase! He's not worth the hassle and dropped too many passes anyway! Ireland wants to build through the draft!"

The Pessimist: "You have to be kidding, right?"





The Pessimist: "Bell is just too old and slow now. Miami needs to upgrade him."

The Optimist: "Lol wut? Bell is a leader and our best safety!"


(-2 hours after Bell is cut-)


The Optimist: "Bell was getting too old and making too much money! This allows some of our younger studs that Ireland drafted 2 shine!"

The Pessimist: ""








The Pessimist: "I've seen enough. Chad Henne sucks."

The Optimist: "C'mon guy! Mike Holmgren once said that it takes 32.1786 starts to truly evaluate a quarterback!! Joe Montana couldn't succeed with that senile clown Dan Henning calling the plays!!"


(-45 minutes after Henne is released-)


The Optimist: "Lulz! The Jags just signed Chad Henne to compete with Blaine Gabbert! There's finally a team with a worse QB situation than ours!"

The Pessimist: "Make it stop. "

Post of the offseason.