It's Time to Toss the Season, Find the QB of the Future and Admit a Painful Truth

[DeathStar]

I apologize for not being "the world's biggest Zach Thomas fan," as you claim to be. Yes, I am a fan of the Miami Dolphins and have been a fan since your earliest years on this planet.



We're 3-6. At best, we'll finish 7-9 or 8-8. I'd rather finish 3-13 or 4-12 and end up with one of the best draft positions than to go .500 for the umpteenth time. We need to find our QB of the future, and I strongly believe Matt Leinart is the man for the job. We're not going to get a shot at Leinart unless we basically lose from here on out. In the short-term, losing from here on out would suck. In the short-term, trading Madison, Taylor, and Thomas for draft picks would suck. But it would all prove to be worth it when we're ready to make a real run for the championship. Losing from here on out by giving our younger players a ton of playing time for the rest of the year, and trading our JJ-era superstars will make us better in the long run.

We've clung to Madison, Taylor and Thomas for far too long. How many division titles have we won with them? How many playoff games have we won with them? How many clutch plays have they made in must-win games over the past half decade? And how many times over the past seven years have we heard that we are only a few pieces away from a Super Bowl run? They're not getting younger, and we could certainly use some more draft picks.

Their time has passed in Miami. It's time to move on and finally rebuild this squad. This team ought to be Saban's team, not the team of veterans from the failed JJ-era.

finally another person with the same reasoning as me.

 

[Godzilla]

So get rid of our veterans who consistently produce each year? What kind of thought process is going on there? Just bring in a whole bunch of untested rookies to fill their void?
Dude, we weren't going to win the Superbowl, so with your logic why even go to the playoffs? We'll just end up with a 20 something 1st round draft pick.

Yeah they consistently produce no big wins.

 

[ABrownLamp]

Yeah they consistently produce no big wins.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!!

Hellz ya bro, you got me there.

You're right. They suck
It's time to trade Zack regardless of the fact that he is one of the leading tacklers in the league.
Also, Jason Taylor sucks too. I don't care that he still gets double teamed or that the rest of the NFL players regard him as one of the best DEs in the league...you definitely know better then them...

 

[finfansince72]

Im not sure we could get anything worthwhile for JT or Thomas. They do make a lot of money and teams dont part with good draft picks too often. Might be worth trying though.
I think the notion that these guys wont retire as Phins even if they go somewhere else for a couple of years is silly. Does anyone think of Rice as anything but a 49er? Montana? Emmitt is a cowboy. Namath is a Jet, Unitas a Colt. JT and Zach are phins no matter where they go.

 

[Godzilla]

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!!

Hellz ya bro, you got me there.

You're right. They suck
It's time to trade Zack regardless of the fact that he is one of the leading tacklers in the league.
Also, Jason Taylor sucks too. I don't care that he still gets double teamed or that the rest of the NFL players regard him as one of the best DEs in the league...you definitely know better then them...

I never said they suck genius. I agreed that Saban needs to look into trading them. If they can get younger good players for them, then pull the trigger.

 

[ABrownLamp]

I never said they suck genius. I agreed that Saban needs to look into trading them. If they can get younger good players for them, then pull the trigger.

So trade quality players for draft picks? Especially when we are under the cap. That makes no sense. Certainly won't do anything for morale or stability in the lockerroom when your coach trades all of your team leaders for draft picks.

 

[Maynard the Hammer]

I apologize for not being "the world's biggest Zach Thomas fan," as you claim to be. Yes, I am a fan of the Miami Dolphins and have been a fan since your earliest years on this planet.



We're 3-6. At best, we'll finish 7-9 or 8-8. I'd rather finish 3-13 or 4-12 and end up with one of the best draft positions than to go .500 for the umpteenth time. We need to find our QB of the future, and I strongly believe Matt Leinart is the man for the job. We're not going to get a shot at Leinart unless we basically lose from here on out. In the short-term, losing from here on out would suck. In the short-term, trading Madison, Taylor, and Thomas for draft picks would suck. But it would all prove to be worth it when we're ready to make a real run for the championship. Losing from here on out by giving our younger players a ton of playing time for the rest of the year, and trading our JJ-era superstars will make us better in the long run.

We've clung to Madison, Taylor and Thomas for far too long. How many division titles have we won with them? How many playoff games have we won with them? How many clutch plays have they made in must-win games over the past half decade? And how many times over the past seven years have we heard that we are only a few pieces away from a Super Bowl run? They're not getting younger, and we could certainly use some more draft picks.

Their time has passed in Miami. It's time to move on and finally rebuild this squad. This team ought to be Saban's team, not the team of veterans from the failed JJ-era.

to an extent, saban is actually doing this, whether you see it or not.

most of his FA's arent making any money. people complain about mcdougle, but they guy is making peanuts. the team is in great cap position

this team will be ready in 1 or 2 years. by that time the talent will have grown around taylor and thomas to the point where they can be effective and not be under pressure to contribute

i dont know what you are seeing on, but i saw two young, inexperienced safties pick off the best QB in the league, a young stud LB, a CB who is playing better than anyone could expect and 3 young, talented D-Lineman that will get serious PT next year.

saban is not trying to save his job by overpaying and trading for players to maintain mediocrity. as evidenced this year, if theres no one there, dont spend the money

this isnt madden football where you can screw your team and click "simulate season" and wait for a high pick

i see no evidence that this team is trying to over-extend itself to win a couple meaningless games. if anything, saban held this team back a year.

 

[AquaAssasin]

I never said they suck genius. I agreed that Saban needs to look into trading them. If they can get younger good players for them, then pull the trigger.

Glad your not the GM, we would be in great cap space and loaded with young cheap unproven talent...

Way to go!

 

[PassRush]

Do you even think that any team would trade more than a fourth round pick for Zach? He is in his ninth year in the league and has played as physical as anybody in the league for that tenure. JT may get us a second round pick, though I doubt it. His age combined with ongoing foot problems is cancer on trade blocks. What we would get is nothing compared to what those two produce on the field.

 

[Blitz]

Im not sure we could get anything worthwhile for JT or Thomas. They do make a lot of money and teams dont part with good draft picks too often. Might be worth trying though.

I think it's possible to get a late first-round pick for JT from a team that thinks a pass rusher is their only "missing piece of the puzzle." I definitely think we could find somebody to offer a second-round pick for him. We managed to trade Surtain for a second-round pick, and Taylor is certainly a better player than him.

I would think that somebody out there would be willing to at least give up a late third-round pick for Thomas. Heck, you might be able to get a late second-rounder for him. He still has a couple more seasons left in him, and might give a Super Bowl contender a much-needed oomph.

A third or fourth-rounder from a CB-starved team for Madison sounds about right.

Perhaps I'm overestimating the trade value of all three of them...I wish I were a football guru, but I am not.

I'd definitely get rid of all three of them if it meant obtaining a late 1st, late 2nd, and late 3rd. I'd probably unload them if it meant an additional second-round pick and two third-round picks. I really want to completely rebuild this team and have a fresh start next year with Matt Leinart waiting in the wings. I'm definitely lobbying for us to build our franchise around Ronnie Brown and Matt Leinart.

I think the notion that these guys wont retire as Phins even if they go somewhere else for a couple of years is silly. Does anyone think of Rice as anything but a 49er? Montana? Emmitt is a cowboy. Namath is a Jet, Unitas a Colt. JT and Zach are phins no matter where they go.

Very true. I mean, who the heck thinks Thurman Thomas is a Dolphin just because he played his final game with us?

 

[Blitz]

Certainly won't do anything for morale or stability in the lockerroom when your coach trades all of your team leaders for draft picks.

It signals to everybody that this is Saban's team, and he's completely rebuilding for the long haul. It's a certainty that new leaders will step up to the plate over time (Hopefully Brown, Leinart, and some more young talent will be the leaders of this team three years from now).

It'll be a new beginning for the franchise, and finally signal the end of the JJ-era.

 

[Blitz]

What we would get is nothing compared to what those two produce on the field.

You might be right, but how much longer can they possibly produce on the field for us? That's the question. If a team is willing to give us a late first-round pick for JT I don't think there's any question you pull the trigger. And I'd probably send ZT packing if a team offered a third-round pick. Very few LBs in the league are over 33 years old...It's all downhill from here for ZT.

The more draft picks at Mueller/Saban's disposal the more likely they are to find the next Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor, Sam Madison, etc.

I just feel it's time for a completely fresh start.

 

[Surferosa]

I thought Ferotte played great today. He made all kinds of throws, moved around the pocket, and drove us the length of the field in the dying minutes to put us in a position to win. Its not his fault that McMichael fumbled at the half and Mare missed a chip shot field goal. Sure, his last pass was low, but you cant judge a player by one play.

 

[Goober Bot]

to an extent, saban is actually doing this, whether you see it or not.

most of his FA's arent making any money. people complain about mcdougle, but they guy is making peanuts. the team is in great cap position

this team will be ready in 1 or 2 years. by that time the talent will have grown around taylor and thomas to the point where they can be effective and not be under pressure to contribute

i dont know what you are seeing on, but i saw two young, inexperienced safties pick off the best QB in the league, a young stud LB, a CB who is playing better than anyone could expect and 3 young, talented D-Lineman that will get serious PT next year.

saban is not trying to save his job by overpaying and trading for players to maintain mediocrity. as evidenced this year, if theres no one there, dont spend the money

this isnt madden football where you can screw your team and click "simulate season" and wait for a high pick

i see no evidence that this team is trying to over-extend itself to win a couple meaningless games. if anything, saban held this team back a year.

Great points

 

[72 Undefeated]

The "truth" about this Dolphins team as I see it is that they display an equal opportunuty mentality in losing. One week its the qb, another it the receivers, another a lack of running game, another the secondary, another the coaching/play calling, etc. Usually it is a combination of factors. Thats what makes for teams with losing records.

I have no doubt in time this will change, but for now the Dolphins are finding ways to lose instead of finding ways to win. It may come sooner than later, but it I believe it will take a couple of years, so I'm just going to enjoy the ride.