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At first glance, any fan of the Miami Dolphins would assume that the front office has little clue as to how free agency operates in the modern-day NFL. The Dolphins organization has unloaded millions of dollars in contracts and players this off-season. It looks as though the team is undergoing an overhaul of sorts, which shouldn't surprise anyone seeing as though the Dolphins haven't been in the post-season since 2001.
There is much uproar as to the mass exodus of players without an influx of new talent. Seth McKinney, Kevin Carter, Damion McIntosh, Bennie Anderson, Jeno James, Dan Wilkinson, Kendyl Jacox, Kevin Vickerson and now Sammy Morris are history. Wes Welker could be playing against the Dolphins next season as a member of the Patriots. If the Dolphins choose not to match the Pats' offer sheet for Welker, then the team gets a second round draft pick for 2007. While it feels as though the bleeding won't stop as more players may find themselves on the outside looking in, in the future therein lies hope.
As Armando Salguero penned in his blog (http://dolphinsindepth.blogspot.com), "the Dolphins are about to get younger, they're about to get faster, and they're about to get a different attitude as the old players with the old attitude go someplace else." Sure, the Dolphins may be sitting idly by as high-end free agents sign their lucrative contracts, but why sacrifice the future with a "win now or else" philosophy. We as fans must understand that our beloved Miami Dolphins are in the midst of a tumultuous transition phase. No one in the organization knows more about overhauling a team than our GM Randy Mueller.
In 1999, the New Orleans Saints traded their entire draft for Ricky Williams, which was initiated by then-head coach Mike Ditka. The result? A three-win season and sixth consecutive losing season. Turn the NFL calendar to 2000 and in comes ex-Seahawks GM Randy Mueller. Mueller assessed the team's situation and started to overhaul the coaching staff and team roster. Only 23 active players from the 1999 53-man roster were retained for the 2000 season. The result? Oh, just a 10-6 record, division title, a playoff victory over the Rams in the first round (which was a franchise first), and Mueller was named NFL Executive of the Year in 2000 by The Sporting News. (Source: http://www.news-gazette.com/special/fballcoach/index.cfm?page=story&sid=14258).
The focus now shifts to the 2007 Miami Dolphins. Mueller was essentially Nick Saban's puppet during the latter's time here as head coach. Thankfully, the Saban regime is over and Mueller, in conjunction with new head coach Cam Cameron, is assessing our team and setting a new course. At the time of this posting, the Dolphins have approximately $21 million of salary cap space (Source: http://www.thephinsider.com). The reason the Dolphins brass didn't go after the upper-echelon free agents is that the team is patiently waiting to see how the proverbial chips may fall.
Coach Cameron stated at the NFL Combine that "you have to be aggressive, but you'd better stand your ground and be patient, or you could be sitting there with no [salary cap] room to sign anybody." Mueller added, "by aggressive, I guess that means we're going to be involved in a lot of deals. But by patience, we're going to pick the right ones that help us in the long haul." (Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...ar01,0,7151926.story?coll=sfla-dolphins-front)
It is clear that the Miami Dolphins fanatics are thoroughly frustrated with the lack of signings or even meetings with prospective players. Their feelings are justifiable and understandable at this point of the free agency period. Please heed my advice: patience is a virtue and there is no need for panic. Whether we restructure our roster with draft picks or lower-tier free agents, the idea is to build the team with talent without sacrificing the future.
Saban's free agency philosophy created a roster largely comprised of veterans, which is only getting older, in the hopes that the younger players could contribute during the course of the season. Even so, the Dolphins didn't make the playoffs in either of Saban's two seasons with the franchise. Not to mention the fact that the problem was worsened by the lack of talented picks from the 2003, 2004 and 2006 drafts.
Said Mueller, "we need quantity over quality. Don't take that the wrong way, but we've got a few holes to fill. We hope to be able to do that and give ourselves some options on draft day. For the next two or three years, we need an influx of young talent on our team. If we say the free-agent class this year is so-so, it puts even more pressure on the draft to hit on those players. I wish we had a bunch more picks." (Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...ar01,0,7151926.story?coll=sfla-dolphins-front)
It looks as though he may get his wish. So, let's see what unravels in the coming days and weeks. Good things may come to those who wait. Hopefully, the team and its fans will be able to reap the benefits for years to come. Maybe as soon as this one.
There is much uproar as to the mass exodus of players without an influx of new talent. Seth McKinney, Kevin Carter, Damion McIntosh, Bennie Anderson, Jeno James, Dan Wilkinson, Kendyl Jacox, Kevin Vickerson and now Sammy Morris are history. Wes Welker could be playing against the Dolphins next season as a member of the Patriots. If the Dolphins choose not to match the Pats' offer sheet for Welker, then the team gets a second round draft pick for 2007. While it feels as though the bleeding won't stop as more players may find themselves on the outside looking in, in the future therein lies hope.
As Armando Salguero penned in his blog (http://dolphinsindepth.blogspot.com), "the Dolphins are about to get younger, they're about to get faster, and they're about to get a different attitude as the old players with the old attitude go someplace else." Sure, the Dolphins may be sitting idly by as high-end free agents sign their lucrative contracts, but why sacrifice the future with a "win now or else" philosophy. We as fans must understand that our beloved Miami Dolphins are in the midst of a tumultuous transition phase. No one in the organization knows more about overhauling a team than our GM Randy Mueller.
In 1999, the New Orleans Saints traded their entire draft for Ricky Williams, which was initiated by then-head coach Mike Ditka. The result? A three-win season and sixth consecutive losing season. Turn the NFL calendar to 2000 and in comes ex-Seahawks GM Randy Mueller. Mueller assessed the team's situation and started to overhaul the coaching staff and team roster. Only 23 active players from the 1999 53-man roster were retained for the 2000 season. The result? Oh, just a 10-6 record, division title, a playoff victory over the Rams in the first round (which was a franchise first), and Mueller was named NFL Executive of the Year in 2000 by The Sporting News. (Source: http://www.news-gazette.com/special/fballcoach/index.cfm?page=story&sid=14258).
The focus now shifts to the 2007 Miami Dolphins. Mueller was essentially Nick Saban's puppet during the latter's time here as head coach. Thankfully, the Saban regime is over and Mueller, in conjunction with new head coach Cam Cameron, is assessing our team and setting a new course. At the time of this posting, the Dolphins have approximately $21 million of salary cap space (Source: http://www.thephinsider.com). The reason the Dolphins brass didn't go after the upper-echelon free agents is that the team is patiently waiting to see how the proverbial chips may fall.
Coach Cameron stated at the NFL Combine that "you have to be aggressive, but you'd better stand your ground and be patient, or you could be sitting there with no [salary cap] room to sign anybody." Mueller added, "by aggressive, I guess that means we're going to be involved in a lot of deals. But by patience, we're going to pick the right ones that help us in the long haul." (Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...ar01,0,7151926.story?coll=sfla-dolphins-front)
It is clear that the Miami Dolphins fanatics are thoroughly frustrated with the lack of signings or even meetings with prospective players. Their feelings are justifiable and understandable at this point of the free agency period. Please heed my advice: patience is a virtue and there is no need for panic. Whether we restructure our roster with draft picks or lower-tier free agents, the idea is to build the team with talent without sacrificing the future.
Saban's free agency philosophy created a roster largely comprised of veterans, which is only getting older, in the hopes that the younger players could contribute during the course of the season. Even so, the Dolphins didn't make the playoffs in either of Saban's two seasons with the franchise. Not to mention the fact that the problem was worsened by the lack of talented picks from the 2003, 2004 and 2006 drafts.
Said Mueller, "we need quantity over quality. Don't take that the wrong way, but we've got a few holes to fill. We hope to be able to do that and give ourselves some options on draft day. For the next two or three years, we need an influx of young talent on our team. If we say the free-agent class this year is so-so, it puts even more pressure on the draft to hit on those players. I wish we had a bunch more picks." (Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...ar01,0,7151926.story?coll=sfla-dolphins-front)
It looks as though he may get his wish. So, let's see what unravels in the coming days and weeks. Good things may come to those who wait. Hopefully, the team and its fans will be able to reap the benefits for years to come. Maybe as soon as this one.
