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Off-Season Predictions

J. David Wannyheimer

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Well, since the season is over, I thought I'd post a thread where we can all spitball and make bold predictions about what we think is going to happen between now and training camp. Let's keep it Dolphins related, but I will also accept your playoff / Super Bowl predictions if you feel real confident in them. And hey, it's important to note that by making a prediction about what the Dolphins are going to do, you're not actually endorsing that course of action.

Also, a request: If you're going to tell people why their predictions are all wrong, please offer up some bold predictions of your own. Only fair, right?

I'll start with one that I've been thinking about for a while now, and feel pretty strongly about:

The Miami Dolphins are going to be major players in the upcoming Jimmy Graham Free Agent Sweepstakes.

My reasoning? Miami badly needs production from the position, and Mike Tannenbaum loves splash moves. This is seen as a weak draft class for TEs, and Graham is a big name, 'star power' player. And of course, it turns out that Jimmy Graham's agent is.. Jimmy Sexton. You may remember that Jimmy Sexton and Mike Tannenbaum have a very close relationship. Sexton represents Adam Gase, Laremy Tunsil, Ndamukong Suh, etc., and has in fact been snarkily accused of "running the Dolphins" by some media types.

Tell me why I'm an idiot below.
 
I won’t say you’re wrong about Jimmy Graham. I’ll just say it’ll be great to have a center and TE who don’t practice all season.

My prediction is that we will still be screaming about the offensive line after the early free agency rush ends....meaning we won’t be signing anyone relevant.
 
I say we sign some used guards in the off-season thinking they will be successful and pass on an all-pro ready Nelson in the draft and take another DE and make us all pound kaopectate to stop the diarrhea
 
Strongly agree about Graham.

My prediction is that our first round pick will again be someone who has potential but does not make an impact from day one.
 
I’ll brake down my predictions by position group:

QB’s- Miami doesn’t make a splash move bringing in a QB via Free Agency or Trade. Instead, Tannehill returns to his starting spot, Miami lets Moore walk, they retain Fales, and then draft a QB fairly early (2nd or 3rd round).

RB’s- Obviously Drake returns with expectations of being “The Guy”, Miami resigns D. Williams, and then drafts a RB in the 3rd or 4th round.

WR’s- Landry is resigned, Miami tries to deal Parker.

TE’s- I don’t know if it will be Jimmy Graham, but Miami will either overpay for a FA Tightend, or give up too much in a trade as they try and find an actual playmaker at the position.

OL- James is cut, Miami pays a little more attention to the OL during Free Agency, but not enough to actually solve the O-Line problem. Middle-to-late draft picks are spent in another futile effort to fix the biggest problem area of our team.

DL- Wake gets his deal restructured, Suh gets restructured, Miami does some minor tinkering in the DL but for the most part stands pat.

LB- Miami drafts Smith from Georgia and rolls with an LB corps featuring McMillian, Alonso, and Smith, with Chase Allen mixed in. Timmons is cut.

CB- I actually like the potential of a young CB group that includes: Howard, Tankersly, and a healthy Tony Lippett. I think the Dolphins do too. They’ll be some minor moves made in FA/Draft to improve the depth, but nothing earth shattering.

Safety- The duo of Jones/McDonald get a full season together and murder 4 WR’s during the course of the season. Nate Allen probably returns for depth purposes, but again, nothing much goes on here except for some depth/special teams moves.

Kicker/Punter- Both return.
 
I wouldn't invest any serious money in Jimmy Graham at this point. He's clearly a shell of his former self however that former self was a pretty high standard to be judged against. After going through this season with a once talented athletic TE who is also a shell of his former athletic self, I know I'd prefer someone 22 or 23 years old to grow into the offense with.

We will not be a factor in the early portion of free agency this year, which is how it should be. This off season should be about addition by subtraction.

Getting rid of Jermon Bushrod, Julius Thomas, Lawrence Timmons, Jay Cutler, Bobby McCain, Ted Larsen is a good starting point to becoming a more athletically talented roster.

And right there you have your draft needs, OG, TE, OLB, slot CB, backup QB and another OG. Sprinkle in a late round RB.

QB will not be one of our top 3 picks.
 
First, I will not be shocked for anything the FO does. I believe is time for us to draft a TE in the first 3 rounds but that's how I've felt for 10 years now. This is indeed a weak class for TE's but we could still get a good one. Being a canes fan I like Graham but he's 31 so here we go again patching things here and there instead of fixing the foundation. I'd not do it

As far as the o-line, Gase is in love with his Center so I guess he'll be back and not even asked to take a pay cut. I'm not happy about that.
I do believe they'll move on from James and have a competition with Smith, Sterup and Davis. If they feel either of the first two can start at RT then Davis starts at RG

I don't believe we'll draft o-line at all but they might bring a guard in free agency but nobody to get too exited about

Lots of people here like Smith and he's a good LB so would we take him at 11? My prediction is no and here's why. If you draft him at 11 then he MUST be a starter and his spot is the weak........if that's the case Gase has to bench Kiko with his fat contract. I don't care how much he makes, if Smith is better then HE should start but I just don't see Gase doing it. Gase, Grier and t-dumb would be admmiting they were wrong giving kiko that contract. Instead look for the team to target Baker if he's there at 73

So who do I think we take at 11 if we indeed pass on Smith? .......hard to tell at this point because we don't know what they'll do in free agency and that does matters.

I will predict that all 3 are way too proud to say they made mistakes with some of those contracts and will stay away from drafting anyone that would challenge any of the players they gave those bad deal to like for example....I doubt we go Safety or Smith or o-line.......if Landry stays then no WR and no RB with Drake in hand. I doubt they go QB thought I'd draft one if the right one was there......running out of options.......DE they would probably pick but will one worth taking be there? It doesn't matter because I believe they will go for need instead of value

Ozzy rules!!
 
As far as the o-line, Gase is in love with his Center so I guess he'll be back and not even asked to take a pay cut. I'm not happy about that.
I do believe they'll move on from James and have a competition with Smith, Sterup and Davis. If they feel either of the first two can start at RT then Davis starts at RG

I don't believe we'll draft o-line at all but they might bring a guard in free agency but nobody to get too exited about

Lots of people here like Smith and he's a good LB so would we take him at 11? My prediction is no and here's why. If you draft him at 11 then he MUST be a starter and his spot is the weak........if that's the case Gase has to bench Kiko with his fat contract. I don't care how much he makes, if Smith is better then HE should start but I just don't see Gase doing it. Gase, Grier and t-dumb would be admmiting they were wrong giving kiko that contract. Instead look for the team to target Baker if he's there at 73

So who do I think we take at 11 if we indeed pass on Smith? .......hard to tell at this point because we don't know what they'll do in free agency and that does matters.

I will predict that all 3 are way too proud to say they made mistakes with some of those contracts and will stay away from drafting anyone that would challenge any of the players they gave those bad deal to like for example....I doubt we go Safety or Smith or o-line.......if Landry stays then no WR and no RB with Drake in hand. I doubt they go QB thought I'd draft one if the right one was there......running out of options.......DE they would probably pick but will one worth taking be there? It doesn't matter because I believe they will go for need instead of value

Ozzy rules!!

Well that doesn't leave much does it? Lol. You basically ruled out OL, QB, WR, RB, DE, LB, and S. We are set at DT, and CB is the only position on defense where we have good young players already. TE? No way... there's nobody even remotely worth the pick at #11. I honestly believe if Smith is there when we pick that they will take him. It just makes too much sense and he's Exactly what we need on defense.
 
I also strongly believe they will go hard for Jimmy Graham. Not that I agree with it (only because of age/injuries), but Jimmy Graham.... Free agency.... Big money.... It just smells "Miami Dolphins"

This is the splash move they love to make.
 
I wouldn't invest any serious money in Jimmy Graham at this point. He's clearly a shell of his former self however that former self was a pretty high standard to be judged against. After going through this season with a once talented athletic TE who is also a shell of his former athletic self, I know I'd prefer someone 22 or 23 years old to grow into the offense with.

We will not be a factor in the early portion of free agency this year, which is how it should be. This off season should be about addition by subtraction.

Getting rid of Jermon Bushrod, Julius Thomas, Lawrence Timmons, Jay Cutler, Bobby McCain, Ted Larsen is a good starting point to becoming a more athletically talented roster.

And right there you have your draft needs, OG, TE, OLB, slot CB, backup QB and another OG. Sprinkle in a late round RB.

QB will not be one of our top 3 picks.

Bobby McCain surprised the hell out of me this year. I had my pitchfork out for him last offseason, but he proved me wrong and played really well this year (at least in my eyes).
 
They will not draft a QB in the first three rounds. Tannehill returns as the starter. Moore is dumped for another journeyman that can't play. Dolphin fans continue to crow about having the best backup QB (until he has to play).

They go LB (to start), DE (Wake's successor), WR (to replace Parker) with the picks that matter.

Landry is re-signed. Parker is moved. Not big players in the FA market.

This is the year they try to use some of the talent already on the roster. No more geriatric OL playing out of position.

Opening day offense - Tannehill, Drake, Landry, Stills, new WR, Thomas, Tunsil, Asiata, Pouncey, Larsen, Davis
Opening day defense - Harris, Suh, Phillips, Branch, New LB, McMillan, Anthony, Howard, Tankersly, Jones, McDonald
 
They will not draft a QB in the first three rounds. Tannehill returns as the starter. Moore is dumped for another journeyman that can't play. Dolphin fans continue to crow about having the best backup QB (until he has to play).

They go LB (to start), DE (Wake's successor), WR (to replace Parker) with the picks that matter.

Landry is re-signed. Parker is moved. Not big players in the FA market.

This is the year they try to use some of the talent already on the roster. No more geriatric OL playing out of position.

Opening day offense - Tannehill, Drake, Landry, Stills, new WR, Thomas, Tunsil, Asiata, Pouncey, Larsen, Davis
Opening day defense - Harris, Suh, Phillips, Branch, New LB, McMillan, Anthony, Howard, Tankersly, Jones, McDonald
No way Thomas comes back imo. I'm all aboard the Roquan Smith bandwagon, so if that happens our defense is automatically better but I can't see Anthony starting over Alanso.
 
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