Our strategy: Trying to run in two directions at the same time | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Our strategy: Trying to run in two directions at the same time

where's th'fish

where's th'fish

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Are our moves good? Are they bad? That can be debated endlessly. What is easy to analyze is our strategy. A coherent strategy is the foundation of a successful franchise. Are we aiming for the future or playing for today? Let's have a look...

MOVES AIMING FOR THE FUTURE

COMPENSATORY PICKS
Letting players like Vernon, Miller, Mathews leave via FA in exchange for compensatory picks is a bold strategy applied with great success by teams such as the Baltimore Ravens. It's a strategy that is aggressively aimed at the future.

LOW-KEY FA SIGNINGS
Avoiding tying up money in risky high-money FA signings is a sound strategy that keeps finances healthy and aims at the future.

MOVES PLAYING FOR TODAY

RESTRUCTURING CONTRACTS
No strategy is good or bad in a vacuum. Few teams restructure contracts, but veteran teams such as the Saints will restructure contracts in order to increase their present window of opportunity. The Cardinals are pretty much in that game, too, and both teams have something to show for it. Since restructurings have serious future cap consequences, however, most teams avoid them. It gives more money and flexibility in the present in exchange for less of both in future years. The Dolphins themselves rarely, if ever, used the strategy before, but they've restructured many contracts this year. While we don't know the details of many of those deals, the Suh restructure was large enough to define a path. This is a strategy aggressively aimed at trying to win this year.

TRADING DRAFT ASSETS FOR VETERAN TALENT
A team with it's eye on the future will focus mostly on accumulating draft assets. Draft assets not only include picks, but also draft position -especially in the first round. When you move down in the first round, that's a move aimed at playing to win this year. Especially when you trade for a CB, as CBs generally don't age well, despite our positive experience with Grimes. Mario Williams didn't cost a pick, but his age makes it fit the playing to win now strategy, as well.


In conclusion, it's easy to see our strategy is playing for this year. I mean, the future. Or the other way around. The point being, good teams sometimes save for the future and sometimes spend their resources trying to win now. Doing both, on the other hand, is like trying to run in two directions at the same time.
 
Not really. It's actually all about winning in the present whIle building for the future. The elite teams do both well, all the time.
 
where's th'fish said:
Are our moves good? Are they bad? That can be debated endlessly. What is easy to analyze is our strategy. A coherent strategy is the foundation of a successful franchise. Are we aiming for the future or playing for today? Let's have a look...

MOVES AIMING FOR THE FUTURE

COMPENSATORY PICKS
Letting players like Vernon, Miller, Mathews leave via FA in exchange for compensatory picks is a bold strategy applied with great success by teams such as the Baltimore Ravens. It's a strategy that is aggressively aimed at the future.

LOW-KEY FA SIGNINGS
Avoiding tying up money in risky high-money FA signings is a sound strategy that keeps finances healthy and aims at the future.

MOVES PLAYING FOR TODAY

RESTRUCTURING CONTRACTS
No strategy is good or bad in a vacuum. Few teams restructure contracts, but veteran teams such as the Saints will restructure contracts in order to increase their present window of opportunity. The Cardinals are pretty much in that game, too, and both teams have something to show for it. Since restructurings have serious future cap consequences, however, most teams avoid them. It gives more money and flexibility in the present in exchange for less of both in future years. The Dolphins themselves rarely, if ever, used the strategy before, but they've restructured many contracts this year. While we don't know the details of many of those deals, the Suh restructure was large enough to define a path. This is a strategy aggressively aimed at trying to win this year.

TRADING DRAFT ASSETS FOR VETERAN TALENT
A team with it's eye on the future will focus mostly on accumulating draft assets. Draft assets not only include picks, but also draft position -especially in the first round. When you move down in the first round, that's a move aimed at playing to win this year. Especially when you trade for a CB, as CBs generally don't age well, despite our positive experience with Grimes. Mario Williams didn't cost a pick, but his age makes it fit the playing to win now strategy, as well.


In conclusion, it's easy to see our strategy is playing for this year. I mean, the future. Or the other way around. The point being, good teams sometimes save for the future and sometimes spend their resources trying to win now. Doing both, on the other hand, is like trying to run in two directions at the same time.
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I agree with this. I get the fact that you can never tell your fan base that you're rebuilding, but it we seem to be stuck in the middle. Regardless, we appear to be a 6 win team at best as of now.
 
I was annoyed with the restructure of Suh specifically because we are NOT in a position to make any kind of serious run at a Superbowl this year or even being a legit contender... we should have eaten Suh's cap hit this year. We're hurting our chance to compete long term - fool's gold.
 
Atila said:
I was annoyed with the restructure of Suh specifically because we are NOT in a position to make any kind of serious run at a Superbowl this year or even being a legit contender... we should have eaten Suh's cap hit this year. We're hurting our chance to compete long term - fool's gold.
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I dont have a problem with Suh being in the long term plans and retiring a Dolphin. Obv the fo does not see Suh as a rental which your post suggests he should be.
 
Brazzi said:
I dont have a problem with Suh being in the long term plans and retiring a Dolphin. Obv the fo does not see Suh as a rental which your post suggests he should be.
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My post does not suggest anything of the sort. What I am suggesting - which is a FACT - is that we will not be a serious Superbowl contender this year.

If you agree with the above statement, then moving the heaviest parts of Suh's cap hit to a later date would be foolish. If we took the $28mil (or whatever the ridiculous number is) hit this year, that does not imply that we are renting him - it just means his cap number will be easier to swallow in the next few years when we actually have a better chance to compete seriously. It would allow us to be more competitive down the road instead of getting a little extra flexibility this year when we KNOW we will not be a great team.
 
There is merit to eating up the large chunk this year for future benefits, but I dont think the reason for that should be because 2016 is lost already. That is not acceptable. The Dolphins will compete in 2016.
 
Brazzi said:
There is merit to eating up the large chunk this year for future benefits, but I dont think the reason for that should be because 2016 is lost already. That is not acceptable. The Dolphins will compete in 2016.
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I'm sure you also believed we were an 11 win team last season as well.

It seems the people running our team are as blindly optimistic as you are, because I cannot for the life of me understand why we are mortgaging the future when we have holes literally across our entire defense and offensive line all the while being led by an unknown at the head coach spot and an unproven GM. But maybe you know something I don't. Probably not.
 
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