Rules For the Dolphins to Actually Win This Offseason | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Rules For the Dolphins to Actually Win This Offseason

Dolph N.Fan

Dolph N.Fan

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The Dolphins are the only NFL team since 2009 fluttering between 10-6 (once) and 6-10 (thrice) seasons. Who says they aren’t consistent? They’ve been 7-9 three times. They’ve been 8-8 twice.

AFC East bully, the New England Patriots, are the only team with at least 10 wins since 2003.

One thing about this hum-drum stretch is you see what doesn’t work. If you don’t study history, you’re bound to need Jay Cutler at quarterback. Here are 10 OffSeason Rules the middling Dolphins should have learned by now:
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Read more here:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-sp-hyde-miami-dolphins-20180106-story.html

I summarized the Rules below:

1. Players Age in Dog Years: "Don't trust players over 30." Trent Green, Timmons, Dansby, Maualuga among others came to Miami overweight or failed because they were past their primes.

2. Emulate the Patriots: Patriots pressed Buffalo WRs and often double teamed Charles Clay and LaSean McCoy. Buffalo had 0 offensive scores vs NE in two games. Miami didn't do that. Taylor had a 99.4 rating vs Miami compared to 65.4 vs New England.

3.Talk with the Eagles FO on how to create a vision: More hindsight looks and Miami's recent trades with Philadelphia.

4.Quit Assuming People Will Change: Eddie Moore had knee issues, Jon Martin had emotional issues, Dion Jordan had substance abuse issues, Parker has injury issues. These issues almost never change post draft for these players. Stop drafting them.

5. Coach Harder: When Stills and Landry fumbled vs KC no coach called them out on it. Demand more of players...you may actually get more.

6.Say no to Steelers castoffs: Mike Wallace, Joey Porter, Timmons, they weren't worth their paychecks and are "me" guys. There's a reason Pittsburgh lets these guys walk.

7. Don't be Daddy Warbucks: Alonso could have played for 4million, given a new deal. Branch worth 24million? Winning teams award for greatness when it's necessary not for average when it's not.

8. Always have a young QB Developing: New England has drafted 9 QBs to Miami's 5 during the Brady Era, despite having Brady.

9. Study Yourself: Figure out how to not be 31st in penalties in back to back seasons.

10. Figure out why the OL can't be rebuilt: 15 years and counting.

The sad thing about all of these rules....is that it all seems like common sense to me. Fans on this site can identify these rules as things Miami needs to do but the FO can't. I'm not going to say these are all pretty much spot on rules but they're pretty damn close. I mean if I see the Patriots own the Bills every time they play, you can bet I'm going to watch their film and see what they're doing to dominate them every year. I mean come on.
 
It’s shocking NE has drafted almost double the amount of QB’s as us during the Brady era. Unreal really.
 
Obviously not simple but you would think its almost harder to stay at the bottom of the trash pile than in the upper half considering the dollars spent year in and out. We are internally flawed and I blame management over players. Our defense is trash. We need a god damn stud backer and until that happens we will give up the big play in big spots of a game. I think our O is above avg with a healthy Tannehill and if we get an lineman or two and a TE and back up qb we can compete. I don't care if we have Brady and Gronk, Our D would give back anything the O puts up.
 
Good column. But I don't like team trends. They are not nearly as reliable as ones that can apply anywhere. So I'd ignore the points specific to the Patriots, Eagles and Steelers.

Emulating the Patriots is darn near impossible. I think teams waste more time trying to do it, than they are effective doing it. There is no similar example in the five decades I've followed this sport.

#4 is always great advice. Don't adjust in the early rounds. Those four guys he named were all first or second round picks. In those early picks you want players who have always stood well above their peers. You don't want Jon Gruden ranting on the air that he can't find much evidence of Dion Jordan actually on the field for Oregon.

In the later rounds or with lower dollar free agents then it's time to take the chances on guys with known flaws but also obvious ability in some areas.

I think Hyde should have added a point about not ignoring the numerical guidelines. Tape is flawed by definition. Everybody who watches tape does so with built in biases, and it's impossible to fully separate. They'll have something they look for at a given position and as soon as that trait is evident they'll over weight it and deny/ignore everything else. Subjectivity is an absolute killer. Too much burden. In the 25 years I lived in Las Vegas betting sports I knew dozens of guys who succeeded using some type of methodical approach, a systematic method of some sort. Plug and play. No second guessing. I only knew 2 or 3 guys who won big while using strictly subjectivity and feel. I say 2 or 3 because one of them was so secretive we never knew exactly what he was relying on.

I notice the word analytics is being trotted out more and more around here. Well done. Those analytic numbers like the edge rusher guidelines do not have built in biases, other than toward likelihood of success. When the Dolphins twice ignore the edge rusher explosiveness criteria in selecting Dion Jordan and Charles Harris, they are getting the type of players they deserve via the stubbornness. Those players may look athletic in college games. You can watch every snap of their career. Backwards and forwards. Adjust based on every opponent they face and every tackle they face. But if the test scores that align with explosiveness are lacking, then that player won't have the ideal closing burst on the edge. That vertical jump number means more than 1000 hours of tape obsessed from every angle. More often than not.
 
Dolph N.Fan said:
I don’t think the title was actually saying winning the offseason, more like “things to do in the offseason” to actually start winning next season.
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Well if that's the case, then I definitely didn't read it right. Oops!
 
I could care less if the Phins adopted these rules or some other rules but get some, because right now the way we have drafted in the past and the amount of money spent on FAs hasn't had the desired effect.
 
It's crazy to think we payed Branch all that money. Based on what exactly? Watching the Jag D-line dominate the Bill online with shear power it becomes clear Suh and Phillips are like the only two starters on our D-line that can out power their assignments. Wake and Branch are lacking big time in that department. Those players are built for the occassional rushing the passer opportunity.
 
ANUFan said:
It's crazy to think we payed Branch all that money. Based on what exactly? Watching the Jag D-line dominate the Bill online with shear power it becomes clear Suh and Phillips are like the only two starters on our D-line that can out power their assignments. Wake and Branch are lacking big time in that department. Those players are built for the occassional rushing the passer opportunity.
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According to Omar Branch played hurt all year long and his contract is fairly in line with average DE’s. Not saying I agree but....
I do agree with your point on power on the DL though.
 
Birdmond said:
According to Omar Branch played hurt all year long and his contract is fairly in line with average DE’s. Not saying I agree but....
I do agree with your point on power on the DL though.
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It's true! For the most part once you neutralize Wake's quickness of the line very likely, unless it's a TE trying to block him he's not going to power through that opponent. Further, I'm so tired of him and the other DE blowing their assignments of contains. I'll not Wake likely blows his contain assignment because he more times than not can't out muscle that RT once his speed has been neutralize.

In the case of Tyroid Taylor it presents opportunities to escape the pocket. BTW, I'm not putting it on Wake but our entire DL and team obviously is undisciplined in their assignments.
 
Birdmond said:
According to Omar Branch played hurt all year long and his contract is fairly in line with average DE’s. Not saying I agree but....
I do agree with your point on power on the DL though.
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They play a better scheme, have better players, esp at lb, and freakin attack the qb...frenzy like.
 
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