cowtowndick
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IMO, it's inevitable, and it's a great idea, especially after reading Dave George's column ("Ricky still a commodity", palmbeachpost). Before anyone blows a gasket, think it through. First, job #1 is to win games, and if possible, salvage something from the fiasco. RW owes Wayne $8.3 mill, so he has a vested interest in paying the bill the most expedient way possible - playing football. He could sign for, say, $1 mill a year, in July or August, with the agreement being that if he agrees to play for three years, the debt is written off or seriously discounted. I'm not sure, but such an agreement would be salary cap friendly (the debt to Miami has nothing impact on the salary cap, so writing it off is in fact compensation to RW that won't affect the team's payroll). Whether or not RW stays for the entire length of the new deal is irrelevant - he gets a chance to earn a trade. And he's not a feature back, so he can ease back into it. With regard to his return being disruptive, it's Saban's idea for him to come back, so you know the coach will keep the media off him; also, I've read this week that two very key veterans (Thomas and Madison) say they'd be OK with it if he earned his way back. Why wouldn't they? How many more years will they have left - staying here for 2 or 3 more years with a shot at winning probably sounds a lot better than moving on and finding a team with a shot, given their ties to the community.
Second, you still proceed as planned to pick up a starting RB via the draft, either at #2 overall or by trading down and picking some one up later on. This gives you depth at RB (the rookie, RW and Lamar Gordon). RW has time to get back into the swing of things, since your plan all along is to go with the rookie. RW looks pretty good as an insurance policy at RB.
It's economical (capitalizing in the fact that the Dolphins have a gun to RW's head in terms of the debt, salvaging something from the disaster of last year), it's smart (Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Lamar Gordon sounds a lot better than Ronnie Brown, Lamar Gordon and fillintheblank), and we've kept our draft picks instead of trading them for Edge or Alexander.
Either we keep Surtain or move him for picks - both are OK scenarios. Trading him for a #2 would be ideal (draft a WR), but if he stays, great. Linehan and Houck turn out to be the coaches everyone expects them to be, the veteran talent we've added (Carter, Holliday, McDougal, Cook) and some returning veteran talent (Bowens and Chester) improves the play on both sides of the line. Re QB, we go with the current ones on the roster and draft one in the 3rd (Green, Orton, other options) for the future.
All of this is very plausible. Most of the pieces are already in place, now Saban just has to execute and the Dolphins don't have to rely on trading for a starting RB - we hold the cards. The turn around could be much, much faster than anyone anticipates.
All in all, it's a low risk, high return gamble. Most of the risk/loss associated with RW happened last year. Read the column. It makes a lot of sense.
Second, you still proceed as planned to pick up a starting RB via the draft, either at #2 overall or by trading down and picking some one up later on. This gives you depth at RB (the rookie, RW and Lamar Gordon). RW has time to get back into the swing of things, since your plan all along is to go with the rookie. RW looks pretty good as an insurance policy at RB.
It's economical (capitalizing in the fact that the Dolphins have a gun to RW's head in terms of the debt, salvaging something from the disaster of last year), it's smart (Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Lamar Gordon sounds a lot better than Ronnie Brown, Lamar Gordon and fillintheblank), and we've kept our draft picks instead of trading them for Edge or Alexander.
Either we keep Surtain or move him for picks - both are OK scenarios. Trading him for a #2 would be ideal (draft a WR), but if he stays, great. Linehan and Houck turn out to be the coaches everyone expects them to be, the veteran talent we've added (Carter, Holliday, McDougal, Cook) and some returning veteran talent (Bowens and Chester) improves the play on both sides of the line. Re QB, we go with the current ones on the roster and draft one in the 3rd (Green, Orton, other options) for the future.
All of this is very plausible. Most of the pieces are already in place, now Saban just has to execute and the Dolphins don't have to rely on trading for a starting RB - we hold the cards. The turn around could be much, much faster than anyone anticipates.
All in all, it's a low risk, high return gamble. Most of the risk/loss associated with RW happened last year. Read the column. It makes a lot of sense.