PROUDMONKEY
Practice Squad
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It’s that time of year again for me. Every year between the end of the draft and the beginning of the NFL preseason, I begin to become optimistic about the upcoming Dolphins campaign. It never fails. I can always logically or illogically find reasons to believe that this year the Dolphins will turn it all around and make a Superbowl run.
Despite how poorly a prior years campaign ended for Miami, and although Miami did not draft who everyone thought they should draft this year, I still can calculate scenarios how Miami will end the season with 10-12 wins and a provide its fans a respectable playoff appearance.
I remember last summer, many magazines and NFL analyst were choosing the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers would meet in the Superbowl. If Miami was not chosen to get the Superbowl, many writers were suggesting that the Dolphins would contend New England for the AFC East and make it to the playoffs in large part to two events: the 6-0 win streak that ended the Dolphins 2005 campaign, and the signing of one Daunte Culpepper. The Fins were a popular AFC pick, and I still have a few of last year’s magazines to prove it.
Personally I thought that those expectations were a little lofty, because at the time I felt that Culpepper would not be healthy and his better days were behind him. I also knew that Ricky Williams would be missed in the 06 campaign. If you look at that 6-0 streak that ended the 05 season, Williams had 506 rushing yards, and 5 TDs compared to Browns 178 yards and 4 fumbles lost during those 6 games. I did believe, however, that Saban had righted the ship, and I saw that 6-0 win streak as a very positive harbinger for the upcoming season. So my expectations for last year were that Miami would win 10 games and sneak into the playoffs as a wild card team.
We all know how the story unfolded.
My question for the 2007 season is this…how can the Dolphins be considered a playoff contender last year but not this year? In 2006, we added Culpepper and lost Ricky Williams, and zero starters emerged from our 06 draft. And we were going to the playoffs?
In 2007, we have added LB Joey Porter, drafted two explosive offensive weapons (Ginn and Booker) that can take it to the house on any touch, Ricky Williams may be back, and if Trent Green is signed, this could perhaps be the best QB situation we have had in many years. Chambers and Booker is still here and Hagan is entering his second season, so our WRs are above average by NFL standards. At QB, we may have Green, a healthier Culpepper, a young Beck, and no Harrington. I bet if Beck were to start all 16 games, he would outperform Harrington last year. So worse case scenario, our QB performance will exceed last year performance.
Compare the 06 and 07 defensive starting squad and expectations. Last year the Dolphins were a top five defense in almost every category. In 07, our line has youth with rookie Soliai, the largest DT in this year’s draft. Our LBs are stronger, our pitiful secondary from a year ago may be better if Jason Allen can become the player he was drafted to be. So the 07 defense will still be a top 8 unit in the NFL at the end of the year. That’s good enough for a playoff run. Just ask the 23rd ranked Colts D from last year.
On special teams, we have improved the return game with Ginn and Booker and have 2-4 TDs to look forward to this year. We will miss Mares touchbacks but will score more points with Feely’s accuracy.
Coaching wise, we are set with a great Defensive coach the head coach is offensive minded, and being that this franchise was ranked 30th last year in offense, we cant’t get any worse.
So on paper, the 2007 team seems to be more talented than the last two years squads. But between now and September, paper is all I have to make my predictions and a whole lot of “ifs ands or buts.†But isn’t this true of every NFL team and fan?
Take last years AFC championship game between the Colts and the Patriots.
I think it’s a safe bet to assume that almost everyone will be saying between now and September that one of these two teams will most likely be the AFC representative in the Superbowl.
Well this is yet another paper assumption. But what if either Peyton Manning or Tom Brady rip their Achilles in week one of the season? You think Jeff Sorgi is going to lead Indy to the playoffs? Indy would be lucky to win 7 games. Despite the 42 new offensive weapons Brady has to play with this upcoming season, if Brady goes down, then the Pats are toast.
So I have gone and done it again, the Dolphins will be a playoff team this year.
http://thedolphininsider.blogspot.com/
Despite how poorly a prior years campaign ended for Miami, and although Miami did not draft who everyone thought they should draft this year, I still can calculate scenarios how Miami will end the season with 10-12 wins and a provide its fans a respectable playoff appearance.
I remember last summer, many magazines and NFL analyst were choosing the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers would meet in the Superbowl. If Miami was not chosen to get the Superbowl, many writers were suggesting that the Dolphins would contend New England for the AFC East and make it to the playoffs in large part to two events: the 6-0 win streak that ended the Dolphins 2005 campaign, and the signing of one Daunte Culpepper. The Fins were a popular AFC pick, and I still have a few of last year’s magazines to prove it.
Personally I thought that those expectations were a little lofty, because at the time I felt that Culpepper would not be healthy and his better days were behind him. I also knew that Ricky Williams would be missed in the 06 campaign. If you look at that 6-0 streak that ended the 05 season, Williams had 506 rushing yards, and 5 TDs compared to Browns 178 yards and 4 fumbles lost during those 6 games. I did believe, however, that Saban had righted the ship, and I saw that 6-0 win streak as a very positive harbinger for the upcoming season. So my expectations for last year were that Miami would win 10 games and sneak into the playoffs as a wild card team.
We all know how the story unfolded.
My question for the 2007 season is this…how can the Dolphins be considered a playoff contender last year but not this year? In 2006, we added Culpepper and lost Ricky Williams, and zero starters emerged from our 06 draft. And we were going to the playoffs?
In 2007, we have added LB Joey Porter, drafted two explosive offensive weapons (Ginn and Booker) that can take it to the house on any touch, Ricky Williams may be back, and if Trent Green is signed, this could perhaps be the best QB situation we have had in many years. Chambers and Booker is still here and Hagan is entering his second season, so our WRs are above average by NFL standards. At QB, we may have Green, a healthier Culpepper, a young Beck, and no Harrington. I bet if Beck were to start all 16 games, he would outperform Harrington last year. So worse case scenario, our QB performance will exceed last year performance.
Compare the 06 and 07 defensive starting squad and expectations. Last year the Dolphins were a top five defense in almost every category. In 07, our line has youth with rookie Soliai, the largest DT in this year’s draft. Our LBs are stronger, our pitiful secondary from a year ago may be better if Jason Allen can become the player he was drafted to be. So the 07 defense will still be a top 8 unit in the NFL at the end of the year. That’s good enough for a playoff run. Just ask the 23rd ranked Colts D from last year.
On special teams, we have improved the return game with Ginn and Booker and have 2-4 TDs to look forward to this year. We will miss Mares touchbacks but will score more points with Feely’s accuracy.
Coaching wise, we are set with a great Defensive coach the head coach is offensive minded, and being that this franchise was ranked 30th last year in offense, we cant’t get any worse.
So on paper, the 2007 team seems to be more talented than the last two years squads. But between now and September, paper is all I have to make my predictions and a whole lot of “ifs ands or buts.†But isn’t this true of every NFL team and fan?
Take last years AFC championship game between the Colts and the Patriots.
I think it’s a safe bet to assume that almost everyone will be saying between now and September that one of these two teams will most likely be the AFC representative in the Superbowl.
Well this is yet another paper assumption. But what if either Peyton Manning or Tom Brady rip their Achilles in week one of the season? You think Jeff Sorgi is going to lead Indy to the playoffs? Indy would be lucky to win 7 games. Despite the 42 new offensive weapons Brady has to play with this upcoming season, if Brady goes down, then the Pats are toast.
So I have gone and done it again, the Dolphins will be a playoff team this year.
http://thedolphininsider.blogspot.com/
