Slim
VIPeezy
I've read enough Matt Ryan versus Jake Long threads in my lifetime to know one thing: people often live in a video game type world where a players' situation & development are rarely taken into consideration when declaring them a success or a bust.
I struggle with the Ryan v Long debate because it is based on one fundamental flaw: If Miami drafted Ryan, (or Brees, or Brady, or any other player for that matter) he would have performed similarly in Miami to how he does today. The fact of the matter is, you cannot predict how a player will perform under a different coaching staff, different environment, different teammates, etc.
Although drafting is key to any team's success, it is only a piece of the puzzle - a much smaller piece than some word argue.
Take Rick Spielman for instance. The guy was so bad as our GM it was impressive. He handed draft picks away for guys like Lamar Gordon & AJ Feeley. He was so dreadful that at times you had to wonder if he was doing it on purpose. Miraculously, he lands a job in Minnesota and within one year has turned a lottery team into a division winner and SB contender (he drafts pro bowlers AP, Percy Harvin & Greenway - trades for Allen & signs Hutchinson & Favre). Am i to believe that Spielman suddenly became a great GM? No way in hell. Was he just having a few off years with us? No way in hell. I'd argue that he was the same guy in both situations. Difference is, he had someone who could develop talent in Minnesota, and someone who couldn't in Miami.
The point i'm trying to make here is that player development is equal to or more crucial than drafting. We all know how much of a crap shoot drafting can be. So why do some teams consistently draft better than others? I'd argue that they don't. They sure do develop better though. Some of the best teams have good player development in their makeup (See Pitt, Balt) and it stems from a long line of solid coaches.
If i could take two things away from the Tony era they would be:
1- Tony & Parcells never read up on some of the rule changes over the past decade giving passing offenses a significant advantage.
2- They couldn't develop a picture with a Polaroid camera let alone a young aspiring pro player.
When you really think about it... who did Tony and Co develop while in Miami? Cam Wake? Some argue that we wasted some valuable time with him sitting on the bench in year one. Brandon Marshall? He clearly had catching issues while in Miami. Chad Henne? I firmly believe that he got gradually worse and that part of it was due to the fact that he was taught not to make a mistake rather than having faith in his abilities. I'd argue that our roster is filled with 'could of's' or 'only if's'. That to me screams potential that wasn't properly developed.
It's pretty sad really. When you think about it, a lot of these players have one chance at stardom and 99% of the time they are drafted into a team and have no say in the matter. Chad Henne may be entirely responsible for his own failure, but maybe he's not. If Chad Henne were to sit behind a HOF QB for 3 years as Aaron Rodgers did, and learn to develop his abilities behind a great QB coach, maybe he would have turned out to be a great QB.
Here's where i get excited. We now have a guy who has surrounded himself with coaches that have proven to be capable developing talent. I fully expect to see existing players improve this year with better coaching. I also expect to see our draft bust ratio decrease.
I struggle with the Ryan v Long debate because it is based on one fundamental flaw: If Miami drafted Ryan, (or Brees, or Brady, or any other player for that matter) he would have performed similarly in Miami to how he does today. The fact of the matter is, you cannot predict how a player will perform under a different coaching staff, different environment, different teammates, etc.
Although drafting is key to any team's success, it is only a piece of the puzzle - a much smaller piece than some word argue.
Take Rick Spielman for instance. The guy was so bad as our GM it was impressive. He handed draft picks away for guys like Lamar Gordon & AJ Feeley. He was so dreadful that at times you had to wonder if he was doing it on purpose. Miraculously, he lands a job in Minnesota and within one year has turned a lottery team into a division winner and SB contender (he drafts pro bowlers AP, Percy Harvin & Greenway - trades for Allen & signs Hutchinson & Favre). Am i to believe that Spielman suddenly became a great GM? No way in hell. Was he just having a few off years with us? No way in hell. I'd argue that he was the same guy in both situations. Difference is, he had someone who could develop talent in Minnesota, and someone who couldn't in Miami.
The point i'm trying to make here is that player development is equal to or more crucial than drafting. We all know how much of a crap shoot drafting can be. So why do some teams consistently draft better than others? I'd argue that they don't. They sure do develop better though. Some of the best teams have good player development in their makeup (See Pitt, Balt) and it stems from a long line of solid coaches.
If i could take two things away from the Tony era they would be:
1- Tony & Parcells never read up on some of the rule changes over the past decade giving passing offenses a significant advantage.
2- They couldn't develop a picture with a Polaroid camera let alone a young aspiring pro player.
When you really think about it... who did Tony and Co develop while in Miami? Cam Wake? Some argue that we wasted some valuable time with him sitting on the bench in year one. Brandon Marshall? He clearly had catching issues while in Miami. Chad Henne? I firmly believe that he got gradually worse and that part of it was due to the fact that he was taught not to make a mistake rather than having faith in his abilities. I'd argue that our roster is filled with 'could of's' or 'only if's'. That to me screams potential that wasn't properly developed.
It's pretty sad really. When you think about it, a lot of these players have one chance at stardom and 99% of the time they are drafted into a team and have no say in the matter. Chad Henne may be entirely responsible for his own failure, but maybe he's not. If Chad Henne were to sit behind a HOF QB for 3 years as Aaron Rodgers did, and learn to develop his abilities behind a great QB coach, maybe he would have turned out to be a great QB.
Here's where i get excited. We now have a guy who has surrounded himself with coaches that have proven to be capable developing talent. I fully expect to see existing players improve this year with better coaching. I also expect to see our draft bust ratio decrease.
