The Fatal Repeat Mistake

[AJ Duhe]

http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...ir-talented-roster-underachieved-this-season/

After I read the above article, a chill came over me as I realized that this front office is vulnerable to repeating the same off-season mistake from a year ago. Our roster as currently constructed has proven that it has deficiencies that can't be overcome through an offseason of development. Is another offseason going to make a veteran like Kiko Alonso better in coverage? Will another offseason improve Pouncey's degenerative hip condition? Will another offseason improve the coverage skills of Reshad Jones and TJ McDonald?

The Dolphins' brass might believe the talent underachieved this year. I would argue that they played exactly to the level of expectation. The plain truth is that upgrades are needed.

 

[Finland]

There is not much new to say is there?

 

[datruth55]

Kiko Alonso and Andre Branch are exactly who I thought they were. They didn't underachieve this year they overachieved last year. Cutler is exactly who I thought he was despite the Tannehill haters thinking we got better at QB and Julius Thomas is exactly who he has been since he left Denver and went to Jacksonville...a washed up TE who lost his speed and athleticism. Timmons is also exactly who the Steelers thought he was when they released him.

No the team didn't underachieve this year, they overachieved last year and this dumb front office thought that, this late in their careers for most (including Maxwell), these guys were trending up when it was just a deviation from the norm. Shouldn't be surprising though...this front office, mainly Tannenbaum, is too busy patting himself on the back and congratulating himself to realize this roster is far from a super bowl contender...and that should be the ultimate goal, not the playoffs.

 

[The Ghost]

Ya there is no doubting upgrades are needed and they are as clear and obvious as ever.

We are going to have to suck it up for another year with Kiko, McDonald, Timmons and Branch on defense before we can likely move on from them. Doesn't mean we aren't still going to add young talent in the draft.

By default we will be better next year with a healthy 17 returning. You want there to be some kind of veteran presence even if a bunch of guys aren't in your long term plans.

While Mike Pouncey certainly didn't play well by his own standards, the fact that he's made it through the season is an accomplishment. We need better play and at a cheaper rate so I don't know how exactly that will play out. Maybe he takes a pay cut and we see how 2018 goes. Surely 2 interior OL will be drafted.

We know Julius Thomas is gone, we know at least 1 TE will be drafted likely in the first 3 rounds.

You have enough young talent on defense to skate by until the 2019 draft where we will likely be replacing a bunch of veterans on that side of the ball.

 

[BlueFin]

http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...ir-talented-roster-underachieved-this-season/

After I read the above article, a chill came over me as I realized that this front office is vulnerable to repeating the same off-season mistake from a year ago. Our roster as currently constructed has proven that it has deficiencies that can't be overcome through an offseason of development. Is another offseason going to make a veteran like Kiko Alonso better in coverage? Will another offseason improve Pouncey's degenerative hip condition? Will another offseason improve the coverage skills of Reshad Jones and TJ McDonald?

The Dolphins' brass might believe the talent underachieved this year. I would argue that they played exactly to the level of expectation. The plain truth is that upgrades are needed.

Tannehill would have improved the QB play....the O-line needs help....we need a big time tight end and some more linebacker help.

Not as drastic as you make it sound.

The NFL is a very even league...the difference is a fine line between winning and losing.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

I feel like the linebacking group needs to be a complete re-do. I am excited to see what Raekwon McMillan can do, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lawrence Timmons is let go or traded for a low draft pick. Kiko Alonso was much better last year in the middle, but the team should find a long-term solution there. He just misses too many tackles.

For the life of me, I can't understand the continued dumpster diving for offensive lineman. The team needs a fix here, or it will be the same kind of season in 2018.

 

[Danny]

Kiko Alonso and Andre Branch are exactly who I thought they were. They didn't underachieve this year they overachieved last year. Cutler is exactly who I thought he was despite the Tannehill haters thinking we got better at QB and Julius Thomas is exactly who he has been since he left Denver and went to Jacksonville...a washed up TE who lost his speed and athleticism. Timmons is also exactly who the Steelers thought he was when they released him.

No the team didn't underachieve this year, they overachieved last year and this dumb front office thought that, this late in their careers for most (including Maxwell), these guys were trending up when it was just a deviation from the norm. Shouldn't be surprising though...this front office, mainly Tannenbaum, is too busy patting himself on the back and congratulating himself to realize this roster is far from a super bowl contender...and that should be the ultimate goal, not the playoffs.

I mostly agree with you except for one thing. Branch getting 5.5 sacks is not really a big deal. That's just average and that's what he is, average. This year he's just been even below that. I have no confidence on our FO to fix the team because they don't have a real vision as to what needs to be done. All they do is patch holes here and there but there's no real foundation. On top of it they lied to us when they said they wanted to build the team thru the draft. You don't build thru the draft by giving away draft picks for WR's that you don't even need

Ozzy rules!!

 

[Gsmack_42]

And we will have a year of experience for 3 young starters on Offense. And 4 on defense 5 with Black ice and that doesn’t even count the draft. And if we are in dime I’d expect Tank to come in unless he wins the starting job.

 

[datruth55]

I mostly agree with you except for one thing. Branch getting 5.5 sacks is not really a big deal. That's just average and that's what he is, average. This year he's just been even below that. I have no confidence on our FO to fix the team because they don't have a real vision as to what needs to be done. All they do is patch holes here and there but there's no real foundation. On top of it they lied to us when they said they wanted to build the team thru the draft. You don't build thru the draft by giving away draft picks for WR's that you don't even need

Ozzy rules!!

For his career he has 23.5 sacks in 80 games...that averages out to 4.5 sacks per season...5.5 sacks last year was above his average.

 

[datruth55]

Ya there is no doubting upgrades are needed and they are as clear and obvious as ever.

We are going to have to suck it up for another year with Kiko, McDonald, Timmons and Branch on defense before we can likely move on from them. Doesn't mean we aren't still going to add young talent in the draft.

By default we will be better next year with a healthy 17 returning. You want there to be some kind of veteran presence even if a bunch of guys aren't in your long term plans.

While Mike Pouncey certainly didn't play well by his own standards, the fact that he's made it through the season is an accomplishment. We need better play and at a cheaper rate so I don't know how exactly that will play out. Maybe he takes a pay cut and we see how 2018 goes. Surely 2 interior OL will be drafted.

We know Julius Thomas is gone, we know at least 1 TE will be drafted likely in the first 3 rounds.

You have enough young talent on defense to skate by until the 2019 draft where we will likely be replacing a bunch of veterans on that side of the ball.

Pouncey, by his own standards, will tell you he had his best season. He has said as much and the team keeps telling him he has. Expect him back.

Interior OL has been an issue for at least 6 years and the team refuses to draft interior OL or they flat out suck at evaluating the position with who they do draft. Don't expect them to draft two...I'm sure they expect Asiata to challenge for one starting spot regardless of whether or not he's been good in practice or close to being cut, like it was reported during the preseason. I will be surprised if they draft an interior OL in the first 3 rounds.

TE has been an issue for this team for about a decade. Don't expect them to address it either. This team ignores, ignores, ignores...the positions most fans find in obvious need of upgrading the team notoriously ignores or tries to patch with a cheap free agent. Never actually fixing the problem long term and often only trying to fix a bulging cancerous tumor with a band aid. They probably still think Duarte has a future in the NFL or that Derby, with an offseason with the team, will be a much better TE next year and probably have him penciled in as starter. David Njoku would have been a better pick than Charles Harris...sorry to all the Harris fans out there but he had zero effect on any game this year. A true seem threat TD might have changed the entire dynamic of the offense.

I don't trust this front office, they haven't earned that.

 

[dolfan91]

They over estimated the talent level of the F/A signings in everyone from Mario Williams, Andrea Branch, Jermon Bushrod, Jay Cutler, Lawrence Timmons and TJ McDonald. They all were not worth the contracts they received. As for Kiko, well they made a commitment to a guy who’s play in 2016 over inflated his true value. Misguided spending will load your roster with players who are better fits as backups. Paying for too many over the hill veterans, has hurt the franchise and the play on the field has been too inconsistent to justify doing the same thing again in 2018.

 

[datruth55]

They over estimated the talent level of the F/A signings in everyone from Mario Williams, Andrea Branch, Jermon Bushrod, Jay Cutler, Lawrence Timmons and TJ McDonald. They all were not worth the contracts they received. As for Kiko, well they made a commitment to a guy who’s play in 2016 over inflated his true value. Misguided spending will load your roster with players who are better fits as backups. Paying for too many over the hill veterans, has hurt the franchise and the play on the field has been too inconsistent to justify doing the same thing again in 2018.

Alonso was a restricted free agent. The smart move would have been to sign him to a 1 year tender of $4 million and make him prove that he can stay healthy and that 2016 wasn't a fluke but, as I was telling someone in VIP, the front office got burned by not signing Olivier Vernon the year before he became a free agent to an $8 million/year deal and they thought Alonso was going to blow up and price himself out of Miami so they jumped the gun and got burned...again.

 

[dolfan91]

Pouncey, by his own standards, will tell you he had his best season. He has said as much and the team keeps telling him he has. Expect him back.

Interior OL has been an issue for at least 6 years and the team refuses to draft interior OL or they flat out suck at evaluating the position with who they do draft. Don't expect them to draft two...I'm sure they expect Asiata to challenge for one starting spot regardless of whether or not he's been good in practice or close to being cut, like it was reported during the preseason. I will be surprised if they draft an interior OL in the first 3 rounds.

TE has been an issue for this team for about a decade. Don't expect them to address it either. This team ignores, ignores, ignores...the positions most fans find in obvious need of upgrading the team notoriously ignores or tries to patch with a cheap free agent. Never actually fixing the problem long term and often only trying to fix a bulging cancerous tumor with a band aid. They probably still think Duarte has a future in the NFL or that Derby, with an offseason with the team, will be a much better TE next year and probably have him penciled in as starter. David Njoku would have been a better pick than Charles Harris...sorry to all the Harris fans out there but he had zero effect on any game this year. A true seem threat TD might have changed the entire dynamic of the offense.

I don't trust this front office, they haven't earned that.

Excellent points. The offense would have been set from the skill position perspective. The defense hasn’t been been impacted by Charles Harris. But Njoku would have made a difference on offense immediately.

 

[hoops]

the Alonzo extension was a year early...should have played at the first round tender...he's not as bad as he's made out to be here given what he plays with around him at lb but he's also not top 5 money worthy

should have played at the tender...cause now Miami unless it's gonna eat his money for a year or bench him on that large number (which they wont do cause they like the player anyways) can't get weak side top 15 pick value in the draft at lb...and roquan smith probably would provide that...although considering how many teams always need lbs there's no guarantee he'd get to us anyways...run in the 4.5s and test well and play every down and that's how you get drafted in the top 15 at lb

 

[datruth55]

Excellent points. The offense would have been set from the skill position perspective. The defense hasn’t been been impacted by Charles Harris. But Njoku would have made a difference on offense immediately.

And it would be wise for everyone to remember it when the team tries to feed you some bull crap line about taking BPA in the draft.