The Miami Dolphins Are A 10 Win Team And Here Is Why

[The Ghost]

We've improved as a team this year at all levels: on the field and coaching and in the performance of our management. I am happiest with the depth we now have on this team.

The whole post was great but I wanted to single out those lines.

At the end of the day, the Dolphins are better almost across the entire roster. We are talking about our defensive backfield being on par with the best groups in the league. We look at our offensive skill position players and see the plethora of diverse weaponry our franchise QB will finally have at his disposal.

You got Frank Gore mentoring guys for peanuts when you had Suh not willing to do it for $20 mill a year.

The pieces are in place.

I will miss you know who a lot. Cody Parkey ofcourse.

 

[fansinceGWilson]

The whole post was great but I wanted to single out those lines.

At the end of the day, the Dolphins are better almost across the entire roster. We are talking about our defensive backfield being on par with the best groups in the league. We look at our offensive skill position players and see the plethora of diverse weaponry our franchise QB will finally have at his disposal.

You got Frank Gore mentoring guys for peanuts when you had Suh not willing to do it for $20 mill a year.

The pieces are in place.

I will miss you know who a lot. Cody Parkey ofcourse.

The only two units I see as possibly less talented are DT and K. A lot of that is predictions based on 'potential' and 'a year in the system.' There are people arguing, correctly, we can't know for sure, but that doesn't mean there is NO way of knowing. How many of us predicted Timmons and Maualuga would excel? Not many. How many predicted X and Drake would do well? How many thought Cutler would lead Miami to the playoffs? None of those were locks, but there are some who are more likely to 'hit' than others. I still say Miami doesn't need ALL the pieces to meet potential - just about half. 10 wins? I'm cautious. I'm at 8 for reasons I won't bother to post again. If things go right more than I expect, 10 is possible. I see nothing less than 7.

 

[Ray R]

The whole post was great but I wanted to single out those lines.

At the end of the day, the Dolphins are better almost across the entire roster. We are talking about our defensive backfield being on par with the best groups in the league. We look at our offensive skill position players and see the plethora of diverse weaponry our franchise QB will finally have at his disposal.

You got Frank Gore mentoring guys for peanuts when you had Suh not willing to do it for $20 mill a year.

The pieces are in place.

I will miss you know who a lot. Cody Parkey of course.

I suppose its no surprise that I agree with you. I am sorry we lost Cody Parker, but I am happy for him. He earned his opportunity.

I am even more happy we have demonstrated the player selection know how that brought him in house in the first place and were willing to exhibit some financial responsibility relative to the position (not the player). The fact that we actually drafted a replacement and went to an undrafted free agent for competition at this spot shows to me that the team values the position and based on our previous players at that position, know how to identify and select talent. This is the kind of "maintaining a group of good players" that I had been posting about.

 

[JahnDho]

He did well in space last year, not sure why you think he isn't. Also, he is tall but at 325 he isn't even the heaviest guard and within 5lbs of Sitton and Larsen

Thanks for pointing this out. It’s gonna be a problem, not huge but enough to be a point of contention the next couple years. Drake isn’t known for being a patient runner behind the line. He’s a better RB in space than between the tackles. Runs to the outside when the hole isn’t there. Great hitting gaps quickly. I’m just saying it’s not a great fit, it’s gonna be a challenge and Gase has to know this. Gore may actually end up getting more carries than people think because of this.

 

[The Ghost]

I suppose its no surprise that I agree with you. I am sorry we lost Cody Parker, but I am happy for him. He earned his opportunity.

I am even more happy we have demonstrated the player selection know how that brought him in house in the first place and were willing to exhibit some financial responsibility relative to the position (not the player). The fact that we actually drafted a replacement and went to an undrafted free agent for competition at this spot shows to me that the team values the position and based on our previous players at that position, know how to identify and select talent. This is the kind of "maintaining a group of good players" that I had been posting about.

I am at work and rushed posting that. I was going to elude to Jarvis Landry more with that post, before making it known Parkey was the player I was going to miss.

I believe in Adam Gase and Ryan Tannehill so needless to say I am extremely stoked about this coming season.

Any coach willing to cut a talent like Suh, trade a fan favorite (not this fan) like Landry and basically tell his owner to STFU and be quiet if your going to sit in the war room, has what it takes to do this job to the fullest.

 

[The Ghost]

Any coach willing to cut a talent like Suh, trade a fan favorite (not this fan) like Landry and basically tell his owner to STFU and be quiet if your going to sit in the war room, has what it takes to do this job to the fullest.

Damn, I quoted myself to see if Finheaven would somehow allow me to like my own post in reply. That's how much I believe in our current path.

 

[Atila]

That’s the thing, really. If there’s that much of a crazy amount of optimism this year, maybe look at why. Maybe it isn’t all that unfounded. Sure, there are a lot of variables. And sure, it’s July. And yes, the loss of Suh worries the heck out of me. But (and I’ve been saying this over and over, like a mantra), the Fins weren’t just the unluckiest team in the league last year; they were one of the unluckiest teams I’ve ever seen. And I fully believe in the “make your own luck” thinking, but that doesn’t account for hurricanes. If just HALF of the things that went wrong last year DON’T this year? This will likely be a much brighter year. Add to that a healthy Tannehill, a likely better LB corps, a likely better D backfield, a likely better O-line, better and healthier DEs, no crazy road trip, likely rookie starting QBs in New York and Buffalo, and what looks like a fairly easy first half schedule? There’s a legit reason to think this team can easily do better than the national media give credit for. Second worst team in the league my ***.

It’s easy to just say, “same old Dolphins fans, getting their hopes up every offseason.” But if you don’t look at what’s going on here and say “okay, maybe there’s some justification for this,” then I really don’t know what to tell you.

But now we've come full circle... There is this level of optimism EVERY YEAR. Every year I hear we're going to win a minimum of 10 games. The year Gase signed on, there was PLENTY of clamor that we would be a 12 or 13 win team - just ridiculous... My original comment stands :)

 

[The Goat]

But now we've come full circle... There is this level of optimism EVERY YEAR. Every year I hear we're going to win a minimum of 10 games. The year Gase signed on, there was PLENTY of clamor that we would be a 12 or 13 win team - just ridiculous... My original comment stands :)

I think it's entirely possible that both our memories might be a little biased.

 

[Mach2]

There is plenty in the past to make ppl skeptical. We haven't had a consistently competitive team since the Wanny years. He had that deer in the headlights look on game day, but the teams were not dogs.

Having said that, I think we are on the upturn, and am looking forward to the season.

 

[BlueFin]

The Dolphins are a sleeper team...to most...who don’t them intimately....they seem like a train wreck...bottom feeder.

Fact is...if the young talent and Tannehill step up...this is an interesting team!

 

[Digital]

My view of dynasty's is that they don't occur over night; there is no window to get through; only a grinding ascendancy to become "king of the hill" with an equally grinding maintenance required to stay "king of the hill".

You can become "king of the hill" with a group of great players, but as their performance wans, the position of "king of the hill" slips away. You can become "king of the hill" with a group of good players and a few great players if you continually upgrade and maintain a group of good players and the great players you can stay "king of the hill" for a long time. Eventually a team will come along that will have your number due to more inventive play calling and/or more "across the board" play capability.

I'm sure you can see the part of that description that represent the Patriots. I think a lot of people miss seeing the Dolphins as the team with "more inventive play calling and/or more "across the board" play capability". This is where our beating the patriots last year comes in. It is a one game microcosm of what I see as the direction these two teams are going in, with regard to each other.

Dynasty's get built and are developed over time. If I wasn't clear before I'll try to be clear now. We, the fans, are in a position to see a dynasty develop. It's easy to identify a dynasty after it has developed, but we are in a position to observe the actual ascendancy of a Dolphins dynasty.

We have all the pieces in place. A good owner, a functional and well coordinated front office; at least over the last 3 years since Gase arrived, and a head coach with a comprehensive plan for winning and who never quits. It was no surprise that something like six other teams wanted him the year he came to Miami. He has brought in effective coaching talent over the last three years by keeping the good coaching that was already here and getting both new and experienced coaches to come here.

As for players; we are beginning to see the ***ulative results of some consistently good drafting the last 3 years in all rounds and with undrafted free agents. We have used the free agent market to our advantage for stop gap improvements. We showed an unexpected level of performance as a team and in the front office in Gases first year as our head coach. Problems with some of our better players were identified and addressed with resulting player improvement. Last year we emerged from a hellish series of uncontrollable disasters with some of our younger players performing well and problematic players exposed and eventually released. Last year was the year that "tempered" our team.

I believe this season will be a breakout year for the team. Even if it does not turn out to be the breakout year I envision, it looks like we will be a better across the board this year than the last two and demonstrate improvement.

We've improved as a team this year at all levels: on the field and coaching and in the performance of our management. I am happiest with the depth we now have on this team. Sometimes when we use a position by position analysis to determine what a teams performance will be, we miss the value of the player and position interactions that are necessary for plays to function. When we step back and look at the entire team and how it works as a unit we get a better picture of what we can expect to see on the field. I see a dynasty in the making, "one that is just getting over the hump" and is about to become a consistent contender for playoff berths and the Superbowl.

Great post Ray R!

By window I simply mean that our team is not there yet talent-wise, while the Patriots are playing at a level that we cannot duplicate yet, IMHO. Belichick is the secret sauce in my opinion. He is a HoF defensive coordinator that is building a good defense specifically to slow down the top offenses and create turnovers. Then he has a finely tuned offense that exploits an exceptional QB who is super-precise. The Patriots score, and win the turnover battle. Belichick turned the Browns into a winner, but his tenure was cut short by Model moving the franchise to Baltimore. Since Belichick has build New England, they have been a dynasty. Yes, Brady has been a cornerstone of that building process, but Belichick has grown as a coach as well.

To be a dynasty, you must dominate your division. Until the Patriots start to show some weaknesses, I don't see us dominating this division. But the time is coming. IMHO, that is our window.

I agree with you whole-heartedly Ray, we are in position to see a dynasty develop. I also believe in Gase. I definitely see true cornerstone pieces like Tannehill, Gesicki, Fitzpatrick, Howard, and McMillan. We can build a dynasty on players like that. They have the talent, time, and work ethic to do it.

 

[Ray R]

Great post Ray R!

By window I simply mean that our team is not there yet talent-wise, while the Patriots are playing at a level that we cannot duplicate yet, IMHO. Belichick is the secret sauce in my opinion. He is a HoF defensive coordinator that is building a good defense specifically to slow down the top offenses and create turnovers. Then he has a finely tuned offense that exploits an exceptional QB who is super-precise. The Patriots score, and win the turnover battle. Belichick turned the Browns into a winner, but his tenure was cut short by Model moving the franchise to Baltimore. Since Belichick has build New England, they have been a dynasty. Yes, Brady has been a cornerstone of that building process, but Belichick has grown as a coach as well.

To be a dynasty, you must dominate your division. Until the Patriots start to show some weaknesses, I don't see us dominating this division. But the time is coming. IMHO, that is our window.

I agree with you whole-heartedly Ray, we are in position to see a dynasty develop. I also believe in Gase. I definitely see true cornerstone pieces like Tannehill, Gesicki, Fitzpatrick, Howard, and McMillan. We can build a dynasty on players like that. They have the talent, time, and work ethic to do it.

Your points on Belichick are dead on.

In my experience, his performance is only somewhat equaled by Paul Brown's performance as a coach and owner during the early 1950's. The similarities are the effectiveness of their coaching capabilities and their control of the payroll. You may be right on the time table for a "changing of the guard". I am a little anxious for us to be winning, but from my perspective, we are so close I can almost taste it.

I want to add how nice it is to be able to talk about this stuff on this forum with knowledgeable fans who don't go over board much more often than I do. It has made the summer doldrums tolerable and the past playing seasons much more enjoyable. I will be living in the sports bars this fall. Not an easy thing to do when your favorite beverage is diet mountain dew. I can't believe how many brews my friends can drink - period. The carbonation of the stuff I drink is a real limiting factor. As I look back at what I have just written I become more aware of how desperate I am for football to start.

 

[Digital]

Your points on Belichick are dead on.

In my experience, his performance is only somewhat equaled by Paul Brown's performance as a coach and owner during the early 1950's. The similarities are the effectiveness of their coaching capabilities and their control of the payroll. You may be right on the time table for a "changing of the guard". I am a little anxious for us to be winning, but from my perspective, we are so close I can almost taste it.

I want to add how nice it is to be able to talk about this stuff on this forum with knowledgeable fans who don't go over board much more often than I do. It has made the summer doldrums tolerable and the past playing seasons much more enjoyable. I will be living in the sports bars this fall. Not an easy thing to do when your favorite beverage is diet mountain dew. I can't believe how many brews my friends can drink - period. The carbonation of the stuff I drink is a real limiting factor. As I look back at what I have just written I become more aware of how desperate I am for football to start.

Believe me when I say we posters really enjoy reading your analysis and powerful support of our team. At the end of the day, we're all Dolphins fans … which is short for fanatics … so we're all hoping to share in that belief and celebration of our team. Your analysis, positivity and passion are huge reasons why its so much fun to be on finheaven.

Sure, toward the end of a poor season, we may start the draft and free agency talk a little early, but when we legitimately have more talent than most of our division, now is the time to be excited! IMHO, we're clearly more talented and better coached than the Jets and Bills. Why not get pumped for Tannehill's return? After all, losing him cost us 4 games in the season record, so there is every reason to believe that his return--now fully versed in the playbook--will translate into at least 4 more wins. We lost a DT and a Slot receiver, but improved at QB, TE1, TE2, LG, 3rd down RB, offensive speed, offensive size, seam threat, red zone targets, DE, MLB, CB, FS, coverage LB, and CB depth. If we look at Tannehill's return as the 4 game swing, how can we not view all the rest of that as an improvement over losing one DT and one Slot receiver? IMHO, it's a no brainer, this team is not only better than the 2017 team by a lot, but it is also better than the 2016 team as well, and it does not need to go 1-4 in the first 5 games to figure out the schemes.

Yeah, we're much better than the craptastic performances of last year.

 

[LDaniel7]

We lost a DT and a Slot receiver, but improved at QB, TE1, TE2, LG, 3rd down RB, offensive speed, offensive size, seam threat, red zone targets, DE, MLB, CB, FS, coverage LB, and CB depth... IMHO, it's a no brainer, this team is not only better than the 2017 team by a lot, but it is also better than the 2016 team as well, and it does not need to go 1-4 in the first 5 games to figure out the schemes.

Yeah, we're much better than the craptastic performances of last year.

Excellent take.

And we may have even improved at slot WR. Wilson is no slouch. Love that pick up. Amendola is a guaranteed read. Grant is lightning in a bottle. And Stills, if he moves in there on said play, is quality.

LD

 

[jtoomuch]

How about this?

DL is below avg now. No dominate DT to take up double teams. No dominate DE to get 15-20 sacks.

LB still unknown. McMillan can be a solid MLB making Kiko better but the other side is still very unknown.

No true WR1. Fans used to scream for a WR1 until Landry came. Now he’s gone and they say ya but he really wasn’t a true WR1 so it’s cool, we got Amendola and Wilson now bra!

OL, outside of Sitton this group is an unknown. The journeyman, Kilgore will prove to be a downgrade at C. Sitton needs replaced within 3 years.

Drake/Gore will make big plays and be good enough to help them win games, but they don’t have a top 12 RB that’s a true difference maker. No Gurley, no Bell, not even as good as Kamara, Hunt, Fournette, Gordon or Elliot.

TE an upgrade over the nothing they had, but needs another year before being a reliable target and difference maker compared to playoff caliber teams.

Guys who agree with this article aren’t taking a balanced approach to the Fins roster. You’re not comparing them to the top 15 teams and what their rosters look like too. You’re full of hope and last time I checked, hope isn’t just a bad strategy, it isnt a strategy at all.

I think Drake may prove to be better than you think, maybe a top ten back. RT was looking good before the injury. If he can actually pick up where he left off we can have a good offense, lots of weapons. IF RT stays healthy I could see 9 or 10 wins.