The POSITIVE Dolphin Thread

[Pocoloco]

As everyone knows, there's a lot of negativity floating around this board. Alot of it, I think, is well deserved and well-covered elsewhere. But I want to ask you all what positivie directions this team is taking? It is my firm belief that the positives outweigh the negatives (despite the losing record).

Here's my reasons why....

#1) The salary cap situation has improved dramatically since Saban (Salary cap room should enable us to aggressively sign free agents like, I don't know, offensive lineman and d-backs in the future).
#2) Wes Welker has really emerged as a great receiver and a great return man.
#3) Ronnie Brown is for real. If he can bust loose like that behind this o-line, then he will excel in the future
#4) Zach Thomas fits the 3-4, and he may set an NFL record for tackles in a season.
#5) Schulters has worked out really nicely. He's involved on a number of key plays and represents a gamebreaker type player late in the game. Remember if he doesn't pick off that pass in the Carolina game, then we could easily be 1-5
#6) This Donnie Jones kid is great. He can sure put a leg into the ball. I expect great things from him in the future
#7) Mare has returned to excellence
#8) Our linebackers are tearing it up, clearly the strength of our defense. Crowder is really starting to look like a steal.

#9) and perhaps most importantly, many of our latest draft picks are contributing to this team! Ronnie, Roth, Crowder and Daniels in particular are all either starting or seeing significant action. Vickerson probably would've been if it wasn't for the injury. That fact that they're playing now means that they will be better later.

This thread is a world away from a playoff prediction or anything like that. But a successful draft class, some good free agent pickups, and significant cap room should give even the harshest critics a pause. If we keep this trend up, we'll be an excellent football team

 

[Phin-O-mania]

404 positives not found.

 

[Pocoloco]

I hate this freaking out crap. I think we should be thinking long term here. I for one never thought this was a playoff team this year, so I'm not shocked we're 2-4 right now.

 

[Quelonio]

You are right, and that is what we should actually focus on, the future. But people got their hopes full (like they do every offseason) and therefore are not very able to keep a certain degree of perspective. Just wait, if we go to Baton Rouge and for whatever reason win that game, and win it convincingly we are going to see the same people that right now are saying that we are horrible, speaking about how likely it is that we win the superbowl this year. And if sage starts and throws for a couple touchdowns, he is going to be the second coming of dan marino... then we fast forward to a week ahead, sage starts again against the falcons, and he looks horrible, and wow, there it is, sage is awful, put Lemon in, it does not matter that he only has two weeks on the team and there is no way he knows the offense. He will take us to the superbowl. And so on.... I wish we had a little more perspective. Get angry say Why the F did we loose this game, but not jump of the darn bridge.

 

[WVDolphan]

I agree with most of your points. Two problems though. Crowder did kill us in the Tampa game. Overran his gaps. Talented though. Hopefully thats just him being a rookie. The biggest problem is that records and kicking and things like that really dont matter. Its all about winning. If it has something to do with us winning in the future then I say its positive. But how would Zach leading the league in tackles or Mare kicking well this year help us win a title in the future if we keep losing this season.

 

[bgbdwolf31313]

Fans are fickle that way, we're horrible but we should win every game anyways. LOL. Me I refuse to give up hope, I still think we have enough pieces to have a really good team, we just gotta fit em together right.

 

[Pocoloco]

You are right, and that is what we should actually focus on, the future. But people got their hopes full (like they do every offseason) and therefore are not very able to keep a certain degree of perspective. Just wait, if we go to Baton Rouge and for whatever reason win that game, and win it convincingly we are going to see the same people that right now are saying that we are horrible, speaking about how likely it is that we win the superbowl this year. And if sage starts and throws for a couple touchdowns, he is going to be the second coming of dan marino... then we fast forward to a week ahead, sage starts again against the falcons, and he looks horrible, and wow, there it is, sage is awful, put Lemon in, it does not matter that he only has two weeks on the team and there is no way he knows the offense. He will take us to the superbowl. And so on.... I wish we had a little more perspective. Get angry say Why the F did we loose this game, but not jump of the darn bridge.

yeh you're absolutely right. So many people have a week by week attitude around here. We can be angry about how the team performed this week and optimistic about the future at the same time. You can even look at a string of losses as an opportunity to see exactly what isn't working with the team, so you can fix it later

 

[Pocoloco]

I agree with most of your points. Two problems though. Crowder did kill us in the Tampa game. Overran his gaps. Talented though. Hopefully thats just him being a rookie. The biggest problem is that records and kicking and things like that really dont matter. Its all about winning. If it has something to do with us winning in the future then I say its positive. But how would Zach leading the league in tackles or Mare kicking well this year help us win a title in the future if we keep losing this season.

yeh I was dissappointed in Crowder in that Tampa game, even more so in the Jets game when he drew the personal fouls. But I'd rather have it so that he is overaggressive in his rookie year than overcautious.
Zach tackling well or Mare kicking may or may not help us when a title in the future. But it shows that they got a few more solid years in them, and I think all Saban will need is a few years. So hopefully they will be a part of it

 

[Baddteeth]

I like your post, but.............

We obviously have a serious QB problem. I wouldn't worry about the defense so much because any defense that has to constantly be on the field will suck. We need to run the ball more often. We had 14 total running plays. That won't do it. Give the ball to the only guy on your team doing anything: Ronnie Brown.

 

[Pocoloco]

We obviously have a serious QB problem. I wouldn't worry about the defense so much because any defense that has to constantly be on the field will suck. We need to run the ball more often. We had 14 total running plays. That won't do it. Give the ball to the only guy on your team doing anything: Ronnie Brown.

that's a point I totally agree with. As much as I hated Wanny's style of football, we do need to run the ball more. I think that this game really exposed Gus' weaknesses (it was against the 30th ranked defense after all).
I really think we'll be running the ball more for the rest of the season, and working in a number of screen passes and quick slants. I do like us taking our shots deep downfield though, even if they don't always work out.