The Reality...

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Well, you can bet Dan Campbell does not have a Club Med training camp. Maybe it is the Marino Curse!

True. Same with Pittsburgh.

 

[Danny]

Just curious.

How do you reconcile wanting to have a good season, make the playoffs, even perish the thought win a post season game, with being adamant about the removal/replacement of Grier? I mean a successful season dramatically increases the likelihood of the status quo.

The two desires seem diametrically opposed to each other. It doesn't seem rational.

Not "bustin your balls" at all as I, and I assume others, have the same or similar philosophic predicament.

well, as a Dolphins fan, we all want to win every year. I think Grier should be gone anyway but Ross might just do a Ross so I'm rooting for a good season while understanding what grier is.

 

[Phantom]

Nominated funniest post of the year
That was some funny ****
LOL

Obviously not accounting for who runs our drafts.

 

[stillhardcore]

Right. Have to think Miami could still find a vet on the offensive line (Hernandez), or a corner (Gilmore, Samuel). It's hard to imagine going into the season with so much uncertainty at corner.

Is Gilmore still on Minny's roster? Potential trade for Ramsey + one of their draft picks?

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Is Gilmore still on Minny's roster? Potential trade for Ramsey + one of their draft picks?

I think he's a free agent. But that's s good point. Maybe Miami could get a corner in return. From a salary cap standpoint, I could see teams wanting to unload a similar salary.

 

[MrChadRico]

Here's another reality, the Dolphins lost their best player on offense and their best player on defense.

Dolphins best offensive players PFF IN 2024

LT Terron Armstead: 89.4 - GONE
RB De'Von Achane: 81.6
TE Jonnu Smith: 78.2
C Aaron Brewer: 73.3
WR Tyreek Hill: 72.7


Dolphins best defensive players PFF 2024

DL Calais Campbell: 82.3 - GONE
DL Zach Sieler: 78.9
CB Jalen Ramsey: 76.9 - WILL BE GONE
LB Jordyn Brooks: 71.3
OLB Chop Robinson: 70.0

 

[JBinSD]

We can’t forget that 90% of the game is half mental.

What we need to do is score more points and reduce the amount of points scored against us. This is the key to our season.

 

[Kebo]

How often has a team drafted 5 solid starters in one draft? Has it ever happened?

Pittsburgh drafted 5 hall of fame players in one draft in the seventies

 

[MARINO1384]

How often has a team drafted 5 solid starters in one draft? Has it ever happened?

Don’t really need 5 starters. Need a starting guard and DT maybe one corner, rest can be rotational pieces. Our defense ranked 11th with the worst safety duo in the league last year, a washed up Ramsey and whoever played the half of the season that fuller missed is storm duck/kader. DT is a rotational position as well so probably could get away with rotational pieces there especially in this class where there’s expected to be some good pieces available in the 3rd-5th rounds.

 

[TXFinFan]

A great draft can change things in a hurry for an NFL team. One or two difference makers, or solid starters, can make a huge impact for a franchise. That's always a possibility. Yes, even for Miami and Chris Grier!

The reality for Miami is that the Dolphins are going to have to rely on a lot of unproven/young talent in 2025. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes opportunity is all a player needs to emerge. In the secondary, it's highly likely that Smith, Bonner or Kohou is a starter at one corner spot. Ideally, Kohou is in the slot. A draft pick, or late free agent add is probably starting at corner opposite Smith or Bonner. Will Johnson, of Michigan, is a definite possibility at 13. Probably the odds on favorite.

On the defensive line, Sieler is a starter at defensive tackle. Most likely a rookie will start beside him. My guess would be either pick 13 or 48, early in the draft. An edge setter is probably a rookie as well, or a late free agent add.

Left guard is probably a rookie, although Borom or (gulp) Eichenberg are still possibilities. Borom could be the RG with Daniels at LG. I wouldn't dismiss that with all the needs Miami has.

Either way you slice it, I think 4-5 rookies could be starting for Miami in 2025 (LG, CB, DT, DE seem very likely).

I think it's a good thing that the coaching staff will be forced to play a bunch of rookies. Their reluctance to play rookies and/or their inability to coach them up enough to get them ready to play has been a huge black mark/red flag on this entire coaching staff. No excuse for Jaylen Wright and Patrick McMorris to not have been heavily involved last season.

 

[mwestberry]

Hopefully Weaver (like Fangio) can turn the defensive rookies (and the new DB's from NY & Detroit) into players.

Once Ramsey is gone, we are going to need two starting CB's, 1 or 2 sarting caliber safeties, 2 DL for the rotation, and depth at Edge. Is Ogbah coming back?

I believe with an adequate OL and a defensive front 4 that pressures the Qb, the Dolphins would be "in the mix" come playoff time.

I know the team's struggles putting together an OL we have all lived through.
But it doesn't seem, in theory, to be that big of an ask.

Three players could make a considerable difference if luck could land that many starters on draft day.
They need to be drafted at trench positions. For me, OT, OG, and DT are the positions I would focus on first.

"The Reality" may be that this is a good year to build the team fundamentally.... the definition refers to something "basic, essential or foundational"
https://www.bing.com/search?q=found...efig=62b163d9f3a4430bad878225a0ae37d8&pc=U531 (just messing around)

I don't agree with CB or S, but there is one LB I would add to the mix. Even with his addition, the team would be spitting in the wind.
He isn't the answer to turning this team around quickly. I would rather have a beast in the middle at this point, with two more on the OL.

It seems to me the fundamentals are out of balance.

 

[mwestberry]

We can’t forget that 90% of the game is half mental.

I'll do my best ...
What's the other half?

 

[Ray R]

Nice dream..... but.........

Is it realistic?

It is if it works. - LOL

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Obviously not accounting for who runs our drafts.

Let's not pretend that Grier hasn't made some great picks, though. His track record in the draft isn't terrible. Grier's biggest problem was jumping the gun on trades for Hill, Chubb and Ramsey before fixing the foundation. Whether he can do that is a fair question, but because of those trades and contracts players like Wilkins, Hunt and Van Ginkel couldn't be re-signed. All excellent draft picks.

 

[The Captain]

That's a great question, actually. If Miami stays mediocre, does Ross make changes? I'm not sure why he hasn't already, but maybe the injury to Tua and how the Dolphins rebounded after a 2-6 start had something to do with it?

That 5-3 second-half finish probably had a great deal to do with it, indicating a likely 10-7 record (and 'wild card' playoff berth) had Tua avoided injury.