The word "potential" is all we have/see when we look at rookies because we have not seen them play a single down of football in the NFL yet. It is also a word we use when we sign players who have never played a single down as a Miami Dolphin. In previous head coaching régimes from Wanstache, Cameron, to Saban it was a word we hung on to every single offseason only to see that potential never live up to the hype when the lights came on.
First there was the signing of Porter, which ended up seeming like a waste until last year.
Then there was the pick of Matt Roth, which ended up seeming like a waste until last year.
Then there was the pick of Ted Ginn, which ended up seeming like a waste until last year.
Then there was the pick of Paul Soliai, which ended up seeming like a waste until last year.
At this point I’m sure you catch my drift. The potential of players can only be achieved when there is a coaching staff competent enough to be able to hone in on those talents. They ahve to be able to idenifity each players specific skill set and use it in the best possible way. The misuse of talent can be devastating to a players psyche (see Jason Allen) and easily mistaken with lack of talent. A perfect example was Joey Porter’s situation. He guy got signed to a HUGE contract and had a terrible year that almost everyone said was due to him being washed up and on the downhill of his career. After last year we all know that was not the case. If was because of stupid coaching staffs that didn’t know what to do with such a talented player. It was a classic case of putting a player in a bad position by asking him to do things he doesn’t know how to do. Sporano & Co. fixed that!
Then there are the couple players such as Matt Roth and Ted Ginn. Although Roth was not nearly as hated a pick as Ginn was, I don’t think anyone expected a whole lot out of them especially after a couple of average to below average years from both players. BUT after last year these two now seem to have a newly found upside and great POTENTIAL once again. Sporano & Co. fixed that too! Note: Rumor is that Roth is going to get a contract extension.
There is also Paul Soliai who always looked like he was about to break through that barrier, but kept falling short. He has definitely had a lot of issues, but now every single report coming out of this offseason shows positive reports about the big fella. I know he had some issues last year and I know the coaching staff would probably like to find a new person but like Ireland said in an interview, these guys do not grow on trees. You take what you get and Soliai seems to have a new sense of confidence, work ethic, and once again POTENTIAL.
Now there is also this new crop of rookies that we have. Whether it’s Davis, Smith, White, or Turner all we keep hearing about is the POTENTIAL they have (especially Sean Smith). Going into the season I actually think 2 even 3 of them will be full time starters by the end of it. That’s because this staff and front office have shown their competence to make that happen. Just look at last years group (5 solid starters as rookies). They say you can take a horse to water, but you cant make it drink the water. Well, I'd like to say that this coaching staff definetly gets the horse to the water, but once there, they force feed them the water. There is no option. Make it happen or get out.
In the past we have all gone through each offseason with a sense of hope, but this time it truely seems different. We have a GREAT foundation from the top down. Ireland & Parcells have shown their skill in the front office with their knack to find players such as Langford, Merling, Bess, Dan Carpenter, Donald Thomas, and Fasano. Aside from players they have gotten they also show their ability to get the most out of what they have with the Jason Taylor trade for example. Sporano & Co. have shown their abilities as a staff as well with the players playing up to much higher levels and reaching those POTENTIALS we keep hearing about. Rookies like Merling, Langford, Bess, and Carpenter were all huge contributors by the end of the season and each one made significant strides over the course of the season. I truly believe those exact players would have been average at best in previous regimes. That doesn’t even count the other list of accomplishments this staff has have such as lack of injuries, low turnover ratio, etc.
The last time that I actually thought the team had POTENTIAL to get to the Superbowl was while Marino was still playing and HE was pretty much the only reason I had hope. I may have juggled the thought a little when Ricky was running lights out but even then was nothing like now. Now once again that Superbowl hope is back. Say what you will, but there is ZERO doubt in my mind that the Miami Dolphins have the POTENTIAL to be playing at home for that VERY last game of the season and I think Sporano & Co. are definetly up to the task. It is this feeling that exact feeling every phin fan feels that makes us mad every time someone says last year was a fluke or that the division goes through New England. Those idiots can’t see a great team in the making and I can’t wait until we slap all of these idiots in the mouth with the Lombardi trophy. GO PHINS!!!
First there was the signing of Porter, which ended up seeming like a waste until last year.
Then there was the pick of Matt Roth, which ended up seeming like a waste until last year.
Then there was the pick of Ted Ginn, which ended up seeming like a waste until last year.
Then there was the pick of Paul Soliai, which ended up seeming like a waste until last year.
At this point I’m sure you catch my drift. The potential of players can only be achieved when there is a coaching staff competent enough to be able to hone in on those talents. They ahve to be able to idenifity each players specific skill set and use it in the best possible way. The misuse of talent can be devastating to a players psyche (see Jason Allen) and easily mistaken with lack of talent. A perfect example was Joey Porter’s situation. He guy got signed to a HUGE contract and had a terrible year that almost everyone said was due to him being washed up and on the downhill of his career. After last year we all know that was not the case. If was because of stupid coaching staffs that didn’t know what to do with such a talented player. It was a classic case of putting a player in a bad position by asking him to do things he doesn’t know how to do. Sporano & Co. fixed that!
Then there are the couple players such as Matt Roth and Ted Ginn. Although Roth was not nearly as hated a pick as Ginn was, I don’t think anyone expected a whole lot out of them especially after a couple of average to below average years from both players. BUT after last year these two now seem to have a newly found upside and great POTENTIAL once again. Sporano & Co. fixed that too! Note: Rumor is that Roth is going to get a contract extension.
There is also Paul Soliai who always looked like he was about to break through that barrier, but kept falling short. He has definitely had a lot of issues, but now every single report coming out of this offseason shows positive reports about the big fella. I know he had some issues last year and I know the coaching staff would probably like to find a new person but like Ireland said in an interview, these guys do not grow on trees. You take what you get and Soliai seems to have a new sense of confidence, work ethic, and once again POTENTIAL.
Now there is also this new crop of rookies that we have. Whether it’s Davis, Smith, White, or Turner all we keep hearing about is the POTENTIAL they have (especially Sean Smith). Going into the season I actually think 2 even 3 of them will be full time starters by the end of it. That’s because this staff and front office have shown their competence to make that happen. Just look at last years group (5 solid starters as rookies). They say you can take a horse to water, but you cant make it drink the water. Well, I'd like to say that this coaching staff definetly gets the horse to the water, but once there, they force feed them the water. There is no option. Make it happen or get out.
In the past we have all gone through each offseason with a sense of hope, but this time it truely seems different. We have a GREAT foundation from the top down. Ireland & Parcells have shown their skill in the front office with their knack to find players such as Langford, Merling, Bess, Dan Carpenter, Donald Thomas, and Fasano. Aside from players they have gotten they also show their ability to get the most out of what they have with the Jason Taylor trade for example. Sporano & Co. have shown their abilities as a staff as well with the players playing up to much higher levels and reaching those POTENTIALS we keep hearing about. Rookies like Merling, Langford, Bess, and Carpenter were all huge contributors by the end of the season and each one made significant strides over the course of the season. I truly believe those exact players would have been average at best in previous regimes. That doesn’t even count the other list of accomplishments this staff has have such as lack of injuries, low turnover ratio, etc.
The last time that I actually thought the team had POTENTIAL to get to the Superbowl was while Marino was still playing and HE was pretty much the only reason I had hope. I may have juggled the thought a little when Ricky was running lights out but even then was nothing like now. Now once again that Superbowl hope is back. Say what you will, but there is ZERO doubt in my mind that the Miami Dolphins have the POTENTIAL to be playing at home for that VERY last game of the season and I think Sporano & Co. are definetly up to the task. It is this feeling that exact feeling every phin fan feels that makes us mad every time someone says last year was a fluke or that the division goes through New England. Those idiots can’t see a great team in the making and I can’t wait until we slap all of these idiots in the mouth with the Lombardi trophy. GO PHINS!!!
