To Reach Next Level, Fins Must Avoid Past Mistakes | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

To Reach Next Level, Fins Must Avoid Past Mistakes

DKphin

DKphin

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So, here we are once again, on the precipice of yet another franchise-altering offseason, one which we all hope will bear postseason fruit. An increasingly anxious, irritable fan base waits to see what havoc Chris Grier, Mike Tannenbaum, and Adam Gase will wreak upon the Miami Dolphins’ 53 man roster. That’s one of the fringe benefits of a 6-10 season: you know the team isn’t going to stand pat. Wholesale changes are coming, and that makes the draft and free agency a little more interesting.
To avoid the same failure that has become all too familiar to Dolphin fans over the past twenty years or so, the team must avoid succumbing to the same mistakes they’ve made in past offseasons. A lot of folks don’t like it when I bring up the lopsided disparity between offensive and defensive players selected by Miami in the draft, but since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, no other team has expended eight of twelve first round picks on offense and no other team has spent a first round pick, a second-round pick, three third round picks and a fourth-round pick on wide receivers in a three year period, as the Dolphins did in 2014-16. Of the four players, Miami acquired with that bounty of draft picks, only trade acquisition Kenny Stills is considered a lock to start for the Dolphins this coming season.
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https://www.thephinsider.com/2018/2/22/17039672/to-reach-next-level-fins-must-avoid-past-mistakes
 
But Miami is all about repeating mistakes! Ross needed to do a full housecleaning when he took over the team but he still has not done it; he just continues to take half-measures. Hiring an inexperienced nobody like Philbin was a huge mistake by Ross. Hiring ex-Bengals DB Coach Coyle as DC was a huge mistake by Philbin. Hiring Tannenbaum was a huge mistake by Ross. Okay, now let's repeat! Instead of firing Tannenbaum, Ross promotes him. They hire another nobody with no experience as a Head Coach (Gase; who presumably was given credit for Peyton Manning's offense), and he hires another ex-Bengals DB Coach as his DC. (This DC leaves after one season, and his replacement is another ex-Bengals Coach.) Gase is almost a carbon copy of Philbin; they both prefer a short pass based offense, they both would rather not run the ball, they both have no ability to help assemble a GOOD o-line, they both run an offense that results in mostly 3 and outs, and they both have an offense that seems unprepared at the start of games and usually can't score until nearly half-time. Defensively, while all 3 ex-Bengals Coaches may have run a slightly different defense, they have all had similar results; can't stop the run consistently, can't cover the middle of the field, and normally play the CBs so far off the line of scrimmage that opponents can easily throw short passes and march right down the field.

Miami is now run by the second regime under Ross. The first regime was a complete failure, so what does Ross do? He makes sure that the new regime is basically the same as the first. When this current regime fails to improve and be consistently successful, I'd be willing to bet that Ross will still keep Tannenbaum and hire another HC who wants to run the same style of offense as Philbin and Gase.
 
It starts at the top and always has. Unless we get a winning staff on hand who work well together and make good decisions both with players and other management issues we will be mediocre.

Our management has been a shitshow for many many years and we have the record to prove it. What's really concerning me is assuming Gase is a really good coach what will happen to him when upper management collapses and they bring in new people who want a new coach it's a vicious cycle that we have to overcome.
 
The BIGGEST thing they need to do is hit on a blue chip player in the draft.

The 2nd biggest thing is develop their OWN players instead of giving up on the draft pics and free agent signings so quickly.

Then the 2 obvious glaring issues, they need to somehow get better guards, and they absolutely need to draft a QB to groom for the future.

The future starting... ASAFP
 
We cannot stopping mistakes because we will continue to pay for them in the salary cap for the foreseeable future. When you have Andre Branch, Kiko Alonso and JaWuan James in your top 10 contracts & your highest paid player is a DT who has the 3rd highest contract in the league, something is rotten. Can you say "handcuffed"?
 
I'm pretty convinced it starts and ends with Ross the Clown.

Beside his billions -- he has no business running one of the great (past tense) NFL franchises into the sewer.
 
To avoid the same failure that has become all too familiar to Dolphin fans over the past twenty years or so, the team must avoid succumbing to the same mistakes they’ve made in past offseasons.
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Agreed

but since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, no other team has expended eight of twelve first round picks on offense
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Most of that skew is recent.

As for Miami taking a quarterback in April’s draft, the guy I like is Lamar Jackson.
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Wait, what? Didn't you just say they draft too much offense?
 
tcdrover said:
The BIGGEST thing they need to do is hit on a blue chip player in the draft.

The 2nd biggest thing is develop their OWN players instead of giving up on the draft pics and free agent signings so quickly.

Then the 2 obvious glaring issues, they need to somehow get better guards, and they absolutely need to draft a QB to groom for the future.

The future starting... ASAFP
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Agree and they need to cut the ****ing **** w the penalties on every play!!!
 
tcdrover said:
The BIGGEST thing they need to do is hit on a blue chip player in the draft.

The 2nd biggest thing is develop their OWN players instead of giving up on the draft pics and free agent signings so quickly.

Then the 2 obvious glaring issues, they need to somehow get better guards, and they absolutely need to draft a QB to groom for the future.

The future starting... ASAFP
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yet we lose Vernon, Miller and Mathews. And gripe when we tag Landry.
 
Tannchise said:
yet we lose Vernon, Miller and Mathews. And gripe when we tag Landry.
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From the outside at least -- it sure didn't seem like the FO is forward thinking or proactive when it comes to keeping young talent... You would tend to think there was some other reasonable solution RE Landry rather than the somewhat "crude" franchise tag approach. I mean anyone on the street could have made that move!
 
For whatever reason, Miami just can't build the foundation. One thing has remained constant throughout the NFL and that's the fact that teams win in the trenches. How long has the offensive line been a work in progress? I'd say for almost 10 years.

The defense line is decent, not great, but certainly competitive. Miami needs another pass rusher. Suh is outstanding and Wake is still a good pass rusher. Both are on the wrong side of 30, though.

The offensive line improved in the second half of the season, but needs help at the guard spots.

We can talk about all the mistakes with draft picks, free agent signings, coaches selections etc., but until you improve the foundation you are going to struggle.
 
SF Dolphin Fan said:
For whatever reason, Miami just can't build the foundation. One thing has remained constant throughout the NFL and that's the fact that teams win in the trenches. How long has the offensive line been a work in progress? I'd say for almost 10 years.

The defense line is decent, not great, but certainly competitive. Miami needs another pass rusher. Suh is outstanding and Wake is still a good pass rusher. Both are on the wrong side of 30, though.

The offensive line improved in the second half of the season, but needs help at the guard spots.

We can talk about all the mistakes with draft picks, free agent signings, coaches selections etc., but until you improve the foundation you are going to struggle.
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Agree, but, the FO seems to have improved with the appearance of Gase. Seems to me, Gase put far too much emphasis on players he knew (e.g., Thomas) or players due to desperation (e.g., Cutler), but, those signed with some thought have done pretty well. I have little problem with Timmons. The biggest irritation I have is the genius who insists on the big contracts to not so big players. I see upgrades in DL and CB. LBs? Sadly, no. TE? No. All that said, the OL HAS to improve, regardless who the QB is. Fix the OL and all other positions will improve.
 
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