Training Camp - Day 9 (ish) Monday The 6th | Page 13 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Training Camp - Day 9 (ish) Monday The 6th

spiketex said:
I really don't think that color comes into it. Ravens GM, Ozzie Newsome has been recognized as one of the top GMs for decades (in his 23rd year at Baltimore - set to retire). If the individual knows what he's doing and has success with good drafts and good free agent acquisitions, it becomes pretty obvious. It should also be noted that Chris Grier didn't just come out of nowhere. His father is Bobby Grier, is a former Director of Pro Personnel for the Houston Texans. Prior to that, Bobby Grier spent several years with the New England Patriots, where he served in various roles, including as the running back coach, director of pro scouting, and vice-president of player personnel. Chris had been nurtured from the Belichick player evaluation philosophy at a young age and he even had 5 years working as a regional scout for Belichick.
Chris Grier is actually now in his 12th year in the Miami Dolphins organization. Resume below:

As executive:
As administrator:
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And, just as an aside, his brother Mike was named an assistant coach with my favorite hockey team last month: https://www.northjersey.com/story/s...ing-staff-rick-kowalsky-mike-grier/819731002/
 
dolfan91 said:
What like about this camp is how quiet it's been. In years past it's been all about contracts, players wanting huge dollars, others not living up to expectations. Chase Allen, Torry McTyer and Jalen Smith all of whom were not drafted; have gone under the radar and seem to have taken the OTA's and now camp to put a stamp on this team. They've all worked very quietly earning their keep.
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The complaints and problems seem to be with the 2nd and 3rd tier players this year. When the two biggest camp battles are kicker and back-up QB, you're doing ok
 
I liked these past 2 drafts, and 3 years ago outside of Carroo some of those players have come around a bit in that draft making it more impressive. I have not been as impressed with the talent we let walk in free agency and I felt forced us on some cases to overdraft players by position rather than just pure talent. So here we are regardless of opinion in year 3 the roster is pretty much entirly rebuilt outside of Wake, Jones and Ryan T.. Like most on this board I am somewhat optimistic, giving Gase credit as a coach to now work with his roster and expect him to achieve a 10 6 record with our schedule. I believe Shula could get it done now its time for Gase to.
 
So now it’s Grier who’s doing the drafting because there’s good players being picked up, but I thought it was Tannenbaum doing all the grocery shopping?
 
mrbunglez said:
So now it’s Grier who’s doing the drafting because there’s good players being picked up, but I thought it was Tannenbaum doing all the grocery shopping?
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No.

The draft belongs to Grier and has belonged to him since he was named GM.

Thankfully.
 
rent this space said:
The complaints and problems seem to be with the 2nd and 3rd tier players this year. When the two biggest camp battles are kicker and back-up QB, you're doing ok
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What? Cornerback is by far the biggest camp battle. There is also one going on at wide receiver. I am going to be honest, if these young guys like Ford and Grant keep showing up in practice, I think there's a chance we wind up trading Parker in the next few weeks.
 
J. David Wannyheimer said:
What? Cornerback is by far the biggest camp battle. There is also one going on at wide receiver. I am going to be honest, if these young guys like Ford and Grant keep showing up in practice, I think there's a chance we wind up trading Parker in the next few weeks.
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SLB too but for my money Chase Allen has that in the bag
 
nick1 said:
SLB too but for my money Chase Allen has that in the bag
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Ditto. If it was me:

Weak: Alonso, Baker (I'd flip these but that's not happening yet.)

Mike: Kwon, Hull (I might be the only one to like him. Played fine when he was thrust in there. Now he's had more time to get acclimated to the NFL. Don't get the Hull hate, personally.)

Sam: Allen, Anthony


The talent doesn't jump off the page but the depth is better than I can remember with some positional diversity to boot. They could lose a few of those guys for whatever reason and not be totally ****ed like in the past.
 
J. David Wannyheimer said:
What? Cornerback is by far the biggest camp battle. There is also one going on at wide receiver. I am going to be honest, if these young guys like Ford and Grant keep showing up in practice, I think there's a chance we wind up trading Parker in the next few weeks.
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The battle for WR is for the 5th and 6th positions, I'm not giving up on DVP yet. Forgot corner opposite X is suddenly open. Happy it's not because of a hole.
 
Allen’s lost at mike but you just can’t have guys playing in this defense who aren’t nfl ready at the poa. That’s why I’m befuddled with draft additions like Poling at least as a mike option and Baker who in that respect are a year away.

Hulls always been an eye sore in any coverage ask and soft at the poa. In goal line he gets moved 3 yards off the ball. Teams will do like the ravens did vs us where if he starts at mike they clear out and run iso rb option routes and maintain/regain the sticks if they get behind them. Defense call that should net 6 on 2nd and 12 nets 8 etc. he’s good for plus 2 yards at least more than the d call should allow for.

These lbs we gonna play with on Sundays on d better stay healthy. That’s Allen, Kiko, Raekwon, and Anthony. And then some likely cover ask and sub run for Baker in packages/ask that hide his poa play.

Baker will run and chase there’s no doubt about that and look good doing it but is he willing to dirty work and fill gaps etc in 18 if he has to start at wlb? Tall order.

And I’ve seen enough of Anthony to never feel warm and fuzzy about it.
 
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uk_dolfan said:
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A bit off topic, but I gotta say that I'd be just fine with having a version of those dark grey shorts with aqua and orange stripes as our away (dark) pants. Every time I see the Dolphins in those … I just love the look of them. I'm going to have to get me a pair of those some day.
 
Daytona Fin said:
I think the expectations of the offense resuming to the beat of 2016 are very unrealistic. There are a lot of new players on O since then and it's not an overnight process to get everyone in sync. There will be struggles early on. If the unit can stay healthy, I think they will overcome.
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It's so early in the process right now, expecting anything even remotely like a regular season rhythm is expecting too much, IMHO.

Let's take a look at these new pieces from general perspective:

Returning starters in this offense: Tannehill, Drake, Tunsil, Davis, James, Stills, Parker

Returning contributors in this offense: Larsen, Grey, Grant

New veteran starters/contributors: Sitton, Kilgore, Amendola/Wilson

Rookie starters/contributors: Gesicki, Smythe, Ballage

I'm fully expecting all of the returning players to resume the beat of 2016 with Tannehill at the helm … they're just not going all out yet, because they're getting in football shape and making sure they don't get injured.

The new veterans are likely doing similar things, although there will be a learning curve, especially for Kilgore (needs to call the OL) and Wilson (being used all across the formation). So those two may take a bit to get fully up to speed, I'll give you that. But Sitton played for Gase in Chicago and excelled, and he's playing the same role here, so I am expecting a plug and play. Amendola already appears to be on the same page with Tannehill and runs great routes. He's moved around before and been instantly-successful in the precision based Belichik/Brady offense, so I'm expecting him to be ready.

That really leaves us with the rookies. While Ballage doesn't seem to be an ideal 1st and 2nd down RB, he does seem tailor-made for the 3rd down role, and even if he suffers rookie mistakes (inevitable), he is likely to be an improvement on Damien Williams and Jay Ajayi in pass protection and receiving out of the backfield. I think Gase will focus on that and get the best out of him in those roles. So, I am expecting production from him, albeit over a limited amount of snaps.

The one area that will be very interesting and very 'wait-and-see' is the rookie TE's. Traditionally, rookie TE's have little effect. The speed of play, complexity of the offenses and sheer amount of things they get asked to do that are above and beyond what was asked of them in college, tends to make those guys play very hesitantly as rookies. The physical requirements in terms of strength, size, speed, and playing in space as blockers against the NFL's dominant edge athletes tends to make rookie TE's look just plain silly. They tend to be the poster-child for being posterized … and that's not particularly fun.

So yes, we'll definitely have some issues with our rookie TE's. But consider this … Gesicki is so insanely superior to the shells of players we got with Jordan Cameron or Julius Thomas, that even his flashes look to be a very sizable upgrade. Superior red zone threat and that will translate almost immediately. Superior seam threat, and while that may not prove super-productive initially, it will still scare the heck out of safeties, opening up run lanes and underneath passing routes. Smythe's role will be more limited, but we didn't really have particularly good TE play in 2016, so I'm not sure how much of a dropoff it will actually be.

All in all, are we seeing a team that is behind the curve, or are we just seeing a team that is pacing themselves for the regular season? Call me an optimist, but I'm thinking it's the latter.

Our best preseasons have often come before some very unimpressive regular seasons. Some of our worst preseasons have come before some of our best regular seasons. I'm not ready to predict team cohesiveness just yet, but even if I were, it's often hard to tell until the regular season starts.
 
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