Veteran NFL personnel executives assess wisdom of the Miami Dolphins’ plan for rebuild

[circumstances]

We are going to lead the league in sacks allowed and the LT we draft won't be near Tunsils caliber (as there's a 50/50 that all draft picks don't pan out).

Who says we're going to draft one?

We can sign a stud LT in free agency. We have boodles of cap space.

We can trade a 2nd or 3rd rounder for a young, ascending tackle we've already seen play in the league.

Isaiah Prince could be the second coming of Jonathan Ogden.

We could bring in ten UDFA Tackles next year, and one hits.

I could go on...

 

[Digital]

Nice! I have to assume you've penetrated the Pats inner mind (akin to the Borg collective) and confiscated this file!

Make sure you get this to the proper Dolphins authorities!

Shhhhhh …. yes, and do not worry, I connected to the Patri-Borg Collective through Unamatrix Zero and fully encrypted my dongle ... so it's safe and I'm still clean. Shhhhhhhhhhh, I think the Pats fans are still drunk.

 

[Wildbill3]

Despite the talk of the LT position being overvalued by the NFL, I still think you need a decent blindside protector for a young QB, and those are worth their weight in gold because they're so rare. It took me a while to get over the shock and disappointment of trading Tunsil … but it is a legitimate gamble that has a real chance of paying off. If we believe that securing a top echelon QB is imperative and that nothing else matters until we do that, then this was the right move. If we believe that we will also need a LT--and I do (unless we draft a left handed QB like Tua)--then we've just played Russian Roulette with our young QB's confidence when we do eventually find him. Can we find that LT before we destroy the young QB's confidence and he starts getting twitchy and gun shy?

So, I agree with Charlie Casserly and most of these evaluators that we're doing the right thing trying to get out of the rut of 8-8 mediocrity. That mediocrity treadmill prevents us from ever challenging for anything--no division titles, no conference titles, no Super Bowl titles, hell, not even a single playoff win since Marino retired. IMHO, we need to make a drastic move. THE most important thing is that we secure the right coach, and I do not know whether Coach Flo is that guy or not. Heck, because we're tanking right out of the gate, we may not know until we're well down the tank-->rebuild road, so its really like crossing our fingers. After that, QB is the most important, and this process gives us the best chance of securing one.

Regardless of whether we're great or not, we're giving ourselves the best shot of acquiring a top notch QB. Nothing is guaranteed, but this strategy almost assures us of building an exciting offense and having a good shot at building a truly contending team. We hired a defensive minded head coach to ensure the defense is adequate. We're tanking hard to secure a top notch QB to assure that we have a potent offense. We're committed to a plan and timeline. Grier is doing a masterful job acquiring draft capital. The stage is set. The plan is sound. I think it's worth a shot. Now we fans just need to keep the faith until we're on the other side of this thing and can evaluate whether it succeeded or not. I'm willing to keep the faith, and I hope everyone else is too.

we are probably 2 years away from needing that blindside protector, this year we won't, next year we probably shouldnt' throw a rookie to the wolves, so... 2021. That means we would've had to extend tunsil now or next year and pay him elite money for basically being a place holder. And with the money just paid to the cowboys tackle I really doubt we were going to pay tunsil. Which means... for once we got it right. we got assets for a player we were going to let walk two seasons from now.

 

[Vaark]

This is like asking Milli Vanilli why it would be a mistake for Britney Spears to sing classics. If these guys had actually been prescient and effective decision-makers, they'd still be GMs , not talking heads!

 

[Digital]

we are probably 2 years away from needing that blindside protector, this year we won't, next year we probably shouldnt' throw a rookie to the wolves, so... 2021. That means we would've had to extend tunsil now or next year and pay him elite money for basically being a place holder. And with the money just paid to the cowboys tackle I really doubt we were going to pay tunsil. Which means... for once we got it right. we got assets for a player we were going to let walk two seasons from now.

Yep, and I get that … but then again I'd rather a rookie QB have a veteran LT, because if we're breaking both in at the same time, it can have a real shock on the QB as the LT learns the ropes.

 

[srp1979]

I honestly don't get the logic behind post like this...When Tannehill was here with Tunsil protecting him we were STILL at the top or close to being the leader in that category...


I don't know let's see between my choices:

1) Continue to have Tunsil and others and be near the top in sacks etc AND have almost no draft/cap resources to do anything about it

or

2) Not have Tunsil and others and be near the top in sacks etc AND have a bounty of drafts/cap to possibly do something about it..

Which is the definition of insanity and which is the definition of hope?

Seriously? We had 12 picks next year before the trade......but that's not enough draft capital???

And any fool knows Tanny
caused plenty of sacks on his own. Do you forget how bad his pocket awareness was?? We had Tunsil, James, Albert and Pouncey at once, and he was always getting sacked.

You are also clearly forgetting the last time we came up with a ton of draft capital and ended up with Dion Jordan, Dallas Thomas and Jamar Taylor. The draft is a gamble. Thinking that we are going to hit on every draft pick is the definition insanity.

 

[ANUFan]

Seriously? We had 12 picks next year before the trade......but that's not enough draft capital???

And any fool knows Tanny
caused plenty of sacks on his own. Do you forget how bad his pocket awareness was?? We had Tunsil, James, Albert and Pouncey at once, and he was always getting sacked.

You are also clearly forgetting the last time we came up with a ton of draft capital and ended up with Dion Jordan, Dallas Thomas and Jamar Taylor. The draft is a gamble. Thinking that we are going to hit on every draft pick is the definition insanity.

Nope! I want 12 more...Next question.

 

[srp1979]

Who says we're going to draft one?

We can sign a stud LT in free agency. We have boodles of cap space.

We can trade a 2nd or 3rd rounder for a young, ascending tackle we've already seen play in the league.

Isaiah Prince could be the second coming of Jonathan Ogden.

We could bring in ten UDFA Tackles next year, and one hits.

I could go on...

I guess you're right, especially since we've done all those things in the past and its always worked.

 

[circumstances]

I guess you're right, especially since we've done all those things in the past and its always worked.

That's the criteria? Having done everything in the past, and having it always work? Hey, good luck with that!

 

[Mach2]

Seriously? We had 12 picks next year before the trade......but that's not enough draft capital???

And any fool knows Tanny
caused plenty of sacks on his own. Do you forget how bad his pocket awareness was?? We had Tunsil, James, Albert and Pouncey at once, and he was always getting sacked.

You are also clearly forgetting the last time we came up with a ton of draft capital and ended up with Dion Jordan, Dallas Thomas and Jamar Taylor. The draft is a gamble. Thinking that we are going to hit on every draft pick is the definition insanity.

If your arguement is that these guys can't evaluate, and draft talented players, then nothing matters anyway, unless you just like the occasional highlight play, rather than a consistently winning franchise.

Seriously, if Grier and Flores can't draft effectively then it's a lost cause, and it won't matter who the QB is.

I believe the way to build a winner is primarily through the draft, and given the state of the team, the more picks, the better. Their philosophy is to not overpay for OL, and I can't say I disagree. Paying a LT, even a very good one, QB or top skill position player money is not smart in the long run.

 

[fin415]

Seriously? We had 12 picks next year before the trade......but that's not enough draft capital???

And any fool knows Tanny
caused plenty of sacks on his own. Do you forget how bad his pocket awareness was?? We had Tunsil, James, Albert and Pouncey at once, and he was always getting sacked.

You are also clearly forgetting the last time we came up with a ton of draft capital and ended up with Dion Jordan, Dallas Thomas and Jamar Taylor. The draft is a gamble. Thinking that we are going to hit on every draft pick is the definition insanity.

Well, since the past is only guide to the future, then why even bother until 2072?