What i fear about this team heading into next year..... | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

What i fear about this team heading into next year.....

SpaceMountain16

SpaceMountain16

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We all know that this was a terrific season in which the Dolphins played great football en route to restoring some order to the turmoil that had over taken the organization. They didn't win the Super Bowl but they satisfied us as fans personally because they made the team worth watching again.

However i think my personal concerns about whether this team will be able to win the AFC East or make the playoffs again are mounting.

I hate to put it like this, but this team seemed like lightning in a bottle. Starting just 2-4 and then catching some favorable breaks (mainly in the schedule) before reeling off 9 of 10 and winning the division. Winning 9 out of 10 games is no easy accomplishment no matter who you play, not in the NFL but you'd have to assume with our schedule on paper next year it will be a hell of a lot harder to do especially if Tom Brady is back and the Jets find a QB who doesn't completely give away games.

I don't want to say this team "overachieved" or even "got lucky" like many bitter Jets and Patriots fans are right now. We still beat the Patriots head to head, we still beat the Chargers head to head, we still beat the Broncos in Denver and the Jets in New York. So luck is out of the equation. Overachieving is too, i know players like Devone Bess had solid years, Martin, Fasano at times, Camarillo when he was healthy. But i don't believe these guys are players who will drop off the map, i think we can get the same or even more production out of them next year. But then again maybe someone like Chad Pennington did overachieve, it's hard to imagine he will be able to repeat his turnover free performances and efficient play much like David Garrard was unable to this past season. If he can't, we're fried.

Another key is health. We were lucky enough to remain a relatively healthy team this season with our key players not going down. We lost Camarillo we lost Justin Smiley and some other players had injuries that hindered their play but it was nothing too major. What if we don't have this luck next year? Lone behold Ronnie Brown's knee troubles him again and he goes down for the season. Pennington's shoulder? Knock on wood for both of those guys. Not unlikely scenarios.

Basically what i'm saying is this front office is going to have to make some CRUCIAL moves to keep this team a contender next year. On paper right now i don't think this team is going to get 11 wins next year. I think we're going to need a true #1 WR, a corner and/or safety to sure up the secondary, and a defensive lineman who can create pressure on his own against a QB. If we aren't able to address those areas, or address them with the wrong people, we're going to take a step back for sure next year.

At least Bill Parcells/Jeff Ireland/Tony Sparano is on our side.
 
Yeah I think it's going to be tough to replicate the win total from this year. The schedule will be harder and we are undoubtedly going to have some unexpected injuries. I don't think any of the players overachieved so I don't think we'll see much of a slide from that perspective but I do think we've seen the top end of Pennington's game. Maybe not though, if the rest of the offense can improve around him. The front office definitely cannot rest on this year's success.
 
Yep, I don't think next season will nearly be as successful - we'll probably enter the season with high expectations after some neat offseason moves, but the schedule will beat us down and yes, maybe things won't be quite as lucky.

But that's how you become a contender - every year is good as long as you don't sink to the bottom half of the league. I think we'll still be playing meaningful games in December next year, even if we don't end up matching our win total from this year or repeat as AFCE champs.
 
I think losing both starting Guards and an extremely dependable WR makes a huge difference. Our schedule was perceived as weak and we squeaked by alot of these teams because of these injuries, had the line been healthy all year most of those games would have beed comfortable victories. We still have a long way to go for most FO's but I think this one will do the right moves again and have us back in contention next year aswell.
 
I would not be surprised to see a Cleveland situation with the dolphins. Everyone thought Cleveland was going to be good this year based on what they had done the year before, and look what happened. I think that the dolphins overachieved this year and won't have as good of a record the next go-around. The dolphins had a good record against poor teams (8-0), but against teams that were 500 or better, the dolphins didn't do too well (3-5). I think at best, the dolphins will go 8-8 next season.
 
I think its WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY to early to say. You just never know.
 
The Dolphins are in the best position cap-wise in the league being almost $30 Million under the cap currently.. We added 4 draft picks for this years draft.

We have a fantastic front office who knows what kinds of players to bring in. The only bad signing was Wilford, still though every team doesn't strike 100% with their signings- the trifecta did AWESOME considering the dolphins had the fewest drafted players on any roster last season (in the entire league).

The trifecta had very little to work with coming into this season and we still won the AFC east and beat every team in our division.

Our QB position is solidified going into next season with Penny and Henne. When was the last time you could say our QB position was solidified heading into a season ?

We will be fine and win 10+ games next year with another playoff run, and we'll be a much better team than this year. The Dolphins will be much better at rushing the passer next year. Even though we were the worst in the league at stopping the run last year, this year we improved in that area a lot- and look for the run defense to improve even more next year.. And of course, we will have a better offensive line next year with a better running game. And likely a better receiving corps.
 
We will be better next year. We may or may not reach 11 wins. But you have to look at it logically not just set yourself up for a pleasant surprise if we win and be pessimistic all the time. We have a great QB in my opinion. we have a great coaching staff and front office. we have solid players that are only going to improve. I think we should sign the one or two players like bell to keep him here and then use our extra cap space to bring in a young stud or too from the draft and sure our selves up with more hungry young free agents. I personally dont see this as a fluke year or a lucky year by any stretch. its cliche' but every single team in this entire leaque is a contender on "any given sunday" its just true. Last season Baltimore was the ONLY team we beat YETT they should have could have and really deserved to beat the Patriots, who were the prized 18-0 going into the superbowl and enjoyed arguements for them being the best team in history. If you win esp. in the fourth quarter and due to a great turnover diferential plus you overcome injuries you are a GOOD team. With a great TE corps. Decent O line and running backs we need only a few more peices to become that much more dominant...i cant wait for next year..
 
The team will build on this year,not rest on this seasons success. We finally have people who know what they are doing.You grow and adapt,evolve, get better or you stagnate like Detroit,Cleveland, Cincinnati,Oakland ext. I expect CP to have similar success.He will be just as motivated as this year with his poor performance the last game.
 
We have the same schedule as every other team in the afc east. That meens we need to be the best team in the east. We can be that team very easily. The bills are no good the jets are going backwards and the patriots are getting old. The patriots are loosing their core of coaches and management. Look at the chargers 8-8 gets you in the playoffs, you dont have to win 11. We are the best in the AFC east right now why should that change?
 
Well it's true, our schedule looks a lot tougher next year. But consider some things if you need a little optimisim.
1. We are on a 3 year plan anyway. We won't have a Cleveland situation. Cleveland went for bust and had an odd QB situation. (They now know they should have traded Anderson before the season). They gave away all their draft picks and signed some big name FA's to make a run they weren't ready for. We had success while breaking in a rookie LT, grooming a young QB (or two), and adding some beef to our lines. Also, our coaching was really stellar.
2. At the begining of the year, Ireland was asked what he wanted to accomplish this year. What he said was he wanted a good idea of this team's needs. We got that and much more.
3. AFC South and NFC South plus Pitt and SD is about as tough a schedule as you can draw. But we're going to have another solid draft and be a lot more talented next season. Soon it'll be, "damn, we have to play Miami next season."
4. It will probably be a two horse race for the division next year between us and NE. Apparently Brady's knee still is behind schedule, and with Cassel franchised, it's looking like he, and not Brady, will lead the team. And even if Brady does lead the team, it's not going to be the 16-0 juggernaut of last year.
 
I think we may do what the Cowboys did when Parcells took over. They went to the playoffs the first year but took a step back year two. But this year shows FAs that we are good again. This will make it easier to sign people. Calvin pace would be a Dolphin if he would of known what was to come. I think we will get guys we usually haven't gotten because of our Front Office. Also we have another draft where we pick up more guys that our FO wants to have playing for us.

I'm a half glass full kind of guy so imagine next year, a completely healthy Ronnie Brown from the start, Cp has off season and TC with Cam, Ginn, and Bess as well as with Fasano, Martin, and Haynos. Ginnn wll only be better next year, same with Bess and Fasano. Jake will be another year improved. Hopefully Thomas and Smiley come back and we add some mroe depth in FA and Draft. That's just the offense and the pieces in it. The Defense, Merling and Langford go into year two stronger and ready for a full year. Roth has time to work on his agility and lose some weight to play OLB better.

Looking at it from here we have lots of nice young players who contirbuted a ton this year. a year more experienced will only improve while adding more young talent.

GO phins
 
I think with the moves we'll make in the offseason we'll have a better team in paper going into next season......we'll also have a brutal schedule the way it looks right now....every team will know about the cat next year and it won't be easy to gain lots of yards out of that formation...at the same time we'll have some young guys with a year under their belt,both on offence and defence....One thing is for sure,if we want to win the east again and win in the playoffs we need to get a couple of pass rushers and a big WR.

Ozzy rules!!
 
I don't know why anyone would be reluctant to address legit concerns. The wins were coming like water this year, late in the season. I was dealing with a family medical concern but occasionally I'd sample a thread and we'd be frustrated that we only beat someone by a few points. That can't continue in the NFL. You scratch for anything unless you're a special team.

Next season our season win over/under will likely be 8 or 8.5. Obviously that's not an absolute, given that this season was in the 5 to 5.5 range, but it's a jolt of majority evaluation. The threads here will no doubt tout 11 to 13.
 
Guys,we'll be fine next season as long as Ross doesn't mess with our current FO,and just lets them do their jobs...we have young players who did great...this team now has a playoff game under their belts and no doubt will be hungry to get back and go even further next year...i truly believe we'll have another good to great draft...positions of need will be addressed in both FA and the draft...we have a HC that the players LOVE to play for and they RESPECT him...so in my honest opinion,we'll be fine...
 
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