What if: Jimmy Johnson Edition

[SF Dolphin Fan]

I always have some great football conversations with my brother. We started talking about Jimmy Johnson and what might have been if he had drafted Ray Lewis instead of Darryl Gardener and Randy Moss over John Avery. My intention isn't to make this a negative post, but rather to have a healthy conversation as to what might have been.

We're talking about adding two Hall of Famers here. Now I realize there were red flags with both players. But at the time the Dolphins really needed wide receiver help and, while Dan Marino was on his way down, can you imagine adding one of the best of all-time. Johnson really wanted to establish a power running game much like he had in Dallas and that made some sense. However, the Dolphins offensive line was built for pass blocking and Miami didn't have anyone who resembled Emmitt Smith. Anyway, I think if Johnson had made the move for Moss that would have been an amazing combination with Dan.

As to Lewis, Johnson did manage to land a pretty good linebacker in the 5th round that year. Zach Thomas is one of the Dolphin greats. But Lewis all these years later is still someone that opposing offenses have to account for.

So what do you think? Do the Dolphins make it to the super bowl with those two changes. How would that have impacted this team over the years?

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

I always have some great football conversations with my brother. We started talking about Jimmy Johnson and what might have been if he had drafted Ray Lewis instead of Darryl Gardener and Randy Moss over John Avery. My intention isn't to make this a negative post, but rather to have a healthy conversation as to what might have been.

We're talking about adding two Hall of Famers here. Now I realize there were red flags with both players. But at the time the Dolphins really needed wide receiver help and, while Dan Marino was on his way down, can you imagine adding one of the best of all-time. Johnson really wanted to establish a power running game much like he had in Dallas and that made some sense. However, the Dolphins offensive line was built for pass blocking and Miami didn't have anyone who resembled Emmitt Smith. Anyway, I think if Johnson had made the move for Moss that would have been an amazing combination with Dan.

As to Lewis, Johnson did manage to land a pretty good linebacker in the 5th round that year. Zach Thomas is one of the Dolphin greats. But Lewis all these years later is still someone that opposing offenses have to account for.

So what do you think? Do the Dolphins make it to the super bowl with those two changes. How would that have impacted this team over the years?

Randy Moss still would have had Dave Wannstedt on the sidelines and Jay Fiedler throwing him the ball, most likely.

 

[utahphinsfan]

Randy Moss still would have had Dave Wannstedt on the sidelines and Jay Fiedler throwing him the ball, most likely.

You mean JF trying to throw an 8 yd out on 3rd & 3 after two dives by Ricky W?

 

[zackmandude63]

Imagine Ray & Zach together??!

 

[tcdrover]

What if Saban hadn't brought in Culpepper and had kept Ferrotte as the starter his second year here?

We almost made the playoffs his first year here. JT had his all time best year didn't he?

JJ had all the time and power but he couldn't deal with the shadow of Marino. If Marino had retired JJ would probably have done better.

 

[fishfanmiami]

What if Yatil Green , our 1st round receiver brought in for Dan ,had not got injured ?

s**t happens

if we had taken Ray Lewis Zach may have been traded or never would have seen the field except on special teams. i don't see him as an outside backer.

I'm still glad we stayed with Zach. Our defense was alway good under him it was the offense that always held us back. Ray would have only been a little better. Zach was terriffic as it was.

 

[CedarPhin]

The D always had a penchant for choking at inopportune times too, though.

 

[LANGER72]

JJ did not have the desire anymore after the death of his mother. Wayne H forcing Shula to retirement 5 years early created all the losing we have been suffering with for the last decade. I would have trusted Don Shula's heir apparent successor 2000 more than a burned out JJ in 1996. He tried to quit on us in 1998, but Wayne begged him to come back.
Shula had assembled a playoff team that under achieved 1994 and JJ just dumped most of the offense to the curb and turned a big play offense to a "efficient" one. This was the beginning of all the losing.
Philbin is a breath of fresh air and I like how the staff is going about the business of building a winner.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Zach Thomas was a five time first team all pro -- playing during the same span of time as Ray Lewis. He's also never tried to cover up a murder committed by his friends, to my knowledge. So uhm, yeah.

 

[fishfanmiami]

The D always had a penchant for choking at inopportune times too, though.

i left that part out to make my point :)

 

[Stefins]

who knows how many people Ray and his crew would have killed if he was in Miami.
Maybe J.J did the right thing and saved lives.

 

[fishfanmiami]

JJ did not have the desire anymore after the death of his mother. Wayne H forcing Shula to retirement 5 years early created all the losing we have been suffering with for the last decade. I would have trusted Don Shula's heir apparent successor 2000 more than a burned out JJ in 1996. He tried to quit on us in 1998, but Wayne begged him to come back.
Shula had assembled a playoff team that under achieved 1994 and JJ just dumped most of the offense to the curb and turned a big play offense to a "efficient" one. This was the beginning of all the losing.
Philbin is a breath of fresh air and I like how the staff is going about the business of building a winner.

This site probably was not up back then but Dolphin fans I knew LOVED Shula but felt the game had somewhat passed him by. Not saying that was true but it was the pervading thought. When a two time SB winner and former Canes coach became available they jumped on it.
Then Shula was pushed aside with no reguard which really pissed me off. The first thing Jimmy did was take down all the pictures and anything relating to our great history. His huge ego took over and you know the rest.

That's one of the things I like about Philbin. You can celebrate the past and still move forward towards the future.
All the signs and pictures are back up. Reminders of a team that reached perfection and establish the highest standard.

 

[miamiron]

who knows how many people Ray and his crew would have killed if he was in Miami.
.

Hopefully every Jet fan

 

[LANGER72]

This site probably was not up back then but Dolphin fans I knew LOVED Shula but felt the game had somewhat passed him by. Not saying that was true but it was the pervading thought. When a two time SB winner and former Canes coach became available they jumped on it.
Then Shula was pushed aside with no reguard which really pissed me off. The first thing Jimmy did was take down all the pictures and anything relating to our great history. His huge ego took over and you know the rest.

That's one of the things I like about Philbin. You can celebrate the past and still move forward towards the future.
All the signs and pictures are back up. Reminders of a team that reached perfection and establish the highest standard.

Shula had us in the AFC championship game and divisional playoffs during the early 90's. If that is "the game is passing him by"...I will take it. We got unlucky in San Diego, in Cleveland(Marino's Achilles tendon), and struggled to beat Buffalo when it counted. Shula was doing the job well until he was replaced IMHO.. water under the bridge. As much as I liked Wayne as a businessman, I still questioned that one.

 

[tazthenomad]

JJ did not have the desire anymore after the death of his mother. Wayne H forcing Shula to retirement 5 years early created all the losing we have been suffering with for the last decade. I would have trusted Don Shula's heir apparent successor 2000 more than a burned out JJ in 1996. He tried to quit on us in 1998, but Wayne begged him to come back.
Shula had assembled a playoff team that under achieved 1994 and JJ just dumped most of the offense to the curb and turned a big play offense to a "efficient" one. This was the beginning of all the losing.
Philbin is a breath of fresh air and I like how the staff is going about the business of building a winner.

Exactly. Coach Johnson IMO did us a real disservice by hanging on after he started going into the tank. Also, IMO he underachieved in Dallas even before he came here. When he did go he left us with Wandstat (kind of like Parcells and Sparano) - the gift that kept on giving.

Wondering if Coach Johnson had drafted these two is a little like wondering what would have happened if Saban had gone after Brees instead of Culpepper.