Zach's Numbers Are Killing Him

[Dphins4me]

The Dolphins have played 2 full games in 2 years w/o Zach:

2004 against Buffalo - 362 yds, 42pts
2003 against Tennessee - 324 - 31pts.

Now they may not be THE 2 worst performances by our defense overall, but look how our defense averages out without him in the lineup.

So how is getting rid of Zach actually going to help us?

Fine his salary is off the books......but by numbers, it's at too big of an expense? Can Pope play in this league? Looks like he can? But can he be one of the best LB's in the game and the HEART of the D??

And trade Zach?? For what exactly a 4th round pick. If his value has fallen so far in the Phin's eyes that they were willing to trade him......what would another team be willing to give? Someone brought up Seau.....what did we give up for him a 5th (I'm not taking the time to verify)?? Is that worth losing Zach for??

I think that we'd immediately go from a top 10 D, to one that gives up 30 per game........just look at the numbers.

Just wanted to point out that both games did have a pick returned for a TD so the point total is a little tilted. As Buffalo had a kickoff return for a TD. So there is 14 points the D could do nothing about.

Zach is not that important to the Phins D. I'd be happy if Miami could just get out from under his deal after next season.

 

[muscle979]

Sooner or later ZT is not gonna be of any use to us; no play value, no trade value.

He's in his ninth year, puts up phenomenal numbers, therefore, now is the time to get something for him.

Linebackers these days have an average career span of what? 10 years?

He has never missed this many games and as you get older, you're not gonna heal any faster.

Do you really think that we will win a Superbowl by retaining him in his final years?

Soon he'll begin avoiding contact for fear of re-injury, merely existing out on the field.

I say that 10 years is the average career span of linebackers. It's more like 8 productive ones and ZT's 2004 numbers prove that he's more than just average.

Coakley - 8
Butkus - 9
Offerdahl - 9
Singletary - 11
Lambert - 11 and after year 8 productivity declined.

Sure, there are the exceptions:
LT - 13 (altogether different defense and how they used him)
Jack Ham - 12

But in three more years, what will be more important:

ZT retires a Dolphin
or
The Dolphins reach The Superbowl !!!

???

Pro-active thinking ......

Enough with the "trade our best players" threads. Really. Zach will be fine. where's Junior Seau on your list?? He's been productive many years.

 

[Boomer]

Sooner or later ZT is not gonna be of any use to us; no play value, no trade value.

He's in his ninth year, puts up phenomenal numbers, therefore, now is the time to get something for him.

Linebackers these days have an average career span of what? 10 years?

He has never missed this many games and as you get older, you're not gonna heal any faster.

Do you really think that we will win a Superbowl by retaining him in his final years?

Soon he'll begin avoiding contact for fear of re-injury, merely existing out on the field.

I say that 10 years is the average career span of linebackers. It's more like 8 productive ones and ZT's 2004 numbers prove that he's more than just average.

Coakley - 8
Butkus - 9
Offerdahl - 9
Singletary - 11
Lambert - 11 and after year 8 productivity declined.

Sure, there are the exceptions:
LT - 13 (altogether different defense and how they used him)
Jack Ham - 12

But in three more years, what will be more important:

ZT retires a Dolphin
or
The Dolphins reach The Superbowl !!!

???

Pro-active thinking ......

Oh God we've got another fantasy trader. Listen, the MOST you are going to get for Zach Thomas is a 5th rounder. Maybe a 4th to someone really desperate. But how many teams employ the same scheme as Miami??? Very few. 9 years of being beaten upon as a small linebacker.

Wake up. Be realistic. The trade value for Thomas isn't worth the process.

 

[Brad528]

Sooner or later ZT is not gonna be of any use to us; no play value, no trade value.

He's in his ninth year, puts up phenomenal numbers, therefore, now is the time to get something for him.

Linebackers these days have an average career span of what? 10 years?

He has never missed this many games and as you get older, you're not gonna heal any faster.

Do you really think that we will win a Superbowl by retaining him in his final years?

Soon he'll begin avoiding contact for fear of re-injury, merely existing out on the field.

I say that 10 years is the average career span of linebackers. It's more like 8 productive ones and ZT's 2004 numbers prove that he's more than just average.

Coakley - 8
Butkus - 9
Offerdahl - 9
Singletary - 11
Lambert - 11 and after year 8 productivity declined.

Sure, there are the exceptions:
LT - 13 (altogether different defense and how they used him)
Jack Ham - 12

But in three more years, what will be more important:

ZT retires a Dolphin
or
The Dolphins reach The Superbowl !!!

???

Pro-active thinking ......

What do you mean he has never missed this many games. Hasnt he only missed one so far and now it will be two. DId i miss something is he done for the year or what

 

[ErroneousFlint]

What do you mean he has never missed this many games. Hasnt he only missed one so far and now it will be two. DId i miss something is he done for the year or what

just copy your words and wait.

 

[ErroneousFlint]

Oh God we've got another fantasy trader. Listen, the MOST you are going to get for Zach Thomas is a 5th rounder. Maybe a 4th to someone really desperate. But how many teams employ the same scheme as Miami??? Very few. 9 years of being beaten upon as a small linebacker.

Wake up. Be realistic. The trade value for Thomas isn't worth the process.

truth of the matter is: neither of us, no one knows what will happen from now until april. you still didnt answer me as to the difference between seau's out from SD and ZT's prospective out from Miami. are you gonna say that ZT doesnt want out ??? no, youre gonna ask me if i know.

 

[ErroneousFlint]

ok, this is not for the ZT sentimentalists but this is for those who mention how we'd get killed by the cap hit:

what is the difference between the seau out of SD and ZT out of Miami cap situation? i've asked in the past and nobody has an answer.

 

[A/C Dorsal]

lets just keep him on as the "tackling coach" his future value is in coaching and he is the greatest tackling machine of all time. you cant stiff-arm Zach. he can bring you down by your laces and if you try to juke he just hits that much harder. perhaps he can teach those skills to others.

 

[GatorsFins23]

lets just keep him on as the "tackling coach" his future value is in coaching and he is the greatest tackling machine of all time. you cant stiff-arm Zach. he can bring you down by your laces and if you try to juke he just hits that much harder. perhaps he can teach those skills to others.

Yeah....I think he retires here and becomes our LB coach. I mean, why not? The guy is a Miami icon, he'll without a doubt have the respect of the LBs, and hes familiar with the players we have and the scheme we like to run. Just watch...a couple years and this is gonna happen, IMO.

 

[Finfan80]

lets just keep him on as the "tackling coach" his future value is in coaching and he is the greatest tackling machine of all time. you cant stiff-arm Zach. he can bring you down by your laces and if you try to juke he just hits that much harder. perhaps he can teach those skills to others.

See: Curtis Martin; Priest Holmes

 

[muscle979]

Oh God we've got another fantasy trader. Listen, the MOST you are going to get for Zach Thomas is a 5th rounder. Maybe a 4th to someone really desperate. But how many teams employ the same scheme as Miami??? Very few. 9 years of being beaten upon as a small linebacker.

Wake up. Be realistic. The trade value for Thomas isn't worth the process.

You can get more than that. I don't know what planet you're living on. You just really think all of our players are pieces of crap I guess. And don't try to say you're being realistic or anything like that. zach is not done yet, not by a longshot and he's proved he's good enough for at least a 2nd from anybody who needed a great linebacker. He's always at the top of the league in tackles, I'd hardly call that being "beaten upon." I'm glad players who work like him don't hear some of these comments about how low some of you think their value is. A 5th rounder?? Dang, I'm almost offended and I don't even know him, i'm just a fan.