The Trenches: The Dolphins are a Very Talented Team

I personally wouldn't want to be handcuffed going into the draft knowing we'd have to come away with a starting tackle among our first 3 picks (and possibly be forced to take one with our 1st pick depending on how the draft and board shapes up). I'd rather go with the guaranteed talent by re-signing Long, then go BPA in the draft, especially considering the depth of talent at pass rusher at the top of the draft as well as a few playmaking receivers. My only exception would be if Jon Martin is looking studly enough by the end of the year to where we could feel comfortable about moving him to LT.

 

So he wasn't great for the second straight game.

And bpk's medical contacts belive his knee is nowhere near 100%.

I get no joy in highlighting any of this.

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First of all, I'd prefer we resign Jake if at all possible, but even if we don't we shouldn't need to draft one high. I'd expect the contingency plan would be move Martin to LT, and either move Jerry to RT, or sign one as a UFA, or draft one in the mid rounds. I could see Jerry moving outside and Samuda get moved into the lineup at RG next year, IF, Jake isn't resigned.

 

And, so is Sean Smith.

 

Last season, PFF rated Brown slightly ahead of Thomas. They were the 3rd and 4th LTs respectively. This season, Brown is picking up where he left off, and is the 4th LT currently, while Thomas is way down the list at 24th LT.

The problem is Cleveland overpaid for Thomas. Hopefully, Brown's deal helps balance things out a little for franchise LTs.

 

What concerns me is that in Hard Knocks, in his 5th year, he has more armor on his knee than an armored truck.

 

If you refer to Jake, he has worn those knee braces since he was in college.

 

There isn't any evidence that there is anything wrong with him based on his play on the field.

 

IMO, had someone offered us a 2nd for Smith instead of Davis, we'd have taken that.

There wasn't an effort to get rid of Vontae. The opportunity presented itself.

 

Miami's strength has always been run defense. That hasn't changed. I expect this team to do well against teams whose only strength is running the ball.

I still expect their secondary to be exploited by more potent passing attacks. And for us to not have the play makers to keep up when that happens.

Don't get me wrong, it was a great win for Philbin, Tannehill, and the whole organization. But it doesn't change any of my opinions about the GM...yet.

 

Agreed. It was fun and great to see, but nothing has structurally changed. If we keep winning then maybe it's a different story.

But what happens when Revis locks down on Hartline?

What would actually impress me and start changing my mind on Ireland is if he is able to take advatage of situations that might come up. Say at the trade deadline we are relatively in the race, KC is out of it and is interested in dealing Bowe. Would we make that move to improve our chances to win now?

 

Agree with all of this except "yet." jeff will always be a low ceiling player talent evaluator.

 

His performance vs. the Raiders was not in his top 10% of performances as a Dolphin and it should have been, unless you have a higher opinion of the Raiders front seven than I do.

That performance was fine if he faced Houston, Dallas, Pittsburgh, etc...

 

Well, I tend to agree but if these recent draft picks and past draft picks can contribute and get this team to a winning season somehow, I'd have to change my mind a bit. Lamar Miller did look good yesterday. And I'm guessing the line (Martin & Jerry) must have played well too even though I was at a bar watching a little TV and couldn't really make an opinion one way or the other.

But I agree, I'm not sure if Ireland will every place the appropriate amount of value on certain skill positions. I'll try to keep an open mind though.

 

I know a lot of people won't agree, but I truly think Ireland adopts the philosophies of his boss or coach. I think he drafted exactly the right players for a Parcellian team (I just think a Parcells blueprint is out dated and not effective in today's NFL), last year he was rudderless and it showed, and this year he drafted exactly the right players for a Philbin-led team.

 

Even if that's true you've still got to find good players.

Egnew may be a great fit for the system, but if he can't even get on the field then it's a bad pick.

 

Quite frankly that's a ludicrous assumption at this point. 2 games so far. Some guys need to develop some and its insane for you to be playing the bust card already.

 

But don't you think a Philbin-led team requires more talented wide outs?

 

Never called hima bust, but when a 3rd round pick can't even get active, at a need position on the team, that's a problem. Sorry, it just is.

So settle down there chief.

 

Yes, but my god it also required a QB and a right side of the line. QB and Tackle were bigger holes than WR and that's your 1st 2 picks. I will never understand how the entire grade of this offseason hinges on the effing WR spot and NOT the QB and right side of the line. Hell look at the first two games, what would our record look like with an awesome WR? 1-1. Our WRs sucked when went 11-5. The right of our oline sucked and we went 6-10. Our QB was poor and we went 7-9 twice.

 

Its not a problem at all. You're manufacturing issues that aren't there. Its typical though.

 

So you don't think it was possible to either keep Marshall or swap him out for a replacement?

I'm fine with trading him, if you have a plan to replace him.

 

Thats like saying Rhianna shouldn't have broken up with Chris Brown until she found a replacement.

 

Pretty much what Section said. Ireland created the hole at WR without a plan to replace it.

 

He has been replaced. Brian Hartline just outproduced him on fewer targets and didn't drop passes like Brandon does.

Brandon Marshall has been targeted 20 times with a 55% catch rate and 7.2 yards per target.

Brian Hartline has been targeted 20 times with a 60% catch rate and 8.1 yards per target.

 

From the draft? No. Not when we needed a QB and RT. After the first 2 rounds you aren't picking to replace a Marshall.

In FA? I'm guessing not. I don't really think there was a significant upgrade that was merely a stopgap, outside of CJ. I don't think the plan is too build this team in FA. It takes longer not too, but its so much better in the long run. There's a reason the Steelers & the Packers are always good regardless of the decade. They may get a part here and there, but the fit has to not only match on field production it has to fit the culture as well. Before Marshall was released no one thought we were going anywhere this year, I don't know why people pretend we would have with him.

Marshall had to go, because he caused problems. Replacing him is important but not at the cost of hurting the cap or missing on your QB & RT of the future.

 

To be fair, Brian Hartline has failed to make a coach quit. Nor has he effectively berated his QB on the sideline.

 

No it isn't. I think the plan was to bring a low risk FA on a one year stop gap, and then be positioned in next year's draft and FA to make a splash. That's exactly what we did so far.

 

Yeah, because how much "credibility" I have as a fan on an internet message board is super important. For the record, I'd like to come out of this with 0 credibility and have every single one of Ireland's draft picks pan out and get Miami to a winning season this year. I'd like to see Brandon Marshall and VD stroke out every game and prove to be epic bums. I'd like to see Jeff Ireland make good use of the picks he received for both. That's my hope. But it's my fears that I'm speculating will be realized when the season is in the books.

 

Like nearly every single thing you've posted since the season starts, that's not how it works in real life. You don't inherently give up sacks or pressures to the best opponents, and more than likely than not the issue is Long was banged up on that series than anything temporarily.

 

How is it not a problem?

Wouldn't it help to have production out of a 3rd round pick who plays a position of need for us?

 

Certainly would have helped to have street FAs have production at position of needs. It would help if Ryan Tannehill was the #1 rated QB in the NFL. That doesn't make these realistic expectations or reasonable points of criticism at this point.

I think if you look at TEs that were comparable to Egnew, immediate production is not something that can be expected.

 

The lines have played excellently in the run game.

I'm less impressed with the pass rushing and pass blocking. How quickly we forget the theory that some of the tipped pass problem was on the line.

We have also spent a tremendous amount of resources on both lines, including lots of resources, on players no longer here.

If they were not having some success, it would be an epic failure.