No one has Miami better than 8-8. I understand that. Odds are against a bunch of free agents coming together in one year. I like what they did with the youth. But, there is a reality to this and there are some weaknesses at key spots on the OL and RT is still very young and raw without many starts. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000230255/article/afc-east-preview-not-buying-the-miami-dolphins-hype
The key to FAs or even a draft pick's first year performance is scheme fit. Are you asking them to do the same thing they're already good at or are you asking them to learn and adapt their game? IMO it's too simplistic to say that any group of FAs is unlikely to come together in one year, but the media rarely goes beyond the simple sound byte in their analysis.
In the text they call out the O-line and Wallace. I see small concern with the O-line, and NO concern on Wallace. WTF are they reading? They're certainly not watching practices, etc. "Not buying the Dolphins hype" who is hyping them, besides some optimistic fans on these type boards? And for the record, F*** Rosenthal...he's always been an asshat.
I don't want to overestimate what they can accomplish looking thru my aqua goggles,but Rosenthal is not buying into them for sure. But just look at his opinion from last year and you will feel mo' better.
I have been very reserved on my expectations so far and for the same reasons they have. It does seem to take time for a team to 'come together' as a team. I hope it works, but...............I am keeping my expectations in check. I don't mind the talking heads not expecting much either.
Agreed, but just like when you see/read an opinion that has obviously only superficial knowledge of a team or a sport, it provides guidance on how much credence (if any) you should give it.
It's a tough first five games; And I don't think we have a good Dec but I'm thinking if they play with their heads and hold on to interceptions, we'll go 10-6 1 SEP 8 1:00PMEDT * AT BROWNS W 2 SEP 15 1:00PMEDT * AT COLTS W 3 SEP 22 4:05PMEDT ) FALCONS L 4 SEP 30 8:40PMEDT + AT SAINTS W 5 OCT 6 1:00PMEDT * RAVENS L 6 BYE 7 OCT 20 1:00PMEDT * BILLS W 8 OCT 27 1:00PMEDT * AT PATRIOTS L 9 OCT 31 8:25PMEDT , BENGALS W 10 NOV 11 8:40PMEST + AT BUCCANEERS W 11 NOV 17 1:00PMEST * CHARGERS W
12 NOV 24 1:00PMEST ) PANTHERS W 13 DEC 1 1:00PMEST * AT JETS W 14 DEC 8 1:00PMEST * AT STEELERS L 15 DEC 15 1:00PMEST * PATRIOTS L 16 DEC 22 1:00PMEST * AT BILLS L 17 DEC 29 1:00PMEST * JETS W
Totally agree. Doing dumb **** like signing Albert haynesworth then having him play out of position, for example, in a different scheme. Or drafting Glenn Dorsey and doing the same.
Sadly, if the O-line underperforms it will drastically reduce Wallace's opportunities to catch deep balls and then the media will say Wallace didn't perform up to his contract. Truth may be that our LT and RG don't perform up to Wallace's contract.
The real truth may be that our dumb GM spent all this money on the offense and then traded up, dumped a pick, and didn't shore up the OL. Brilliant.
The o-line already has been shored up...... Clabo makes for 3 pro-bowl caliber players... add a Promising young LT in Martin.... And we've basically got our panties In a bunch over injuries at RG, and impatience with a young player that struggled being switched around as a rookie. The GM would have been really dumb to move all the way up to #3 for Lane Johnson, stand pat for Fluker, or Trade for and pay Albert like your probably suggesting. I'll take his dumb over your smart. I know you guys expect rookies to arrive in their prime, but the line wasn't going to be shored for 2013 by adding rookies, and Jake Long was the best FA available, so..... Regardless we are most Definitley a much better team than last year overall. 8 wins easy.
Was it dumb or brilliant? Or both. Or was one serious and one not? Kidding. Hey, the train has left the station. We're on the train. Let's hope the OL we have develops fast.
The media got all hyped up and burned the last 2 years on Philly then Buffalo with their offseason additions. They just don't want to look like fools again.......to late.
I'm not sure if you draft BPA versus need that early in the draft, or if Dion Jordan is better than lane Johnson. Jordan graded higher than Johnson but he didn't grade as high as Ansah. [TABLE="class: players-grid-table, width: 100%"] [TR="class: header-row"] [TD="class: col-pick-fat"]Pick [/TD] [TD="class: col-teamext"]Team [/TD] [TD="class: col-player"]Player [/TD] [TD="class: col-pos"]Pos [/TD] [TD="class: col-height"]Ht [/TD] [TD="class: col-weight"]Wt [/TD] [TD="class: col-college"]College [/TD] [TD="class: col-grade"]Grade [/TD] [TD="class: col-video"]Grade [/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row-collapsed odd current"] [TD="class: grad toggle expandable"][/TD] [TD="class: grad round-pick"]1(1) [/TD] [TD="class: col-pick"]Chiefs [/TD] [TD]Fisher, Eric [/TD] [TD]OT [/TD] [TD]6'7" [/TD] [TD]306 [/TD] [TD]Central Michigan [/TD] [TD]94.0 [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row analysis-row-collapsed current"] [TD="colspan: 2"][/TD] [TD="colspan: 8"]Pick Analysis: null [/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row-collapsed even"] [TD="class: grad toggle expandable"][/TD] [TD="class: grad round-pick"]2(2) [/TD] [TD="class: col-pick"]Jaguars [/TD] [TD]Joeckel, Luke [/TD] [TD]OT [/TD] [TD]6'6" [/TD] [TD]306 [/TD] [TD]Texas A&M [/TD] [TD]95.3 [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row analysis-row-collapsed"] [TD="colspan: 2"][/TD] [TD="colspan: 8"]Pick Analysis: null [/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row-collapsed odd"] [TD="class: grad toggle expandable"][/TD] [TD="class: grad round-pick"]3(3) [/TD] [TD="class: col-pick"]Dolphins (From Raiders) [/TD] [TD]Jordan, Dion [/TD] [TD]DE [/TD] [TD]6'6" [/TD] [TD]248 [/TD] [TD]Oregon [/TD] [TD]93.5 [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row analysis-row-collapsed"] [TD="colspan: 2"][/TD] [TD="colspan: 8"]Pick Analysis: null [/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row-collapsed even"] [TD="class: grad toggle expandable"][/TD] [TD="class: grad round-pick"]4(4) [/TD] [TD="class: col-pick"]Eagles [/TD] [TD]Johnson, Lane [/TD] [TD]OT [/TD] [TD]6'6" [/TD] [TD]303 [/TD] [TD]Oklahoma [/TD] [TD]92.9 [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row analysis-row-collapsed"] [TD="colspan: 2"][/TD] [TD="colspan: 8"]Pick Analysis: null [/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: analysis-row-collapsed odd"] [TD="class: grad toggle expandable"][/TD] [TD="class: grad round-pick"]5(5) [/TD] [TD="class: col-pick"]Lions [/TD] [TD]Ansah, Ziggy [/TD] [TD]DE [/TD] [TD]6'5" [/TD] [TD]271 [/TD] [TD]BYU [/TD] [TD]93.8 [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
Depends on who is doing the grading... not taking anything away from Ziggy, but DJordan has abilities and potential that Ziggy never will have, so what the chart doesn't reflect is how the player will be used and whether he is a scheme fit for what our defense wants from him. No doubt they evaluated all DE/OLBs and went with who gave them the most potential.
I just don't see the Dolphins going 3-2 over the first five games. I hope you are right, but I think they will go 1-4 over this stretch of games. I think they will lose both the Patriots games and they will go 3-1 or 2-2 against the Bills and Jets. I also think they will lose to the Bengals and Steelers. So I see them winning 6 or 7 games at most this season. I prefer your prediction to mine and I would love to see this team win 10 games this year. I just think that the offense is going to continue to struggle this year because of the inexperience at RB and a very mediocre offensive line. Tannehill still needs to show that he is the long term answer at the QB position for the Dolphins and to me, he still remains a huge question mark.
If not for two dropped INT's we would have beat Indy last year. We are favored by 3 over the Browns. I think the worst we do is 2-3 to start out. This schedule against the AFC South and Central is tougher than last year's against the AFC West and NFC East but I believe we got swept by the East again dropping games we should have won against Dallas and the Giants. If this Offense performs just a tad better than last years, then I think 10-6 is possible. We have a cushion against the Pats, because it's not a give that we lose both of them. No telling what kind of team they are this year. I believe where we fall short against the Pats and some other teams is coaching.
While I agree that the first 5 games are scary, IMO we're more talented than the Browns, Colts and Ravens. Those teams are good enough that they could beat us, but I wouldn't bet against Miami in those three. The other two games are against teams that are more talented than us, but we are good enough that we could beat those guys as well. My guess is that the most likely outcomes are 2-3 or 3-2.