That is way more than we need to just become a playoff team. We were only a few games away this year. If we were to keep all of our major FAs, all we really need is solid improvement from Tannehill and a slightly better year in the clutch from Carpenter. A dynamic WR would help with Tannehill's production and some better luck on INTs and fumble recoveries would be nice too.
I'd rather we sign Wallace than Jennings too. But, if it is Jennings, or even Bowe, I won't complain.
He probably wouldn't spend the money on a guy Philbin has inside information in and doesn't like, but Ireland's got more than just Philbin's team building philosophy to worry about.
I'm not ready to call Matthews a legit WR yet. I like some of what he's shown, but I think you need to add 2 legitimate WRs this offseason. I like Bailey a lot, but I also think there are others that would be good fits in rounds 2 or 3 as well. I agree about BPA, but I think many times there are going to be players ranked very closely and you push one ahead of another based on need and I think that will be the case with one of their 4 picks in those two rounds.
I love Wallace and what he brings but I wonder is Bowe might bd a better fit for our offense. I like his size in the red zone and as a blocker on the edge. He's better on the short to intermediate routes and has a better catch radius. We can use him outside or put him in the slot to attack the seams bc of his size. I think Philbin favors a bigger guy in the slot and I think Binns is a good candidate for that role if we don't address it in FA or the draft. If we did sign Bowe we could still go after a speedy type WR in the draft and use him for the Wallace role. IMO that's easier to accomplish than signing Wallace and looking for a high volume possession guy in the draft. All this assumes that Bowe can come in and work without being a diva or distraction in the locker room. There have been rumors of him being a headache and that'd be a deal breaker if true.
But we really can't say Bailey (or any other draftee) is a legit NFL receiver either. The team, ie, Ireland, Philbin and Sherman, should have a pretty good sense of whether Matthews will develop into a solid NFL WR. As a 4th guy, he doesn't need to be a superstar.
I'm OK with Bowe as a player. I have no real knowledge of his alleged personality or attitude issues. But I don't agree that a Wallace is easier to find in the draft than a Bowe. In addition to the great long speed, Wallace is a good receiver. Good receivers with sub-4.3 speed are not easy to find at all. 6-2, 220 lb. possession receivers are easier to find. We may even have one (well 6-0) in Matthews or Binns (well, 210). What makes you think Philbin prefers to have a bigger WR in the slot?
I think the thing is, they don't want a high volume guy like that. They appear to have pretty much told Brandon Marshall that: They took a guy who is similar in Jordy Nelson and haven't allowed him to develop into one of those players. I don't know that you can walk a guy back once they've become that kind of thing, and especially if it's a worthwhile attempt for a guy with concerns like Bowe. It seems like a fairly significant thing to throw on top of learning a new offense and keeping focused and playing well after a big pay day.
In this offense you need more than the average 4th WR IMO. They should have a good gauge on Matthews, but I would think a 2nd/3rd round WR you would have higher hopes for than him.
I'll bite. Chances are probably pretty slim that Jenning's sister knows the connection between Green Bays offense and Miami's. To mention that he should leave and get big dollars from Miami suggests that its already being discussed within those close to him that going to Miami is a possibility.
Very true. If we get wallace we will definitely need a seam busting TE. I like Wallace's game, but can anyone who watches him more than I did, comment on his red zone performance? Does he need a lot of space? He can hit a home run on any catch, but what about when you get near the red zone?
What do you think the process is for reviewing the performance of Dolphins players, especially ones that are Free Agents? I would guess that the coaching staff evaluates them, then sits down with Ireland to review each one, at which point Ireland would present the coaching staff with the Free Agents at those positions (as scouted by the Pro Player Personnel department). I'm guessing that after the meeting, the coaches and GM have agreed on a plan for each position and free agent, which I guess has to include draft possibilties too. What I'm not clear on is this: Does the Pro Player Personnel department ever evaluate our own players and rank them relative to the Free Agent class at the position (i.e. compared to other team's players? at some point someone has to do this for us to know whether 'better' is available)
I'm hopeful though that people around the league are shy to sign Jennings because of this 'injury' spectre. since it's just not a big issue, imo, it would be nice if teams blew it out of proportion and avoided him... or offered him less money so we could compete.
My guess is that the coaches go through and grade the Dolphin players (this pretty standard for every team). The HC talks to the GM about which players are performing well and which ones aren't. Then, hopefully, the HC talks about which positions he wants to upgrade and what skills he wants in those players. The GM probably floats a few names he thinks may fit those criteria and may be available. The GM may also mention some players he thinks may fit the criteria in the upcoming draft. The GM may communicate that criteria/target info to the head scout who would provide some names he thinks may fit based on what he's heard from his staff. In Ireland's case (as a former scout), he would probably then review any film he had on the names brought up and if it warrants it schedule meetings, workouts, etc. After that the HC is mostly out of it except for updates. As for our scouts grading our own players, probably not. Most likely it's just a discussion between the coach and GM where current players and prospects relative strengths and weaknesses are compared.
I haven't read through the entire thread so maybe this has been discussed. But am I the only one who thinks the thread title is misleading? Those tweets show zero evidence of Jennings coming to Miami. The only evidence it shows is that Greg Jennings has one crazy-*** sister who knows nothing about football. Here are some more of her tweets from the game courtesy of PFT:
Fair enough, missed that. But the point was more to show Jennings sister as a crazy biatch....or at the very least a tweet whore.
I think his sister would have some idea of his future opportunities.. something possibly said at the dinner table such as "Yeah I wouldn't mind playing for X team, Y team, or Z team for this price... I just don't think I'll get that at Green Bay." I think his sister is an idiot, don't get me wrong... but I'd guess she has a little inside knowledge of where he may land free agency-wise.
during the week greg jennings apparently said he rather would play in the dome than in the cold at GB
She said he should go to miami, if his sister knows very little about football, which i agree on.... than where did she come up with the Miami thing ? She claims Rodgers sucks but than suggests he get paid by Miami ? This just indicates that just maybe Greg is excited to test the market and has probably mentioned to those close to him that Miami is a viable option. That said, she's still an idiot. I don't think she came up with the Miami thing on her own. They're not from the FL area either. Family members of players really make a mess on twitter don't they !
I am going to go out on a limb here. I predict Jennings will play for the team that offers him the biggest best contract.
Watching the Pack play the Vikes. Frankly, if our offensive line could give Tannehill the time that Rogers is getting to throw the ball, we could get Jennings or get my Aunt Matilda and we would still eat defenses alive.
You don't think the honor and thrill of playing with Tannehill will get him to take a few mil less to play in Miami huh?
Rodgers helps his OL quite a bit too though. He is very mobile and aware in the pocket. His tackles aren't very good, but he knows how to move just a little at the right time to avoid rushers.
On one play, the entire line pulled to the right while Rogers rolled to the right. The right defensive end came in unblocked, but Rogers was long gone. The line leveled or jammed everyone on the right, and Rogers comfortably threw it down the right sideline and completed it. Prettiest zone blocking I've seen. No one came near him. We, on the other hand, have a perenially injured Jake Long and fat Jabba the Hutts who can't move and can't move anyone, except for Pouncey. We could put that play in to our playbook, but we wouldn't be able to execute it. That is one of our problems. Our linemen are not executing the zone blocking scheme because most are neither particularly strong nor mobile. Tannehill wouldbbenefit tremendously if the line were fixed.
My big fear with him is that he is undersized and has only played 3 full seasons out of his 7 years. Lots of injuries and missed time over his career and more so the past 2 years. Yes he is one of the best in the game when he is healthy, but he has only started 18 games over that time over a possible 32 starts. Huge warning flag.
From 2006 to 2011 Greg Jennings played in 96 out of 104 games, including all 8 of 8 playoff games. During that time he was listed on the Injury Report a total of 21 out of 96 weeks, with 12 of them being "Probable". For example, Tom Brady from 2006 to 2011 was listed on the Injury Report as "Probable" a total of 71 times. Jennings has only been listed as "Out" for a game 3 times in his career from 2006 to 2011. He was listed as "Doubtful" once. He has never been on Injured Reserve.
You know what my big fear is? That we enter the 2013 season with Brian Hartline and Davone Bess as our top 2 WR's
