I seriously underestimated how many needs we really have

That is certainly a depressing outlook on things.

 

At the very minimum to be competitive we need 2 starting guards, a LB, a CB and a DT.

That's some holes there!

 

yeah there are some serious holes i don't think the dolphins can really afford to create new ones.clay needs to be resigned the guy is a playmaker, with the development of sims that could help the offense out. what do we have in billy turner? or jamar taylor? or even dion jordan? is the guy a LB, DE or a bust? hickey has to hit a homerun in free agency and the draft this year.

 

Well, that's his job, let's see how he does!

 

We need a capable backup LT as well, Albert is injury-prone at this point, and I don't think can be trusted to stay healthy a whole season anymore.

 

LB you usually piss me off when I read your stuff but there is a lot of truth in this post..... As scary as it is.

 

thats why no one should expect anything different next season. All we can do is hope Albert and Moreno are back at full strength and build through the draft. We arent going to be spenders in free agency. So the next two seasons it will be a rebuilding period..

If you can get something for Wake and Pouncey.. do it before their value is way down... We arent making the playoffs next year so you might as well start getting everything you can to setup the future.

 

Good lucking convincing Philbin with that...

 

How can you think we suck AND underestimate how many holes we have to drastically improve in just one off season?

 

We could probably go without all of those things and remain "competitive." It wouldn't be the end of the world to have Ellerbe, Misi and Jenkins as our starting LB-corp with Jordan and Tripp rotating in and out. That may not be our dream scenario but it's pretty GD competitive so I think folks need to keep perspective.

You say CB is a top priority there as well and I disagree. We have Davis, Taylor and Grimes at CB. By contrast, we don't even have a FS on the roster right now unless you're penciling in Walt Aikens.

I think we want to upgrade our Guards and LBs sure, but quite frankly we need DT and FS just to have enough bodies on the field.

 

Nice Led Zeppelin avatar.

And I guess you're right, Philbin will always be in win now mode since he's always on the hot seat. Oh well.

 

That's why I'm not a big fan of big spending in FA. When a new regime comes in, I think you need to blow it all up and commit to 4 years to let them rebuild. When you're in the must win now mindset, especially when the drafting has been bad like ours, it forces you to chase fools gold in free agency.

Even Albert, while highly productive when he played, was a bust considering the money we spent on him. He hasn't played a full season since 2011.

What value have we gotten in FA?

Wallace- He's made a lot of plays, especially this year but certainly not the top at his position like we paid him
Albert- we paid top tier LT and got 9 games from him
Ellerbe- complete bust
Wheeler- marginal player
Gibson- marginal player
Moreno- 1 game
Delmas- 12 games and he was average at best
Then there is a barrage of OG's that we have signed who all have been busts.

Starks and Grimes were good signings. Mitchell has been solid but not great. But that is a lot of money to spend to get so little.

To LB's point, we've whiffed on so many draft picks. The good news is several picks have shown some potential or are performing: Tannehill, Miller, Vernon, Jenkins, Pouncey, Landry and I think James could be a good one.

 

Sounds more like you seriously over-estimated how much this team needs.

The most outlandish issue I saw this year with the team was the ridiculous play of the defensive interior and the play calling on that side as well. Everything else can be worked around and resolved.

Probably a host of guys could go bye bye this year and we would be fine. That is, with a few choice moves on the defense and offense.

 

We absolutely have to get another quality starter on the offensive line...Probably two with Albert's penchant for injuries. We definitely need some upgrades on defense...although the best, probably most effective upgrade would be our coordinator. I still think kicker needs to be upgraded. Need a big physical wide receiver especially if Wallace ends up not here next season.

 

With all these pressing, immediate needs, and we still went 8-8, that tells me it's not a "blow it up" situation...which is LOADS better than if it were. Look at the Cowboys, not to get on their sack or anything, but they were steadily 8-8 and finally clicked...BAM...division/playoffs.

I sure as hell don't envy Hickey's position though...not at all...he has one helluva chance to hit on a major 1st round pick though.

 

The minimum is a high quality vet OG, an upgrade at ILB, and a 2nd round guard prospect. We need more, but that gives us a chance. Especially, if the coaches give Jordan a full offseason to work on OLB.

 

This. I think Wallace is gone next season and we take a WR with our first pick. Granted, it's been only a year, but Lazor seems to be the better coordinator of the two.. so I say let's build on our strength going forward. Let's make it a priority to surround Tannehill with talent and a better OL and see what happens.

Round 1- WR
Round 2- Best defensive player available. At this point, it doesn't even matter what position it'll be, save for maybe DE.. all other positions can be upgraded.
Round 3- OG
Round 4- RB
Round 5 and beyond- BPA

With Wallace gone, and likely a few other FA's, we'll have some cap room with which we can target a few vets for the defense to try and patch it up a bit.

 

We won 8 games so we aren't that far from being a playoff team . I do think we are 2 or 3 offseasons away from being a serious contender so I'm not sure why the OP is confused, we are what we are. We need a solid draft and some smart FA moves to be a playoff team then we need another strong offseason after that to be a contender so I don't think that we are really too far off.

 

You know the Irony here is we were almost 50 mill under the cap when Ireland was here and everyone attributed it to Dawn Aponte and how she was a cap guru. Well guess what Ireland is gone and now we literally are ****ed for awhile. This is no coincidence

 

Feels like every offseason. Midway through the regular season and we're looking decent, we think to ourselves "we only have a couple holes to fill and THEN we'll be contenders!" Then we collapse at the end, players flame out, and we're stuck looking at this roster as if it a big chunk of swiss cheese. If only the Dolphins knew how to team build, we'd be true contenders. Until then, we're doomed to doing a piecemeal approach every year.

 

Yes, but it isn't hopeless. If they get ruthless this offseason we could have a contending team in 2016. They have to fire Coyle and bring in a coach who fields a base 3-4 defense.

 

This may be the single most ignorant post ever.

The reason for the cap situation is Ireland's abominable contracts that will continue to plague this team for another two years. Wallace,Wheeler,Ellerbe,Hartline,etc.

 

My take on Open Spots

Defensive back (2)- Cutting Finnegan saves 5.5M. That leaves Grimes, Taylor, Davis and Aiken. Desperate need of another starter. If that starter is a high rookie pick, then we also need a serviceable veteran for depth.

Linebacker (1)- Ellerbe is an obvious cut. Jordan wants to play more DE. Happy with Misi and Jenkins returning as starters. But absolutely need another starter to get Wheeler off the field/lower reps. Start incorporating McCain and Tripp next year.

Guard (2)- If Pouncey moves back to centre, we need 2 starting guards. No way around that. Cut Smith (save 2.7M) and Garrner (save 1.6M) then hope Turner and Thomas can atleast be depended on as depth guards (not tackles!).

Wide Reciever (1)- realistically Wallace isn't getting cut, but Hartline and Gibson are likely to be cut. We need a big body presence to pair with Landry and Wallace. Might need to add a 2nd wideout depending what staff think of Matthews and Hazel.

Safety (2) - Jones is the only safety left. Aikens saw some reps, but out of position. Hopefully Delmas resigns on the cheap for depth, hard to count on him as a starter at this point of his recovery. But we still need a healthy starter for week 1. Hopefully the brass has enough sense to move on from J Wilson!!!


Tight End (1) - Hopefully that one guy is Clay. But if he leaves, we need to add a replacement. Even if Sims elevates to starter, we would need a legit TE for depth.

Defensive Tackle (?) - I want to keep Mitchell. If Odrick is asking for too much, I wouldn't cut Starks, but would make DT a huge priority in the draft. If Odrick signs for a reasonable price, then I would cut Starks. Priority should be finding a run stuffer.

O Tackle (1) - Albert might not be ready for start of season. Even if he is, we have been burned back to back years b/c lack of competent depth at Tackle.

Back up Quarterback (1)- Can't afford Matt Moore anymore. If Tannehill hasn't been killed behind the last two atrocious lines (heck he hasn't missed a game) then I'm prepared to gamble on his durability. Back up is not a huge priority to me.

Return Man- With the rapid development of Landry, I'm expecting him to be a huge part of the offense (100+ reception). Would rather he not be returning kicks.

Punter- With the team now up against the cap, you can't afford the luxury of a top of the market punter (especially with the above needs). Team saves over 3M by cutting Fields.

That's my initial thoughts off hand on the glaring holes that must be addressed. Filling those spots with quality will be a tough task based on how much room we are expected to have.

 

I think Miller established himself as a 1A back this year and I really like what I saw from Williams at times. Williams just has a knack for staying on his feet and getting extra yards. Gillislee is still in the picture. I think a vet add for dirt cheap would be alright. Maybe look for a Forsett type that slipped through the cracks or bring back LaMichael James for another look. But I wouldn't call RB a glaring need.


I still have faith in Sturgis, but no denying his percentages weren't good. I hope he gets another shot.

 

I don't think it's that bad or worse than most teams. I think we only for sure need starter quality players immediately at G and DT 2nd tier of needs are WR, LB, DB, TE, RB.

G - at least one vet to start. I thought Dallas Thomas was actually decent at G, Turner seemed to turn heads in practice but got setback with turf toe.
DT - resign one of Odrick, Starks and then it will be hard to find another good one.

LB - could be ok with Jordan, McCain, need vet depth for sure and ST.
WR - I would like to cut Hartline and keep Wallace, Gibson, Landry. Need to find someone with size.
DB - get another vet ala Finnegan but I liked Taylor. Also liked Aikens.
TE - resign Clay, get a third.
RB - I like Miller and Williams, get some late round RBs with size.

My ideal FA would be G, DB, LB.
My ideal draft would be just the BPA at WR, DT, LB.

 

Head coach is our #1 need.

Great QBs and great head coaches can hide a lot of other holes in a roster. And one may be able to build the other.

 

All of this is only an issue if you're trying to fix everything in one go. However:

1. A football is NEVER a finished product, it's in constant flux. This is why owners, GM's and coaches are so important. Let's just leave that to the side for now, though, since those are almost all fixed in place right now.
2. A football good team is never built in a single year nor through free agency. The Dolphins will only get better in the true sense by drafting better and getting better over time. Hickey showed some hope of that, so let's hope for more.
3. Let's say all we do next year is bring back the same squad as this year except for a bunch of well drafted rookies and some new/better schemes from coaches who learned from this season, especially a new OC who has just finished his first year. That would, in my opinion be good news. Limited good news, but good news all the same. In fact, another solid draft is perhaps the best news we can hope for in the long term. There are no guarantees in football, there's just the opportunity to give yourself better odds. Injuries will happen. Match ups will happen. Freak events and plays will happen. The best sportsmen in any sport, especially football teams where there are so many variables, put themselves in a place to minimise the negatives and take advantage of the positives. It's slow growth that does that. That's what we have to look for and that what Hickey can give this team, this year, if nothing else - a few more talented, well-picked rookies who will be with us a few years.

I'm still convinced the future is bright for the Dolphins, even if the house gets cleaned next year.

 

prove it

I thought Dawn Aponte was the cap Guru and wrote the contracts.

So Dawn was just a robot then and did what ever Jeffy told her to do??

I don't buy it for one second

Ireland got the people and APONTE wrote the contracts. No secret.

The real question everyone should be asking is does she have the skill to fix it.

My bet is she doesn't and we will be hampered by the cap for many seasons to come. That or we are going to strip the team and start over.

Unfortunately, that is probably what is going to need to happen. It will be Ross' wake up call and it will be under different management

 

Dawn Aponte is useless and should have been let go a long time ago. The fact that we even know her name is disturbing to me, i dont know the name of the person who wrote the contracts for Mueller or Spielmann. This dumb cap woman has got too much power on her hands and Ross is giving her access to write out these terrible contracts.

I said it a year ago, I dont understand her purpose, Ive seen better books out there from teams like the Buccaneers and the Bills, a lot of our contracts has giant dead money tied to them compared to other teams. I just dont get it.

We are maxed out and we dont even have that much talent, and we still have to resign a few players in the future while maintaining giant holes on the team.

She is killing us softly in the front office, she relied too much that the contracts she gave out wouldnpan out and they did not. That would be fine if its one or two players but its a handful of bad contracts on the team that if you cut them you save nothing and theres dead money that comes with it too.

 

Like some of the ideas in this post for sure. The task is definitely going to be tough, but not impossible if done correctly.

CB: Agree to cut Finnegan as he is no good anymore. Even Grimes has shown some decline. Either way this is behind interior OL our biggest hole on the roster. I do believe that it can be address in FA with some younger talent available and not have to address with high rookie pick. Either way looking at start on outside and someone to take over the slot now that Wilson is gone (thank god).

LB: Agree on Ellerbe. Wheeler needs to be as well, using him as backup for that price is stupid and we need to get our youth developing behind that. Agree on Jenkins but how can you be happy with Misi? The guy missed more time than anybody on defense this year and continues to whiff on simple assignments. My plan would be to flip flop what you got which is move Jordan to SLB (cut weight and get back to 255lbs) then I would move McCain to DE as he seems the better pure pass rushers of the two. Then I'd look at draft or cheap FA to compete with Misi or for insurance when he gets injured as it always happens.

WR: I think this need is 2 for sure regardless of Wallace. Matthews/Gibson/Hartline should be gone and the first two will save us some money. Situation with Wallace is difficult to say the least but don't be surprised to see him cut. That would leave us with just Landry and Hazel on roster... not good. I look at this need as high round draft pick and FA signing. We need a red zone target.

TE: Too many needs to make this additional by not resigning Clay. Once healthy you saw his value to Tannehill and offense. With Sims arriving as solid blocking TE, by adding a big body at WR it could really make this unit flourish. Look for Clay on $4mil-$6mil range.

Safety: Delmas got hurt which could've been predicted. Wilson stunk after he filled in. Aikens was benched final game so we didn't get to see if he could handle the role. This is a big need as well, as we have a All-Pro at one Safety position and he has been lacking a running mate for some time. Landon Collins is the only 1st round safety in the draft and his skill set is similar to Jones, what we need is a ball hawk CF type safety. FA has options and draft has potential mid rounders.

DT: OL>CB>DT>WR. That is my order as of today. Odrick needs to be resigned as he is a former 1st rounder who has performed well and loyalty needs to be shown. Still, wouldn't want to overpay for him. Starks declined and cutting him would free up money. What this unit needs is a big bodied run stuffer. Dan Williams UFA from AZ would be the ideal fit. Our run defense is concerning to say the least.

OT: Yeah some people forget Albert may not be ready by season opener and who knows what level he'll return at. IMO Jason Fox should be retained as he can handle both sides in a pinch and is a cheap and still younger option.

OG: This is the most concerning position. OL really didn't improve too much on the inside actually may have gotten worse. Pouncey needs to move back to Center once and for all. Hopefully Billy Turner can step up in year 2 and be ready for a starting guard position, this kid could be a real mauler on the inside. Still, that is holding out hope for the best. I'd look to do the same cut wise, but not sure how you can trust Thomas to fill in, Smith maybe but he is too expensive for backup. I'd look to sign a proven Veteran (Franklin, Boling, Iupati) out fo those guys Franklin has play OT/OG which could be useful for our unit.

Backup QB: Thankfully RT17 stepped up in year 3 and should be man going forward unless serious regression happens. I'd look to sign a cheap veteran like Ponder/Locker.... athletic skill set with starting experience if needed.

Return Man: Landry is fine at the position. It could be addressed but with our laundry list of needs not a priority for me.

Punter/Kicker: I'd either restructure or cut Fields. Sturgis needs competition and hope he is gone, have no faith what-so-ever in his ability in crunch time.

Free Agency:
OG, DT, CB, WR, OT, Backup QB, Kicker, Punter

Draft:
WR, LB, FS, CB

 

This all sounds great but we have to start hitting on all of our draft picks..I know that is asking allot but every time we get out of cap he'll WE go crazy with these outrageous contracts get right back in it. It is depressing to know that our biggest need is a competent HEAD COACH but since Ross killed our hope on that with his DUMBO decision the next best hope would be that we could get Rex Ryan in here to be our ASST.HEAD COACH/DC. And let the OC&DC and the GM evaluate the talent and pick up a few reasonable necessities in FA and then go draft heavy and knock it out of the park.

 

Moreno was signed for only last season. As you pointed out, this isn't a playoff team and with Moreno nearing the end of his career, I imagine he would like to sign with a team which has a legitimate opportunity to make the playoffs in 2015.

 

Followed by DC.



Good list but you forgot kicker. Not good, not clutch, overpaid.

 

Agreed the key to building and sustaining success is through the draft. I will say that our 2014 Class at least the first two picks made the most significant impact I recall from a recent draft class. Still, we can't just have two of seven players every year. What kills me is this staff's inability to get players up to speed quickly or give them the necessary shot. What is even more maddening is when a young player sits behind a struggling veteran, at that point not much to lose.

Agreed on HC but what are we going to do keep complaining about it every day. It is what it is. Harbaugh wasn't coming here and Ross knew that, probably the reason he vouched for him ahead of time.

Rex Ryan aint coming here, read the reports... it's HC or Bust. Seriously though do you actually think Philbin would interview and hire Rex? And secondly, do you think Rex would take the job and take orders from Queasy Joe.

Best Hope: Pressure from upper management makes Philbin let go of Coyle. That would give us a chance at getting a new system in place.

Also, look for some changes on Offensive Staff, not OC but don't be surprised after Lazor's successful first season he may want to bring some people in place for himself.

 

Awesome. You missed kicker though. Not in the draft, obviously, but do we really want sturgis one more year?

 

I think what we'll see is Hickey sign back one or two guys and go out and sign a slew of FAs to fill most of the depth and a starting spot or two. They'll find the resources somehow, because of one simple fact...they (Philbin and Hickey) are fighting to keep their jobs here...

 

You realize we only save like $220K if we cut Wheeler ?? Methinks he'll be on the roster, even if he can't play...