So this thread exploded while I was gone. Wish some people could debate without insulting others and being whiny about it. Few pointers. -Vontae was not mediocre. He was inconsistent is the best term for his time here. He would play long stretches of good football but also long stretches of average football with the odd wtf game (ie: New England). -Lets not forget Jonas Gray busts out for 201 yards and the next week Belicheat benches him and barely uses him the rest of the year. Coaches don't give time to players who aren't professional. -Matthews game was just as fluky. Just be happy he's finally putting it together. We still don't know if he would even make a good starting WR. Chances are they will rotate 4 guys a lot...maybe all 5.
Why is it always either or? Can't it be both? Vontae Davis was immature but he was nowhere near the headache his brother was. By all accounts he was a nice kid just needed to grow up. Vernon Davis was a dick his first few years. Philbin didn't have to break him and remold him. He just needed to help him grow up. Someone asked what he could have done? Any number of things. If after a year it did not work then fine, trade him. But Philbin didn't try. He doesn't want to try. He wants his type of people and that's it. He wouldn't take a Randy Moss, a Corey Dillon, a Marshawn Lynch, a Percy Harvin. Incognito is an example of Ireland holding onto someone that Philbin wanted to cut. That shows he had final say. It also shows he likes to hold on to good players. Ireland made the trade because a 2nd was offered, and he knew his coach did not like this kid. Both were complicit. But one's gone so we complain about the one that is left. Philbin is on the record of only wanting his type of guys. We don't even know if he wanted Suh here. I'd bet a little money on that being a no.
He may not have been a Pro Bowler in Miami but he was an above average corner who showed signs of future Pro Bowl talent. He was decidedly above mediocre, which would be someone like Nolan Carroll when he was forced into a starting role after his fellow mediocre corner Richard Marshall got hurt.
Matthews isn't much a deep threat though is he? He seems more of a possession receiver. Need a dude to replace Wallace.
When he was benched in favor of Richard Marshall, he barely had any time to respond by elevating his performance, if it was meant to be a motivational tactic. I thought at the time he was benched that he'd earn back his starting job by week 1, but he never got the chance. He was traded, it seems, just a few days later.
I honestly don't remember that happening much, if ever. Most of the guys Shula had success with were either homegrown guys who started with the Dolphins or high profile guys who were traded. There was no real free agency for the vast majority of Shula's career. Maybe Irving Fryar counts as someone who was "kinda reborn" under Shula, but he was acquired via trade for a 2nd and a 3rd, so we didn't get him cheap.
Tanny is so class, and I mean this sincerely. Every reason to move past Matthews and yet is nothing but positive about Rishard's improvement. Tanny has the off the field/locker room stuff down perfectly. 200+ plays is barely on the field?
I have no concerns about Stills play. I think we are going to be very happy to have him. He's going to help open up the field (along w/ Cameron down the seam).
Yeah, about the only ones I can recall are Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson and it seems like Bobby Humphreys had gotten into some trouble before he was swapped for Sammy Smith.
I still don't understand why it is just assumed by some that Vontae wasn't going to grow up here. He was going into his 3rd year in 2012 when we traded him. That's like THE time when players mature, grow-up, and go from talent flashing players to pro-bowlers (especially at CB). Call me crazy, but I just don't buy into the whole "Indy trade woke him up" thing and that's the only thing that could've gotten the full potential out of him. It was our organizations job to do that. Whether it be coaches, executives, GMs, whoever. They failed on their part there and it resulted in giving up on what has become one of the best CBs in the entire league.......with 2-3 years left on his rookie deal. It was a failure of a trade then. It's an even bigger failure of a trade now.
We don't know about Stills yet. And he drove 2 of those names out of town and one was in the dog house for a year. So your post just reinforced my point. Don't forget Brandon Marshall.
Exactly. I would have benched him in real games and told him he staying there until he grows up. Another player who grew up without being traded? Sean Taylor.
The thing I like about Matthews is he just plays football. Lace em up and go crack heads. He doesn't showboat but he seems to be around the ball...a lot. Football players are good to have on football teams.