1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Rough start to season?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by pumpdogs, Apr 27, 2020.

  1. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

    5,185
    2,907
    113
    Sep 22, 2009
    delaware
    I am concerned with all the new additions how we are going to start the season with possible no mini camps this season for obvious reasons.
    I'm optimistic for the long run but this season might be challenging to compete with alot of these new players were counting on to make an impact in 2020.
     
  2. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

    3,582
    2,579
    113
    Sep 12, 2015
    I agree. I think the good news is that defensively you can sort of scheme around it if everyone understands the playbook. By calling basic sets and easing everyone into the system.

    Offensively, I think it will have a huge impact. The team chemistry just wont be there for most guys. Especially QB/WR connections that just wont have the reps to get in sync.
     
  3. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

    5,185
    2,907
    113
    Sep 22, 2009
    delaware
    Yep, offence is always behind but one good thing is the wr postion is set from last year.
    The biggest concern to me is the new offensive line.
     
    AGuyNamedAlex likes this.
  4. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

    4,323
    4,012
    113
    May 2, 2014
    SO Cal
    I was thinking about this the other day. The teams that have really good virtual capabilities and understand that could get an edge in this weird time. Can teams get their recruits "wired up" quickly and efficiently. Will they be able to do virtual workouts? Can they set things up like big screen broadcasts at smaller stadiums where multiple people could work out but as "singles"? It's intriguing.
     
  5. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

    3,582
    2,579
    113
    Sep 12, 2015
    The line will be a concern. I guess the good news on that, our line has been a concern the last decade so it's not a new experience.
     
    xphinfanx and Irishman like this.
  6. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

    40,533
    33,035
    113
    Dec 11, 2007
    Hopefully the idea that the summer will cause a slow down and hopefully over the summer we will have a treatment that for the most part works. Then we should be able to have a training camp.

    I don't know how much off season work outs do for setting up the offense and defense other than build team camaraderie
     
    Surfs Up 99 likes this.
  7. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

    27,364
    31,261
    113
    Apr 6, 2008
    In the strike shortened season Miami ended up having a big advantage b/c they had a great coaching staff. They actually ended up in the SB that year.

    As for a rough start, it seems mixed. The OL with all the turnover there will be a hurdle. Gailey and Fitz have worked together before so that shouldn't be too new. The defense came into their form at the end of the year and a couple of the new additions will already know much of the system.
     
    Bumrush and Irishman like this.
  8. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

    11,817
    10,319
    113
    Nov 24, 2007
    Rockledge, FL
    If it makes you feel any better, all 32 teams will have the same disadvantage
     
  9. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

    5,185
    2,907
    113
    Sep 22, 2009
    delaware
    Your missing the point.I feel veteran teams will have an advantage over a team like us that might have 4 or 5 new starters on the offence line alone.
    A team like the Chiefs or Ravens it won't matter as much.
     
  10. Dorfdad

    Dorfdad Well-Known Member

    4,052
    2,347
    113
    Dec 9, 2007
    Good news every team will have this so were not unique. All teams will have issues. The Teams that will breakout are the teams with the most consistency carrying over from last year IMHO.
     
    Tin Indian and Irishman like this.
  11. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

    3,163
    2,325
    113
    Sep 13, 2011
    I'm not expecting playoffs like some are for next season. Who knows if there will even be a season...I certainly feel like there will be, but it may be much different. Either way, yeah....Lots of new faces, i'm sure there will be some struggles along with growing pains. Main thing is we don't get discouraged and start screaming for Tua. Tua, should probably be redshirted for the year no matter what happens. This will be another audition for Rosen if Fitz falls off of his second year cliff. I will say this....We were one of the better "non playoff teams" last year towards the end of the season. We kind of hit a hot streak towards the end and I know I was expecting us to build off of that. Sometimes that happens and sometimes teams regress, and in our case we may take a half a step backwards at first. Definitely seems feasible.
     
    PhinFan1968 likes this.
  12. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

    5,185
    2,907
    113
    Sep 22, 2009
    delaware
    I agree. I wouldn't even consider putting Tua on the field this year.
     
    Irishman likes this.
  13. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

    5,819
    4,665
    113
    Jan 15, 2008
    Say they keep Rosen as the backup this year with Tagavailoa sitting out the entire season on the sideline, which I agree with. Fitzpatrick gets injured Week 5 and Rosen starts the rest of the way. He plays great and almost brings them to the playoffs. Let's face it, no matter how many people are predicting Miami to go 9-7/10-6 this season...it's not happening.

    What do you do in 2021?

    Does Rosen go into 2021 as the starter in training camp with giving Tagavailoa the chance to beat him out? Or, do they trade Rosen in the off-season? Do they shop Tagavailoa?

    Interesting scenario.
     
    Irishman and Surfs Up 99 like this.
  14. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

    5,185
    2,907
    113
    Sep 22, 2009
    delaware
    That would be the ideal situation!We would get another high draft pick for Rosen.
    Noway they will trade Tua unless they feel after seeing him practice he will never be the same.
     
  15. cbrad

    cbrad .

    10,659
    12,657
    113
    Dec 21, 2014
    The chance of Rosen playing great is IMO zero point zero zero zero... (lost count). As far as I'm concerned Rosen is a top 10 bust among QB's in the last 30 years and I fully expect the coaching staff to show him the door once Tua starts (which is at latest in 2021).

    So thinking more realistically.. whatever happens in 2020 (which won't include Rosen playing great lol) I'm looking forward to 2021 with Tua as starter and at worst Fitz as backup. And to the OP's concern, I don't mind if we're not that competitive in 2020. The goal is to be a consistent winner starting from 2021.
     
    Surfs Up 99 and The Guy like this.
  16. Patster1969

    Patster1969 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    679
    788
    93
    Nov 8, 2017
    And there's no way it can be worse than last year
     
    AGuyNamedAlex likes this.
  17. Surfs Up 99

    Surfs Up 99 Team Flores & Team Tua

    1,950
    1,785
    113
    May 5, 2016
    LOL! We can only hope. :-) Seriously, in all fairness, with all the new players and rookies, it while probably take a while for our OL to gel. I am willing to be patient as long as they show steady improvement.
     
    The_Dark_Knight likes this.
  18. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

    3,582
    2,579
    113
    Sep 12, 2015
    I'm really hoping we start off using very basic blocking schemes that any professional would be able to understand immediately and at least not completely fail in.

    This season more than ever, unless camps start up and have ample time, I think a fundamental/basic approach to the gameplan will be key for teams with a lot of roster change.
     
    Surfs Up 99 likes this.
  19. Surfs Up 99

    Surfs Up 99 Team Flores & Team Tua

    1,950
    1,785
    113
    May 5, 2016
    How many different blocking schemes does an OL usually have?
     
  20. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

    3,582
    2,579
    113
    Sep 12, 2015
    To be honest I couldnt answer that. There are a good amount of blocking schemes and I guess it would depend on the coaching staff, usually though I think teams stick to one scheme for the majority of their plays.

    When I say basic, what I mean is kind of a more straight forward approach. Just making it as simple as possible with less confusion over which defender the lineman should be picking up.
     
    Surfs Up 99 likes this.
  21. Irishman

    Irishman Well-Known Member

    573
    532
    93
    Oct 16, 2017
    High Point, NC
    Not as improbable a situation as many posters might think.

    If it happens that Rosen is called on to play and does well, its a credit to the FO. Just having a QB in the wings who is ready to play counts. The better he performs, the better off the team will be. This is not a negative reflection on Tua. As far as who is the starter in training camp; with our new coaching staff I believe it will always be an open competition. The QB who finished the season and his backup will probably be getting priority in 1st team snaps in the beginning of camp, but I think there will always be competition at the QB position, and all our positions for that matter. We will find out in the practice games who is being considered for making the final cuts while a majority of the previous years players will probably be kept on.

    This year may be an exception concerning the majority of last years players being kept on though, depending on wither or not they can outplay the new draftees. We have twice as many as most other teams and 5 or 6 were from rounds 1 & 2. This should be an exciting year because we are not "grasping at straws" just to field a team like we were last year. We are "loaded for bear" with our huge collection of high draft picks, some reasonable FA selections and a front line that can give other teams a problem due to their massive size. The fact that some of those big boys are surprisingly athletic, as opposed to just being heavy, is probably a very good thing. I feel the most important part of training camp will be getting our 1st string OL identified quickly and allowed to work together as much as possible in order to play in the coordinated manner as good OL must be able to do.
     
    Surfs Up 99 likes this.
  22. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

    10,488
    12,821
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    I've thought about this a decent bit and I think once Tua (or Rosen) becomes the starter, Fitzpatrick will retire and those will be our two quarterbacks. Maybe Rosen gets traded in a year or two but for now, I think it will be an open competition for that #2 job and we'll absolutely carry 3 QB's as long as Fitzpatrick holds the reins.

    I'm with you- I think it would take a miracle for us to win more than 8 games this season, and that's not necessarily a bad thing if we see the same type of leadership and discipline as last season. But for now, I don't think anything for Rosen changes...he's still competing for the starting role for the foreseeable future.

    Hopefully this eventually turns into a Rodgers/Favre scenario where we have two studs to choose between- that would be a great problem to have!
     
  23. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

    11,881
    4,834
    113
    Nov 26, 2007
    Detroit Metro Area MI
    San Diego method. Deal Rosen (Drew Brees) and keep Tua (Phillip Rivers). Find some cheap veteran for a backup and draft a developmental QB.
     
  24. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

    3,163
    2,325
    113
    Sep 13, 2011
    It definitely is. Remember the situation in San Diego years ago with Brees and Rivers? The Chargers drafted Rivers because Brees looked like a complete bust his first two years in the league. He did...I thought he was going to fizzle out quick. He was constantly running for his life and just played overall bad. The Chargers were terrible, and they spent a high pick on Rivers. Brees came out in year three on fire and got the Chargers to the playoffs. He did it again the following season and they ended up with that exact problem. Obviously they let Brees walk and kept Rivers and really neither way would have worked out better. Both are fantastic QB's with Brees having the better career, but Rivers had his run for a while too.

    For the record, I think it would be a good problem to have. I'm still hoping Rosen can emerge. He's just so young and hasn't had a fair shot. I don't expect Fitzpatrick to remain the starter next season for very long. We're going to struggle and Flores is going to let the young guys play at some point. I'd say by week 4 Rosen will be our starter. If he comes out and sets the league on fire, it'll be an added bonus.
     
    pumpdogs likes this.
  25. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

    15,355
    20,976
    113
    Sep 4, 2014
    I full expect a .500 season next year. The Pats will most likely win the division. Now, that's not because I'm a negative person, but think about it. This team, even after the draft, is full of back-ups and rookies. It's not like we have TJ Watt surrounded by a bunch of vets. We have Fitz surrounded by mostly rookies. Which I am 100% ok with. I don't want Tua to start this year. I want Flores and company to use this next season as a learning opportunity and to weed out the weak.

    Now, if we go 10-6 awesome, and we may because I think Flores is ready good, but 8-8 is probably closer to the truth.
     
    pumpdogs and PhinFan1968 like this.
  26. Kud_II

    Kud_II Realist Division

    3,662
    1,404
    113
    Oct 15, 2011
    Seneca, SC
    This is like a practice season for us. We just need to hope our picks and FA pick ups show off as much as possible.

    I still expect more than 5 wins.. but probably not that many more. At least not til our OL Gels and Tua takes over. That will be the year to take over the division and hopefully the league.
     
    danmarino likes this.
  27. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

    10,488
    12,821
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    Honestly, I'll be pretty shocked if we have 16 games and a full playoff. Maybe that happens with no preseason....or maybe they get creative and have a double-header preseason type of scenario where we get two games in a few days time. Who knows...it's going to be a mess with some states locked down and others open- maybe all the teams can go to Utah/Montana and have a spring training there.

    There's no way to regulate a nationwide league when half the nation is open and other areas are locked down...I actually feel for Goodell (and I can't stand the guy).

    Off that last comment, I personally hope that the pressure is off for this season and we don't focus too hard on wins/losses. Let's just get these kids good reps, build em up the right way and live with whatever happens. It's a great time in the league to do something like this because I have a feeling this will feel more like the scab season from years back...nobody is going to remember who did what or what the final scores were. But we will remember getting to watch football and that's the important part.
     
    Kud_II and danmarino like this.
  28. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

    40,533
    33,035
    113
    Dec 11, 2007
    Yea, I am seeing at most a 10 game season with zero wild card teams.
     
    KeyFin likes this.
  29. mlb1399

    mlb1399 Well-Known Member

    3,893
    3,087
    113
    Mar 6, 2010
    I honestly think that we shouldn’t have major expectations about this team until 2021. I’m going to enjoy the progress/development and hope to see them take some strides but don’t care about the W/L record.

    We’ve got a lot of new faces and a very young roster. If Flores surprises with a good season, that will be icing on the cake.
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2020
    Kud_II, danmarino and Surfs Up 99 like this.
  30. Patster1969

    Patster1969 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    679
    788
    93
    Nov 8, 2017
    Even if it takes them time to gel, as we have better talent on the line now, it should be improved
     
    Surfs Up 99 likes this.
  31. Etrius24

    Etrius24 Well-Known Member

    682
    685
    93
    Mar 4, 2020
    I would love for Rosen playing this year and shining.... He deserves that chance... Miami would have plenty of trade offers if Rosen plays well... ( He is young, healthy, and dirt cheap )
     
  32. Bumrush

    Bumrush Stable Genius Club Member

    29,473
    34,332
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    The good news is that not all 32 teams have a bad *** in Flores coaching, inspiring and teaching them.
     
  33. tirty8

    tirty8 Well-Known Member

    1,325
    1,380
    113
    Jan 2, 2016
    I feel like this is an inevitability.

    Our line is highly talented but highly inexperienced. This could cause a ton of problems early on. I could see us having a bottom 5 line weeks 1-6. I may sound like a broken record, but this isn't Madden. You can't stick a bunch of guys that are 80 overall on a line and be good. It doesn't work that way.

    We have so many new and young players and that we don't have positional leaders yet. I was actually thinking about this on a run.

    QB - This is probably our strongest or second strongest unit. Fitz is exactly what we need for now and should be able to at least help some of the younger guys on the line. Tua is a great leader, but probably is not yet up to speed. Once he has a stronger understanding of the game, he should be as good of a leader as Fitz.

    RB - A bunch of new players but vets. Mentally, they should be there, but the line could cause them problems.

    WR - DVP had a breakout season, but it has been a bumpy road for him. I'm not exactly sure that I would consider him a unit leader.

    OL - This is what scares me. All of these guys are new except for Jesse Davis, and I am not even sure if he cracks the starting lineup. Flowers was at one point a bust, and let's be honest, Karras is on a prove it deal because he is yet to prove it. There is also a real chance that one or more of these guys could be much worse than we thought.

    DL - This one is 50-50. We have younger guys with experience in the system coupled with more veteran FAs and a rookie. I think that in a roundabout way, we have experience, and I think a leader could emerge.

    LBS - I feel good about this. We have Baker a ton of experience and KVN who is a respected veteran who has experience working with Flores. I'm not worried here.

    CB/S - This group is deep and has vets. I think that this is our best with a lot of proven vets. McCain is a great leader. This shouldn't be a problem.

    I tend to think that on the offensive side of the ball is where a ton of my concerns are. I don't think Fitzmagic can do it himself.

    I think defense will develop first.

    I think that if Gailey is smart, he will really dumb down the playbook. The first three weeks or so, I would pound the ball with Jordan Howard - 20 times a game. I would try and set Fitz up with quick reads, and try and get the ball out of his hands quickly. As the line improves, I would begin to open up the playbook further.

    Big picture, if I was Flores, I would try and slow the pace of the game - play solid defense, run the ball, avoid turnovers. I am trying to win a game 21-17. I think that if we start getting into shootouts, we are in trouble.

    I fully expect Covid-19 to shorten the preseason/training camp. We really gotta keep it simple.
     
    KeyFin likes this.
  34. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

    10,488
    12,821
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    Keep in mind that we were in the exact same situation last year with far inferior talent to what we have today...and Fitz did "okay" early in the season. Week one will inevitably be sloppy but as long as we get somewhat of a training camp, I don't foresee a serious problem. The new chemistry factor is the same with rookies or a bunch of new veterans coming together.

    As you said, some will be busts while others will be long-term works in progress. And that's perfectly okay...it's why we drafted so many linemen in the first place. The key here is that we've improved and committed to that process of building a solid line with dependable long-term starters and backups. The word "process" is key there...it's not a one and done situation. So far the process has definitely made us a better football team for the coming year and that's all that matters today...they just need to be able to get to work and put in those reps.

    I don't think OL will be a team strength in 2020, but I can see us being an average NFL line by the middle of the season.
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2020
    Surfs Up 99 likes this.
  35. tirty8

    tirty8 Well-Known Member

    1,325
    1,380
    113
    Jan 2, 2016
    I think that this is just part of the process honestly. I am looking for improvement more than anything. I really wanna see what our offensive line looks live over the final 3rd of the season before I make any sort of judgement.
     
    Surfs Up 99 and KeyFin like this.
  36. Hertsseasider

    Hertsseasider New Member

    12
    10
    3
    Nov 14, 2016
    Greetings and Phins Up from the UK

    Do you guys expect the season to start at all ? Over here, there is strong talk of our football season 2020/21 being played with no fans. Can you imagine that in the NFL

    Take care all
     
  37. xphinfanx

    xphinfanx Stay strong my friends.

    10,823
    2,214
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    Looks very possible no camps or season.
     
  38. Puka-head

    Puka-head My2nd Fav team:___vs Jets Club Member

    8,605
    6,743
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    Slightly left of center
    OK. That's it. I'm DONE
     

Share This Page