I'm hoping some of you can ease my concerns over this fear I have.
I don't want to jump the gun - but it looks as if Miami may at long last have found a franchise QB in Tua, ending the decades long search since Marino. Also Mike McDaniel appears to be the best coach this team has seen since Don Shula. I'm knocking on wood as I type both of these statements, because we all know how quickly things in the NFL world can change.
Here's what I'm afraid of. Stephen Ross is still the owner and the evidence of his recent meddling is irrefutable.
All recent indications are that Tom Brady is not retiring after this season.
Sean Payton is still out there and sounds like he'll be back coaching after this season.
Of course, after Tua and McDaniel are looking great - it would be insanely stupid to pursue either of them for next season, right? But I'd argue that Ross is insanely stupid and a terrible owner.
Right now, I'm pretty confident not even Ross is stupid enough to go that direction with how things are trending. But if the season hits another skid like it did after Tua's concussion? Early playoff exit? God forbid - no playoffs?
In those scenarios, I'd fear Ross would pursue Brady and/or Payton again and I think that would be a disaster.
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He would have to fire Grier.
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He can see what we have going here, I'd be amazed and I'd actually give up on this franchise completely if he did that.Bumrush, jdallen1222, dolphin25 and 1 other person like this. -
That's not going to happen. Ross interferes way too much, but it's usually to put a better product on the field and to increase the team's brand. He's not like Jerry Jones, who wants credit for everything that his team does well. IMHO, Ross wants to win as much as Jones does, but he's less interested in the spotlight. If we can finish strong, I don't see him bringing in a different QB or coach because winning trumps ego.
I say that as somebody who'll pop the champagne the day Ross sells the team. -
You don’t get rid of a 24 year old MVP candidate for a 45 year old QB. The team would implode as the locker room would be chaos.
Bumrush, jdallen1222, dolphin25 and 1 other person like this. -
I am afraid of Ross doing anything for the team other than paying Grier and doing what Grier wants or building facilities.
When he isn't doing those two things, he has been a disaster. -
Team got so lucky that Brady and Watson didn't come here. No way to predict McDaniel + Tua would lead to the best passing offense in the league, but luck is part of the game. That's how Belichick + Brady happened: luck.
To Ross' credit he's always wanted a franchise QB, and there's no question he's really happy with Tua. So as others have said the fear we're getting rid of Tua after proving he can lead the best passing attack in the league is completely and utterly unfounded. -
The ONLY way a scenario such as that occurs would be only if the following were to happen…
-The Dolphins implode offensively
-Tua puts up numbers reminiscent of Ryan Leaf
-The Dolphins lose their remaining 7 games
-The dead rise from the grave
-Human sacrifices
-Dogs and cats living together
-Mass hysteriaWilkimania, Phil Hutchings, MonstBlitz and 1 other person like this. -
I think the offense would be pretty good and Tua would be above 7 ypa, however, what Tyreek brings to this offense is what is making it 9.1 ypa.
The way he affects the defense is outstanding.Phil Hutchings, dolphin25 and OwesOwn614 like this. -
Phil Hutchings, dolphin25, MonstBlitz and 1 other person like this.
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dolphin25 likes this.
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In fact, my biggest complaint with McDaniel is that his playcalling gets too cute at times and he needs to stop calling short-yardage plays. When Miami is in 3rd and 4 or below, he should just call the plays that he has for 3rd and 5 or higher because they just work much better. Tua has been near unstoppable on 3rd down, the running game has been plenty stoppable on short-yardage situations.OwesOwn614, Phil Hutchings and dolphin25 like this. -
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I keep waiting for him to learn this lesson. And the pitch to Wilson(?) for the throw was a drive killer from the beginning. It wasn't likely to succeed anyway and we're lucky it didn't give the Browns momentum. He's still a rookie coach, so I hope he learns the right lessons.dolphin25 likes this. -
My main issue is the playcall. The 3rd and long 1 sneak with Tight End was not a good play call and the run after wasn't the best. If both of those plays were regular pass calls with Tua, I would have felt much better.Two Tacos and OwesOwn614 like this. -
You're really afraid of the owner picking two also-rans over the top offence in the NFL?
dolphin25 likes this. -
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I agree with most of you, that this is likely an unrealistic concern - especially if things keep trending in the positive direction.
But what if the team were to miss the playoffs or first round exit?
I really hope all of you are right. This is not something I want to be right about and say, "See, I told you so!" More I'm hoping putting this irrational fear out there in public makes it not come to fruition and eases my concerns reading your reactions.Dol-Fan Dupree likes this. -
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MonstBlitz likes this.
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The Most transformative owner in North American sports was George Steinbrenner. Made the interlocked NY a brand. Made the yankees a perennial machine.
They like us when he took over were a storied franchise upon hard times. Like Stephen Ross, he sucked **** when he became owner. He was ****ing horrible. When he was banned by major league baseball fans cheered. When he came back he spent every last ****ing dollar to build a perennial champion and stay the **** out of the way of people who knew a lot more about baseball than he did. Food for thought. Carry on -
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The_Dark_Knight likes this.
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Christian Wilkins and Connor Williams are probably the two they'll start with, but I could even see Tua himself getting a new deal to lower the 9.6m that he's due next year, so that we have the money to keep guys like Mostert, Williams, Sherfield, Needham, Van Ginkel, etc.
Sadly, it looks like nearly anyone we bring in from outside the team is going to need to be on a really small money contract, so no big free agent signings this time around.dolphin25 likes this. -
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dolphin25 and Dol-Fan Dupree like this.
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Hopefully McDaniel realizes it quickly and stops trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Run a different type of play, or just kick the FG and take the points.Irishman, dolphin25 and OwesOwn614 like this. -
I think he's trying to install a mentality that you need to pick up that one yard on the ground. It's a little old school mentality.dolphin25 likes this. -
I agree that Wilkins and Williams will probably be priorities to get down and get their numbers down to a more manageable level but there isn't a lot of money for next year.dolphin25 and Unlucky 13 like this. -
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It seemed ridiculous when I asked this question almost 2 months ago, but with a typical Miami December dive and all but eliminated from playoff contention, seems a little more plausible.
Some are already speculating:
https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/tom-brady-2023-destination-dolphins-mike-mcdaniel-albert-breer
I still think Sean Payton replacing McDaniel is a long shot, but Brady replacing Tua after the concussions and inconsistent play to finish the season seems a lot less of a stretch.
For the record, I still absolutely hate the idea of Brady in a Dolphins uniform regardless of how I feel about Tua - which is neutral right now.Last edited: Jan 4, 2023 -
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dolphin25 likes this.
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