We still have too many holes at this current date still a bit early for this thread imo but were still currently not a playoff team and our schedule is a mother ****er this year. We had decent LB play last year so we didn't straight upgrade its more of a long term fix and in using our money there we have holes to fill with the players we lost.

 

NE is still clearly ahead of us imo. Mainly becuase they have tom brady. i expect them to win 10-12 games next season. miami will be anywhere from 8+ depending on how tanny plays

but as of right now, i still think there is a wide gap between both teams.

 

I like the movies too, but reality is a bich

 

All depends on the Tuck Rule.

 

We need to address TE, OL, CB & WR postion still, got a long way to go.

 

You always position yourself to win the division, it's the only guaranteed way to get to the dance. I think our new-look LB corps is a direct answer to what looks to be a heavier reliance on Gronk/Gonzo by that Pats this season.

At the end of the day though, there will be 3 main things that determine our success or failure this season:

1. How well do we draft in April

2. How Tanny develops

3. Whether we stay healthy or not

 

Reality is, it rests on Tannehill, if he develops further, then sure, if not, then no.

 

I go back a while more then probably most on this forum. Until Tom Brady came the Patriots were the doormat of the AFC. I hated them growing up and I hate them even more now. They, at one time, were pitiful to watch. The only solace I have is they will one day be a doormat again.

Brady and the BS tuck rule changed football. I hear now on the NFL Network the competition committee may be doing away with the tuck rule. It was a BS call to start with and it still is a BS call. Tuck rule, BS let the QBs wear friggin skirts then. They are also thinking about making it a penalty when a RB lowers his head before contact. Another BS rule.

Only runner I know of that could do that successfully was Erik Dickerson and there hasn't been one since. Whats a RB to do when its a 3rd and inches or 4th and inches, Running standing up straight into the LOS ? what a joke.

 

ftfy

 

Are we positioning to challenge New England?

No. Why would we want to beat a divisional opponent? Makes no sense.

 

right now hell no, we still need TE, CB x 2, WR, OT, OG, RB, and DE

 

Make no doubt, Tom Brady is the NEW ENGLAND Patriots, after him they are nothing special at all, nothing.

 

Every team tries to gun for the top of the division, so yes they are positioning to take on New England. However, Phins are still a distant 2nd.

 

If Tannehill improves from last season we can challenge. If he improves further in year 3, we can overtake.

We also need to draft well the next 2 season. Cannot shoot ourselves in the foot with bad drafts.

 

WE could be if we bring back McMichael after all he did play qb, de, te, and safety in college so if we bring back the hardest working player in dolphin history I say we win it all next season.

i am drinking beer right now but i'm not buzzed yet. :pointlol:



eriousy , we need to make some more moves and it would be cool if we could pull off a mega trade but is that even a possibility ? :guitar:

 

Fudge it......Ill say it.

Hell yeh we are....and it starts this season. F the Pats.

 

I agree. And I think we have the right plans in place to ruin his day

 

To sweep them and win the division, no. But I think the chances of beating them at home have gotten better and I watch the Pats games at the top of the Skyway Bridge

 

Always contend for the division.

 

This

 

No. They are a Superbowl contender every year. Can we challenge to not get swept? Maybe.

 

We need a pair of corners first before we talk about challenging the Patriots lest we look exactly like them without a secondary (well 1/2 secondary)

 

LOL at the negative nancys in this thread.

This team is no doubt a playoff team. In fact, we were last year, but two field goals prevented us from making it. This team is much better than last year (on paper, at least). How are we not? Can we compete with NE? Absolutely. Any team can win any game. Who knows how they will be without Welker, that might have helped us huge. Just continue with the great FA signings and hit a home run in the draft and trust me, we're there.

 

i think we are (will be) good enough to split with them and sweep the jets and bills. at 5-1 in the division, anything can happen with those other games - weren't they 2-2 at the beginning of this year. but i don't think we have a chance if we play them in the playoffs.

 

Always Be Closing. Coffee is for Closers!

 

[video=youtube;dJAej07XUos]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJAej07XUos[/video]

 

Unless the Dolphins have the type of draft where 3 or 4 rookies come in and become immediate starters and play at a consistently high level. I just don't see the Dolphins being a real threat to the Patriots in 2013. The Dolphins just have too many holes left to fill and it is difficult to expect a number of rookies to come in and instantly solve all the issues on this team.

The Dolphins should be better in 2013 and they may contend for a wildcard spot, but they won't be a serious threat to the Patriots in the division. I still feel it will be at least 2014 before the Dolphins are legitimate playoff contenders, but with free agency still going on and the draft next month, the Dolphins still have a chance to improve the roster enough to surprise me in 2013.

 

The Dolphins record last season was 7-9. Even if they had won the two games you state they lost by missed field goals, this would have only given them a record of 9-7. Since the wildcard teams in the AFC all had at least 10 wins, I am not sure how you conclude that the Dolphins would have made the playoffs if they had gone 9-7 last season.

This isn't being negative but merely stating a fact.

 

Are we positioning to challenge New England?

I hope not. That is too fine a target - as in to narrow. I hope what Ireland is doing is trying to find the players for Philbin to use to - as the military would say - take the initiative away from the opposition in general - or in other words - all of the teams that the Dolphins play.

That was one of the things that fried my tukkis about the last several regimes, and last year, for that matter. We don't seem to want to take the initiative on either offense (I have not seen an opening game pass in about 12 years or so, now) and on defense, while we may have been good from time to time (The Thomas/Taylor teams) we always seem to have this huge propensity to play way, way off the ball - Read and react. That is a way to win if you have superior athletes across the board. We have not had that for a very, very long time. From Wanny Wadball on offense to Pleeeaasseee-don't-make-a-mistake Sparano, we have not had an identity of being an aggressive team as a whole. We have consistently surrendered the initiative to the opponent on one side of the ball or the other for years - which is how you lose. And it began at the top.

Wayne H. should have told Shula that he was NOT a general Manager. (He had Marino, and no defense!)
Wayne H. should never have hired Jimmy Johnson (He handcuffed Marino, and built a defense)
Jimmy should have his fishing boat sunk for recommending Wannstedt for anything!
Wannstedt, well, you really can't do much about him being Wannstedt (which can't be helped but that leads us right back to the two previous FUBARs)
Again, Wayne hired Saban! (Over his Head!)
AND Cameron (Drowning in Abysmal)
AND Parcells. (He's gonna quit you, Wayne!)

At least now, I have a hope that we are beginning to see a remote hint of a vague possibility that we might just possibly be trying to acquire players who can do more than sit back and see what is going to happen - who want to stand up and attack the opposition. But I also think (hope!) that we have a real, honest to Lombard Football Coach in the position. The opening act was promising, and if what has been going on the last few days is any indication of some behind the scenes conversing between GM and HC - Glory! That means that we also have the hint of a Head Coach who is not going to sit back and wait for things as much as he is going to try to make things happen.

As you might ascertain - my style of combative exercise (which football is!) is informed by the Chesty Puller style of leadership.

 

Yes and no. I figure if a team can sweep New England, they can beat anybody. As for the initiative bit, I have only this to say: Surprise, Speed, and Violence of Action.

 

Marine Colonel on Guadalcanal, right?

 

Well,

I doubt we win the toboggan, but at least we will win the Candy Canes.... As for the other, Fatasaurus Rex deserves to be fired.....

 

I love the optimism, but cmon, let's be serious.

We picked up a very very nice MLB, who "should" be a step up from what we had. Dansby showed up over-weight, but he is still a solid linebacker, regardless of what anybody in here says.

We picked up a very speedy receiver, something we have been missing...well, we had one, but he couldn't catch nor stay in bounds. We also lost, by far, our best offensive player in Bush. I don't think the pick up of Wallace makes up for what we lost in Bush. We will see, but I don't think so.

We also lost our only serviceable CB. Once again, I don't care what everybody says about Sean Smith, it is a SERIOUS drop off in talent after him. We will see how it turns out...but for now, that is still a loss. We have nobody on the roster to cover the 2 TE's that NE is going to be running more and more of right down the seam of our asses.

We also lost Jake Long, or so it would seem. This will be a huge tipping point IMO. IF we re-sign him, then Tanny might have the time to actually get the ball to Wallace downfield, if not...then forgettaboutit. I think that Jonathan Martin was our best pick of last year's draft, and I still stand by that, but he is not even close to being ready to play LT. He struggled quite a bit at RT and it is an entirely different ballgame.

Of course, we do have extra draft picks, but we have no idea who that equates into at this point. Hell, even after we draft, and we either pick everybody's favorites or not, we have ZERO idea who we have. NONE. NADA....which leads to the reality of it all.

We have a very unproven QB. He might be the next Dan Marino Redux, or he might be the next Chad Henne, NOBODY knows right now.

We have replaced a very good Reggie Bush with a very much unknown Lame-ahr Miller. He might end up being very special. NOBODY knows right now....nobody.

We might be replacing, perhaps the second most important position with a player that struggled in his rookie year at a different position.

We have picked up a very speedy receiver, that doesn't do much but run go-routes. That should produce some big playes...but look at bullet items 1 and 3 above. He might not ever have the chance to produce.

We have lost in our defensive backfield without a replacement.

We have upgraded in the linebacking core. I won't discount that. Very nice player, but once again, he was in an absolute IDEAL position to perform in Baltimore. That entire defensive scheme is predicated around making everybody else work to make the MLB shine. Will that show up in Miami? Probably to some extent. We shall see. We have a very very nice front line, but that isn't any different from last year.


All in all, we really probably aren't much better off than we were except NOW the coaching staff has the players it wants in place. I think there is value in that. I also realistically believe it will be 2 years before we reap the benefits of this fruit.

 

There is a HUGE difference between "eeking" into the playoffs, and challenging the monstrosity that Bob Kraft, Bill Bellichick and Tom Brady have forged. Even when they are bad, they are good. They giggle into the playoffs every year by November. This thread implies whether we are getting ready to unseat them as the class of the AFC East. Even if we did make it further than them in 2013, it sadly would probably be an anomaly. Or have you not been watching football for the last decade? I love the Dolphins like the next kool-aid guzzlin fan. But the truth is the truth.

 

Add another pass rusher to compliment Wake (like Abraham), drastically upgrade at CB, and snag a TE who can threaten opposing defenses and then yeah, maybe we can challenge them.