Largest gamble of our offseason tbh, we were a good defense with those two in the lineup.

Ellerbe started a handful of games, Wheeler was a waivee from Indy and had one great yr in Oakland.

Really, it can make or break our season.

 

More athletic and faster, just have to wait and see if their abilities can match their potential. We knew Dansby and Burnett were at their peak and what we saw was all we were going to get. Ellerbe was the heir apparent in Baltimore of one of the best linebackers to ever play in the NFL and that speaks volumes.

 

I think Dansby and Burnett offered solid, if unspectacular, production. Their baseline, at the very least, was fairly dependable. I see Ellerbe and Wheeler as a more volatile combination that can raise the ceiling if they live up to their billing and are used creatively in Coyle's packages, but also with the potential to be busts if they really aren't as good as what they've shown.

 

Heir apparents remind me of Jay Fiedler.

 

I would have to say that LB's are big questions at the moment but reason I guess I haven't really worried is I like Coyle's style and I think he knows how to use his guys.

 

Wasn't Damon Huard suppose to be the heir apparent but then got beat out by Fiedler.

 

My memory was that Huard was in a competition where he would only win if he blew Fielder away. Kind of like the KAJ/Parmalee competition, where Parmalee was a better all around player including runningback, however didn't have 'potential' so lost the battle.

 

Nah, it was Ray Luc.... Sorry, my fingers just won't type that....hehehe



I know, I know, Luc... was a few years later, but I think VManis was right on Huard...

 

I do my best to forget about that guy...... yet someone always has to bring up his name! thanks dude! :angry:

As for Ellerbee and Wheeler, I do think they will be an upgrade.
Younger, faster and more athletic.

 

IIRC, Dan had endorsed Damon as the heir apparent but Wanny brought in Jay and was he!! bent on going with his guy.


I always like KAJ, primarily because he got the 1,000 yard RB monkey off our back. He was never a great back but he sure had a nose for the goal line.

 

I hated KAJ. I felt he always left yards on the field, had terrible vision and was very easy to take down. He got 1,000 yards because he had 1000 carries. Well not htat much, but he did average around 3.3 yards per carry. I thought Parmalee was a better runningback, plus he could catch the ball.

 

That was before Wanny did things his way.

 

or Aaron Rodgers

 

Three words....younger,faster, hungrier.

 

This and this:

Word up!! :pointlol::up:

 

Ellerbe started a handful of games ? that's it ?..... that's your diagnosis of what he brings in comparison to dansby ? Talk about selling him short. Arguably the Defensive MVP on a strong defensive unit that won the superbowl. It's like getting a player of Dansby's caliber all over again, only younger, cheaper... and he's not a jackass. Can truely Lead.


Wheeler was a waivee ?...... They also waived Peyton MAnning. James Harrison was waived once, or 3 times. He had a better year than any 4-3 OLB we've had since i forget his name back in Zach's early years. Donald Jones was it ? Not Derrick Rodgers, though he was solid.

Clear upgrades. These are the last moves people should be questioning. Apparently not everyone was as down on the LBs as I was. I promise you guys won't miss those bums. Especially not Dansby, who could possibly have already made the last start of his career, by the way.

Largest gamble ? the new Tackle arangement, the Corners, Runningbacks, expecting Wallace, Keller, Miller and Gibson to transform this offense. Hardly the upgrades at LB.

 

Agree with most that they bring youth and upside to the D. More than anything, I think it shows vision and foresight. Sorry for the corporate bingo phrase, but it's pro-active rather than reactive. Certainly comes with some risk and ties up some future cap room even if this year it's a wash, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Above all, I think the franchise is demonstrating there is a plan in place to build a competitive team beyond the current season. Consider the alternative...don't make any moves on Dansby & Burnett and as age, injuries or their careers hit the decline....we're forced to use a top draft pick to gamble on a replacement with a learning curve as QB of the D. Right as were ready to make the leap from wildcard to SB contender. And unable to focus picks on replacing Soliai, adding a safety or marquee running back.

 

I agree... and I was irritated with Dansby showing up out of shape each season and staying injured while running his mouth about being the best this or that. Burnett seemed to always be injured in camp as well. I think they covered his "recovery" on Hard Knocks as year as well.

 

I have always thought it needed big moves in FA and Draft to make the step up. We have been so stagnant the last 10yrs plus its frightening. Same goes for Bills. Jets no so much but they dug a huge hole with Sanchez and poor Drafts lately. If any team is going to mount a challenge to the Pats and win the AFC East its the Phins. Ireland has given the team a chance to do it.

 

You have to go back and watch the countless times Dansby whiffed on plays pod.
I agree they made a big step with the changes but it is for the best. I hope.

 

I think there is a huge risk in this move. While some people on here felt Dansby didn't play up to his contract. He and Burnett were two of the solid pieces on a decent defense. Personally I would rather have seen the Dolphins keep Dansby and Burnett and use those cap dollars to upgrade their secondary, which I still think will be a problem area in the 2013 season.

Ellerbe and Wheeler may be younger and a bit faster, but I don't know if they will be an upgrade over Dansby and Burnett. Hopefully Ellerbe and Wheeler will be at least as effective as the LB's they replaced or else this defense could end up taking a giant step backwards and not forward during the 2013 season.

 

If you could put a face to this, I would say you were talking about Terry Kirby except for the 1,000 yard part, of course.

Loved Bernie, he was my homeboy in every sense of the word.

 

I disagree, the dynamics at linebacker needed to be changed, plays weren't being made, defense wasn't making it happen at crunch time, corner and linebacker needed to be revamped, and we did, I really like what was done at the corner position, I like my chances with grimes and Taylor..I've seen Ellerbee make some plays that neither linebacker we had could make..really happy with the job.

 

I agree that the dynanmics needed a reboot, just not 100% Ellerbe and Wheeler are the guys to reboot them, and my real concern is both are effective blitzers their coverage skills are not as good as Dansby and Burnett's were.

Really do not want to see the return of Te's running free with a Lb in "trail position".

This is one of the reasons why I have high hopes for Jenkins and to a lesser extent Kaddu and Shelby

 

Removing two pieces from a successful defense and replacing them with 2 guys who do not have a long track record of performance and paying large FA $$ for them is a risk, there is no way around it.

Take Clabo for example, you know exactly what you are getting with him, his performance is consistent as his durability.

 

KAJ. Terry Kirby was great at catching the ball

 

I gotcha, Ellerbe does have some susceptibility to that, he's a downhill guy as you know, so his first step is always hard at the Los, sometimes he bites on that fake pretty hard obviously leaving you vulnerable.

 

I wasn't inferring that the line backing was great last year. I just think that Dansby and Burnett were solid contributors to the defense and I just don't know if Ellerbe and Wheeler are definite upgrades at this time. Wheeler will be playing for his third team in the last three seasons and Ellerbe only became a starter for the Ravens last year because Lewis was injured.

Both of these players may come in and show they are better than Dansby and Burnett, but until the do, I still have to question the need to sign them and cut Dansby and Burnett. In fact I think both Dansby and Burnett are still far better than Misi and cutting both of them and keeping Misi around makes no sense to me. I just hope they find a replacement for Misi after the 2013 season. He is a free agent after this season and the Dolphins should just him go in free agency, as far as I am concerned.

As far as the CB positions are concerned, both Grimes and Marshall are coming off major injuries in 2012. If they both have full recoveries and are able to be the players they were earlier in their careers, the CB position may be okay. If they aren't the players they were prior to their injuries, I think the CB position is going to be a major area of concern for this team.

Taylor and Davis are still huge question marks because of their status as rookies. One or both of them may turn out to be effective NFL CB's, but right now we just don't know if they will be upgrades or not. Carroll is a below average NFL CB and Patterson is fighting for a roster spot, it appears.

Relying on two veteran CB's coming off major injuries and two rookies who have never played a down in the NFL to be your major contributors at the CB position is a major risk. Hopefully it will work out, but if he doesn't, opposing QB's will have a field day throwing against the Dolphins secondary.

 

Eh, with you on the Lb's, disagree about the Db's rookie Cb's tend to play quickly in the league and have success now.

Jones is up and coming, Clemmons is solid if unspectacular, and we still have Patterson so imo, we are in good shape.

 

Linebackers don't have season-breaking impact.

 

point is, when your consistently producing medioricre results, changes have to be made, they were, the linebacker replacements are not rookies coming in, their young vets replacing older ones, sure you can stay the same at the position, but it's not likely those two were gonna give you more than what you saw the last couple years, and you always must find ways to improve your team and take those chances, of course everyone wants to see them play in our uninform before we judge but, GMs don't have that luxury when putting together a roster that is trying to get over a hump and compete for championships, sometimes you gotta go with what's on tape and your own talent..I think it was a good unit to revamp, it didnt have depth and had two staters in their thirties with pretty high contacts..I respect the move.

Remember, for me this is Ireland's 3rd year with full power, I don't think we can judge him before that with any conviction or proof so I cannot prove the level of his power, to me I've got to judge him in some absolute senses, I would say if we can just drop our past for a sec, and think about the job he has done since his first year, it would be good considering all the variables and cosching changes and reshuffling, topping off with an aggressive offseason aquiring young players..

 

I do agree that it is the job of the GM to constantly upgrade the positions on the football team. Hopefully that is what Ireland has done with his various signings in free agency and through the 2013 draft. Some times young players come in and provide this upgrade and other times they come in and find out that the NFL is more difficult to adjust to than they thought it would be.

I have my doubts about many of these free agent signings and even some of the players drafted. Of course as a fan, that is to be expected. It isn't my job on the line if these players don't succeed. It will be the players jobs, as well as Ireland's and Philbin's jobs. I am looking forward to this season more than I have looked forward to a season since 2008. So I obviously think this has a chance of being the best season for the Dolphins in at least five years.

I just have concerns regarding the CB position and the LB positions. Once the season begins, these concerns may prove to be for nothing, but right now it is just the way I feel. I certainly want all these players to work out and prove to be upgrades at their positions. I will just continue to have my concerns until I see how they play once the regular season begins. Hopefully the players Ireland has been responsible for signing and drafting over the last three years will finally provide a winning team on the field. Anything less then at least a 9-7 record in 2013 would be seen as a severe disappointment and would mean that Ireland has failed as the teams GM. If the Dolphins finish 9-7 or better, I feel Ireland will have proved he is a capable NFL GM and he should remain as the Dolphins GM. We will see how it all works out after 16 games.

 

Has Channing Crowder caught Dallas Clark yet?