I gotta say, it sure does feel like Grier has learned from the mistakes of the past.
One of the things that I am most impressed with is his ability to sign younger guys who are scheme versatile and 3 years deals. Everything about this screams intelligence. First of all, it is a given that no GM will hit on 100% of his free agents. From the outset, it appears that most of the deals have the first two years guaranteed meaning we can get out from these contracts fairly easily. Gone are the days in which we have to hang on and keep hoping that eventually these guys can turn it around. Moreover, many of these guys were first round picks (the talent is clearly there) that seem to be coming around as of late. That being said, there is a real up-side potential. I also think that these players are in good situations too. Most of these guys will get paid again (probably not by us), so they are highly motivated. If you look at a lot of the two and three year contracts we gave, they are around the $10 million mark. If these guys perform, they could stand to make significantly more. I don't expect to see the Mario Williams of the world where they get paid and essentially pack it in. Also, you are seeing Flores's mark being made on this team as he is signing a lot of guys with position flexibility.
A couple other things I wanna talk about:
The Big Gamble - Byron Jones did break the bank, but I do think I would have rather had Bradberry's contract. I do think that this is the one contract that we did sign that could really wind up hurting us if it is a disaster. That being said, Jones has had a longer track record that Braberry. He has essentially been solid since he entered the league. Jones has the position flexibility that Flores likes, and he does not seem like the diva that many top corners are. The downside is that I do not think he is elite like Revis or Patrick Peterson in their prime. He is a solid corner, but he is paid like he is elite.
Van Noy - I think that this was Flores's gift for having to go through last season. We slightly overpaid, but I think this is exactly who Flores wants on his team. I think if you are going to overspend, this is exactly how you do. He is the guy you want, the overpaying is not excessive, and he will be a cornerstone of your team.
Howard - I think that this was sneaky good for Grier. I fully expect us to draft multiple running backs. I think Howard is an insurance policy that if we miss out on RBs because we need to trade up to get a QB, or our rookies are not ready to start, he can be a short term starter. We did not sink a ton of money into Gordon when plenty of solid backs are gonna be available. I imagine he will be around for one season, but if he really lights it up, he might see that second year.
Where I am on edge - I think Flowers was the worst of our signings. I did not like the thought of signing a guy who has been good for half a season his entire career. I know it is very, very early, but I am not thrilled how we have addressed the line to date. I know, people are going to rightly say, "Watch us hit it big on the draft." This is where I think that this is not Madden. I think there is an advantage of having solid vets on the line. Hopefully, we make moves in the second wave of free agency. I would like to see if we could work something out with Trent Williams. If it was a 3 this year and a conditional 4 next year, even if we had to overpay, I would be down.
-
I share some of your concerns. What I tell myself is he got a group of ragtag misfits to perform way beyond their ability last year so what he can he do with better talent, even if they weren’t performing at optimal levels?
Surfs Up 99 likes this. -
Keep in mind Flowers struggled at OT... Last year under Callahan he flourished at OG and had a great season. I think we plan to start Flowers at RG.
Surfs Up 99 and rafael like this. -
This is definitely the one I am most scared about though. -
-
Flores is the wildcard. Grier has always been willing to listen to his coaches on signings and draft picks. The reason we are getting guys that are versatile and fit the scheme here is the impact Flores is having on the front office.
Irishman, resnor and Surfs Up 99 like this. -
-
Irishman likes this.
-
FWIW I'm not saying Flores cant do it. I'm saying I don't think good discipline last year necessarily equals good discipline this year and beyond.Pauly likes this. -
Irishman likes this.
-
-
-
-
-
KeyFin likes this.
-
We can look at Karras and Davis as "very likely to start," but their contracts are both low enough that it would not be all that difficult to bench them if rookie talent is anywhere close to their level of play. I am anticipating that we will be drafting fairly heavily at the offensive line position. Realistically, none of our offensive linemen are so good that they can be written in with pen. Davis seems to stand out because of his versatility. Depending on how the draft goes, he could be RT or RG.
Based on his performance last year, my guess is that Dieter is likely not to crack the starting lineup. That being said, if he looks significantly better, he has a chance. I feel confident that there will be a ton of competition. -
Dieter did make improvements and I think with Flores as the head coach... Development and improvement... Working your *** off through the week in practices... He has a future here no matter what happens in the draft.
Flores is a consistent man... He just showed guys like Dieter what happens when you work your *** off improve and become part of the system... We just inked Karras and brought him in... Now 4 million dollars is not a huge sum by NFL standards.. ( To me it is a lifetime of earnings. ) But it shows that there will always be a place for Dieter if he keeps going.
Honestly if Dieter makes the same amount of improvement this season as he did last season he will suddenly become a heck of a football player...
We have lacked the ability to draft coach up and develop offensive linemen... It is one of the reasons we have sucked for 25 years. Seeing Dieter become an above-average guard in the NFL would mean a lot to me... and it would possibly signal the turning of the corner for the Dolphins. We do not have to just overpay for offensive linemen in free agency or use our highest draft picks either. To be able to turn 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks into above-average offensive linemen would make Miami a powerhouse in a few years.Patster1969, Pauly, KeyFin and 3 others like this. -
I have joked around about this for a long time and even advocating Grier or Ross to hire an OL consultant with a better than the average track record. The point you are making about us having to overpay for FA OL is spot on! Those resources could be used elsewhere. Hopefully, Flores and his staff will do better. I would be curious to know if Flores specialized in an area during his years in personnel. Fingers crossed that he knows what he is looking at on the OL. -
-
I know we have signed some decent guys and I am naturally excited about all of them because I think they all can contribute. After reading up on his draft profiles some more, one guy I a really excited about is Flowers. The dude is a mauler in the run game and probably best suited for RG. I love that we are addressing the OL. Now if we can keep it up in the draft. I realize we will probably go LT with one of our top two 1st rounders, but I hope we continue to add more. I am guessing we will go either OC or OG depending on how things unfold. I also wouldn't be opposed to us addressing the other side of the line, too. We could use some beef over there, too. Woot! Getting excited about our team and what the future may hold. The arrow is pointing up.
-
-
resnor likes this.
-