http://www.miamidolphins.com/media/...Dolphins/a09574b4-8c53-426c-962d-08b39d956b4d Really good interview with Jeff
Still baffles me how of the Fab 5 rookie QB's last year the one with the least experience had the least amount of talent around him.
Methinks thou speakest truth! This will be a very interesting season on any number of levels. I don't expect a divisional championship this year unless Brady winds up needing Tommy John surgery. But, I anticipate a much improved team becoming much more competitive and growing stronger all season. But it still comes down to "the ball is shaped funny and bounces weird." I don't think this will be boring - either on the field or on the board.
Its only baffling because you'd rather find things to ***** about then look at things honestly. Case in point, we all know the coaches during the FA and draft hadn't really considered starting Tannehill last year. They obviously did plan for a big influx of talent this year however, which would have been when they wanted Tanny to start. Shocking, I know.
Building on Darlington's point of sophomore slump - in reference to first several games for Cam Newton, who do we think, of Luck, RGIII, Wilson, Tannehill will have the sophomore slump next season? I'm not including Weeden in the discussion because I think he's average begin with and the new management doesn't seem to support him which will make it even harder for him to succeed. My guess is RGIII, mainly because I think even if he comes back in time for this injury, his playing style lends itself to getting beat up all the time. It was my knock against him in the draft and it still holds true. I don't see Washington making the playoffs again this season. I do see Seattle obviously, their entire team is really good across the board. I see Tannehill and Luck competing for the same wild-card spot.
Not sure how this is baffling ??? It is what it is. We drafted a player with little experience but plenty of talent; and it was a team with very little offensive talent. The situation does give us a lot of hope for the future because as he gets more experience and more talent surrounding him he will improve significantly. So lots of upside. If the OL can protect him, he should have a much improved year.
Nice interview, hopefully what Darlington says is true...What I'm curious about, though, is what are the technical aspects of Tannehill's game that need to improve if you take out the intangibles? I know the whole offense has improved, on paper at least, with the offseason moves, but what part of Tannehill's game has to get better, regardless of the other players on the team, things like accuracy, footwork, reading the field, etc. I really don't know much about the technicalities of football, maybe the more knowledgeable posters can help clarify this.
-better ball placement on his passes, he is not inaccurate but a touch more accuracy would lead to more big plays -more decisiveness in the end zone Use both sides of the field, THill in some games just targets one side of the field, he doesn't seem to see the whole field quickly as of yet and a part of that is just inexperience.
Good point about the dropped interceptions. We sometimes forget about that problem from last year. We could have won a few more games had it not been for those drops. Now, any team can probably say the same things about certain problems with their team and season, but it was an obvious problem with our DBs. The DB moves make sense. Lets hope it improves. (turnover differential).
Yep, watched some of their games, but the Browns real problem was they'd fall behind early forcing Weeden to pass to try and catch up.
IMO the "maturation" of RT is mostly about timing and rhythm. I think the ball placement complaint is overstated. Much of those apparent issues were the result of receivers not getting separation or making themselves good targets. And of course not getting to the right spot. RT was more in sync with what the offense was supposed to be than his receivers b/c he played in such a similar system. I don't see his ball placement as a big issue especially when compared to other QBs in the league. I think that will improve naturally as his receivers get up to speed. I also think that RT has to learn when to take off and run vs. when to try and extend the play vs. when to just throw it away. He improved in that area when he healed up at the end of the season. In large part a may just have been a factor of having running and extending the play be options again. I don't think people realize how fast RT is. He is just a step behind Ckap speed. IMO he was playing better than Luck (given the weapons around him) during that stretch at the end. I would say that that skill is what made R. Wilson and RGIII so successful. I don't believe that Wilson is as good of a passer as RT, Luck or RGIII, but he has remarkable instincts for making the right play. If RT continues developing that skill, the sky's the limit. IMO with modest development of that one skill alone, he'll be a perennial top 10 QB. With more pronounced development of that one skill he'll be a perennial top 5.
Well that's what happens when you have a GM that thinks "4's, 5's and 6's will step up to be 1's, 2's, and 3's". I know the apologists don't like it, but last year was all on Ireland. If Tannehill takes off this year like many of us think then it's our GM's fault we had to suffer through yet another mediocre to bad year last season.
So then last year was planned as a bad year you are saying. I'm sure that just makes a lot of people that spent hard earned money on tickets feel all warm & fuzzy.
Acknowledging you have 4's, 5's, and 6's on your roster isn't the same as expecting 1's, 2's, and 3's. The fact of the matter is that we were switching philosophies because of a new coaching staff and we had to get guys to fit our system and overall attitude. You can't blame last season on one person. We overachieved last season with a first year head coach and a rookie quarterback in all honesty.
3 defensive TO's was just completely unacceptable. That's why the entire LB crew & a lot of theDB's are all new.
No it definitely wasn't even near the norm as it pertains to dropping int's, we were the worst by far..hated our corners last year, all of them, love the new blood, Grimes, and Taylor are big upgrades imo, grimes over smith, and Taylor over Carroll.. I was watching some highlights of the colt game last year, Nolan Carroll got abused by Luck, that play right before the half that he gave up for 6 was sooo freakin badly played..one of the worst plays in the air, I've seen on a pro field. I think we see Grimes and Taylor as starters, we need those type of skillsets starting, desperately, and we need Davis to win the nickel job ASAP..need talent and play making ability..those three guys could fix a lot of issues, they all have corner instincts.
relisten to that hard knocks segement. Ireland states clearly that we need those 4's 5's and 6's to step up and becomes 1's 2's and 3's......he didn't want to male a real concerted effot it looked like to go out and find the weapons for THill to succeed. I can't figure out why, but that is what his actions said. Now that he's really on the hotseat he's done it.
I read before we were very interested in Vincent Jackson but Ireland miscalculated Vincent's price tag, he didn't think he would get the type of money Vincent received.
How do you develop someone by possibly breaking their confidence ? To me Russell Wilson has more confidence because he was put in a position to succeed, unlike THill, who had much more frustration than confidence building. JMO......
You had me up to that point. Davis is a guy I think we can give more time to due to his lack of playing experience. He's much like some of the project CBs Kevin Coyle had in Cincinnati, and I think he'll take some time to develop. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think one of the two between Richard Marshall and Dimitri Patterson will be on the roster, and both of those guys are better as a slot (nickel) corner IMO. So that's one option. The staff also seemed to play R.J. Stanford quite a bit down the stretch, and you can consider Nolan Carroll (though, I think he's going to get cut) as an option to put on the outside and you can move Jamar Taylor to the slot in certain packages, which he played from time to time at Boise State. So between, Marshall, Patterson, and Taylor, you've got three guys who have more playing experience and have played in the slot before, that you can use while you develop Will Davis. No need to rush Davis IMO
Maybe, but do you really think Irish is on the hot seat ?? I don't. I think Ross made that perfectly clear...
Why not? I would like to see Brady get sandwiched. Wake/Jordan with Brady filling. My dream play for next season is seeing Brady running like a rabbit in headlights before getting nailed. Its all about making a statement.
Of course that's all well and good to believe now, after the fact. Seems a lot of these "after the fact" cover stories surround this guy.
Wait, what are you saying? They should have planned on starting Tannehill regardless? They shouldn't have prepared to have all the cap room and draft picks they had this offseason?
The fact remains, Ireland acknowledged the issue and knew he didn't have many options because they don't grow on trees... so they had to step up. They obviously didn't because it's looking like only Hartline and Matthews will be back in 2013 with Wallace and Gibson joining the unit as well an undrafted FA or someone as the #5...
Wow, heavyweight endorsement, I like to hear that sh$&. His speed is so deceptive, I keep hearing 4.65 all the time, which is not accurate, he put up a 4.5 at his proday..that's bookin..he's lighter this year Rafs..been watching him closely, I know his body pretty well, he def wanted to get lighter and quicker.. I agree with you on the accuracy stuff, i think accuracy will eventually be his strength, however, in the red zone, where balls have to be placed with precision, I need to see him place them in a way where I know he's seeing the small target, right now I see him throwing to a spot more than I would like.. The recognition of when to run and evade does need to get better, also physically,this is what I'm hoping for when it comes to losing a few pounds and getting quicker, and without question his legs have to get stronger, too many times I watch his legs give out a bit, or lose balance.
4 losing seasons in a row, and if there is a 5th ? Ross will have to something if he ever cares about getting the fanbase turned around and back going to games. I know it's hard for the blind homers to understand, but a majority of the fanbase really doesn't like Ireland and think he's really been here long enough and that maybe its time to try someone different. The mediocrity he's produced so far is not working, and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.
I think what Ross understands is that the majority of fans have no effing clue what in the hell they are talking about. You are proving that. It is criminally myopic to judge a GM by W/L record.
Regardless of who was the QB last year, they were doomed, even Gerard. That offense was downright putrid. The Vincent story just makes no sense if this year was to be the FA year. I believe thats a made up story to cover for not going after anyone last year. I'd really like to see where that story originated. If on Miamidolphins.com its of course self-serving and can hardly be believed.
Patterson flashed last year so I'd like to see if this dude is motivated to be good, or motivated by money, I really don't know what we have in Marshall. I just know Will Davis has talent, and Wilson , Carroll, and Stanford haven't shown me much.
You're really serious ? Tell me this is a joke....wait where are the cameras ? This is Candid Camera Message Board right ?
I don't care what you believe, you've shown repeatedly that your opinion of how things went down makes no sense an is fueled not by facts, but by frustration and anger. First of all, going for VJ doesn't do anything to mess with the notion. He is a special talent, pretty much the only one available last year. We went after him, but didn't come with enough money. Secondly, what exactly did I make up? That they didn't expect Tannehill to start last year? You think that's a lie? Or do you think that I made up their plan to have the cap space and picks this off season? You really think that's a lie too? Did they just trip and fall into all that cap space? Draft picks grew on trees I suppose?
