A Dolphins official recently explained the team's management philosophy this way: The draft is where it primarily expects to acquire players who become Pro Bowl-caliber and others who will be useful pieces. The goal in free agency generally is to fill holes with good, solid players, not chase especially expensive neon names
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/miami-dolphins/story/1417492.html
excellent article. Give some insights into our core players
Davis is so serious about improving that he asked the team to give him tape to study every one of his 2009 plays, plus tape of the NFL's top cornerbacks. ``I want to see Charles Woodson and Al Harris, because they play similar styles.'' Henne requested tape of his throws
Miami believes guard Donald Thomas, supplanted by Nate Garner, must improve his on-the-move blocking to be a long-term starter. . . . Miami likes the potential of Chris Clemons, but one Dolphins person said he must improve in the mental aspects of safety.
• There's major skepticism about Patrick Turner and Pat White. Two Dolphins players said they do not expect much from Turner, an undisciplined route-runner who has trouble shaking free from press coverage in practice.
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DolfanCole, Bpk, muscle979 and 14 others like this.
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Yeah, the last thing we would want is them to do something crazy like grab Austin for that 2nd round tender....how would we have gotten Pat White?Rick 1966, NaboCane and High Definition like this.
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I agree with this approach. Free agency is fools gold. If you spend big, you should spend it to keep your own players. I would not spend big money in free agency. The draft is where you build the team. Free agency is where you fill holes with solid players.Bpk, Stringer Bell, Xeticus and 4 others like this.
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we also got chad henne with a 2nd, you never know whats behind the boxBpk, Stringer Bell, Mile High Fin and 1 other person like this.
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Yawn. Sounds like a Nate Burleson acquisition as our "prized" pickup or something.
If the FO ****s the bed again like they did last year, then changes need to be made all across the board again in 2011. -
Pretty much. This team is loaded with exactly what we're planning to add to it with this "approach"
We need some identity; we need a superstar on both sides of the ball. We don't have one. -
When does throwing big money at a free agent ever work out? Also, Miami flat out should not be trading draft picks for veteran players. When you do that, you almost always end up with a veteran that never lives up to the hype, and you lose draft picks, which is the life blood of a franchise.Bpk, Stringer Bell, RevRick and 1 other person like this.
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Sam Hurd come on down.
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I can't wait to buy my next Miami Dolphins jersey of a solid player we drafted!
jetssuck and adamprez2003 like this. -
Agree for the most part....however there are gems in FA as well and to just turn your back on the idea completely is a mistake.
And it's not like they have adhered to this policy 100%........They gave big contracts to FA's like Grove and Wilson when they probably should have looked to fill those positions via the draft. Now we have a Center that will likely never in his life play a full season and a Safety that most hope never plays a full season, for us.
Just like the draft, you have to make the right choices...adamprez2003 likes this. -
sean smith. and shouldnt we keep it to parcells and ireland picks? dont see why the picks of previous regimes are relevant hereStringer Bell and LandShark13 like this.
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building through free agency doesnt work
you are right
look at snyder and the redskins
haynesworth was a horrible fit
no chemistry
build through the draftXeticus and adamprez2003 like this. -
I agree with this 99%.
But when you have a team in its 3rd year of a 3-year rebuilding plan; and when that team's greatest need is a top WR, and WRs are notoriously both the biggest flop factor of any position in the draft and take a long time to develop - then I think it's warranted to make a big FA acquisition there.
Also, we need better players at both ILB positions; you can try to find two starters in the draft, but good luck getting those odds to work for you. Plus, do you really want two rooks starting alongside one another in a season when you're supposed to contend? When you'll likely also have a new OLB in the mix as well, along with possibly a new FS?jetssuck and first&goal like this. -
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i think what they're syaing is we arent going to break the bank. its not like they are going to turn their back on a good player because he's better than solid. what they wont do is overpay because of how it impacts the salary cap and future expenditures. I think Calvin Pace is a perfect example of that. They offered him a very serious contract but the Jets came in and overbid for his services. Rather than pay more than what they thought he was worth they passed. They have a monetary value they assign players and I think its good strategy to not veer away from it. Short term gain long term pain
Bpk, Xeticus, Mile High Fin and 1 other person like this. -
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Ah yes, because that one was real obvious.
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Why do I feel like I just got kicked in the nads.
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Great your stubern ways are getting us now were ,If you wanna play you got pay jeez these guys dont learn :tantrum:first&goal likes this. -
the old rule of thumb is you only go to free agency to get over the hump and win a super bowl after youve built the foundation. is that this year or next? probably next year IMO
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Salary Cap?
Et tu Adamp?
Jets won a playoff game, something we have not done since what...2000? There is no more salary cap, this ideal of "building through the draft" is sort of fool's gold indeed, in order to do that, one has to be crappy for a three or four year stretch.
Like the Cardinals were, that is how they stocked their team with Fitzgerald's and Dansby's, so unless they discover the "magic" scouting system, FA is about the only way to avoid that B$ of "our team has improved year after year".
The NFL is a four year window league. -
This is 100% true.
Never, NEVER mortgage the future for the present. It never works.
I advocate signing one young, premier WR and one second-tier guy; one young, premier ILB and one or two second-tier guys; one young, decent OLB; and one Premier TE, or as close as we can get to it.
Then, draft one WR high; one or two ILBs - one of them high; one or two OLBs - one of them relatively high; and one TE, preferably Jimmy Graham in the 2nd; and a rangy-fast FS.
That'll address the glaring weaknesses up front, and give us some development material behind the starters.
And next draft we can take one or two monster OLBs and be the Defense we were intended to be at last.jetssuck likes this. -
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if we add three more starters through the draft (whcih is what we're averaging right now) we'll be a perennial playoff team for the next five years at least
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Very sorry to hear them say that. I was hoping they were serious about getting us to a Superbowl. This is not an indication of that.
jetssuck likes this. -
Like Pittsburgh, when they signed....
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The problem is, without FA's we cannot miss in the draft, a Pat Turner is almost as bad for us as missing on a Qb, that #3 pick is not readily replacable, yet that is their strategy.
I guess they could scout the American Football Association in Italy. ...
Pat White will fill out, this is a key offseason for him and his first as a pro.jetssuck, adamprez2003, NaboCane and 1 other person like this. -
Roy Williams
Braylon Edwards
Ricky Williams
Albert Haynesworth
Peerless Price
Joey Galloway (to Dallas)
Adalius Thomas
It goes both ways.GridIronKing34, 2k5 and adamprez2003 like this. -
w eare the 2nd highest payroll in the NFL. I dont think we can sign that many top tier free agents. Regardless of this article I do think we will sign one premier player but I dont expect more than one and only at the right price
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So, since Pittsburgh did it, that means everyone can make it that way? I could just as easily bring up the many teams that made it to the SB via free agency. But the problem is the attitude, not the strategy. If you are serious about being a contender, you don't balk at whatever it will take.Phins28, jetssuck, emocomputerjock and 1 other person like this.
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