They'll live and If J Long is everything he's cracked up to be it won't matter long term.

The team as a whole benefits right off the bat by not having a malcontent around to lessen the direction of the new coach and F.O.

 

I know we are not expected to do much this season anyways but i just dont see us winning more than 5 games now. We just dont have enough good AND great players. I see improvement and even more for next year but we really need to pick up some bigger names next offseason to expect a playoff run for next year

 

This is only year one of the rebuilding process, first you build a culture of hard work and dedication and then you add players along the way. Getting rid of JT's whining will go a long way towards helping this team focus on what Sparano and Co. are trying to accomplish and not on non-football issues. :wink2:

 

I will totally take a 500% improvement in year one... :up:

 

I'll take it every year. :up:

 

It's a good point you raise, although I think even if JT has remained a Dolphin, he wouldn't be giving 100% in training camp. The young rooks competing to replace him and/or earn a roster spot might be better competition for him.

 

Long would have benefited from JT's speed rush skills in his development, but in reality he will be getting that schooling on the job anyways. He's a starter for us at LT, so he'll have to learn or it'll be even a longer season than we all anticipate...

At any rate, I'm not so sure we'll get the 5 wins with JT either...there are still a lot of questions to be answered that we are all 'supposing' will be improved areas...until the pads are on, we're just guessing anyway.

 

JTs skills have erroded a little, as displayed by his number of penalties last season

 

I think this whole notion of the LTs learning opposite JT in camp is from the "Sounds Good When You Say it Fast" department. If it was really that big of a deal, then we'd have had a franchise LT since he's been here. Not too mention every team with a franchise end would also have a franchise LT. Not only that, but it would work the other way around too. JT didn't become what he was by practicing opposite a great LT.

I'm sure there's a tip or two that can learned more immediately, but those tips will be learned at sometime. Its not like JT owns them or anything. This move does nothing but help our team.

 

i'm just wondering where the bulk from our pash rush will come from. last year the giants proved that you don't have to have an all-pro secondary as long as you can put pressure on the QB at the line. Unfortunately we have neither that pressure at the line NOR the secondary.

for that i'm not excited.

 

The biggest adjustment for rookies is getting used to the speed of the game. In that sense going up against JT would have helped JL adjust and build confidence.

But I still think the idea that going up against a guy in practice makes you better is overrated. It really only helps you if you are going to actually face that guy in a real game. But with JT in the NFC east, JL won't be facing him anytime soon.

 

We actually don't know that yet. This team is practically brand new.

 

If ever. I mean how much longer is JT going to play?

 

This was what I was going to be afraid of. The "Effort Factor" JT has always been motivated, but I think this year he would not been quite as motivated if he had been with the Fins. It would have showed on the field and in the lockerroom. Not what BP and TS want on this team.

In the end, we will look at this as a blessing. :up:

 

Pick up some bigger names?? Big names don't win championships. I think our lines are better on both sides of the ball which should improve our team in a drastic way this year over last year.

 

Really?

THe HOF is littered with "Big names" that helped carry their teams to championships.

I understand ultimately where you're going here.
It's a complete team that's needed with solid talent at numerous positions for a team to make it. However, the great players are needed on those teams to put them over the top.

Don't be misled by how Miami has managed to waste some HOF talent they've had the last couple decades by not building enough support around them.

Solid role players AND Big Names are necessary for a great team.

 

Big names win championships. But Championships dont' require big names.

 

Big names generate revenue, and allow us to stop having to pimp out our stadium as well as avoid blackouts

 

He's 30 something years old and arguably the best DE in the league. His 11 sacks last year were considered poor.... I'd take that any year.

 

Just read he's actually gonna playing the opposite end in Was. He'll definitely look eroded there.

 

I would put atleast 5 DEs above him...hes a pass rushing specialist thats coming off an average season. His age only dictates that he will regress once again.

 

Dwight Freeney is a pr specialist. JT is not. He's not the UltimateRunStopper3000, but he's far from a PR specialist. Look at the passes defended and INTs. You can bat down some balls, but you don't get INTs rushing the passer. Solo tackles as well. Look at them.

 

we have brought in many big names in the past yrs as recently as two yrs ago but that doesn't garuntee championships...just ask daniel snyder and the redskins as they have been trying to buy a superbowl for many yrs now. at one time that team was full of big names then look at the patriots ha they win three or four superbowls with no-names yet can't win the superbowl with arguably the best roster in football history(atleast on the offense). we need to start grooming our own big names but it seem we do that then get rid of them(o-gun comes to mind)

 

I guess the D-Line QB pressure is a huge question mark....

one that will have 20 games to show this season...

We need to build the Line to prevent the RUN first... because if you cant stop the run...

QB pressure won't matter... remember 2004...

 

Maybe two years ago he was a complete player.

Now though, hes not what he was. He looked weak last year against the run. Maybe he just quit becasue we sucked, I dont know. But he certainly looked overmatched defending the run at times last season.

 

I admit, lots of things looked bad last season, including him at times. but he is far from his peak IMO. you had a top 5 defense go to the bottom, when you add a Joey Porter. that tells me something stunk from the top, and it worked its way down.

 

Jake Long and Phillip Merling will both be perfectly gone with Taylor out of the picture.

 

Meh, who did Richmond Webb face?

Jeff Cross? I mean no offense to Jeff but he's no JT and yet he (Webb) was incredible so I dont think its a big deal.