I for one think the off-season has gone much better than how it's being cast by the media. Some folks here may believe it's that bad, but not me. My first hope coming into the off-season was that Miami would somehow avoid the big FA signing which we've grown accustomed to in recent years. So far that's been the case so I've gotten my wish.
Ultimately I saw the team as needing to dig itself out of a big hole and I didn't think big money contracts were the way to go. It's going to take quite a bit of effort to remove the Ireland-Philbin stains from this roster. Miami is weak at CB, LB and O-line after several lackluster drafts. That's not going to change in just a year.
Thus, I believe this year marks the beginning of a new era in which Tannenbaum will control free agency and Grier the draft. I see this as the year new HC Adam Gase gets to know the roster, fleshes out his vision and installs the foundation of his plan. Roster-wise, I think its a 2-year retooling project where some holes just aren't going to be totally repaired by the time the 2016 season begins. Realistically, all these veteran pick-ups are short-term patches that are meant to put reliable bodies in place so the team can remain competitive.
Miami isn't going to win the Super Bowl this year, that's not the goal, not matter what your hear. The goal has to be putting the team in position to make a run after a couple years worth of restructuring. Every regime gets one shot. Your goal is to align everything so that when you're ready, you have a legit chance to make a run and come out on top. Each of the moves this year has been palatable given that perspective.
Obviously, the only chance a franchise has is to draft well. That's a given. Hopefully, Miami can come away from the draft with 1 or 2 premium players and a small handful of contributors.
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