The problem is that the passing game hasn't been any more efficient when the run game has played extremely well, or as a function of the run-pass balance on offense, and so I don't know why anyone would expect that now. The better plan would be to acquire YAC receivers if it's passing efficiency you want to achieve, in my opinion. That's what's been missing to date in Tannehill's career.

Also, the team has hardly played a "wide open" pass offense. It was among the lowest in the league in downfield attempts last season. If it's numbers of pass attempts you mean by "wide open," then again, that isn't correlated with pass efficiency. Being less "wide open" in that regard isn't likely to result in greater efficiency, because it hasn't in the past.

You're asking for changes that sound good in theory, but aren't likely to happen in reality. Again, the better plan in my opinion is to simply get better on defense with Suh (if he's signed), and become more efficient in the pass offense with YAC receivers. At least do something new that is likely to create a change for the better, rather than believe that things that haven't had an effect in the past suddenly will.

 

Wes Welker is available, so is Dane Sanzenbacher....yep we would be awesome. Maybe even Reggie Wayne?

 

You may be right regarding the change in philophy if Suh does sign with the Dolphins DJ. I'm just not convinced he will end up signing with the Dolphins.

It would not surprise me in the least if he and his agent aren't just trying to raise his asking price by putting out the idea that the Dolphins are his team of interest at this time. He certainly wouldn't be the first person to use the Dolphin organization to get himself a better offer elsewhere.

I would love to see Suh as the centerpiece of the defense, but I'll only believe he is actually coming to Miami after he signs a contract and he is introduced as a new Dolphin. Until then, I remain skeptical in regards to him signing with the Dolphins.

 

They attempted only 9 more passes on the season, and they were quite a bit more efficient. Their rushing offense was far poorer in terms of yards per carry, however, although they didn't run the ball any less than the Dolphins. Then again the Dolphins were #2 in the league in yards per carry, and would've been #1 if it wasn't for Russell Wilson's contribution to Seattle's rushing offense.

Really if Suh's presence can vault the Dolphins' defense up near the top of the league like Detroit's was last year, the Dolphins' running game won't need to get any better than it was last year for the team to finish with a playoff-caliber record. The improvement in the defense alone would accomplish that.

 

The Dolphins weren't significantly different from the average team in the league in that regard in 2014. The average team passed the ball 61.8% of the time, and so did the Dolphins.

 

What you want ideally is a better YPA differential, since that's highly predictive of winning, and if Suh can create a better defensive YPA, then what you'd want is the elevation of the Dolphins' offensive YPA from the bottom of the league, and again that's best accomplished with YAC receivers in my opinion. Landry is a start, but with the way Tannehill plays, all three receivers should have that capability.

 

1. It takes time to build a team around a new philosophy. We might be wasting some years trying to retool instead of building on the current foundation (with Suh added).

2. Law of diminishing returns applies almost everywhere, and probably in sports too. Yes, there are some teams that were so good in one aspect of the game that they could win the SB with that, but in general, the more you build around a specific philosophy, the less value each additional piece should have (in theory this might be one reason building around Marino didn't work out as well). So, from an "added value" perspective, I'd say don't tie yourself to a specific philosophy that emphasizes one or two areas to the (relatively large) detriment of other areas.

3. The NFL, and most pro sports, is a league where the style that gives you the best chance to win in any given year changes over time. This is partly just due to randomness (injuries, schedule differences, etc..) but also due to teams building around different philosophies (including the "copycat" philosophy, which leads to a style different than the one that is being "copied" becoming relatively more likely to win). In such a case where the style that gives you success isn't relatively constant over time, it's best to build in flexibility.

4. Coaches should adjust their philosophy based on the players they have as much as players should be selected based on a specific philosophy. Neither should predominate in principle, otherwise you're not making best use of available resources (e.g. the draft is not always loaded with exactly the kinds of players that fit a given coach's philosophy).

5. It's still a passing league. The rules (and the interpretation of those rules by the refs) really do favor the offense now, and in particular the passing game. Running backs are less valued (salary-wise and draft status-wise), and QB's have an outsized importance to games of the past (especially decades ago). You want to be able to take advantage of the rules of the game the way they're interpreted. Otherwise, it's like you're not taking advantage of the "lay of the land".


So, I'd be more in favor of getting Suh, re-evaluating the needs on the team after that (Suh changes the relative needs a lot), and then build a team that has some flexibility in terms of how it attacks opponents.

 

I would be intrigued by Malcom Brown in the draft. Another run-stuffing, penetrating, relentless DT. Drop Starks and forget Odrick, and maybe even drop Mitchell, though I think a 3 man rotation of Suh, Mitchell and Brown would be painful for opposing OL. Wake and Vernon coming from the edge. With the middle stuffed up, maybe we could even get Jordan coming at linebacker. If White/Cooper are off the board, this is something I think we should strongly consider.

 

I like the fact that he's a mean sob and if he takes a penalty every once and while so be it. It didn't stop Detroit from having a dominant d. The fins could use the toughness especially down the stretch.

 

I think Suh this year would have won us the Denver and GB games. At minimum.

 

And Detroit? :shifty:

 

The things you say about Suh are the same reasons I hate him. Not want I want my team to be. You can be an awesome defensive player, and not be a barbarian who's trying to tear the other guy's head off. I'm proud of having players like Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas in our recent history. HOF calibre players who always did it the right way and treated people with class both on and off the field.

Given the choice, I'd much rather have a player who's an "8" who does it the right way than one who may be a "10" based on skill or talent, but is a piece of crap as a human being and makes the game of football a worse place, like Suh does.

 

Yeah, well, was just thinking that. :lol:

 

Gordon Gordon Gordon Gordon Gordon

 

I'm trying to get excited about Suh but I just can't do it. Only QBs are worth the kind of $$$ he's asking for. Next comes DE, CB, LT. DT isn't a high impact position like that. It's a spot where the diff between elite and good is relatively small in terms of actual impact on the game.

If we we were better at drafting and player development I'd feel better about it but Suh will join Grimes, Albert, Ellerbe, Wheeler, and Wallace as overpriced FAs. Check around, none of the consistently good teams are constantly spending big on other team's players.

 

Peyton Manning was available a few years ago. Brees before that. Revis was a FA last year. Just to name a few. Sorry but I'm trying to dominate in late December and January not early March.

 

We didnt have the cap room for Peyton + the upgrades he wanted.

Brees's injury scared Saban off. Had nothing to do with him not wanting to come here.

Revis took a pretty big cut to go to the Pats for the chance for a ring. No chance here. He cant be tagged now per his contract. He got his chance at a ring and now he wants the $$$ again. Do we really want to pay his demands? If so he would be signing here.

 

With respect to the Lions, they beat Dallas in the playoffs. The refs handed them that game. And the Cowboys beat the Packers. Game was handed to GB as well. The Detroit Lions were very close to being in the Super Bowl last season. Just sayin'...

 

The Raiders of my younger days, were full of mean nasty "mother grabbers" as DJ says it, and got flagged a lot. Several of them made Suh seem mild in comparison. Yet they won far more than they lost. Because besides being dirty, they were talented. As long as Suh does not do something to get suspended, I think we could live with a flag now and them.

 

That is the smart way to look at it, and what I should be doing too. But, I've let the enthusiasm of the younger fellas draw me in. :)

 

If Malcom is there in the 2nd then yeah maybe we could consider him. But we cannot count on that to fill our 3rd DT spot. WADR to your favorite college team, from what I've seen of him, and admittedly you have likely seen much more, I do not consider Malcom to be any better than some of the young 2nd year DTs we cur currently have on the roster. Such as Anthony Johnson, and AJ Francis.
There is no way I'd consider him worth the 14th overall pick.

 

Suh may be a mean nasty mo fo on the field, but that does not make him a piece of crap as a human being. Off the field, he is well spoken, articulate young man.

 

Suh is arguably the most dominant DL to hit free agency since Reggie White. The Packers paid what was considered a boat load of money at the time and it worked out well for them. They had a young, up and coming QB on offense, and after adding Reggie on defense they built around those two. I doubt the Packers would have reached and won that 97 Super Bowl without Reggie.

 

Not to be too pedantic but it would be 22 years since Reggie signed with the Packers in 1993 :hi5:

 

Thank you. That is exactly right. I get so tired of the false narrative that has circulated among most fans that Peyton simply rebuked the Dolphins because well, it is the Dolphins. He chose the team with by far the most cap money, among those interested, to sign with. No way that Miami, Tennessee or Arizona could match the offer Denver made, without gutting the rest of their roster.

 

Can't switch to a run first team, doesn't work anymore.

However, as much as Suh is a wildcard, I want him. We need these type of guys on the defense, hopefully we can get over the fact that this is definitely not a Philbin guy. I for one am for players like Suh, and Browner(pats). They make dumb penalties, but guys are scared of them, they are tone setters.

 

Pete Carroll says hello

 

Swapping two run plays for pass plays per game would've put the Seahawks at an even 50-50 on the year, and there were lots of plays for them that were called passes but turned into runs when Russell Wilson took off.

 

Seriously, the Super Bowl before this last one involved two teams that ran 50%+ of their offensive snaps. There's multiple "balanced" teams in the playoff every year.

 

Googles "pedantic" ...

 

In REALITY........I just can't see Philbin being ok with Suh on his team. The two don't seem to mesh....

as said above, I think it's an attempt at more money from someone else.

 

I think Philbin really has no other choice than to accept it. He and his staff HAS to know that they are in a win or be gone scenario. I would imagine there would be ALOT of future Coaches who would love to be saddled with the problem of Suh