by Randy Campbell (OLD DOLFAN), season ticket holder
From 1970 through 2001, the Miami Dolphins were one of the most successful franchises in the history of the National Football League. They played in the postseason on 22 occasions during those 32 seasons, reaching the Super Bowl five times. Their back-to-back Super Bowl victories following the 1972 and 1973 seasons, during which they compiled an NFL record of 32-2, stands as the historical high point of the franchise. During those 32 years the Dolphins won 335 games, lost 191 and tied 2 for a winning percentage of 63.6%. Best of all, only TWO of those 32 seasons were losing seasons.
Head Coach Nick Saban’s final season in Miami (2006) featured a 6-10 season. Saban left Miami for the top job at Alabama in early 2007. He was replaced by Charger’s offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Cameron’s one year stint as head coach produced a disastrous 1-15 season. A disheartened Wayne Huizenga decided to sell the Dolphins to New York real estate mogul Steve Ross. (Note that Cameron had no prior head coaching experience, a theme of the Ross years.)
Ross’s first season as owner (2008) was a success. The release of quarterback Chad Pennington by the Jets gave director of football operations Bill Parcells a chance to bring the highly rated Pennington to Miami. And a season ending injury to Tom Brady during the first quarter of New England’s first game provided Miami another chance to succeed. They subsequently won the AFC Eastern Division before getting blown out by the Ravens in the playoffs. More dark clouds were on the horizon.
Next season, Pennington suffered a serious injury to his passing arm. His career was nearing an end. And Parcells, unhappy with the direction of the franchise, later walked out the door. Ross turned to GM Jeff Ireland to run the franchise while also relying on the advice of ex-Chiefs GM “King” Carl Peterson. What followed was a seven year run of failure. Seven years without a single winning season, an all-time record for the franchise. After going to the playoffs in 22 of their first 32 seasons in the NFL, the Dolphins failed to win a single playoff game for 15 consecutive seasons! And, under Steve Ross, Miami is 49-64 over the last seven seasons.
And you wonder why I’m NOT happy with Steve Ross?? Well, get ready all you Kool-Aid drinkers. Here come some of my reasons for not liking Ross’s stewardship of the franchise, along with a list of recommendations on how to fix the situation.
THE FRONT OFFICE: The Tuna, Bill Parcells, was a holdover VP of football operations from the Huizenga era. Ross decided to keep not only Parcells but also GM Jeff Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano. All of these choices were poor ones. It was Parcells who oversaw the firing of Cameron and the hiring of Ireland and Sparano. His decision to hire Ireland & Sparano will go down as two of the worst hires in Dolphin history. The fact that Ross approved all of these moves makes him culpable. The fact that Ross later extended the contracts and gave raises to Ireland and Sparano (before firing them) makes Ross look like a football idiot!!
Ross’s hiring of Mike Dee as Dolphins’ CEO in 2009 is another head scratcher. Dee, a former COO of the Boston Red Sox, came to Miami with NO FOOTBALL QUALIFICATIONS TO RUN A FOOTBALL FRANCHISE!! In 2013, Dee failed miserably to get $350 million in public tax money to upgrade Sun Baked Stadium. In the process, Dee pissed-off major Republican leaders in Tallahassee. His failure to get this upgrade funding ultimately defeated Miami’s bids to host Super Bowl 50 and/or SB 51. Currently, Dee is CEO of the San Diego Padres.
Two years ago, Ross hired ex-Buccaneers’ assistant GM Dennis Hickey to be the next GM of the Dolphins. The jury is still out on Hickey, who was recently fired by Ross. I believe his two drafts for Miami were better than most of Jeff Ireland’s drafts. But Hickey’s status became moot when fired Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum was hired by Ross to oversee football operations in 2015. “T-Baum was seen in a heated debate with Hickey during last year’s draft. Few doubted that T-Baum had the final say on who was selected, making Hickey’s status very shaky.
Ross’s choice of Tannenbaum is yet ANOTHER poor selection on his part. T-Baum’s last two years in New York were a disaster (details too nauseous to repeat here). Suffice it to say he was fired after the 2014 season. Ross’s fascination with PROVEN LOSERS absolutely mystifies me. And, remember, T-Baum is the guy who paid out hundreds of millions of Ross’s dollars to Suh, Tannehill, etc., in an effort to upgrade the Dolphins for 2015. The result? The 8-8 Dolphins of 2014 became the 6-10 Dolphins of 2015! FAILURE!!!
So here’s my verdict on Ross’s decisions to retain or hire the following FRONT OFFICE PEOPLE:
1) BILL PARCELLS; FAILURE.
2) MIKE DEE; FAILURE.
3) JEFF IRELAND; FAILURE.
4) DENNIS HICKEY; TO BE DETERMINED.
5) MIKE TANNENBAUM; FAILURE.
THE HEAD COACHES: More bad news on these retentions/attempted hires/hires by Steve Ross:
1)TONY SPARANO; FAILURE.
2) The HARBAUGH HIRE ESCAPADE; FAILURE.
3) The JEFF FISHER REJECTION; FAILURE.
4) TODD BOWLES: Coached Miami to a 2-1 record and was let go by Ross. Bowles was 10-6 in 2015 as HC of the Jets. Has NO CHANCE to get hired by Ross because he’s a proven WINNER BOTH IN MIAMI AND NEW YORK!!
5) JOE PHILBIN: FAILURE.
6) DAN CAMPBELL: FAILURE.
7) ADAM CASE: TO BE DETERMINED. WAS O/C of the 6-10 Chicago Bears in 20015. WHOOPEE!! Has NO HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE AT ANY LEVEL. Sound familiar?
THE STADIUM UPGRADE:
After the embarrassing effort to get tax dollars failed, Ross announced he’d plunk down $400 million of his own money to upgrade Sun Baked Stadium. Many praised Ross for his efforts. But Ross is NOT doing this out of the goodness of his heart. He’s doing it to get a SUPER BOWL, and its benefits, in Sun Baked Stadium! Ross’s $400 million pales in comparison to the 1.3 billion spent to build Levi’s Stadium (home of Super Bowl 50). And it looks positively puny compared to the over $2 billion spent by the Kroenke family for the Rams’ new stadium in suburban Los Angeles.
The new seats in Ross’s stadium look nice, but the fact that ROSS REMOVED about 11,000 of them will be viewed negatively by those who award Super Bowls. Anyway, this Super Bowl talk is irrelevant to Dolphin fans. Miami has NO CHANCE of going to the Super Bowl as long as Ross owns the team and sticks with the current philosophies expressed in his past football decisions.
Ross’s alleged “Shade Devices” constructed over the stadium actually will NOT help most who are seated in the lower deck seats, including yours truly. Same old, same old, in the hot months of September and October. And speaking of those peak hurricane months, the next category 4 hurricane that hits Miami Gardens likely will do massive damage to Ross’s “Shade Devices.” I’m calling “BULLSHIT” on any claim that this stadium project is hurricane proof!!! Perhaps if Ross actually LIVED in south Florida (instead of New York), he would know better!! Conversely, Marlins’ Stadium, totally enclosed and air conditioned, is constructed so that it likely will withstand a category 4 hurricane (according to an analysis I saw on, I believe, either the Weather Channel or the National Geographic Channel). Ross SHOULD HAVE DONE what was done in Miami regarding the construction of the stadium. For an estimated cost of $700-$800 million (according to a Google article) Ross could have built a similar stadium that was NEW, AIR CONDITIONED, AND MUCH MORE RESISTANT TO HURRICANES!! Then he could expect the NFL to put SEVERAL FUTURE SUPER BOWLS in his edifice. Instead, he spent $400 million for an OLD< NOT AIR CONDITIONED, stadium that is far from hurricane proof! –STUPID!!!!
SEAT ASSIGNMENTS
One of the most hate-raising issues associated with Ross’s stewardship of the franchise is the issue of seat assignments. I was told I COULD NOT buy tickets between the goal lines on the Miami side, even though I’ve been a season ticket holder almost since forever last season. Nor would I be allowed to buy tickets on the visitor’s side between the 30’s, either. I found that people with 2-3 years as ticket holders were given preferential seating treatment and location over people like me and “MY BOYZ” who’ve been lifelong loyal season ticket buyers. The guy who got tickets one row in front of my brother-in-law (Jim) has had tix for just ONE YEAR! When Ross said he’d offer tickets according to how long we’ve been ticket holders HE LIED!!! Just tell the truth, Steve, if you can. It’s REALLY good for business.
Also, there’s the ultra-embarrassing story of Ross’s $1,000-$2,500 seat per game “LAZY BOY SEATS” located on the Miami side near the Dolphins’ bench between the 30 yard lines. THEY WERE MOSTLY EMPTY!! When Dolphin players turned and looked at the crowd, they saw EMPTY SEATS!! Boy, that will get you pumped-up for the 4th quarter, eh??Ross’s ticket agent told me “all those prime seats selling for $1,000 per game (and up) were sold out.” How come they were 75-90% vacant during every game I attended?? I’m calling “BULLSHIT” again!! Sell those seats next year to the highest bidders and put noisy Dolfans near the Dolphins bench as happened in prior years! Bring the THUNDER, not the SILENCE! Fill those seats!
PARKING
Finally, the parking issue. The price of my parking pass has TRIPLED SINCE 2008! It’s now $300 per season to park in the area where we’ve had our “MOBFESTS.” In this season’s opening game vs. Buffalo, my “PRIME” space was located more than a mile from the stadium underneath the Turnpike overpass way southeast of “Sun Baked.” In 2007, I remember a friend paying $5 to park there! –As for parking lot security, a major security issue at the Chiefs’ game in September of 2014 occurred. My wife will no longer attend games because of this near riot (featuring cars running into each other) inside the southeast corner of the fenced-in lot. NO SECURITY, I REPEAT, NO SECURITY ever arrived in that area despite verbal pleas to officers on the outside of the fence to restore order. We have yet to receive any apology/explanation from the Dolphins almost 18 months later despite two in-person complaints and several email complaints. ROSS JUST DOESN’T CARE!! – – So, be sure to “pack some heat” in your glove compartment if attending future games!!!!!!!
We’ve gone over some of the major problems with the Miami franchise under Ross’s stewardship. Now it’s time for—-
SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
1) CHANGE ADVISERS; Ross has relied heavily on Carl Peterson and Jeff Ireland for advice during the years he’s owned the team. Thankfully, Ireland eventually was jettisoned (but only after he received a contract extension and a pay raise). An article in the SUN-SENTINEL in 2014 stated that Ross consulted with “King Carl” on every major football issue from 2008 to 2014. Eventually, though, Ross brought Mike Tannenbaum into his inner circle of advisers. This came AFTER he was fired by the Jets. “T-BAUM’s” impact on the franchise, so far, has been negative (witness last season’s 6-10 season). Time to CHANGE ADVISERS! I’d strongly suggest that Ross seek out the advice of the Hall-of-Famer himself, former Bills and Colts GM Bill Polian. His advice could be just what our franchise needs to return to its winning ways. And Ross should also ask Polian “Who else would you recommend I take advice from?” I’ll bet neither King Carl nor T-Baum will be on Polian’s list!! Do it, Steve!!
2) STOP HIRING HEAD COACHES WITH NO PRIOR HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE!! –Cam Cameron, Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin, Dan Campbell and now Adam Gase. Need I say more?? Ross tried to hire guys who had prior HC experience (Harbaugh,Fisher). He botched both of them. KEEP TRYING, STEVE!! And consult with Polian on who to interview. (Perhaps Ross SHOULD let Polian do the interviews?)
3) Our new GM was promoted from within. If this appointment also fails, I’d favor bringing in someone who’s had success in a WINNING FRANCHISE. Hiring guys who’ve worked in a losing franchise IS NOT THE WAY TOO GO!
4) THE STADIUM UPGRADE. I already addressed this issue. PUT ME ON RECORD as favoring a retractable dome/fully air conditioned NEW STADIUM for the Dolphins. Ross’s patchwork approach will prove to be an inadequate failure when the next major hurricane passes over it! DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU!!
5) ROSS NEEDS TO LIVE BY HIS WORD that those who’ve had season tickets the longest will get first shot on available seats. This absolutely WAS NOT DONE LAST SEASON!!
6) PARKING LOT SECURITY needs to be upgraded. Having NO SECURITY and TRIPLING parking rates in some areas over a 7 year period IS UNACCEPTABLE. This stunt is pure “King Carl,” going back to his days in Kansas City! FIX IT!!!
7) ONE LAST REQUEST: Put “fannies in the seats” between the 30 yard lines on the Dolphins side in the luxury seats. If prices need to be lowered, then LOWER THEM!! Perhaps giving them away to local high school football players might break the silence and “RESTORE THE ROAR” of the historic Orange Bowl!!
——————————————————————————–
WE ALL WANT A WINNER, STEVE!! – – GET TO WORK!!–The Old Dolfan,” Randy Campbell
Finsmob Unleashed 
The passing of the torch!
TWO THINGS: First, I DO expect the NFL will put at least one Super Bowl in Ross’s “upgraded” Sun Baked Stadium, despite the loss of over 11,000 seats in the new configuration. Any additional Super Bowls, however, will be at the mercy of Mother Nature and the next category 4 hurricane to hit the Miami Gardens area.
TWO: Ross’s new dolphin’s logo and team colors are almost as bad as his front office selections and the coaches he has hired!! Absolutely NONE of “My Boyz” will buy Fins ANY of the new Fins hats and unis!! –Time for Steve to go back to the true team colors of coral and aqua!!–Miss Gigi is right: these new unis are more like the Jaguar colors than the Miami colors!
Talk to you folks tonite.
Napa know how
Starting the work day the right way😂
VIEW EACH TEAM’S DRAFT
8: R1P8
OLB MYLES JACK
UCLA
42: R2P11
DE KEVIN DODD
CLEMSON
73: R3P10
G JOSHUA GARNETT
STANFORD
108: R4P9
G SPENCER DRANGO
BAYLOR
147: R5P8
CB KEIVARAE RUSSELL
NOTRE DAME
189: R6P11
ILB ANTONIO MORRISON
FLORIDA
225: R7P6
DE ALEX MCCALISTER
FLORIDA
229: R7P10
QB BRANDON ALLEN
Jack and Dodd as the first 2 picks would be excellent
Thanks. I think long term McCallister, provided his heads on straight, would be the star of those picks. He really does remind of the 1997 version of Jason Taylor.
I love you OD but I can’t blame Ross for some of these things. H. Wayne Huizenga was the owner in 2008 when the Dolphins won the AFC East. I can only imagine the outcry if after that amazing turnaround season, when Ross did become the owner, if he had cleaned house and gotten rid of everyone. It’s easy to look back on it and say it was ridiculous.
As for the seat assignments, I don’t blame you one bit for being upset for being moved from your longtime season ticket location. I think the whole thing with those plush seats at field level is not well thought out. I’d think you’d want your noisy, die hard fans in those seats. As it is now, they are likely owned by corporations and may or may not even be used. The last thing you want is a bunch of empty seats there. Even if they are filled, I doubt the folks in them are the noisy type fans. That’s just my thought on it.
As for the stadium renovations, you can’t have it both ways. How do you keep the home field advantage of the heat by having a dome, which I assume is what it would take to have air conditioned seats or protection from a hurricane.
To me, he seems willing to spend money on the team and wants to make it more successful. It’s not always worked that way, but I do think he is trying. He’s not the Jerry Jones type which is a good thing. One thing is for sure, he owns the team, he doesn’t seem to be the type to give up on things easily, so I think he’s the owner for quite some time.
1000%
Good stuff OD
Thanks for the contribution
Everyone enjoy your presidents day
Piggy at work today
today is the last day of cold before it warms up tomorrow….thank god
I hope the new venture is going great Piggy. I’d be at work normally but we got President’s Day as a holiday this year. My kids were initially supposed to have it as a holiday, then they cancelled it due to the all the snow days they already have had, but then it snowed about 6 inches overnight, so no school for them after all.
Since its my business
I have whatever day I want off
So I chose to work President’s day
So far things are going pretty good
I have clients
I have a long term goal to get out of the current area of law I am in and into a new one
and that will take time
So I need to keep my head above the water for now
which I am doing
But everything costs $$$
So I hate spending so much to start up
Herd,
You see people out in public constantly talking about how there is a right and wrong way to conduct yourself in life ( in this example, any player or business owner) and when you look at how Ross has conducted himself as owner of the Dolphins, he’s been operating in the way some of the people around here think Cam Newton has been doing -> unprofessional.
I can tell you some unprofessional points right off the top of my head:
1) Going to California w/ Ireland to speak to Harbaugh (a HC) while Sparano is still HC.
2) Telling people publically that Peterson does not partake in ‘team’ activities while media members photograph him with Jeff Fisher coming off an helicopter during a ‘team’ activity (HC interviews).
3) Ross limiting ticket distribution to brokers while saying its purpose is to reduce road visitors while simulatenously ‘redistributing’ tix sales to a tix broker company he has an equity stake in.
I think the most unprofessional actions that I can really put on him is the Harbaugh thing and those Sofas in the stadium. Outside of that I think his first group of hirings were bad, but he seems to have bounced back by creating a controlled football environment vs the multifaceted fractured structure that’s been in place since Parcaell’s disappeared. I do really like Garfinkle as the dominant public figure for the Brand.
My points 2 & 3 are clearly defined as unprofessional behavior (saying one thing and doing another is clearly unprofessional)
—
To me the marketing things (sofa additions, club liv stuff, celeb minority owners), are not unprofessional.
3) I agree with.
The entire Peterson thing I don’t. I was replying to your first post & hadn’t hit refresh so that’s why it looked like I replied to your second one😆
Piggy,
I’m at work too 🙂
top blogging then!!!…..lol
Jack and Dodd would be a dream come true but it’s just a dream unfortunately :(.
I’ve already convinced myself that Myles Jack won’t be available at pick #8; Fins would have to trade up. I am thinking Jaylon Smith would be an excellent pick but his health cannot be ignored. I would have to know more about his knee. People are always concerned about post surgical mobility but knee injuries today are things people recover from all the time. I think Smith’s rehabilitation process will show everyone how motivated he is and hopefully how far he’s come along in just a few months.
Todd Gurley & Willis McGahee were both guys injured late in their final collegiate year and both were first RD NFL picks (McGahee suffering the more devastating injury in early Jan in Championship Game at Fiesta Bowl vs Ohio State). McGahee went on to have a long NFL career (by NFL standards). Frank Gore himself tore his knee up twice at the U of Miami and he was very productive in the NFL while with SF.
We’ll see on Smith’s knee combine time. If Jack isn’t there I’d trade back and take Ragland RD 1, Dodd RD 2, and look to land SOLB Jenkins in round 3. I’d let Hewitt & Jenkins fight it out for WOLB.
think Dodd will be a first round pick
maybe top 15
maybe even before his teammate Lawson
He’s a better 4-3DE than Lawson, but Lawson would be the better 3-4DE.
8: R1P8
S JALEN RAMSEY
FLORIDA STATE
42: R2P11
ILB KENTRELL BROTHERS
MISSOURI
73: R3P10
CB WILL REDMOND
MISSISSIPPI STATE
108: R4P9
G DENVER KIRKLAND
ARKANSAS
147: R5P8
QB JAKE COKER
ALABAMA
189: R6P11
TE DARION GRISWOLD
ARKANSAS STATE
225: R7P6
OLB CURT MAGGITT
TENNESSEE
229: R7P10
DE DEAN LOWRY
NORTHWESTERN
I don’t love this draft but I did get a lot of big school and SEC prospects
I’ll take Ramsey, Brothers, & Kirkland.
good picks out of the top 3
but Myles Jack went a few picks before I picked
Sua Cravens went right after Brothers (I was hoping he would fall to the 3rd)
then Scooby went one pick above me in the 3rd
And I want LBs
So I missed out
but I got good players none the less
What is the link to the mock draft site again?
Fanspeak or firstpick
http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/
http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/
and firstpick is another one (that allows trades) and is on the side panel
but the trades can be ridiculous
if you want to acquire 12 2nd and 3rd round picks firstpick is for you
You can truly draft an entire football team if you try hard enough😂
Herd,
I have mixed feelings on Ross; he made his wealth in the real estate game which is all based on deception. As to matters on running a football franchise; he hasn’t shown the same conviction (waiting and trying different mix of leadership instead of trying to start from the ground up with an entire new team). But he has shown the same deception in the real estate game by going behind peoples back and wiping his ass w/ PR matters.
Jaylon Smith to me is clearly a better player than Ragland.
Ragland is maxed out talent wise and isn’t as gifted physically as Smith.
I would rather draft Smith than Ragland too
I really want athletic LBs behind Suh
Its not that I dislike Ragland
I just don’t think he is as athletic as some of the others
I want LBs that move and attack really well
I think that would work well with Suh and Phillips up front
Oh, he’s nowhere near the athlete Smith is, but in the same breath Smith has nowhere near the instincts Ragland has or fights off blocks as well as him. That said if Smith’s knee looks like it’s healing up nicely I’d consider him at 8 & make sure I land Brothers or Wright in round 2. This could all change really quick once FA hits.
lol @ draft an entire team Dbolt…
Bring back the 12 RD days LOL
I’ll see you guys later
Gotta make that money
That sure beats riding …
Al, I agree the Harbaugh thing was a PR disaster, but again, this is hindsight. If it had worked, it probably would have left a different impression on everyone. Same as with Fisher.
As for the ticket brokers, that’s a business decision. He isn’t operating a non profit. A sports team is an expensive thing to run. It amazes me that people seem to think he shouldn’t want to make any money on it. It’s another reason why he wants the team to win and be successful. It will make a lot more money for him if it is. So far, he’s not gotten the right team together, on and off the field. But it isn’t for lack of trying. So the options are the tickets can be redistributed by any number of brokers, and he makes no money from it. Or he can limit it to a redistributor that he owns a stake in? If I’m him, I’d do the same thing.
I feel like I’m defending him, and I really don’t want to be on that side of it either. I think what happened with the season ticket holders like OD was absolutely atrocious. Probably some other things as well. Security in the parking lots? That’s the job of some facility manager. I’d be shocked if he’s involved or aware of day to day details like that. I’m just trying to be a little more reasonable in my view of him.
Do people actually get presidents day off? I know teachers and children get off from school but i have never worked at a job that got presidents day off.
Usually bank or govt related
This is one of the holidays my company happens to get off that isn’t one of the main ones.
LOL — add him in hogging the armrest and now you know what it is like to sit next to OD at game……..just add in some good football talk. 🙂
I can’t speak about all the stadium stuff being I’m not a season ticket holder. But the rest of the stuff about the team we already all know about. It’s 2016 and this is where we’re at. So I’m rooting for the new power structure to have success. Most of what I’ve read has been positive about Adam Gase. Many national pundits think it was a good hire. We shall see. Go Phins!!!!
Dbolt, why do you think Dodd is a better 4-3 DE than Lawson? They both were 4-3 DEs and basically had the same production.
Tim,
From what I’ve seen Dodd has better hand usage & can string along multiple pass rush moves. He locks out OL using his long arms which gets him off blocks very quickly. His first step is more quicker on a more consistent basis. He also bends the edge much better. Lawson is a brute force who’s very athletic for his size. He doesn’t use his hands as well as Dodd nor lock out OL consistently. As I mentioned his athletic, but from games I saw I thought Dodd was by far the better suited DE for the 4-3.
OD — should have added real nice post.
Will add one thing on the shade though. Not sure if it is hurricane proof and thought there was some way to possibly remove in that situation, but either way……..the way the sun moves and when the games start it very well may be that for long stretches the visitor bench will be in the sun while the Dolphins one is in the shade.
At least can’t see how it would be the other way around except for 2nd half of 4PM starts, when it wouldn’t matter much.
Herd,
I never questioned the business decision to redirect tix sales to a company he has equity in but I was only speaking to levels of unprofessionalism.
To me it is clearly unprofessional to state a false purpose on an action taken which is what was done when The Dolphins issued a public statement saying that their manouver to reduce tix available to independant brokers is one intended to reduce ‘road trip’ fans that show up at SunLife. The group Ross has equity stake in IS a broker firm and they DO sell to anyone willing to take top dollar (they sell tix at same prices any independent broker would for any event at Sunlife) so it’s a bold face lie to say the Dolphins reduction in tix sales to outside brokers is meant to reduce selling tix to outsiders. The Dolphins conveniently did not specify that they were increasing tix distribution to Prime sellers because they knew they were intentionally trying to capitalize on the good will of ‘reducing’ tix to outside brokers (not named PRIME; company Ross sells to).
Same goes with the pony show with Peterson.
If you want to be professional, just come out and say Peterson is a friend and does have some input in Dolphins matters but Ross is the one who decided not to go that route; choosing to say Peterson is not part of team activities while camera photos / videos clearly show team activity. For what purpose, I don’t know, but it’s unprofessional to state that one person is not part of team activity while the public shows him partaking in team activities. Had he not even stated Peterson is not part of team matters; it would not have been a lie or completely unprofessional.
I haven’t seen Peterson be a part of one thing this team has done – introducing new players or coaches etc. Where did you see him?
Because Ross has shown to go against what he says publicly through other actions, his character as a genuine person is in question and I think that is what OD and GG get at. I for one just care for the finished product and think Ross is at least a big spender, which is better than a cheap ass owner like the Marlins Jeff Loria.
One can choose to ignore these things from Ross (cloaked statements) and discount them as a non-issue, but clearly they rub many people on the wrong way and it affects the team PR. Media people jump on the Dolphins such as PFT over such actions (the tix issue) to call them out on their BS which filters to many fans around the NFL.
Thanks for the contribution OD. I am no fan of Ross but unfortunately my opinion and just about every one else’s doesn’t matter unless we can come up with a couple of billion to buy him out.. I generally don’t spend too much time worrying about Ross. It’s kind of like titling at windmills imo. Not much we can do about it. until he decides he is done with his experiment of being an NFL owner.
Seems he is here to stay. Otherwise why pony up $400 mil in stadium renovations. And key hope is he finds the right guy/team to run the franchise. He does not want to be day to day.
Tim Knight says:
February 15, 2016 at 11:27 am
I haven’t seen Peterson be a part of one thing this team has done – introducing new players or coaches etc. Where did you see him?
———-
Helicopter ride with Fisher; in same facility during meetings is clearly partaking in ‘team activity’.
There is nothing wrong with that as I have stated but it is clearly wrong to say otherwise (to say publically that Peterson is NOT involved in ‘team’ activities while everyone in the media sees him involved in team activities).
Didn’t Ross say that Peterson is a friend and he asked him for advice being that Peterson ran an NFL team? That makes sense to me. If you have a friend who’s run an NFL team in the past and you now own one, wouldn’t you ask him for advice?
Dbolt, why do you like Ragland? I’ve heard nothing but concerns with him (going now to see for myself).
OD – Thanks once again for an excellent article! Appreciate you contributing.
I would liken what Dolphins fans are going through with Steve Ross to what NY Knicks fans are going through with owner James Dolan. Dolan has and will spend anything to get a winner, but his moves haven’t worked out. They were talking about how much money Dolan is still spending on former (read FIRED) coaches. It was somewhere in the neighborhood of $100M. He hired Phil Jackson to be the President and Czar of Basketball operations for the Knicks. Jackson then hired first time HC Derek Fisher and gave him a huge 5 YR $25M contract. Well, Jackson just fired Fisher in his 2nd year as the team was crumbling near the all-star break, and in hopes to spark the team to make a playoff run.
My point is, both guys want to win, and will spend anything to make it happen. Yes, decisions they have made were poor, and the team has suffered for them, but in the Dolphins case, the team was doing poorly before Ross took over, so it’s not like he took a Rolls Royce and turned it into a Dodge Dart. It’s basically been on the same path it was before he got here.
My hope is that Ross will have finally gotten it right with the hire of Gase, and we can finally all be happy Dolphins fans. While I wish both Dolan and Ross would make the right decisions, I can’t begrudge them for doing all they can to get the best people in place to make winning happen.
All you want from an owner is a person who gives the team all the resources they need to try to improve the team which is what he does.
That’s what I’m saying Tim. There are a lot of teams that don’t make the right hires, that’s why there’s so much turnover in the NFL. Guys move from one team to another over their long careers.
They David Snyder should be the best owner in the NFL.
Nicely said Mike E. It is not like he took over a storied franchise and drove it into mediocrity. It was mediocre when he bought it. Big difference.
When he got involved as owner the team was coming off a 1-15 season so it wasn’t even mediocrity, we were at the absolute bottom.
The number 1 job of an owner is to have the money to pay the players, Ross has that and has paid them. So be careful what you wish for in regards to Ross selling.
The other stuff OD talks about, “the shade structure vs dome structure” & “no HC experience” is not really anything to worry about.
More than a 1/3 of the NFL coaches out there are on their 1st time hire; even some of the 2nd or 3rd time guys like Fox / Ried were both successful on their first HC job but they eventually got run out of town as their teams got diminishing returns on the good years.
As for the stadium renovations; 400 mill is 400 mill…partial roof costs less than a complete dome and satisfies the NFL demands for what they believe is the min to qualify for SB bidding. I think everyone can agree that SunLife doesn’t need a roof but the Dolphins are just trying to comply to qualify for SB bidding. That said, the sofa issue is no different than luxury suite idea (its like a luxury suite accomodation in the lower bowl). its a revenue stream idea; it does take away from noise somewhat but i get why the Fins do it; trying to maximize profits.
I just wish they had put the sofa seats up higher, left the loyal season ticket holders who are likely to go to a game where they were.
Tim,
It makes sense to me to speak to a former GM as a team owner on team advice but there is nothing wrong with that I said. The problem is created by Ross when he is asked about his relationship with that person and then Ross says something that is contradicting (saying Peterson is not part of team activities while media members capture video evidence of Peterson at team activities. Coaching interviews and any part of the process where a candidate is taken along to different things in the host team city is a team activity.
Okay but that doesn’t bother me. He can invite anyone he wants to be around his team, he owns it. I’ve always felt this was a whole lot about nothing and still do.
As for the shade and whether it’s hurricane proof or not. Why does anyone even care? If it’s not, he’ll have to have it repaired, but I don’t see how it affects the team or the fans in any way. I doubt anyone is going to the game during a hurricane. lol
LOL, the game would be cancelled anyway.
Hey Al — did you catch Cruz trying to talk in Spanish after Rubio said he couldn’t?
Obviously Cruz proved he could at least a bit…….but was curious as to how well he actually did.
Cruz is a typical will do anything lie, cheat, steal, do favors for those that contributed to his campaign politician. Why anyone would want the same ole shit we’ve had forever is beyond me.
Ken
I don’t follow the Redskins closely, but Snyder used to make team player decisions. At least Ross stays out of that part.
Ross hired Tannenbaum because he needed a football guy to run things. I think he felt he wasn’t good enough just him and the GM to run the team. So that’s admitting he’s not qualified and needed help. What’s wrong about that?
Stanger
I did, it sounded more like a guy who learned Spanish from a tape, or from a teacher, rather than learned it as their natural dialect.
BTW – That exchange gave me a chuckle
After watching Ragland tape:
I’ve read where Ragland isn’t as athletic as Jack and Smith, but they don’t play the same position and we need an MLB more than an OLB. Ragland is plenty athletic enough to play the middle. Look at the great MLBs in the past Zach, Urlacher, and the current Kueckly, Ragland looks more athletic than those guys.
I don’t care if 8 is too high for Ragland, I’m ok with taking him there. I’m ok with taking Jack or Smith at #8 too.
Stanger,
I wouldn’t know. I haven’t watched one thing or bothered reading except a few things involving Presidential election matters.
Tim,
I know you don’t care but it’s like the Rex Ryan thing….Everyone here thinks of him as being an asshole but none the less he’s a successful asshole (analogy for Ross and his potential value as owner who is trying to get it right).
I don’t get the Rex Ryan analogy but how is Rex successful, because of two seasons when he inherited a good team?
Steve,
I’m willing to bet you 50$ that Ragland is not being taken by Miami at #8.
I’d wager anyone $50 that Ragland isn’t going top 10.
Look at the great MLBs in the past Zach, Urlacher, and the current Kueckly, Ragland looks more athletic than those guys.
Urlacher, Zach Thomas, & Kuechly, were not only more athletic than Ragland back in the day but they also played behind DL that were much worse than what Ragland had at Bama.
Ragland is probably more athletic than Zach. Urlacher was a Safety in college and Luke was one of the best coverage MLBs to come out in the last 15yrs.
I wouldn’t say Ragland is more athletic than Ulracher and Kuechly but Zach wasn’t really all that athletic. Ragland is bigger than Zach and probably runs faster.
Herd,
Regarding the ‘noise’ factor and what the sofa areas might take away from, the roof is designed to bounce down the noise going up from other areas where there are no sofas so as to amplify the noise factor down on the field (I believe similar things were done in Seattle where there is no shortage of crazed fans yelling on the field).
Steve,
To answer your question on Ragland and why I like him….a Physical TRUE MLB who plays sideline to sideline. He’s functional coverage and will relocate your rib cage if you enter his domain. Very strong hands which allows him to jolt OL and also wrap up ball carriers to where they don’t break loose.
Mike E:
My point is just by being willing to spend the money doesn’t make someone a great owner. There are plenty of good owners who get involved in the operations of the team such as the Rooney’s, the Maras and others of that ilk. It’s okay for an owner to be involved in the operations of the team so long as it is done in an intelligent way and that is where I think Ross fails. I do think he wants a winner and he is willing to spend for it but he does not know the business of running a football team and he has made some bad decisions especially in terms of who he listens to.
Hopefully he’s learning.
Ross hired Tannenbaum because he needed a football guy to run things. I think he felt he wasn’t good enough just him and the GM to run the team. So that’s admitting he’s not qualified and needed help. What’s wrong about that?
Trump is the only candidate that doesn’t have to pay off those that funded his campaign, that and in itself is why so many people are backing him. Bernie might be the exception, but he’s a socialist, if you want something for free from the govt go to Europe where they’re proud to provide for you.
In NV, NV Energy must’ve paid off the politicians, because they ran the solar companies off, by making those that have solar panels pay the same amount everyone else is for power. There was a big protest about this, so maybe it will change, but he point is the same old politicians only care about lining their own pockets.
Going to get some lunch. BBL.
Mike,
Ross certainly doesn’t care about ‘repairs’ on a damaged roof when Insurance covers shit like that. The price on insuring the roof is clearly cheaper than the cost of going complete dome for the level of risk involved on a hurricane damaging the current structural roof design repeatedly into the future.
Dbolt, that’s what I got out of his tape too, I don’t know why the concerns about him. He looks pretty good in coverage too.
Previous season he struggled a bit in coverage, but improved this year. I think many have hesitation on Bama LBs because of the DL talent in front of them. Alabama has DT rotations that make many NFL teams envious. In regards to where he compares to Smith or Jack. Ragland will be a very good MLB for years in the NFL, but as Al said he’s hit his physical gifts potential, outside of adding more strength in a pro program, so his ceiling is limited. It’s a very nice ceiling though. Jack & Smith on the other hand are physical marvels that have a much higher ceiling than Ragland. Both guys have the speed to turn and run downfield with WRs step for step. Neither are as instinctual as Ragland, but they makeup for that with blinding athleticism.
Al, on what planet would Zach be considered athletic? He was great, because of his knowledge of the game through film study, much like Kueckly.
Al, Zach played behind very good D-lines. So did Ulracher for much of his career and Kuechly plays behind one now.
Al, I don’t expect Ragland to be top 10 either, I just said I’d be ok with it. You take the best athlete on the board that isn’t a position of need and you may struggle to get him involved his first couple of yrs, you take Mike Pouncey higher than he should go and you get a starter from day one and eventual Pro Bowler. I see Ragland at 8 being like Pouncey.
If a team has a high grade on him, believes he will be a 3-down player and you have a need at the MLB position you take him. Ragland also lined up at OLB and rushed the passer in passing situations at Alabama so he could become a core player on your defense.
Yes, I saw him at OLB rushing the passer too, and looks more like a DB than an LB doing it (athleticism).
The worst thing Ross could do is put a roof on the stadium and give up the biggest home field advantage we’ve ever had. Did anyone notice the snow field advantage Minn. had in the playoff game against Seattle, that they haven’t had since they moved to the Metrodome? Minn. also had the sideline in the sun, while Seattle was stuck in the shade.
I’d be writing these type of articles about Ross, if he put a non-retractable dome on the stadium.
Tim Knight says:
February 15, 2016 at 12:07 pm
Al, Zach played behind very good D-lines. So did Ulracher for much of his career and Kuechly plays behind one now.
———–
You are speaking to their NFL careers; I’m talking about their evaluations coming out of the college game.
Oh okay, gotcha!
Coming out of college Zach was a cinder block w/ slow moving legs designated as a STs player. Then the pads came in in TC & Delrio screamed “He took my job!”
Al, what do you think of Ragland?
https://twitter.com/MDCheer/status/699265368318177281
Ragland should be a very good LB in the Pro’s i have no doubts with him. His coverage is the only thing he kept getting knocked on but he is pretty solid there as well, no discernible weaknesses.
Id rather Have brothers with a second round pick than Ragland with number 8 though.
I heard Brothers mentioned on here, but I don’t know who he is, I’m going to take a look.
My thoughts about our D in 2015. When Jones wasn’t coming up in run support we struggled badly. Our LBs were almost non existent, missing was the playmaker, but add one guy that can make plays to the unit, and resign Delmas, and add a safety with a high pick in the draft (by 3rd), and our D could be setup to be top 10. Delmas is a concern, but when he’s in there our D has looked very good, even with Misi at MLB, and he wouldn’t cost too much, the drafting of a safety is Delmas insurance.
Two season ending knee injuries to the same knee in back to back seasons for Delmas is a huge red flag. Not sure he’ll ever be the same.
“I did, it sounded more like a guy who learned Spanish from a tape, or from a teacher, rather than learned it as their natural dialect.”
Thanks Mike E — had no idea you spoke Spanish. Really impressed.
‘And you wonder why I’m NOT happy with Steve Ross?? Well, get ready all you Kool-Aid drinkers.’
lmao. you call others kook-aid drinkers yet you write an article outlining how to fix the entire organization. talk about kool-aid drinking arrogance. maybe you should lay off your own home made kool-aid for a while or at least send some my way.
Kind of hard to search on brothers D, what is his first name?
Lol, I found it from Piggy’s mock above.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2016/ILB
Check him out!
Reggie Ragland
Position LB School Alabama
Height 6′ 1 1/4″ Weight 259 lbs
Class Senior Number 19
All-Star Senior Bowl
http://draftbreakdown.com/players/reggie-ragland/
Kentrell Brothers
Position LB School Missouri
Height 6′ 0 5/8″ Weight 249 lbs
Class RS Senior Number 10
All-Star Senior Bowl
http://draftbreakdown.com/players/kentrell-brothers/
Easily the most “Zack like” comparison of the LB’s i have reviewed. Highly instinctual, agressive, strong upper body build, lunch pail kind of player.
Report are now that Miller will likely command in excess of 5mil per, perhaps as high as 7mil per in free agency. It is being reported though the Phins want to re-sign him. I could see us going to 5mil per but not much past it. I think the decision is Miller’s to make at this point.
Tim Knight says:
February 15, 2016 at 12:06 pm
I wouldn’t say Ragland is more athletic than Ulracher and Kuechly but Zach wasn’t really all that athletic. Ragland is bigger than Zach and probably runs faster.
————
Agree, i just kind of threw Zach’s name there because it was bunched up together in another comment.
Zach won on instincts and determination.
Either way, Zach finished with 390 total tackles at Texas Tech while Ragland finished with 220.
See above, if i wanted a Zach kind of description, the Zach we know from the Phins i think its Brothers.
Different era though. College teams weren’t running all that spread when Zach was in college in the early to mid 90s. They ran it much more traditionally back then.
steveccnv says:
February 15, 2016 at 11:38 am
The number 1 job of an owner is to have the money to pay the players, Ross has that and has paid them. So be careful what you wish for in regards to Ross selling.
that is BS steve and you know it. the number 1 job of an owner it to listen to every fan that knows way more then him and any other football person he hires and do exactly what that fan says from his 4 or 5 hours a week study of football.
Hey, you can’t knock that theory. The progressive owner of the Browns, Jimmy Haslam, drafted Johnny Manziel on the advice from a homeless guy and that’s worked out well😂
Ragland is more comparable to Ray Lewis i think.
Tim Knight says:
February 15, 2016 at 12:12 pm
Ross hired Tannenbaum because he needed a football guy to run things. I think he felt he wasn’t good enough just him and the GM to run the team. So that’s admitting he’s not qualified and needed help. What’s wrong about that?
tim tim tim, you ignorant slut you. dont you know unless ross does exactly what a fan wants then he is obviously wrong.
LOL, in all my years as a Dolphins fan I never really cared who the owner was and I still don’t other than if the guy was cheap and did nothing to help the team.
D,
PFF put this out in the AM today …
Lewis ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at his pro day back in 1996, per 40-yard-dash-times.com. Willis ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, but he wowed scouts at his pro day by running it in 4.37 seconds, per NFLdraftscout.com.Jan 23, 2013
——
I’d be stunned if Ragland can run a sub 4.6 sec 40 time.
Keuchley if you remember back in his pre draft process had his speed questioned…Everyone was saying he had to prove he was a sub 4.6 sec 40 dash time guy in order to solidify a spot in the top 10 and he did just that posting a 4.58 sec 40 dash time at the combine.
I think most scouts want to see him come in under 4.8 and not pull a Burfict or Paul Dawson.
Ragland is probably in the 4.65/4.7 range.
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25484360/report-rockets-heat-talk-dwight-howard-hassan-whiteside-swap
Big mistake, Howard sucks.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25484347/report-tmz-paid-more-than-100k-for-two-ray-rice-elevator-assault-videos
I think as far as value for their current draft projection i like Brothers and DeionJones still.
I really like Brothers, you already knew that, but not a huge fan of Jones.
Deiondre’ Hall
Position CB School Northern Iowa
Height 6′ 1 5/8″ Weight 192 lbs
Class Senior Number 1
All-Star Senior Bowl
http://draftbreakdown.com/players/deiondre-hall/
I drafted him the other day. 🙂
8: R1P8 S JALEN RAMSEY FLORIDA STATE – blue chip versatile 3-down DB, a new era matchup guy.
42: R2P11 DT ROBERT NKEMDICHE OLE MISS – BPA with elite ability to play anywhere on the DL.
73: R3P10 C NICK MARTIN NOTRE DAME – depth behind Pouncey who has been banged up in recent years, allows Douglas to focus strictly on guard.
108: R4P9 RB JONATHAN WILLIAMS ARKANSAS – in the scenario we don’t re-sign Miller and his medical checks out.
147: R5P8 CB DEIONDRE’ HALL NORTHERN IOWA – a rangy DB with CB/S projection, needs development.
189: R6P11 OLB DE’VONDRE CAMPBELL MINNESOTA – a rangy OLB/DE prospect with athletic ability, needs development.
225: R7P6 OLB TRAVIS FEENEY WASHINGTON – another rangy OLB who projects as a possible nickel LB/S due to cover skills, plays violent.
229: R7P10 OT BRANDON SHELL SOUTH CAROLINA – looks the part but needs development, competition at OT.
dbolt48 says:
February 15, 2016 at 12:47 pm
I think most scouts want to see him come in under 4.8 and not pull a Burfict or Paul Dawson.
——-
Lol…Burfict was a huge asshole at ASU and commited many stupid personal foul penalties on purpose. He was the Lavar Arrington minus that kidn of talent Lol….
Anyway, Burfict didn’t take the pre-draft process seriously and his 5.00+ sec 40 times really was the deal breaker for most GM.
Yep. Dawson’s shit performance at the combine and supposed bad interviews throughout the process didn’t help him neither. Now both of these guys bounce ideas off each other in a singular meeting room in Cinnci!
After watching Brothers game against Fl. they won 42-7 in 2014, he looks like he’s got good discipline (doesn’t sell out of his assignment), but that’s it, didn’t show athleticism or anything else. I couldn’t find game film for 2015, so I had to watch highlights, they only show the good not the bad, so biased. Anyways, he looks like the light came on in 2015, he looks athletic and a playmaker. So a mixed review, except for the fact that his 2014 game film against Florida showed great assignment discipline, giving his 2015 highlights accredibility. I’d be ok with Brothers in the 2nd round.
Kendall Fuller
Position CB School Virginia Tech
Height 6′ 0″ Weight 197 lbs
Class Junior Number 11
http://draftbreakdown.com/players/kendall-fuller/
I’ve mentioned fuller before
Good bloodlines
Sort of seems like a safe pick at CB
“Report are now that Miller will likely command in excess of 5mil per, perhaps as high as 7mil per in free agency.”
D — whoever’s name is at the top of the article, my guess is “the report” all started with Miller’s agent on a phone.
Then good riddance, no one is paying him $7 mil.
I’d expect us to resign Matthews, before leaving Jennings on the team. He really has no chance to stay. Saves us around $3 mil.
I checked it’s $4 savings to cut him, with $1.5 mil being the dead money and $5.5 mil being his cap hit to stay.
There are some rumors out there that Jennings may hang it up.
tim
that is what makes you such a bad fan. dont you know it doesnt matter who is on the field all that matters in sports is who the owner is? come on man, what is wrong with you? now start being a good fan.
Stanger
I don’t speak Spanish, I took it in High School, and I was pretty good. I’ve forgotten so much over the years not using it, but that’s what I thought Cruz sounded like. It just didn’t sound like his natural tongue. That’s what I meant.
Yo comprende tus palabras. Mi Espanol is muy mal, pero cuando en un pais con hombres de digo espanol comprende a digo “tener una cerveza por favor.”
Digo mas, pero digo “lentamente por favor” muchas veces. You esta un Gringo.
If the prospects we wanted were off the board at #8, would you be willing to take a deal from say #17 for a 2nd and 5th rd pick which the value would be? There may be a team wanting to jump up at the 8th spot for a guy we’re not interested in. We may value the next 10 prospects with the same grade and would be willing to take anyone one of them.
Tim Knight says:
February 15, 2016 at 12:12 pm (Edit)
Ross hired Tannenbaum because he needed a football guy to run things. I think he felt he wasn’t good enough just him and the GM to run the team. So that’s admitting he’s not qualified and needed help. What’s wrong about that?
________________________________________
What’s wrong with it is that it’s Tannenbaum. A guy who thought Mark Sanchez was worth one the most onerous contracts in the history of the league.He has a demonstrated history of overpaying for free agents and putting teams into cap hell. I am not a fan of Tannenbaum and as soon as Tannenbaum got here he went and signed a record FA deal and put us into cap hell.
That’s not my point who the guy is. Not everyone likes everyone. Sanchez is the one mistake Mr. T made that everyone hangs onto. He also did a lot of good things. You can’t forget the Jets were in win now mode after back to back AFC championship games. they were going for it. It didn’t work. That doesn’t erase the good stuff he did. He also drafted Revis.
For the comic book crowd: Go see Deadpool. It was awesome. Don’t take the kids – unlike me.
“Don’t take the kids – unlike me”
Sounds like a great flick……and I’d be glad to bring you. 🙂
I saw the trailer, hilarious and a very unique approach.
Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) | Twitter
1 of 5
17 mins ago – View on Twitter
Those eye-opening Stephen Ross comments today, including how it’s more difficult to succeed in football than biz: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2016/02/vernon-decision-looming-where-heat-stands-at-all-star-break-with-players-weighing-in.html
Ain’t no way Vernon gets franchised at $15 mil. Interesting they talk up on Wake though.
Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) | Twitter
26 mins ago – View on Twitter
… Stephen Ross also asserted today in that speech that the Incognito/Martin bullying scandal “was really a product of racism.
Stanger / SteveCCNV,
Total gauranteed money is what counts …cap hit at 5 mill or 7 mill or whatever is an exercise on how to record the final deal. Years spreads the bonus money and YR 1 base salary are the realistic guarantees. 2nd year base salary as well but there are rare moments where a team cuts up a bad deal after 1 year.
Tim Knight says:
February 15, 2016 at 12:58 pm
There are some rumors out there that Jennings may hang it up.
*
*
That Finsiders interview made it seem like he was on radio row looking for post football life work.
Tim Knight says:
February 15, 2016 at 1:18 pm (Edit)
That’s not my point who the guy is. Not everyone likes everyone. Sanchez is the one mistake Mr. T made that everyone hangs onto. He also did a lot of good things. You can’t forget the Jets were in win now mode after back to back AFC championship games. they were going for it. It didn’t work. That doesn’t erase the good stuff he did. He also drafted Revis.
_____________________________________
It was a pretty big mistake and it was not his only one. He spent a lot of money on aging free agents and it put the Jets in cap hell. They were in a win now mode but doing it with a QB that was turn over prone. Not a very good formula for wining now.
But that was his only major mistake. He also built a good team.
No he made other big mistakes such as overpaying Tomiinson which hurt the cap. Bringing in Tebow, Santonio Holmes to name a few.
Stanger:
I would go see Deadpool with you if you were up in this neck of the woods.
Sounds like a good flick…….why not good for kids though?
@Rand_Getlin: I’m told the NFL’s salary cap is expected to jump to at least $155M this year. Nearly $12M more than last year’s ($143.28M).
stangerx says:
February 15, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Ain’t no way Vernon gets franchised at $15 mil. Interesting they talk up on Wake though.
————-
It’s too simplistic to think about Vernon as being worth $15 for 1 year under the franchise tag …
It is generally not about what the value of the player is for 1 year under the franchise tag.
It is a tool to extend negotiations. When a player is tagged, there is a time frame between being tagged and some date in July as to when teams can negotiate on a future deal. If the two parties do not come up with a new deal; the NFL imposes a moratorium where team/player cannot negotiate until after the season is done. This rule obviously exists to pressure both sides into a deal once the tag has been slapped on a player.
The franchise money is generally considered to be part of the future deal’s guaranteed money being worked between 2 parties. Players hate it because well they may have a down year (either through raw production or injury) and it gives the team more leverage to offer less total guaranteed $. Teams are willing to take the temporary financial hit to work out other deals and what they are on the hook in paying in guaranteed money.
He still has the choice to play for the tag money and move on from there though. And OV ain’t getting anywhere near $15 mil per. If I was him and it happened I would be the happiest camper around. Move on from that the next year.
If a player/team agree on a new deal between the franchise tag and the imposed NFL deadline; the new deal takes over and the franchise value is not considered.
Dbolt,
Win for the Dolphins and Aponte who’s been very aggressive with cap forecasting …Her deals the last 2-3 years were with the expectation of a cap closer to 160.
More cuts are coming.
Stanger,
Players are at significant risk for injury all the time and OV is coming off a career year. The last thing he wants is to risk anything on a 1 year deal. Most FA avoid 1 year deals like the plague.
Al — I get you on all that, but in this case the franchise is so far from OV’s actual worth. You think John Denney would be happy with a $15 mil tag number?
Ken, Tebow was all Woody Johnson. Mr. T is also not the only GM to not hit on a high priced FA. You don’t like the guy, that’s fine. I’m Switzerland about him.
His history is that he will overpay FA’s which is what he did with the Jets and the first thing he did with Miami was to overpay in FA.
That was Suh’s market price whether you agree with it or not.
I don’t care if it was his market price. It was a bad decision to invest that heavily for a DT, not the most impactful position on the filed. If some other team wants to do that – fine. Now we are stuck with contract for the next few years and it will impact our ability to land other FAs This is what Tannenbaum does. It was a bad decision whether you like Suh or not it was not a good financial investment in the team.
‘I’m Switzerland about him.’
sssoooooooo your saying he is your chocolate sweetness
Stanger:
Deadpool was very violent but that in and of itself was not the reason why it was not good for the kids. Deadpool is more of an adult oriented superhero. Let’s put it this way there was a scene that featured a strap on.
Wow! I saw it last night, and while I didn’t think it surely wasn’t for kids, it really wasn’t that violent, it did have several sexual connotations though.
Tim,
Yep. Even before some local media people were hyping up why the Fins are in cap hell, i looked at the fins 2016 financial cap commitments under current deals and saw where they could easily get under the cap and be like 15-20 mill UNDER.
Fox and McCain were part of it and they’ve been cut already.
Below is a list of highest cap savings per player (without consideration to player value on the team) over anything over $1 mill in savings in order from highest to lowest value.
Wake: 8.4 mill
Cameron: 7.5 mill
Grimes: 6.5 mill
Reshad: 6.3 mill
Pouncey: 6.0 mill
Albert: 5.1 mill
Jennings: 4.0 mill
Misi: 3.7 mill
Jordan: 3.2 mill
Mitchell: 2.5 mill
—-
That’s 53 mill in contracts right there…
Jones, Albert, & Pouncey are 17.3 mill roughly and they are the only ones who are foundation players IMO. Others might be kept out of ‘need’ due to crappy depth.
Stanger,
The DE market based on recent signings (and its always based on a benchmark of past deals at the position and positional % of cap) suggests OV’s future deal will have more than 15 mill in total guarantees based on signing bonus, YR 1 base and year 2 salary.
Everson Griffen received 19.8 mill in guaranteed money in a 2014 deal (6 mill sign bonus; 6.9 mill year 1 base; 6.9 mill year 2 base. He has a 6.9 mill year 3 base salary scheduled for 2016 season.
Jason Odrick deal last year got him 17 mill in guarantees (5 mill as a roster bonus in Year 1; and 4 mill year 1 base, 8 mill year 2 base.
Vinny Curry’s new deal signed recently got him 18 mill in total guarantees (10 mill sign bonus; 1 mill year 1 base; 7 mill year 2 base…
Al — have no doubt OV will get more than $15 mil guaranteed over 3-4 years (or the way contracts work maybe 2 and a little more years). But if we tag him he gets that same amount guaranteed this year. And I don’t think he is worth that in 2016.
Maybe I’m missing something here. Understand they can fold the tag amount into the contract, but you start with him making that next season and then spread it out.
how do idiots like this get elected
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/kentucky-lawmaker%E2%80%99s-bill-forces-men-to-get-note-from-wives-before-purchasing-viagra/ar-BBpuOEY?li=BBnbfcL
It’s how it’s always been and several on here will continue voting for the same pieces of shit that only care about lining their pockets, like Cruz and Bush and Rubio.