WHY I’M NOT HAPPY WITH STEVE ROSS (AND HOW TO FIX THE MESS HE CREATED)

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

 

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899 Responses to WHY I’M NOT HAPPY WITH STEVE ROSS (AND HOW TO FIX THE MESS HE CREATED)

  1. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Piggy

    Suh’s job is the same no matter what LB’s are playing behind him. Sure, better LB’s would have cleaned up more tackles behind him, but that doesn’t affect Suh’s stats or ratings at all.

    • D's avatar D says:

      Mike i really think Suh has a more “why we paid him like we did” year. I think the big issue with last year was way he was used and yet i do think he was effective in the role he was being asked to perform. He was eating up 2-3 blocks which should mean no one is there to handle the LB’ers but then the LB’ers sucked and what was the point of having Suh eat blocks? It was a bad defensive design all the way around.

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        VJ said there are some things he can do to keep that from happening with Suh being double and triple teamed but he’s not going to divulge it.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      I think his point was if we had better LBs that’s how our defense improves because Suh is doing his part.

      When I went to the Giants game in Miami I was sitting in one endzone and when that was the Giants side of the field, I saw Suh blast through their line a few times where he simply treated the RB like a rag doll. There were quite a few Suuuuuuuhhhhh….. chants which I was a part of. LOL

      • Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

        You mean like if Tannehill had better blocking, and more time to throw, he’d be a better QB? Like that???? Isn’t that just making excuses????

        CAM RULES!!!!! lol

  2. dbolt48's avatar dbolt48 says:

    Mike,
    You & Tim are both correct. NFL does educate these guys about the ramifications of social media usage & well, too many of these guys are dickheads. I have noticed a bad trend that the players on our team that say the dumbest things on Social Media are the ones who hang out the most with the Grimes clan.

  3. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    D

    Thankfully that scheme was scrapped along with the D-coordinator who brought it. We’ll see if VJ can make a beast out of Suh once again.

  4. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Mike E, I didn’t say anything would make Suh better. The point is he’s not the problem, talent at LB is. I also think DE is an issue. I like our DTs.

    As for better blocking for Tannehill, that’s not an excuse, that’s an obvious issue. 😉

  5. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    D-Bolt

    I was focusing more on high schools and colleges, but yes, the NFL should also educate them, but if it was pounded into their head for 4 years of HS, and 4 years of college, maybe it would have already sunken in. Maybe . . .

  6. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    I’m interested to see if VJ likes a more aggressive approach in coverage or a similar quarters coverage that we’ve been running, as do many teams, we’re not the only one. LOL

  7. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    dbolt48 says:
    February 17, 2016 at 11:45 am

    The entitled attitude that some of these players carry will prevent a message from sinking in. Same can be said for AJ Francis the know it all
    ———-
    lmfao, except I wouldn’t label AJ Francis as one with an ‘entitled’ attitude. He definitely has an opinion on many things and isn’t afraid to say it but he also goes out and works as an Uber driver which is something he doesn’t have to do given his NFL salary.

    • dbolt48's avatar dbolt48 says:

      Entitled meaning people have pandered to him to the point he always thinks he’s right. You’re right about his 2nd career as an uber driver…..I think Hazel’s second career consists of eating cheese puffs😂

  8. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Ken,
    If you are out there…Deadpool was great 🙂 (saw it last night)

  9. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    These two articles might help us get a feel for what VJ will run being that he was in Cincy the last 2 seasons and these are the defensive schemes the Bengals were running.

    First there is Mike Zimmer who had already moved on but the core of his defense remained in place under Paul Guenther who was his right-hand man and the Bengals DC the last 2 years when VJ served as DBs coach under him.
    http://www.dailynorseman.com/2015/6/8/8750195/so-what-exactly-is-a-mike-zimmer-defense

    Then there are some adjustments Paul Guenther made that VJ was around for.
    http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2014/07/22/guenther-wants-bengals-defense-confuse-opposition/13023201/

    I’m sure VJ like Guenther will have some of his own preferences.

  10. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    It’s funny some here were saying Deadpool wasn’t that violent though in the trailer I saw it was totally violent and funny as shit. A guy I work with saw it and he said it was totally violent and funny as shit. LOL

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      I was dying laughing…i was having flashbacks to Ryan Reynolds humor in the movie “Waiting”. I didn’t think it was violent in the sense of an action movie….same kind of killing you see in a bunch of other action films out there.

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      To me violent is like Hostel lol.

  11. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Just curious, but who in here will have a heart attack if the Fins draft OT Ronnie Stanley with the 8th overall pick? lmfao

    • dbolt48's avatar dbolt48 says:

      If they kick Albert inside, I’d have no problem. I’d prefer to take care of the D, but Ronnie is a top talent in this draft.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      I’d understand it but wouldn’t be overly excited about it. He’s also considered to need more polishing. I wonder if he’d kick inside at LG then replace Albert in a couple of years when his contract expires or if he gets hurt. I don’t think Albert wants to play guard, he had issues with that in KC.

  12. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    I’m also leaning towards hoping we draft defense first 3 rounds. Preferably a DE, LB and CB in no particular order. I could see OL or even a TE in the top 3, maybe even a RB if we don’t re-sign Miller, but I think defense is the way to go. I’d focus on the OL in FA to add proven players – a starting guard and a better player than Fox to compete at tackle and add depth.

  13. Wyoming85's avatar wyoming85 says:

    Rolo ‏@RoloEdits 16h16 hours ago
    *NEW* #Arkansas TE Hunter Henry vs Kansas State (2015) .. via @draftbreakdown http://draftbreakdown.com/video/hunter-henry-vs-kansas-state-2015/

  14. Wyoming85's avatar wyoming85 says:

    Confessions of a Finaholic!

    I wanted Jimmy Johnson to do a Walker type trade with Marino!

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      Same here. I blame both Jimmy for taking the job knowing Marino was hands off and also Huizenga for putting those kind of restrictions on Jimmy.

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        I’m annoyed that I ordered an Italian sub instead of a luscious cheese steak for lunch that one day in 1996. 😉

  15. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Need a subscription to access the whole story but the synopsis presented includes OV of the Dolphins so here is the link.
    http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/14790903/10-buyer-beware-nfl-free-agents-2016

  16. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim,
    I don’t even remember seeing heads sliced off (think it happened a few times)…just a bunch of people coming at Deadpool and him in a ninja like fashion using his 2 swords to slice their legs and jam it through their chests/stomach region. No different to me than that scene in Commando where Arnold’s character goes off on everyone in a compound lol. In fact, Deadpool references this scene in the movie by going “time to go Commando” on everyone.

  17. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim,
    Lmfao on the Jimmy Johns reference…
    Fuck that place 🙂

  18. sb7mvp's avatar sb7mvp says:

    About what time of year does the NFL schedule come out?

  19. Wyoming85's avatar wyoming85 says:

  20. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    SteveCCNV,
    I never saw Ted Hendricks play but my father used to talk about him all the time since he was from South Florida and went to UMiami. I just know him as “The Mad Stork”. lol.

  21. D's avatar D says:

    Al in MIA says:
    February 17, 2016 at 12:10 pm
    Just curious, but who in here will have a heart attack if the Fins draft OT Ronnie Stanley with the 8th overall pick? lmfao
    ———————————————-
    I have my preferences for the pick both in players and what position id choose for our first pick, but as with any draft my main goal is we get quality players that contribute and help us get better. That said, Stanley i think would do that for us so id be ok with the pick.

  22. sb7mvp's avatar sb7mvp says:

    Tom and Jerry are violent too if you want to get technical.

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      Speaking of draft picks…I don’t get the DeForest Buckner hype. I’m going to cry if Miami selects him.

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      Sorry, my comment was not meant to be a reply….
      I was sitting in the reply field cause I was going to say something like “Humpty Dumpty” was the original violent story 😛

  23. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Mike

    Trying to make that Tannehill vs Suh argument is really getting tired

    Suh played well
    Tannehill didn’t

    It’s not a double standard
    It’s a difference of opinion

    My point About Tannehill is even if you fix the OL he has proven to have shortcomings

    But if you get better players behind Suh, the defense is better. I don’t need for Suh to play better – I need our defense to play better

    I need Tannehill to play better, it’s not just the OL IMO

    It’s really a matter of opinion
    But when you keep calling it a double standard and making newton comparisons, you are not really addressing the point

    Suh and Tannys play are really just a matter of opinion
    But you are not going to change anyone’s opinion by changing the argument

    I’m not saying Suh is a better player with better lbs
    He already a great player and has had a great career
    I’m saying the defense is better with better linebackers
    Particularly bc Suh is so good
    Big difference in arguments

    I’m really not interested in arguing how good Tannehill is
    So spare the responses
    My point is not about Tannehill
    My point is about building our defense around a very good player
    Rather than building our offense around a player we don’t know will play better with better parts around him

  24. D's avatar D says:

    Al in MIA says:
    February 17, 2016 at 1:29 pm
    Speaking of draft picks…I don’t get the DeForest Buckner hype. I’m going to cry if Miami selects him.
    —————————————
    I dont either, i think its just his freakish size/athletic combination that have him projected so high. I think he winds up being one of those guys who falls a good bit come draft day.

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      All the guy tries to do is bullrush and when he’s chasing his awareness is BLEH. I saw him get chipped by a RB near him and he wasn’t even expecting it coming across the line.

  25. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Piggy,
    All this talk about finding the next best edge rusher….
    I’ve watched alot of clips from different guys available this year…
    Emmanuel Ogbah is the one special one that stands out to me…

    • The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

      I’ve heard some good things about him
      I’m not sure an edge rusher will be treated a a priority
      But we will see

      We have a lot of DEs to work with in 2016
      The problem is they all have question marks

      So maybe DE will be a priory
      But maybe not

      (Piggy shrugs)

  26. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    I’m not saying I have a problem with the violence in Deadpool. I love the mix of it with comedy. I can’t wait for it to come to cable.

  27. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    I don’t mean to be a dick but hope it’s that kind of year for them 🙂

  28. Randy's avatar Randy says:

    Piggy,
    Weren’t we ranked around 25th in the league in sacks?

  29. Randy's avatar Randy says:

    Al,
    I thought the “Commando” reference in Deadpool was because he had no underwear on. Lol

  30. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Al, everything I’ve read about DeForest Buckner is he’s very powerful and moves well for a guy his size. He’s also considered technically sound. Maybe the Jets will draft him and move Muhammad Wilkerson to CB. LOL

  31. Randy's avatar Randy says:

    I thought Suh was playing really strange to start the year. He was screwing up on the most basic of technique things. Looking back on it, I think he was doing it to get Coyle and/or Philbin fired. But, after the first 6 games or so, he started playing like he typically does. That said, you can easily neutralize an interior pass rusher if you really want to. And, if you’re not worried about a team’s edge rushers, you can definitely shIft your focus to an interior guy w/o having to worry that the guys you’re freeing up on the edge will hurt you. So, it’s not the lbers behind him that make a difference….it’s the edge rushers. Ours were easily negated for most of the season.
    ***
    Get a really good edge rusher, and Suh can be a monster inside. I’d also like to see them slide him out to DE sometimes. I think he is very effective one-on-one against RTs. Plus, it makes teams adjust their protections.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Our LBs did a poor job in run defense much of the time. Suh did play some DE last season. I agree that our DEs are an issue.

  32. D's avatar D says:

    Al in MIA says:
    February 17, 2016 at 1:48 pm
    All the guy tries to do is bullrush and when he’s chasing his awareness is BLEH. I saw him get chipped by a RB near him and he wasn’t even expecting it coming across the line.
    —————————————-
    He also plays tall which is bad for guys in the trenches. He constantly got beaten on leverage battles when there was a OL that knew what they were doing.

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      Yep. I noticed too that while standing tall, he didn’t bother extending his arms and routinely let the big OL guys get into his chest.

  33. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Piggy

    LMAO – And is that final?

    For your sake, for the next 15 seconds, I won’t say anything about Suh or Tannehill. Or Cam for that matter, but just 15 seconds.

  34. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim,
    The LB were not very instinctual either…they often produced ‘tackles’ but did so staying back. I’d rather have the gambler coming up to the LOS and choosing a lane and forcing the ball handler to change his direction away from what the blocking scheme on the given play.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Yeah no doubt. That’s why at times they got run over. They were taking on a back with a full head a steam from a stationary position. LOL

    • The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

      Yes
      I agree

      Aggressiveness
      Instincts
      A certain degree of ferocity

      I don’t think the lbs were horrible per se
      But they were horrible
      By being very conservative they managed to be average

      If they were more aggressive…uh oh…
      It’s really just a lack of talent at LB

  35. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    OK – 15 seconds are up

    If you’re going to use PFF, they also said OV was one of the top rated 4-3 DE’s. That being the case, it’s not the DE play that was the problem.

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      However, PFF does note that OV’s 2nd half of season was different than 1st half and that he was a monster down the stretch in terms of their data. You consider a lukewarm 1st half of season with Wake on the field then consider a strong 2nd half of season with Wake on the sideline and you basically have only 1 pressure cooker on 1 side of the line.

  36. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    So far from what I’ve seen, give me Dodd or Ogbah at DE in this upcoming draft…STUDS! They do the little things with their hand/arm technique against OT to get around them

  37. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim,
    While I’m not, particularly, a fan of Tbaum’s volume of work in NY, he did do well drafting front 7 on defenses and selecting some interior OL.

    Those are major weaknesses on the Dolphins today and I’m hoping that is where he tries to use his strength in this year’s draft.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      I know everyone thinks Mr. T is the GM, but he’s not. He isn’t going to be involved in bringing in personnel other than the top guys in FA and probably the top 2 rounds. Grier is the guy who will do most of the leg work and specifically putting our draft board together and filling most of the roster working with Gase. Mr. T will oversee what they’re doing and evaluate it.

      Mr. T had the opportunity to make himself the lead personnel guy and not hire a GM. But what he does and what the GM does is too much for one person. He’s said this.

      I think he hired Grier because they share the same philosophy.

  38. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    PFF has all of these defenders of ours kicking ass yet we were one of the worst statistical defenses in the league. Something doesn’t add up

    • Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

      It adds up to PFF’s ratings are pfffffft. They don’t really mean a whole lot. I suppose they have a purpose, just like other opinions, and statistics.

  39. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Randy

    we were tied for 25th with Dallas
    We had 31 sacks
    The top team Denver had 52

    But getting over 40 was top 10
    The worst team had 19
    The bottom 5 were under 30 to give you some perspective

    We could have been better at rushing the laser no doubt
    I thought at times we brought pressure and didn’t get the sack though
    I guess velvety team can say that

    • Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

      OV probably had more QB pressures than any other DE in the NFL. Unfortunately, he didn’t always get to the QB in time, and a few times, he was penalized for late hits.

  40. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Which team do you consider “velvety”?

  41. finfanrob's avatar finfanrob says:

    Mike E. says:
    February 17, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    Piggy

    LMAO – And is that final?

    lol. and i get criticized for pointing out the major items in a discussion where as he just says ‘that is final’. got to admit i like his way better

  42. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    D / GDP
    Got thoughts on VT’s Corey Marshall? He seemed to line up often inside (at RT) but he seems to be quick off the snap in shooting gaps. He’s listed at 262 over at nfldraftscout but he has a little Aaron Donald in him…If only he could gain 20-25 lbs.

  43. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Well, if you guys go by PFF’s standards, Suh was good, OV was good, Shelby was good, but Phillips was horrible and Mitchell wasn’t that good…….

    I guess all our problems on Defense were Phillips’ and Mitchell’s fault??? LOL At lease we know where the issue was now……. 😉

    • The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

      I don’t think Mitchell was good
      I disagree with Phillips
      And I think our LBs were bad
      Our other safety was bad
      And our CBs were so so

  44. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Mike
    You can use PFF or any other experts opinion as a reference
    And you can shoot down any of their opinions too
    But the fact is some thought Suh played well
    Including me
    And I don’t hear much clamoring from anyone that Tannehill is a top 5 or even top 10 qb from anyone not a Dolfan

    More importantly
    I’m done arguing with people about how good Tannehill is

    Bc that turns into an argument about everyone else on the team

    But now the latest series of arguments has the mere mention of Suh or Newton or anyone else turns into an argument as to why some one should judge Tannehill EVER

    If I tell you Sparky “the beast” Parker could have won the parcheesee title if his seat didn’t swivel so much at the championship

    I full expect a barrage of replies about how that means we should not judge Tannehill either bc his OL was so bad

    Appearently not only can we never discuss what are perceived flaws about Tannehill without a reply – but we can discuss anyone at all without it turning to a conversation about why Tannehill should not be judged

    Suh, Newton and the great parcheesee players have nothing to do with Tannehill – but I’m going to hear how discussing their flaws or what you think caused them problems = never discussing Tannehill’s flaws EVER

  45. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW!!
    Which team is Velvety in your opinion Piggy and what makes them so velvety?

  46. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Based on PFF, you would think OV is right there with Von Miller.

  47. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim,
    I’m aware that it’s a collaborative effort and that Grier by title is the personnel guy when it comes to drafting but I can’t help but think Tbaum will throw his weight around (not in the literal sense) in the war room when it comes time to pick; giving Grier the evil look as if to say “I hope you take my advice and consider it cause if you are wrong well you know, your ass is going to be canned by me down the road (if the owner doesn’t can me first)” LOL.

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      It may give Tbaum a certain level of comfort that Grier’s father was part of the Parcells circle of trust. I know Grier was probably a runner up when Hickey was ultimately hired (Grier was interviewed at the time for the position).

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Yeah, he’ll oversee it but also let them do their jobs. I don’t think TBaum is working feverishly at night studying 4th and 5th rd corner prospects, know what I mean? Grier is doing that.

  48. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Oh I see

    I meant every team

    But I guess you can make an argument that the Packers are velvety

  49. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    I want to us become a more physical team, not some velvety team.

  50. D's avatar D says:

    Unfortunately you have to really watch a lot of games and watch the entire game to see Bullard at DE but i think he is also a really good 4-3 DE prospect. I would also like the flexibility to move him around on the DL front as he can play 5 and 3 tech at the DL spot, whichmeans you could do some neat stuff moving Suh in on nose and sliding Bullard down to 5, or even flipping Bullard and Suh and have Suh on the outside rushing on some downs. Really would make it hell for the OL and OC’s to scheme Suh out of games.

  51. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim,
    I’m going down the list of OLB prospects in this draft and see Villenova has a guy named DON CHERRY to LB…I’m like WTF

  52. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Our new helmets
    What do you think?
    VELVETY !

  53. D's avatar D says:

    I think Bullard Lawson and Dodd all one pretty equivalent levels to me. Im not a fan of Ogbah, Tunsil shut him down in the Sugar Bowl. I mean i know Tunsil is a fucking great LT, but Ogbah didnt even look competative that game. He also looked really tame vs TCU and a LT i think is decent but not great in Halapoulivaati Vaitai.

  54. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Piggy, there is great humor in thinking about the differences of opinions from people when seeing the fancy three. LOL

  55. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Appearently not only can we never discuss what are perceived flaws about Tannehill without a reply –

    Technically, you cannot DISCUSS ANYTHING without at least one reply. Otherwise it is a oration not a discussion….But go ahead and orate. LOL

  56. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    D, yeah it’s a clip from an aerobic competition. Yeehaw!!!

  57. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    The Flying Pig says:
    February 17, 2016 at 4:00 pm
    …. …. ….
    We could have been better at rushing the laser no doubt
    I thought at times we brought pressure and didn’t get the sack though
    I guess velvety team can say that

  58. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    OH GOD! Please make Tim stop posting the dancers!

  59. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Tim, I don’t get the reference. “Rush the laser” HUH?

  60. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    I don’t know why my iPhone changes passer to laser and every to velvety
    but I’m replacing it

  61. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    LOL I didn’t even SEE piggy wrote laser. My mind read passer. Both when I read it and when I cut and pasted it. Wow.

  62. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    By the way…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….CAM NEWTON SUCKS!

    Nogtih all.

  63. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Piggy

    I wish we sacked Laser earlier actually. Maybe we could have made the playoffs. Probably not, but maybe . . .

    I’ll try my best not to turn everything anyone says about Cam or Suh into a Tannehill argument. Can’t promise anything though, it’s a hot button topic for me.

  64. Randy's avatar Randy says:

    Tim,
    I agree that our lb play was not good, but I was talking more about our ability to get to the QB. For sure our run defense struggled mostly due to poor lb play.

  65. Randy's avatar Randy says:

    What is considered a “pressure”? Is that when a guy gets a hit on the QB no matter what….or is it when they cause the QB to throw an incomplete pass? Sometimes, a QB holds the ball until the last second where it may look like the defender is getting pressure, but it’s really just the QB getting rid of the ball at the last minute. I think pressures are way overrated unless they actually lead to an incompletion, and you can prove it was the pressure that caused it. Who really knows that for sure on every throw? If a guy gets to the QB but he gets the ball away anyway and the pressure itself doesn’t cause an incompletion…what difference does it make? Seems awfully subjective.

    • Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

      PFF is completely subjective Randy, so it doesn’t really matter.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Yeah I agree. I think much of what PFF does is subjective.

      You know when a team or pass rusher is applying pressure. Usually when the QB doesn’t have time to set and just gets rid of it usually an incomplete or he takes a sack.

      Like you, I think Vernon is a good player but I do not see an elite DE in him. Now is he about ready to take off and go to another level? Maybe, but I haven’t seen that level of play to make me think that.

    • dbolt48's avatar dbolt48 says:

      Randy,
      The best illustration of where OV really ranked was his average time to pressure. His average time was nearly 3sec from the time the ball was snapped to the QB which is actually not great. It means a good portion of his pressure were pretty damn late on average.

      • dbolt48's avatar dbolt48 says:

        That wasn’t from PFF as it was used by another person to give perspective to their pressures they listed as to why you don’t pay OV huge buckaroos.

      • dbolt48's avatar dbolt48 says:

        It was sacks not pressures, my bad, but still not big money worth:

        @OscarHazell: @NFLFilmStudy @Dbolt48 Was’nt pressure tho was sacks think only 2 sacks under 3 seconds and were vs Ravens w James Hurst at LT

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        Compare that to Von Miller’s one second. That’s the difference.

    • D's avatar D says:

      I have always thought that pressures were different from hurries, though im not finding a lot of supporting information for that belief.

      I always heard that a hit obviously was a pressure where they got to the QB but the QB got the ball away avoiding the sack but still being hit.

      The other two were more dependent on if it was a pocket collapse or just a single player breaking through. So a pressure might be considered a DT pushing the OL back into the QB making him move out of the pocket to throw it, where as a hurry would be the DT shedding his OL and coming clean at the QB who throws to avoid the hit. Neither of the two though have any bearing on the result of the play be it completion, incompletion or int. I do think though i feel about the same as you Randy about it, i think it should only be credited to the player in the case of incomplete or int.

  66. D's avatar D says:

    PFF has one of the most subjective scoring systems out there and i fully believe it has bias dependant on how the player is perceived as to how bad a score they give as it lends legitimacy to their scoring if people generally agree with their scores.

  67. Randy's avatar Randy says:

    MikeE,
    Yeah, I’ve just never really known what exactly is considered as a pressure. Because if it doesn’t directly lead to an incompletion…what good are they other than putting hits on QBs?
    ***
    Tim,
    I think we’ve seen enough of OV to know that he cannot win one-on-one battles with LTs on a consistent basis. I think he’s an 8-10 sack a year guy…that’s not a bad thing…but it’s nothing special either. He might have a 15 sack year in there, but I don’t think he can do that year in and year out. He’s a good tackler. He’s good at pursuing plays from the backside. He’s ok at setting the edge but not great. I’d actually rather put him at LDE and see how he would do against RTs if we’re gonna keep him. He simply doesn’t consistently impact a game like the upper echelon edge rushers do.

  68. Randy's avatar Randy says:

    Thanks for the info, fellas.

  69. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Randy

    I agree he’s not an elite pass rusher, but he is still pretty young, I think he’s 25, so he may have better football ahead of him. I think pressures by themselves can’t be as valuable as sacks obviously, but it’s certainly good to be on the QB a lot, it can change the way the QB plays the game, if they constantly feel hurried.

    • D's avatar D says:

      I think Randy is right though, if we invest in him anywhere near the tune he is asking for he needs to be moved to LDE where i also agree he will play better.

  70. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    I probably just let OV go
    I think he is bound to get overpaid this offseason
    I like trying to keep players
    but at some level – you have to make the tough decisions

    He’s going to be paid like an elite pass rusher
    and he’s not
    but he’s pretty good
    so its a pretty tough decision

    • Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

      I can’t disagree with this. I’d stay in it with OV until it gets silly, and then I’d let him go. If we can get him for around $7-8M per, I’d keep him, but if it goes way past that, I’d wave goodbye.

    • D's avatar D says:

      Its a market thing and he hit the market on a big upswing and at a perfect time. I dont know that he would get the 15mil per kinda pay day that he is rumored to be looking for but i think he could very likely see 12 just due to market. A lot could change though before the first day of FA. There are going to be players cut that are going to change that dynamic.

      I still think though if we are going to keep him its going to be at or north of 10mil per. Even in Chris Long or Mario Williams get cut, you are still looking at a pretty thin market and Vernon is a young, player, on an upswing who is going to be more enticing to teams looking to lock down a starting DE for next few years, than aging vets.

      The think he has most against him is the depth of the draft class, but again proven NFL talent vs whats is at best a educated deduction of who will and wont pan out.

      Face it Vernon is going to get a big pay day, question is will it be from us and is it going to be somewhat resonable. I think it will be an overpay no matter who, but again thats the nature of free agency, you have players that find themselves on the right and wrong side of the ever changing market, and he’s just lucky this year its the right side for him.

  71. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Mike
    I kinda think its its appropriate to let him go
    But If I were going to put a cap on it, it would be around 7.5M or something

  72. D's avatar D says:

    Mike i think its going to be right at or just north of 10, and part of me is thinking could be as much as 12 unless some other thing that arent currently exposed dont pop up.

  73. D's avatar D says:

    Jared Odrick is getting almost 9, Vinny Curry is getting 9.25 and he has no where near the production as Vernon. Greg Hardy is getting over 11mil per AFTER the HUGE off field issues and with around same production as Vernon outside of one beastly year. Not at all outside the realm of possibility that Vernon gets 10-12

  74. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    D

    If that’s the case, I’m guessing we’re drafting a couple of DE’s. lol

  75. D's avatar D says:

    Comparing Vernon to Hardy.
    Hardy has 239 tackles and 40 sacks in 6 years. 11,311,000 per year.
    Olivier Vernon’s numbers if projected over the same number of years is 294 tackles and 43.5 sacks.

  76. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Mike, Hartline got $7 mil, about 4 yrs ago, if you think OV goes for anything close to $7 mil you haven’t been checking the market.

  77. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    For $12 mil I’d take Mario Williams over OV all day long, plus OV isn’t the best run DE.

    • D's avatar D says:

      Buffalo is in such a bad place, even though i think it would be a huge hit to their defense to cut him, they may have no choice. As i mentioned a few days ago, id be all in on that signing as well over paying OV. Now if im supremely confidant in a draft pick or two i think i re-sign Shelby, draft a guy early and go that route.

  78. D's avatar D says:

    steveccnv says:
    February 17, 2016 at 6:53 pm
    Don’t be surprised, I bet he gets min. of 4 yrs $60 mil, because that’s what the market is.
    —————————————
    It wouldnt surprise me but it also puts him in north of what Quinn gets paid and i think any negotiations would come with that comparison. Vernon has not shown to be anywhere near as disruptive as Quinn, so i think if i were negotiating as a team i would put him back into the neighborhood her belongs in. Im thinking 10-12, with at least some team willing do do 12.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      It doesn’t work that way, the next guy coming up always gets more.

      • D's avatar D says:

        Steve, if the next guy is comparable, then yeah next guy up makes more as things dont get cheaper, they just keep getting more expensive, but if they arent comparable people dont buy for retardedly over priced just because its next guy up, they find alternate ways of getting somewhat as good. Just like with us, if we cant find a guy or get OV for what we feel we can afford, we take the alternate route and draft a guy, teams do it all the time.

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        You hear vets all the time crying about a guy not as good that just got a new contract for more than they’re making. OV isn’t as good as Quinn, but he’s in the ballpark, he was hurt early in the yr, then really came on when healthy. Sure it was a contract yr, but that’s how it works (what have you done for me lately).

        OV will be in Jax next yr.

  79. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    You guys must be doing a lot of wishful thinking.

  80. D's avatar D says:

    steveccnv says:
    February 17, 2016 at 7:06 pm
    Compare 4 yrs.
    ————————————–
    they still come out pretty comparable. The projection didnt really change much there, averages are usually pretty decent at keeping things pretty close

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      I wasn’t debating the numbers just that it was a projection. I’m not comparing you to Omar, because this isn’t one of those projections, but it was a projection none the less. The start of every season assholes like Omar always do their projections of the WR that has 30 catches after 3 games and 500 yrds, or the QB that has thrown for 1100 yards after 3 games.

    • D's avatar D says:

      We are actually agreeing for the most part, both of us are saying he’s getting paid and both of us are saying he wont be here next year because we cant match what another team will spend. We differ by 3ish mil projection, thats it.

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        Yes, you were the voice of reason when I came on today. Mike and Piggy haven’t gotten over the sticker shock yet. 2 weeks ago, before I started getting info on OV I was thinking in the lines of what Mike and Piggy are saying, but it may have been more wishful thinking than anything else.

  81. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    D says:

    February 17, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    PFF has one of the most subjective scoring systems out there and i fully believe it has bias dependant on how the player is perceived as to how bad a score they give as it lends legitimacy to their scoring if people generally agree with their scores.
    ————–
    There’s no eye test in stats, therefore…

  82. finfanrob's avatar finfanrob says:

    i always thought the difference between pressure and hurry was.

    you hurry to open the porn site you have pressure to get done before the wife comes home.

  83. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    That’s the issue, what the market is for DEs and not what we’d like to pay OV. It all comes down to what other teams view his value at. I’m sure our team has a number for him and if it’s succeeded by another team(s) we let him walk.

    Vernon is not explosive like Wake, he’s more effort and he’s pretty strong but he doesn’t have an elite first step to consistently beat NFL caliber LTs.

  84. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Steve, D

    If we were in a different place with our cap, I’d say we should go for it, but we have to pay Tannehill and Suh, and that’s gonna make it tough to pay OV too.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      I don’t think he deserves to be paid like a top DE in any scenario. He’s never made a pro bowl or been all-pro and his production has been solid not spectacular.

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        That’s it, hometown discount or walk. We’d all like him back, but in no way do we pay him in excess of $10 mil, someone will though. The longer he stays on the market the better chance we’ll have.

        I think it was Randy above talking about he effect of the pressures, I agree with what was said, unless it affected the play what good is it. After the season was over they talked about how great his stats were, but he didn’t pass the eye test for me. If someone has to show you the stats to try to change your mind, that player isn’t worth it.

  85. dbolt48's avatar dbolt48 says:

    VIEW EACH TEAM’S DRAFT

    8: R1P8
    OLB MYLES JACK
    UCLA
    42: R2P11
    DE SHILIQUE CALHOUN
    MICHIGAN STATE
    73: R3P10
    OLB SCOOBY WRIGHT
    ARIZONA
    108: R4P9
    CB HARLAN MILLER
    SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
    147: R5P8
    S SEAN DAVIS
    MARYLAND
    189: R6P11
    CB JAMES BRADBERRY
    SAMFORD
    225: R7P6
    DE ALEX MCCALISTER
    FLORIDA
    229: R7P10
    G PARKER EHINGER

  86. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Steve, Vernon doesn’t change games. Wake has. Guys like Miller do. He’s solid but not in that league.

  87. olddolphan's avatar olddolphan says:

    PIGGY: READ your comments regarding “maybe I didn’t get the response I was expecting.” –THAT’s TRUE! – – The response was quite a bit more favorable to my critique of Steve Ross than I anticipated. Seems as though MANY on this site have/do live in a part of the country where the owner of a local team is perceived as a mistake-prone billionaire who can’t make good decisions regarding his franchise to save his life!! I agree, Mike, that Dolan, for all his money, is another sports blunder waiting to happen. And it shows in his team’s performance!! – – Dan Snyder, another gazillionaire, has owned the foreskins for lo’ these many years and has yet to SNIFF a Super Bowl!! (THERE’s your lead-in, FFR!!) Jerry Jones mistakenly thought he was qualified to be both the OWNER of “AMERICA’S TEAM” and the General Manager, too!! After Jimmy Johnson took Dallas to 3 Super Bowl victories in 4 years, jealous Jerry Jones wanted all the glory for himself, so he booted Coach Hair Spray!! – – To nobody’s surprise, GM JERRY is O for the last 20+ Super Bowls, thus proving that a non-football savvy owner can even screw up “America’s Team!” Now I know most of you could give us several more examples of owners messing up thei own pro franchise. The list is LONG AND SORDID (ANOTHER lead-in for FFR!!) But the point is THIS: Bad, ineffective, ownership can turn a once great franchise sour FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME! –And, refreshingly, most on this site seem to understand that. ROSS’s tenure has brought us 7 straight years of THE DOOFUS BRIGADE!! And, if Ross doesn’t change his approach and philosophies, we may very well see 7 more years of the DOOFUS BRIGADE. But, by that time, Ross will be well into his 80’s and likely will have sold this now losing franchise for a massive profit, thereby proving to himself that he was truly a visionary successful owner.
    —————
    ONE last point. The Pittsburgh Steelers (winners of an NFL best SIX SUPER BOWLS) are now regarded by some as the standard by which all other franchises are judged. Year in and year out, it seems the Steelers are among the NFL’s better franchises. Yet, during their first 39 years of existence, the Steelers NEVER PLAYED IN A PLAYOFF GAME!!!!! And this was during an era when the NFL had, for most of that time, 12 or fewer franchises, not the 32 franchises it now has! -So don’t ever think that management can’t screw up a franchise, even one as great as the Steelers! Joe Robbie who, like Ross, was NOT a football expert, DID have the quality to pick THE RIGHT PEOPLE to be his first two GM’s (Joe Thomas and Bobby Beathard). And Robbie DID MAKE the best head coaching choice in NFL history when he took Don Shula (a proven winner in Baltimore) and brought him to Miami. Maybe, some day, Ross will find his own Joe Thomas and Don Shula. We can only hope.

  88. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    OD, when you really look at how it all went down, Ross took over the reins as owner and voice of the team in 2011 when he courted Harbaugh with Ireland at his side. Parcells had been the team czar until he left in 2010. The courting of Harbaugh didn’t pan out and Sparano remained HC. After a poor season at 3-10 Sparano was fired in-season. Philbin was hired in 2012 and after going 7-9, 8-8, 8-8 and 1-3, he was fired in-season this past season and here we are now with Gase. So it’s clear Ross isn’t content with mediocrity or being a bad team. Gase is only the 2nd HC he’s hired. So his track record of failure is a lot shorter than you make it out to be.

    • olddolphan's avatar olddolphan says:

      NOT SAYING Ross is/is not content with mediocrity. I’m saying he consistently makes poor choices. I’m surprised you can’t tell the difference.

      • olddolphan's avatar olddolphan says:

        Also, Ross bought controlling interest inj the team in February of 2008, not in 2011. He was the one who discussed Miami’s win over the Jets to clinch the AFC East on the last weekend of the season–and celebrated it in the Dolphins’ locker. Huizenga was nowhere to be seen in the locker (because he only owned 45% of the team).–So, in my mind, Ross’s rule began in the 2008 season, not 2011. But, hell, I’m wondering if Ross has 7 more bad years will people still say “It’s Wayne’s fault,” even though NO major football decision has been made by Huizenga since February of 2008. Losers ALWAYS look to blame someone else for their failures, it seems.

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        I’m well aware of his mistakes and he’s admitted to them. But it’s been a much shorter period of time (5 years) than you make it out to be to make your criticism of him be more damaging. I can tell the difference just fine.

        I’ve always said he’s learning on the job. But he tries and gives the team every resource to get better. He’s not cheap or overly controlling. He hired Mike Tannenbaum last year like him or not, to oversee what he Ross is not qualified to do. If you remember when Parcells walked away in early 2010, Ireland became more prominent as did Ross’ adviser Carl Peterson. In 2011 Ireland started to get a bloated ego because he had the support of Carl Peterson because he gave him his first opportunity as a scout with KC in 1997. Then in 2012 Ireland attempted to be the all powerful one which didn’t sit well with new HC Joe Philbin or other front office personnel including Dawn Aponte. That’s when all that crap started. In early 2014 Ireland was fired and Ross hired Hickey as GM.

        Now it’s Tannenbaum, Grier and Gase, Ross’ own trifecta. It’s the first time he’s hired all three phases to work together from the outside. Let’s hope this is the right mix.

  89. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    OD

    Like I said
    you’ve seen more football then most of us
    but I really do think the franchise begun an ugly decline under wayne huzienga

    its really hard to evaluate owners
    the only think we have is franchise success
    and certainly Ross has had very little

    So maybe he is the catalyst to the whole thing

    but I really didn’t care much for Huzienga not just with the Dolphins but with the marlins either

    I remember during the Wansteadt/Huzienga years a few dolfans suggesting the mistakes made that would follow us for years – an I think they were right about

    Huzienga is the guy that parted ways with Shula and took the tame Robbie off the stadium
    I really think those were 2 of the biggest slaps in the face of the franchise

    our history is behind us now – and sometimes it seems far away from us
    but I think Huzienga really pushed us there

    again, I think its hard to evaluate an owner
    but when everything goes wrong – it makes sense to look to the top
    and I think you make a good point about where we are with Ross
    but I cannot forget what Ross bought into which was a bad situation in my opinion
    So I am kind of undecided on Ross
    as opposed to where I was a year ago with him which was a more positive view of Ross

    I think in general a lot of people don’t want to think about ownership b/c its out of our control
    and that is more consistent with the feedback you got
    not that you are wrong
    or that they are happy with the franchise under ross

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Ross’ tenure holding the reins is not a long period of time either despite perception and that’s what it is, perception. It’s 5 seasons and he handed it over to Tannenbaum last year because he’s not a football guy. You can fill an article with pork to make it seem richer lol, but what I said in my recent post is the timeline. There is no debating it. That’s how it happened.

      I had never heard Ross speak on behalf of the team as a controlling owner until 2011 during the Harbaugh fiasco. Remember the round table with him, Ireland and the uncomfortable Sparano? That’s when he became hands on owner. That’s when we found out for the first time who Ross was as an active football team owner. A guy looking for answers and trying to go after big fish.

      • The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

        I think he is trying real hard
        And failing

        And it drives me crazy
        He’s right at that point going from new owner to not so new

        I do t really look at what Ross did per se as wrong
        It just ends up not working…lol

  90. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    DBolt

    are you a fan of Calhoun
    I kind of like him
    but Wyoming insisted on blowing that up by showing clips of him being dominated….lol

    Calhoune as a 2nd round option is very interesting

    and I love the Jack/Wright combo at LB
    Those 2 would cause havoc behind our DTs

    • dbolt48's avatar dbolt48 says:

      I think he needs some added weight, but he can bend the edge, use his hands well, and closes like a beast. Needs to be more consistent in anchoring down and setting the edge. He’s more well refined as a player than OV coming out and may already be better using his hands to disengage from blockers than OV right now. He’s next on my list if Dodd’s not available.

      • The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

        He reminds me a little of wake
        I’m not sure why
        But he does

        I don’t think it will be a seemless transition to the pros for him

        But he might be worth being patient for

  91. Wyoming85's avatar wyoming85 says:

    Piggy
    I actually like Calhoun!
    I just think he is better suited as a 3-4 OLB!

    I just really like Spriggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

      Okay

      I think from what I saw if Calhoun he played a lot with his hand in the ground

      But yeah – he’s light

      And spriggs did push him around in the tape you posted
      It wasn’t pretty for calhoune

  92. Wyoming85's avatar wyoming85 says:

  93. finfanrob's avatar finfanrob says:

    wow did any of you guys see that cam newton press conference after the SB. what a poor loser

  94. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    OD, Parcells was running the team from late 2007 thru early 2010. You can think what you want but Ross was not an active owner until that 2011 offseason – meaning after the 2010 season. Just because he celebrated in the locker room in 2009 after making the playoffs in the 08 season, that means he was as active as he is now? That’s not how it was. He was just beginning to experience life as the 95% owner. He didn’t really get his feet wet for another 2 years.

    Why are we debating history? It is what it is. Okay I’ll give you 6 years he’s been in control. At the end of the day he’s hired two HCs and two GMs during his reign. He inherited everything else.

  95. finfanrob's avatar finfanrob says:

    lol @ wyoming

    ok sorry how about this for a topic then……..did you hear that ross is the worst owner ever in the history of sports. it is proven fact that he is worst then an roman emperor who loved watching sword fights amongest his teammates. i am sure ross would try it too if he could just now a days there are sexual harassment laws

  96. finfanrob's avatar finfanrob says:

    The Flying Pig says:
    February 17, 2016 at 9:43 pm

    Who is cam newton?

    lol piggy. he is this very black qb who some one like ross would never hire due to his membership in the KKK

  97. finfanrob's avatar finfanrob says:

    lol wyoming

    i hear himarys attribute is bigger then trumps. but that might of just been that

    Hillary Trump Stump porno i was watching

  98. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Piggy, Ross has hired two HCs and two GMs along with his own football czar in 5 years. He inherited everything else. Why is this so hard for people to accept? His reign is 5 years. By the tone of bloggers you would think it’s a decade or more. It’s not. LOL

    For the record, his first football czar has one year under his belt and his 2nd GM and HC just got started. Wow… it’s been so long, so much suffering. He has nothing to do with the past beyond 2011. He wasn’t an active owner yet. What did he do in 2010, say I want to build a winner? LOL

    My stance on this also has nothing to do with my opinion of Ross. It’s his timeline. I’m just laying it out how it went down.

  99. finfanrob's avatar finfanrob says:

    tim

    ross has not won shit as the owner. not only that he keeps causing traffic jams on I-95. so he just sucks. he needs to sell the team to me for $16.34 and then and only then will he be a good owner. he is still responsible for the traffic jams but at least not the dolphins

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