He didn’t even have to ask, it was obvious something happened between them in the Ladies room (hair out of place, smeared lipstick, tossed clothes), after all he was the one who introduced Brenda to Erika.
“Ok we can leave now, take us back to your place”, Brenda said to him as they approached.
Being the gentleman he is he politely opened the door for them and escorted them to his car.
“You’ll get a participation trophy tonight”, Brenda whispered to him as he opened the car door.
Whoa hold-on, wait a minute-wrong blog!
A Sonny Postmortem
Excuse me, that wasn’t supposed to be on here, that was for something else…
But now that you mention it – Should the Dolphins get a participation trophy for making the playoffs this year?
How about a proverbial trophy, or is it just an atta-boy.
Don’t make me list all of the accomplishments of this season, I know we started 1-4 and then a firecracker went off in the teams ass, they were pumping out wins so fast no one had time to notice the injuries piling up, the young players maturing but also struggling, a coaching staff taking hold with a clear direction, followed by consequences when someone tries their own direction. We just kept winning, it was glorious.
So what are we left with?
Are good or are we lucky?
I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floatin’ around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it’s both. – Forrest Gump
Are we better because we made the playoffs or are we better and made the playoffs?
I think a solid core is emerging that will lead this team to become a perennial playoff contender no matter how bitter yesterday’s loss was. I think in large part it starts with Jarvis Landry, it starts there and spreads through guys like Wake and Suh, Albert and Pouncey followed by a host of 1-3 yr players. We’ve had some decent success in the draft recently and we’re beginning to see it evolve. Injuries took their toll on a fragile roster and clearly defined the cracks that need to be addressed and that will be discussed profoundly over the next several months.
So we enter at least this post season with a bit of a hop in our step for at least participating in the playoffs. Equal growth into next season would make the 2017 Dolphins pretty formiddable.
If you want to crown ’em – crown ’em
They’re who we thought they were…
Thanks Coach Gase. You gave us hope what more could we ask for.
Finsmob Unleashed 
Lou
So Anthony is smart when he plays MLB, but is dumb at a less demanding position of SAM? That doesn’t make sense. If I recall the article correctly, and I might not, they were saying even though he piled up a lot of tackles and statistically looked good at MLB, he was often not in the right place, and showed poor anticipation.
Found it . . .
“Anthony had a solid rookie year on paper, topping 100 tackles and making several splash plays. But he has neither instincts nor impressive football IQ. Anthony regularly failed to diagnose the play and line up the defense in response, which turned into coverage breakdowns and big plays. He just didn’t know what was in front of him and took too long to react to it. The NFL game has been too fast and nuanced for him.”
That was the book on him coming out of college.
I don’t recall anyone saying that about him coming out of college. In fact, I heard just the opposite about him
I thought I remembered that about him. Maybe I’m confusing him with someone else. But I thought it was Anthony.
I always take a special interest in guys I want in the draft even after they are drafted and I can tell you I watched Anthony’s rookie season and he was nothing short of impressive. he made some nice plays and he was very consistent and he did very well in coverage. So, I don’t know where the stuff from his rookie season is coming from.
He definitely laid an egg in his 2nd season on the outside but I can’t tell you why. All I know is the Saints didn’t like the play of Kenny Stills either and we benefited from their lack of evaluation skills. I think they’ve totally blown it on this one.
Lou
Kenny Stills first season here I would have said the Saints made the right decision. This year, he made big plays, but besides his speed, he’s not a very gifted WR, He won’t make the tough catch, and sometimes won’t even make the easy catch.. He definitely has value as a deep threat receiver, so I hope we re-sign him
He’s only dropped 2 passes all year and his ability to adjust to the ball as shown Sunday and in the first BUF game and make the catch is pretty darn good. I believe Stills is only going to get better.
Here’s Anthony’s combine eval
Analysis
Strengths Has desired build for position. Good play speed and is generally under control. Steady, consistent tackler when he’s squared up. Has speed to chase to the sidelines and finish the play. Able to cover tight ends in passing game. Breaks to ball quickly against pass. Flashes ball skills and will play through pass-catchers. Features traits to be a more effective blitzer if called upon. Will compete through whistle and is physical against skill-position players. Lost job as junior and regained starting position with hard work and good attitude. Can cover ground laterally.
Weaknesses Below average take-on skills. Plays with poor leverage when taking on blocks. Needs to improve hand usage and utilize better arm extension to keep blockers off him. Has tendency to side-step blocks and open run lanes. Can be mismatched by running backs down the field in passing game. Slow to process and recover against play-action. There are times he gets downhill without diagnosing first, creating bad angles to the ball against outside runs.
Draft Projection Round 2
Sources Tell Us “Between the two Clemson linebackers (Vic Beasley and Stephone Anthony), they really put on a show (at the combine). Beasley is going high.” — AFC defensive coordinator
NFL Comparison Zach Orr
Bottom Line Anthony showed off his athleticism this post season and now the question becomes whether he can play fast all the time as a pro. He tries to get downhill and make plays, but more often it feels like he’s guessing rather than instinctive. If he can play with more control and play to his traits, he’ll be a starting linebacker in the league.
yeah, but that stuff is all a moot point. he’s no longer in college and his draft eval no longer matters. what matters now is how he plays at the next level.
also, like I said, he laid a huge egg this past season. I don’t know why and I understand that moving a guy from MLB to SAM shouldn’t be that difficult but I refuse to believe he’s a bust because of what I saw.
All speculation but if the Saints decide they made a mistake I think we should be the first on the horn just like with Stills.
Lou
It’s not completely moot. It shows the same thinking, that he’s not instinctive and doesn’t really know what he’s seeing out there. No question he’s athletically talented, but he may not be instinctive enough or football smart enough to play 4-3MLB, where he has to set up the defense.
When scouts, coaches and GM’s see a guy at the NFL Combine and they see something different than what they saw on tape they go back to the tape and double check what they saw.
When I watched Anthony’s games from his senior year I saw a LB who had really good instincts; he moved well to the ball when it was snapped almost like he knew where the play was going.
he played very well in coverage too but just like every other college football player there were parts of his game he needed to improve. However, it wasn’t like he lacked the physical traits or even the mental aspect when you saw him play.
This followed over to his rookie season in New Orleans. In the first few games he looked like he needed some time to get acclimated but as the season went on he became one of the few bright spots on a pretty awful defense.
So, yes, he needed to improve his game some but he made strides in his first season and should have followed that up with an even better 2nd season. When you consider he was a rookie in ’15 and led the team in tackles I don’t know how anyone could say he didn’t have what it takes.
It also would have been a different story if over 50% of his total tackles were assists but 70 of his 112 tackles were solo. So, again, how does someone discount that.
I just think you have a 2nd yr LB who’s told in camp “we think you had a difficult time grasping the concepts in your first season so we’re moving you to OLB” what does it do to the psyche of that young player. does he start to doubt himself and make him think the coaches don’t think he can get the job done?
I don’t know. But there’s more to it than what’s on the surface.
Armando Salguero @ArmandoSalguero 7m7 minutes ago
Dolphins Sr. Def. Asst. Jim Washburn has cleared out his office. Team thinks moving on although he hasn’t, you know, told org. that.
Armando Salguero @ArmandoSalguero 7m7 minutes ago
Jim Washburn told @SI_PeterKing he was retiring two weeks ago. Kept working. Never said anything to Adam Gase or others. #differentcat
Translation — Mando talked to someone who knew Washburn was cleaning out his office but didn’t already know he was retiring…..then found King’s words and tried for a CYA.
How would he know what Washburn told “Gase or others”?
Well, “Gase or others” might be his source of information.
Sounds plausible. I don’t know Washburn from Adam, but maybe he is an odd dude? All I know is that I’m not bummed at all about a changing of leadership on the defensive side. Our defense needs to be light years better if we’re really going to be a contender moving forward.
Possibly Jahn…but I am smelling Mando trying to break the news followed by “OOPS it was already out there.” Just find it hard to believe the guy tells a reporter ahead of time and two weeks later….but who knows?
And he is a minor piece, but then the head guy on the D is a top HC candidate. And much as I think the D has to get better…..back to who knows from the outside looking in?
I love this, and in fairness to the sleepy head FFR, this is hindsighted, but it made me laugh knowing that Alabama’s D was on the field for ONE HUNDRED plays last night!!!!
—-
“finfanrob says:
January 9, 2017 at 10:29 pm
this bama defense is what i wish the fins defense would be”
___________________________________
The part that’s not that funny? That’s pretty much what the Fins defense WAS this season…lol!
Good season fins. Nice win Clemson. Draft talk and time to kill now until we get to the business season and see how we’re going to handle a few of our key free agents…
LOL @ philbinocrity from NFL.com
Miami Dolphins: Linebackers
This is a big offseason for Dolphins impresario Mike Tannenbaum. The team needs to build on a solid first draft fully under his watch and find quality depth that wasn’t present when injuries hit this season. The team’s linebacker group is a great place to start. It was exposed badly in games against the Ravens, Patriots and Steelers.
Tannenbaum’s trade for Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso from Philadelphia looks like a win after one season, but the team could use two new starters next to Alonso at linebacker. Jumping from 6-10 to 10-6 and a wild-card berth because of a series of close wins is the easy part. Plenty of teams have done that over the last decade, only to fall back to Philbinocrity. Building a consistent winner is far more challenging, and Miami needs young core pieces throughout a roster that still lacks defined strengths beyond the receiver group and defensive line.
Wow they really used that name. LOL
It’s kinda like getting munsoned 🙂
What an awesome season!!!!!
Dolphins get into the playoffs and
Clemson wins the National Championship.
Both have found their coaches and are building a dynasty.
And they play inspired football you can cheer for.
Hard not to root for either coach or against both The Evil Genius and the little Satan. 🙂
Stanger, Washburn was brought in to help teach the DL the wide 9 techniques. He’s been coaching along time and may just be ready hang it up. He does have a rep for rubbing people the wrong way, mainly the players he coaches.
I think the wide 9 has been diagnosed and exposed as a heaven for TEs and others to exploit the sparsely populated short to medium middle. I think it also contributed to our terrible run defense and actually inhibited our pass rush instead of enhancing it.
Maybe the game has passed Washburn by. I won’t be sad if he retires.
We didn’t play it all the time but we obviously have some personnel issues on defense.
Have no doubt the guy was retiring or had been told he would be. Just going on Mando’s “news” on this. Unless it is really screwed up, it just don’t sound right as how it went down. Not like Mando is at every coach’s conference and office meeting (or everyone in the complex for that matter).
Wide 9 had nothing to do with the TE’s not being open. LB’s inability to cover, and not being where they should be was the issue. Wide 9 is just a formation where you try to get one of your DE’s way outside of the tackles (in the 9 position, hence wide 9) so that they can get a head of steam and better angel to the QB. Its supposed to make it so DE’s can really rack up QB pressures and sacks.
The LB component is that since the DE’s are pass rush only (aside for obvious run downs), the OLB’s have to be the player that doesn’t allow the rusher to get outside the box. OLB should be able to keep containment and force the teams to aim more of their rushes to the inside, where the DT’s whould have certain gap responsibilities and the MLB reads and reacts to close down the run once they determine the gap that the play is set to go to. They also have responsibility to keep the RB from cutting back through an inside rotue and choose instead to bounce it outside where the OLB’s should have containment. This is why MLB in a 4-3 wide 9 must be sideline to sideline players, kind of like Deion Jones for the Falcons. This is why i liked him so much in last years draft, because he is a perfect fit for 4-3 wide 9.
Wide 9 is actually a better formation with the 3-4, because you have more LB’s at your disposal, and
and…you can still cover with less gaps in the middle zones from the 3-4 wide 9 than you can a 4-3 wide 9. 4-3 wide 9 can be really successful but your LB have to be real studs, all 3 really.
lso like Tim said, its a formation not a base defense, you flex in an out of it, and you an mix it up too, using the LB as the 9 guy and keeping your DE’s in, or having them drop to a flat like we sometimes did.
The problem was that we didnt have the people to do the wide 9 well, and when we started getting beat in the middle or we didnt stop the outside runs, or we had to bring the OLBs in to help with inside running game it just made the wide 9 ineffective and i bet we played in a wide 9 set 25% of the time, if that. Wide 9 wasnt the fail, our LB’s were the fail.
You need LBs with good instincts
Understatement I know
Here is what King had to say about Washburn in his blog right after the Pats game. And that means the retirement stuff on the open net from right after the last regular season Phins game.
Just guessing Mando missed that rather than Gase did not know.
——————————-
They Are Leaving…
Miami senior defensive assistant Jim Washburn
Age: 67. NFL coaching seasons: 18. Teams: Tennessee, Philadelphia, Detroit, Miami. Claim to fame: A colorful guy with a reputation for building great pass-rushes wherever he went.
From our conversation Saturday:
“I didn’t know I’d ever coach in the NFL, though I always wanted to be here. I got my first job at age 49, in Tennessee … That first year, we end up in the Super Bowl, and I feel someone jump on my back on the field before the game, and it’s Dick Vermeil. I loved that. Dick always was trying to help me get a job in the league …
I love Ndamukong Suh. I think he’s a Hall of Fame football player, and I love coaching him. … Really, I just love football. Today was my last team meeting with my guys. I talked to them about Alan Page, and about what a great player he was—173 sacks, 23 blocked kicks. I want them to know their heritage, and I don’t think players today know it very well.”
Technically Jenkins should be a good wide 9 LB, i actually think he would have been a better wide 9 MLB than WLB, and Alonzo would have been better WLB than MLB. Its kinda moot because wouldnt matter where he would have been better, where he was most the year was hurt, and most the time he was on the field he wasnt 100% and/or playing with a club. I still think because of his coverage ability and because of his wide 9 fit, if we plan on keeping and trying to perfect the wide 9, we need to retain him as a backup at least. Alonzo is actually not a bad fit but he doesnt read and react fast enough to be effective as a MLB in wide 9.
We need a really natural, beast of an athlete guy to man the middle, also a leader that can get the rest of the defense on the same page with what he sees pre-snap. One good draft pick, and a stud FA guy and we would have our starters set, we might want to get another guy int he draft for depth but we arent too far off the guys we need to make it work.
Alan Page….a nightmare that makes Children’s books.
He also has a pinky finger that because of football injuries is permanently bent outward like 90 degrees.
What’s up humans
LMAO @ Philbinocrity!! That’s too funny! I suppose they will only use that term when discussing the Dolphins. 🙂
D
Like this?
More exactly like this….
Nasty! Baldinger is always flashing his hands when he talks too. That and when he walks on the set he slides like Dracula. Bat mentioned that once. LOL
D, agree on what the wide 9 is. We simply need some better players on defense.
If Jenkins was a rotational player, or a passing down MLB for us id be plenty ok with him in that role, i just dont want to depend on him with his injury history. He has become a Misi to me, good in some respects but because of inability to count on them they arent valuable as starters any longer. If we get a guy like Boulware as a 2 down run stopper, and brought Jenkins in on passing downs or certain packages that were not Boulware’s strengths, id be happy with that combination, which im sure we could get in a lower round. Id prefer a 3 down guy, but sometimes the draft doesnt always work out that way.
Man i could really see Leggett to the Pats with pick 31-32, ten turn around next year and get that little bastard Renfrow as both their punter and slot receiver lol, I could also see them taking McCafferty this year, and Renfrow next. Leggett to pair with Gronk, McCafferty if they could pull of landing him with the next pick, then Renfrow, that team would be so white people would start to say they are racist for drafting/having so many white players. Not to mention that would be an insanely scary group of receivers for Brady to work with,
Why do you do this to yourself
Everyone likes players in the draft
I would love it if the patriots sleep and and forget to draft anyone
But they are going to take some one
So we will be upset about it no matter what
My biggest issue with our defense was tackling at all levels. How many times does it look like we have them bottled up and the ball carrier runs through, around and past everyone. What looked like a 3 yard gain tops goes for 20+. That has to get corrected.
The tackling wasn’t good
But I thought more often then not, guys were just in the wrong spots
Ya see that’s not how I saw it most of the time. We had guys right there and guys didn’t wrap them up. We had guys caught in the backfield and let them out for big gains. This includes tackling by the DL as well.
I think some here like Storm Johnson
I’m not worried about scheme, I’m worried about talent
The Flying Pig says:
January 10, 2017 at 4:58 pm
Why do you do this to yourself
Everyone likes players in the draft
I would love it if the patriots sleep and and forget to draft anyone
But they are going to take some one
So we will be upset about it no matter what
—————————————————-
Lol, i was joking mostly. I just like pointing out that the Patriots as slowly removing all color from their team in an attempt, that im assuming is to become camouflaged against the snowy landscape of Foxborough
Fuck em
I hope an elephant shits on Robert Kraft
🐘💩
mike,
the funny thing is, in that article philbinocrity is a link and it goes to this page if you click on it
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000503804/article/joe-philbin-i-didnt-come-to-dolphins-to-be-average
Storm Johnson is a guy i kind of liked but he really hasnt shown anything close to what i thought he would. He has been a disappointment in the vein of what Seastrunk has been to you, except maybe not as bad….no definitely not as bad.
Who is seastrunk?
(Piggy crosses his trotters)
Tim
There were a couple of places when I think consistently it was just lack of awareness or in some cases lack of the physical ability rather than tackling (not that the tackling was good)
Anytime something happened close to the sideline (a screen a toss or whatever) it felt like no one could get over in time before the ball carrier had 6 or 7 yards.
A lot of the intermediate passing game in the middle of the field was just not getting in passing lanes IMO – particularly against the Patriots
I think teams game planned to beat us that way and we could not stop it
there were was also bad tackling but I really think it wasn’t the biggest flaw or weakness
Oh there was that too. That’s why we feel we need better players on defense. But the poor tackling is totally unacceptable. That’s effort more than anything. Xavien Howard who is a rookie is one of our best tacklers. He could play safety too because he is also a big hitter.
Warmsely looked good in camp, very active. Good to see Doughty getting a lil more time too.
Make TC as competitive as you can with players who have shown something. It will work itself out.
For me on offense we need to build on chemistry and add some better depth on the OL and at TE. That should not be difficult to do. On defense we need more youth and talent at DE and at LB. I think when we get some guys back in the secondary and some of the young guys take another step due to experience, we could be pretty solid there. But there is nothing wrong with looking for better players there too.
With some good offseason moves, I think we can take the next step next year.
Most definitely.
I’m with Tim on the tackling. I remember during games saying I could tackle better than they were. Of course I’ve had years and years of practice. 😊
If VJ gets hired elsewhere then I wonder if someone like Burke will just be promoted rather then look for a new face to run the D?
Lou has been saying that. I believe Burke has been a defensive coach for like 13 years so he has quite a bit if experience. He could continue to build on the same system.
LOL, it’s definitely a combo of poor effort at times and talent. That said, we probably played 9 different LBs this year and maybe 14 DBs. Besides not having a lot of top talent, there were so many groupings we used that there was no chemistry. It seemed like we were learning on the fly in a lot of games and we were. It showed.
Yeah, I liked the Matt Burke hire when Gase started rounding out the coaching staff. He also knows VJ very well and can transition more smoothly for the players that will be back….lessen the learning curve somewhat.
Boulder
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen NFL.com be so mean to a coach. I mean it’s true as hell, but it still seems mean.
It’s rude and low-class to make a pejorative label out of someone’s name, especially his.
He tried hard and worked hard. Things just didn’t work out well for him.
He’s a good person and doesn’t deserve that.
Wyo
That truck is BAD-ASS!!! I like it!
Randy Starks kinda of South Beach ride.
I feel sorry for him, everyone else that has had a sex tape has gotten a reality show…. Randy takes it hard in Pittburgh, right there on a syndicated broadcast, and nothing…just nothing but shame and a bruised anus.
Hope for the future!
Go Phins!
A day or two after my father-in law died, a few of us were standing in the garage down the shore watching a crazy wind and rain storm whip through. What followed was a rainbow like this that looked like it was put up directly in front of our house. We were all in awe and saying stuff like, are you seeing this the way I am? The answer was yes!
It wasn’t just that it was so bright and clear, but it became a triple rainbow. Never saw anything like that before. My F-I-L was an artist, he made his living designing textiles. He knew about color. That’s what blew me away. It was like he was saying goodbye in a peaceful way in front of his home where he passed. Whether he was or not, that’s the impression we had because we were vulnerable for stuff like that. But the rainbow was real and the brightest one I ever saw. That and then another and another in an opacity type of way. Gives me chills writing this. Good feelings though. 🙂
You never know Tim. I am agnostic as heck, but my Mom believed in such big time. My Dad held her hand as she passed. The next morning he realized his watch (on that hand) had stopped. Best we can figure it showed the time right when she moved on.
Might be coincidence (watch batteries do go bad), but might have been her last message and a sign that she would be waiting.
Same here Stanger, that’s what I felt and still do. The timing was too surreal. I believe in an energy spirit over a lord so… I can relate to what we’re saying and feeling. But it’s not like I’m going to start a church about it. LOL
I was just reading comments on an article from PFT about Joseph’s visit w/Denver, and it seems a lot of Broncos fans think that because Joseph left, that means they’re going to hire Kyle Shanahan. I wonder if they’re right.
I hope so
it would be nice to surround VJ with talent and see what he can do
he can sit in his daddy’s old desk. lol
Speaking about Joe Flacco on Tuesday, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said “we need more out of Joe.”
“I think Joe would agree with that,” Bisciotti helpfully added. Coming back from a torn ACL, Flacco actually threw for a career-high 4,317 yards in 2016, but only because he was forced to dial up an absurd 672 attempts. That’s not Ravens football. Flacco struggled mightily to make big plays, and averaged a woeful 6.42 yards per attempt. The first year back from a torn ACL can be tough for a quarterback — even Tom Brady wasn’t quite himself in 2009 — but days shy of his 32nd birthday, Flacco will be on the spot to be better next season.
In related news, Lou still thinks Tannehill sucks.
Piggy
I think it would be fair to give VJ some talent to work with, like you said, to see what he can accomplish, but I think we’d also be fine without him.
we will be fine but I appreciated what he did with what he had
I posted some new polls
Don’t forget to vote for the Oinkees!!!
Vote OINKEE!
So last I checked 2x on the championship game. Once it was 14-0 Alabama and the 2nd time it was 21-7 Alabama. I said there is no way I am staying up to watch Nick Saban win another national title. I check my score alerts this morning and I am like fuck!
ken
i went to bed at halftime. i was watching a game where bama got every call and break and said. senn this before. put the game on in bed and listened for a min or two and turned it off cause needed to be fresh for today with the potential for new clients. woke up to see clemson won with 1 second left and thought well these potential clients better be happy. i think they were so i still won. but glad as hell satan lost.
Maybe you both dreamed together and had a corn dog at a carnival. LOL
Same here I had to be in court early this morning. If I had known Alabama was going to lose I wouldn’t have cared about going to bed late
getter,
i saw some mock drafts and it showed the ravens taking Cook from fsu, i think he will fix all of flacos ills. i am not one who gets into the draft research like some on here but i do think that kid Cook is going to be a special back. I would not hate him falling to the fins one bit.
I watched the game to the end. There’s no quit in me! lol
We needed you to do laundry this past weekend lol. Glad you got to see the game
I’ve got plenty of it now. I had enough on that day for about 6 people on a normal day.
Save it for next season lol
So a kind of funny story from the weekend, we ask the guy at the desk of the hotel where a bar nearby might be, we wanted to watch the games, get something to eat, drink. So he tells us one around the corner, which we walk to. Go in, sit down, order drinks, I’m watching the game, not really paying attention so much to my surroundings. I get a text. It’s from my sister, who is sitting across the table from me. It says, Do you think he sent us to a lesbian bar?
LMAO
hmmmmm how to respond to tim and a corn dog dream and herd at a lesbian bar. let me think about this a while.
Vote oinkee
D,
Pats ain’t waiting till next yr to take Renfro. They’re taking Switzer this yr.:
Pff’s all pr team named 3 Dolphins
Suh
Ajayi
And Michael Thomas (ST)
We are picking 22
Here are the 22 picks for the 20 last years
Josh Doctson
Bud Dupree
Johnny Manziel…lol
Desmond Trufant
Brandon Weeden
Anthony Costonzo
Demarius Thomas
Percy Harvin
Felix Jones
Brady Quinn
Davin Joseph
Mark Clayton
JP Loshman
Rex Grossman
Bryan Thomas
Will Allen
Chris McIntosh
Lamar king
Tebucky Jones
David lefluer
Marcus Jones
Wtf I don’t recognize a lot of these guys
Some decent receivers on the list
I like Trufant he is a good CB and I can see some decent dbs
But the qbs are hilarious
No matter what you do don’t be the browns selecting a qb at 22: Quinn, Weeden & Manziel – holy shit that like 3 of the top worst qbs taken
I don’t see very many good players
Maybe 22 is do for a Hall of farmer in 2017
In case you are wondering Doctson has a disappointing rookie season
He had an Achilles injury and was on IR since week 3
If the redskins keep cousins
He has a shot to put up great numbers in that offense next season
Silly stuff. So say 18-25 doesn’t matter because it was not exactly #22? LOL
You suspicious types. 🙂
Herd, did you see Brenda and Erika?
Trufant was the guy I wanted us to draft that year with our 1st pick, but I wanted us to trade back to get him. Instead, we did the smart thing, and traded up to #3 to get the best DE in NFL history.
Let it go…….. 🙂
I think we let IT go yesterday, forever! 😉
Mike E
You were so wrong on Trufant
Clearly Jordan helped us forge a great defense
Why else would you buy his jersey
Jeff Ireland is a mastermind
😀
Don’t forget to vote on the polls
VOTE OINKEE
Early reports show Jay Ajayi is running away with the coveted Grande Wings
Piggy
I could have used a description as to what each category of Oinkee was. Too late now, I voted already
Ethan Pocic, C/G, LSU
Pocic is a talented player and is extremely versatile. At 6-foot-7, 302 pounds he does a very good job securing reach blocks and pinning defenders inside when called upon to do so. Pocic is also able to mirror defenders in the passing game. Once he engages he consistently shows his ability to finish blocks. His ability to drive defenders off the ball and eliminate them from making a play is evidenced by his team-leading 92 knockdowns on the season. Pocic is also a well-conditioned athlete as he also led all LSU offensive linemen in snaps played with 680.
Pat Elflein, C/G, OSU
Like Pocic, Elflein also spent time at guard and he played it at a high level. It wasn’t until his this season when he was asked to make the move to center. At 6-foot-3, 300 pouncs, Elflein moves exceptionally well as he was asked to pull and hit moving targets in the run game on occasion. He also held up well against larger defensive linemen at the point of attack. He knows he’s not the largest offensive linemen but he does not get overwhelmed as he knows how to sink his hips and anchor against large defensive tackles. Elflein’s quickness and ability to play with great leverage could greatly benefit the Miami Dolphins.
http://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/2017/01/10/dolphins-could-look-to-2017-draft-for-a-contingency-plan-for-mike-pouncey/
Grande Wings = MVP
Squiggly Tail = best skill player
SnoutSmasher = defensive MVP
Tiny Piglet = rookie
Unsung PorkChop = Unsung Hero
(Sigh)….humans
Based on the results — looks like a lot of people are figuring if you have the wings you are out of the running for the Squiggly Tail.
We got a lot of places to improve this team, but we ain’t looking bad entering the off season. With the cap space and the first two picks figure we got enough for five legit starters coming in. That assumes some re-signs like Stills, Bushrod and Branch, but even if they go elsewhere that means FA money available to fill their role.
How I see it. And figure the wants are just that….don’t have to have them.
Absolute Need
LB
Want
DE (need if no Branch), LB (2nd one), S, G (need if no Bushrod), TE
Upgrade/Depth only
DT, CB, C (Need if no Pouncey) OT, QB, RB, WR (want if no Stills), special teams (K, P, LS)
https://twitter.com/MDCheer/status/819222420263411713
I am dreaming of Jennifer
professorloumiamidolphinsblog says:
January 10, 2017 at 10:34 pm
D,
Pats ain’t waiting till next yr to take Renfro. They’re taking Switzer this yr.:
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Yeah i was thinking same thing when i was saying that about Renfrow, Leggett and McCafferty. He would work for them really well. Hell maybe they take him and still take Renfrow. Im sure they are looking for a way to move on past a few of their current WR’s, specifically Amendola.
Stanger i think CB is much closer to a need than you seem to. I definitely think its at worst a strong want or a lesser need.
I also think having a starting caliber OC backup is a need. We can accomplish this with a OG prospect who played OC in college, someone like Pocic or Elflien. These guys can be drafter with the idea they are a OG upgrade, but with a side consideration for being a fill in OC, similar to how we did with Tunsil. Thats primarily why i would not be targeting an OG prospect that didnt have the flexibility of playing OC in the draft. If i wanted to get a OG who could not or had no history of playing OC, im going to get a OG in FA, and then draft a OC, possibly lower, maybe Jon Toth from Kentucky or Tyler Orlosky from WV. I see them as more pure OC’s and likely that makes them draft a little lower.
Completely agree on back-up C, but then that can can either be done relatively cheaply in FA or by (like you say) bringing in a G who can also play C.
Would agree on CB if wasn’t sure that Maxwell be back….his contract says he should be. Him and the other three youngsters with upside are a solid, if not great, four-some. Sure we could bring a stud upgrade, but that could be said at pretty much any position.
Herd, how were the fish tacos, i hear that place has really good ones.
Mike E. says:
January 11, 2017 at 8:28 am
Trufant was the guy I wanted us to draft that year with our 1st pick, but I wanted us to trade back to get him. Instead, we did the smart thing, and traded up to #3 to get the best DE in NFL history.
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We were on the same page there, though i was fine with staying put and selecting him. The Falcons actually got 2 of my top CB’s for us that year. I was big on both he and Alford. Actually now that i think about it, Falcons have snagged a bunch of my top guys for us over the years. Deon Jones, Keanu Neal, Brian Poole, etc.
The trade up guy i thought we might be going after was Ansah, and i was ok with that selection too, i just didnt feel like we would and i knew he wouldnt make it past Detroit. As soon as i heard the trade criteria, i literally went holy crap i think its going to be Ansah. I think a lot of us thought Lane Johnson as well.
Id be targeting Safety this year, probably a guy in a mid late to late round to get a guy we might find a gem in, and might be able to be groomed to take over if need be. I think we have our starters for next year already, and i think we have our depth players/backups, but i also think we would like to improve on the latter, with hope of improving on the former.
We could always splurge and go after Eric Berry
😜
The quality depth at C and G just isn’t there this year. So, unless you want to spend a 1st or 2nd round pick on a slightly above average guy(basically Pocic or Elflien), you’re probably waiting until the mid rounds to pick a guy. The problem is, those guys are more likely to be backups in the NFL. This crop is just not great. There are a few guys I’d look at in rounds 3 or 4 who I think MIGHT become good players but nobody that stands out. And personally, I wouldn’t use one of my top picks this year on an interior lineman….even though I’d like to replace Bushrod as a starter.
stangerx says:
January 11, 2017 at 11:52 am (Edit)
Based on the results — looks like a lot of people are figuring if you have the wings you are out of the running for the Squiggly Tail.
*****
I can assure all you humans that you can have both wings and a squiggly tail!!
LOL — but we are stupid humans after all.
I can understand you guys missing my squiggly tail if I was wearing pants while I fly around the blog
But great Pigs do not wear pants!
So my squiggly tail and wings are there for all to see
I changed my avatar to avoid any future confusion
I feel more about it like this.
Rounds 1-3 of the draft needs: LB, DE, OC/OG flex guy.
Rounds 4-5 needs: TE, LB, CB
Rounds 6-7 needs: DE, S, LB
Assuming no top OG in FA, I would go in to the draft going BPA out of those 3 positions and i would draft by BPA, out fo my prospects for those positions in each of the first 3 rounds. When i got to rounds 4-5, and assuming no solid TE prospect in FA, i target the top TE, CB or LB on my board for those two picks, though i would give priority to TE and CB, unless the LB prospect was significant value, it also would depend on if we got a decent LB in FA. I might forgo the second LB selection if i felt it was addressed at least adequately in FA. Id finish out the draft with BPA in playmaker areas, focusing on DE, S, and LB (again if we haven’t already selected 2), and id even consider WR if it happened to be a real value pick.
My Draft is set in stone
Rounds 1-3: LB, LB, LB
Rounds 4-4 more LBs
Rounds 6-7: depth at LB
😀
this Offseason, through FA and Draft I’d like to see the following:
2 starting caliber LBs
1 starting caliber CB
1 nickel caliber CB
1 borderline starting caliber safety
1 borderline starting caliber guard
Is that too much to ask? We’ve got enough picks at the top of the draft to get some starters (assuming the talent is there), enough cap space to sign a couple starters and a couple borderline type guys…
I just feel like depth was our undoing on defense this year. Particularly at LB, but also in the secondary.
I don’t hate Lippett, in fact I really like his mentality, I think it’s similar to many of the great DBs of all time, but I don’t want to rely on him as our top corner. We need someone to be the other side of baxter (whom I thought was solid, not great, but definitely starting caliber). If Lippet keeps developing, that’s a bonus.
Really, the more time that passes the more I’m wondering how the hell we made the playoffs with the defense that we had in Pittsburgh.
Byron Maxwell, not “Baxter”. LOL… where’d that come from?
what about Xavier Howard on the other side of Byron’s puppy Baxter
I actually think Maxwell, Howard, Lippet is a good looking trio (with Bobby McCain as the nickel CB)
Howard is pretty good. I’d just like one more borderline starter for depth.
22: R1P22
LB REUBEN FOSTER
ALABAMA
54: R2P22
EDGE DEREK BARNETT
TENNESSEE
98: R3P34
C TYLER ORLOSKY
WEST VIRGINIA
167: R5P22
EDGE TANOH KPASSAGNON
VILLANOVA
177: R5P32
TE JEREMY SPRINKLE
ARKANSAS
185: R5P40
G ISAAC ASIATA
UTAH
207: R6P22
EDGE DA’SHAWN HAND
ALABAMA
243: R7P22
LB JORDAN EVANS
OKLAHOMA
Fanspeak I awarding us a 3rd, and 2 5th Comp picks
I probably went a little crazy with “Edge” players
but they were the BPA in a lot of situations
If you have not seem Tanoh KpAssaghon from Villanova, I recommend checking him out
He is very raw which is why he isn’t ranked high
and he is a project
But athletically he is a beast
I doubt we get Foster and Barnett 1 and 2….but that would be a dream and it fell that way in my draft
I endorse this draft line-up.
It solves all of our problems logically AND creatively.
Then we sign Martellus in FA and our own important FAs
and we are good to go for the playoffs next year.
Baxter Maxwell
LMAO!!!!
It was fun while it lasted Vance
Broncos hire Vance Joseph
Hooray addition by subtraction. Congratulations Broncos fans you have the mastermind of the 30th ranked D as your HC
And that was in his one and only year as a coordinator
Wow…take the 30th ranked run defense in the league, promote the DC to HC at another club, promote the LB coach to DC?????
I guess I have to trust in Gase here….
I would like to have seen us look around for a more experienced D coordinator
No way
In house is better
I don’t want to change everything all around
I want a system
No question IMO that we have some serious roster issues on the defensive side of the ball
I don’t blame the coaches
Does that mean coaching matters…or it’s all about the players? Lol
Both clearly matter.
You have to pick one
Don’t be so reasonable!
I pick “Lol”!!!!
Spencer Paysinger @PYSNGR 20m20 minutes ago
Denver just got a great coach. Thanks VJ!
Stats were crappy but VJ did a good job with the personel he had
and he getting great roster in Denver
So I bet Denver plays great defense on 2017
I’m guessing the HC was just a matter of time for VJ and Gase new he was in line to be a HC when he borught him in in 16
If the defensive breakdown is about talent and not scheme, I fear we have much further to go on that front then I had anticipated.
I think Denver’s is making a mistake with VJ. The D is very good, why not bring an offensive coach? For VJ I think it makes sense, because the team is already pretty good.
The Flying Pig says:
January 11, 2017 at 1:25 pm
We could always splurge and go after Eric Berry
😜
——————————————
Ive thought about that, but thats basically giving one person walking papers. I dont think you have Jones, Isa and Eric Berry on your team. Isa is still affordable at 5mil per if we had him in a backup role expectations we might use him in a nickle LB or rotational role. I think that would still balance out his usefulness with his salary, he is someone that would be cheap to cut, only causing 1.67mil in dead money.
His little brother should be entering the draft this year too, he is an electric return guy and pretty solid safety as well. He got hurt towards the end of the year and didnt play again, so im sure his draft stock is pretty low right now, but with his pedigree, as long as he is healthy by combine he could really jump up a few rounds.
Im not sweating the DC change, i was pretty prepared for it. The rumors have been swirling about him getting a HC of some sort for a really long time. I didnt realize Denver was so up on him that they were thinking about him last year, so when i found that out i knew not only that he was gone but where. He had too much interest floating around him for Denver not to be a shit or get off the pot situation, and i guess shit it was!
Jahndoh30 says:
January 11, 2017 at 4:04 pm
If the defensive breakdown is about talent and not scheme, I fear we have much further to go on that front then I had anticipated.
***
John, check this out. It’s both! Lol
Sound reasonable. 😛
Armando Salguero @ArmandoSalguero 10m10 minutes ago
Although Vance Joseph has been hired in Denver, Dolphins are not immediately promoting Matt Burke to DC. Leading candidate but not hired.
Oh now you post that. LOL
So VJ becomes the Broncos HC and Burke becomes the DC just like we were discussing. Wow, that was easy. LOL
Not worried in the least about losing VJ. Talent, or no talent, our defense wasn’t good, so it’s not like he made something out of nothing, he made nothing special out of nothing. NEXT!
Obviously Elway and we saw something in Joseph. Pretty sure it would be hard for our D ranking not to go up next year…..we just gave up the most yards in a season in the history of the franchise.
I believe he might be a very good organizer, and good with the players. He can be that with a good OC, and DC, and the talent they have. Fact is, he wasn’t able to do more with our defense. It was also his first job as DC, so maybe he gets a mulligan on that.
MikeE,
Are you saying VJ made chicken shit out of chicken shit?
You know it brother!
Its just one pig and I guess a hand’s opinions
but yeah – I’m confident that the roster issues were not fixable with scheme
Does that make us farther than we should be in terms of getting better defensively?
I guess that is a matter of opinion to
but I happen to think the talent at LB was so bad that an upgrade there might solve a lot of the issues
I think teams were attacking our defense the same way over and over again
short and over the middle in the passing game
and along the perimeters in the running game and on screens
And I think a lot of that is just lack of awareness and athleticsm by the LBs
and the injuries to Jones and later to Isa made it even worse
on a different note (not really)
watch this highlight reel of Zach Cunningham shutting down RBs who are trying to get around the tackle and screen plays
I know its just highlights – but enjoy a pig’s dream with me
Coaches don’t get hired because of what their unit ranking was as a coordinator. Teams know about these guys based on more than just that but fans and media continue to be baffled by stats. LOL
Yeah but come on Tim. When’s the last time you saw an OC of the 30th ranked run defense get an HC job? We’re not talking about some dogmatic policy of hiring a coach only if his units ranking was high, we’re talking about the obvious implications of assessing a coaches success based on the success of the units he coached.
OC/DC…Back in Black… 😛
Well Gase’s offense in CHI was 21st and we hired him. LOL
Denver’s rush defense was 28th but everyone seems to talk highly about them. I think we have some defensive personnel issues. I don’t think a coordinator can make players be better than what they really are. That’s just me.
Totally agree with Mike E’s 5:06 post about VJ. He took nothing special and made nothing special out of it
Can’t disagree.
I actually strongly disagree with the idea that over the middle was how offenses exploited us. I saw offenses run the screen and horizontal game over and over against us. Up the middle is where tackling was an issue, but offenses were scheming to make our LBs cover sideline to sideline, and winning.
And yes, some slants were completed against us…but that’s the most thrown pass in the NFL. So if you remember us getting burned on slants, that’s tackling, not coverage.
The VJ hire wasnt about what his D was ranked, that wasnt the point. A lot of things go into a coaches inability to get things done, like for example one of the worst LB units and multiple injuries to that unit. The HC also leans on coordinators, so they were looking more for his qualities as a leader not as much as the performance of his
Tim Knight says:
January 11, 2017 at 4:28 pm
So VJ becomes the Broncos HC and Burke becomes the DC just like we were discussing. Wow, that was easy. LOL
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Waiting for the third piece….Joe Vitt
Piggy, i have been touting Cunningham since middle of this past years CFB season. This guy has to me been the best pure LB prospect in the nation all year. I like him better than Foster, because i think he has a better football IQ. He is every bit as agressive, and athletic, but id take him as a MLB over Foster, but i wouldnt pass on either of them.
I just heard on the local Orlando news, shocking… But I guess it was more Broncos News than Dolphins so that must be why they reported it.
SEE YA!
If you guys havent checked out Daeshan Hall, while you are porn’n out, drooling over Myles Garrett…check the opposite side of the ball and you will see a guy i think is damn near equal to his level of play, and they are almost spot on the same size as one another.
Jahn, we got ripped in a bunch of different ways but people developed entire offensive game plans around attacking us across the middle. It was no hoax i promise ya.
I think tackling in all phases was our biggest issue whether it was talent or effort, it has to get better. I see other defenses tackle much better than we did.
It drives me crazy how we can get totally wiped on a screen, and still to this day, although we improved a little with screens, still can’t do nearly as well as our opponents do to us.
Tackling is an issue league-wide. It’s not going to get better. First, tackling is being officiated out of the game. Second, it’s all about big shoulder hits and stripping the ball. Nobody wraps up anybody anymore. Lastly, they simply don’t practice it enough. Players negotiated less contact in practice throughout the year, and it shows. Also, tackling is deemphasized in college too, so it just seeps into the NFL.
Agreed, but I see other defenses do it better than we did. We allowed way too many yards and points off of broken tackles and poor angles.
I watched that video of Zach Cunningham that Piggy put up, and granted, it’s a highlight video, but what I did notice is how he wrapped up and almost every tackle. Take a look if you get a chance.
Tim
I was listening to ESPN earlier today, and they had Ron Darling on, and he was talking about the Mets, and he was saying he thinks the Mets pitching staff is going to have a great year. It was getting me pumped up. After all, just 1 month till pitchers and catchers report!
Kiko had an Ok year, but he simply didn’t get it done in the middle.
This is what I was saying and I couldn’t agree more. Just need to mostly add more talent & depth on Defense. I liked most of the Defensive schemes & concepts for the most part. We haven’t seen aggressive play by our DB’s like this past year in a longtime….the result were more INT’s than I can every remember.
Keep it going in the same direction Gase & Burke, or whoever!
______________________________________
from SS:
Asked about the possibility of switching to a 3-4 defensive alignment, Gase said: “I’m not really looking to put our players in a situation where every spring that we’re looking to change a whole bunch of things.” …
Gase was asked if he expects changes to his coaching staff, aside from ex-defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who is going to Denver as head coach. “None,” he said. …
So VJ gets 2 huge pay increases 2 years in a row….Life is good for him! 😉