WR Jarvis Landry
I keep seeing things like “He’s going to cost too much, we shouldn’t pay him more than $10M per year” and many sentiments similar to that. I have to say, I completely disagree. We finally got a draft pick right. Landry performed from the word go. No need for patience with the rookie, give him a few years to develop, he’s still learning, maybe he doesn’t practice well, blah blah blah. Hell no, this kid had it from the start, and never stopped. 400 receptions in 4 years. Is that not production? Some will point to the fact that his YPC average is really low. Ya think!! Is it his fault he catches most of his passes near the LOS? He’s doing what he’s being asked to do. He was targeted 570 times! Is there another player on this team we want to target that much? Is there another player on this team that will be on the field enough to get that many targets? The guy catches just about everything thrown to him, and the biggest knock on the kid is that he doesn’t score TD’s. Well, this year he scored 9 TD’s, which is truly elite. Only WR’s DeAndre Hopkins and Davante Adams at 13 and 10 respectively, and TE Jimmy Graham TE, who also had 10 TD’s caught more TD’s than Landry.
Landry scoring 9 TD’s is pretty remarkable, because this kid scores TD’s differently than Kenny Stills, who is usually wide open because he blew past the DB. Landry will catch the ball on a screen, or over the middle, and have to tear through, around and over a bunch of defenders most of his trips to the end zone. He’s relentless after the catch, he fights tooth and nail for every yard. Is he perfect? His enthusiasm and competitiveness sometimes get the best of him. You know what? I’ll take a player like that over a guy who just goes through the motions and collects paychecks every day of the week. Like I said, we finally NAILED a draft pick, and it’s hilarious that I hated the pick from the beginning. Chalk that up to my ignorance of what kind of player Landry is. He’s an emotional player, a leader by example, and I love the way he plays the game. Yes, he needs to cut down on penalties, but again, fiery competitors walk that fine line, but possibly as he matures, he can tame his bad decisions. I think we have to sign Landry, it would be a damn shame to let a guy that has actually produced, and produced in spades for our team, when we have so many that haven’t done 1/2 of what Landry has done, and that’s the real problem. It’s not paying a lot of money for the guys who deserve it, it’s paying a lot of money, or maybe even average money for guys who don’t. He’s not the problem, Landry is part of the solution. If you feel like we can’t cut Suh, then you have to feel like we must re-sign Jarvis Landry. Of course, it’s going to come down to $$$, as it always does, and be a combination of how much Miami is willing to allocate to the WR position and a slot receiver, and how much Jarvis Landry is willing to work with Miami and compromise, and how much another team is willing to fork over for one of the most productive WR’s in the game. RE-SIGN
RT Ja’Wuan James
I remember the 2014 NFL draft very well. Dennis Hickey (The Silver Fox) was our GM, and man, we needed help on the O-line, because we always need help on the O-line. This pick I had nailed down right for once in my life. Many experts said Ja’Wuan James was a 2nd RD pick, but I knew when #19 rolled around, we were taking James. His first season in 2014 was pretty impressive. In case you forgot, James was our starting RT from Game 1, until LT Branden Albert went down for the year with a knee injury, and James slid over to the LT spot for the rest of the season, and amazingly, did so with great success. As you all know, it’s not an easy task to ask any player to switch sides on the O-line, especially OT’s, and James was a rookie. The knock on James, and it’s legitimate, is that he has played only 2 full seasons, his rookie season in ’14, and again in ’16, but James missed 9 games in 2015 with a toe injury, and then a hamstring injury this past season forced him to miss 8 games.
To further complicate the issue, the Dolphins had picked up James’ 5th year option last year, and it’s a somewhat hefty price tag. Not outrageous for a quality OT, which I believe James is, but you can’t call him a durable one. James is owed $9.34M next season, but if they cut him before June, they don’t take any cap hit at all. If they cut him past June, Miami would absorb his full salary towards the cap. It won’t be an easy decision, but like Landry, I think we got this one right. James is a good, not great OT, but when he’s healthy, he’s a guy that you set and forget. Personally, I hope they rip up that contract, and sign him to a new deal that’s more cap friendly, because I’d hate to let go of our own players, especially young talented players. You know how Dolphins fans lament that we have no one on the roster for far too many draft classes when Jeff Ireland was here, so why work towards that end? RE-SIGN
OC Mike Pouncey
It’s hard to think of letting a Pro Bowl caliber OL go from a team that is struggling to piece together a solid O-line in what seems like an annual ritual for the last decade or so. In fact, Mike Pouncey, he of the well documented degenerative hip issue, 3 hip surgeries behind him, played a full season, all 16 games in 2017. The level of how he played is a mixed bag of opinions. In general, commentators tend to go by reputation, so whenever Pouncey is referred to during a game, it’s usually garnished with past accolades, and rarely do they shine a negative light on the former Pro Bowler. Fans, however, at least some of them feel like Pouncey is a shell of what he was, and to further elaborate, some felt he was a “soft” player from the start, and a guy who never matched up well with bigger, stronger interior defenders. Then you have Head Coach Adam Gase, who is effusive with praise for Pouncey, and obviously, what he thinks is paramount, especially compared to us know-it-all fans, and know-it-all beat writers.
It seems to me that Gase will be making that decision for us, and it will most likely be not cutting Mike Pouncey, despite the fact that Pouncey is owed $9M next season, and only $2M of it would be the dead cap hit if we cut him. Like our resident O-line expert Randy says, Pouncey will be back, it’s too much to expect a high level of play from a rookie OC, and therefore, he will be back. NO CUT
OLB Lawrence Timmons
Mr. AWOL is almost certainly going to be a FA in 2018, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Timmons goes back to his former team of 10 seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Due to the fact that Timmons was suspended by the club for violating team rules, the guaranteed aspect of the 2nd year of his contract was voided, meaning the $7.25M salary that Timmons would be commanding, and more importantly, the the $8.225M that would have been a dead cap hit if we cut him is now off the books. Timmons had an uneven season, and the youth movement at LB is real, Raekwon McMillan, Stephone Anthony, Chase Allen, and even Kiko Alonso is only 26, so I’m afraid it’s clear The Dolphins will bid adieu to Mr. Timmons. CUT
QB Ryan Tannehill
This is a strange set of circumstances for Tannehill in 2018. Tannehill went down with a knee injury in game 13 of the 2016 season. He elected at the time to not have surgery to repair the partially torn ACL ligament, and sprained MCL in his left knee. He decided rehabbing, and strengthening the muscle surrounding the knee would suffice, and that decision backfired on both he and the Dolphins this season, when Tannehill collapsed in a heap in a non-contact play in a practice on August 3rd, as he scrambled towards the right sideline. This time, the partially torn ligament was now completely torn, and reconstructive surgery was a necessity, not just an option. So on August 17th 2017, Tannehill had the surgery, and the latest reports were that Tannehill is already running (in a straight line). That’s good news, but should the Dolphins be cautious and not put all their eggs into one basket, hoping that Ryan Tannehill will be healthy enough to play similar to the QB that played to 100+ QB rating from game 6 to the game he was injured in in week 13, an 8 game stretch?
That’s the conundrum the Dolphins face. Ryan Tannehill could do what Tom Brady has done for years, help his team “cook the books” and help the Dolphins out of a shortage of cap money, considering he currently will be making $19.8M in 2017, but the Dolphins do have an escape hatch, as he only carries a $4.6M dead cap hit. Will Tannehill be willing to restructure his deal, and will the Dolphins ask him to? Will the Dolphins, who choose at #11 in the 2018 draft find his replacement there, or possibly in RD 2 at pick #42? Let’s say just for fun, the Dolphins take a QB either at #11, or #42, what do we with Ryan Tannehill? Does Tannehill start in ’18, and let the rookie sit and learn for a season, or do we look to trade Tannehill? I think trading Tannehill could only be done after extensive exposure, meaning getting through training camp, and the preseason looking fresh, and athletic, playing well, and not showing any signs of favoring his knee, or looking less nimble. After all, who would trade for a QB coming off an injury without knowing he was healthy and capable?
I think Ryan Tannehill will be our QB in 2018, and if he’s healthy and plays well, for years after that too. I think Gase believes in Ryan, and I think Ryan believes with Gase, he can play his best football. Regardless, if Ryan can help us by redoing his contract to make it more cap friendly, I think he should do it, and I believe he would do it. At least I hope so. RESTRUCTURE
TE Julius Thomas
If you’re a regular reader here, you know well how badly I crave a top talent at the TE position for our team. After watching Julius Thomas toil for one season in 2017 here with Miami, it’s clear he’s not part of that conversation. Thomas is due a hefty $6.5M next season, but Miami can cut him and only suffer a $2M dead cap hit. While he wasn’t exactly awful, he was so far from being an effective receiver that threatened the seam, and terrorized LB’s and safeties. He was as pedestrian as possible, finishing with 41 receptions for 388 yards and 3 TD’s, with 9.46YPR. That’s fine for a 2nd TE, if he could block, but Thomas just can’t do that, so this one is easy enough for me not to waste much time or space on. One caveat, he is one of Gase’s guys, but nonetheless, it’s time to say BYE-BYE. CUT
WR Leonte Carroo
Take a good look at this picture, because I’m sure many of you, like myself, don’t even know what Leonte Carroo looks like, or what number he wears, or whether he can run a concise route tree, or catch a 50/50 ball, because we rarely see this guy on game day. So, Leonte Carroo III (as I call him), not because he’s the 3rd generation Leonte Carroo, but jokingly, like his predecessor, RB Daniel Thomas , otherwise know as DT3, because it took 3 picks to acquire both of these rare, yet seldom used talents. OK, enough of the dripping sarcasm, but really, what’s the deal with this guy? The front office, hopefully along with HC Adam Gase went great guns after him, trading back into the 3rd RD of the 2016 NFL Draft and forfeiting additional picks in the 3rd and 4th RD of the 2017 NFL draft, so they must have felt pretty strong that he would be an impact player for our offense. After 2 seasons, the story tells otherwise, with Carroo reeling in a total of 10 receptions, not yet eclipsing 100 yards, and 1 TD.
Carroo has 2 years remaining on his contract, and because he was a 3rd RD pick, it’s pretty inexpensive at $826K this season, and $916K in 2019, and then he is an URFA in 2020. Logic says he will be on the roster to see if he can be more than he has, but the fact that he was surpassed already by fellow WR Jakeem Grant, who was a 6th RD pick in 2016 doesn’t bode well for Carroo. I do think Carroo will have to make strides in ’18, he’s not going to be kept around here if he doesn’t show any signs that he can be more than what he’s been, which is simply disappointing. NO CUT (At least until after the preseason)
DE William Hayes
William Hayes was stopped in a Turkish Airport with 4 pounds of hashish in 1970. The movie Midnight Express depicts the entire story, although according to Hayes, Director Oliver Stone embellished quite a bit, and much to Hayes dismay, portrayed the Turkish people, and justice system unfairly. Oh, wait, not that William Hayes, I meant the free agent DE who played for the Dolphins! Hayes was excellent in the DL rotation, and as he was in his entire career, with the Titans and the Rams, he was excellent run defender and edge setter. His stats last year don’t jump off the page, but Hayes is a very good player that the Dolphins should bring back.
Hayes played in 10 games for the Dolphins, before being put on IR with a back injury. Hayes is a strong veteran presence that our young DL can learn from. I think the odds are pretty good that we draft a DE somewhere in this draft, and Hayes would be a great mentor, and someone to learn from. Hayes will be 33 next season, so I would expect another 1 YR contract for him if we sign him. Thanks M! RE-SIGN
Finsmob Unleashed 
FIRST! (But I cheated . . . Hehehehe)
Buffalo Bills
Verified account
@buffalobills
54s54 seconds ago
More
We have hired Brian Daboll as our Offensive Coordinator.
More about Daboll’s coaching career: http://bufbills.co/W16yMR
The NFL is a recycling bin
Especially when it comes to coaches and front office personnel. They just go from team to another.
Keep in mind that Daboll was the OC for Alabama this past season.
Barry Jackson
Verified account
@flasportsbuzz
1m1 minute ago
More
NEW: One of the Dolphins’ biggest problems and the player who could help fix it:
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article194652339.html
I don’t see him covering Gronk, who is 6″ taller, and 65 lbs heavier. It’s just hard to find a player who can cover a guy so much bigger. I don’t doubt his athleticism at all, but that’s a lot to ask an undersized player to do. He’s not much bigger, if bigger at all than some of our CB’s.
Totally agreed.
” Leonte Carroo III (as I call him), not because he’s the 3rd generation Leonte Carroo, but jokingly, like his predecessor, RB Daniel Thomas”
LOL –the gift that keeps giving. But as you point out he sticks at his salary, and maybe for PR reasons. Not so sure James does though. For sure don’t think he is worth the price tag and we can cut him free and clear now. Longer sign at a lesser price might be something to throw his way though.
🙂 , yeah, I think giving James a new deal would be best for the team.
Well they did pick up the $9 mil option, but after the injury might be no team gives him that much. I could see 3 years at $7-$8 mil per. Plus they could structure in a way that gives us more cap room next year.
The team can still rescind the 5th year option for James in the new fiscal year which I think is in March, as long as he’s cleared medically.
Yeah Tim — not sure exactly how it works, but seems from a practical standpoint he is like a guy with a year left on his contract who we can cut at no cost. Sorta like how Maxwell was set up for next year….and we all knew he might stay but not at the contract price.
I’ve been ALL ABOUT LBs the last several years, particularly the Jim Mora-coached ones: Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, and Myles Jack. Think we’d select a single one? NOOOOO!
Now I get to see them play in back-to-back playoff games today for the Jags and Vikes.
It would have been nice to have one of them.
I liked Myles Jack coming out, too. He was on my man crush list.
Right, it’s all about LBs. 45-42 😉
Nice article. Good read.
Thanks Rock
Ha! The first time I read the article the picture of Kuru did not appear. I was going to comment that I still don’t know what he looks like but then I posted my first post and when the screen refreshed the picture appeared.
No way!!! LOL
Carroo fucking speech recognition
CARROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Rock, your avi has me picturing you bouncing off the walls saying silly shit! LOL
Come to the Fest next year you will see that it is a good representation of me at the game.
Ahhhhhaaàarrrraarrrggg. Go DOLPHINS. Let’s go defense! Wooooooohoooooo. Stand the fuck up and make some noise!!!!
LOL
Dude, ask those at the NE fest against the Jets in the meadowlands a few years back if I don’t stand the fuck up and chant all kinds of shit. LOL
Mike E,
Good write, Bro. I have only one constructive criticism: you left out possibly the most important pending FA (at least Defensively, IMO)… William Hayes. He’s a top-5 run-defender on the edge in the NFL and played a big part in turning our #30 rushing-Defense from ’16 into the #14 rushing-Defense of ’17.
It’s looking more and more like Cam Wake will be used strictly as a pass-rushing specialist in ’18, and we really need Hayes to be our starter in rushing sits.
I don’t know if you care to add him to your write, but it would then be GRAND if ya did! 🙂
Yeah M, that’s an excellent point. I actually forgot he was a FA – Thanks for bringing that up!
I will add him in when I get a chance, probably later tonight. Thanks again!
Doug Samuels
@CoachSamz
17m17 minutes ago
More
Sources tell FootballScoop that Miami Dolphins defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo has been let go.
They weren’t kidding about changes……
Good job Mike E
Thanks Ken
I am looking forward to the Jags defense rushing Brady
First offensive touchdown against the Vikings sent week 14 wow
Oh yeah.
Nice write up Mike E
Thanks ER
Sheer stupidity by Keenum on that last throw
Yep, made it a game with one stupid mistake.
Mike E,
Great write up and I agree with all of them. It is frustrating to not only see Caroo making zero impact but Parker making so little impact.
Good job on the team firing Coach Lou. Our DBs were a disaster this year. Whole defense was pretty bad so Burke better have a plan in his meeting with Gase and crew.
Thanks New Age
There’s 2 LB’s that I think can cover Gronk and the first is Tremaine Edmunds. He’s got the size, range and strength to do it. The other one is my man crush Okoronkwo. While on the shorter side, he’s heavier than Smith and also has the range and the strength. JMHO of course.
The only reason why Carroo may stay is because he will cost almost nothing which is exactly what he has contributed in his time in Miami
LOL – Exactly!
I’m looking at all the changes this team is making on both sides of the ball and I’m still saying that Carroo is a product of poor player development on the part of the coaching staff. We will see but I would find it hard to believe that if this coaching staff is what we need going forward that Carroo will be spending the same amount of time on the sideline.
Coaching or not 3 years of doing nothing is more on the player imo
It’s 2yrs and when he’s been given the opportunity, although it hasn’t been much, he’s done well in games so I just don’t understand the unwillingness to continue to use him.
Vikings have a good D but neither of these teams impress me. The Jags D is supposed to be good also but it was the offense that needed to win the game. These games this weekend are weak at best. The NFL playoffs are a huge snoozefest. I doubt I’m going to watch the SB no matter who gets in there. Have zero interest in any of these teams. The bore the shit out of me.
Just want a team in there that could hurt Brady
me too but I don’t know there’s one out there that can right now
Tim was chanting some crazy shit at the last NE Fest, the MetLife takeover. I think it was some Dothraki war chant, not sure. 🙂
LOL
He actually ate a horse heart during the tailgate
Joe Schad
Verified account
@schadjoe
3s3 seconds ago
More
Miami Dolphins DB coach out as Adam Gase staff turns over http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2018/01/14/miami-dolphins-db-coach-out-as-adam-gase-staff-turns-over/ …
you have to admit, these coaching changes were a long time coming. don’t know how it will all turn out but when you’re not getting results year after year you need to do something.
Lou
There’s a lot of things that I wish I could get to the bottom of, like the real reason(s) we traded Ajayi, how players really perceive and if they like (and) respect Gase, and probably most of all, whether Carroo is just a fuckup who doesn’t respect his trade, and isn’t working hard, and just expects to play, or if we’re just not doing a great job developing players, and motivating them
Carroo was reportedly a fuck up in college so no reason to expect he is not the same person now
yeah, me too. the problem is the team hasn’t been consistent enough so we don’t know if it’s the players, the coaches or a combination of both. Maybe it’s the latter. Who knows. Maybe if this coaching staff has it’s shit together we will see exactly what it is/was.
Spotrac
Verified account
@spotrac
2m2 minutes ago
More
Case Keenum’s 2017 production w/ the #Vikings now calculates a market value north of $21M, & almost identical to where Alex Smith’s market valuation stands. Buckle up for a fun offseason.
And to think… the Vikings signed Case for 1 year/$2M. WOW!!!
that’s insane
They just commended Jeff Ireland on the saints draft and I want to put my head through a window now
LOL
CASE TO THIELEN!!! WOW!!!
Lou,
My dad is a huge VT fan and I’ve watched the best LBs this year. I don’t see any that compare to Smith. His speed, instincts, and play in the best overall conference in the nation was superior. Edmunds just seemed a bit slower to read and react to plays than Smith. He also doesn’t pursue as effectively. Okoronkwo is an amazing pass rusher but his other skills seem lacking. Different type of player to me than Smith.
He sure is. Smith is an ILB and Okoronkwo is an OLB. We have McMIllan. I’m looking at Edmunds and Obo on the outside.
Ahh, I see now. I like Oko better as well.
Vikings took a time out ala Philbin
When you have Brees as your QB 1:30 is all day…
Was crazy
When the Vikings scored I just knew it was too much time
I’m amazed that the Vikings guy just played For Whom the Bells Toll when their team is losing
Why not rub salt in your own fans wounds
KEENUM TO DIGGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
VIKES WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy shit. Wow
Omg!
Nice tackle???????
Owe you a beer
Talk about missed tackles
That DB had money on the Vikes. Lol
wow. what a major fuck up by the Saints on that play. all they had to do was tackle Diggs and game is over. what the hell was Williams thinking
Wanted to make the highlight hit instead of wrapping up
I guess. He’ll definitely make the highlight reel now. Anybody catches that ball on the sideline and the game is over. What a major screw up
That poor Saints DB just made an Idiots play
UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!
WOW, Not only did Williams whiff on that tackle, he took out his team mate with the leg whip
Marcus Williams with the Nolan Carroll tackle on that one.
The ol’ close your eyes and throw a shoulder?
Keenum running around looking for some love after that play.
Joel Corry
@corryjoel
17s17 seconds ago
More
Welcome to a transition player designation, Case Keenum. That’s $21.029M with a $178.1M 2018 salary cap, which is the high end of projections given to teams at a December league meeting. Non-exclusive QB franchise tag should be $23.307M at that cap figure.
Good for him if he gets that money but I don’t see anyone paying him the kind of numbers being thrown around.
Not even his own team. Lol
why would they pay him that money with Bradford and Bridgewater on the team?
wow, four lead changes over the final 3:01 that is incredible
Watching the Vikes and Jags kind of want to makes me draft Defense
That was a terrible defensive decision to have so few DBs out there. I would have had 8 DBs and three LBs with everyone deep but the LBs. Of course it was the worst excuse for a tackle ever but the NFL doesn’t think players need as much practice in the modern NFL
true. terrible defense overall. no way there should only be one defender between any wr and the goal line. piss poor defensive call.
Williams overran his pursuit, and pulled up, so he wouldn’t get a PI penalty, but he also took out Crawley when he went to the ground, and Crawley was the only other player that had a shot at tackling Diggs. In retrospect, he would have been better off running into Diggs and getting the PI penalty, at least that would have forced the Vikes to kick a FG. Just a terrible decision by a player with the whole season on the line.
All he had to do was wrap up and use good form in making the tackle
He was already past him, check out the angle when they show it from the other direction, Marcus Williams was already past Diggs when he made the catch. He just overran it.
He led with his head and never tried to wrap up. I watched the replay he just made a poor form tackle
It was a terrible play on his part but I have to agree with New Age that the defense played on that last play in general was poor with only one db that deep and the remainder of the players including the linebackers playing underneath. Why wouldn’t they have more guys deep than that? Turrible.
What on earth was he thinking
Defense gets you to the playoffs. Of the top 13 (three tied for 11th place) teams with the lowest Points Against only LAC, Balt & Chicago didn’t make the playoffs.
Mike I rescheduled the Wedge scouting report for Thursday
So you get 4 days out of this one
OK, thank you!
Ken – Watch it again – I swear to you, he ran past Diggs, on his left, because he was afraid to collide with him. I can’t explain how he did it, but that’s what happened
He looks like he led with his head and shoulder and just wiffed I saw no effort to wrap up. That is what I saw. I am sure I will see it a few more times so I will have a chance to reevaluate
Mike is right
He’s actually past diggs before the ball is caught
I will see if I can find the clip
He was trying to avoid hitting diggs early
More than anything else it was timing
He was too aggressive too early
I see a little bit of what you mean but to me it looks like he was trying to take Diggs legs out while leading with his head and wiffed
Great exchange going on between Hartline and Omar on Twitter about former Phins GM’s with teams in the playoffs right now.
See his head go down before the catch
I can tell if he is trying to hit him and then pulls back. It’s just a terrible play either way
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IETJzgOMWy4
From that angle he looks like he is going for the legs
I think he is diving down bc he would have been there too fast
The nfl’s final 4
https://twitter.com/kdphinssquad/status/952714793508659200
Give it to the Pats once again. I don’t see anybody beating them
New Age is right where the hell was the deep coverage?
PAT ELFLEIN, the starting Center for the Vikings in his rookie season, is ONE WIN AWAY FROM GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL IN HIS HOME STADIUM!!! The Elf” was a player MF-13, Your’s Truly, and a few others on this site urged Miami to take in the last draft. Yet, despite our OBVIOUS NEED for help in the O-Line, the Fins chose NOT to draft any O-Linemen before round 5. And the guy we DID TAKE in round 5 so far has been a bust!!
————————–
Miami’s failure to improve their O-Line in the draft was a cause of ALL 3 Dolphin starting quarterbacks ending up on the injury list for part or all of the season (Tannehill, Cutler and Moore). Somehow, the two guys most responsible for this massive mistake (T-Bomb and Grier) ARE STILL EMPLOYED by this franchise!!! In fact, in a comment after the final game of this deplorable season, Ross proudly boasted that all members of the “DOOFUS BRIGADE” will be back next season!! Never before in Dolphin history has an owner so heavily awarded futility and failure. But, hey, this is THE SAME STEVE ROSS who gave contract extensions and pay raises to both Sparano and Ireland before FIRING THEM a few weeks (Sparano) or months (Ireland) later!!–That might make SENSE to some people. But it makes NO SENSE AT ALL TO ME!! Common sense tells me to reward those who do their jobs well and to fire those who perform poorly. But, as one of my favorite presidents (Harry Truman) said many times, “Common sense isn’t so common!”
Elfein – that’s what you noticed?
Brees, Ginn, Ireland, sparano, Myles Jack, I wanted to draft Stefan Diggs who makes the biggest play of the century and he was a 5th rounder
The Vikings have a terrific defense with a bunch of players we all wanted to draft
It’s not even attributable to one guy anymore
There are loads of misses, guys we gave up on and bad picks
PIGGY: I’ve carefully checked what I wrote. No where did I say it was due to only 1 player nor did I say I ONLY noticed Elflein. In fact, I agree with you about many past misses and about OTHER players we should have taken. Sadly, current ownership doesn’t agree with critics like you & me. And it’s certainly NOT attributable to just one guy. I couldn’t possibly list all the bad draft picks and bad free agent signings that have occurred under Ross’s reign. But the reality is this: Ross is keeping his band of brothers together and in control of this franchise for at least another year (per his announcement to season ticket holders.) I think he needs to do better, MUCH better.
I think he thought he was going to get there early and didn’t want to get the PI so he pealed off a bit hoping to clip him when the ball got there and just whiffed. IMO
I owe piggy a beer
Lou, Bridgewater is a free agent this year.
FWIW – The Vikes were just as good with long time veteran OC Joe Berger, who was a former Dolphins player, as they were with Elflein. Not slighting Elflein’s play, but the Vikes aren’t to the NFC Divisional Championship because of Pat Elflein. I also think it’s obvious Gase has a lot of respect for Mike Pouncey, and wanted to see what he could get from him, and for the record, Pouncey did play the entire season. It would be a stretch to say that Elflein would have significantly have outplayed Mike Pouncey this season.
DID SOMEONE SAY “It’s too much to expect a rookie to perform at a high level at center his rookie year??” I guess that person didn’t follow Elflein real closely this season. Or, perhaps, I missed all the games he played poorly but managed to emerge as the starter. In any event we’d have been MUCH BETTER AT CENTER if we’d signed the “ELF” in the draft and played him this season, instead of Pouncey (who WAS an average to above average center BEFORE his three hip surgeries.
———–
Mike E.; Overall I like your analysis in this article. It’s miles ahead of anything done by T-Bomb, Grier, and company. But I do believe we should find a way to move on from Pouncey and James at some point because, quite frankly, BOTH are serious injury risks and BOTH are being way overpaid for their recent performance levels. NEITHER of them, IMHO, will ever approach All-Pro status this late in their careers. But to find and sign better O-Line replacements, we need BETTER EMPLOYEES than T-Bomb and Grier doing the picking!! And that’s where ROSS needs to step in and sign replacements WHO CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF PICKING PLAYERS!! – – His reluctance to do this is a major reason WHY this franchise is 16 games BELOW .500 during his reign as majority owner.
OD
I know you didn’t say it’s one player
But it seems a little crazy making a big deal out of Elfein given he was on the same field as Drew Brees who we missed the last 12 years with because of another bad decision
Yesterday we watched Matt Ryan again on he lost season and that’s another dumb move
The patriots meanwhile are playing in their 7th straight afc championship
Why single out Ross or who you are currently calling the doofus brigade – this has been going on for decades
I don’t even remember if it’s the first incarnation of the doofus brigade
It’s a collection of things that went wrong over years
Just a lot of things
THEN let me refresh your memory: The FIRST incarnation of THE DOOFUS BRIGADE was Ross,Metamucil Carl Peterson, Parcells, Ireland and Sparano.
The SECOND incarnation included Ross, Ireland, Sparano and just a tad of Ancient Carl.
The TURD, er, THIRD incarnation included Ross, Philbin, and, eventually, T-Bomb.
The FOURTH incarnation included Ross, Gase, T-Bomb and Grier.
As you can see, only ONE person has been present for all 4 incarnations (Ross). While some think him to be a visionary owner, I refer to him as, percentage wise, the losingest owner in Fins’ history and the unchallenged leader of THE DOOFUS BRIGADE.
————-
And, yes, you are unquestionably right when you say “It’s a collection of things that went wrong over years.”
No matter what you do – don’t read the comments to his pre game tweet
I just realized he’s a rookie and was the saints 2nd round pick
See that OD
Some teams take Elfein in the 2nd and others take Marcus Williams 😛
I know we need help on the OL, I just think taking a Guard at #11 is not a good idea. I’m not even sure that a rookie Guard would be a day one starter, we seem to red shirt rookies as we did Asiata and do we know how much confidence this team has in Asiata, obviously there’s some confidence or he wouldn’t be on the team.
It seems every year everyone looks at diminished stats and points that to a weakness and tries to fix it in the draft, whereas the team may not see that as a weakness.
looking at all the positions we may lose Landry, Parker seems to be lame, do we draft a wr? or may pick one up in FA.
CB is a high value position, could this be a consideration at 11? I know Howard stepped up this year but i’m concerned about the other side and the depth we have there?
I think we need a RB for sure, a big low to the ground beast to grind out 3 to 4 yards consistently on 1st down, but the RB position is a devalued position so i highly doubt we take one at 11.
I tend to agree about taking a Guard at 11. Typically OLinemen need a year to get their strength up to NFL levels. Sure there are exceptions, but guys like Elfein are rare. WR is a real possibility. Parker is looking more pedestrian every day, but I think they will give him one more year. Landry will come down to asking price. RB can be found at the back of the draft. Even exceptional ones like Elliot don’t get you to the playoffs. If one of the top QB is there at 11 they almost have to take him even though it is not a position of need.
The Jags give me hope for Miami. They have been historically bad, but they turned it around. With Defense. I hope Miami mostly focuses on defense.
I think Gase has his QB’s, Tannehill and Fales, after the sideline argument, Gase calling out Landry in public i would be shocked if Miami and Landry work out their differences. i think Landry’s played his last game in Miami, and i sure hope i’m wrong.
but if that’s the case with the unreliability of Parker we may need to get a good WR via draft or FA.
Could be, although if Mayfield or one of the others is there at 11, do you pass them by? I think you take him. There’s little downside to it. Either he pushes Tannehill or surpasses him. Either is a good thing and either leaves them with trade bait. They probably won’t do it though. Really depends on how close they think they are. Do they think McMillan and Harris and Tankersley will solidify the defense? Will Asiata and Caroo be ready to play? Can Lippet make a full recovery? Does Davis fill one of the OL positions? Can coaching fix Tunsil? Common wisdom used to be that it took 2-3 years to develop a WR. Now it’s whatever you have a year 3 is what you will always have.
I also don’t get why everyone is talking Safety. A back up later in the draft, sure. But they have two starters. The only positions that I see are definite starter needs with no possible answers already on the team are LB and TE. And I don’t see any 1st round TE in this years draft.
pheloniusphish says:
January 15, 2018 at 8:03 am
The Jags give me hope for Miami. They have been historically bad, but they turned it around. With Defense. I hope Miami mostly focuses on defense.
_________________________________________________________
The difference maker in the Jags i believe has been Coughlin, he’s a run oriented coach,A proven winner, he knows the value of a strong running game and it shows picking the Alabama Tackle and Fornette with his first 2 picks last year, Emphasis on running the ball. Bortles is no Joe Montana yet here they are!
I think the difference maker is the defense. They have been adding the pieces to that for a couple of years. It is also built in Coughlin’s model…aggressive front four who can pressure the QB, sure tackling LB a good Secondary.
TODAY is set aside for most people as a day to honor Martin Luther King, a man I unabashedly supported “back in the day.” In college, I studied the hows and whys of Gandhi, a man who mastered the art of non-violent protest first in South Africa and, later, in India. Gandhi changed the course of history in both of those countries, for the better.
But Martin Luther King did Gandhi one better. He found a way to overcome the vile evil of racism on the home turf of the racists – – the Deep South. It was, truly, an unbelievable achievement! Now I’m NOT saying that racism is dead NOR am I saying the causes Dr. King stood up for do not STILL need to be protected and defended. After all, I was raised in Palm Beach County where, in my life time, a black man was grabbed out of a jail by the local KKK and hung from the highest tree without the benefit of the legal system Dr. King and so many others gave their lives to defend and protect. Years later, the man who was hung was determined to be innocent of murdering the person for which he was lynched by a racist, hood wearing, mob. But, to the KKK, that didn’t matter. He was black and, therefore, he deserved to die. If you think I am exaggerating any of this then you weren’t around in the Deep South in the 1950’s. I was.
Today, as I celebrate my birthday with my beautiful wife, I ponder how lucky I am to have been brought to America by two people who wanted a better life for their family. Neither of them had the benefit of a high school education. Both dropped out of school back in Canada so they COULD SURVIVE and put food on the table, a difficult thing to do in the Great Depression, which hit Canada even harder than it hit the U.S.
In America, my parents hard work was rewarded beyond their wildest dreams. Their adopted son (me) was able to work his way through high school and college and, eventually, enjoyed the fruits of his hard work and his good luck. But, today, I ponder “Could I have done it if I had been black in the Deep South?” The answer is YES! It would have been much harder, but, at least, the opportunity for success WAS THERE, thanks to the efforts of Martin Luther King. And for that I am truly thankful.
Today is not a holiday at my job. But I decided I NEEDED to take this day off work so that I could better focus on the things that really count. The fact that, today, is my birthday, too, puts a little extra flavor into this special day.
I am so proud to be an American.
I hope all of you have a great day too, even if it is not your birthday.
Great post OD
Thanks for the insight
And Happy Birthday 🎊🎁🎈🎂🎉
Thank you so much, Mr. Piggy!
Happy Birthday OD !!
PHINDOG; Thanks for the birthday wishes. Me and Mrs. OD are going to see a movie and then do dinner.
Dinner will NOT include a birthday cake because the great number of candles would create a FIRE HAZARD!!!!!
I’m working today but I work for myself – it’s not really work so much as life organization…lol
Once I have some employees I’m giving them the day off
Anyone else working today?
always!
Started back on days today!
pheloniusphish says:
January 15, 2018 at 8:37 am (Edit)
I also don’t get why everyone is talking Safety
*****************
I think because there has been talk that T.J. McDonald will be used like a LB in nickle and dime situations, so we would need another safety to play in coverage. Not sure if that’s the only reason, but could be one of the reasons
Plus he is a bit of a fuck up
Well, there’s that too.
I think the idea is to play 3 safeties at once
One of them being sort of a hybrid LB/S type
Actually I would say both McDonald and Jones have that ability
I also think both safeties in play at 11 (Derwin James and Minkah Fitzpatrick) are pretty good at playing close to the LOS as well. Actually Fotaptrick played a lot of CB in 2016
They are both very versatile and can probably do the same sort of things as some one like Telvin Smith or Myles Jack
It’s really interesting when you think about
A DC can be really creative with these guys
Some of the more impactful picks in recent years in defense have been safeties
Jalen Ramsay (I know he plays CB for Jax), Jamal Adams, Eric Reid and Landon Collins all pretty impactful for their teams
Add Deone Bucannon to that list.
Happy Birthday Randy (OD)! That was a really nice post @ 9:22AM
Phelon
Plenty of OL start and play well from day 1 in the NFL. Especially when you take the best prospects. There’s no comparison between a player like Quenton Nelson, who is considered a blue chip player, like David DeCastro, Zack Martin etc. to our 5th RD pick, who incidentally was probably fine in the power department, but technique wise had a whole lot to learn. Right now, we have Ted Larsen, Jesse Davis and Asiata, and I for one, would feel a lot better having Quenton Nelson in the competition. I don’t fear Quenton Nelson starting day 1, I fear Isaac Asiata or Ted Larsen starting day one.
I’m pretty sure Nelson is plug and play
He seems like a really safe pick imo
I agree
THANK YOU Mike E. –Yes, I’m old enough to have been in the Civil Rights maelstrom. It was a difficult time. And for too many, it is still a difficult time.
Happy B-Day OD…..hopefully some day another ticket will mean as much as this one.
MikeE, good write… when I got to Tanny I admit scrolling real quick to see your eval before going back to read that segment. lol. The QB position worries me the MOST… when you said “all their eggs in one basket” that summarized my greatest fear for next season. We all assumed Tanny would be 100% this season. However, going into next season I don’t feel the same way.
A restructured deal (before the draft) would certainly help. Who knows, maybe Gase goes after a FA QB because he also is worried about the potential of going another season without the ‘starter’.
I agree on the other evals for the most part.
Landry and James I think are clear keeps. When James was healthy he was consistently rated very highly by PFF. Maybe Fins should look into off season habits/work/etc to see if there is something there for chronic injuries. Injuries happen, but repetitive injuries, imo, require a deeper analysis. If the guy is just physically fragile then you move on… but often times there are habits on/off/both the field that explain (when I ran cross country and track, my biggest problem was OVER training… which at the time seemed like a ridiculous concept).
Pouncey? – to me he is in the same boat as Tannehill. If I had to choose between James or Pouncey, at this point I’d take James. It would be great if both stayed healthy and played at a high level as it would reduce the urgency of the OL.
Julius Thomas has shown that great QBs can make some players look like stars, and average QBs make that same receiver/TE look just as average. Carroo called himself the “best receiver in the draft” … but can’t get on the field with a 6-10 team. I agree that neither of these guys is worth keeping unless at a very good bargain.
I thought Hayes was amazing until he got hurt.
Essentially, I am in agreement throughout your FA list… including the ‘what the hell do we do’ feeling about Pouncey and Tanny.
Thanks Rhino
A very nice write Mike, I enjoyed it and wanted to say thanks.
Piggy, working from home today, buying baby ICO,s, love em!
Great mood today, Steelers are soggy toast, lol. My man Bortles, admittedly not the best, but he finds a way to win, and didn’t make any mistakes like the future HOF QB on the Steelers did
Thanks David
We need OL, QB, and TE. IMO.
Josh Allen is likely to be there for us in round 1, if the FO wanted him.
Watching Jax OL manhandle the steel front line, has me thinking OL is so important, and our OL isn’t very good.
First pick for us is likely a OL or QB
Mike, Your Landry comments are spot on my brother, lol. Excellent analysis !
If I were Landry, I would go to the highest bidder though, because at his catch rate, I can’t see him gettting more than 4-5 years of a high level of production.
If Miami wants a discount, it might not be what Landry deserves and wants, but stay tuned for that answer.
Crazy end to the Vikings/Saints game. But the Saints should have never let it come down to one defender having to make the tackle on a play by the sidelines. Everything was weird on that play, it was basically a game over play call by the Vikings and all the Saints had to do was not let anything get behind you and WTF?!!! LOL
Sounds Interesting, Im going to watch this game on Game Pass 😎 Thanks
Great post OD, and Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday OD! Hopefully You have a great day !
Everyone having a happy MLK day ? No more holidays for awhile now, maybe the damn stock market will open up again, so I can get back to Day Trading.
Anyone here tried the cryptocurencies yet? Not Bitcoin, it’s a bloated whale, but some fresh out of the gate ICO coins are smoking hot investments, one I bought today doubled in 3 hours!
A friend of k Be is really into it
I’m a little nervous about electronic currency
You arent the only nervous one! Lol
What I did was start with very little Money, and nail some gains, so now I’m risking house money, and taking some out to USD when I need something.
Playing with house money is the only way to do it so You can sleep at night, lol
https://twitter.com/PhinsComNews/status/952956827154702337
BTC Diamond came out a few days ago, and it created the longest green candle ever! I missed it, but the investors that nailed it got 4000 percent gain in one day! I hope to Find the next one,,,,,,
Good write up, Mike! To be honest I don’t really care who stays and who goes, re-signed or cut. As long as we’re a good team. 🙂
That’s basically it in a nutshell, lol
Thanks Tim
Piggy consider when We purchase something with USDT, it’s a declining in value currency.
When You purchase a volatile currency with overall gains, Your purchasing power is multiplied, so in effect You can buy other baby Coin ICO,s at a discount, and sell them later when they increase in value.
The gains are only limited by Ones imagination, and having the balls to pull the trigger on the next gainer coming.
It’s possible for anyone here to take $300.00, and turn it to thousands in a month, but make a solid plan first, and don’t tell the wifey til You can buy her something real nice later, lol
electronic currency is probably the main reason the value of the dollar is decreasing
the value of the dollar has went up and down historically
but your currency is held by banks and that is backed upped gold
and money has worked that way for hundreds of years
but everything about electronic currency is a fiction which simulates those things
So I find it hard to believe it can’t just disappear
I also think its on the verge of being heavily regulated
I guess if you are playing with house money, its little risk
but I keep hearing people invested in it – saying “don’t ever sell”
bc it keeps increasing
So what’s the point?
You just invested in something that is fictionally increasing in value, then never getting any return from your investments
I’m just skeptical
but – I do see people accepting bitocoin more and more
so if you can do that, it makes sense
but it feels like that is the limitation
you can only exchange the electronic currency you made from your intial investment with other people who accept it
Gonna get some lunch, Peace to everyone ✌🏼
Hey David, hope all is well.
Titans fired Mike Mularkey?? Guess a winning record, making the playoffs and winning one isn’t enough for some.
He wasn’t fired, they mutually agreed to part ways. It was about differences between Mularkey and ownership on the way to go about the future.
Same thing in my book at least Tim, as far as such comes out at least.
Well they were willing to sign him to an extension but they couldn’t agree on something. It wasn’t like he was outright fired is all I’m saying.
So the Mets sign Jay Bruce, and then sign Adrian Gonzalez. Jay Bruce was obviously going to play mostly in RF, and I had thought some 1B, but now with Adrian Gonzalez, and Dominic Smith, I’m a little confused. We know Cespedes will probably miss 50-75 games, and we have no idea whether Conforto will be ready to play in April, or even if he’ll be anywhere near the same hitter after that nasty shoulder injury. Can Juan Lagares actually play a whole season? I think the outfield will just be a mix and match situation like it has been the last couple of years, play the guys that are healthy and hitting well, even if defensively, it’s somewhat of a liability.
Maybe he’s a one year transition guy incase Dominic Smith isn’t ready for a full season. That’s all I got. LOL
That’s true, but I thought that’s why they signed Jay Bruce, because he plays RF and 1B. It’s not a big deal, they’re paying pennies for A-Gon, and I’m sure that’s a huge reason why they signed him, but if somehow everyone is healthy in the outfield, it’s going to make a couple of guys really unhappy.
“but if somehow everyone is healthy in the outfield”
You silly man, like that will happen. LOL
Going well Tim thanks.
Piggy it’s all about the Min Max idea, Minimize risks, maximize gains.
House money gets used for alt coin gains, then turned into USD anytime You want, then it’s real Dollars.
The SEC basically views crypto coins as securities, (for now) similar to stocks.
This is still step one, enthusiastic investors, step 2 is regulation and institutional acceptance, and step 3 is mainstream public replaces their smart phones with world currency exchange block chain phone trading platforms, and crypto currency is just currency like the rest.
step one, enthusiastic investors, that’s now, and the biggest gains of all 3 steps for those that can see what’s coming.
LOL @ Tim – That was pretty silly!
I don’t understand how so many guys get hurt every year playing baseball.
I think it’s because they play too many games. It’s one thing playing once a week, or maybe even twice a week, but they play 5 or sometimes more, plus tons of travel, I guess it just wears you down.
But they’ve been playing that many games forever. We lose half our pitching staff and lineup for long stretches of time every year. It’s crazy!
We probably need another RB this draft since Ajayi moved on.
Drake is looking excellent, and can only get better from here, but We could use a big beast mid round RB to back up Drake, and can either block for Drake as a FB, or run when we are In third and shorts, goal line, etc.
That’s been discussed quite a bit recently. Then after watching the Pats win again I said how about just a bunch of quick guys who can run and catch and move the ball all day throwing short passes and hopefully break some big plays here and there. Nobody seems to be able to stop that shit.
Good point, but Jax was a huge road underdog, and ran over the Steelers with a physical OL, and Fournette.
I guess pick your offense, lol but watching TD drives with no passes or maybe one are a thing of beauty in itself, because too many things can go wrong in the passing game, sacks, turnovers, incomplete, etc
David – My son has been investing in one of the bitcoin alternatives. He hasn’t invested a lot, I warned him not too, but he’s watching it a lot, and he says it keeps going up. It worries me, it’s just such an unknown quantity at this point, and I don’t want him to get upset if it all just disappears on him.
Lots of people have made money, but then we are both old enough to have lived the dotcom craze and the real estate frenzy in the 2000’s. Sometimes you get a sense on a bubble….only Q is when it pops (and the real estate one did two years after I thought it would).
Thanks to Young Stanger, Tim and David C. for all the birthday wishes. Hey Jon, you may be interested to know that I DO HAVE a Super Bowl VII program, one of my prize possessions from the Fins golden era. In it, Howard Schnellenberger does NOT have his famous moustache!
And I know you also have the hat from another SB….even if we didn’t win. Anything from SB VIII?
Thanks for the input Mike and Stanger.
Wise procession Mike, don’t get too crazy with the dollar to alt coin investment, instead make the coins work for themselves with long term or day trade techniques, Your choice.
I’m proud of Your son though, he’s a great guy and will do very well if he applys himself!