So the 2018 NFL season will be coming to and end next week, and as per usghe, Dolphins will watch other teams in the playoffs. Also as per usghe, we will not be picking top 10. We’re not even good at that! Sometimes if you’re bad, it’s better to be baaaad. Get that top 5 pick, or even #1 pick, and then parlay that into more picks, and really change the roster. No, we’ll pick somewhere in the middle, maybe 15 or 16, or maybe even 18 or so when we beat Buffalo when it doesn’t count next week.
Let’s take a step back. I’m not mad that we lost yesterday, our playoff chances were slim going in, but for a while there, the Colts were losing, so our opportunity was there, but we couldn’t take care of business. It seems like whenever the stakes are high, and the playoffs are on the line, we manage to show our worst. Ryan Tannehill is a big part of that. He’s not, I repeat, NOT the guy that will lift your team. I watch a lot of games around the NFL, and the best QB’s take chances. They don’t always work out, but guys like Brees, Roethlisberger, Wilson etc. when the game is on the line, throw a 30 yard pass on 2nd and 8. They throw a 30 yard pass on 3rd and 10, in fact, they always look to get the ball downfield for a big play. That’s the last place Tannehill looks. He’s a warrior, but he’s gutless in his decision making. He’s not a guy that wants to get the kill, he’s a workaday bee. He’s more than happy to just do his job, but he’s not wired to kill.
There are rumblings for a big front office shakeup in Miami. If so, that would probably signal the end for Mike Tannenbaum ( Executive VP of Football Operations) and Chris Grier (GM). Which direction we would go from this I don’t know, but I’d hope we find a guy with experience that can build the team from the ground up. No quick fix plan, but build the team in the image of what he feels is successful, and sustainable in the current and future state of the NFL. Identify a HC, and mutually agree with that HC on the coordinators, and then build the team. If it takes 2 or 3 years, fine. Don’t cut corners to try and win now, no foolish FA spending. If we take our lumps for a year or two, so be it. Just build it right. The best teams do, and repeatedly are contenders.
If we don’t fire any executives and and don’t bring a new FO, I’d hope that Adam Gase is truly on the hot seat. I can’t be sure he’s not the one, but it’s becoming clearer to me that he might not be. For all of his offensive knowledge and potential, our offense is in the bottom 5. It’s understood we lost players to injury, yet there are players on the roster that are here that I feel are underused. Kenyan Drake had 10 total touches Sunday. He’s you’re home run hitter, the big playmaker. C’mon, it’s not like he’s Tavon Austin and we’re afraid he can’t touch the ball too many times, Drake is 6’1 212. Frank Gore is out for the season, and Drake gets 10 total touches. What’s the problem? Where’s the disconnect?
Forget about the defense, Gase has no part of that, and it’s obvious, because Matt Burke still has a job. Oh BTW, our defense is also in the bottom 5. Yeah, we lost some personnel there too, but it’s more than that, a lot more than that. We don’t make adjustments on either side of the ball, just keep going with what we’ve got. What we got ain’t working all too often, so . . . At the very least, if Gase is still here next season, he has to do 2 things. Fire both coordinators, find a legit OC who can call the plays so Gase doesn’t have to sit on the bench during the damn game doodling by himself. Find a legit DC who has been proven elsewhere, and will straighten out and identify our issues, and fix them. That might even be enough to save his job for the future.
I think we MUST draft a QB next season, and not just pick one in RD 5-7 to say we took a QB. It’s possible the best QB for us might be in RD 5, but then I want that guy competing to start from the get-go, and not sitting on the bench because Gase loves Ryan Tannehill. If Tannehill is still here next season, his reign is over. He is on notice, and any real competitors should have a fair shot to unseat him. If somehow he comes out on top, as soon as he falters, the next man up if ready should be given his shot. We’ve seen this show far too many times, It always ends the same. Ryan Tannehill has never played in a playoff game, and he probably never will. Nuff said!
I wish I had a brighter outlook for all of you, I think we all could use a little Dolphins cheer, but we’re going to have to wait and see how things shake out.
Happy Holidays to all of you!
Enjoy!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Has anyone thought about bringing Bill Cowher out of retirement?
The word on that is he has no interest in coaching anymore. He likes his current lifestyle.
I was joking lol, Rock had said dont anyone suggest it lol… so i kinda just had to
Black Monday hit home this time, Gase is out. I liked Gase and hoped He would work out for us, ultimately it was just beyond what he could do, injuries, FO mismanagement, and no franchise QB also played roles in his departure.
he was certainly not the entire reason for the FIns demise, but He also hasn’t shown that his players are on the same page as He is sometimes.
Gase was handicapped with Cutler, Moore, and Tannehill, every coach needs a franchise QB
im sure Gase will latch on with someone, and with the right opportunity, I wouldn’t bet against Him.
I like Grier a lot, i think that was a really smart move.
I’m not sure why we should trust Grier or why he was held over from the Parcell’s era. He’s been evaluating the last 10 years of players, too. According to some, we have no talent on this team. Maybe it’s just front office except Grier. Players don’t execute and it’s coach. Coaches don’t coach and it’s players AND front office. Geez, looueez. I’m just sick of all of it.
And, I’m definitely sick of seeing bad football for the last ten years. The last 2 games were awful and wanting me figure out if I there was another team I could root for after 50 years. I can’t think of any.
You really have no choice but to hope Grier gets the job done because he’s in charge and will be given a few years to build the team his way.
One thing that will be interesting is what type of team we will build. Through Grier’s vision and the new HC’s vision. What type of systems will we run on offense and defense. We could go more run oriented and physical on offense or maybe 3-4 defense.
So Grier remains and is in control. Sounds like another half assed blow up attempt to me
Grier would have been collateral damage if he was fired
I don’t really think it’s the same as keeping Ireland and firing sparano
And the other half steps we’ve done
Sounds like the same thing to me. Burn it all to the ground. Where is my dark lord and master Bat?
Stills didn’t like his tweet
It would not surprise based on the effort on the field over the last several weeks that the team had it with Gase. I don’t know if that’s a disavowal or whatever that means in this context
This is Bruce Beal
https://therealdeal.com/new-research/topics/people/bruce-a-beal/
That’s great but can he coach QBs?
As I said earlier today, they should interview Bieniemy and Fangio.
Get someone with proven success. Eric B is on the way up
and Fangio has had long-term success.
also
I think Kirby Smart at U Ga could be an interesting choice to come back to Miami.
If i went from College, it either be Harbaugh or David Shaw. There are some of the HC’s in college that i wouldnt mind having as a coordinator first, but im not interested in many of them as a jump straight to HC outside those two.
I dont see Kirby Smart as ready for a NFL HC job.
I like Bruce Arians he would be good developing our next QB
not a fan
sorry Ken
unless he learned a whoooooole lot while failing at his last job
He turned a crappy team into a competitive team until his QB went bust
I did not like how he talked football when he was an analyst on NFL games.
I like how grier holds himself. I feel comfortable in him taking over. I think it not a half asses blow up attempt as i think probably one of the reasons Grier stayed is because philosophical difference from TBaum and Gase and Ross thought that his direction was a fresh new one.
I like how I hold myself too … oh wait a minute. Burn them all to the ground. Anybody that had anything with this sorry excuse for a team. Tear it down and start from the bottom up. Hulk angry
I really, really like this move. It may not work but I like it for several reasons;
First, Grier obviously either didn’t like the moves we made this off-season or he sold it to Ross that he didn’t. As stated before, Gase had final say on the roster and bringing in the nursing home squad was his idea. Gase was basing all decisions on keeping his tenuous job instead of making a competitive squad. Glad he’s gone.
Second, both Grier and Ross talking about long term building and the next HC having to fit his goals. No more rookie HCs with more control than experience. Bad combo. Grier may just blowing smoke up our behinds but let’s see it play out. Grier sold his vision which seems to be more than this team has had for the last 3 years. What kind of team were we? Not explosive, defensive dominated, ball control, pass happy, anything. Nothing but terrible offense and defense fit our definition of the Dolphins. At least Grier has something he wants us to excel at.
Third, I really like some of those HC options already. Fangio and Bieniemy both look really promising on Day One of the search.
Fourth- having Ross say 2-3 year rebuild was music to my ears. They are finally doing the right thing. No more competitive while building BS. That’s ‘maintain my job’ speak instead of making the Dolphins better. Nothing else was an important as getting the owner to agree to a full rebuild.
Agreed New Age, they finally got it right. At least in theory. Still need to hire the right coach and coordinators and fill out the staff well. Then Grier and his scouting staff need to get to work and bring in more talent in the draft, draft a young talented QB, and keep good on their promise not to overspend in FA. In a few years if all that happens, we should reap those benefits and work towards being a consistently good NFL team.
D
I think he is ready. He’s been a head coach since 2015 in the SEC and taken his team right to the level of Alabama every year.
He’s a very stable yet ambitious guy. He’s young but with a quality defensive background.
He also was a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, so he’s smart (yikes on the unavoidable pun.)
Kirby Smart also has some stuff in his resume I like, such as he was a leading INT DB in the SEC..
We need a guy who knows where to line the DBs up.
He coached under Bobby Bowden at FSU, Nick Saban at LSU, and Mark Richt at UGa, all high quality coaches and national championship level programs. He was never with a sub-par program.
He coached DBs for the Dolphins, then followed Saban to Alabama, where he was voted #1 assistant coach in the NCAA. He then got lured away by Georgia and sent Sony Michel and Nick Chubb to the NFL, so he knows and values the power running game.
I like the choice of Grier. He was a Boston College football player who got too injured to play in the NFL, but he knows what it feels like to be out there at a high level, unlike Tanenbaum (or Gase).
I pretend Grier is responsible for our great draft last year. The one where Tanenbaum was told to sit in the corner and stop wasting picks on stupid trade-ups.
Happy New Year to you all!
Stay safe and enjoy
You too Mike E.
And everyone on here.
I hope all of you on the Blog have the greatest 2019 you could possibly hope for.
(including a playoff season for the Dolphins)
I will just be partying at the club here at the resort, so no driving required.
Now if I can just remember which building to enter on the walk home at 1AM ….
I mentioned DC Vic Fangio just yesterday right before that miserable game started. I mentioned him and a couple other NFL coordinators who seem to be ready for that next step. Then hire some top college coaches as your coordinators who run pro-style schemes like Jim Chaney as OC from UGA and Dave Aranda as DC from LSU. Jim Chaney is a long time coach with experience in college and NFL. Aranda is on his way up and desires to be an HC one day. He has a ton of drive and would be good under Fangio.
2 excellent recommendations BBM.
I know those guys a little and you hit on 2 very good prospects.
just one last thing as we leave this last football season.
I am sad that Gase did not work out. I even feel bad for Adam. Somewhat.
I do think he got screwed up trying to cover for massive injuries his whole time here.
as well as natural disasters, weird as hell personnel problems like Timmons and that idiot coach, and having a very young team at critical positions overseen by a raw rookie DC.
I fear that he will get another HC job and become a great one with a change of venue,
a la bellycheat.
I just hope he does not go to the jests
and end up developing Darnold into a winning QB.
Mike E,
I still hate how many of our draft guys are no longer here. James in the only 2014 left for now. McCain is the same for 2015. 2016 was great, 2017 was bad, and 2018 looks good? Add in other self inflicted wounds like Pouncey, Miller and Vernon and it’s hard to keep a solid core when you are constantly moving on from them. Vernon and Miller may have wanted too much but Pouncey played 16 games for a pittance compared to other players we have wasted money on. It just seems so counter-intuitive and backwards.
Happy early New Years everyone!!!
When it comes right down to it, I never feel like I can give an opinion about a guy like Grier. I really know nothing about him as a player evaluator. What decisions did he make? Which ones was he against? How good is he, really? It feels a little wonky to keep him and “reassign” his boss, basically, in TBaum. Grier has been….at least in part….responsible for some fairly questionable draft choices. It feels a little half-assed. I guess that if he is actually completely in charge now, we will find out.
***
On Gase, I guess I could have lived with him getting another year, but I have no problem with saying goodbye either. If you’re starting with a new QB, a new coach should be involved in finding him….not a lame duck coach.
“if we get a new QB”
Do you think we will get a new QB?
Randy – That’s definitely the difficult thing. We can’t know who was responsible for what, so therefore you’re right as to the matter of forming an informed decision on him. We’ll just have to wait, as we would with any hire, to see it how it works out. I feel pretty good about it now, hope it stays that way.
naples,
I kinda hope we do. I think we need one this year and/or next.
I think with Tannehill’s salary situation, he would be operpaid, but I don’t know if it impedes hsi release to burn that much dead money either.
I’m just not a very well-informed capologist.
i do think the fan base needs a new QB and Ryan needs a new OL.
Elway says Gase is not a candidate for the Broncos job.
That says a lot, because he had him there in his house.
naples,
I think there is a lot more wrong with Tanny than his OL. He also does his OL no favors, but I’ll leave it at that. I hope his time here is finally done. He’s a good kid, so I wish him no ill will.
If you don’t want Tannehill as your QB, then you cut him, so you have $13M in cap space to sign other players, or just roll over to the next year.
I don’t think the cap will be anything to worry about this year
MikeE,
There have been rumors for several years that Elway didn’t really like Gase. I can’t remember why.
What do the browns do with Landry if Gase becomes their HC…lol
WELL, PIGGY, they probably WON’T trade Landry back to us for a 4th round draft pick. Only ROSS is stupid enough to do that!
Well giving a slot rec with marginal speed 47 mil guaranteed seems stupid to me. maybe those types of deals we gave in the past is why we are in this situation to begin with.
I do think they will dump Tannehill, they will also dump anyone over the age of 30, Hayes is gone so is Wake…etc.
get ready for a 2-14 season next year and get the first pick in the 2020 draft.
I believe the plan is to tank to get better. dump all your money players, all FA’s will be on short term contracts. get young
this team is set back 3 to 4 years
By what Ross has said the near future is certain the only question is the long term
“Win now” is off the table
Rob – No maybe about it! You hit the nail on the head!
it going to suck for a while
I truly believe that’s how you get better. Better take step backwards, even a big step backwards, like 2-14 or 4-12, and then take 2-3 steps forward the next year. Going 7-9 or 8-8 every year isn’t great for your franchise and draft position.
everyone blames the OL,” it’s not Drakes fault the OL sucks at run blocking”
look at how Gore ran up the middle with a patchwork OL.
You would think Ross would try to sell the fans a winning philosophy even if “winning now” is not the plan.
that should affect ticket sales adversely.
This is all anybody really needs to know, in a nutshell…
That report was denounced by Ross. He didn’t like the way the team was being constructed and the results kept being the same. I posted the press conference earlier and he was pretty candid about what he felt was happening. He also wanted to streamline management which to me meant too many chefs in the kitchen with Tannenbaum, Grier and Gase. Now it’s Grier as head honcho, his staff and his Head Coach.
ORob,
This team has been to one playoff game in, what, the last decade? It’s nowhere near being a good team or a playoff caliber team. We weren’t gonna be good anyway. 8-8 year after year is just as bad as 3-13 to me. At least you get better draft picks. Half measures have gotten us nowhere for years. May as well try something different.
I really think firing Gase was premature due to the injuries, he was also force fed Tannehill by Ross and THill has been hurt the last two years.
lost most of his OL, lost Recs lost key defenders all to injury
3 years is not enough time to determine that the road your on is not the right one, sure there are coaches who come in and one year turn things around but that’s not usually the case.
if you consider 23-25 with a playoff appearance and also consider all the injuries over a three year period.
to keep turning over coaches is not a good recipe
how do we know if this new plan will work?
Gase was quoted last week as saying he doesn’t care what Steve Ross thinks, he’s just focused on beating the Bills. You could tell something wasn’t right.
Why would an owner ask a coach to give up control of the roster and not just do it if he thought there was a problem…especially a fairly new coach? WTH?
Because it’s Steve Ross.
Because the season was already almost over and Ross wanted to see Gase’s opinion on the matter. It was a fishing expedition and Gase decided he didn’t want this job that badly. Good decision for both involved.
The thing I like about the Grier promotion is he’s earned his way up through every rank in the personnel dept. and now it’s his voice, not a group. His vision and he finds a HC that buys into his vision and philosophy so they’re on the same page from the start.
I think the type of team we build from here is going to still be fast but more physical. ORob might just get his power running game after all. We’ll still run zone at times, every team does, but we might see a shift to some more physical lineman on both sides of the ball. Find your QB and build around him.
Ross has basically said if it takes a few years so be it, but he wants the team to become a consistent winner, not a go for it one year then take a step back. So Grier knowing that could make a lot of personnel changes, get more cap savings and build a different type of team.
I know that Mike E. is all for that, and now that we know what the deal is I’m all on board with that as well. As fans we know going in we might not win much the next 2 seasons but the team will be assembled with an eye on stability and long-term success, not a piece meal type of team trying to win now but not having enough to accomplish that.
So this offseason will be quite interesting because there is no pressure to win in 2019. Of course nobody wants to be a bad team, but results won’t get in the way of the long-term plan.
I’m glad the bureaucracy (power structure) is getting cleaned up (I’ve been griping about this for YEARS!!!), I’m now happy that Gase and his inability to coach alpha-males with his ego is gone, I’m happy for Chris Grier and think he can do this, I’m happy Tannenbuam no longer has a say over personnel (why not just fire him, though?), but I’m seriously saddened that we’re going to have to wait so long to be relevant again (I know… this had to happen, and I agree).
If you show me a hated coach by his players i’ll show you a good coach.
do you think most of the players like bellichick?
ORob,
He may very well have been lying, but Gase said Tannehill was one of the reasons he took this job. Tanny was not forced on him. Gase has had 3 years to build something. He hasn’t. Injuries are part of the game and coaches are expected to win regardless. It’s a whiny ass excuse for sucking. Gase alienated his roster and his owner. He has no one to blame but himself. It doesn’t mean he can’t become a good coach, but he certainly hasn’t shown he is that now.
KEN SAID: “Agree we need a totally fresh start. GRIER is NOT a totally fresh start.” Later, the noted legal eagle added this “is another half-assed blow-up attempt.” TOTALLY spot-on, counselor!
KRISHNA’s view that we are an undertalented franchise and that “Grier’s been part of the problem for 10 years” should NOT be ignored, either.
Now maybe I should NOT worry that T-BOMB is still part of the Ross team even tho’ he’s no longer a leader of this franchise. Fact is, if T-BOMB becomes Ross’s masseuse (or, God forbid, the masseuse to a certain former Jets head coach) he’ll STILL BE AROUND to make his wildly incorrect statements of advice to the ultra-aged Dolphins’ owner. Brings back memories of Metamucil Carl Petersons’ horrid advice to Ross during the first few years of the Ross regime. Steve Ross’s reluctance to engage in a TOTALLY FRESH START sends cold chills down my spine.
GRIER has NEVER selected a Head Coach of ANY team before!! –Expecting him to hit a home run in his first attempt is foolish. But, then, this IS the ROSS WAY of doing things, isn’t it??–Not one of the seven previous head coaches approved by Ross had EVER BEEN A HEAD COACH BEFORE AT ANY LEVEL!! —-i’M AFRAID THE CHAIN OF MISTAKES WILL CONTINUE.
————————
Now here’s what I want in my next Dolphins’ head coach:
1) Prior experience as a head coach either in the NCAA Division I or the NFL.
2) Prior experience as a DC or OC would be a plus, but not an absolute requirement.
3) Under age 50. Listen, I’m an old fart. It’s OK for me to state this preference.
4) A history of being innovative on offense would be a MAJOR PLUS. That’s why Dana Halgorson of West Virginia some day will be an NFL head coach. Hell, even bizarre Mike Leach of Washington State (who had success previously at Texas Tech) may get some consideration, despite the awful particulars of his firing at Texas Tech.
5) A no nonsense coach who expects, and has GOTTEN, a full effort every practice and every game from his players. NO, I’m NOT talking Shula, here. I am talking about those coaches who have EARNED THE RESPECT of his players. They bust their asses for him because they know it’s right and they know he (the coach) has done EXACTLY THAT. He is “AN EXAMPLE.”
————————-
NOW like all true Dolphin fans, I WANT CHRIS GRIER TO SUCCEED!! But, our chances to succeed would be better if another GRIER–WILL GRIER, was our starting QB next season. –Totally new leadership might have found a way to maneuver up the draft board and snare him. But this Not-So-New leadership will not. –So I’ll drink my Kool-Aid and hope for the best.
————————
SOMEONE said up the page that Gase was our biggest impediment to success. Oh, how I wish that was true. Sadly, our biggest impediment to success is Steve Ross, himself. About 20 or so years from now, most of what is left of Dolphin Nation will agree that is true!
Grier never had final say control to implement his vision for building a team. Tannenbaum will have nothing to do with the how the team is constructed, that has been made clear. It sounds like he’s going to be more involved in other aspects of the franchise. Grier is the top dog, the head honcho, the big cheese. He’s got the same position Ozzie Newsome held in Baltimore. Let’s see what he can do. We have no choice anyway, that’s what it is.
On another note the only black GM or top football executive in the NFL is Chris Grier with Ozzie Newsome stepping down in Baltimore. I think that’s a positive for this organization. With all the strife in our society with race relations that could be a draw for many coaches and players.
TIM; That’s a hopeful statement, and a good statement. But, personally, I don’t care if the new GM is black, white, or polka-dotted. I just want someone, ANYONE, who can put an end to this decade of Ross’s failures. And I have great difficulty believing that the owner who has presided over this Decade of Failure has, all of a sudden, developed the skill of “Picking the Right Person for this JOB!”
————-
SHOW ME!
Of course he needs to succeed. This is his chance. None of us know how he’ll do but he’s never had final say on anything but now he will. I’m rooting for him because I’m a fan and I personally like him. I’ve always liked listening to his views on personnel. He comes off as smart and believes in BPA which is how you build a good team.
That’s great
And it’s also notable that it’s an in-house promotion instead of a Rooney rule interview
Yep! It’s sincere, not a well we had to interview this guy because of the Rooney rule.
He has to start before you can start saying “show me” OD…lol
PIGGY: “show me” REFERS TO ROSS. LOL!!
HOWEVER, Grier has yet to blow me away with whatever his contributions have been in the scouting department. Maybe now he will.
Because we don’t know who Grier pounded the table over and who he would have passed on. All we can do is go from here. Grier is well respected throughout the league and within the organization. Going outside and bringing someone from somewhere else doesn’t make the reset any better just because it’s not from within. That guy could suck. Ross knows Grier and maybe he likes his view on things more than he did Tannenbaum and Gase. It’s his team, he gets to make those decisions not us. Let’s hope Grier kills it! LOL
My issue with Gase was the team seemed so ill prepared to play each week. With a few exceptions we have been notorious for slow starts. It’s like they’re surprised they’re going to play an actual game. I also had an issue regarding the OL coach last year, Gase said he had no idea this guy was snorting coke before meetings and that’s just BS. If you’re around someone for any period of time you know. Another thing is he seemed to need to rely on some gimmicky play. That’s ok once in a while but with him it’s every game. I think he would have done much better if he had a true OC to call plays but he was too stubborn to admit it. I know it takes some ego to get to be a NFL head coach but at some point you have to man up and admit what isn’t working and make a change to be better and he wouldn’t do it. For me that was enough to make a change
I’ve mentioned the OL coach herr before
Doesn’t seem like people agree with me
But to me it shows a real lack of awareness by Gase
Either lack of awareness or flat out lying. 🤷♀️
Drew Lock looked good today
Randy,
After two years of building your team and choosing your players that’s not enough time to have depth so injuries are relevant in his case.
Sure it is. Every team has 53 players to survive the year. Every team deals with injuries. Guy was always full of excuses.
I expect a lot of high priced vets who didn’t produce to the level of their salaries to be gone. Similar to when Jimmy Johnson came in and started over. I can see cuts and trades for more cap relief and more draft picks.
I heard someone say can’t remember who right now, that Bill Polian said plenty of teams would be interested in Ryan Tannehill. So a trade is possible there if Grier decides to move on along with the new HC.
What do you think they would give up? Just a random guess at this point, and what would be the lowest you would accept as Tim Grier?
To me that would be maybe a mid rd pick this year and a conditional pick in 2020. To take on his salary and performance based. So maybe a 5th this year and as high as a 1st or 2nd next year if he plays really well – then go from there 3rd and on etc.
PIGGY: Answer for you below your 7:48 post. ENJOY!!
MIKE E: I listed my email address yesterday on this site for the benefit of the guy who still owes me $50. So far, no response.
SO I will list it again: randydolfan1947@tampabay.rr.com
Could you or SOMEONE who knows him kindly pass it on to him? Thanks very much.
‘
Orob,
Gase didn’t start from scratch. No coach gets to completely remake their roster. That’s simply not realistic. He made lots of changes, and none of them really worked. “His guys” sucked….so why give him more time to build “his” roster? I’m kinda done with him. He’s gone. Best of luck to him…as long as he never beats us. Lol
He did a lot better before he started playing with the roster.
You can’t discard all the injuries, It played a major role in the team that played most of the games.
Tim, look at it another way. Why did we have 4 QBs on the early roster if injuries are such an important part of the game?
I see that little Krissy Coughman has deleted his tweet, LYING about Cam Wake, Frank Gore, Kenny Stills, and Kenyan Drake running to Steve Ross, threatening him (by asking for a trade or release) if he retained Adam Gase.
Can’t wait ’til Coughman gets what’s coming to him for trying to taint these extremely stand-up players and their reputations, lying about Steve Ross having met with them, and trying to undermine our beloved franchise as a whole.
Didn’t I tell y’all that Coughman is a punk?
I’d really like John Harbaugh, but NOT if it’s going to take major draft picks to trade for him. That’s only going to prolong our rebuilding process.
I’m also going to say something profound about this: it’s not wise for Steve Ross to employ both Harbaugh’s: blood is thicker than water. Should something go wrong with one, the other is likely to follow suit with his brother. BAD IDEA
New Age, not sure what you mean about the QBs? I wouldn’t say injuries are such an important part of the game lol, more of a shitty part of the game. Tannehill coming off of the knee, Osweiler and Fales competing at #2, Falk as a future prospect. I think the QB position will change a lot moving forward. Grier knows he has Ross’ blessing to do it the way he thinks it needs to be done. The first year is the key year because this is when you change the direction of the team both fiscally and player types, then build on it. Cut cap and try to acquire draft picks.
Like I said earlier, as fans at least we know this is going to happen and not try to win now. If we go 8-8 next season as a team totally going through a transformation awesome! If we go 3-13 yikes but hey… it had to happen. All high priced vets that don’t make sense the next 2-3 years are gone.
I just think Gase didn’t know what he wanted or how to get there. 4 QBs are for teams who don’t necessarily need to win this year. With a 53 that has kickers, LSer, and very little room for extras, 4 QBs is a huge luxury. Injuries were part of the issues for 2017, so why not build up problem areas with extra guys? QB could be considered such on our team, but those guys were filler. Gase was stubborn with Fales just like Buffalo was with Peterman. You notice how this backfired for both squads.
I agree about the changes coming fast and furious this next year. Should be interesting.
I’ve also been meaning to ask this: is it time to go back to a 3-4 Defense? I mean, if we’re even thinking about it, the time is NOW to do so.
We’d have to find a vet NT and then draft one for the future (they don’t grow on trees and generally take 3 to 4 years to groom. See Paul Soliai).
This is what we’d do should Vic Fangio come to Miami.
Well given we have to bring in an entire brand new DL maybe it’s the move to make
Raekwon and Baker would likely be our ILBs, Kiko and Wake (should Wake return) would be our OLBs. Could thus far BUST Charles Harris thrive as an OLB in a 3-4 Defense, I wonder?
The Flying Pig says:
December 31, 2018 at 9:42 pm
Well given we have to bring in an entire brand new DL maybe it’s the move to make
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Yeah, man! That’s what I’m thinking, too. If we’re going to do it, we may as well do it NOW. Do you think we have the LBs in-house to make it work?
Just shooting spitballs but what kind of team does everyone want? What is the favorite type of play-style you guys would love to see?
I always build in the middle when I draft Madden an both sides. That said I’d start drafting guys for a prospective style that makes us stout in the middle but it’s going to take a couple off-seasons to get the people needed to do my ideal style.
I’d like to see a balanced Offense… one that can win via the ground or win via the air. Too often, an Offense will run into a Defense that can shut down one of those facets (air or ground). Thus, I find it imperative to be a very balanced Offense that is adaptable. If they shut down our passing game, gash ’em for 100+ on the ground. If they shut down our running game, gash ’em for 300+ in the air.
I look at the Defensive side of the ball the same way: gotta be able to shut down the run or the pass.
The key to doing this is positional versatility on both sides of the ball… a staple of the Patsies* now for years.
On Offense, it begins with a QB who is GRAND (still looking since Marino retired), a solid O-Line (both pass-protecting and run-blocking), an APB (All-Purpose Back). And of course, a stud WR or TE helps.
On Defense, it begins with the next Brian Urlacher… killer in run-defense, killer in pass-defense (elite 3-down LB). Gotta have a solid D-Line (both pass-rushing and run-defending). And you’ve gotta have a (uh-hem…) BALLHAWK in the secondary.
The magic begins when the roster is then filled out with exceptional complementary players, who are so positional versatile, that they can play either the pass or run (BOTH sides of the ball).
I REALLY like your question, New Age! I could go on and on about this, in a very positive fashion, man!
We have a BALLHAWK secondary and young.
The Redskins are a team I could see being interested in Tannehill. He fits the WC offense Gruden runs. Both Smith and McCoy are dealing with significant injuries.
Most people know that Tanny will be cut and be an FA and if teams wait they won’t have to inherit that shitty contract. I don’t see any trade possiblites
We’ll see.
The only way I see us being able to move him is to eat some of that contract. I’d do it in a heartbeat since we are rebuilding. Take $12 mill of the hit and he’s suddenly a decent rehab project who’s worth maybe a low end 3rd at the right time. The $12 mill hit would be better than the $19 to release him and he’s an easy release the next year if it doesn’t work out for whoever.
Can’t do that in the NFL – eat part of the contract. That’s why trade compensation needs to be something to take on the contract, and conditional performance based compensation.
Harris could be an OLB in a 3-4 but we don’t have any ideal LBs for ILB in a 3-4 and limited for OLB. It’s gonna take a lot to switch to 3-4 in one season. We can do it, but we really don’t have the right people on the DL or LB
McMillan can play ILB in any scheme and he’s been getting better. Baker is a smallish speed LB but also a good blitzer/pass rusher. You can find a role for him in a 3-4. Harris would be an OLB and Godchaux and Taylor would be 3-4 DEs. It’s all on the table now.
I mentioned earlier different philosophies are totally open. It depends on the new HC. But Grier gets to pick the guy he thinks shares his vision.
I also think Marino might have had something to do with Grier being promoted. Talking football and what needs to be done. You get that soundboard and everyone in the building knows who gets it. That’s why I think Ross promoted Grier.
D, thank you for your feedback on our LBs in a 3-4 Defense. It’s going to take a little bit of time to get it exactly right, but I think we have the possibility to make it work ‘okay’ in the interim… should we decide to go to a 3-4 Defense.
You, too, Tim!
Happy New Year, man. There will be much change this offseason and for draftniks and personnel people like you, plenty of fun speculating this offseason. 🙂
If Adam Gase becomes the next HC of the Cleveland Browns (LOL!), Jarvis Landry will be jettisoned, clearing enough cap space for them to trade for Ryan Tannehill, to be the backup to Baker Mayfield. BET!!!
It may only fetch us a 3rd or 4th round pick for Tannehill, but I could see it happening!!!
MIKE E: I listed my email address yesterday on this site for the benefit of the guy who still owes me $50. So far, no response.
SO I will list it again: randydolfan1947@tampabay.rr.com
Could you or SOMEONE who knows him kindly pass it on to him? Thanks very much.
——————————
OD – Sent you an email.
You make it sound like I was dodging you. I did tell you to get my email from Mike E. Glad you’re happy about winning that bet.
D, I think Grier believes in trench play first and then playmakers. We have some of both to work with. Build on it. Everyone knows QB is paramount for every team. What I like about Grier is he is a BPA guy, Do that enough times and your roster is good. Reach for need and you wallow in the mire.
Tim Knight says:
December 31, 2018 at 11:09 pm
Happy New Year, man. There will be much change this offseason and for draftniks and personnel people like you, plenty of fun speculating this offseason. 🙂
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Right back at ya, Brother… I wish you and yours a VERY Happy New Year! You know you’re one of my very favorite peeps here, and I apologize for riffs we got into in soon to be old 2018.
You’re a good dude, Tim. Know that I respect you, sir!
Best friends get heated at times. It’s all good.
Go Phins!!!!
I’m audi for the night. I wish you ALL a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
GO PHINS!!!
HELL YEAH!!!
Happy New Year folks!
Go Phins!!!
Happy New Year Mob!
That was a brutal hit on McTyer
I’m just wondering if they fired Burke? that’s who needs to go, i’ve seen enough of this wide 9
That goes hand in hand with firing Gase
Randy says:
December 31, 2018 at 7:33 pm
ORob,
He may very well have been lying, but Gase said Tannehill was one of the reasons he took this job. Tanny was not forced on him.
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you can bet Ross sold the idea of this team focusing their future around tannehill when Gase was hired. one of the reasons he dumped Philbin was because Philbin was not on board with Tannehill, he wanted Derek Carr when they drafted Tannehill.
that said Tannehill wasn’t all that bad however Gase only had Tanny for one season, he’d been injured most of the time after that.
too many injuries to actually gauge Gases success as a HC, his firing was premature.
you cant operate an offense effectively with too many back-ups playing key positions, we are not a deep enough team to handle the injuries we suffered in 18
i bet Gase is thrilled with getting fired, he banks 10 mil and is the hottest HC prospect on the market.
some team may get a great future coach
He biggest failure was not adapting. Heard all about how each week would be different because of matchups. Never saw it. Same week in week out. Only “guru” he brought was trick plays in the end. He never had any identity on offense (well we were the WR screen team) and hired and kept Burke on defense.
I wanted to believe and thought we had found our coach….NOPE!
Happy New Year
I’ve been saying for years the idea of a “win now” mentality wasn’t going to work. If you go 3-13 one year because you’re trying to build the team you think you should be building rather than be bringing in these washed up free agents just to try and get some wins but not enough to do anything consistently was the wrong way to go.
I’m thrilled to hear Grier talk the way he did about doing the right thing after all this time. I’m not sold he’s necessarily the guy to do it but if we just stop with this BS “win now” mentality and start building a team it would be a refreshing change; for once.
Tim,
Grier may be a BPA guy but there needs to be better player evaluation in order to go BPA too. If you look at some of the guys taken after Harris, Tre’Davious White for instance, he would have solved our CB issue. Harris is too small and not strong enough. One can argue Njoku would have been a better way to go.
So, there’s a lot to be said about the BPA mentality but the evaluations have to get better.
Just think of the amount of talent that was brought onto this team but didn’t get a fair shot because of an asshole HC like Gase who didn’t want to spend the time coaching them because he wanted to “win now”, instead of building a team for the future that could compete with anyone on Sundays.
and then think about guys like Parker, James and Tannehill who were part of the “win now” situation on this team. Time to part ways with these guys. Gase was keeping them around just because he was trying to save his own ass.
If Tannehill was the reason Gase came here it was probably so he could show his QB whisperer skills and be the one who made him actually be a good professional QB. Yes he was injured but according to them he had a whole year of ‘mental reps’ and we still see him throwing into a cluster of opposing players instead of throwing the ball away. Is that what a Qb whisperer gets you?
The team was rarely prepared to play and his idea of adjustments during a game was to sit on the bench trying to come up with some gimmicky play. That’s what I saw and it wasn’t working. Good luck to him, maybe he learns from this, maybe he goes somewhere with a QB that can do whatever it was he wanted to do but it wasn’t working here.
I can’t wish a guy good luck who did more to set this team back than he did to improve it in the 3 years he was here. If he did things the right way we’d be much closer to where we need to be right now but he chose to feed his ego instead. I really don’t care if he learned his lesson or not and if he’s ever successful as a head coach in the NFL.
https://phinphanatic.com/2019/01/01/miami-dolphins-ryan-tannehill-killed-many-coaching-careers/
this is why we cant expect more than a 7th for Tannehill
The counter argument is that all of the guys mentioned were pretty bad at their jobs. Maybe Bill Lazor is just ok but the rest just weren’t very good. All coaches think they can rehab bad players and someone out there probably thinks the same of Tannehill. If the Redskins ended the year using terrible Josh Johnson, Tannehill has a strong shot at another chance somewhere. Someone has to sell him as the next Foles. It may not work but he has a market.
agreed, there is a market for RT, but i believe its soft, and we wont get a top pick
there are at least half a dozen qb in the draft that show higher upside than Tannehill,
im beginning to think Tannehills a WR who tried to play QB
I’d be happy if we got a blue chip DT like Simmons in the first, a great center prospect like Erik McCoy in the 2nd and someone like Stidham or even Thorson in the 3rd or 4th to develop, even if we do go after a top qb in 2020. At least we’re moving on from the has been qb’s we have as backups on the roster.
hell no to simmons, great player, horrible person.
hes a woman beating thug, and wont make it in Miami without getting in trouble
kordell stewart was a wr who tried to play QB for 7 years. it cost the steelers almost a decade of success they could have had if they had a real QB
looks like we didnt learn from Pittsburgh mistake, but instead, adopted it , and made it our offense
repeating the same mistakes, nets the same results imo
i think Miami may go after Dukes QB who just declared, Daniel Jones
as long as they don’t waste a 1st rd pick on him and they get him in a mid round I’d be ok with that. however, there’s better prospects than him they can probably get in the 3rd or 4th, IMO.
I don’t see them going with a qb in the first unless someone like Haskins is available and they move up to get him. However, with the defensive players available this year who may not be there next year and the qb heavy draft next year I think they forgo qb and go with a blue chipper on the defensive side who they think can really help them.
Jones may be a late first, its possible we could trade back and still get him IMO
but id need to see the draft play out a little to be certain of that i would need to, see who takes qb and who doesnt
damn autocorrect lifted half a sentence, lmao sorry
I know there’s some who think Jones is a 1st rd prospect and will be graded as such but he’s not. Not even close. He’s a developmental guy who’s going to take a couple years, at least. behind someone and then there’s really even no guarantee he ever becomes the guy.
The thing everyone likes about him is his arm strength and his size but he’s not there yet upstairs. He doesn’t have the qb I.Q. right now. first rd would be a waste with so many other great prospects on the defensive side who could really help the team.
I’d also like to see them start going bigger at DE than getting these smaller speed rushing DE’s. If they’re going DE in the 1st I’d much rather see them go after someone like Zach Allen or Ferrell than someone like Polite.
sound idea, a bigger de might possibly help our run defense more
I understand what you mean, but there is no way 3-13 is as good as 8-8.
8-8 means I get to watch us win 8 games, beat 8 teams, probably beat the pasties*..
3-13 means i have to watch us lose almost every Sunday.
Even to Cleveland
and probably get swept by the hated jills and jests.
NEW BLOG UP!
where?
Link is at the top right of the page. Refresh your page
i dont worry about rookie qb anymore, just get a college superstar with nfl skills and size, and draft the guy even though hes not an experienced super bowl winning QB yet
alot of folks laughed at Ravens, said Jackson needed years to develop, damn, every qb needs years to develop in the nfl, just put the guy out there and let him learn and get his licks in
Jacson helped them win the division and go into the playoffs on a winning note, not bad for a guy not ready
You really think Jackson is going to be a good qb? He completed 58% of his passes, had 6 tds and 3 ints and fumbled the ball 12 times. Granted, he’s a rookie but I really don’t see him improving all that much.
His legs are the most impressive thing about him. He’s still a terrible passing qb.
Lou,
I also would love that for the first two rounds and consider Brown and Jenkins to be good prospects as well. This year’s Senior Bowl has every QB I want to look at in it. Perfect time to see if anyone rises and what problems they will have early.
Brown and Jenkins? Who are your referring to?
Eigton Jenkins from MSU and Derrick Brown.