I know Brian Flores wasn’t perfect, I watch all the games and see this team play every week. Once the Dolphins fired Flores, it’s amazing how quickly the negative stories came out. Look, some of them are probably true, and others are just silly. I’ll never know the veracity of all of them and frankly, it doesn’t matter. I was ready to hitch my wagon to Flores and for a decade or so. I mean as a Dolphins fan, you just have to be tired of the turnover here. We’ve seen this now far too many times since the new millennium. In 2000, Dave Wannstedt was our Head Coach. In 2005 Satan, er Nick Saban took over. In 2007 we got the Cam Cameron show for all of 1 year, and with his 1-15 record, one year too many. Then Bill Parcells came to town with his lazy uninspired plan to fix the Dolphins for owner Wayne Huizenga. He brought Jeff Ireland (GM), Head Coach Tony Sparano, and OC Dan Henning and DC Paul Pasqualoni. Thanks Bill for your efforts! Near the end of the 2011 season, Todd Bowles replaced Tony Sparano. In 2012, as if Bill Parcells grand plan wasn’t uninspiring enough, Stephen Ross hired Head Coach Joe Phibin. Joe somehow was allowed to muddle through 4 seasons here boring Dolphins fans everywhere. In 2016, we hired Head Coach Adam Gase, that of “Offensive Guru” status. We was offensive alright. Maybe Ross realized that he gave Philbin one too many so he cut Gase’s tenure at 3 years. In 2019 we hired the young, fiery defensive coordinator from the rival Patriots. Yes, another Belichick disciple. Flores was given only 3 years, perhaps once again harking back to Joe Philbin getting 4 years. If you’re wondering, since the year 2000, the Dolphins record is 176-183. Uninspiring.
I’m not going to touch any of the stories circulating regarding why Flores may have been fired. We saw the offense as an ineffective unit. Flores’ defensive pedigree had this team’s defense ahead of the offense during his 3 year tenure. Not that the defense was a championship level defense, it wasn’t, but compared to the offense it may have looked that way. Our offensive line has been an issue for years and despite Grier’s attempts to bring in talent to remedy the situation, drafting OT Liam Eichenberg in RD 2 (#42) in 2021, OT Austin Jackson in RD 1 in 2020 (#18), OG Robert Hunt in RD 2 (#39), and OG Solomon Kindley (#111) in RD 4. In 2019 we drafted OC Michael Deiter in RD 3 (#78). It’s certainly not due to a lack of effort, but our 2021 O-line was ranked dead last at #32. Truth be told, I feel we have talented players on that line, but Flores’ choice of Lemuel Jeanpierre seems to be the linchpin. This is a unit that must be fixed in order for this team’s offense to be successful. I hope whoever the new HC is realizes that a great veteran O-line Coach is necessary here. Notice how I haven’t once mentioned Tua? If I could talk to him, I’d tell him this . . .
So now the search begins, and I really don’t have a strong feeling as to who the new Head Coach will be. I have to admit I’m a little concerned that we didn’t clean house completely. If Chris Grier was fired as well, you find a GM and then that GM hires the new coach. Now, despite not getting fired, you have the appearance of a GM who may be on the hot seat hiring a new Head Coach and that makes the job less appealing. As if having 8 Head Coaches in the last 21 years isn’t unappealing enough!!! The good thing Dolphins fans, is that there are only 32 Head Coaching jobs and we have an opening, so there will be lots of interest regardless of the aforementioned pitfalls. We have a young, talented roster that some coach is going to be thrilled to take the helm of. Plenty of money in Free Agency will be available as well, close to $70M. We have a defensive unit on the rise with potential to be a top 10 defense if the offense gets on track. Some of that $70M will have to be used to re-sign our own players. DE Emmanuel Ogbah, TE Mike Gesicki, WR/ST Mack Hollins, TE Durham Smythe, LB Elandon Roberts and DB Nik Needham. RB Duke Johnson will probably be taken care of as well. I think Ogbah is the top priority, he’s been great since he got here and is an important piece of this defense. I think Gesicki should also be a priority but it depends on what type of TE the new HC is looking for. If he wants a receiving threat TE then Gesicki will be back. If he wants a blocking TE then it’s more likely Durham Smythe comes back and Gesicki goes elsewhere. Mack Hollins is becoming a better WR and is invaluable as a special teams player. I also hope we re-sign Nik Needham, I like that kid, and he always exceeds expectations.
Defensive players like CB Xavien Howard, CB Byron Jones, S Jevon Holland and S Brandon Jones will be sure to help lure a potential HC here. LB’s Jerome Baker and Andrew Van Ginkel as well, and of course young DE/LB Jaelan Phillips. On offense, rookie sensation WR Jaylen Waddle is a great start, but the falloff is big after that. Free agency and the draft are going to both be used to bring in talent at WR to complement Jaylen Waddle. Running back has to be a priority as well and if you know me, I want to draft one, not overpay for one in FA. Draft a RB early enough to procure one of the best RB’s in this draft, add in one of the holdovers like Myles Gaskin, re-sign Duke Johnson and pick up a FA RB that won’t break the bank. How we proceed at TE interests me. I’m very curious to see if we keep Mike Gesicki and/or Durham Smythe.
Here’s hoping we make the right choice for our new Head Coach, whomever he may be. Here’s hoping this new Head Coach can be successful enough to be here more than 10 years. Here’s also hoping we made the right choice retaining GM Chris Grier. Here’s hoping for a full recovery for our friend Jon “Stanger”. Here’s hoping for all of us to stay healthy in 2022.
#stangerstrong
GO DOLPHINS!!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Nice write Mike E thanks for keeping the content coming
Thanks Ken
As always, a well researched thought-provoking piece.
We are certainly at yet another crossroads as a franchise. Right now I’d be thrilled at another winning season next year. I do feel that leadership, gravitas and connections are the most important criteria for the new HC. He has to be able to put in place a winning staff and lead and motivate them and the whole team. It seems like forever since we’ve had imbalances between O, D and STs and have always had weaknesses in one or more areas that opponents have exploited in post-season. As you say Mike, it feels like all we have is hope (again) right now. It’s the hope that keeps us going.
~Stangerstrong
But every time they go a different direction, that hope takes a hit, to the point where hiring a new coach now brings credibility to those that talk of organizational dysfunction
They can only hype the BS for so long, fix the biggest problem (Ross), then maybe the hope comes back
Until then it’s Missouri state slogan
As much as I hate Ross is unless we can cobble together a few million that problem ain’t getting fixed
Billion^
You do realize Ross has a partner ready to take over, or at least a succession plan
https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2631204-dolphins-owner-stephen-ross-succession-plan-reportedly-approved-by-nfl.amp.html
I am aware but how does that change what I said. Unless Ross is ready to transfer ownership to the partner nothing will matter
Ross at any time could just sell, and wouldn’t have to wait years for the dea to get done
Wouldn’t that rid us of the problem?
At least it’s realistic and not sarcasm
My take on what happened
They say in life, when you have a weakness, you attract people, that see that weakness and take advantage of it
Ross has the weakness of not knowing how to operate an NFL team
Grier pisses in Ross’ ear, tells him exactly what he wants to hear, making him happy and proud, like a father is to a son
Because of this he can’t let Grier go
Grier has 1 people skill, elder abuse, he surely doesn’t know how to run an NFL franchise either, but since Ross is clueless he gets rid of the wrong guy
Ross and Grier are a combination for disaster, they may get lucky again like with Flores, but not likely, because Grier will hire our next coach that he’s comfortable with (VJ), instead of the right guy for the job
Flores seeing this dysfunction tried to make changes, when he realized he couldn’t, he went into a cocoon and closed himself off to some in the organization
Pretty sure it was no shock to Flo he was let go, he wrote his own ticket out of town, once he stopped playing their game
I just heard something similar on WQAM. It’s one sliver of potential truth in a big fat pie of truths and lies. Listen, I wanted Flores to stay on not because of what he’s done so far and absolutely not because of the staff he’s assembled (Twice!!!). He didn’t bring in one quality coach or coordinator in 3 years. You can say Josh Boyer but Flores probably had his hand in that defense more than Boyer anyway. Flores knows defense, and our defense was good, not great. He apparently doesn’t know shite about offense and his co-co idea was rubbish (for you UK!). I wanted to keep Flores for the sake of potential and mostly continuity. Two slow starts in a row, very poor ability to make in game adjustments. There really wasn’t a lot to hang his hat on except for the record breaking 7 game win streak. After that he predictably shat the bed with the playoffs on the line but then came up with a near heroic effort once eliminated against the Pats. I can see you’ve bought in to the dark side of the stories. I don’t care that he was an asshole (if he was), I care about what he did for our football team, and so far, it wasn’t great. Not bad, but not good either.
Dark side maybe, but what I’ve based this on is the continuity we’ve had, has been Ross and Grier and it ain’t working
Flores on the other hand, from a positive standpoint, because that’s where hope and potential comes from, has overachieved 2nd half all 3 seasons
He’s done plenty, that I didn’t like, but he’s done enough to believe he’s the next great coach
He knows D, but doesn’t exactly come across as an overall football genius, however I think he can grow into a great overall HC by bringing in the right people on O
Worst case scenario with Flo I think is 9-8 or 8-9 going forward, with a chance to do damage in the playoffs, that was my hope, and not this starting over again horse shit we have now
Just give someone, anyone with a glimmer of bite as a pup, the keys to the factory for 10 years and get the F out of their way Ross
Thanks UK – Hope is what we got brother. I think our roster is promising enough to keep the hope alive, including Too-uh! 😉
If Calvin Munson isn’t a Dolphin next year, we riot.
The Dolphins get Munsoned?
Viva la Munson!
Nice rubbish mention, and I like Too-uh Too Mike. I like a lot of our players. I just don’t like our holes.
I worry that the next HC won’t even like some of our players and Grier won’t address the holes. I’ll still be cheering for the Fins though.
Time to go and chase some beers down now here soon. Have a good weekend all.
Fins up / Stangerstrong
I don’t like our a-holes either, and wished the 2 at the top were gone
A comedian on 8 after laughter, from the local classic rock station, station has a joke about someone telling him he can do better (than her)
He said, I’m doing ok, but Jim you could do better
I know I could do better, but better wants to do great, I’m doing ok
With Flores we were doing ok, after 20 years in mediocrity it was good enough
LOL @ Good Tua Hunting
Well done, Mike 🙂
Thanks Kong
Thank you Mike E.!
I edited a couple of typos before Rock shows up! Hope you don’t mind. 😂
Thanks, and thanks for the edit. Wouldn’t want Rock harassing the author. 🤣
Tomlin is a system HC, don’t think he will work for us, since we have no system
The NFL might’ve passed Tomlin by.
Maybe it’s the Big Ben effect, but Tomlin seems too old school now.
I certainly don’t want the next Mike Tomlin.
I want the next Mike Vrabel or even a Sean McDermott.
herdfan says:
January 14, 2022 at 12:51 pm
I edited a couple of typos before Rock shows up! Hope you don’t mind. 😂
Reply
I am not knit-picky! I think Mike appreciates the critique. LOL
I know it’s chic to crit Grier, and I get why people think he’s a problem, but I honestly don’t think anybody could’ve done much better with a complete tear down than he has done.
We went from the worst roster in the NFL to a playoff contender in 3 years, which is what you all wanted. If I was told that we’d have 2 winning seasons in a row and lost out for the playoffs at the end of both seasons plus swept the Patriots, well I for one would have thought that was impossible the day they fired Gase.
When you look across the league at just the first round draft picks, many have not fulfilled that high potential.
You guys always say the draft is a bit of a crap shoot, especially with the nature of the college game these days, but then you want to hold Grier to a standard of infallibility.
When you are specific, say with drafting Iggy instead of the RB we so desperately needed, I’m on board with that.
But generally, I think Grier has done well.
I am particularly impressed with how he has found needed replacements for injured players during the seasons. For example he found 2 centers from scrap heaps that got us through a rough patch this year.
And he found a K returner when we needed one. And brought back several LBs to pitch in.
But the biggest gems he scored for us are Phillip Lindsay and Duke Johnson, without whom we would not have had that winning streak.
The OL woes I believe lay completely on developing and or allocating by the OL coach and pseudo OCx3 BS. In other words, the HC did not use the resources that the GM bought for him.
But we are stocked with a bunch of talented young players.
2020 tells all, he schat the bed in FA and the draft the year we had all the picks, that alone says Grier is clueless
You don’t get a free pass, when you make these mistakes unless you have a good track record to offset
You could say he brought in Ogbah or the top 3 picks in 2021, but even a blind squirrel, he’s made way more mistakes, than his share
Mike E.
Your pieces just get better and better. I read every one with interest and learn stuff every time.
Thanks Naples, much appreciated!
steveccnv says:
January 14, 2022 at 12:51 pm (Edit)
Ross at any time could just sell, and wouldn’t have to wait years for the dea to get done
Wouldn’t that rid us of the problem?
At least it’s realistic and not sarcasm
———————
But we are still at Ross’s mercy as to when he wants to sell. The good news Ross won’t live forever the bad news is Ross selected his partner so the new owner will still have the stench of Ross on him.
I happen to 100% agree with this guy. Though he didn’t say it, he’s implying that Steve Ross is the major problem… and that Ross is the source of all the negative press about Flores, as has been the case with each firing he’s made since he became owner…
Grier is a mixed bag imo. 2020 was not good even for those of that like Tua. The 2021 draft was out of the park even if you didn’t like the trade back up. He did mess up with FA this off season but he did find Ogbah. He poached Duke Johnson and Lindsay. I get keeping him.
Congrats to Kevin Byard and Jordan Poyer!!! Both were graduates of M13 University!!!
Round 1, pick 5: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Round 1, pick 18: Austin Jackson, OT, USC
Round 1, pick 30: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn
Round 2, pick 39: Robert Hunt, G, Louisiana-Lafayette
Round 2, pick 56: Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama
Round 3, pick 70: Brandon Jones, S, Texas
Round 4, pick 111 (from Texans): Solomon Kindley, G, Georgia
Round 5, pick 154 (from Jaguars through Steelers): Jason Strowbridge, DE, North Carolina
Round 5, pick 164 (from Eagles through Cowboys): Curtis Weaver, DE, Boise State
Round 6, pick 185: Blake Ferguson, C, LSU
Round 7, pick 246 (from Chiefs): Malcolm Perry, WR, Navy
Dolphins 2020 picks:
How is that such a terrible draft?
I don’t think any team would be sad to get 6 starters from 1 draft.
Iggy instead of a quality RB is the glaring failure, but he’s a great athlete who might find his way onto the field some day. He’s still very young. And even #1 draft picks at RB often fail or fade fast.
I agree, especially when you consider that Jackson was rated high by almost everyone, and the other linemen taken were/are starters and still potentially salvageable. (Kindley specifically: Hunt is fine)
When one looks at who we passed on by taking Austin Jackson and Iggy, it leaves a lot of doubt regarding Chris Grier…
For instance, we could have taken Trevon Diggs (1st team All-Pro this year) over Iggy…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_NFL_Draft
But we had/have Xavien. We didn’t need another #1 boundary CB that year; we desperately needed a OT. Jackson was consensus the best available at that pick.
Jackson and Iggy so far are busts and Tua is still developing
^
Where is our path to All Pro? Which of those is weakest or possible to replace with one of our guys?
Safety with Holland?
Our long snapper?
RT Davis instead of Wirfs?
I’ve said it many times before, including pre-Draft, 2020: I would have traded R1P18 (Jackson) and R1P30 (Iggy) in order to move up for MAN-CRUSH Tristan Wirfs.
That is NOT hindsight, either.
That said, who knows… perhaps Wirfs would have looked like crap behind this inept O-Line coaching and Offensive struggling: who knows.
I wanted a Tackle who had experience on the right side (Tua’s blindside). I made countless mentions of how Wirfs has experience on the right side. Now, he’s All-Pro as a Right Tackle. Imagine if we had him instead of Jesse Davis.
I should have prefaced this whole thing: most of us KNEW that if Tua fell to us @ R1P5, we’d take him. And so we did. After selecting him, there needed to be a plan to protect his blindside… no such plan ever materialized, other than Jesse Davis. SMH
Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performace
We didn’t have a chance to draft Wirfs, he was taken at #13. If you want to say Cesar Ruiz, we had 2 shots at him but took Jackson and Iggy. I still think Jackson will rebound. He was thrown into a bad situation this season. He had Flowers, an experienced vet next to him and while he didn’t play exceptionally well, he looked better than he did this season. As I’ve said, you’re as good as the guy next to you on the line. We had Eichenberg playing inside at LG as a rookie and Jackson’s play deteriorates. What a surprise! Then they switch them, move Jackson to LG and Eichenberg to LT and they both look bad. You want to talk about bad planning, there you have it! We need someone to get these guys straight and playing where they play best. I don’t think it’s unrealistic to see that happen. We’ll see.
Which game did Jacksin look good at LG?
I didn’t say he looked good at LG. I said last year at LT, with Ereck Flowers at LG.
I also didn’t say he looked good, I said better than this year which is correct.
Sorry, read it wrong🤮
I don’t think you can call a player who starts every game a bust, even if he’s not great at the position.
Plus Jackson is STILL only 22 years old. So is Igbenoghene. It just seems like they’ve been here forever to us.
Why not? If the unit in general is so bad someone has to start
If you were told what the results were going to be for the 2020 draft after 2 seasons, would you have been happy with the draft right after it concluded?
You could say we got 6 starters from the 2020 draft, plus an LS
You could also say Tua was the wrong pick, Jackson is horrible, Iggy can’t get on the field, Hunt has been good for where picked, Davis very good, Jones good for where picked, Kindley is a bust
Bottomline is having 3 1st rd picks you’d think 1 of them would at least get a sniff of a PB and someone from that group should standout
Davis might be the closest thing
Jackson has had 9 penalties taken against him in 2 years. That’s not terrible for a 21-22 year old.
How many were called?
11
PFF shows 12, that’s not good
Tied for 4th most
Jackson played 1096 offensive plays and gave up 2 sacks in 2021. That’s not terrible.
Is that right? Where are you getting those stats from? That’s not bad at all if correct.
I am up for blaming coaches before blaming rookies.
In our particular case, I think coaching is a primary issue. The lack of continuity on the line and the OL coaching staff was a concern, imo. Fix that, then try to assess and utilize these guys where they are best suited, and coach and practice to it, none of this shifting around crap!
Jackson’s rookie year he played 848 snaps and gave up 4 sacks. That’s one every three games. That’s not terrible for a rookie at LT, which is against the opposition’s best edge rush guys.
Sacks aren’t the end all, he gave up a lot of pressures
https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/austin-jackson/60816?season=2020
Thanks Naples!
Personally I don’t care if a higher pick (1st 2 rounds) makes a Pro Bowl, or All Pro team, I just want them to be a consistent, positive contributor to the team each week, If that leads to wins, the individual stuff usually goes along with it. Years from now, nobody will care where these guys were drafted if we are consistently contending and they are contributing.
Are we looking to upgrade Jackson or does he still have potential?
I think he definitely has potential. He was considered a raw prospect to begin with, we did him no favors this season putting him next to Eichenberg who was next to Deiter and 3 other guys at C this season. Not optimal conditions to be fair.
Surely we need a contingency plan
I’d give Jackson one more chance, especially since a new HC is coming in who might be able to hire a competent OL coach and have a scheme that maxes our OL potential better.
HOWEVER
I believe we need a first round RT.
2nd round ILB or RB
3rd RB or ILB
Yeah, but that chance needs to be a camp chance
His NFL career is on the line, he needs to work his ass off this offseason
In three games at left tackle this season, Jackson permitted 20 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus. But in 10 games at left guard, he has allowed 23 pressures and two sacks.
Article Dec 21
Steve – What would be your contingency plan?
FA
Jackson will be in camp just because of his salary, cap cost, not sure he makes the 2022 roster though
No reason not to have 2 at least avg FA OL signed this year, 1 OC and 1 OT and a drafted 1st rd OL
Not sure how I feel about Jones/Kindley replacing Jackson at OG, but between those 3 and a drafted OL it should be salvageable
2 FAs starting on the line should bring some stability back
I want 2 OL in the offseason too, but I want an OG and an OC. I’d prefer a LG, that will help Jackson at LT. Put a good center next to say Laken Tomlinson at LG, then Robert Hunt at RG, and then Liam Eichenberg at RT where he feels he’s best suited. I’ll wait for Randy to chime in on this one. I’m curious to know what he thinks.
I saw a mock giving us Texas A&M OT Kenyon Greene in the First.
Everybody ok with that?
Have no idea who he is, but the position is right
I like the idea of keep targeting OL until we get it right
Do you all like the Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker? We can prob get him at pick 50. He seems a bit short. 5’9 206 (but that’s almost exactly the same ht/wt as Frank Gore)
Love him
Short is not a problem for a RB. Short with a small frame is a problem. A 5’9 220 bowling ball with a low center of gravity is fine with me!
Is Dieter not good enough to try another season at center?
Only OL we have worth keeping is Hunt everyone else can and or should be replaced
He missed 8 games this season, played 2% of the offensive snaps in 2020. He did play 16 in ’19 and had 15 starts, but that’s 3 years removed. I personally won’t be counting on him, but he’ll be on the roster if he makes the team.
TEAM PICKS
22: R1 P22 C Tyler Linderbaum – Iowa
50: R2 P18 LB Devin Lloyd – Utah
98: R3 P34 RB Rachaad White – Arizona State
118: R4 P16 WR Jaivon Heiligh – Coastal Carolina
122: R4 P20 LB Brandon Smith – Penn State
157: R5 P15 RB Zamir White – Georgia
179: R5 P37 G T.J. Bass – Oregon
201: R6 P22 K Blake Mazza – SMU
209: R6 P30 FB Jeremiah Hall – Oklahoma
222: R7 P3 WR Kevin Austin Jr. – Notre Dame
Is Linderbaum big enough? 6’2 289 You can’t over-achieve in the NFL.
Linderbaum is a consensus top-10 selection… he’ll never last to R1P22, and counting.
My fave RB is Jerome Ford out of Alabama and Cincinnati 5’11 220.
He should still be there at 50.
I’d love to get Devin Lloyd, but not in round 1.
I doubt he will be there for us in R2.
I think ILB Damone Clark would be great in r3 and he’ll prob be there … LSU 6’3 245.
naplesfan2010 says:
January 14, 2022 at 3:38 pm
But we had/have Xavien. We didn’t need another #1 boundary CB that year; we desperately needed a OT. Jackson was consensus the best available at that pick.
—————-
Agreed! So then why did Grier get cute and draft Iggy in the 1st round?
Mike E. says:
January 14, 2022 at 3:28 pm
We didn’t have a chance to draft Wirfs, he was taken at #13…
—————-
WRONG! We very easily could have traded R1P18 and R1P30 to move up for Wirfs. That’s not even debatable, my man.
I advocated for it at the moment and would have done it in a heartbeat.
I wouldn’t have traded those picks to get Wirfs. I still think Jackson is going to be fine. His career has just started, he’s 22 years old, and he was on the worst O-line in the sport. That doesn’t help.
I truly hope your faith in Jackson pays off… I would never mind being wrong about him.
I mean if I had known that Iggy couldn’t even get on the field I’d be more inclined to trade that pick, but who knew how much he’d struggle, and maybe with a different HC he gets another chance to show he’s worth it.
It’s all good, Mike E. It is what it is now. Let the MUSIC FLOW!
Chaka Khan was awesome. I’ll never forget the first time I saw the video for her song “I’m every woman”. She’s smokin’ and she can sing!
+1000000000000000000000000000000
BTW, I wanted every woman she was in that video very badly! lol
SAME!!!
Chaka Khan inspired this choice, time period and all . . .
Excellent selection!
By the way, Bro… excellent write today, man!
Thanks M
Since you said let the music flow . . .
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
I was bumping this song just last night, my guy!!!!!!!!
LOVE this song!!!
YOU ROCK, MIKE E!!!
The incredible JODY WATLEY, ladies and gentlemen, from her OG group, Shalamar…
Another good one! Taking me back man . . .
Thanks!
Never knew BBQ stood for Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens. Learned sumpin today
YUP! This one is hot!
LOVE the funk from the 70s and 80s!!!
Sooooooooooouuuuuuuuuul Traaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiin!
:love:
Me too, great song. So smooth
Great tune!
First thing I think of when I hear “Brothers Johnson” is “Stomp” In that video, during the bass solo, the guy is tapping his hand everywhere except the strings. I should play it just for fun. lol
Good song! And, haha! I see it in the video you posted below!
You just gave me an idea for the next video I’m going to post…
Mike, I skimmed through the article but I saw what you were getting at. I was hoping Flores was the answer for a long time too. Now I’m in now mode. It’s too depressing to relive the past. LOL
I didn’t linger on it, you can read the rest. LOL
I’m looking past it already.
Yeah I just want to know who our new HC is and then focus on our offseason like we always do. LOL
M – I absolutely LOVE the song Strawberry Letter, I had no idea that was the name of that song. What an awesome sound that song has. I remember hearing it on the radio, had no idea who did it, what the name of the song is. So different than it is today with cars displaying the song name and the band right on the screen for you.
Happy to be of service to ya, BROTHER! Shock G did a version of “Strawberry Letter #22”, calling it “Strawberry Letter #23″… here it is…
VERY sensual. I promise, I NEVER freaked a woman to this song! LOL 😉
A++!!!
Where’s Wyo and Sonny? They usually participate in Friday Night music. Tim needs to put up a tune as well!
Any updates on Stanger?
Just that he is likely going to have to go in patient rehab for a while
That’s understandable. Get well, Stanger!!!!
Good one!!! Following the vibe
^
Gotta type something or it goes to spam I guess.
One post went directly to spam
Yeah I think you have to type something you can’t just post a link
Panthers ar whoopin ass tonight 6-01 at 2nd intermission
6-0
Who do you think will be our next Head Coach?
I’m leaning towards Brian Daboll. I think he’s paid his dues and has worked with a lot of good coaches over the years. He also has a relationship with Tua at Alabama. The timing might be right here.
He was also part of 5 Pats Super Bowl victories as a coach. He knows what it looks like.
I am at a loss there. I hope it is someone who does not change the defense much and one who is dynamic on the offensive side of the ball or at least the OC is.
Daboll already knows our personnel on defense facing them within the division twice a year since 2018 as the Bills OC. A year before Flores. His offense has destroyed us.
I would not be against giving Daboll a shot.
It adds up in a lot of ways. Struggling offense and a young QB in Tua. An offensive head coach makes sense. Daboll coached with Josh Boyer in NE. Flores was there too. Who’s to say Daboll wouldn’t retain Boyer? 😉
People were talking earlier about the Jackson and Iggy picks.
I had us taking OT Becton with the Jackson pick. He was gone though.
I had us taking RB Edwards-Helaire with the Iggy pick.
We could have gotten any one of Edwards-Helaire, D’Andre Swift or Johnathan Taylor with the Iggy pick.
Taylor was the pick.
Sure was!
HC Brian Daboll
DC Josh Boyer
OC Whoever Daboll hires
I’d take that right now!
Same here
Swift would have been fine there as well. He was rated higher than Taylor coming out, so either would have been fine. Our OL is shit, so they wouldn’t have done much behind it, but at least we still
Wouldn’t be looking for a RB.
I’m not sure Daboll has the Bigs.
Does he have the cachet to be a HC? Can he manage and command all the men, all the egos, the press, the staff, the travel?
Plus he has no real running game without Josh Allen.
It’s a tough call. I would really like McDaniel from SF. He seems to be quite the offensive mastermind. Though, there is that bigger question of can he be a successful first time HC.
That is my biggest concern about him. I love his offense in SF. He clearly has a great football mind but he is under Shanahan and doesn’t call the plays. I don’t know if he is ready. I think Daboll is more ready in that he has been around longer and is a play caller but I don’t like his offense as much. He abandoned the run way too often in Buffalo
The same can be said for any first time coach- we won’t know that until we hire someone!
I would like to keep Josh Boyer as well, but whoever comes in here probably has a guy they want to bring with him.
I would like that too.
Decent article
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/nfl/2022/01/13/miami-dolphins-coaching-search-calls-fix-offensive-game-plan/6511407001/
Ian Rapoport
@RapSheet
The #Dolphins embark on their search for a head coach with the expectation that Tua Tagovailoa is their starter for 2022 — and the plan to build around and support him.
Refreshing to hear
It’s really crazy if that’s true
Bc the assumption was that Ross and/or Grier didn’t want Tua and it is now starting to look like it was really Flores pushing to move away from Tua
https://www.thedailybeast.com/nfl-star-deshaun-watsons-settlement-offer-to-sexual-misconduct-accuser-revealed
If they are releasing proposed agreements to the public which heavily emphasize confidentiality then it’s safe to say they are nowhere near settlement
They are doing the opposite of the purpose of the settlement….
Exactly. There is only one reason why plaintiff would release that. That is to embarrass the other side and try to ratchet up the pressure applied to the other side.
It’s really such a spit in the face to Watsons legal team
How can they offer another settlement if the other side releases it and undermines the confidentiality you are asking for
There won’t be any settlement anytime soon
Also….NDAs in sexual assault cases aren’t exactly ironclad or popular these days….it’s sort of crazy how important this is to Watson after watching these types of NDAs blow up in recent years
Insightful information from our resident lawyers
https://www.nfl.com/news/dolphins-believe-in-tua-tagovailoa-expect-new-coach-to-build-around-qb
I did see a report that Watson still wants to come to Miami and would still waive his no trade clause.
Yes, I read that too.
It’s probably going to be up to the new coach at tHe end of the day
But if I were a hc candidate I would like this situation, bc if he doesn’t work out, you can go get you guy in 2023 and not be saddled with expectations in your first couple of years
And if does work out – yay!
“I watched him grow,” Ross said of Tagovailoa this week. “He’s a fine young man, and he is right now our quarterback and that will be dependent upon the new head coach, but I have a lot of confidence in Tua.”
This is a confusing statement by Ross from that article
I don’t think it’s confusing. He likes him but won’t stand in the way of coaching decisions
It could also be read as Tua’s development is dependent on the new coaches
That’s true
Agree, he won’t stand in the way.
Ross is all over the place, but he’s trying to be non partial, at least before an HC is hired
Did you expect anything less from Ross
Daboll accepted the interview request- that’s good news it was granted.
I don’t get this. Are Ross and Grier trying to pawn this off as the while Watson thing was ONLY because Flores was there? I’m not buying it. They must have had an interest in acquiring him as well or it would have been a non story, or at least they could have made it one.
It’s possible that flores was leading the charge to move away from Flores and everyone else was appeasing him
It is also obvious to me that Flores did no trust Tua as his QBs based on what I saw on The field and some of the playcalling in critical situation
Doesn’t explain Ross and Grier along for the ride all season and then taking a strong Tua is our QB this off-season.
Right. And if they wanted to ride with Tua, then the should have told Flores that and moved on.
i just want to move on. I really only like football. If they’re not playing or drafting, I’m not interested. I hate drama.
If you hate drama, you are following the wrong team. Lol
The Miami Drama Queens
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10023918-calvin-ridley-trade-rumors-falcons-moving-star-wr-a-very-strong-possibility
This is intriguing
I’d wait a year, why give up trade comp and pay him big bucks
Because he’s a proven NFL WR who has experience in Alabama’s system (think Daboll and Tua). You wait a year, someone else can grab him, sign him to an extension then he’s gone.
Watson has 1 chance to play this season, get these women paid off
He has 1 chance to be available for all 17 games, suspension not agreed upon yet
Not sure why any team wants to take on the PR nightmare for a guy who at some point will be suspended for many games ( based on previous suspensions)
He is losing leverage by the day
As are the Texans. Who knows, Flores interviewed for the Texans yesterday- maybe if he is hired Watson stays. May be too much damage done already though.
I was listening to NFL radio and they had one of the Texans beat writers on, John McClain. He said there is no way Watson ever plays for the Texans again even if Flores is hired
McCain is pretty reliable
McClain too
My first mock draft
Dolphins 2022 picks
R1 P20 — RT or LG Texas A&M Kenyon Green 6’4 335 or Ikem Okwonu 6’4 325 NCState
R2 P50 — RB Cincinnati Jerome Ford 5’11 220 or Kenneth Walker Michigan State 5’9 206
R3 P86 — ILB LSU Damone Clark 6’3 245 or Wisconsin Leo Chenal 6’2 260
R4 P112 — WR Ole Miss Dontario Drummond 6’ 220 or Jaquarri Roberson Wake Forest 6’ 182
R4 P116 — ILB Mike Rose 6’4 245 Iowa State or Quay Walker Georgia 6’4 240
R5 P143 — RB Rachaad White 6’2 210 Arizona State or Kennedy Brooks Oklahoma 5’10 214
R6 P178 — QB Stetson Bennett Georgia or Tanner Mordecai SMU
This makes a lot more sense
Aaron Wilson
@AaronWilson_NFL
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanted Deshaun Watson to settle his lawsuits at trade deadline, a tough 11th hour ask, and trade never came together. Miami conducted due diligence, hiring local counsel in Houston to look into likelihood of potential criminal charges, per sources.
We will never fully know who was behind everything. To me the best part of all of this is the likelihood of Watson to Miami has greatly diminished and I think that is a good thing
I can’t wait for Watson to go to a new team that isn’t Miami so we don’t have to deal with it anymore.
^^^
I can post at least two reports that Watson still want to come to Miami.
I know he still wants to come here but I think the odds are much less now for reasons out of Watson’s control
Like Tim mentioned, it won’t stop until he goes somewhere
Why does Watson want to come to Miami? We just fired Flores and it’s not like we have a juggernaut offense that he’d be joining.
Not Football related. He wants to be on South Beach and have no state income tax and lead the party lifestyle
Yeah those are the goals that you want from your QB. SMH
That is one of the major reasons I don’t want Watson
I didn’t believe for a second that watsons cases would settle before the deadline
And I publicly posted about it
I imagine Steven Ross has a team of lawyers who told him the same, which is why I thought the reports that he was talking about it and unlikely
In other words, it’s very possible that the reports of ross’ involvement in Watson trade were bs
Well the odds of settlement certainly look slim now
Everything else aside, Watson has been out a year. And might be suspended on top of that? He might not be the same player he was before by the time he can play. Why would any team give up what they are asking for him? Plus he sounds like a total ass. Wants to be in South Beach. Yeah, that’s going to work out.
Totally agree. The longer he stays away from the game the more his skills deteriorate
He’s 26. His skill will not deteriorate. It will take him a little while to get back into NFL shape, but he will be fine.
His age is a factor in his favor but there is little doubt that a prolonged absence will hurt his game.
It’s really no different than someone blowing out their ACL and being out an entire year. In fact, less so since the ere is no injury from which to recover.
If he was cleared of all charges by the trade deadline, I firmly believe that he would be a Miami Dolphin right now.
Adam Schefter
@AdamSchefter
Another source insisted today that that the Dolphins were all on the same page and that they all wanted Deshaun Watson. “100 percent,” one source said.
The whole Watson thing was a mess, I truly hope the reports that the Dolphins are moving full steam ahead with Tua, and building a team around him are correct. At least that is a plan and a direction.
As far as what we can do to improve next year, I know there will be a lot of attention paid to the new coaching staff, and what they bring to the table, also a lot of energy will be spent on player evaluation and the draft. Honestly I am more into more tangible, data driven analytics, and in my mind, we will immediately be a 10 or more win team if we go back to one of the old logos, and the current logo is banned from any appearance ever again.
So many fans want the old logo, I’ve never read anything where anyone prefers the new one. Can’t they just do it already!?!?!?!
It seems obvious, which means it will probably not happen. 🤦🏼♂️
It’s not just the old logo, it’s the old colors, and the 3 stripes on the helmet, and 3 stripes on the shirts, and the stripes on the pants too. It’s ALL of it
It’s not really the logo for me, but as you said the look of the uniforms.
I’m not really an old school type guy,
so I have no need for them to go back to the old unis, although they could work on the new ones a bit as they need a little something … too monochromatic some games. They need some kind of extra style element for sure.
The old mascot looks kinda dated to me.
But they are fun as throwbacks once a year.
I don’t want Watson here no matter what the outcome of his issues are.
Like I said, he’ll never escape that drama,
and I want to root for my team with no drama in the TV booth.
Someone is tweeting that Flores quit talking to his coaches around Thanksgiving.
Like he lost it under the stress of the losing streak.
Cannot verify the source.
That is being widely reported over the last several days. How accurate that is I have no idea
Didn’t realize Pats at Bills was an 8:15pm game. Going to be cold as F! In the single digits.
A frozen snot type of game
They do what they can for the cheats
Anyone watching the game? Anyone know that rule? If you are receiving a kickoff and you put your foot out of bounds before you grab the ball, it’s the same penalty as the kicker kicking it out of bounds.
I had never heard that. Had no idea you could create the penalty like that from a receiving standpoint.
Yes, I had actually seen that happen in games twice this year.
In NFL games?
Yeah
That’s wild, I’ve can’t recall ever seeing that in a game before and you saw it twice in the NFL just this year. (not doubting you, just saying it’s crazy)
I just can’t remember the games. I could have one instance mixed up with a college game but remember seeing at least once this year in an NFL game
Not sure I understand it being the same as the kicker. If he kicks it out of bounds the receiving team gets the ball on the 40. The Raiders got the ball on the 2.
Did you listen to the announcers? The announcer said the Raider guy screwed up by touching it before going out of bounds. All he had to do was step out of bounds then touch the ball, and it’s a kick out of bounds penalty.
No I missed the discussion, I just caught the result.
Yeah, pretty big error by the Raider guy. Announcer dude said they practice that exact situation all the time on special teams.
There’s an old highlight reel with heady plays, they show the GB KR laying out to grab the ball with his feet out of bounds
It’s so bizarre that is a kick out of bounds penalty instead of a penalty on the receiver for illegal touching. I wonder if there is a story for why the rule developed that way.
Flores and Watson should get monogrammed towels
Maybe Watson just wants a weekly massage from Flores
John Mara said publicly we will hire a GM and then he will lead the search for a HC. They haven’t hired a GM yet. So how can any of this be accurate?
I know but they are already doing coaching interviews
I haven’t heard that. Who did they interview? They’ve been meeting with GM candidates though.
Constant communication since when? If it has been since Monday after Flores was fired, I don’t see how it could be tampering.
Watson has a tape of Flores peeing on a Russian hooker
A transgender midget Russian hooker.
If the rumors are true about Flores being that enamored with Watson (big if), gotta wonder about that guy. There are lots of other capable QBs out there, why is it so necessary for Watson to be your guy for you to succeed?
I think it’s more BS from Watson’s camp to keep him relevant.
Yeah, with all the crap out there right now, who knows what’s what? If Watson and Flores do end up on the same team this offseason, for me that’ll mean it was a fait accompli, but I wouldn’t bet on it happening.
Think about this too. You become the new GM of the Giants. You start off by hiring a HC in Flores who was fired for communication issues, and he wants to bring in an expensive QB (salary cap and giving up high draft picks) that has legal issues (perversion, sexual misconduct) and is facing NFL suspension. Yeah that’s how you turn a team around. LOL
When I read the Texans fired their HC less than a year after hiring him, and that Flores was interviewing with the Texans already, I assumed, ok, this was predetermined, Flores will be the Texans HC and Watson will stay there and they can stare dreamily at each other all year. Reports now say Watson still won’t play for the Texans if they hire Flores, but I am still thinking that may happen.
I can’t see a team like the Giants doing that, especially when they haven’t even hired a GM yet. That’s putting the cart before the horse unless you’re letting Flores pick his GM.
I doubt anything in the media is accurate today but anything to send the Watson drama towards Flores is a-ok in my book. Flores never really shot those rumors down, so I hope they follow him. I doubt Watson plays next year either so whichever team gets Flores has a couple years of drama coming up.
Kong, John Mara already said they will hire a GM first and that is what they have been pursuing. Flores/Watson jumping that contradicts what the owner just said. It’s media BS again. Just glad its left Miami. 🙂
I’m really glad it looks like we’re out of the Watson drama.
I was just thinking, no team would be stupid enough to take on this Flores/Watson shitshow combo and then I remembered, the Jets hired Gase. So anything is possible I guess.
lol
I was scared before they fired Flores that he would hire Gase for his new (4th) OC (Gase being an offensive guru and all).