It’s very early in the post season machinations, but I can say I do not like what I’ve seen so far from our team. I couldn’t be more disappointed with Dolphins GM Chris Grier’s dialogue about our players, more specifically DL Christian Wilkins.
– “Like we’ve always talked here in the past, our goal is to keep as many good players here as we can. They’ve both earned the right to be free agents. Christian and I actually had a really good conversation today. I was very happy for him. He bet on himself after a summer of negotiations where we made a couple offers and one we felt very good about, was fair, and he and his representation said as much, but we couldn’t close that gap at the end. So he bet on himself and it paid off for him. I’m very happy for him. So we’ll stay in communication and see where this ends up, but he earned the right to be a free agent. Again, I’m happy for him. We drafted him here, developed him here, and he’s the type of person we’re looking for. So we’ll see what happens.”
Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, two players who played the most defensive snaps on the team, and in my view, two players who are the heart and soul of our defense. Listen, I don’t know what kind of Jedi mind tricks Chris Grier may be trying to employ here, but I don’t want to hear he’s happy that Christian Wilkins bet on himself and that he’s “earned the right to be a free agent”. Grier may have really put this team in a bind financially, this in a year where we have 2 players, 2 drafted homegrown players hitting free agency. One had a great 2023 season, DL Christian Wilkins, and the other felt the bite of the injury bug for the first time in his NFL career, OG Robert Hunt. Hunt hadn’t missed a game his first 3 seasons. Hunt missed 6 games this season, Weeks 9 and 10, and then Weeks 13-16. He played the entire game against Buffalo Week 17, and then the Playoff game against KC. These are 2 guys I want to keep, and we damn well better do whatever we can to keep them!
Sorry guys and girls, if you don’t want to read this, don’t, but I need to make things clear. Some of you throw out names like John Elway and Eli Manning as guys who didn’t win big games until the end of their career. Let’s get this nonsense dispelled right now. Eli Manning in his 4th season, 2007, took the NYG to a 10-6 as a WC team, beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, and then of course the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. In 1986, John Elway’s 4th NFL season, he led the Broncos to an 11-5 record, defeated the New England Patriots in the divisional round, defeated the Cleveland Browns in the conference championship, but lost in the Super Bowl to the NY Giants. Our QB, Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t even won a big regular season game in December, unless you count the Dallas Cowboys this season in which K Jason Sanders was the elevator picture for his 5 FG’s. Stop comparing these QB’s, you only embarrass yourself. In fact, don’t compare him with any of the QB who were in the playoffs this year. Rookie QB C.J. Stroud has already accomplished way more than Tua. He actually WON a playoff game, and played like a superstar! QB Jordan Love put up 48 points in a playoff game game against the Dallas Cowboys, the same team we played at home and needed 5 FG’s to beat. Heck, even QB Mason Rudolph managed to throw 2 TD’s against the Bills and at least make it a game. Sure, let’s throw $55M per year at him, that oughta help!
Some people are saying trade WR Jaylen Waddle. I think if we’re trading a WR, trade the guy who has us in cap hell right now, and will probably bring a really nice return, Tyreek Hill. Think about it, how much more can we can possibly get out of Tyreek Hill? He probably won’t even be able to duplicate this great season. I think we relied on Hill far too much and when teams took away Hill, they took away our offense. We’re not 1 player away, I think all of us realize that all too clearly now, so trade Hill and get a bounty, and lose his enormous salary. We already have Waddle, who in no way is the same impact player as Tyreek Hill who is possibly the best in the NFL, but Waddle is a legit WR and maybe if we turned one of those picks we’d get for Hill into a dominant TE, we’d be better off.
The departure of DC Vic Fangio is a disturbing issue. It’s not that I thought Fangio was great here, but it just reeks of poor planning. BTW, Don Shula’s grandson Chris Shula signed on as the DC with the LA Rams. Our defense was making tremendous strides this year, and I just hate to think we’re going to scrap that progress and start an entirely different system and alignment. CONTINUITY, CAN WE EVER FUCKING HAVE THAT HERE? You can like Chris Grier, you can hate him, but the only constant in his tenure is HIM! Now maybe he nailed it with Mike McDaniel as Head Coach and he stays here a long time and is successful, but lord this team changes so many things every season. We were happy we got Fangio but then one year later we “mutually agree to part ways”. My inkling is it may be better to promote LB’s Coach Anthony Campanile to DC with the understanding he keeps the defensive scheme the same. We saw Wilkins, Sieler, Chubb, Phillips and Van Ginkel killing it, I want that back to start the season. None of this 2 year window in which we have to adjust to the new alignment and scheme. Give it to Campanile, and fucking sign Wilkins and Van Ginkel!
Back to Tyreek Hill, undeniably our best offensive player. Is it really crazy to trade him? Forgive my lack of comprehension of Salary Cap ramifications for a traded player, but I believe all the bonus money paid counts against our cap. which I believe is somewhere around $17M for the last 2 years. It’s doable. Of course we lose the best WR in the NFL and Tua security blanket, but in the long run for this team, it would be worth it. I think he took as as far as we could go with him, so if there are buyers, and I’m sure there would be, we should consider it. We can and need to have a more balanced attack, more money to sign our own drafted players like Wilkins, Hunt, and Van Ginkel. Think about it, is it really so crazy to do that? Let me know, I’m sure you will!
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
There will be some ridicule directed Tua’s way for the Superbowl commercial he is in with Patrick Stewart. No, No, you could NOT get it up there if it was shaped like a football.
Ha Page turn again!
Wow, no one going to discuss the new DC they hired? Anthony Weaver?
Weaver has helped develop six Pro Bowl players, serving as the position coach for Mario Williams (2013), Kyle Williams (2013), Marcell Dareus (2013), Jadeveon Clowney (2016-18), J.J. Watt (2018) and most recently, Justin Madubuike (2023). A third-round pick in 2020, Madubuike set career highs in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss in all three seasons he played under Weaver. In 2023, Madubuike totaled 13.0 sacks, leading all NFL defensive tackles. It was tied for the fifth-most sacks by an NFL defensive tackle in a season since 2001. All three of Clowney’s career Pro Bowl selections came with Weaver as his position coach.
I would say that Weaver benefited from working with said players, not the other way around, but we will see. MAYBE Weaver was responsible for these first round picks developing into probowl players? (except for the one 3rd rounder?)
What scheme will Weaver run?
It’s the top mystery surrounding Weaver as he gets ready for his second stint as a defensive coordinator. He led the Houston Texans’ defense in 2020, but a unit devoid of talent outside of J.J. Watt struggled, finishing 27th in points allowed. Stylistically, Weaver ran an aggressive, base 3-4 defense with high rates of single-high coverage. Houston blitzed on 36 percent of opposing dropbacks, according to TruMedia, which ranked seventh in the NFL.
That aligns with Weaver’s roots as a defensive end; he played the first four seasons of his career in Baltimore, where Rex Ryan, known for his blitz-heavy tendencies, was his defensive line coach and then later his defensive coordinator. Weaver later got his NFL coaching start alongside Ryan in 2012, working as an assistant defensive line coach when Ryan was head coach of the New York Jets.
When Weaver joined the Ravens as a coach in 2021, he spent one year working alongside coordinator Wink Martindale, who also has a reputation for being a coach who loves to blitz. But these past two seasons, Weaver worked with a coach in Mike Macdonald who brought a completely different style to Baltimore.
Macdonald lessened Baltimore’s blitz rate in favor of post-snap movement out of two-high-safety structures and simulated pressures, in which a second- or third-level defender rushes the passer, while a first-level defender drops into coverage. There’s less of a reliance on sending extra pass rushers but the subterfuge before and after the snap causes confusion and forces quarterbacks into bad decisions.
Over the last two seasons, the Ravens have only blitzed on 21.3 percent of opposing dropbacks, which is tied for 21st in the NFL. However, Baltimore ranked eighth with 445 total pressures and third with 108 sacks.
Fangio’s zone-based scheme that used more four-man rushes helped Miami finish in the top 10 in yards allowed for the first time since 2010. What Weaver decides remains to be seen, but one of his biggest gifts might be that’s he not bound to one particular scheme.
Regardless, Weaver’s principles will start with stopping the run. “We are determined and impassioned to go out there and make teams one-dimensional and be tough and physical at the line of scrimmage,” he told the Ravens’ website in 2021. “Get those guys on the second level swarming and knocking people down, because you want to make the team one-dimensional and know that you’re not going to come here and push us around and try to bully us. We’re the bullies. You better put the ball in the air.”
So, another scheme change. Sounds great! Except does he even have a fucking playbook? Will they need to learn a 3rd language in 3 years?
Very disappointed but expected the disappointment because you know I root for the worst team in the league.
Listening to WQAM, sound like Weaver runs multiples. 3-4, 4-3, a lot of times showing 6 potential rushers but mostly rushing 4.
Hey Rock. I’ll swig the Kool-Aid with you as usual.
Weaver seems like the type DC we need.
He’s a former player, a tough-guy type but gets along with the players well, young enough to be cool but with a lot of experience at his job in the NFL, been with an excellent program for a while in Baltimore both as a player and as a coach.
He’s viewed as an up and comer with HC in his future, so he must be smart enough and able to see the Big Picture so that people think he can be a HC.
Almost all of this is NOT what Fangio is.
Sure, he was a HC, but his stint was a failure.
I’m not drinking that shit anymore. It is poison. “up and comer” going to be up and gone after a season?
I WANT CONTINUITY! QUALITY PERFORMANCE CONTINUITY
I don’t want the flavor of the week that is going to move on next year if he has a somewhat successful season in Miami. (good news there is that is unlikely!)
I’d rather have a DC everybody wishes they had than a DC nobody wants.
I think Josh Boyer was completely out of the League after leaving Miami.
PS: the bully quote in Rock’s excerpt above is EXACTLY
what we need in Miami
and it is what wins tight games against good teams
and late season games and playoff games.
And it is EXACTLY what we did not have in certain games last year.
And what we desperately needed in the 4th Quarter of the Titans debacle.
To clarify and reiterate,
we DID have tough swarming players in the front 7,
but we didn’t always use them successfully due to mixed messages
and chaos from the DC or his surrogates on the sideline.
I hope Weaver coaches from the sideline.
I know some ppl say the DC can get a better view from the booth,
but with tablets and big screen replays in the stadium
and ten assistant coaches,
I don’t think he’d miss much by standing with his guys
in the heat and cold and sweat and blood..
I want him down there where the men can see the fire in his eyes
and feel his energy and get amped off his iron will
to stop the offense on 3rd down or a late drive.
I think Fangio seemed remote and blase.
This made me get coffee on my keyboard
LMAO!
Wonder how much that is on the menu? Asking for a friend…
and do ppl ask to super-size it?
I’ll stop.
hahahahaaaaa
It means
“We’re looking for YOU!”
(which is sorta what it looks like it’s saying, only more subtle)
Surely they speak enough English over there to know
they were making a bi-lingual pun.
Not that there’s anything WRONG with being Bi … Lingual.
(speaking hypothetically)
I’ve been told I was a cunning linguist
We had the 5th best record in the whole NFL last year.
We were just 2 wins from the Best record in the NFL last year.
We improved by 2 wins from the year before.
We’ve been to the playoffs 2 years in a row.
We’ve had 4 winning seasons in a row.
We had the 2nd best Home record in the league last year.
EXACTLY BLOW IT UP!
All that, and yet I still feel mighty underwhelmed, especially considering we basically went ALL IN, and we look soft
Almost half the conference gets in the playoffs.
There are losing record teams that have more wins against teams above .500 than the Fins.
They went all in and came up short.
After all these years when a big game comes along they look out of their league and outmatched everywhere.
How do you improve now? Can’t draft, can’t sign anybody and still looking for a QB(imo)
it all starts with a (new) competent General Manager.
Well, it wall starts with a match and a can of petrol in reality.
31 teams come up short every year. No shame on our record this year imo.
I’d rather have had our season than Philly’s.
Or Jets or Pats …
I’d rather be 11-6 with losses to 4 of the best 5 teams
than losses to a bunch of bums and one or two big upsets.
I’d rather have the most yards passing by a QB
with 2 thou yd WRs AND
a thou yd RB and a 7 YPC rook AND
a high sack and QB hit DL AND
Ramsey and Holland
than …
NOT.
I’d rather get back to the SB
No shame, just a lot of concern that we can’t compete against better teams.
Yeah, I’m not ashamed even when they suck. It’s just sports but when I see teams like the Texans win a playoff game with a rookie QB, mostly garbage WRs, and a rookie HC, I ‘d rather have that kind of season!!!!
We went all in and couldn’t beat good teams. We are in a very bad cap situation with lots of injured players and lots of failure this past year. That’s not a good sign for this upcoming year which is a lot more important to me now than something that’s already gone. We have the longest streak in the NFL of not winning a playoff game. 31 other teams have won a playoff game since us. That’s an issue isn’t it?
Nope everything is fine…
They beat an ancient Joe Flacco who is immobile playing in Houston in favorable conditions.
Yeah, they won their division, unlike our chokers that managed to give up a 3 game lead with 5 games to go
Their division is a joke. Their top competitor played with a backup QB all year. No one else was even remotely good in that division.
^^MikeE get’s it
The problem with this franchise is that we still have the stink of Dan Marino all over it. You’ve got the biggest choker in NFL history as the face of this franchise and you’re surprised the modern team is following in his legacy?
Still just salty about them retiring the number!
I don’t think he was a choker. Unfortunately, the Bills were the best team in football that never won a Super Bowl
I’m not superstitious enough to put belief behind a retired player being the reason we suck now….
It’s not MM, Tua, or Grier!! It’s Marino who hasn’t played in over 20 years who’s the reason they make those bad decisions!!
LMAO. Ok.
NO MORE EXCUSES!!!!!!
We’re all the ones to blame. We should’ve gotten the live chicken.
My chicken was alive when I started….
I think the duct tape may have been too tight?
Our division was a joke too, and we became the punchline at the end of the season. No one has the right to complain about the weather in KC, we should have played at home, we had everything laid out for us, we didn’t step up and take it. Sad END OF STORY!
Didn’t even have to step up, they could have remained reclining and still made it!
The best thing about the Weaver signing is as long as he stays here for ’24 and ’25, we can nab a couple of 3rd rd picks if he gets signed as a HC down the road.
Of course, us being the Dolphins, he’ll get signed as a HC after the 2024 season so we get shafted on the picks.
😂
It looks like Weaver prefers to play a 1 high safety. Then, he will manipulate who drops/rushes with more options because of the 1H safety. It’s also a little more risky and vulnerable to deep throws. But, you’re planning on all those guys within 5 yards of the LOS making a play. It’s an aggressive style. I’m not so sure we have the personnel to run it…or the balls.
Meaningless stats is all we have.
I preferred to be bad enough we could talk about all our picks and money to spend. There’s none of that now. It’s all gone, like my offseason hopium. Not even the team’s motto “There’s always next time” is doing it for me anymore.
Meanwhile I have to deal with the Packers in their rebuild winning a road playoff game. Lol
We also beat the team that the Pack beat in the playoffs.
Rock, I posted a few things about Weaver yesterday. He’s supposedly a good coach climbing the ladder. Let’s hope so.
Here’s some more on Weaver.
https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/miami-dolphins-defensive-coordinator-anthony-weaver-left-great-impression-in-baltimore
I loved this past season.
It’s one of my all-time favorite Dolphins seasons.
I’m still enjoying all the highlight-reel plays.
And it’s a great building block for more success in the near future,
as we have a good nucleus, and we’re building a great coaching staff.
I’m hopeful about the cap situation,
but they’re just players. There’s more where they came from.
Stats are not meaningless.
Stats are facts.
They’re the facts of the particular sport they relate to,
the players we love, and the franchise or league record books..
Opinions are meaningless.
They exist only in the emotions.
Stats bite both ways though Naples. I presented Tua’s stats in every game against winning teams, and they’re ugly. Nowhere in the realm of what he accomplished against the non winning teams.
That’s true but isn’t it usually harder playing against top teams? It’s not just Tua, our team has to get to another level to reach the goal of playing in the big game. It’s even harder to do when a lot of your key players aren’t on the field.
Naples, not sure if you read the link I posted above but I think you’ll enjoy it about Weaver. Obviously he has to prove it with results but he’s a well respected coach.
I saw a stat today that said over the last three seasons we’ve lead the league in sacks with 144. I hope that continues.🙂
Tim – It is. But I think I presented a pretty strong argument in my article that we ran the ball in a few of those losses, so it wasn’t like the offense was completely shut down, it was just that we couldn’t pass, and score TD’s. It shouldn’t have to be perfect conditions all around to be effective. We’ll see what happens next year, if we improve on that, or if it stays the same, or gets worse. Hopefully the former, and neither of the latter.
Yes and fair enough. I just think a lot of people are being overly critical of the team because they weren’t the best team. We rarely played a game this season with a full deck. We were one more win away from being the #2 seed. It’s been a long time since we were in that stratosphere.
This how I feel.
https://dolphinnation.com/2024/02/04/legendary-nfl-quarterback-says-future-is-bright-for-tua-tagovailoa-and-miami-dolphins/
People are being overly critical Tim
The fact is, IMO the last season was the most enjoyable seasons I’ve watched in a few decades. Irrespective of how it ended
The 2022 was the only season I think that compares to the 2023
Seasons in recent memory
But that said – we stumbled
Now is the time to look at how to get better
So it might take a little criticism to get there and a long look inward at how we Dan be better
At least that’s what I hope the Dolphins are doing
I don’t really think we as fans get much of a say in how it goes
But for me, part of my fandom is thinking how we can get better
And I think we need to get better
We definitely have to get better. The entire team feels that way.
Lies, damn lies, and statistics. Stats are hard numbers not facts. However, both the numbers and the interpretations of those numbers can be manipulated. Stats in and of themselves mean little.
Stats ARE facts. How you manipulate the reference to those hard facts is what sets the “liars” apart.
Nay nay, smooth domed one. Even the numbers can be a lie. All depends on how the questions are asked.
Naples
We all know if Phins played @Dallas in thr playoffs they would’ve have been ran out the building.
Packers even paid over $40M for ARod this year and had a more successful season with a bunch of nobodies.
I have nothing to hope for with this team. I’m sour and tired of being embarrassed in every game that matters.
I’m with Rock. Time for Grier to go. If he let’s Wilkins go I’m really gonna lose it. Lol
Let me ask you all this. Do you think Grier, McDaniel and Tua will be part of the team in the 2024 season?
If the answer is yes, don’t we roll with that flow instead of playing owner?
^
Don’t get me wrong, I’m cool with all of the grievances levied by everyone here… but the reality is that we’re going to be what we’re going to be… and we’ll all be rooting for success in ’24.
Exactly!
I’m surprised nobody has hired Brandon Staley as their DC.
I’m not
😂
IDK, I’m kind of with Rock and ER, this season was so up and down and draining
With a bad cap situation and lots of key players to resign its hard to see anything positive
Where do we go from here? It starts with being able to manage the cap, then somehow getting a TE, that can make a difference, when Hill and Waddle are doubled or ineffective
The other key is we must stay healthy
I want to go to camp this year, hope I’m motivated enough
I still do NOT believe Tua is one of the core problems on this team. Can he do better against stronger teams? Surely, and he WILL going forward. I’ve yet to see something that Tua cannot defeat with training, focus, and effort.
Every single season he’s conquered his detractors… it will be no different this upcoming season. Tua will do his part, bet.
Now then… we need our Offensive playcalling to be less redundant/predictable, stop trying to focus/feed one player to make his 2K prediction come to fruition, field a healthy O-Line for the first time since the days of Marino, and not have to sign street FAs on the Defensive side of the ball late in the season.
Tua’s going to take care of his issues. The rest of what I mentioned above isn’t his fault.
Tua is not a problem. There is a lot of teams that wish they had a QB of his caliber
^^^
Absolutely!
Good post. Tua will be 26 in March. Anyone here think you were at your best when you were 26?
Thank you, Tim!
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39466775/commanders-fire-ex-oc-eric-bieniemy-coach-dan-quinn-says
Here’s what I’m NOT happy about right now, and why I’ve been really dark over the last week…
— I do not like the hire of Anthony Weaver over Brandon Staley. Weaver represents a potential change from a top-10 Defense and system (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it), whereas Staley learned first-hand from Vic Fangio, representing continuity with fresh new ideas (Staley fielded the #1 Defense for the Rams as DC).
— Our current cap situation. Grief swung for the fences and missed (not totally his fault with all of the injuries we incurred this past season), and our window is already closing. There are certain players we must re-sign and not enough $$$ to do it (yet).
— Grief having recently stated that Christian Wilkins has “earned his way to FA”. What?
— The injuries that may haunt us well into next season: Chubb, Phillips, etc…
All of this is JMO
I love the hire over Stayley. Our D was nothing special. 56 points vs Ravens. 48 vs Bills. How many times on 3rd and long did they allow conversions. I was constantly underwhelmed by our D this year. That side the best part is we didn’t hire Staley. He is a moron
Against the Bills, I feel like it was about our players getting acclimated to a new system under Fangio. Early in the season and we had yet to master the nuances.
By the time we played the Ravens, we were already so beat up with injuries on Defense.
I think Staley is a very good DC, but HELL NO as a HC.
I started dancing when I heard we hired someone other than Staley. And I don’t dance
Ken meets Staley at a restaurant. Hey Brandon!!! You suck!!!! 😂
Randy says:
February 5, 2024 at 3:20 pm
It looks like Weaver prefers to play a 1 high safety. Then, he will manipulate who drops/rushes with more options because of the 1H safety. It’s also a little more risky and vulnerable to deep throws. But, you’re planning on all those guys within 5 yards of the LOS making a play. It’s an aggressive style. I’m not so sure we have the personnel to run it…or the balls.
———–
I agree with ya, Randy… I think we lack the personnel to run Weaver’s D as currently constituted. We don’t have the cap space (yet) to sign a stud Defensive FA from the outside, and we don’t have enough Draft picks to adequately address our needs on Defense in one season.
It’s not much different than the Flores/Boyer approach.
I hear ya on as much, but I wanted continuity with a Fangio disciple.
I don’t think it’s a bad thing for players to have played in different systems and using different techniques. Humans aren’t robots, versatility is a good thing. It always comes down to beating your opponent.
Anthony Weaver isn’t reinventing the wheel. See ball attack ball and get off the field is always the goal in any scheme.
Ken says:
February 5, 2024 at 9:43 pm
I started dancing when I heard we hired someone other than Staley. And I don’t dance
————-
😆
😃
Hulkster,
I caught ya dancing!
🤣🤣
😂
RIP Toby Keith
Wow, lost his long battle with the cancer. Very sad! RIP Toby
That’s sad. RIP
Tyreek Hill’s agent in Drew Rosenhaus recently revealed that several Miami Dolphins players had rocky relationships with former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and Hill responded by calling him “the feds.”
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/dolphins-hiring-former-packers-defensive-coordinator-joe-barry-in-assistant-role-per-report/
LB coach Anthony Campanile is leaving the team.
Usually new Coordinators bring in their own staff. I liked Campanile though, shame.
Yep
I imagine we’ll get some decent comp picks in the 2025 draft since we’re bound to lose more than we gain this offseason.
Unfortunately, you want to keep your best players through their 2nd contract. The Patriots, Steelers and Ravens did well by letting vets go after their 2nd contracts and getting picks in return
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR3hXnXC/
Nice! Thanks Herd!
Was just talking about him.
Campanile probably felt like he was passed over and needed out.
I was not impressed with the midfield coverage
or interior run fits by our ILBs,
but that just might be the talent level of the players.
I just thought they were the weak point on the D
that gave up multiple crucial 3rd downs both on runs and passes.
To me ILB is the weak point of Fangio’s scheme anyway.
… then again,
I think he complained about not having enough talent there
as soon as he got here and took a look at the tape.
Philosophically,
I need to find joy wherever I can,
because I do not function well when
I’m not happy.
So right now I’m in hope-filled team-building mode,
doing mock drafts for fun and scouring FA lists for need matchers,
based on self-reflection on where we had issues last season,
while enjoying the replays of all the many high points of 2023,
a season where we lead the AFCE for many weeks until attrition
robbed us of our ability to match up our 1st teamers against the opponents’.
BBM’s quote of Rosenhaus is enlightening.
I’m with Hulk on Staley.
I be doin’ the mental mambo
to get a guy like Weaver.
He knows how to make a D the bully in every game.
Isn’t that what we all want?
Many times you all lamented us being soft
compared to the Steelers, Ravens, Bills
and even the jest defenses
Houston beat us for years by smashmouthing
our finesse offenses.
and of course the bellicheat tough-guy D
dominated us for decades.
Tim Knight says:
February 5, 2024 at 10:11 pm
I don’t think it’s a bad thing for players to have played in different systems and using different techniques. Humans aren’t robots, versatility is a good thing. It always comes down to beating your opponent.
Anthony Weaver isn’t reinventing the wheel. See ball attack ball and get off the field is always the goal in any scheme.
…
I think Defensive guys like to just find a guy to hit and lay the wood.
That’s why they play on that side of the LOS.
That’s how we lost those games down the stretch.
Each man of those D’s just found a guy on offense and
punched him in the mouth every down.
I didn’t mean that, I meant the nature of defense is to stop the opponent and give the ball back to your offense. That’s what I referring to when saying Weaver isn’t reinventing anything.
“Anyone here think you were at your best when you were 26?”
hmmm
… not asking my wife that question ….
but if my tennis is any indication,
hell yeah, 26 was great!!
You never got better after that?
Steve says:
“then somehow getting a TE, that can make a difference, when Hill and Waddle are doubled or ineffective ”
I really think that is a bigger problem for our offense than it seems at first glance.
Notice how the key to the 49er comeback against Detroit was Kittle?
I mean, take Kelce away from Mahomes, and they are a desperate offense.
Notice they lost their first game of the year … without Kelce.
Hate to say it,
but they lost Tyreek and kept winning.
That TE that can GET OPEN, catch the damn ball, and
then bust a tackle to get you that
3rd and 8-12 is GOLDEN.
“Naples
We all know if Phins played @Dallas in the playoffs we would’ve have been run out the building.”
I do NOT know that.
IF we had all our starters on defense,
we could control Dak (which we did) and definitely
I think we are a better offense than the Dallas D.
True the cowboys were 8-0 at home in the regs,
but I think Lafleur runs a Shanahan offense,
just like McDaniel does,
and Dan Quinn cannot stop that.
Yeah our offense has similar philosophies as the other coaches you mentioned. The same with McVay. It all comes from Mike Shanahan and his philosophy stems from Tom Landry and Bill Walsh.
Talk about a swap.
https://www.thephinsider.com/2024/2/6/24063619/report-packers-set-to-hire-dolphins-lb-coach-anthony-campanile-2024-defensive-coordinator
Yeah, yeah we know. It was because he felt a lot of pressure!
😂
You guys want to hear the ultimate or maybe just the latest story about the nfl coaching carousel :
Our new LB coach, Joe Barry was the old DC in Green Bay before getting fired
The packers replaced Barry with Joe Hafley
And Hafley filled out his new staff by firing his only LB coach and hiring….you guessed it, our old LB coach: Anthony Campinile
It’s gets even better
Campinile replaced a coach named Kirk Olvidotti who was the LB coach for the Packers last season
If that name sounds familiar it’s bc Kirk is the son of form Don Shula DEfensive Coordinator: Tom Olvodotti
Here is an example of the rare mythical generational carousel
Barry? Siously, the guy got ran out of GB and now he’s the run game coordinator? GB rush defense was terrible every year, bottom 20s, as were the Lions before he went to GB. How do these guys keep getting jobs? Lol
I don’t you can judge a DC by his coaching resume (see Staley)
And I don’t think you can judge his assistants by there resume as prior DC
Barry was essentially demoted to an assistant
He’s gonna e working under Weaver, who has certainly earned the job of DC and has a very good resume. Harbaugh was singing Weaver’s praises right before the hire
And if you ask me, we need the same physicality Baltimore showed last season on this team
So his influence is appreciated
R1P21: Miami Dolphins: T Troy Fautanu, Washington
R2P53: Miami Dolphins: EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn State
I would take that
I cannot see Chop lasting to R2P53, but like you, I would take that.
I get so tired of hearing about players who don’t like coaches. So what? You’re a professional. Do your damn job. If you’re not professional enough to work with people you don’t “like”…probably because they made you work hard….then maybe YOU are the problem.
And get off my lawn!!!
Don’t fucking tell me I have already posted that if it is going to fucking spam! here is the post:
😂🤣😂 That was it! (and yes I put a space after the emoji Herd)
NFL Network analyst Marc Ross was just on WQAM. He basically said exactly how I feel about Tua. When things are good and going well, he’s great. When things get rough, he plays poorly. Marc Ross said he was like that Alabama, and is the same player now. He can’t elevate his play or his team. He basically needs everything to be perfect, and if anything breaks down, he’s going to break down with the rest of the team.
Throw in everyone else’s take of “what else are you going to do?” That is not a comforting statement being made about your starting QB.
I don’t understand the notion of being held hostage by it. Just shrug your shoulders and oh well?
News is slow. Here are some current selections at pick #21 by some and what they have to say:
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com — IOL, Graham Barton, Duke
Barton is one of the safest linemen in this draft, offering great body control and legitimate multi-position flexibility. He has the talent to step in as a starting guard or center on Day 1.
Connor Livesay, 33rd Team — IOL Graham Barton, Duke
With needs at center and left tackle, Graham Barton’s fit makes a ton of sense. Barton was a dominant left tackle at Duke during the last few years but impressed at center in his freshman year. Barton fills two needs for the Miami Dolphins as a long-term option at left tackle once Terron Armstead retires and a short-term option at center as a starter in 2024.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com — IOL, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
Mike McDaniel’s offense could use an upgrade on the interior offensive line, and I believe Powers-Johnson has the movement skills and acumen to be effective inside at either guard or center. There’s not a ton of worry about the hamstring strain that caused JPJ to drop out of the Senior Bowl being a long-term issue.
Bucky Brooks, NFL.com — IOL, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
Beefing up the line could help the Dolphins upgrade an offense that struggled against physical defensive fronts.
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports — IOL Troy Fautanu, Washington
Miami is facing some turnover along its interior offensive line this offseason. Troy Fautanu started at left tackle for the Huskies but may be best suited sliding inside at the next level.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com — WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Miami elects to build on a strength. I could see Thomas going much higher than 21st in the draft, but Tua Tagovailoa reaps the benefit in this scenario. Thomas gives the Dolphins some size — without sacrificing speed — alongside Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Oliver Hodgkinson, Pro Football Network — CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
The Miami Dolphins have one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL, but with Xavien Howard missing multiple games and carrying a significant salary cap hit in 2024, that could be about to change. Adding Quinyon Mitchell in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft ensures little long-term drop-off. The Toledo Rockets cornerback is one of the best in this class as a pure playmaker.
Matt Miller, ESPN — DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
Star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins hits free agency this spring, and his replacement could be found at pick No. 21 if Miami doesn’t re-sign him. Newton is a first-step magician who can either slip between blockers or straight-up run over them. The 6-foot-2 295-pounder had 7.5 sacks during the regular season while playing multiple alignments on the Illinois front. Put him at 3-technique in Miami, with a healthy cast of defensive ends such as Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips around him, and Newton has the goods to make a Grady Jarrett-like impact.
Destin Adams, A to Z Sports — DL Darius Robinson, Missouri
The Dolphins, at one point, looked like a Super Bowl favorite in the AFC, but their inability to stack up against the elite NFL teams became a clear problem throughout the regular season. And it appeared again in the playoffs, where the Chiefs knocked them out during wildcard weekend. The Dolphins now have to make changes on both sides of the ball, and one big decision they have to make will be impending free agent DT Christian Wilkins. If they elect to let him walk, a unique player that I think could be a fit with Miami is Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson. Robinson has the ability to play just about everywhere on the DL, which opens up a lot of possibilities for whatever team he lands with, but scouts that I have spoken to believe his best position is on the interior as a three-tech.
These are all ok but the CB.
We need Cam Smith to play up to his potential,
not waste another pick on that position.
We need rock solid IOL and a studly TE before CB.
IF we don’t resign Wilkins, what is our biggest need OL or DL?
OL. Easier to find a decent DL
I agree. See mock below.
JJ Watt on Anthony Weaver: “You’re getting a great man, a truly great man. I love Weave. We’re extremely close. I’m very excited to see him get this opportunity to be a DC, and I have no doubts he will one day be a head coach and be great.
“…I have no doubts he will one day be a head coach…”
Just as long as it happens after the 2025 season, lol
I thought the same thing
I hear Pats are going to a wide open West Coast offense this season and their target at #3 is QB Jayden Daniels. That would suck as I think Daniels could be the next Lamar Jackson but a better passer.
I will always remember 2023 as the season we swept both the jest and patsies and sent Bellicheat into the reality that nobody wants him.
In case we don’t resign Wilkins. Traded down.
27. Jackson Powers-Johnson OC Oregon
55. Byron Murphy II DT Texas
66. Edgerrin Cooper ILB Texas A&M
136. Dallin Holker TE Colorado State
156. Brenden Rice WR USC
185. Josh Proctor S Ohio State
199. Nathan Thomas OT Louisiana
238. Kyle Hergel OG Boston College
Great mock for the circumstances, BBM.
Thanks.
Why do I have to log out and then log back in?
I get a message saying “sorry you must log in to post,” even though my avatar appears the same as when I am logged in, but when I click my avatar, the message says “are you sure you want to log out”?
WTF?
So I have to click “yes I’m sure I want to log out,”
even though that is NOT what I want.
Then I must log back in, losing any post I had already done in the process.
How does that help WordPress or FMUnleashed?
Just happened to me but it was the first time it did it this morning.
I get that pretty often. But I can always get back on.
Naples, I’ve lost content too. What I try to remember to do is copy my content just in case that happens so I can paste it once logged in again.
yep I ALWAYS do that …
except when I forget.
Keep thinking, nah, it’ll be ok this time.
I just can’t figure out why a programmer would think this is an improvement … even if it’s not for us, how is it better for WP?
😂 same here.
It happens to me too
WordPress is just crazy lately
They make all sort of updates and they don’t tell us why or when they just do it
He is one of the WR’s I like in the 5th round along with Ainias Smith and Brenden Rice. Washington is on the small size though but like the player.
Joe Barry is the son-in-law of former HC Rod Marinelli.
Maybe he couldn’t coach DBs and needed to go back to LB coach where he was not in over his head, like having to make a whole game plan.
(At least I hope that’s the way it is.)
Coaches are a fraternity with relationships and connections throughout college and the NFL. They don’t get hired based on stats but through work ethic and being known as good teachers. A lot goes into stats that doesn’t always tell the complete story. Then there are coaches that aren’t good HCs or coordinators but better suited as position coaches. Just like in every other profession, not all people are suited to be CEOs or managers etc.
He had no hesitation in answering yes to that question
I think Marino really believes in Tua
And that’s worth a lot to me (even though I’m critical of Tua)
Let’s not forget the tough start Tua had in his career. Even last year with the concussions. Two years with MM and two playoff seasons. He has gotten better. He can still get better. He’s going to be our QB moving forward.
Elway believed in Drew Locke
Hmmm… 😉
What’s he supposed to say? Lol
He said what a lot of us have been saying because that’s what happened.
QBs that create for themselves like Allen use their feet to overcome shortcomings in other areas, these QBs usually have a fast start to their careers
QBs like Tua take a little longer, problem is once you figure it out your contract is usually too large to put enough players around you
If Tua had taken us to the AFC Championship game we’d have the paid price in his 2nd contract, May still have to pay him 45+M though
He just needs an outlet receiver to take the next step
When the going gets tough he’s not going to Josh Allen it back there, so he does need some help, like 99% of the other QBs
A guy like Ezukanma and a better receiving TE would make a big difference in our offense.
Looking at other players to let go and clear cap space.
Mike White does not seem worth 5.2 mil to keep and we can clear 3.5 mil in cap letting him go. We can draft a QB day 3 and bring in some UDFA for camp like:
Joe Milton
Sam Hartman
Kurtis Rourke
Devin Leary
Brennan Armstrong
Tanner Mordecai
Grant Gunnell
Jeff Wilson is another. Is 3.7 mil worth 188 rushing yards? Not only that but he is set to make more than Mostert this year. Hell no! We can clear another 3 mil by cutting Wilson.
keep going big guy! You are “almost there” only 43M left to go!
I was just thinking that and said to myself, “Fuck!”
LOL
lol
Keion Crossen also. He’s not worth 3.2 mil.
Releasing these 3 will clear 9.9 mil of cap and it wouldn’t hurt the team a bit.
1/5 of the way there now. lol
Moving on from players who are not in the plan moving forward and restructuring contracts is how it works. We’re going to roll with a lot of core players and young contracts. Why do some of you fall into this pit of despair over and over? 🤔
Maybe because for the last 25 fucking years, they have proven us, right?
NAH can’t be that.
Also, I feel it cathartic to go through my cycle every year so you just let me be a fan my way. 🤷♂️
We made somebody the highest paid something every year for the last five years in a row. And not just one somebody we did it several times a year. It was unsustainable. It is unsustainable. Most of the huge money from the new TV contract. Everybody talked about was already boiled in.
Rock, when was the last time we made the playoffs two years in a row and were the talk of the town for a good portion of the season?
You can feel anyway you want to, I’m not telling you what to think. You and some others are telling some of us it’s over. I don’t think it is.
The cap is the least of my worries. Staying relatively healthy with our core and finding young players to step up is what I think is most important.
Who is our core?
What is seconId? IDK…3RD
As the younger core members develop, Tua, Phillips, Waddle…it lessons the need of others, especially Tua
Last offseason I said I didn’t think Tua would grow much at least statistically, well he did and needs to do it again
Steve – Tua doesn’t need to do better statistically. He just needs to play better against better teams, be as good or close as he is against the shitty teams as he is against the good teams. If he can’t do that, this team will never be real contenders, and Tua will never be considered an elite QB.
Our core is potentially getting smaller, if they can’t keep Wilkins and/or Hunt
I’d say our core is Wilkins, Sieler, Ramsey, Phillips, Chubb, Hill, Waddle, Tua and Achane
It appears, per the salary distribution that this is our “Core” players as they take more than 1/2 of the salary cap. (dead cap hit in parentheses)
Hill 31.3M (53.5M)
Ramsey 27.2M (32.5M)
Chubb 26.8M (42.4M)
Howard 25.9M (27.1M)
Tua 23.1M (23.1M)
Armstead 20.7M (24M)
Ogbah 17.7M (4M)
Baker 14.8M (4.9M)
Sieler 10.6M (14.6M)
Byron Jones 10M (10M)
Those ten players account for 208M of our 244M available (projected) cap.
That leaves +/- 36M to sign 44 players to make it to 53.
I hope we can fill out the team with 44 minimum salaries because we have 800K left per player to spend. WHAT!? The veteran minimum is $915K you say!!? How oh how will they deal with this?
Byron fucking Jones the 10th biggest cap hit and hasn’t contributed to the team in two seasons.
I take it all back. Everything is fine. Grier is the base GM in the league. Carry on!
I guess they will worry about it in March because Grier has such strong faith in the “Great job the capologyst as done giving them flexibility”
Grief should be arrested for this malpractice!
I agree Mike E….and then there are those that circle the core….so important.
Tua needs to elevate his play/game. I don’t give a shit about awards….
Play your best when it matters most!!!!!!
Our “young core” players are all coming up on their second contracts and we don’t have any money to resign them. Or even try to compete in free agency for them.
That’s something you can’t allow to happen. The consistently good teams draft well, re-sign their guys to 2nd contracts and then if it’s wise, let them walk on their 3rd if they’re not still producing on a high level.
I’m beginning to wonder if folks here really understand what “all in” means. Lol
***
Grier may or may not have made decisions based on a design to go for a ring. I completely disagree that this team was in a position to even consider doing something like that but it is a choice you can make. Frankly, if you’re running your team right you are always in a position to make a run. None of truly know what their plan was. All we can do is asses their decisions.
***
But, if you’ve made that decision….moronic or not….if it doesn’t work, you’re fucked. That’s where we are right now. We shot our load and missed….horribly….now we’re dealing with the aftermath. And, I’d say about 90% of the people here were all in on the all in move! Lol
I am in the 10%
The ASPCA he is on the way to Miami to question grief about him screwing the pooch.
Tua needs to play better and MM needs to be able to adjust better during the game when we play good teams.
Why do we think Tua plays better against man-man than zone? Isn’t it usually the other way around?
not sure but it might not really be Tua.
It might be that his WRs 1 and 2 can get open against man due to their quickness, long-speed, and shifty route-running, whereas we don’t have the Big possession slot guy nor the seam threat TE who can 90% convert 3rd and medium-longs.
Boulder,
Does Tua play better against man2man than against zone? I have no clue. He can be really accurate so I’m not sure it would matter much for him.
PAY THE MAN!
Isn’t it harder to beat the best teams than it is to beat the worst teams?
The better teams do it all the time. That’s how they get to be the best! We’re not in that conversation yet . . .
I get what you’re saying,
you’re salty and impatient, and I empathize with that,
but the Bills, Chiefs, and Eagles all had the same record we did, so how do they seem superior?
The Ravens only lost 4 times, so who were all these teams showing they could beat the best “all the time.”
13 times teams were not able to … 75% of the time, they failed.
I think both McDaniel and Tua showed improvement year-over-year.
And I think they will again this off-season.
They have the right attitude for self-improvement.
We lost to the SB team, the AFC championship game team, the SB runner-up from the previous year, and our nemesis the Bills, whom many pick to be in the SB year after year. And we fired the guy responsible for blowing the Titans game which doomed us to lose the home-field advantage for the playoffs.
That’s not the same as having a bad season. We won the other 11 games.
Even with Fangio screwing up the Titans game,
we were literally one toe off-sides away from being Division champs,
and being home for the playoffs might have brought us at least one playoff victory.
In spite of my optimism, however,
this cap hell thing is a real problem.
naples,
I did not like how we played in big moments and in big games. Really on offense and defense. ST was what it was. I went into the season expecting a playoff spot. I was hoping to see a playoff win at the least. I wasn’t even looking for a SB win. This team played soft when they were pushed. They shrunk when they got slapped in the mouth. We saw it time and time again. That’s what concerns me. This team needs to stop thinking they’re great and start playing like they’re hungry.
I think that new DC will help with that.
On offense we need to find those Bigs I keep begging for
because our smurfs are not suited for standing up to bullies.
(a BIG RB
a BIG TE
a BIG slot receiver
on offense
and a BIG enforcer MLB on defense)
We need a Patrick Queen type guy. SF has one, too.
In a different issue than what has been blogged about
I am glad our new DC is not a Fangio protege or Fangio himself
I don’t have any animosity towards Fangio
It’s not him that I’m thinking about when I say that
It’s just we have a few young players that probably need to get on the field on defense: Cam Smith and Channing Tindall specifically
Those two get a fresh start with a new DC who doesn’t have any prejudgments
So it’s an important offseason for those two players
good point
naples,
It’s more about attitude. Size helps but it’s more about an overall mindset. Coaches coach it. Players practice it. Leaders demand it through exemplification. It becomes the norm not the exception. You hear it when you hear Ravens defensive players talk. They’ve already not only beaten you but knocked your ass in the dirt mentally before they’ve even strapped up.
k then
sub TOUGH for BIG above
however
Hill, Waddle, Berrios, Ced Wilson, Cracraft, and Chosen
are our WR1-6.
All of them are of the ultra slim build or just plain small.
All of them weigh under 200.
Sure Hill is muscular, but he only weighs 191.
LBs and even safeties are way bigger than our WR corps,
and it shows in press man and in big hits on our guys after the catch.
Claypool is a Big, but he’s also a wack-job, sooo…
We need a TE safeties don’t want to tackle and MLBs can’t cover.
Smythe is only 246 at 6’6. That is a slender guy trying to block DEs and OLBs,
most of whom are in the 260s and 270s and not as tall.
Tyler Kroft is 6 pounds heavier, but he’s nearly invisible as an offense weapon.
Julian Hill is a little thicker, but he’s a UDFA converted QB from Campbell College!!!
At RB
except for Chris Brooks, our other RBs are all the size of Cornerbacks!
Achane is tiny! Ahmed is skinny. Mostert is slender. Wilson is wiry.
No wonder they’re always dinged up.
There are some defenses where every guy over there is bigger than our RBs.
I would never question the toughness of our RBs. I was proud of them.
I would no longer consider Mostert as slender… he really did put on the muscle last offseason. And that is why he had such a splendid season.
naplesfan2010 says:
February 8, 2024 at 12:48 pm
I think both McDaniel and Tua showed improvement year-over-year.
And I think they will again this off-season.
They have the right attitude for self-improvement.
We lost to the SB team, the AFC championship game team, the SB runner-up from the previous year, and our nemesis the Bills, whom many pick to be in the SB year after year. And we fired the guy responsible for blowing the Titans game which doomed us to lose the home-field advantage for the playoffs.
That’s not the same as having a bad season. We won the other 11 games.
Even with Fangio screwing up the Titans game,
we were literally one toe off-sides away from being Division champs,
and being home for the playoffs might have brought us at least one playoff victory.
In spite of my optimism, however,
this cap hell thing is a real problem.
——————
Post of the day, IMO! Well stated, Naples.
And the plethora of injuries incurred grounded us from flying higher.
The Cowboys have interviewed former Buffalo Bills and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan for their defensive coordinator position, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.