Finsmob Unleashed

OK Dolphins fans, the schedule is out, so now we know who we’re playing, when we’re playing, and where we’re playing. Just looking over the schedule there’s nothing in particular that jumps out at you as unfair. We play the Buffalo Bills in September in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football. That game follows a home game against another division rival, the New England Patriots. There should be 3 potential cold weather games this season, Week 14 (Dec 7th) at the New York Jets. The very next game will definitely be a cold one, December 15th at The Pittsburgh Steelers. The season finale will have us square off against the New England Patriots and the time of that game has yet to be determined. We do “lose” a home game because we’re the “Home Team” in Madrid as we face off against the NFC East Washington Commanders.

If you want to call anything unfair it’s that we don’t have many home games where the heat can really fry the opponent. We do get the Patriots at 1PM Week 2 at home, and we also host the LA Chargers at 1PM, so those games the heat will be our friend. Remarkably, for a team that finished outside of the playoffs and with a losing record, we’re part of FIVE Prime Time games. Week 3 at Buffalo on Thursday Night Football. Week 4 on Monday Night Football at home for the NY Jets. Then once again on Thursday Night Football at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Number 5 will be a mid December matchup which surely should bring the cold at the Pittsburgh Steelers for a Monday Night game. It’s very odd to me that we’re featured in so many prime time games, I actually don’t get it. The Vegas money is strong on under 8 wins, and you have to really lay it down to make anything if you bet the under. If you’re confident, as many of you are here, plunk down some serious money on over 8.5 WINS and you’ll make some nice cash and you can say “I told you!” as you Count de Money.

I actually think the odds makers are right on target, I think we’ll win anywhere from 7-9 games and that’s if Tua stays healthy and the offense isn’t the same offense we saw last season, but a little closer to the 2023 offense where we can run the ball well and actually throw passes beyond 10 yards. The O-line has poor depth, the defensive line while seemingly brimming with some big young players, is just that. We have some young guys we hope can play well right out of the chute, but we’ll be relying not only on our 1st RD pick Kenneth Grant to ball, but our 5th RD pick DT Jordan Phillips, 7th RD pick DT Zeek Biggers, and bevy of UDFA DT’s as well. We’ll also be leaning heavily on 2nd RD pick Jonah Savaiinaea at RG and 2nd year LT Patrick Paul too. The depth behind these guys is not great, so not only do we need these guys to play well, we need them to stay healthy. I haven’t even mentioned the secondary which if the plan is to trade Jalen Ramsey for future draft picks, that secondary is going to be awful thin with 2 YR veteran CB Cam Smith along with last year’s UDFA Storm Duck, 3 year vet NB and slot CB Kader Kohou as well as 5th RD pick CB Jason Marshall as well as some other UDFA’s. At Safety, we have two journeyman who have started a very limited amount of games over their careers, SS Ifeatu Melifonwu and FS Ashtyn Davis. We drafted a S in RD 5 five spots after we drafted CB Jason Marshall, we took S Dante Trader. Last year’s 6th RD pick S Patrick McMorris will also be in the mix, as well as a few UDFA’s. Lot’s of battles, lot’s of bodies everywhere, and then we have to hope we choose the right ones that can help our team.

On offense, as I mentioned, we have to play more like we did in 2023 when we were one of the top offensive units. That means running the ball effectively, and throwing the ball downfield for explosive plays. Both were missing last year, but we did bring in TE Pharoah Brown who is a very physical player in the run game as a blocker and physical when he has the ball as well. Will Tyreek Hill be back to 2023 form or will he be a distraction and a malcontent as he was at the conclusion of the season when he pulled himself out of the season finale due to being frustrated? I have the guy’s jersey and to be honest, I couldn’t care less whether he’s on the roster or not. I’m sure he will be because he’s difficult to trade and if he’s in line with what’s happening, he’s better than anyone we else we have on this team. I like the add of WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, a bigger, better red zone threat at WR, especially compared to the more diminutive Hill and Waddle. I loved TE Jonnu Smith last season, hopefilly he picks where he left off last season.

It’s tough for me to be really optimistic, I felt like we partially filled 2 holes, and left some gaping holes in the secondary. I know some feel we’ll be OK, but in reality, when you’re relying on a couple of journeymen safeties, 2 outside CB’s who wouldn’t even be close to be considered as starting material for the other 31 teams, a bunch of safeties who would be competing just to make the roster and likely be depth pieces, it’s hard to feel like everything will fall into place just right in that secondary. Who knows, I’m a jaded SOB who just can’t give this front office a pass any longer, but maybe whatever they did this offseason will end up working out. Maybe Tua can stay healthy and not play in bubble wrap and help the team win games this season. Maybe RB’s Jaylen Wright and newly drafted 6th RDer Ollie Gordon bring a physical run game to Miami along with our new O-line guys, James Daniels, Jonah Savaiinaea and Patrick Paul, our massive LT. That wouldn’t bother me at all, I just wouldn’t bet on it.

GO DOLPHINS!!!!