Henning: Dolphins lack speed, changes haven't worked

I've got this crazy solution. We run the ball when we're down. We pass and go for the ****ing kill when we're up. Crazy huh?

 

but a question is, "Is the offense predictable because of Henning or is it predictable because of Henne?" or "How much is it football has passed Henning by or Henne's lack of improvement has cut down the amount and type of plays that can be called, thus making the offense more predictable?"

I do agree that Henning has done a pretty poor job of covering up Henne's short comings. I also think it would be nice if Henning didn't have to try to cover up so many short comings, especially with the injuries on the offensive line hurting the run blocking.

 

If a QB is supposed to be able to take shots down the field in this system, you would think the coach would actually call a play that sent more than two receivers into pattern at any one time.

 

That right there is why I don't even bother arguing this subject anymore.

You and a few others completely disregard the value of upper echelon coaches and coordinators in the game of football and not only is it wrong but it's flat out silly. The fact that anyone that has anything to do with the NFL will tell you that team talent is so close these days that you need every advantage you can get to win proves otherwise.

The truth is that you win with BOTH.

You think coaching, game planning, etc. can't make a team just as much as a roster of all stars can?

Tell me why top coordinators become such valued commodities.
Tell me why coordinators that have consistent success get vaulted immmediatly to the top of everyones head coaching lists.
Tell me why a team like this years Cowboys can look like the 1978 Buccaneers through half the year and then all of a sudden play like a top team with the same players they had before when an inept coach is fired.

It's pointless debating this with some that views coaching as a non factor.

I'll just say this.
There's a big difference between a coach that expects players to simply line up and beat their guy no matter what they call and a coach that works to utilize the strengths of his players by calling plays that put them in the best position to beat their guy.

 

Also, the mark of a good coach is not what he does when he has talent. It is what he does when he doesn't have much talent to work with. Good coaches find a way to get players to produce regardless of the player's talent level. For instance, look at the production Chan Gailey was able to get out of Kordell Stewart in Pittsburgh, Jay Fiedler in Miami, and now Ryan Fitzpatrick in Buffalo. Chan Gailey is a very good coach though. He's one of the top offensive minds in the NFL. Dan Henning is not.

 

Exactly! I had this argument with a few of my Mississippi State brethren when we decided to fire Sylvester Croom and hire Dan Mullen. There was a faction that felt like all of MSU's problems offensively was because of a lack of execution. That's what Croom always blamed it on. It was like an awakening when Dan Mullen came in and these people found out that you can actually game plan towards a player's strength.

 

Where’s the line between too aggressive and too passive?
“It’s different with each quarterback because of his skill set, so you might pressure a guy who has the skill set to be more aggressive, and then you might not with a guy who doesn’t have that skill set,” Henning says. “But you still want him to take shots when they’re there. So it starts with the quarterback, but it also goes back to what are we working with here? Can we protect long enough to do that? Are our receivers good enough to get there? Can they get into the open holes deep?”
But that’s not all.
“And then, in the end, once you get going, you know what your team is like and who is going to be out there, it really comes down to the judgment of the individual,” Henning says. “And that’s what separates the men from the boys. The ones who can take the shots safely and the ones who are indiscriminate. That is a big evaluator. You cannot take indiscriminate shots. And when you do take shots, you need to throw on the margin of error side. Give your receiver the chance to make the big play, other than give them a chance to make any play at all.”
While quarterbacks coach David Lee grades quarterbacks in numerous areas on every snap, Henning grades just two: offensive production and efficiency. How many times could they have made a terrible decision but avoided it? How many times did they have a shot at a big play, and hit it?
“The quarterback is responsible to minimize minus plays in the passing game,” Henning says. “Eliminate them, hopefully. But definitely minimize them. Now, if the protection breaks down, he can’t have a minus play, he’s got to get rid of the ball. If the coverage is real close, he’s got to put the ball on the margin of error, so that either our guy gets it or nobody gets it. If his read takes him someplace he’s not comfortable, he’s got to pull it down and run it or else throw it away. He’s in charge of minimizing minus plays in the passing game. We cannot have sacks, interceptions and turnovers. That’s his job.”
So in the quarterback’s head, he should focus first on being careful?
“No, not in his head,” Henning says. “His foremost thing is to be aggressive. But his instincts have to be built in to keep him from making the team have minus plays in the passing game. You have to be consciously aggressive and instinctually conservative.”
To accomplish this, Henning says that the Dolphins “try to put them in the worst situations and then find out how they’re going to react in that worst situation. Because in the game, there’s no time to get it back. You can’t get it back. And we’ve been efficient here in doing that. We were much more efficient the first year, which is natural, we’ve got a guy who has been at it 11 years, and he doesn’t make that many errors. But now, last year, we’ve had a number of games, the first Jet game was a great example for Chad Henne, no errors with a number of chances to make some errors. And that first Buffalo game. When you think about it, that second New England game, he did a great job.”
How’s Henne doing overall?
“I think he’s a work in progress, although I see him making progress, I don’t see him falling back, when he makes an error he never makes the same thing twice,” Henning says. “So that’s a good sign.”
http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sport...eveals-what-he-wants-in-his-quarterbacks.html

 

Check the same stats for every single team and you will find that almost every teams sucess in the red zone comes via the pass!

But you know what? I could care less about the statistics. I've seen horid passes by Henne too often in the red zone. Terrible fades, and missed wide open targets.

Yeah, the running game pretty much sucked this year and the Qb has been less than stellar himself. No statistics needed. Just a good pair of eyes.

 

Show me some examples of any defense against any offense saying they got outcoached. It doesnt happen that often. i'll give you examples of praise from throughout his career. Noone ever says they got outcoached. when was the last time a Dolphins player said we were outcoached? But he's respected by people who get paid for their opinions by NFL Teams and I'll show you examples of his own players praising him


"I��think Coach�Belichick is using the personnel the way he wants to," said Mayo. "We have a lot of young guys on the defensive side of the ball who are kinda learning day-to-day and he's putting them in position to make plays."
Mayo also talked about the importance of in-game adjustments in the Patriots upcoming game against Miami, a team that runs new stuff in some form every week.
"(Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan) Henning does a great job drawing up schemes and scheme runs," Mayo explained "They have three or four during the game and�it comes down to adjustments."
http://www.csnne.com/10/01/10/Mayo-...ding_patriots.html?blockID=322412&feedID=3352

Then their offense, I really have always been a big fan of Dan Henning, worked with him in New York, got to know him well. He’s very creative. We saw how the Wildcat exploded on the scene and each game the way that he develops ways to attack you in the running game. They have the two good backs with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams but the way they scheme it up I think is always very creative. I remember playing against him in the Super Bowl and some of the things he did there that caused problems. Not only do they have a big offensive line every guy averages over 315, tight ends are all over 250, the backs are over 230, fullbacks are over 240 so they’re big. They’ve got two outstanding backs and I think the scheme is very good so we’re going to have to be really sound defensively to handle that. In the passing game, Brandon Marshall, he had three seasons in a row with over 100 catches, he’s an elite guy. I like Davone Bess a lot, the problems that he creates. He’s their punt returner and he’s an excellent receiver and what makes him so dangerous as a receiver is not just what he does in terms of getting open, catching the ball but what he does in terms of running after the catch. Brian Hartline’s a really good route runner, reliable hands, tough and Anthony Fasano’s a guy that I liked a lot coming out of college, I think he’s a complete tight end in terms of his ability to block and then his ability to get open in the passing game and then come down with some tough catches. Chad Henne made a lot of tough throws, seen some of his development not as much as if we were playing them twice a year but I think he’s come a long way. On special teams with Nolan Carroll and Davone Bess two explosive guys, Patrick Cobbs works a little bit on kickoff return, he’s done some good things. He flashes a little bit on offense as well. It’s a lot of stuff to get ready for, big, physical, tough, disciplined team and looking forward to it.”

http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/2010/12/whats-browns-coach-eric-mangini-saying-69/

Sept. 7 — Todd Collins was sitting in the office of Dan Henning, the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator, earlier this week, going over strategies for today's game against the Jets.

Henning pointed out a play, a counter screen, that he believed could be big. And Collins, readying for his fifth professional start, showed his inexperience, perhaps more than he would in the game.

''He just knew it was going to work,'' said Collins, the Bills' third-year quarterback. ''I said, 'Well, are you going to call it?' He said, 'Of course I'm going to call it.' I don't know why, but he just knew it was going to work, for some reason.''

While Collins may need more time in the classroom, he showed today that he was able to execute what he was unsure of. The play that Henning found proved to be a major factor in the Bills' 28-22 victory over the Jets.

The Bills had gone through their first three possessions without a first down and trailed, 10-0. Then, on second-and-10 from their 30-yard line, Collins dumped a screen pass to Tim Tindale, also a third-year player, who rambled 45 yards untouched until Jets strong safety Victor Green finally ran him down. That set up the Bills' first touchdown.

With the Bills trailing by 22-21 midway through the fourth quarter, Henning pulled the play out again and it worked to perfection as Tindale picked up 44 yards.

''I knew it was in the game plan,'' Tindale said. ''We knew they hadn't seen it before, so they probably weren't going to prepare for it. We knew it could be a big play if things went poorly and we needed a big play. I was surprised it was called twice.''

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/08/s...offense-carry-buffalo-back-into-the-game.html


9. Dan Henning / Dolphins
Known for being a more traditional, run-first offensive mind, Henning was forced to move away from a more gimmicky offense after injuries took their toll, and he still kept the Fins competitive despite youth at quarterback and few offensive playmakers.
SCOUT'S TAKE: "The head coach (Tony Sparano) does a great job with the offensive line, but Henning is very underrated. To make the transition they did after losing Chad Pennington and still move the ball was impressive. They caught everyone off guard with a gimmick offense last year, but most of the league caught on, and they went to more of a traditional offense after Ronnie Brown got hurt. You got a young quarterback (Chad Henne), an old running back (Ricky Williams) and Ted Ginn not consistent enough to trust — they didn't have a big playmaker in the offense after they lost Ronnie (Brown), but they were still in almost every game. When you can't make big plays and are still efficient moving the ball, that's a tribute to the offensive coordinator."

http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/01/11/ranking-the-offensive-coordinators

"You have to understand, it ain't Dan Henning," Delhomme said. "And I'm not just protecting him. I like him and I think he's a great coach, but we didn't make plays as players this year. These are the same plays that we won an NFC championship and went to the Super Bowl with.

"We didn't perform the way we normally perform. I don't think we played with the opportunities we had this year. We played with a lot of long fields this year, and that's something you have to overcome. But I'm sorry, I'm in Dan Henning's corner all the way. I see it. I see the film. I promise you I see the film, and the problem is not what Dan is calling or not calling."

http://car.scout.com/2/607134.html

Beathard met Monday morning with Henning and then announced the firing at an afternoon press conference at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.
"It was a very tough emotional decision," said Beathard. "My relationship with Dan goes back a long ways. I've never been around an offensive coach that is as good as Dan. I think the working relationship we had was very good.
"Dan took it like a man. Dan's sometimes difficult to read, but I know it hurt because I know how badly he wants to be a successful head coach. He had two tries, and if you're looked upon as somebody who hasn't succeeded, I guess you take it pretty tough. And I think he did.
"Maybe some of this is my responsibility for not giving him what a guy needs to be successful. I don't know, but sooner or later you have to make a decision. . . . This is the hardest decision by far that I've had to make in football."

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-12-24/sports/sp-849_1_head-coach/2

Coach [Dan] Henning does a real good job of mixing things up. All of his offensive skill players – they're all involved in the game. He does a good job of spreading the ball around and attacking defenses at all different points - inside, outside, short, intermediate, deep – you name it. He uses everybody, but clearly, Marshall's a go-to guy for him, and he should be. He's an outstanding player.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20100929/NEWS/100929538#ixzz195rpFnAX

 

its not henning, its henne thats predicatble. how many big plays has henne missed that would have gone for TDs or big gains if he just makes the throw? we leave 10 points on the table in almost every game because of failed execution

 

Sorry adam still don't get Dan Henning's angle at all... sounds like fail forward fast to me all over again. Not buying it sorry.

 

so are you advocating throwing 75% of the time? If we dont run when we have the lead, when do we run? When we're behind? Or do we abandon the run completely and pretend we're the Colts? what ratio would make you happy. Because if we start making 3 wide sets more prevalent our production will go down in those formations. It may work in limited appearances but just like the wildcat you dont run it every play because you will probably get Henne killed back there if you do. And BTW I have no idea what you're talking about the comebacks or whatever. Are you talking about comparing 2009 to 2010? Why isnt that valid? Did Henning suddenly forget how to coach in one offseason?

 

its obvious you dont get it

here's someone who eventually got it

The coach wanted to tinker with Matt Hasselbeck. With his mechanics and with his personality. The coach thought he could change him, which, at the time, was like believing you could change the seasons on command.
Dan Henning, who then was the coach at Boston College and now is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, was taking the opening-day quarterback's job away from junior Hasselbeck and giving it to sophomore Scott Mutryn.
"He wanted to change my mechanics as a thrower, and that's tough," Hasselbeck, now the Seahawks' quarterback, said after a midweek practice before today's NFC Championship against the Panthers. "It's like changing your golf swing. You've done it one way your whole life, and your brain can't find a way to change. And I wasn't really willing to change. Consequently I didn't play.
"Since then, coach Henning and I have had many conversations about why I wasn't chosen as the quarterback at that point. I remember that one of the things he told me when he informed me that the other kid was going to play was, 'Hey, you're the kind of guy I would want to be the president of the United States, and this other kid's the kind of a guy that I would like to be a general.' "
Hasselbeck was so angry he wasn't starting that he told Boston reporters, "He [Henning] should wear big red clown shoes and a big red clown nose, because he's a clown."
"He was like that here too in the beginning," Seahawks offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said of Hasselbeck's early arrogance. "But he's not like that anymore."
Standing in a press tent outside the Seahawks' locker room, Hasselbeck cringed when he was reminded of his remarks from the summer of 1996.
"It's not who I was," he said. "Dan Henning was a phenomenal influence on me. He was a great, great coach."



But back to Hasselbeck and Henning, because the evolution of their relationship is so similar to Hasselbeck and Holmgren's.
In Boston College's season opener at Hawaii on Aug. 31, 1996, Mutryn didn't play well. And at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Henning turned to Hasselbeck and said, "You think you should be the starter? Go in there and show me why."
B.C. came back to beat Hawaii, 24-21.
"I'm guessing, but I think he [Henning] wanted me to step up the leadership a little bit," Hasselbeck said. "Step up the aggressiveness and the fight and step up and really listen and buy into some of the things I needed to do to be the guy.
"I didn't get it right away, but eventually I got it. I definitely learned a lot from him, and there's no way I'd be in the NFL right now if I had never been coached by coach Henning."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002754581_kell22.html

 

I'll take Bill Belichik's word on this

Q: Is there a different dynamic in going against a guy you've coached with in Dan Henning?

BB: Well, I know Dan. Dan knows me. But, that's a long time ago. All the players are different. Things have changed over a period of time. Is the foundation the same? Yes, but the game comes back down to the players. It's players that make the plays. They are the ones that go out there and block and tackle and throw and catch and cover and all that. As usual, the team that plays better – that's the team that will win.

Read more: http://www.telegram.com/article/20100929/NEWS/100929538#ixzz195rpFnAX

ask yourself who is a more important piece in building a sports team, a coach or a GM? You can use any sport, its always the guy who can bring in talent

 

Defense was holding the Bears to field goals.... It was 3-0, then 6-0 then 9-0 didn't run the ball at all Tyler Thigpen in the game.... You put that one on Henne
Nope. That is on the OC.

 

I don't give a damn about the past.

 

nope. that was on a mash unit of an offensive line. did we have one capable starter that game on the line?

 

then you are destined to repeat your failures. sorry couldnt resist.its almost 3 am for god's sake

 

Does anyone really care about 2008 anymore? I don't .
Why should anyone bother with Henning's history.
All I know is now. Saving a legacy is unimportant.
A young QB is more important honestly.

 

Hey blame Tony... and Padre he cheered when Garner went down

 

No I'm not suggesting that we throw 75% of the time. Also I don't believe the effectiveness goes down necessarily the longer you use it at least if it's not a gimmick offense like the Wildcat. The Wildcat merely changed the approach the defense has to take. 3 WR and even 4 WR change personnel to weaker personnel. Especially against a 3-4 you're talking about their second best pass rusher and perhaps best run stopper versus your mediocre FB and crappy #2 TE. I lost you on the comebacks. Would Henne really get killed? I'm not so sure especially if you run heavily from it.

Even if the pressure is heavy you have Davone Bess now on the field instead of Polite. One is an effective quick throw (who gets open all the damn time) rather than Polite who is just a danger to pass to under heavy pressure.

I've never been a proponent of passing heavy out of multiple WR formations. I'm a major proponent of running out of those sets though. Few defenses are prepared to stop running games out of their nickel and dime formations. Miami can because they have excellent personnel (McDaniel-Starks-Langford-Wake can hold down the run). On the other hand personnel like that of the Jets with guys like Devito can't get pressure without hiding who their blitzing and taking Pace/Thomas off the field doesn't help. In 4 WR the Jets have Thomas and Scott off the field. If Pace is rushing the edge and no CB blitzes all you have is David Harris, who is more of a coverage ILB to stop the run. This isn't even mentioning that Henne sees the field best in a spread formation. Now Fasano and the 3 WR may have been the best formation this year but I think in the future that can be improved as well.

Now as far as what I'd like to see: Let's say that I tinker with personnel a bit and have a Jacoby Jones on the field just for future scenarios instead of Fasano.

I've got:

FL- Jacoby Jones
SL- Brandon Marshall
SL- Davone Bess
SE- Brian Hartline

Now let's see what I've done. Henning throughout the year allowed the Jets, Pats, and numerous teams to put their best personnel on the field, their base defense (The Patriots almost never let you play out of your base formation). This can change, let's go over what it could look like next year.

The outside WR's don't make a tremendous difference on blocking in this play, but they can hold their own especially Hartline. The central point of all this is that with a very fast and semi-fast WRs on the field the safeties are back. They are far off the line of scrimmage because they respect not only Jones and not only Hartline but they also know that if Marshall gets downfield they're in major trouble.

1. Safeties are back. Running game victory: check. Passing game victory check especially for your two best WRs: Marshall and Bess.

Alright now let's go to the next step.

2. Let's say we're playing the Ravens since most of my examples involve the Jets. When you play the Ravens and you go into a base formation they have excellent run-stopping personnel in McClain and Johnson on the field. They're going to take these two guys off the field immediately after you go into a 4 WR set. Webb and Fabian Washington are nothing special. This isn't even mentioning the fact that not only do the Ravens have to compensate for the 4 WR they also have to lineup their CBs to match speed. Due to the speed of Jones or even Hartline to some degree you might have one of their top CBs have to take on Jones or Hartline, basically giving Marshall and Bess fodder. Marshall is a monster in run blocking and Bess even at his size I'd say is a better run blocker versus a CB than Mastrud and Polite have been against SOLBs and ILBs.

2. A win in the run game and the pass game.

3. Now let's look at the matchup in the LB core.

With the safeties doubling Marshall (or perishing) and providing over the top help for the speed of the Dolphin's WRs, you're leaving Ray Lewis on an island against the RB. If you have a RB that can catch and take advantage of the fact that Lewis isn't his 2000 self as far as speed and quickness go, you have a mismatch. Say a DeAngelo Williams is matched up with him and sees that the Ravens aren't brining a CB blitz you're in a good spot. I think DeAngelo can break off his spot and get you some big yardage. This is where Vince Young really thrives because against him you have to keep a LB to cover, reducing your rush or your potential protection down the field even further. Michael Vick gives you hell with this. Henne can't so he's going to need a very good RB to make quick gains for him after a quick catch. I think in the spread with solid blocking WRs you have a good shot at making something happen. Win for the passing game.

There are a number of other reasons why 3 WR and 4 WR should have been stuck with more often this season (I'll give Henning an excuse for 4 WR he didn't have that fourth guy who Ted Ginn Jr. could easily have been but that's dwelling on the past). I'm not suggesting a return for Mike Martz get my QB killed football. I'm suggesting a power spread that Miami especially at the beginning of the year was well equipped to pull off with their large linemen either taking on an undersized pass rush formation or passing on standard 3-4, 4-3 run personnel. Especially considering how much Sparano tries to emphasize the run I think a passing formation with a run emphasis could have at least put Miami somewhere in the 16-22 range in running the ball.

Instead we went with predictable plays with Ricky and Ronnie up the weakest part of the offensive line against base defenses without having the personnel to do so. To further KB's point that 2001 Dolphin unit with no LT and a beaten up line, with Lamar Smith running for 3.3 YPC, and a rookie Travis Minor finished 8th in the NFL. 8th! There's no way the had anywhere near the talent this team has, nothing close to it. They wish they had a Ronnie Brown, they wish they had the OL Miami had at the beginning of the year (very good pass blocking), and Brandon Marshall/Bess. No comparison...

Adapt Henning? You won't? Cya fossil.

 

When I joined the board last season you were pushing your Ginn love....No worries.
Merry Christmas bro...

 

One more point after my rambling of the past post. Very few personnel groups in the league are capable of generating pressure in dime formation if they don't have excellent rush personnel to begin with out of their line in base form. If Miami can master attacking defenses in the spread and 4 WR they can really hurt these defenses:

- NY Jets
- Buffalo
- New England
- Pittsburgh
- Baltimore

We're one of the few teams that can get away with what we do playing in our 3-4 because we have the personnel to give you hell out of a four man rush. Our line of Wake-Starks-McDaniel- Langford could double as a 4-3 unit and not give up much to the running game. No other team running a 3-4 in the NFL can say that they're as deep out of the DT, LE spots as Miami is in that way.

In the modern era CBs are the most disadvantaged position in the NFL. Wouldn't you want to get nickel and dime CBs on the field as often as possible. The most disadvantaged, extremely difficult position, in cross-matches with guys like Bess and Marshall? Isn't that obvious logic?

 

ok. so you're calling for a run heavy attack but from the spread formation? I could get behind that. Not sure it would work but its worth a try. Sorry I thought you were advocating passing every down as if we were the Patriots or Colts or like you said Mike Martz and that IMO would be suicide. I like the idea. Its definitely worth trying at least. I'm not sure Ronnie is the right guy for it. He seems to have lost a step and I would prefer a faster back like Chris Johnson or a shiftier back like Arian Foster but it might work.

 

i defend those that I think are taking to much abuse relative to their worth. I think Henning's alright. He's not top 10 but he's top 16 IMO. He runs a certain version of the Coryell that can be very effective when you give him the right personnel. When you dont it tends to bog down but thats the case with most coordinators. He's also one of the very best at developing a game plan off of film. His in game adjustments are alright but not as skillful as his gameplanning. As for Ginn, I just wanted his speed. Our version of the Coryell needs someone who can go deep and just like the Dolphins would do, we get rid of the speed and dont replace it. Hey Henning, we're taking your speed receiver but we've replaced him with this great CB Carroll. Hennning "**** you"

merry xmas bro !

 

really? he didnt like gardner?

 

Ronnie earlier in his career would have been the right guy. Right now DeAngelo Williams and a Mikel Leshoure are excellent choices to do it. Even Ronnie though does well against smaller personnel (Ricky made a killing off of it at one point). You need to make a quick decision against a fast defense. Stick with it, get that four-five yards every time and get maybe a ten yarder if you break the tackle. I admit it is harder to beat the edge per say because you've spread the field to begin with, but it's that constant rushing yardage that's perfect for Sparano.

What was the Patriots traditional formation in 2004 with Dillon?

 

. Agree about the type of back that would be best suited for that. as for the pats think it was the more traditional perkins/ erhardt variety. they had a bunch of two TE single back formations, power I formations and traditional pro sets. if i remember correctly they would do alot of presnap shifting also

 

The Ehrhardt-Perkins they run is extremely flexible. They were a 3 WR to start this year and they've switched heavily to a 2 TE set with one TE being more of a flex TE. It's that kind of flexibility that Miami simply doesn't have. Heck if I could have asked something of Henne this year it would have been to either get the right fit players for his system (whine, beg Ireland) or adapt. They did neither. They were just blunt and said we're talented, it'll work, Henne will adjust, the running game will work. For the life of me I can't understand how they expect Incognito to pull at LG. It's like they stopped trying to adjust on offense. That 2009 OL is put together perfectly for what the Dolphins ask. The 2010 is terrible.

There's something more to this. There has to be. They get rid of Ted Ginn Jr. when they know they'll need a true deep threat. They put the wrong interior OL together. They run behind the weakest part of the line again and again. They see that the BS PA isn't working yet they continue to do it? What gives? It's a wasted year, honestly this was a wasted year, Henne's struggles aside.

You know as much as we've talked about how we don't want to draft a RB in the first round and how it's a waste and what not. Mark Ingram is pretty much perfect for anything the Dolphins want to do. I can see him generating 4.5-5 yards per carry behind a revamped line, plenty of receptions, he'll fix his pass blocking, and he'll get you touchdowns in the red zone, he'll do things through the air for you. Jon Gruden takes over I know Ingram is the pick. I still think he's the pick at this point just based on the fact that he gets it. He was born to be a RB. Who knows he may surprise a little with his long speed. SEC tends to show you how fast a guy really is with its defenses. I just think he'd be a tremendous player for Miami, especially if he's complimented by a couple of veteran backs, perhaps Ricky sticks around for him and a Leon Washington.

Just makes too much sense even with that lack of so called deep speed. I'd rather have the guy that turns each of Henne's dump offs into a solid gain ( as opposed to the aged R and R), then look just for speed.

 

Nate Garner.....

 

Exactly what I've been saying. Kory Sheets might even be able to fill that Leon Washington role.

 

Kory operated out of the spread. He's used to that job. Both Ingram and Sheets would have to be complimented by a good pass blocking back just in case they struggle. I think Clinton Portis would be a good backup and would probably want one year in Miami. Then you get a power runner, a truly large RB somewhere in free agency or elsewhere to complete a four man RB group. That could still be Ronnie Brown if he signs for cheap.

 

That would be ideal. Of course, if they wanted to go the cheap route, Lex Hilliard is always an option. The success we've seen with him out of rushes have come in passing situations or on counters where he can get a couple early steps out into space and take on smaller defensive backs (saw this in preseason on a couple of occasions). He's also proven his worth on special teams and as a replacement fullback as of late with Polite struggling.

Of course, then I fully expect the Pats to sign Ronnie or Cobbs or both and turn them into Pro Bowlers.

 

I'm trying to find a reason why this guy should not be our first pick in the draft. Trying.

[video=youtube;mRufS1mF4xs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRufS1mF4xs[/video]

[video=youtube;htGP7Y8oUXg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htGP7Y8oUXg[/video]

[video=youtube;FKhTrxk4Nss]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKhTrxk4Nss[/video]

Aside from the physical ability and uncanny yards after contact, I'm impressed by his heart. The kid scores a TD, takes about a second to flex and celebrate, and then turns to find his teammates to celebrate. If a guy threw a key block to get him into the endzone, he immediately goes to find that guy.

The guys over at DraftTek have had us drafting him for the last month or so . . . not that it means anything.

 

That's true I don't know how much you can really do about the whole Ronnie deal but it's a great question really do you risk that. You know for a fact they'll find a way to use him, turn him around make him the second coming of 2004 Corey Dillon. Maybe you keep him? Besides I think he might end up a Saint as well (then again BB always said he was just a fantastic player to have). Tough to say...

I always appreciate watching a player out of the SEC. You know he's against the best especially in the run game. I guarantee you Ingram would look pretty fast running against what Hunter and Leshoure are up against.

 

100% true. To do what Ingram has done against SEC defenses on a consistent basis speaks loudly.

 

The only reason not to draft him is b/c he's a possession RB in the NFL IMO, and he possibly doesn't provide the offense with it's needed explosiveness or ability to open up the field. IMO there's another great kid on Bama who might help this offense out more. Julio Jones. We can still get a very good tailback later on. Actually, if we could trade back our first, we could end up with a top WR (or TE) and a top RB from it rather than just a great RB. I'd rather have 2 for 1 personally.

It's the computer system at drafttkek that's drafting him b/c RB is our greatest team need...... but that doesn't mean it's our greatest 1st round need. Their computer system doesn't take that into account IIRC.

 

Lex could turn out to become a fine FB replacement to Polite. He's got the intensity and mentality for the position IMO..... and he's definitely MUCH better out of the backfield than Lou.

 

I just think Ingram offers so much more in so many areas than anyone you are going to find in later rounds. Some people have suggested we should trade for future picks, but I don't understand the logic of that at all. If anything, I think we should consider trading future picks this season (if the right guys are available). We need to take advantage of this defense as soon as we can. If the talent at positions of need is not there, then it's not there. But, for instance, if we grab Ingram in the 1st and then also like a TE, C, or OG in the 2nd, we should pull the trigger on him.

 

See I don't think that's true though. I think he has excellent quickness and enough long speed to make a big gain. Can he run like Chris Johnson or A.P. no. Can he turn a quick outlet pass into a first down, easily. Julio Jones does help but Julio Jones would be brought in basically three things. Run blocking, quick screens, and a deep threat. Julio Jones is a guy you get the ball to much more than that.

I could counter your point by saying a Jacoby Jones can do much of what Julio would except Julio is a better run blocker. Still relative to cost I would go with that option.

Another advantage of a RB is that Ingram's an excellent bet for exactly ten years of production. He just turned 21. In his age 30 season we'll let him go having received our first round pick's value to its fullest. Julio you have to wait a few years to make his true impact. I think Ingram can do it immediately next year. As far as what he does on the football field as far as long runs, I think in the NFL he can make those yards after contact really worth it and then make a big break down the field. He's not as slow as people think he is. He's a legitimate 4.45-4.5ish RB. Don't worry too much about that extra WR or that second TE, they can come cheap. You need a primary runner though and DeAngelo Williams has some injuries and is 28. I'd rather sign Jacoby Jones, Bo Scaife, and perhaps take a chance on Shawne Merriman.

Hilliard I do like and I think he deserves some carries along with Sheets. I'd still want a true extra RB like Ronnie around at least for a year, but Hilliard is a great bet in case you need someone to run out of the spread. He makes a quick cut and if there's a hole he'll get you five or six.

Ingram is the closest equivalent to an easy button for the Dolphins as there is in this draft.

 

Couldn't agree more. I think Ricky is more likely to stay as he'll be satisfied with a one-year deal. Ronnie will likely want to test the market, and I'm sure there is a team out there willing to sign him to a multi-year contract. Ingram/Ricky/Sheets/Hilliard has been my thought for a while now. I'd be more than happy with that (assuming Sheets isn't a complete bust) so long as we gave Henne another target in the passing game and settled the line issues.

But yeah, you and I are on the same page with respect to both our RB situation and the need to get three and four WRs onto the field more often.