Barry Jackson asks Steve Ross about free agent receivers...

For those not interested in reading through non-dolphin related materials in the article

 

It's basically I think managing expectations. These things unfold in unsuspecting ways sometimes and if the fans have worked themselves into a frenzy over signing a wide receiver and you don't- even if it's the right and well-reasoned thing to do- the fans will act like children. Especially Dolphins fans.

I wouldn't believe that they aren't going to make a splash in free agency, though.

 

The "splash" has to come from how Ryan Tannehill plays next year, regardless of what happens in free agency or the draft.

 

Stephen Ross "manages expectations" by saying basically "playoffs or bust" every year.

 

you act as if those two things are independent of each other

 

That's because he believes they are.

 

And in the many scenarios when it's 3 and long with the game in the balance and dime packages taking away Hartline and Bess...we need better guys getting open than Armstrong and Moore.

 

Hmm, I know KB21 catches hella flak, but he nailed Mike Wallace yrs ago in the draft.

As for signing a big name FA Wr..I'm not as wild about as some are, imo it is a typical Dolphins fan shortcut.

Though it did work for Shula and Paul Warfield, but he did develop Clayton, Duper and McDuffie.

a Te..sure, we need one and it is such a complex position to learn it is better to let another franchise pay to coach up a guy, a Wr though..hit or miss in Fa, what we need, imo, is a system that develops those players moreso than a shortcut.

 

I'm not aware of any great quarterbacks who were forestalled from becoming great by the players around them.

 

I don't see a Warfield in this draft, but I think Jennings will be a definite upgrade with a minimized adjustment period. He'll also be a guy who can help teach young WRs like Matthews and draftees the nuances of the system.

I do see Bailey as incredibly similar to Clayton. I have little doubt that he'll be available in the second and could realistically make it to the third.

 

Forget Matty ice. Imagine if RT had Julio, Roddy, and Tony to throw to???

Good Gods..

 

You really think there is enough evidence to surmise that he'd be playing anywhere near as well as Matt Ryan in that situation?

 

As someone who is always ready to criticize this team where need be...yes. RT showed me a lot this year. Every unit around him was mediocre or worse. He was outstanding for a rookie. Some folks never stop waiting for their opinion to get supported. RT played well, with a fraction of what Ryan has supporting him and a fraction of the college and pro experience. Plus he is more athletic and a hell of a smart kid. It's all there. But even Marino couldn't do it by himself.

 

And a more effective run game.

BUT Thill has to get more accurate, simple as that, to many balls sail

 

Imagine if RT had Julio, Roddy, and Tony to overthrow to???

Good gawd.



Just pulling your chain.

 

Tom Brady.

From 2001-2006, Tom Brady was not "great". He was a clutch QB who could command the moment. He had good numbers, but nothing close to elite. Nothing close to what they're today. 24-28 TD's with 12-14 picks every year, like clockwork.

From 2007 onward, Tom Brady has led or is close to, leading every passing stat. What changed? The talent around him. Welker and Moss gave him his best season ever and a TD record (18-1 too). Hell, even Matt Cassell looked pretty good in Brady's absence. With all-star talent, he too could go 11-5. Not exactly doing the same in KC, where the talent is far inferior. I digress... Then he got Gronk and Hernandez (Welker there still) and has continued being great.

So yeah... An arguable GOAT became great only when surrounded by other great players. Without them, he would still be throwing 25 TD-13 td's every season. And he certainly wouldn't be playing tonight. Unlike his early years, he doesn't have a top 3 defense to slow down the other teams. The team depends on him. He depends on his supporting cast.


Even Dan Marino could be used as an example... With some WR, he destroyed record books. Without them, he never duplicated those big numbers. Like Brady, he could command the moment and do more with less than others, but he wasn't as "great" as he once was. No player can do it alone. Not even the GOATS. Shula knew it too. That's why he kept drafting WR's every year. That's why a guy like Manning went to Denver. Talent around talent = success.

 

do i would love to find out

 

While I agree that Ryan has to get better he also needs the weapons to do so. His supporting cast was total garbage this year.

 

Sometimes a shortcut is needed to get where you want to go

 

Maybe the best example...

Kurt Warner. Kurt Warner + Holt + Bruce + Faulk = Monster and won a SB. Goes to NYG and is below average. Bounces to Arizona. Warner + Larry Fitz + Anquan Boldin = Very good and another SB appearance.

 

When you take into consideration the number of (potential) dropped TD or plays which the Dolphins Wr's just didnt have the physical skills to complete (I can think of at least one play to Bess and three to Hartline) I think the answer is clearly YES.

 

Good post… I really dont understand how any could argue that better talent around any QB is not going to make them better players… BTW, Steve Young (Bucs then 49ers) comes to mind as a perfect example.

 

Getting Wr's that create some seperation will give him the best chance to succeed no?

 

And that number is?

 

Who cares about that type of evidence? He showed plenty of good to say, man, I think we should get this kid some excellent help. We MAY be onto something here. But we'd be wasting away what, COULD, be our franchise Qb....

 

Tom Brady won three Super Bowls in three opportunities without Randy Moss or Wes Welker.

Yeah, I'd say his having been a "goat" prior to their arrival is definitely "arguable."

 

We constantly reach for those shortcuts.

That is a mistake imo

 

well, off the top of my head (3+1=4) is four but I am sure there were others. Not saying RT doesnt need to improve because frankly he does. However, the lack of talent around him was just incredible IMO.

 

When was that? during the Shula era? IMO, you have to build your team through the draft and via FA. One or the other is not going to get it done IMO.

 

And how many Tom Brady types do you think are currently playing in the NFL these days? How many do you think are in the draft?

The odds are much more in favor of a team improving thru adding impact talent around a Qb than finding a Qb that can impact the talent around him.

 

I'm not the guy who brought up Tom Brady.

 

BTW, are you taking the position that any QB in the NFL would not be any better with White, Jones and Gonzalez VS Hartline, Bess and Fasano?

 

When was the last time we saw a Dolphins receiver make a play like the one Crabtree just made? If that is a Dolphins receiver that is a drop...

(talking about the first down… not the fumble… lol)

 

I'm taking the position that we have absolutely no idea how good Ryan Tannehill would be with those players, in comparison to how good Matt Ryan is with them.

 

Tom Brady did win three super bowls. He clutched all of them out too. He's the most clutch QB in NFL history. That alone is HOF worthy. Very true. The Tom Brady you know in 2013 was not the same Tom Brady from 2001-2006 though. He was known as the ultimate game manager. Didn't make a ton of plays, didn't have a ton of yards, didn't have a ton of TD's, but always made the right ones when it counted the most. Tom Brady went to the next level from 2007-present. This is when he became elite. The transformation to game dominator occurred when his offensive roster was bolstered with other HOF caliber players such as Welker, Moss, Gronk, and Hernandez.

There are other examples if you want them... Steve Young, John Elway, Kurt Warner, Eli Manning, Rich Gannon, etc... Guys who's game improved significantly when they became surrounded by talent.

 

I think you are right that we dont know if Ryan would be any better or worse with those guys surrounding him. However, there is no doubt he would be way more productive.

 

And how many examples are there of guys whose games didn't improve significantly?

 

I know but you have questioned if RT is a Qb that can get better with guys like Wallace around him right?

 

Right. My point is that we have no idea how much better he'd be with better players around him. I certainly don't think we should assume, at this point in his career, that he'd be significantly better.