How many times on this board have I said over, and over, and over again that we should have drafted a NT!!!!!!! Just last week I posted this...... http://forums.thephins.com/showthread.php?p=1179497#post1179497 "We SHOULD have drafted a NT!!! Good NT's are very hard to come by and when they are out there you need to grab one if you are in need, and we blew it." I am absolutely FURIOUS with the lack of foresight by this teams front office. Year, after year, after year something rears its ugly head and pulls the spark plug wires off of the Dolphin Machine before it get started. I am starting to think with these ******ed coaches walking the sideline we will never win a Superbowl. How do you go through two NFL drafts with an old man as your defensive anchor and not address the problem???!!??!!? I am so thoroughly and completely pissed off right now you couldn't believe it.
These ******s have turned the envy of the NFL into a flaccid, non-respected team by repeatedly doing things like this for over a decade. I think I have officially seen everything. It's the front offices job to have their finger on the pulse of this stuff and they continue to make midget league mistakes. This is not the making of a Superbowl team when a FO doesn't do their job. Superbowls begin in the FO, not on the field. We absolutely cannot continue to waste our #1 picks on people like Ginn, hire goofball coaches like Saban, change the stadium name every off season, and be blind to the teams real needs. If Ferguson was out until game nine that was even more reason to draft for the position. This is totally inexcusable! I have been a fan since 1971, how much more of this SH*T can the fans take and still buy tickets?
It's a glass is half empty or glass if half full scenario. Yes he was suspended and was going to miss 8 games. He was also going to be able to play for 8 regular season games as well as any playoff games we are in. This regime felt the need to sign him and Sparano was very excited when we did stating that he would have loved to have had the option of having another NT late in the season last year. If they didn't feel the need for him they wouldn't have signed him in the first place.
You're being irrational. He was going to be gone for 8 games. No matter what our record was coming into game 9, he wouldn't really make a difference. You are blowing this way out of proportion. In fact, I'd be more mad at the FO for relying on an 87 year old NT who's got to get into the thick of things after sitting out half the season.
So, Odrick is a waste of a first round pick? Based on what, exactly? The fact that we moved Randy Starks to nose tackle? Sounds to me like we solved your complaint before you uttered it.
I don't remember anyone saying that Odrick was a waste of a pick. Odrick wasn't the first overall pick either like Ginn was (Odrick was 28th) in fact Odrick was never mentioned in the rant. Personally I would have left Starks where he was because he was so good there and we really needed an experienced NT. Conversion is always a risky experiment and not every player can be successfully converted. I agree with cobrajet on this one - this could have been handled with better foresight by the FO.
Err..how about "no"? NT is as difficult a position to play in the NFL as QB, rook starters who can play at even a mediocre level are extremely rare, they may rotate into games, generally they don't play very well, at least as well as "joe average" NFL starting NT's do. Why do you suppose NT's play into their mid 30's if their bodies hold up?
Based on what criteria exactly? The coaches felt no rookie available would be better than Starks. This isn't some blind shot in the dark either. Starks played NT last year, and played it well.
Take it easy boys, lets not get ugly here. Only real Dol-fans could get this riled up. I think we all bleed aqua and orange, only time will tell how this will pan out. Both sides of this debate have very valid points.
I understand your position on this, but playing NT as an emergency "fill in" is not the same as having years at the position. Starks plays great, but we really need a great player. You would think in two years they could have found a full time NT. Maybe we should have tried to get Vince Willfork when he was available? At some point the FO should wear some of the blame here.
Solai is going to surprise some people this year. I dont think he played too bad for a young NT. This year is big for him though, if He preforms we could have one of the bes DLines in the league . I feel Starks is Great and will continue in the middle. I have a hard time believe Fergy would have made a huge impact but I would have liked to have him come playoff time for another big rested body
Sooooooo who said we were looking for a rookie superstar? I agree with your post (I was a NT myself) that no average Joe could be a stand out. But now more than ever this position is easily as much of a question mark as FS. Sorry guys, I am not going to sit here and worship every tiny move we make just because I am a Dol-Fan and I have been one probably before most of you were born. I don't care about "the court of popular opinion" either and I don't roll over on command, I do this crazy thing called thinking and form my own opinions. Remember this post ....... not getting a solid NT in the last two years will be an issue that will haunt us down the road. Everyone makes mistakes, even GM's and coaches. Soliai is not the answer and neither is Starks, both are good players but the king pin of this defense needs to along the lines of Vince Willfork. (who we could have grabbed with a little brain power) Unless someone else is brought in NT will be a major issue this year. Lets just see how right I am.
Odrick offers Day ! production in his role, a Rook NT would offer 150 snaps, at best, behind Starks. And LT compared to playing football on the freeway that is the interior of NFL lines? night all.
It is not my job to count them, I thought that's why we had a front office. Apparently, I must be wrong.
I respect your opinion, but I do not agree with it. All kinds of talent that can produce on day 1 is available in every draft. Our team was studded with rookies last year who played many games and did a good job. You are off topic here. I said that the FO should have better prepared for this day and they didn't. Search your memory.......how many big runs up the middle went right by both Soliai and Starks. Go back and look at the film. This is what you want this year?? Mark my words...this will hurt us. Lets revisit this post in a few months.
Dan Marino - QB, rookie went to the superbowl Mark Sanchez - QB, rookie almost went the superbowl (Please don't make me name more....) Looks like rookie talent can make a day 1 contribution. Imagine what a rookie NT could do, unfortunately thanks to our lame-brained FO we will never know. .......and how did this thread turn against Ordick when no one is doubting his worth. He's a fine DT, I was happy when we drafted him!
Here is fuel for the not drafting NT Dan Williams debate... http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/07/14/examining-rookies-wholl-be-instant-starters "20. NT Dan Williams / Cardinals (1st round / Tennessee; 26th overall; DL grade: B-plus) Skinny: A tenacious widebody with good stamina, Williams will be groomed by veteran Bryan Robinson, who started last year and will still share time on the field. It's not common in the Ken Whisenhunt regime for Cardinals rookies to make an instant impact, but Williams looks like he will break the mold." Not drafting this guy was a big mistake by our front office. What a huge and needed component he could have been to our defense. With the Cowboys, Patriots, Jets, Browns, Chargers, 49ers, Dolphins, Ravens, Cards, and Steelers running versions of the 3-4 and the Packers Chiefs, and Broncos switching to it this year plenty of solid NT talent should be out there if we want to start shopping around. Also lets not discount the fact that someone deep at the 3-4 defense could be deep at the position and could make a NT available to the wires in the weeks ahead. This was a mistake by the FO but we just might land on our feet yet. God I really hope so.
Dan Marino - didn't go to the superbowl as a rook.Miami lost to Seattle that year. Also Ginn wasn't a 1 overall draft pick like some else said. Padre is right, Most 3-4 DT take about a year to even play. And last but not least Ordick was drafted as a 3-4 RDE not a 3-4 DT
Parcells and team gambled that Dan Williams would be available when we picked. Odrick was our backup selection. Parcells blew up when the Cards picked Dan Williams. It happens.
Anyone besides me think it could be for other reasons? Such as another failed test or the Dolphins not wanting to eat up an extra roster spot for someone who would miss half the season. Given he was just tweeting Wednensday that he was excited I'd be surprised if this were actually his decision. Starks is a pure badass though, I just hope Soliai can spell him...
Then you really have no frame of reference for being upset. Which is fine and your right. However, the boards here are as good as they are, because instead of reactionary unfounded posts like you'll find at the end of news articles, the discussion here is supposed to be on another level.
Something happened here, he is working out, then boom he retires....hmmm?? We will see, but probably wont knowing this front office. I believe Starkes will be good at nose, but he cant do it by himself, and I dont have any faith in Soli. Hopefully he can turn it around, and some of the younger cats can step up as nice fill ins.. This is a key position going forward to fill, along with FS, and RB now....however I dont think Ferguson meant that much nor was relied that heavily upon this year.....it would have been nice to have his legs come Week 9 though, fresh ones that is..
Ok; have it your way. You can cloud the issue all you want to but you just can't polish this terd, it just comes back a terd. The fact still remains; we are now missing one nose tackle in the rotation and this possibility is something the FO should have seen coming. They need to shape up, or ship out. Starks and Soliai are good players but their jobs just got tougher. The FO dropped the ball, what they do about it now is what really matters. Lets see who they can get off the wires for damage control. However; this repeated level of inept attention to these details will not take us to the SB.
Fancy verbiage? Hahahaha. Seriously, who should they have got? You do realize we have a starting NT & backups right now and Ferg was going to be out for 1/2 the season? Do you really think that Dan Williams was worth losing out on Misi & Odrick? If so, based on what? You act as if the FO had no idea Ferg ws going to miss 1/2 the season and then possibly retire. You've no basis for that other than, "They didn't draft Williams nor did the acquire some mythical player that doesn't actually exist or was available". That's just reactionary & silly.
yes agreed and it is either, take a shot on a nose, who more often is a developmental project, and doesnt pan out usually the first couple of years....say what anybody wants on here....Terrance Cody WAS NOT GETTING DRAFTED by Miami, no way, that is reality. Williams was gone, and to be honest I think that was more of a media hyped thing (Dan Williams to Miami) samething with Dez, Miami wasnt taking Dez or Williams either......that plan of Starks to NT, was in place before the draft, Miami would have drafted a NT, but at their descretion....the round they wanted, and who they wanted, it never happened for them...... I will say however, it is a position of need for them going forward, but the same can be said for about 29 other teams too...
I'm not surprised he's retiring at all, I only wish he had made his decision a lot sooner. Kind of a cop-out on his part in my opinion...
I have been a Miami Dolphin fan since 1966, (showing my age), but I hate to hear somebody ridiculed for not being born when I became a fan in the 60s or that it makes me a better fan or that my opinion carries more weight. I love the idea that most everyone on here is a Miami fan and I respect their opinion whether it agrees or differs from mine. Every franchise makes mistakes even the good ones. I don't consider myself to be a "homer" or believe that I suffer from "homerism" because I have been critical of moves by the organization before and will do so again when I feel it deserves it. But I respect those who do critisize and who disagree with the coaches and front office. They believe in Starkes and must feel there is still hope in Solaii so I will reserve my judgement and critism untill I see that it was a mistake. As far as Ferguson's decision is concerned, who of us really knows when he made this decision? Was it before the draft or just last week or the other day? We don't know if it was all his decision or did someone else help him come to that decision? I only know Ferguson has been a good Dolphin on the field and he has my respect for that.
It boils down to this: Would you prefer Odrick and Misi, or Williams only. IMO our situation at NT isn't great, but its alot stronger than our position at OLB. Even more so because Ferg's retirement was an unexpected development.
I've never seen such panic, gnashing of teeth, hub bub and so forth over a injured,old, suspended and one year away from retirement anyways player in my life.
Actually Mythbusters proved that you can indeed polish a turd. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBj6PonX14A"]YouTube- MYTHBUSTERS are going to Polish ****.......... they have gone nuts, remastered by NiteAngel[/ame]
I think you can speak clearer than that....is this post directed at me? The only reason I have mentioned the length of time that I have been a Dol-Fan is not to condescend anyone, but rather to reflect on the amount of stupid crap I have seen the team go through. Everything from Wood-Strock to Shula's "on side punt" that went for a TD. I long for the day that these threads return to taking about the football topics at hand and refrain from attacks, and miscellaneous bickering. I think Rush Limbaugh said it best; "when they can't kill the message - they always try to kill the messenger".