We are a young team that is starting to win more than lose, with a potential franchise QB whose best years are way ahead of him. I wanna see how this season plays out, but even if we finish 8-8, i'd still give it another year with this core in place before any major changes. Of course we need some line help (although less so lately) and i think a premier kick returner would be a good addition. Maybe a big WR like AJ green would be nice but who gets demoted? The optimist in me agrees with your assesment.
Sweep the east first..young team..young ascending Qb, young defense..young skill players with a good amount of exp..almost #1 in cap space, all our draft picks... I think if we sweep the east, the only issue would be if our GM and our coach are on the same page, and if their not, maybe they look at the 10 and 6 record, see what they did in the playoffs, and look at each other, then in the mirror, and see if it's possible they can fix any problems..
They are actually kept at the training facility in Davie. Here's a pic I took a couple of months ago:
We have a Quarterback, which is the hardest piece of the puzzle to find. I really don't know about our coaching staff and GM. On the one hand, Philbin & Co have us in a position to make the playoffs despite distractions and losing starters to injury/suspension. On the other hand, we've dropped games to inferior competition like TB and Buffalo. With our FO, they seem to have hit the jackpot on the QB position, but have made headscratching draft picks and FA signings. I think the next three games will tell us a lot. If the season ended today, I'd be inclined to shake up the FO but leave Philbin in charge.
The future I care about right now is in three days, because if we win that game, I think there's a good chance we're making the playoffs. After that, the next two games will be huge. So, I'd like a bright future. Looking further, since that seems what the thread is referencing, I agree with the folks who say we have our QB. I think Tannehill's the guy. He has his flaws, but he's the franchise QB we've needed. Not even close to knowing how the front office shakes out after the whole scandal thing-a-ma-jig, but I do think a lot of it depends on these next three games (see above). Also, there's some question, even if we do win and make the playoffs, if Mike Sherman stays around. We have some difficult choices to make as far as interior defensive linemen, re-signing or franchising a guy like Grimes (I would hope re-signing to a three-year deal). There are other players as well to make decisions on: Clemons, for one... I think he gets mixed reviews. Personally, I'm not totally sold on our LBs, even though we just re-signed Misi, but we may have to live with the three main guys and Jordan switching between LB and DE. Depending on what the coaches really think of our young CBs, we may need another guy in FA, because I think we let Patterson walk. He's just not healthy enough. Both FA and the draft will have some major offensive linemen focus, and we may still want a TE to pair up with Clay, whether that's Keller (big question) or, if we can find it internally, Egnew or Sims (also big questions), because the two-TE alignment seems to be the going trend, for both receiving and running. Big picture, I think the Dolphins are an ascending team, especially in the AFC East. The Jets are not and still have to find a QB. New England is in their twilight. The Bills are sort of a mystery, but their style of play leads me to believe they're going to stay middle of the pack. I think the Dolphins have a chance to be a player in the AFC the next few years. A contender. And for me, that's a nice feeling. I'd just like for that contending to start this year. So... win this weekend.
Right now I am keeping a reserved optimism close to my vest. I have been disappointed too many times by them to feel any differently. If they win out the last 3 games and do it in a convincing fashion than go into the playoffs and make a solid showing there, then I will be comfortably optimistic that they have turned a corner. I am stuck waiting for the other shoe to drop at all times with this team.
There is a lot that can go wrong in the next three games, such as we don't win. Let's not count our chickens before they're hatched. At this point, a better measure of where we've progressed is the teams we've beaten and lost to this season. We have beaten: The Colts and Andrew Luck, a division leader and a team that has clinched a playoff spot. Cincinnati, a division leader. Pittsburgh, with Big Ben, in their house, in the snow. The Chargers, with Philip Rivers. Neither the JEST nor the Browns nor the Falcons were supposed to be the Little Sisters of the Poor. Except for the Ravens, we've swept the AFC North, and we lost to the Ravens by a field goal. The other teams we've lost to: New England, a division leader. New Orleans, a division leader at 10-3. Carolina, one game behind New Orleans at 9-4, by 4 points. Should not have lost to Buffalo or Tampa Bay, and those were by less than a touchdown. If we lose to the Patriots again and beat the Jills and JEST, ending up at 9-7, and barely miss the playoffs because the Ravens only lose one more, we'll still be an improved team going in the right direction. We seem to have filled some glaring holes with some of the young guys we already had on the roster. They're not stars, but if they're serviceable and capable of team play, those fires are out. We have all our draft picks and some cap room. We know what our remaining needs are, and they're less urgent than they were last year. If we win out and make the playoffs, we're just that much further ahead. The only way we end up worse than last season is if we have a monumental collapse and lose all three. If we win out, so much the better. In any event, the twin disasters of the Tuna and the Fist Pumper seem to have been corrected. The rebuild project is on schedule.
We got blown out by the Saints but it was in their house so I somewhat give them a pass on that one. Carolina loss was a tough one for me. IMO they are overrated and we really should of won that and failed to close the deal. Tampa is an underated team and I can live with that loss Tampa outplayed us and deserved the win New England game could of gone either way and its a damn shame that ref interference has to cloud the results Ravens game was ugly, both teams looked flat and less bad team won that day What gives me hope about the team was watching them lose the lead in the pitt game and fighting back and retaking control. They did not lay down. They played like they believed they were the better team on the field. If they can hold onto that fire they will have something. If they continue to play like that they will of proven to me that they belong in the conversation of who is a contender to see the post season. As you eluded too, it isn't just Tanny playing hard. They have a good young core of players to build around. Buffalo game was flat out inexcusable and an embarassment
I'll put the bills game on the stadium, place was freakin dead and I don't know how a team is supposed to collectively be hyped when there is 15 thousand in their seats when their introduced.. I thought we payed better football then the panthers..a time out by the coach at a critical point of the game, and not playing the worst defensive scheme before the half that I have seen in all my years of watching football, I think would of won it. I actually saw some things from Ryan in that saint game that showed me some things I wanted to see but questioned that I would. Bucs game was the week of hell for the team, I thought we would be mad but it looked like they didn't have their legs and were mentally drained. Should of beat the ravens damn it.
Regardless, I have a feeling (maybe a homer hope, but a feeling) that the second decade of the 21st century is going to be a good time to be a Miami Dolphins fan. I'm bullish on them.
I can respect your opinion while disagreeing with it at the same time. I am multi-talented like that. It comes from having a proper diet and dedicated brain exercise routines.
I still say fans play a very limited role. KC has had somr of the best fans for decades and been just as mediocre as we are. Same for the Bears etc
ummmm, yeah, I'm not going there with ya 44..my theories have been proven over and over..I'm done debating with folks who share your opinion..but we good regardless.
I would like for our pr dept, and coaches to worry about things like this, on top of their gps systems and their advanced analytics dept..worry about your building, because certain ones relative to your own, are creating a disadvantage so big it's just not fair anymore.
The point is, the right teams who play in the right style of building, are expecting their fans to perform just like the fans expect their teams to perform..because they know it creates an advantage for their team.. Yeah..just open your mind and think about that one..
What affects the purity of the game is the relative difference of sun life to the link in Seattle or the super dome..it's huge, and our players have to deal with it.. Lets just accept that our building sucks, How bout we perform instead of arriving late and sitting on our asses.
I don't disagree, but here's the guy you have to sell getting a new stadium: It's going to be VERY HARD to sell the idea of a new stadium to the fans and to secure public funds for that stadium with him running the show. You need to take that into account and think very hard about "reassessing things" if this team ends up 10-6.
