Tony Sparano is out as Dolphins’ head coach. Before the NBA gets up and running and consumes South Florida and this blog along with it, I need to carve out some time to discuss the recent developments in Davie.
First of all, I’m sad to see Sparano go on a personal level. I loved his ever present sunglasses, his reliance on statistics, the way he chomped on gum as his jaw bulged with the tension of the job, his enthusiasm for field goals, and having a big Italian guy with a mafioso name running the team. It should have worked. He should have ascended to a nickname like “the Godfather,” retired and opened up a successful chain of gourmet pizza shops in Plantation. But it didn’t happen.
Tony is out. You can’t really blame the owner, the team is flawed but talented and starting 0-7 is inexcusable. There needed to be accountability at the top of the organization and a change in leadership. Keeping Jeff Ireland at GM has been a controversial decision and while I think the local media is swinging too far in his defense, the dude hasn’t proven he is more than an average GM, I am alright with him staying another year. Just because that means we don’t have to bring in another blueprint and go through the fiasco of overhauling the roster again.
This team has some talent, and some obvious weak spots. I decided to hash out the keepers on the team from the junk. This handy list will help you in deciding if you should applaud Ireland’s move this off season or fork his lawn.
Let’s start off with the bonafide studs on the team, the elite players that any team would love to have. By my accounts there are only four. That pretty much sums up why the Dolphins have been struggling.
The Studs:
-Jake Long LT: He was the number 1 pick just a few years ago. He has had a down year because he has been hurt, but he is a young Pro Bowler at left tackle and would be valued as a franchise player on the open market. You keep Jake Long, end of story.
-Vontae Davis CB: For a long time I thought Sean Smith would be the better pro between our two young cornerbacks, but Davis has won me over. He has great athleticism, Brett Favre’s endorsement as one of the best young corners in the league and a disturbingly appropriate nickname for a bothersome corner. NFL receivers just can’t get rid of VD.
-Brandon Marshall WR: No one doubts that Brandon Marshall has the talent and physical tools to be the dominant receiver he was in Denver, he just hasn’t had the quarterback while he has been here. My favorite part of the Matt Moore experience has been his lack of fear in feeding Marshall the ball. Moore throws it up for him even if Revis is covering him, and given the chance, Marshall comes down with the football more often than not. This last half of the season has reminded me of Marshall’s elite talent, you can unquestionably win the Superbowl with Marshall as your number one receiver. As long as he doesn’t get stabbed by his wife again, I think he will break some Miami receiving records when we get a QB to pair up with him.
-Cameron Wake OLB: I debated whether or not he should be included in the “studs” list. He had a breakout year and was a Pro Bowler in 2010 but has slowed down this year. My uninformed hypothesis is that he is drawing double teams and freeing up space for Old Man Jason Taylor to work his way up the all time sack leader board. It comes down to the fact that unless you are the Pittsburgh Steelers its hard to find pass rushers. Wake still has a few years left of top shelf production, thus Derek Cameron Wake is a keeper.
Keepers (not elite, but productive role players you can win with, and possible future franchise guys):
-Reggie Bush HB: Reggie made Miami look really smart this past off season. He shut up his critics by staying healthy, running between the tackles, and he is closing in on a 1,000 yard season. Running backs have a short prime, Bush is still damaged goods (due to his injury history and his romance with Kim Kardashian), and this could be a one year abberation, but the Fins got him for cheap and he’s earned the right to be the feature back going into next year.
-Charles Clay FB: Sure he sometimes struggles in pass protection and run blocking, but he is a fullback that catches bombs! He is averaging 16.5 yards per catch. You have to keep a fullback with that unique skill set.
-Mike Pouncey C: He may be on the studs list in a couple of seasons. He is a promising young center. I know for the Dolphins it is commonplace but most teams don’t have first round picks playing on the offensive line, you have to keep an investment like that. It just so happens this investment looks solid.
-Daniel Thomas HB: A ho-hum young running back that has shown flashes of being special. We got him on the low, no reason to cut the chord yet.
-Jared Odrick, Randy Starks, Paul Solai, Kendall Langford DL: Say what you want about Jeff Ireland, but the dude has got an eye for defensive lineman. We have a wealth of talent on that side of the trenches and the 3-4 defense can be successful without elite D lineman. Keep ‘em if you can get them to stay for cheap.
-Karlos Dansby MLB: The self proclaimed best linebacker in the NFL has clearly lost a step this season but he has still played at a high level. We have too much money in him to move him, we might as well enjoy this level of play while it lasts.
-Sean Smith CB: He is a keeper, Miami fans! I know he drops picks and blows assignments from time to time but he is a rare blend of size and speed at cornerback. We need to hold on to him and cross our fingers that he isn’t the next Jason Allen.
-Jimmy Wilson CB: Yeah, I know he allegedly killed a guy but that hasn’t stopped Ray Lewis. He is a rookie with a nose for the ball and just a playmaker. He already had some timely picks and a punt block this season. If he didn’t have that whole murder trial thing, he probably would have been drafted much higher. Jimmy Wilson is a keeper.
Fringe (players on the bubble of the keeper list):
-Davone Bess WR: Bess is a tease. Some weeks he looks like Wes Welker with braids, some weeks he looks like an average possession receiver. Well at least we haven’t given him a big extension before we figured it out. Wait, what? We already did?
-Koa Misi OLB: Also known as Koa “Missing” because he is never around the ball. On a defense where everybody seems to have their moments in the sun, Misi is stuck in the shadows. But he is still very young and quietly racks up tackles. He may turn into something, but I won’t be heartbroken if we go in another direction.
-Yeremiah Bell SS: For a long time he was the heart and soul of this team at safety. He may have one or two more effective years left, but I don’t know if it will be worth his asking price. We shall see.
-Dan Carpenter, Brandon Fields K/P: The way the NFL recycles the same 50 kickers regardless of recent perfomance, I honestly have no idea how they evaluate them. I didn’t know where to put our kickers, so I put them here.
Everyone Else:
Can go. Or stay. I don’t care. Their collective presence won’t largely impact the Dolphins’ Superbowl odds. All apologies to JT 99, thanks for everything, but you’re time is almost up.
Next Step:
As you can see, we have some semblance of a foundation. We are still a few pieces away. I would like to see the Dolphins revamp the right side of their O-line, and draft an athletic, pass catching, tight end, but the crux of the issue is at quarterback. If we can draft and develop an elite passer, I am confident that this team can win a Superbowl no matter who coaches them. (Please! Don’t let it be Brian Schottenheimer!) Can you picture it? I can see RG3 or Matt Barkley throwing the Superbowl winning touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, then Reggie Bush showing off his beautiful biceps during the post game press conference.
I’m already excited for next season. 16-0 baby!
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