Author: Bill

Dolphins offseason wish list should include some big names

Mar. 07 Opinion

 

By Cyrus (@Cyruslassus on Twitter)

The Miami Dolphins, after giving Brent Grimes the deal that he has earned, will field an above average defense yet again.

While most of the offseason attention is on the offense and how it needs 4 new offensive linemen, I find the idea of using a first round pick and a lot of money to fill two of those positions, offensive.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Yes, assuming the rookie and veteran play up to their potential, the Dolphins would have a solid line, which is a step in the right direction.

However, steps in the right direction get you fired and back into rebuilding sooner or later. The team must take a leap into greatness while Starks, Soliai, Wake and Grimes are still great or they may as well start fresh already.

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Dolphins top choice at Left Tackle is Eugene Monroe

Mar. 05 News and Notes

 

The Miami Dolphins have saved their pennies and will probably make some cuts/restructures to save some more before Free Agency opens up next week.  Not surprisingly, the Dolphins are planning to attack the free agent market to find a starting left tackle.  The candidates that will likely be available include Eugene Monroe, Branden Albert, Anthony Collins, Bryant McKinnie, and Jared Veldheer.  I say likely available because there is still time for their current teams’ to resign them before free agency opens.  Although that’s not likely to happen with the Dolphins and McKinnie.

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

As Armando points out in his post today, the Dolphins are poised to get aggressive in finding new offensive linemen. Remember, the Dolphins only solid linemen is Mike Pouncey and he’s on thin ice after the disclosures of the Well’s report.  They need a left tackle, a left guard and upgrades on the right side of the line.  There’s a lot of work to do.

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Mock Draft 3.0: Exploring Dolphins draft scenarios

Mar. 04 Opinion

 

By Miami Jules (@Miami_Jules on Twitter)

The Senior Bowl has come and gone and so has the NFL Combine. As a direct result of the physical and mental evaluations, which are part of this process, players entering the draft will start to move up or down the rankings. The Combine, more so than the Senior Bowl, exposes players who may be affected by nagging injuries.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

This year was not no different and the most notable disappointment for me, was finding out about the left tackle from Alabama I had been raving about, Cyrus Kuoandjio, and his arthritic knee. Kounandjio, will undergo further medical evaluation in April which will further determine his position in the draft but for now at least, I have gone in a different direction with the Dolphins’ first pick at #19. The free agent signing period will start on March 11th and consequently, my selections, at this point are based on the notion that the Dolphins will not sign any potential starters from the FA market.

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Jimmy Graham to the Dolphins?

Mar. 03 Opinion

Alright Dolphins fans, we’re in the midst of “rumor and speculation” season. So why not jump right into it.  On Friday, Jimmy Graham was given the non-exclusive Franchise tag by the Saints.  What that means is that Graham can shop his services to another NFL team, but the Saints would have an opportunity to match a contract offer by another team OR take back 2 first round picks.

Photo Courtesy of Jeffrey Beall via Wikipedia.com

Photo Courtesy of Jeffrey Beall via Wikipedia.com

I’m here to tell you today that the Dolphins should make an offer to Jimmy Graham…a big one…and give up the 2 first round picks if the Saints don’t match the offer.  OH MY GOSH, 2 FIRST ROUND PICKS, ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!  Listen, I don’t think the Dolphins will do this, but I think they should. They already missed on Graham once when they picked John Jerry 22 spots ahead of him in the 3rd round in 2010.  They shouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

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Latest Dolphins rumors with free agency just days away….

Mar. 02 News and Notes

The Miami Dolphins are well positioned when it comes to cap space this offseason.  And yet, we see reports, like this one, that indicate the Dolphins are looking to trade Dion Jordan, Cameron Wake, and Mike Wallace.   However, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has a very reliable source in the Dolphins that disputes all of those rumors.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Personally, I really dislike the idea of trading any of those players, so I hope that Armando’s source is right?  Why am I against trading Wake, Jordan, or Wallace?  Let’s start with Cameron Wake, he’s only the Dolphins best player…on offense or defense.  He’s the type of game-changer that the Dolphins are looking to add more of.

The thought of trading Dion Jordan is idiotic. The Dolphins spent a 1st and 2nd round pick on him last season.  Why would you trade him?  Oh, because the coaching staff (that’s still in place, by the way) did not play him enough?  Or because the Dolphins didn’t foresee the emergence of Olivier Vernon?   Jordan has the ability to be special and he showed flashes of that in 2013. Are there things he needs to work on (i.e. defending the run)?  Sure.  But remember that he was a rookie that missed time recovering from his torn labrum.

Then there’s Mike Wallace.  First, the cap ramifications of trading him are not favorable.  More importantly, Wallace showed a unique ability to get open…..remember all of those long bombs that showed him getting WIDE open, only to have the pass over thrown or under thrown?  That’s not his fault.  Did he have some drops?  Absolutely.  But there are only so many Mike Wallace’s walking the face of the earth.  There are only so many guys that can strike fear in the heart of a defense and can take the top off of a defense.  Wallace can.  He and Tannehill should be working on the deep ball all offseason, so we should see improvement.  (continued on page 2, CLICK HERE)

Dolphins should cut Jonathan Martin…..today

Feb. 14 Opinion

 

Sorry Dolphins fans, but I’m done with Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito.  Done. D-O-N-E.  We’ve all been hearing about this bullying story since October and quite frankly, I’ve had enough.  It’s been an ongoing soap opera for almost 4 months now and it seems (as we thought) that it was overblown and was much to do about nothing.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

First, Martin leaves the team and claims that Incognito bullied him. Then, the racial, disgusting text messages come out from Martin’s camp.  Then, Incognito gives his side of the story and the texts seem like they were exchanged between friends. Then there’s the infamous ‘dinner’ accusation where Martin reportedly left a dinner after Incognito used a racial slur. A police chief and former Dolphins Anthony Fasano both dispute that claim.

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Should the Miami Dolphins draft Michael Sam?

Feb. 11 Opinion

 

By Cyrus (@Cyruslassus on Twitter)

My first thought is that the Miami Dolphins have way too many holes to fill on the roster to take a defensive end in the 2014 draft, but what Missouri Tiger Michael Sam has done since August of 2013 has changed my mind.

He came out of the closet to his teammates, had a stellar season with 10 1/2 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, claimed Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors in the SEC and then decided to become the first openly gay major professional athlete in America in the months leading to the NFL draft.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

The Miami Dolphins have to step up and draft this young man at whichever point his talent merits, as a matter of principle.

Whether he fills an immediate need or not is less important than making a statement to the world.

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Dolphins draft strategy could take them in a number of directions

Feb. 04 Opinion

 

By Julian (Miami_Jules on Twitter)

The Super Bowl was played on Sunday, and a new NFL champion was crowned, in the culmination of the 2013 season as it reached its climax and ushers in the off season. It is time then for teams to start planning, and for fans to start wishing for the inevitable changes that will affect our team. Now that the Senior Bowl has been played and some of the players entering the draft have had an opportunity to be evaluated by scouts, during the week of practice leading up to the game along with the game itself, we will take a more comprehensive stab at the 2014 Dolphins’ draft possibilities.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Most Dolphins fans will agree that the area that will need the most upgrading will be the offensive line. I believe that other than center Mike Pouncey, the entire OL could be replaced. There are other areas we have questions about. The uncertainty of free agency raises questions about Miami defensive tackles. Most of us fans, would agree that stud corner Brent Grimes should be coming back even if he has to be franchised, especially given his Pro Bowl year, but the frequent injuries to corner Dimitri Patterson can definitely be seen as a problem which must be addressed. I have already discussed in detail, why also think the Dolphins could benefit from adding a tall wide receiver to its ranks, so do not be shocked to find I have included one tall receiver in each mock draft scenario.

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PhinNation’s Super Bowl 48 Party/Drinking Game…..Enjoy!!!!

Feb. 02 Opinion

 

Well ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for yet another football season to come to an end. Tonight, after Super Bowl 48 crowns a new champion, we will have over 7 months until a real NFL game is played.  Note: that is a long freaking time!  To help ensure that you enjoy this last bit of NFL football this season, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to come up with some party and drinking game rules that are sure to make your Super Bowl Party a little more lively.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

That’s right, we know that many of you will be joining up with other football fans (and non-football fans) to watch the big game. And what better way to get everyone involved than a good, old-fashioned drinking/party game!  So here we go, grab your favorite alcoholic beverage (or non-alcoholic beverage) and let’s get the party started!

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‘Super’ Pitiful Pick: Who will win Super Bowl 48?

Feb. 01 Pitiful Picks

 

By Bill (@PhinNation on Twitter, PhinNation on Facebook)

The Miami Dolphins haven’t played a game in over a month.  Since then they’ve hired a new offensive coordinator and a new general manager. They’ve also been made aware, at least to some extent, of the findings of NFL investigator Ted Wells in the Bullying Incident.  While the Dolphins are in full offseason mode, 2 NFL teams are still alive and will battle on Sunday for the right to be called “Champions”.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

It seems like the Dolphins are so far away from this point, doesn’t it?  So many questions surround this offseason that it’s hard for any fan to have a good feeling that the Dolphins could be playing in this game next year.  We can only hope that Dennis Hickey and Joe Philbin can work together to bring some talent to this team….and get better production out of the players in uniform.

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