No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke. (Although when I learned the Dolphins just re-signed Daniel Thomas again, I thought someone was fooling me). Instead, we want to seriously consider just how good the Dolphins can. be.
That’s CAN be. As in “might” be. No guarantees, no predictions. Just possibilities.
Let’s start with new head coach Adam Gase. I was not in favor of this hiring, and I’ve stated many reasons why. Just because people around the NFL think a guy will be a good head coach, doesn’t make it so. Just ask Clueless Joe Philbin. However, since we’re focusing on the positives today, lets see what Gase might bring to the table.
Let’s hope his offensive genius is a true thing. I haven’t heard a negative thing about the guy, so the hype just might be true. We know he will call the plays, and we know his offenses have been successful (albeit not championship-level) elsewhere. Maybe the fact that he will be the play caller AND head decisionmaker for the whole team on Sundays can be successful. I don’t think the Dolphins ever had such a scheme in place.
Maybe his youth will be an inspiration. Hopefully he commands respect from everyone the minute camp opens, and let’s hope he’s truly innovative. It’s a big list of hoppes and dreams, but it’s not impossible for Gase to have all these qualities.
Moving onto Ryan Tannehill. Can he get better under Gase? The truthful answer is “maybe.” Now that both Mike Sherman and his son-in-law are both back to coaching teenagers, this is Tannehill’s first year of not being babied by anyone in the Sherman family. It might actually help. Could hurt, of course, but that’s not the theme of today’s article here.
Tannehill has had the skill set and the teammates to have 4,000 yard seasons two years (nearly 3 years) in a row. Not shabby. His long ball improved greatly in 2015. His running ability was hampered by poor playcalling, and if Gase isn’t afraid to design some running plays for him, that could keep a ton of drives alive.
Ryan Tannehill’s football IQ?
Look at the photo above from the second New England game. Third and goal from the 1. Dolphins ran a read option, and RT handed off to Miller, who got stuffed. But look where RT is. Look at that daylight. He could have hopped in backwards on his fingertips with a refrigerator on his back. RT keeping the ball was the obvious choice. My God, how could he miss that!! Miami ended up kicking a field goal because RT was not smart enough to keep the ball on his rollout.
I’ve never liked his leadership, determination, or other intangibles, but in the spirit of keeping things positive, it’s at least possible that he was hampered by the coaching. Although I can’t see any coach telling him that he is forbidden from showing anger or emotion. I just don’t think the guy gets mad at himself or at his teammates, and I feel a strong QB needs that. We’ll see.
Mario Williams could be a beast, after taking a few years off to play some so-so defense in Buffalo. Cameron Wake might be ready for Week 1. Dion Jordan might finally shut me up. I would love to be wrong about him. Kong Suh might be a lot better in his second Dolphin year.
Ending the Miko Grimes era might be a benefit. Jamar Taylor might finally wake up and play some ball. The J.V. squad like Michael Thomas and Shamiel Gary might decide that they want to play in the big leagues.
Gase may keep his nose out of the defense, or he might be very active. If his offensive knowledge is as good as advertised, he could certainly help the D to recognize formations and all that sort of thing. I’ve never heard of any Dolphin defender in the last 4 years talk about Philbin’s defensive strategies or schemes. Instead, he stubbornly relied on guys like Kevin Coyle, win or lose. Mostly lose.
The offensive line could be another mess with zero depth, or it could be a vast improvement. If all the starters are healthy, doesn’t doesn’t mean we have it made. I think Albert is fine and James has promise. I realize that Pouncey is a Pro Bowler, but I’m still waiting to see him blow a nose tackle off the line consistently. I want to see him improve and help RT improve.
Your thoughts?
Crap owner, crap GM, crap QB, no RB, novice HC = crap team
4-12 is realistic
I still say 2-4 wins and top 4 pick next year when we can FINALLY draft a franchise QB.
One of the problems on this team is they let a lot of good players go and keep players that need to develop ( I am tired of players need to develop cause it don’t work in high school, college or NFL, either you can play or you can’t play the NFL) and they mix these players with other teams rejects and expect to get and play better, why? Cause at the end of the day it all about money. This team spend money every where else except where it need to , to make the play offs. If Gase can get them to understand and do it, then good things are coming ,but if not, then this team will be rebuilding for the next 90 years.
The team will stink as long as Ross is the owner.
Ross is an idiot and he spent plenty in free agency until this year.All the money in the world can’t cure the most inept front office in the NFL,year after year. Ross isn’t making player decisions.
After years of buying in to the hype each season, I’m going to take the “show me” approach this season. Not to bash Gase, but, he is a rookie head coach so I don’t have great expectations. I’m with Jay as I can’t see how we can have more than 4 wins this season. If we could somehow pull 8 wins that would be a success in my book. But seriously, I’m tired of the same let-downs each and every year the last 16 years. It’s just getting real real old.
Team might be better than last year outside the running back position but the schedule is really rough realistically if tannehill balls out the team could go 9-7. If he struggles though expect a quaterback change and prolly a record closer to 5-11
5 wins at the low end,seriously? Will they be using 12 players next season?
Isn’t this post supposed to be about positivity lol
5 wins is being positive.
E-mail from Dolphins, in part,”Every game during the 2015 season was sold out”.
I guess they think 20,000 is a sellout!! LOL
Thankfully they don’t due my taxes.
Ross is like a used car salesman with his baloney hype.
I’m in total agreement with Jay and Czonk- crap-ass owner like Ross is killing the Dolphins and will continue until he’s no longer the owner- either by selling the team or he croaks. Dolphins are NOT his priority. Other NFL owners are also involved in other ventures, I am well aware of that; BUT, they put their NFL team first. He can spend all he wants but he sucks as owner and hires the wrong people because he has no f’ing idea what to do. So yes, we fans are stuck. Gase gets a chance to bring this team around but that will only be for this season for me. For me, Tannehill has no extra lives- this season is it or he needs to be gone. So basically, I’m not very hopeful for 2016.
If Gase wanted Daniel Thomas back, he’s more clueless than Joe.
As long as Thomas is on the roster you know we stink!
Has anyone ever seen D Thomas break a tackle?
Me neither.
I’m guessing that Philbin was far better than Gase.
LOL. Clueless Adam
Off topic. Is parking at Calder available as it was before?
Who cares?
Did I type too fast for you?
I hate to admit this but is it me or does anybody else feel like the Dolphins are the farm team for the rest of the NFL? We hire and give free experience to rookie head coaches. And sadly it seems less like those first time HC’s do not have their heart in it, they are just looking to improve their resumes. Then we take and develop talent only to watch it leave and flourish elsewhere. Nobody with the exception of Reshad Jones and Jarvis Landry display any excitement or competitive determination. The rest are just ho hum with their true admiration given to the rest of the NFL teams with winning records. I have played sports in the past and have seen entire teams filled with players and staff whom all felt their current situation was nothing more than a stepping stone for their true goals. More often than not it seems the general opinion of most Dolphins staff and players is nothing more and a temporary layover until they hopefully get picked up by another team. In the teams I ran, I would find those cancers and run them out , because if you didnt the cancer would spread. Morale would crumble. And you would be left with what we have right now as of the end of the 2015 season. A bunch of players and staff only doing just enough to stay employed but never any more to eek out a win. Because the losses dont matter to a team you could care less about anyway right?
It’s a crap franchise from top to bottom. Owner to front office to sales staff,ect. A crap roster,year after year,a laughingstock franchise.
I hear you Phinsup,it seems we draft players and then when their first contact is up they ship them out and fill there spot with a 30 something year old and this coaching thing has to stop ,get a decent coach and hang onto him ,I have never been a fan of Tanny but he has to get better,to me he has no pocket awareness whatsoever.I think next year draft a qb with a high pick and start resigning our own but I think our problems start at the very top and as long as fans keep filling the stadium nothing will change.
Speaking as a guest at the 2016 Salesforce World Tour event in Boston on Thursday, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shared his opinion that Tom Brady is the “greatest quarterback of all time.”
“He’s been just a tremendous leader and tremendous player for our organization,” Belichick said of Brady
Belichick also said that the “hallmark” of the Patriots has been that everyone is committed to a common goal and there is “great leadership with the Kraft family up at the top.”
The Fins have a crap owner and crap QB.