SB Nation - Michael Lehan

Dolphins Salary Cap Analysis: Bottom Five 'Bang For The Buck'

Matty I — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:15:06 -0000

Two weeks ago, you'll remember that I did a look at the top eight 'bang for the buck" players on Miami's roster in 2008 - which was basically a look at which players had the best production to price ratio. Today I'm going to do the opposite.

What I did hear was look at the Dolphins' 2008 cap situation in its entirety and then select the 5 players from which the Dolphins received the least value - in terms of their cap cost comparative to their production on the field. So let's get to it.

#5: S Chris Crocker - $1.09 million
Crocker cost the Dolphins over $1 million in cap space in 2008. So what did they get for that price tag? They got 2 starts at safety that saw the Dolphins surrender 285 passing yards per game and 5 touchdowns through the air while allowing the opposing quarterback to complete 73% of their passes. Crocker was then replaced as the starting free safety by Renaldo Hill in week 3. He'd remain in Miami for 6 games in total - tallying 10 tackles and a pass deflection before being given his pink slip.

#4: LB Charlie Anderson - $1.83 million
Coming over from Houston last offseason, it was expected that Anderson would provide another pass-rushing force and would battle Matt Roth to start at outside linebacker. But Anderson just wasn't the player that Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland thought he'd be. But even so, Anderson did come up with a few big plays in 2008 - picking up 2.5 sacks and forcing two fumbles. He was also credited with a safety, though all the credit for that play goes to Joey Porter for sacking Trent Edwards in the endzone and forcing that fumble. However, those numbers don't add up to nearly $2 million in cap space being chewed up.

#3: CB Michael Lehan - $1.72 million
If only Lehan could have gotten over the injury bug, he might have been a valuable cornerback for the Dolphins. But he just couldn't do it. Lehan battled back from a badly sprained ankle in the preseason only to suffer a hamstring injury in practice in October. The next day, Lehan was placed on Injured Reserve. Less than two months later, Lehan was given his pink slip and released. And so injuries ate up the career of a possibly solid cornerback. In 2008, Lehan's $1.7 million price tag supplied the Dolphins with 5 games, 11 tackles, and a pass deflection.

#2: LB Reggie Torbor - $2.1 million
When the Dolphins signed Torbor last offseason, I thought it was a terrific move because he seemed like a solid linebacker to have on your roster. He spent most of '07 as a backup but, due to injuries, started for the Giants' during their improbable playoff run that led to a Super Bowl victory over New England. And Torbor wasn't a "non-factor" during that run. So I thought he'd be a solid guy to add to Miami.

But I was disappointed when he finally got his chance. Filling in for the injured Channing Crowder in that key week 16 game at Arrowhead against the Chiefs, Torbor was non-existant, picking up just 1 tackle. He just didn't seem like he was comfortable working a an inside linebacker in Miami's 3-4. Perhaps he's more suited to play outside in a 4-3. Either way, he didn't earn his cap hit of over $2 million in '08 - that's for sure.

#1: WR Ernest Wilford - $2.5 million
Surprise, surprise. The player the Dolphins got the least bang for the buck from in '08 was Ernest Wilford.

Count me as one of those who was very disappointed in this. When Wilford signed his 4 year, $13 million deal last offseason, I was very excited and thought he'd thrive as a starter here. I loved his height and thought he had very reliable hands. I was so wrong. A player who averaged 40 catches and 574 yards in his 3 previous seasons in Jacksonville - a run-first offense - tallied a whopping 3 catches for 25 yards in Miami in '08. And he couldn't even beat out undrafted free agent Davone Bess in training camp. Saying Wilford was a huge disappointment is an understatement. He's just lucky he'd cost more to cut this offseason than he would on the roster - hence the reason he still has a job.

Did you notice that 4 of these 5 players were free agent acquisitions made by this regime last offseason? Let's hope for better free agency moves in 2008!

Saints Free Agent Review - Linebacker and Secondary

Saintsational — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:09 -0000

The next big happening of the NFL off-season will be the beginning of the free agency signing period on February 27th. With that in mind, I figured we could take a look at all of Saints players who will become free agents this year. The coaching staff definitely has some tough decisions ahead of them. Let's try to put our finger on what the organization might have in store for these players.

First, a little briefing on the different levels of free agency, courtesy of the official NFLPA website.

Free agency rights depend on the number of "accrued seasons" the player has at the time his contract expires. An accrued season is a season in which the player has been on "full pay status" for six (6) or more regular season games. There are three categories of free agents:

1. Unrestricted: In a capped year, a player with four or more accrued seasons has unrestricted free agency rights. Five or more accrued seasons are required for unrestricted free agency in an uncapped year (1993 or the last year of the CBA). An unrestricted free agent may sign with any team. If the unrestricted free agent is not signed by June 1, his old club may offer him a contract with a 10% raise over his prior year's salary, and thereby obtain the exclusive right to re-sign him after July 15 if he has not signed elsewhere by then.

2. Restricted: A player with three but less than four accrued seasons (four but less than five in an uncapped year) can seek offers from other clubs after his contract expires, but he has only 60 days to do so (from around March 1 to mid-April). If he gets an offer, his old club must choose between matching it and retaining him, or letting him go to the new club in return for draft choice compensation. The draft choice compensation varies depending upon the offer the old club gives the player prior to becoming a restricted free agent.

3. Exclusive Rights: A player with an expiring contract who has less than three accrued seasons can only sign with his old club, provided that he is offered a one-year contract at the minimum salary for the upcoming year. If the exclusive rights free agent gets no such offer, he is completely free.

The first group of players we'll take a look at our the linebackers and secondary. The biggest priority on this list is, of course, Jonathan Vilma. But it's our secondary that needs help the most and quite a few players will have a chance at new deals. Let's see who will probably be around next season and who might be leaving the Saints when free agency begins.

Linebackers

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Marvin Mitchell

ERFA

As an exclusive rights free agent, the Saints only need to offer Mitchell the minimum salary to keep him on the payroll in 2009. Mitchell is still young and has upside so at that price I expect to see him around next year to compete for a spot.

CSC says: Keep him!

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Jonathan Vilma

UFA

I will cancel my season tickets and shut down CSC if Vilma is not re-signed within the first five minutes of the free agency period. There is no need to go at length on this topic. Vilma is the leader of this defense. Gregg Williams is in love with him. Only because of loop holes surrounding his trade does Vilma not already have a contract. This one is a lock.

CSC says: Keep him!

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Troy Evans

UFA

Evans contributed minimally last season at linebacker but he's valuable on special teams and that can sometimes be enough. It shouldn't cost too much to keep him around and I think he's one of those hard-working underdog types that coaches love. Definitely worth another look.

CSC says: Keep him!

Secondary

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Aaron Glenn

UFA

2009 needs to be the start of a new era for the Saints defense and an aging, injury-prone Glenn shouldn't fit into those plans. Other teams may not be interested either. It might be time for him to think about retiring to Florida and catching the early bird specials.

CSC says: See ya!

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Terrence Holt

UFA

If the Saints actually do draft a safety or two this year, it might get a little crowded in the backfield and Holt may be out of a job. Personally, I could care less about the future of Holt.

CSC says: See ya!

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Michael Lehan

UFA

Lehan was a late-season pick up to help fill a roster spot amid the Saints' ridiculous amount of injuries in 2008. I've never even seen this guy play. Have you?

CSC says: See ya!

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Leigh Torrence

RFA

Torrence is in the same boat as Lehan above. It won't cost much to keep him but I doubt he'll provide the much needed help this secondary craves so badly.

CSC says: See ya!

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Chris Reis

ERFA

The hard hitting Reis impressed enough in camp last year to earn a spot on the roster. The Saints will probably offer him the minimum and let him try and impress them again. He's great on special teams and could make for a valuable backup.

CSC says: Keep him!

Player

Position

Years Exp.

FA Status

Evaluation

Josh Bullocks

UFA

You are the weakest link. Goodbye. In all seriousness, if the Saints want to make a real stab at improving their secondary, particularly the safety spot, Josh Bullocks must go. Consider it addition by subtraction.

CSC says: See ya!

Poll

Other than Jonathan Vilma, signing which one of these players should be the Saints top priority?

Chris Reis

18 votes

Troy Evans

14 votes

Aaron Glenn

3 votes

Marvin Mitchell

18 votes

None of the above

36 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed

Ted Ginn and Joey Porter spark Dolphins in 25-16 win over Bills

Matty I — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:14:14 -0000

There's nothing like defeating a divisional rival - especially a team that was 5-1 and had the media thinking they were legitimate Super Bowl contenders. And doing so in the way that they did - by coming from behind in the 2nd half - makes this win even sweeter.

Let's get to the headlines from today's game:

TED GINN: A GLIMPSE AT POTENTIAL
In the words of Tony Sparano at his post-game media availability, "What do you want to talk about? Ted Ginn? Yeah, let's talk about Ted Ginn."

So let us talk about Teddy. For really the first time in his year and a half career, we saw the kind of player that Ginn could potentially be. We saw a glimpse of a #1 receiver.

Ted was just spectacular today. He caught just about everything that came his way, showed his play-making ability, and played with a fire we haven't really seen from him. Yes, it was nice seeing a long ball to Ginn to open the game (which would have been a TD if a stronger-armed QB was throwing it). But I enjoyed even more the plays where he caught the ball, took a shot from a defender, then popped right up and either ran his mouth a little to the defender or struck the "1st down pose." He has a swagger about him that we haven't seen from a Dolphins' receiver in quite some time.

More interestingly, though, is how Teddy was used today. The Fins went over the top with him. They went over the middle with him. They used him to the outside running curls and ins. What's interesting, though, is that he was targeted just 9 times. Seemed like more, didn't it? While this was the most he's been targeted all season, Teddy was targeted 8 times against the Chargers and 7 times against both the Jets and Ravens. So it's not like the Fins game-planned around him. I think it was more that Chad Pennington just looked to him more often today and Teddy got more separation than he has been getting - helped by a slightly gimpy Terrence McGee covering him for many of the plays.

What's puzzling, though, is that Ginn is still not being used enough. Following his 64-yard reception, Ginn was on the sidelines for the next 3 plays - which resulted in a FG. On the next possession, Ginn caught a 19 yard pass but then sat out the next 5 plays - leading to a FG. He needs to be used even more. While the coaches will say that the reason is Ginn just isn't involved in those particular receiver packages, Teddy needs to be on the field as often as possible.

Regardless, a great day by Ginn and a brief look at how good he could eventually become. Now let's see if he can build on this performance; use it as a springboard for the rest of the season.

CHAD PENNINGTON: LEADER OF THIS OFFENSE
"It's just leadership. He gets fired up. And today was one of those days."

Those are the words of Ronnie Brown after the game. And Chad again proved he's the leader of this offense. He played spectacularly. He made all the right reads and was accurate on every single pass - except for when he threw behind Ginn on a drag route right after the 2 minute warning that would have put the Dolphins in better FG position. Oh - and it wouldn't have hurt to have led Teddy more on that first pass play. But we all know he can't do that very often.

What he can do? He can lead an offense and make the players around him better. That's exactly what he's done. He was insanely efficient again today, posting his 6th career 300-yard passing game and a passer rating of 117.9. He continues to move well in the pocket - which I've been very impressed with. And he makes some nice throws on the move - like the first down pass to David Martin on a bootleg right.

What else can you say about him other than this: 73% completion percantage, 10.46 yards-per-attempt, 0 turnovers, and a win. Meanwhile, Trent Edwards: 60% completion percentage, 6.49 ypa, 3 turnovers, and a loss.

Thought so.

THE SECONDARY: WHO ARE YOU?
Seriously. Who were those guys playing in Miami's secondary and what did they do to the "real defensive backs"? Talk about a turnaround in a matter of days.

This was a completely different kind of performance than we've seen all season from these guys. They deflected more passes today than they probably did all season. They were in position most of the time. And Will Allen even caught a ball for an interception, albeit off of a tip.

Come to think of it, there were some differences between the previous defensive back rotation and the one we saw against Buffalo. For starters, Michael Lehan was placed on IR. That meant more playing time for...Jason Allen. And while I'm not going to go overboard about his performance today (as some seem to be as I look around the internet), I'll say that I was impressed. Early on, it seemed like he was playing too far off of his man - like on a critical 3rd down conversion during the 1st half. But he did seem to get better as the game wore on. He got more confident. He played tighter coverage and was actually in good position most of the time. He closed well on the ball - though he could still improve in that area. And his most impressive play might have been breaking up a pass intended for the 6'6 James Hardy on the play leading up to the Joey Porter-forced safety. But all in all, encouraging signs from this former first rounder.

I also noticed more Tyrone Culver out there. And I was impressed with his play. He seemed to have good ball skills - breaking up at least one potentially long pass. It'll be interesting to see how Culver is used from here on out after an impressive day from the youngster.

QUICK HITS
-Joey Porter. Joey F'in' Porter. He's a beast. Two more sacks today give him 10.5 on the year (and 5 in his last 3 games). Could he be on his way to a 20+ sack season? You never know. But considering his all-around impact on the game - 2 forced fumbles (one resulting in a safety credited to Charlie Anderson), a fumble recovery, and numerous more QB pressures - Porter is definitely in contention for the Defensive Player of the Year award right now. Not bad for a guy who was rumored to have a career ending back injury during training camp, huh?

-3rd downs still a problem for this offense. They converted just 3 of 11. And they still only have 1 3rd down conversion of over 7 yards on the season.

-3rd down defense, however, was impressive on Sunday - holding the Bills to just 28% (4/14). Both the improved secondary play and some solid DL play in short-yardage situations are to credit for this performance. Nice job getting off the field by the "D."

-I love the creative play-calling. Going over the top on the first play to Ginn. Running a new variation of the 'Wildcat." Going 5 wide - with 4 to the left - at least twice in the game. Nice job by Dan Henning - except for the end around to Greg Camarillo on 3rd ans 14 from Buffalo's 23 - the play before the blocked FG.

-Speaking of the blocked FG, it's a moot point now, but still. That should have been a "leaping" penalty. You can't launch off of a teammate's back to block a kick. Damn refs called that on us a few years back.

-Does it bother anyone else that the defense seems to struggle against a no-huddle offense?

-Still too many mistakes and missed opportunities - leaving points on the field. Ricky's fumble on the first play of a drive beginning at Buffalo's 37. Two consecutive penalties on 3rd down to give the Bills a 1st down on a drive that resulted in a Buffalo FG. The blocked FG (should have been a penalty, but still - Justin Smiley got trucked). That's at least a net of 9 points right there. Can't let that happen.

-Offensive line keeping Pennington upright. That's HUGE! Jake Long is continuing to impress me.

-Dan Carpenter was clutch today. We might have something here. Same with Brandon Fields, As Nicky pointed out, his punts were on the mark today.

FINAL THOUGHT
Don't go getting ahead of yourselves here. Yes, 3-4 is nice - but it's still under .500. So don't start up that playoff bandwagon yet - the same one that most jumped off of after those 2 losses to Houston and Baltimore. Instead, just enjoy what you're seeing - a rebuilding team coming together and flashing signs of a potentially ridiculously bright future.

Thoughts below...