If you are a rah-rah fan like it is your right to be please don't keep reading because although trying to give an objective point of view, the outcome does seem to be pretty grim and will come off as negative. 

The offseason, particularly training camp and the first few games of the preseason, is traditionally a time of if not great, moderate hope for a fan of any given team. With a brand new season in the horizon and the crappy old season in the rear view mirror it seems like anything could happen. However, this is far from a rational process, more so if most of the key pieces of a 7-9 season are still in place. Some would say expecting a successful result from the same formula that didn't work in the past is near the definition of insanity. Nonetheless, fans and media alike will most likely ignore these facts and keep a positive outlook. However, traditionally, mediocre teams with shaky Qb situations need no more than a bad couple of games to start the season to make fans and media -even ownership- immediately regress to  panic mode and a negative mindset. This happens so quick that most of the time you don't even see it coming. It happened last year to solid teams like Dallas, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Tennessee  and San Francisco no later than week 4 or 5. 

Unfortunately, I believe we are following the same path some of these teams did. In my opinion two of the recurring factors in this kind of scenario are either a lame duck Qb and or a lame duck coach. Dallas had one in Wade Philips, Minnesota had one in Brad Childress and Brett Favre, Cincy had one in Marvin Lewis and a qb that quickly fell apart, Tennessee never was able to say they had a starting Qb they felt completely comfortable with, on and off the field ( questions about his leadership ability were raised too, sounds familiar?) Last of all the 49ers were the more similar team to this year's dolphins. They had a pretty solid defense, a not only pretty unreliable QB, but a lame duck one too (was there because they couldn't find anybody else) and a head coach who didn't particularly stand out in any area of the game (anybody still out there who wants to stand up for Sparano's O-Line expertise?)  but the motivational aspect of it. Needless to say Alex Smith fell apart pretty quick ( what should've bothered their fans is that he failed exactly because of the same reasons he had failed time and time again in the past and still the FO kept him out there, just like what we've got here) Then, Mike Singletary lost the team because its only natural that motivation starts declining with losing and the prospect of a lost season. 

What I think we have in Miami right now is at least two guys that are not only in similar positions to the guys above, but worse. 

The fact of the matter is that we don't even need a new losing season to make it clear Sparano is not a good enough Head Coach, Ownership and Jeff Ireland already told us that when they ridiculed the organization traveling across the country to sign a college coach to be the highest paid head coach in the NFL -that's how desperate they were and how little they thought of Sparano- . We don't need another losing season to tell us Chad Henne is not a starting QB in the NFL, they already did so when they went out of their way to trade for mediocre Kyle Orton despite a shortened off season and limited time for him to adjust to a new team and new offense -thats how desperate they were and showed how little they think of Henne. So why should we expect a successful season out of an organization that is putting a product out there despite desperately wanting to get rid of it in the past? That would be pretty close to the definition of insanity. 

If recent history in the NFL and simple logic tell us anything is that we should at least recognize there is a strong possibility that by week 10 we no longer have a starting Qb in Chad Henne and a Head Coach in Tony Sparano. Hell, the organization already made it clear they would rather fill those critical positions with somebody else before the season even starts. 

  Looking forward to the season opener on MNF against the Patriots; I have started to cap the game to see more or less what we are looking at (obviously in a very preliminary fashion since Free Agency, Training Camp and the Preseason are still to come). 

Spectacle wise, the Dolphins couldn't have drawn a better game for week 1. It will most likely be a flashy Monday Night atmosphere down in Sun Life Stadium and a rejuvenated crowd looking forward to an exciting new season. 

At first glance, though, the sporting aspect of the event isn't looking so promising from this side of the bridge (don't know if that is a legit expression).  Not only are Patriots heavy favorites every time they meet a division rival (-7 points in a neutral field, -4 in Miami), but it's looking like this season they have a shot at being as dominant as they were back in 2007 when they had a perfect regular season. 

I was going to divide this in a Pros and Cons format but there are way to many Cons. 

- Short time to prepare

Preparedness after Lockout- The Patriots are a veteran team with veteran leadership in the likes of Tom Brady, Wes Welker and Deion Branch. Aside from that Bill Bellichick runs a pretty tight ship down in Boston. Adding to this, Tom Brady and Bellichick seem to realize that their window of (if not opportunity) dominance is closing. I think it's safe to say they will show up. On the other hand, one of Miami's few bright spots under Sparano is that they always seem to be focused and prepared to tackle the task at hand as well as they can. They should show up. (Editor's Note: for gambling purposes a couple of teams that could be a good bet not to show up for week 1 are: Vikings, Eagles, Bengals, Redskins, Steelers (Super Bowl hangover)) 

Tactical Edge- During this regime's tenure, most game-plans seem to come from Remember the Titans' Sheryl Yoast. In part because of a lack of capacity/imagination by Sparano and Henning and in part because of the team's run first philosophy (there are only so many ways you can run the ball). In contrast, the Patriots boast one of the NFL most complex offenses. Therefore you could argue that the short time to prepare benefits the Dolphins given they can successfully install a simple offense in less time than New England. However, the Patriots return most of their starters and coaching staff in both sides of the ball, whereas the Dolphins have to install new Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll's offense and acclimate a rookie starting running back too. All this against a Bill Bellichick deffense. 

Advantage: Patriots 

- Motivation

When rumors involving any sort of discontent between players or players and coaching staff members start flying around in the media, most of the time they (and their potential influence on the team's chemistry) are dismissed as overblown gossip. However, like James Harrison's all out comments against Roethlisberger and Mendenhall showed; on field related ruptures inside the locker room do happen and their effect can be quite real. I mention this because:

a) Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne. For some reason (enough negativity/bad news) the mid season rupture between these two guys hasn't been stressed enough. To spare a whole analysis as to why this might have happened, I think it's easy to figure out Marshall got fed up with Henne's bad play and then it may have escalated to a personal level. Not only will this eat into Henne's shaky-at-best psyche but could deteriorate the whole offense's on field quality. 

b) Any way you want to slice it; Sparano will be a lame duck Head Coach this upcoming season. Adding insult to injury, the team more than visibly quit on him during make or break moments of both 09 and 10 seasons. Clear evidence of this were Ricky Williams' comments back in the Spring or the lack of commitment displayed during the last game of the season at foxborough - yes, a meaningless game, but a game where they knew Sparano's job was on the line-.

I'm afraid there is a decent chance the days this team went the extra mile against superior team's for Sparano and team spirit sake's could be over. 

Advantage: Patriots 

Home Field Advantage-

Initially one would be inclined to believe that opening the season at home on MNF should be a huge advantage whatever the issues surrounding the team were. However, I believe the expectations of such a stage could backfire. The Patriots are a veteran team and is laughable to believe they will be fazed by a rocking Sun Life Stadium on MNF. On the other hand, it is entirely possible that Chad Henne - with the super pressure he's got to perform- could be fazed by the situation. At best I think this is a tie. 

Avantage: None 

Xs and Os 

Since ¨The Wildcat Game¨ back in 08 ( apart from last season's week 17 meaningless blowout ) the Dolphins manage to close the gap pretty dramatically between themselves and the Patriots when they saw each other on the field. Most of this because variables like Tom Brady being sidelined by an injury, the insurgency of the Wildcat or New England's weak and young defense or lack of weapons on offense. However, it seems like this year the Patriots are ready to field a dominating team once again. They are able to spread the field once again with Branch and Welker, while their now sophomore dynamic TEs run around in the middle of the field. All of this with an extra motivated and healthy Tom Brady, a good offensive line and a resurrect running attack that will add a couple of second round picks to the mix. More importantly though they got plenty of young playmakers that seem to have matured a whole lot during the last couple of years and it seems like their Defense is ready to come out of their shell and field a top 10 unit at last. 

On the other hand the Dolphins boast a pretty solid if not superior defense. We should see improvement in these areas:

- Continuity in the Defensive Coordinator spot 

- Refinement and intellectual development by Sean Smith and Vontae Davis 

- A stronger Defensive Line boosted by Paul Soliai's consolidation and Jerrick Odrick's addition 

- Improvement in Cameron Wake's overall game (plus offenses game planing for him) 

- Improvement in Karlos Dansby's overall game

- Channing Crowder solidifying the run if he can get back on the field 

- Koa Misi's development 

So there is a lot to look forward regarding the Defensive unit. It could very well develop into a top 3 or top 5 defense in the NFL in the short term. However, it is pretty arguable that defense alone doesn't win Super Bowls anymore. 

I really don't want to discuss or analyze the Offense when there is such a huge question mark in the most important position of all of sports. If Henne's play is at least decent and the O-line manages to get it together and open some holes for Daniel Thomas then you could be looking at a mediocre offense that doesn't loose entire games by itself. However I think that is the best scenario for this unit when you have a below average Quarterback, a distracted and disgrunted #1 receiver, a new running back and a new Offensive Coordinator. And this realization is quite disappointing for sure but unfortunately this is where this team stands. 

A more in depth X's and O's analysis seems a bit premature but if I had to think of 5 things the Dolphins would have to be successful at in order to beat the Patriots on this season's opening MNF game would be these: 

1- Establish the run game in order to control the clock and give Henne play action opportunities and a short field. 

2- Get the crowd involved and going early. 

3- Elite Defense. Containing Brady wont be enough, they will most likely have to make more than 1 stellar play and score points by themselves. Either by fumble recovery or interception. 

4- Don`t let a Henne mistake kill you (He may throw 3 interceptions, but al least let them be on their side of the field and not returned for TDs) 

5- Swing the game early. This is not that hard and much of it depends on luck. Return the first Kickoff for a touchdown, recover a fumble in their 20, send Gates deep on the first play of the game (they tried to swing the game early this way against the Chargers back in 08 because they knew they had to do something like this to win but Pennington OVERthrew a wide open Gin hahaha you got to admit -looking back- this is a pretty sweet irony) 

Whatever the outcome, it is fun to talk football again after such a long lockout and I am definitely very excited to watch the Dolphins open a brand new NFL season of elite entertainment against a long time rival with such good players. 

 Hi guys. From what I can see in the comments there are a lot of new guys around and a bunch of the old timers gone. I haven't been around for a while either but still check out the site regularly. Back in the day I was known for being one of the most active non-americans in the site, as well as Neo's sworn nemesis. 

Although I did burnout and ended up leaving, I hold this community in high regard because without a doubt there is a bunch of high quality knowledge being thrown around here on a daily basis. This is why I now come back asking for help. 

I am putting together a pitch of a full blown rebuilding project for an MLS franchise that can't get it`s act together. The thing is -and the reason I come here for help- that when this project started to come off the ground I immediately thought about the Dolphins 08 season and using that effort as a blueprint for this thing. 

Back then we couldn't discuss enough the 3 year rebuilding process this team would undergo. From mentality and philosophy to identity on the field. This covered the type of GM the franchise would select, and then the Head Coach and his staff. It too focused on the type of Free Agents it would sign and the Draft strategy it would employ. Year one emphasized character and fundamentals (O-line, D-line). Year two saw a great 08 class develop as well as continue to build through the draft; shoring up the defense's skill positions with Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, both archetypes of this regime's philosophy. Year three - just as planned and overzealously anticipated by us- finally saw the temporary completion of the rebuilding process with an extremely aggressive offseason where the team added superstars Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby (exaggeration for emotional effect lol). 

At the end of this process the Dolphins went from 1-15 to being selected by many analysts as a serious dark horse candidate in the AFC East race for 2010. They began to be recognized as a tough as nails team that lived and die by the run - both on defense and offense-. Most of their core players were big and strong and mentally tough, with above average leadership qualities. As a fan you finally had a competitive team on the field week in and week out. A team with an identity -both mental and physical-. They beat Minny on the road and the Super Bowl champions in one of the toughest stadiums in the NFL. Unfortunately this regime could never find a Franchise QB who could lead the already competitive team they had built through three offseasons. At the end this proofed too costly for both the Front Office and the Coaching Staff and ended by them losing the team; first on the field and then off it too. 

Understandably fans and ownership were pissed off and if not for the lockout and Jim Harbaugh's novella this regime's tenure would have ended in disgrace and failure.

However, big picture aside and focusing solely on the rebuilding process itself, I can't help but believe that they did a tremendous job of building up this roster from scratch and fielding a competitive team. 

What I am asking of you is to help me identify the angles, decisions, and strategies this Front Office employed to make this turnaround happen.

For example: 

• Get rid of old leadership rings (J.Taylor, Zach) 
• Build lines first 
• Bring in veteran leadership (Pennington)

The Miami Dolphins have the #12 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Therefore a decision has to be made regarding said pick. Ideally the Front Office would be able to fill the most glaring position of need on this squad. However it is not so easy. One could say the most glaring need on this team is a #1 wideout. Others that it is indeed the ILB position or even the FS one. Ideally there would be a clear cut elite player to fill any and all of these positions. But this is not the case, and this is were it gets tricky. 

WR: The clear cut #1 prospect is Dez Bryant. Undoubtedly  he is an extremely talented receiver that makes "uncatchable catches catchable". However by no stretch of the imagination is he a clear cut Larry Fitzgerarld or Calvin Johnson. Not to mention he's been away from football for almost a year and his agent is no other than Eugene Parker. Bottom line; like it is the case with almost every wideout out of college Dez is a question mark, or even a coin flip some might say. 

ILB: Rolando McClain is extremely good and very solid, but many say he is no Patrick Willis or even Karlos Dansby. Not to mention taking an ILB in basically the top 10 spots in the Draft is no longer very valuable. 

Add your own thing...and no, this is not an undercover CKC. NOT

Mau "The Admiral" Monta

5 Things I See Going Down in 2010

1- Henne becoming a solid QB

Without a doubt Henne had a very impressive season as a "rookie". However, he is not an extremely solid Qb by any stretch of the imagination just yet. He´s accuracy is so so, he has to work a lot on those short passes - both with accuracy and touch-, force the ball into tight windows a little bit less and work on the overall mental aspect of the game. Like knowing when to ask for that extremely valuable 4th time out. However, in my opinion, the thing that will make him or break him in the long run will be leadership. He absolutely needs to become more vocal. Forgive me but there is no such thing as a silent leader. Not in football anyways. While its true that this season he was merely a rookie, next season the team wil be depending on him, both on the field and off of it. After all, the NFL is a quarterbacks league. Everyday of the week and twice on Sunday, right Matty? =0

2- The start of a Sanchez vs Henne rivalry

Sanchez had a strange season. He started off really well and then absolutely failed. Till the end of the season that is. When the playoffs came he was asked to do exactly what Flacco was asked to do the year before; throw two or three clutch passes and not make mistakes. Well, he did just that. Specifically against Indy he had a nice game. Having the poise, accuracy and arm to make that long throw to Edwards that put them ahead in the game. He had another couple of nice throws too. But what really impressed me was the poise he had in a such a vital game. As a rookie. Playing in front of the New York media machine. Just like Henne, he will work and finally get off the map all those little mistakes that take a big toll on a  first year QB. If this year´s MNF game agains the Jets in Miami was epic, wait till next year when these two young QBs are ready to rumble like grown men.

3- Channing Crowder being a playmaker

All of us know Channing is not a playmaker. Plain and simple. Sure, he plays the run nicely and has a tight grip on the play calling and overall dicsipline of the defense. But he is still not a playmaker.

However, this past preseason I really saw something out of Channing that got me really excited. He was going after the quarterback from the ILB postion a whole bunch, getting pressures, sacks and batting passes down. Then the season came and those glimpses dissapeared. The thing, though, is that it might have had more to do with Pasqualoni´s conservative play calling than anything else.

This brings us to the arrival of Mike Nolan. Nolan loves bringing  the heat (insert Miami pro basketball team joke) from every single position on the field. I think this will not only benefit Channing on his ability to get to the QB, but it will also add to his interception numbers.

You could also add to this that there is a 99% chance that Channing will be playing with a much more talented companion at ILB that on past years. Thus giving him more of a chance to take risks every now and then.

4- More love for Wilson because of aclimating and blitzing  

I dont really get what the story on Wilson is. After all the guy won a Super Bowl with the Giants playing the same position he played last season with the Dolphins. Sure, later on came his stint with the Raiders where he played SS and might have lost the grip on the FS position. Either because of that or because Tom Cable punched the crap out of him on a meeting.

However, whatever the case it might be, Wilson flat out stunk last year.

I do see some reasons why he could have a much better season in 2010.

First, he wil have a whole year of experience with this team under his belt and playing in his natural position. Then, Nolan will probably find a way to put much more pressure on the QB that last year, thus making Wilson´s job a bit easier. And finally, both Sean Smith and Vontae Davis will have a better grip on the corner position that they did as rookies, which should provide Wilson with a little bit less open space to cover.

Not likely, but Wilson could finally come around in 10´. After all he is making a huge amount of  money.

5-- A new star on our backfield-

Both Ronnie and Ricky are magnificent runners. However, they are power runners. Both of them go extremely hard up the middle and gain solid chunks of yards every time they carry the ball. But in my opinion, neither Ricky -because of age- or Ronnie are the kind of running backs that will get down the field consistently enough. In less words, without the wildcat, neither Ronnie, much less Ricky are home run hitters. Not to mention Hilliard isnt the answer or Ronnie´s ability to come back from another season ending injury as big question marks?

The answer could be waiting for us at #12 in a guy named CJ Spiller.

This guy is basically the next Chris Johnson and will 99% be there when we pick in the first round.

I agree we have more pressing needs than RB, like ILB and WR. However, we are not going to go with a problem child like Dez Bryant and I believe this FO will wait till the second round to get their ILB. Maybe in Brandon Spikes or someone else. I just dont see McClain as being the next Patrick Willis. Plus, I think there is a reason why in the last decade there have only been 4 ILBs selected in the first round.

All of us our looking for our big offensive threat on a #1 receiver, but it wouldnt surprise me if we found that on CJ Spiller.

So it's official. We've gotten to that part of the year pessimists like to call the "offseason". For me, though, is more like the "on season". Okay, stop it. Why do bloggers always try to be funny in that I-don't-take-life-too-seriously way? At least try to go for the occasional english wit. A jab here, a jab there. Even a gender joke or what do I know. 

Okay. The offseason works in extremely strange ways. And more often than not we use to forget this. 

There comes a point in time where - after very insightful and respectful debate, plus people incessantly doing

this to validate a point of view-

the community here at The Phinsider  agrees to determine what this team's most pressing needs are. Thus, what the "obvious" offseason moves should be. Then the "onseason" comes -first with Free Agency and then the Draft- and all of a sudden we realize we might have been a bit "off" on our predictions. 

Exhibit "A": At this time of the year back in 09, we had no idea who Gibril Wilson was. Much less that he was a strong candidate to become a very highly paid Dolphin. It should be noted that to this day many people around here don't have a clear idea of who he is. Just the other day I heard someone say Girbril was the "opposing offense's most dangerous weapon week in and week out". I have to agree.

Exhibit "B". Mike Nolan. Where the heck did this come from you might ask. I don't. Because I know this fits right into this theory Im trying to explain. 

Nowadays posts about Brandon Marshall, Vince Wilkfork, Anquan Boldin or Rolando McClain are flooding the site. This of course, because they are the obvious choices to fill this team's holes. 

However, lets take a look at 3 offseason factors that played a huge role last year in determining how this roster would look like come OTAs. And yes -you guessed it- the outcome was not even close to what some of us around here had in mind. 

1- Parcells doing un-Parcells-like moves

Last year, at the end of the season, most of the people around here were convinced of two things: One, we really needed a cornerback to start opposite Will Allen. A true playmaker. And two, we had a #1 receiver in Brandon London (I laugh about these poor souls too this day). 

The thing ,though, was that Parcells "didn't draft corners in the first round". And just like that we had to throw out the window the idea of drafting a corner in the first round. Matty focused a lot -and did a great interview- on a NT named Ron Brace. We also talked about then free agent Karlos Dansby as a serious possibility. And, of course, the ultimate Bill Parcells' cliche; the next Lawrence of Alabia. I mean, the next Lawrence Taylor. Matty had us taking OLB Clint Sintim in his first mock draft. 

Then -of course- the Draft comes around and the Dolphins draft a CB. Improbable? yes. Un-Parcells like? absolutely. 

But it happened. 

2- Players move up, players move down 

This offseason common mistake is even worse.

The Super Bowl hasn't even been played and people already have "locks" at every possible slot in the draft. Jimmy Clausen is a sure thing for #1 overall. Rolando McClain is not to go past the 10th pick. Dez Bryant will be the first wideout taken without a doubt, etc.

Well, last year Rey Maualuga was projected to go at #12 to the Broncos. There was people -including me- that would throw a spell to anybody that suggested Maualuga would be there where the Dolphins picked. It was impossible. He ended going in the second round to Cincinnati. In a similar case, James Laurinatis was a top prospect back in April. It was widely believed that, had he left college one year earlier, he would've been a top 5 pick. He, too, fell to the second round of the draft.

Finally, Vontae Davis. He was, by far, the most physically gifted athlete -not to mention cornerback- in the entire Draft. By that alone he could have been a top 6 pick, just like his brother. Then the media and rumor machinery got going and the question marks about Vontae's character didn't take long to follow. On draft day he inexplicably dropped to the Dolphins at #25. I might add that to this day Vontae hasn't had a single episode involving said issues. 

On the other hand, there are the guys that climb a handful of spots through the media ladder. Mark Sanchez is the perfect example. Before the combine he was regarded as a low first round pick project. Having left school early, with extremely limited experience, thus lots of question Marks. :) Then he hoped on the media express and after a handful of interviews in the NFL Network and appearances on ESPN -plus a weird "lets see how big your hand is" moment with John Gruden- he was thrown into the mix with Matt Stafford as a candidate for the #1 overall pick. He ended up going with the 5th pick to Cleveland. 

3- Always expect a surprise 

Pat White. Enough said. 

In conclusion, I sure am looking forward to debating and analyzing different points of view throughout the offseason regarding Free Agency and the Draft. However, I hope this serves as an example of why everybody needs to keep an open mind. After all, last year proved that nothing is written in stone. 

Mau

Guys, could you give me a quick hand please? No not that Finsx. 

The run for the Super Bowl starts this Saturday with the Jets playing the Bengals and the Eagles going back to Dallas for a rematch of Sunday's game. Then Sunday we got the Patriots receiving the Ravens and then Green Bay going back once again to Arizona. 

What I would like to know is what happens next. Who faces the Colts and the Chargers and who faces the Saints and Vikings? How does it work? Is it based on seeding or what? 

Thanks 

Lost right in the middle of the Pro Bowl announcements that took place earlier on tonight, where Dolphins LT Jake Long got selected for the second straight year, was the fact that G Justin Smiley was selected to be the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award. Congratulations to Justin. Today was definitely a big day for the Dolphins' offensive line. 

Continue reading this post »

Profootball talk is reporting that Ted Ginn's playing time will be seriously reduced by the coaching staff.

But what caught my attention was this: 

"Mort also said that, if the trade deadline were tomorrow instead of last Tuesday, the Dolphins would be dialing up the Ravens and offering Ginn to the team whose offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, drafted Ginn in 2007 with the ninth overall pick."

Wow. 

This means that unlike 99% of this site's most knowledgeable members, the people in charge of making decisions on the Dolphins building did think Ginn's "impressive" game against the Jets was finally his "breakout" as an NFL receiver. 

First of all, we already knew he has that speed so it didn't come as a surprise that he beat Revis on what basically was  a 100 meter race type of effort. Thus, this didn't make anything to bring confidence about his development as a true NFL receiver. Being a go to guy, route running, confidence, wanting the ball, being clutch, effectiveness on short and medium situations, going up the middle, taking hits, etc... Still, some people wanted to crown him for that one good catch, but overall everybody remained skeptical reasonably enough. 

However, what really gets me, is these guys' (I refuse to call the "trifecta" anymore) inability to see that Ginn is just not an NFL receiver. All training camp every single person that writes about the dolphins and the coaching staff decided to hype up Ginn like it was the second coming. Sparano saying he was being "dominant" (I think about it and I feel humiliated). The season came around and Ginn was still the same scared player running around being a complete non factor. Then, a couple of weeks later everybody seemed to agree that that ship had sailed. Even if there was one  big catch here or there, Ginn was not a number one wide receiver, plain and simple. Everybody knew this by know, that is why nobody was impressed by Ginn's catch against the Jets. Same old Ginn, disappeared all game long being a non factor. Well, it seems that not everybody felt that way. Apparently the Front Office and the coaching staff were dumbfounded by Ginn's super duper impressive outing against the Jets. 

So it's as easy as this. Yesterday Ginn had another bad game as a Dolphin. Nobody was surprised or bewildered because we have seen this guy play for nearly 3 years now and we know that he just can't play. He was the same Ginn from 1 week ago, from 2, 3 or 4. Same old Ginn. So you are telling me that it took yesterday's game for Parcells  and the other two to figure out that Ginn can't play? By Mortensen's comments, who is really close to Parcells, it is clear that the Dolphins wondered about trading Ginn for a valuable pick or couple of picks but didn't because of one "strong" outing. 

Now, just one game after they decided not to trade Ginn, they are relegating him to a secondary role in the offense and there is even talk about releasing him, because needless to say, his trade value is non existent from now on.

It just shocks me to finally see that the people in charge of the dolphins, the one's many around here blindly worship, had their eyes covered about Ginn and refused to open them, until it was too late. 

So I got an idea. 

Do usually go over to the Miami Dolphins section of the Sun Sentinel? 

Well, this is were Omar Kelly and Mike Berardino do their thing as Dolphin beat writers. 

Most of the time they got pretty interesting articles and Q&A with Dolphin players, plus other stuff like Sparano's press conferences and any other general news related to the Dolphins. 

There is one daily section called "Ask Mike". Here, lots of readers submit Dolphin related questions to Mike Berardino, where the most interesting and knowledgeable  get published on that section on a day to day basis. In all fairness, the other day I asked a top notch qustion about Miami being or not being interested on trading for Terrell Owens, including why it could work or not. Needless to say, they didn't go for it and I was frustrated. 

So this is my idea. Everyday you can ask your own question to Mike Berardino and post it right here before 5pm east at least. Then, we will choose the best question out of three questions, via a poll I would add one or two hours before the deadline. Then, after we vote, I'll go over to the Sun Sentinel web page and submit said question, including the username's name and The Phinsider. 

We should be successful pretty soon, and if patient, see a question of one member of The Phinsider published on the actual Sun Sentinel "Ask Mike" column. And start getting some recognition at last!

What do you guys think?

This is a quick review of what I think have been the most important decisions this Coaching Staff and Front Office have taken since the start of the 2009 off season until this day. 

1- Jake grove - Many doubted this off season move, not me I can proudly say. That big of a white man playing Center can only mean one thing; success. All kidding aside, he has been outstanding. There is no way you could argue that, since right now we are the best rushing attack in the league. Specially when running between the tackles, your center is a big part of that success. Good move right there. 

2- Let chad henne sit- Many wanted Henne on the field as soon as possible when he was drafted, however, after watching his poise and grasp of the offense you can't help but feel like all that time he spent learning behind Pennington really gave him a chance to prepare for the job. Just look at the true rookies that are out there. Mark Sanchez has looked awful the last couple of games and they are saying the playbook and offense is still too complex for him, plus he is still to green on reading and understanding defenses. Not Henne though. 

3- Keeping Ricky on the field- Specially Matty insisted this off season that Ronnie Brown had got to get much more touches for him to get into a rhythm and be successful, even if that meant keeping Ricky on the sidelines. Well, thank God this coaching staff is still giving Ricky  a lot of touches , both in the running game and the short passing game. The guy is just a stud, and brings some elements to the table that Ronnie doesn't have. He's broke a couple of long ones in the wildcat, a huge screen pass and some key third down situations. One where he jumped over a jet defender to get 3 more yards and a key first down. Im going to go on a limb here and say this: on his prime, Ricky was twice the runner Ronnie will ever be. Not that it matters though. Good to see Ricky back and producing.  G4H 

4- starting sean smith bye eric green- This was either one of the two next suppositions. One, they brought in Eric Green to start while keeping the two rookies, including Sean Smith, on the bench developing. Or, they wanted to push one of the two rookies to out perform Green on practice and earn the starting spot. Either way, Sean Smith won the starting job while Davis has been getting a lot of playing time. In my opinion this was excellent. Not only because both rookies are developing nicely and quickly, but because Smith has been a vital part of this secondary thus far. He did a nice job against Reggie Wayne plus he contained Roddy White nicely. If you need any evidence of that, there is a reason why Will Allen is getting targeted by opposing quarterbacks, not Smith. Bottom line, Sean Smith is quickly becoming a star and that wouldn't have happened if he was on the sidelines. 

5- Keeping Lex Hilliard on active roster- special teams. - In my opinion this was an excellent decision. Not only because we got to keep a solid running back for the future, other wise he would've been snatched of the practice squad by now. But we also got a special teams beast. An absolute beast. If I recall correctly, he had like 3 tackles against the Colts on special teams. This is important because we know what big of a problem special teams has been for us since last season, and I think it is no coincidence that they are coming along nicely at the opposing return game at least. In my opinion a big part of this has been Lex Hilliard trying to earn a job. 

6- Giving back Camarillo starting spot- - On the preseason  it seemed like Camarillo had lost a step because of his knee injury. He was not getting on the field and could only see how Brian Hartline kept taking his job away. However, there is a reason why the preseason is only that, while the big games are played on September. Since then, Camarillo has been getting on the field a whole lot. He may not put up big numbers, either because of his limitations or our passing game limitations but there is no doubt that the man is clutch. He is exactly the opposite of what Ted Ginn has been for us. He doesn't have the phisical talent but he is the most reliable receiver in the clutch. Have any doubts? look back at the 2 key third downs on the last drive against the Jets. Yes, that was Camarillo making both catches. 

Success ?? Sure, you are an aging team built to win now where as the dolphins are one of the top 3 youngest teams in the league . So let me stop you right there. You want us to ask you for a recipe for success? Are you freaking kidding? From an organizational stand point you are a disgrace, plain and simple. Your Front Office is miserable, just look at the Mangini and Favre fiasco. You have an aging team that has no room for improvement whatsoever. What you got now in front of you is what you'll see for the next five years. This is your finished product. And let me tell you what, it ain't that good. Faneca is 32, Ellis is 32, Jenkins is 30, Thomas Jones is 31, Damien Woody is 31 just as Bart Scott is. Those are the cornerstones of your franchise right there. Entering the twilight of their career. You got 2 seasons at best to try and do something and then your done. You have a rookie quarterback that has not been asked to do anything much than pose for GQ. As soon as the league catches up to Ryan's defense and Sanchez has to win some games for you your season is over. While your teams keeps aging. Want success? Take a look at us. We are starting two second year players at DEs, we are have two future pro bowl rookie corner backs. We have 2 second year players starting at the O-Line plus a two 27 year olds and a 28 year old. We have one of the top 5 young running backs of the league in Ronnie Brown and a second year qb that if not for injuries would've been picked before Flacco. We have TONS of cap space to sign at least 2 elite free agents next off season or trade for Anquan Boldin or Brandon Marshall. We are building a dynasty. This team will dominate the AFC east for the next decade. Just look at the way these youngsters fokd you in the ass last december up in the Meadowlands. Are you still bitter for that? Does it still hurt? I bet it does. Miami Dolphins- 2008 AFC EAST CHAMPS.

We are 3 days away from Henne's debut on Sunday against the Biils. There are high expectations to see him perform well. Lots of people around here believe he is going to be our Sanchize quarterback for years to come. However, others claim "not seeing" anything yet to make them believers.

 Strengths- 

•  a strong arm
• good pocket presence
• above average mobility
• icy nerves.  

Weaknesses- 

• forces the ball sometimes
• looks off his receivers
• doesn't go through his reads but locks on his main option
• hasn't shown a great deal of accuracy.

These are the main characteristics that resume his abilities as a quarterback. Naturally, one would think his success or lack thereof would depend on how well he showcases those abilities. However, where I am going at here is this: the possibilities of success for a young quarterback depend on much more than his own play. 

There are always lots of key catalysts than can make or break a young promising quarterback. 99% of the players at that position drafted between the first and the second round have the prototypical abilities needed to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. So, then, what happens ? Why do some of them become stars and a handful of them become busts?  

Last year, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco where thrown into the fire as week 1 starters while Henne sat on the bench learning behind P. But, where they really thrown into the fire?

Matt Ryan had two elite weapons on Michael Turner and Roddy White. He wasn't asked to come from behind consistently or throw more than 20 passes a game. Turner had more than 1,600 rush yards and managed to break a couple of key long ones, while providing Ryan with short third down situations to work with. Then White would be there to catch anything that was thrown to him and greatly helping his young quarterback staying on the field. Yes, Ryan showed a lot of poise and smarts during the season, but he had a lot of help. 

Joe Flacco is even a more extreme example of how the conditions surrounding a young quarterback are key to his success. He started for Baltimore all the 08 season as a rookie. While he managed to make a couple of big plays early on with his feet and his big arm, he was far from perfect. Aside from his play that left a lot of question marks especially about his mechanics, lets take a look at what Baltimore asked and expected him to do compared to other elite quarterbacks in the league-

                     Attempts  Completions Yards TD  INT 

Flacco           428                257         2971    14    12

P.Manning   555                371         4002     27    12

Rivers            478               312         4009     34    11

Brees           635                 413         5069     34    17

As you can see, Flacco did not only receive a very limited workload (low Attempt numbers) , but he wasn't asked to win games for them (low TD and total yards numbers) and on top of that he could afford to make the same number of mistakes as guys who were producing 100% and 200% times more than him. Three of these mistakes came in the AFC championship game against Pittsburgh. Did it matter? yes, it probably cost them the game but a game that the #1 ranked Baltimore defense kept extremely close, allowing less than 16 points in 60 minutes. Bottom line, without that defense and with the task of winning games from behind Flacco would've been called a bust around mid october. Yes, he is starting to come along nicely but last year, without that supporting cast he doesn't achieve 20% of what he did, period. (You saw that playoff game against miami, he threw for 9 completions and still managed to win) 

Sure, this are nice examples of a successful franchise quarterback development but things go wrong even more frequently. 

David Carr- No weapons, no defense no O-Line.

Alex Smith- Different Offensive Coordinator every season he started for the 49ers. 

Brady Quinn- Awful supporting cast, no patience from FO. (They gave him one start and that was it) 

So, what are the catalysts that will come a long way in Chad Henne's development as a Franchise Quarterback? 

PROS-

Time to prove himself-  

Chad Henne, bearing injury, will have 13 games to prove he can be a capable starter for the Dolphins. That's 52 full quarters, or 780 minutes on the football field. This should help in two ways: first, will have more than enough time to adapt to the speed of the game, learn how to read defenses, work on his accuracy and his mechanics. Then, he will also get a shot at mastering the offense and becoming a true commander on the field. If he is a true leader, that will show sooner or later. 

Expected to make mistakes- 

While he has to find a way to be consistent and keep the offense on the field, fans and coaching staff know that he is going to make mistakes, lots of them probably. And it will be tolerated. Most of the knowledgeable fans at least, have come to terms with the concept that this season the team is going nowhere. We must find out if Henne is the long term solution to the qb position in Florida. He will be given all the patience in the world to come along, and more importantly, he will eventually be given the opportunity to take the training wheels of the offense and light it up, even if mistakes come along the way. 

Strong Running Game- 

He will have a strong running game to rely on. This comes a long way for his development process. 1- He won't be asked to throw the ball too much times and 2- He will face a bunch of third and short situations, which gives him the chance to stay on the field while not having to be stelar down the field. 

CONS-

No playmaker help- 

Like I mentioned before, Ryan had Roddy White and his ability to make big plays after the catch, Flacco had Derrick Mason and his ability to catch the most inaccurate of passes , Rodgers had Jennings to get open down the field and make the big play, etc. What does Henne have? Bottom line, a young quarterback needs a true #1 receiver to rely on. He needs a guy that beats the jam at the line, gets open, catches everything and that goes down the middle with ease. It makes his life much easier. Unfortunately the closest thing Henne will have to this are Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo, yes, dependable and good receivers, but very far from being elite. 

Weak Defense- 

A strong defense comes a long way in a young quarterbacks development. It allows a quarterback to:

1- Hand off the ball to the running backs. Run, run and run. 

2- Manage the game. Throwing short, manageable passes and staying on the field. 

3- Make mistakes. Mark Sanchez threw an interception and lost a fumble last Sunday against the Titans in an extremely close and physical game. In the second half he led his offense to more than 9 three and outs. He still managed to score two TD and win the game right? That doesn't happen if the Jets defense doesn't have 2 key interceptions and the special teams unit doesn't force two fumbles, period. 

4- Not have to play from behind- Having to play from behind is a young quarterbacks worst nightmare. It basically takes away the last 3 points we discussed. It eliminates the run game, he has to throw downfield and take chances and he can not afford to make mistakes. Just what we saw last week against the Chargers. 

Tough Schedule 

There is no way around it, playing good teams is a hell of a lot harder than playing weak teams. This year Henne will face a whole lot of playoff contenders and excellent defenses in hostile environments. Including Tennessee and the Jets at home plus the Patriots two times. Bottom line, Henne will have to prove he is the best against the best.

Chad, your development process in the NFL just got that much harder. Best of luck. 

Last year was a nice story. A new regime that brought not only a new coaching staff but more than two dozen players, either through the draft or free agency. Plus, a new attitude. That, plus a weak as hell schedule was barely enough to change the loosing culture in south florida and get us into the playoffs. This year we all had big plans for this team, and along the way forgot about the famous three year rebuilding process. Today it might be time to remember what is supposed to be going on with this franchise. 

After three - one way or another- disastrous performances this season it is time to evaluate not only our roster, but the whole franchise, from the water boy to the owner (this is not cliche, I saw what seemed to be a water boy laughing the night away on our sideline while we where getting our asses handed). 

 This were the main goals of the rebuilding process entering the 2008 season:

1- Get young through the draft. 

2- Change the loosing culture. 

We had a fantastic 2008 draft, where we got 5 starters: Long, Langford, Thomas, Bess and Carpenter. Plus two future contributors: Merling and Hilliard. And our future starting Qb- Chad Henne. Pretty successful. The 2009 draft is still to soon to call but at least most of those guys our developing steadily on our roster. So the team is successfully getting young. 

The culture also changed. In few words; we got into the playoffs last year and we were expecting to get back there again this year. That gives you the idea. 

So to the point. Along the way we started to believe we were ready to contend and that we had turned this thing around already. Right now, after watching a high school offense on the field week in and week out, or an ironically called "defense" try to pass rush or cover receivers down the field, its just clear that we are not there yet. 

These are, in my opinion a couple of steps we need to take from this day to next year's draft to become a true powerhouse in the NFL, because right now from watching Manning and Warner on SNF I can say mistake free football and hard work are not going to cut it. Just ask the Niners. 

Player changes-  As much as it might hurt to say this; this season we are not going to contend to make the playoffs, much less win the division. That is not necessarily such a bad thing because it gives us a chance to keep or start developing our second year players and our rookies. For instance:

1- Bench Gibril Wilson and play Chris Clemons- His coverage skills are killing this secondary. He couldn't manage or even contain TGonzales or Dallas Clark, not to say the humiliation he was administered by Vincent Jackson today. Play the young guy, see what he's got. 

2- Bench Will Allen and play Vontae Davis- A lot of people were throwing around this offseason the words "shut down corner" every time they mentioned Allen. That, is laughable. He is not terrible or anything like that but we just spent a first round pick on Vontae Davis, who by the way has all the talent and more to be an All-Pro corner in this league, to watch him sit on the bench instead of starting to develop on the field and get NFL ready to be there when it matters. 

3- Bench Chad Pennington and put in Henne- If someone has stood up for CP10 it has been me, but it is time for Henne to start playing. Like I said before, this season we are not going anywhere, plus we need to find out if Henne is the long term answer for the QB position on this team. He doesn't need garbage time or emergency time, he needs to be the starter and do all the things the starter does: practice with the first team offense all week long, get most of the snaps in practice, be game planed around him, etc. Today he was sent in there in a rough situation where his "#1" receiver didn't help much. To judge him based on his play today is laughable. 

4- Give Camarillo's snaps to Hartline and Turner- As much as Greg has helped since the 2007 season, these rookies need to play. Some say Camarillo couldn't even be a 3rd receiver in some teams, I disagree, but since this team's priority is not to win now but to prepare its young players for the future, play Hartline and dress up Turner for game day. (Turner could've provided a huge red zone target today instead of running 134 times on goal line situations against the Chargers) 

5- Give Cameron Wake some of JT's and Porter's snaps- Again, Taylor and Porter aren't getting any younger and we need to find out if Cameron Wake is a young solution to the OLB position or if we need to go to the draft and get one. Plus, both of those guys could probably use the rest. 

Is this a sign of giving up on this team this season? probably. Is this in the best interest of this franchise's future? definitely. 

Coaching staff changes

Until the game against the Colts, this fan base, including the media, was just blindly in love with this Coaching Staff, specially HC Sparano. Now, through 3 games we have got to see that they are not perfect (for me it started with the playoff loss against the Ravens). Yes, they are definitely very good, they changed this team's attitude around, introduced the Wildcat, conducted a mistake free offense during 08 and a bend but not break defense too. But that's just not going to cut it. 

One would say that the players are to take the blame for miserable performances, but in this sport, the coaches' decisions before and during the game are a key part of a team's success. 

On Offense:

1- Play calling is offensive- I've read a thousand times that this coaching staff plays not to loose instead of playing to win. Yes, it has something to do with our limitations at the qb and wr positions but thats not all the story. Forget about Pennington's arm strength for a moment and think about a couple of calls they made since week 2:

a) 3rd&6 against Colts with more than 4 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter: They call an "option" so that Pennington could decide wether to run or to pass. There is a problem with that. 1- such a formation benefits either the run or a poor passing play because of the Xs and Os of the formation. 2- Pennington is not the coach of this team. That was a conservative ( p_ssY) call and it cost us the game. Yes, I understand why our passing game is not like that of the Saints, but Pennington had been "clutch" to say the least on short to mid 3rd down situations that day. 

b) Today, on our 2nd goal line possession of the game after a lost fumbled (ugh) they call like 20 running plays and a pass to the fullback. Of course, on a long 3rd and goal, they call a run up the middle and have to kick a field goal. Against the Chargers, who are man handling our defense. We saw against the Colts that Field Goals don't win games against Pro Bowl qbs. Guess they didn't. 

So the point is that the play calling on offense is too conservative ( we saw that even with cannon arm Henne in there today) and too predictable. Every time we pass our receivers stop running their routes at the 1st down mark. We are already seeing how Pennington won't be the qb of this team anymore because he can't get the ball downfield, if Dan Henning can't do the same with Henne he should no longer be this team's OC after this season. 

On Defense: 

This one is even worse. Lets go back again to the game against the Colts. On both of Dallas Clark's huge gains, one of them being an obvious passing situation, he was being covered by a linebacker (once Crowder once Ayodele) because we didn't have a nickel package on the field. This, knowing that Clark would be Manning's main downfield threat and after Tony Gonzales crushed our defense a week before. How can you be so unprepared. 

Then, to me, the most troubling foe of this defense is the predictability of their blitz packages. Not only do Porter and Taylor only have like one sack each through 3 games, but this lack of pressure gives the opposing qb even more time to tear apart our terrible secondary. As for the predictability of the blitz. Last week on Indianapolis' last touchdown, we showed blitz, then Manning went through a thousand audibles. The result? A 48 yard completion on a screen to a guy named Pierre Garcon. Really? Really? 

After watching the new Jets defense play three complete games against tough offenses and absolutely crushing them with a thousand different blitzes I realize two things: We need more playmakers, we need a smarter, more aggressive, up to date Defensive Coordinator. 

Like I said before, I have nothing against this coaching staff, they have done a great job, but to win a championship you need elite or at least above average play callers. Jason Garret was called a wonder boy in 06 and 07, Josh McDaniels tore apart the league in 07, Todd Haley did in 08. Lovie Smith on defense on that Super Bowl run and this season again, Mike Nolan in Denver right now and on and on.

Free agent acquisitions 

Im all for building through the draft. Nicky always says how we shouldn't become one of those teams like the Cowboys or the Redskins that just go out spending ridiculous amount of money and draft picks and how it is never a smart move in the long run, and I agree. However, there is a huge difference on giving Albert Haynsworth 100$ million paycheck than trading a 2nd rounder for future HOF tight end Tony Gonzales to help your franchise qb develop or a good but not over the top pay day for Pro Bowl ILB Bart Scott or WR Torry Holt or even Terrel Owens or Kurt Warner. Bottom line: to win in the NFL you need elite talent, there is no way around it. And free agency or trades inevitably are a big part of that. Yes, you need to me smart about it but if you want to be a powerhouse in the NFL you need to find a way to get elite talent and it won't always come cheap. Im all for the Devone Bess', Brian Hartline's, Turner's and Camarillo's of the world but this offseason or next we have to look for the Anquan Boldin's, Dwayne Bowe's or Brandon Marshall's via trade or free agency if we want Henne to become an elite passer. 

Hey guys how are you. I am Mau from The Phinsider, SB Nation's Miami Dolphins blog. Our head blogger, Matty I will be doing a Q & A with your head blogger later in the week but in the meantime I thought I'd take some of your questions about the Miami Dolphins looking forward to Monday's game. I'll be around all afternoon. 

Mau

miami dolphins vs indianapolis cols miami dolphins vs indianapolis colts miami dolphins vs indianaplos colts 

There is one characteristic us Dolfans share; We always think, talk, eat, #u"k, and drink either in Past Tense or in Future Tense. Its always about number 13 days, about those sundays in which Surtain and Madison would fly around the field, about a tiny linebacker who would become a sure HOF. Or more recently, about how Chad Henne will be throwing touchdowns let and right all the time, how our CBs will dominate or how the trifecta will build a sure fire Super Bowl contender for decades to come. But what about now? What about the 2009 season who will follow one of the greatest turnarounds in the history of sports? After all, these are all the same guys, who not surprisingly, are again being ridiculed and minimized by the fans and the media. These are all the same guys, just angrier and hungrier, and a bit more talented. So lets take a break from all these memories and hopes for the future, and talk about this season. Specially about one of the guys, who according to his teammates and coaches, made 2008 possible; Chad Pennington. 

These are, in my opinion, 10 Factors that will play a major role in CP10 having a great season.

1- Improved running game:

Last year, our offense became something of an improvised west coast scheme because of the circumstances. First of all, we had a couple of young and unexperienced receivers running around, but most importantly, we had: a) A patched Offensive Line who was not strong enough to run the ball and b) Our stellar running back coming of a torn ACL injury.

This offseason though, these last two went from being a negative to a positive in a few days time. 

a) We signed Jake Grove, who is a dominant beast at the point of attack and who, in case of staying healthy, will provide a huge upgrade in the running game. 

b) Ronnie Brown is entering his second season since the injury, and as Matty always emphasizes, a running back coming of an ACL usually returns to full speed on the second year since the incident. So Ronnie should have a monster year.

2- JL experienced- 

Last year Jake Long, 2008's #1 overall draft pick, allowed 2.5 sacks and was able to block quite successfully when running to the left side of the line. However, he was not selected to the Pro Bowl and more importantly, many people around the league questioned if Ryan Clady -who allowed .5 sacks-, not Jake Long should have been the #1 overall pick of the Dolphins. Many said he was good, but not great. 

This year, Long will have one year experience under his belt, plus more importantly, 2 full off seasons under the Dolphins military like workout regime. He will be quicker and stronger. This year he will be great, not just ok. With the addition of Jake Grove and Justin Smiley's recovery, he should be top notch at pass protection and really set the pace at run blocking. Sure fire Pro Bowl selection.

Long will be that great LT that just makes a QB much better. 

3- Ginn's third year-

Last year Ted showed flashes of the great receiver we are all expecting to see this season. He was great not only on long routes (Jets Dec) but also catching the ball over the middle between tough coverage (Seahawks, Jets, Buffalo)  But he always seemed to disappear during most games and was never able to be that number one guy Chad can rely on crunch time.

2009 , Ginn will be entering his third NFL season. Its widely believed that a wide reciever reaches its true potential in the NFL during his third year in the league. This will not only be Ted's third season in the league, but it will also be his second season in a row with the same qb, head coach and offensive coordinator. There is every reason to believe that Ginn will come around starting next September and will be a lethal weapon for Pennington. 

4- Acquaintance  with teammates and playbook-

Last year Chad came in in the middle of Training Camp. So it was only natural that our offense was not only sort of reduced and limited during the first couple of games of the season, but that the connection with his wide receivers wasn't the best. However, as the season progressed there were flashes of a true connection being made specially with both Fassano, Bess and sometimes Ginn. Nevertheless, last season there were times were you couldn't help but wonder how in the world these guys were pulling this off and times were one had a feeling that these guys could be making more things happen if they just were more aquatinted with each other. 

This year, with a full off season and training camp under their belt, these guys are going to be much better. 

5- Strong defense-

Last season, there were some games in which Chad played amazingly but the defense just kept messing up everything the offense achieved. For example, in the game against New England in Dolphin Stadium, the offensive side of the ball had a game for the ages, one of their best of the season even though we lost. However, we all know that Chad doesn't posses the arm strength to lead a fourth quarter 20 point comeback. However, he is in the top 3 in the league at game managing as we all saw against San Diego in Miami or Denver.

This year, our defense will be much improved. This will not only mean that we won't have to trail all the time during tough games (say Indy), but that there will be more turnovers. This not only means that Chad will get to play to his strenghts, but that he will have the chance to come around in crunch time.

6- Camarillo back-

Last year Greg immediately clicked with Penny. Greg is a great route runner with soft hands and as coach Sparano stated "he is QB friendly". Well he sure was until he went out for the season against New England. Right after that, our offense as a whole had a couple of really rough games. Either because Ginn did a la David Copperfield and disapeared or because Bess could only do so much being 4"10, there was something missing.

This year, Camarillo hopefully will be back and I'm sure he will again be that sure fire target Pennington loves so much. Cam is a class act by the way, and man the guy really comes to play in crunch time. Remember against Denver? Hell can't wait for him to be back.

7- More tools-

Last year, specially after Camarillo went down and Wilford decided to forget how to play football, Penny had very few weapons on offense. He sure lacked that big possession receiver in the Red Zone, a long threat and a medium range wideout.

This year, the FO drafted USC's Patrick Turner to be that red zone threat and big physical wideout. Then, as we stated before, Ginn will probably come around and be that long and over the middle threat we are wishing for, and Camarillo and Heartline along with Bess will be the most reliable receivers for short shardage.

8-Tough schedule-

Last year there was a special trend. Pennington would have great games against tough opponents (other than Baltimore), such as New England and 5-0 Buffalo, not to mention San Diego, but would kind of flunk against mediocre opponents like the Raiders and the Rams. There are a lot of athletes made that way, and he seems to be one of those. Which in my opinion is great because he comes around under pressure.

This year we have the toughest schedule in the NFL, and I like it. There is a very, very specialy difference between playing Indianapolis and New Orleans than playing Baltimore. Yes, they are all top notch teams, however, the first two have average defenses at best, while Baltimore's defense is amazing and completely destroyed Pennington last year. (Wich also had a lot to do with our non existent running game and, again, non existent defense). The point being that Pennington loves playing under pressure in tough games, and most of the "elite" teams we play this season, happen to have mediocre defenses at best, while the true elite defenses we play this year will have a rookie qb ( tampa) and will probably sit their starters ( Steelers) in week 17.

9- Wildcat 2.0-

Last year, as coaches have already recognized, the wildcat was engineered to make up for some deficiencies our offense had. Either being lack of experience and talent in the WR position, injuries in the O-Line or aqcuantance and arm strength in the QB position, the wildcat was meant to be a gimmick.

This year however, the wildcat will be part of our playbook just as the I-Formation or the Shotgun, just much, much better. We not only have an improved O-Line and healthy running back, but a true "Elite" addittion to the formation in Pat White.

10- Contract Year-

Last year Chad came in being in one of the worst situations a professional athlete could possibly be in. He was thrown to the fire without even knowing the playbook or most importantly, his teammates. Sure, he was palying with a chip in his shoulder and being the true professional he is, he gave a 100% and ultimately took the team to the playoffs.

This year, however, Chad is in a contract year, meaning that his deal with the Dolphins finishes this season and will probably not be renewed in favor of Henne. Pennington is the ultimate competitor and will not settle for a back up role with the Dolphins. So there are two possibilities, if he wants to remain the starter of the Dolphins for the 2010 season, he has to take this team deep into the playoffs, if not the Super Bowl, to even make the FO consider pulling a fast one on Henne, or, he has to have an MVP season so he can sign a multi year deal with the Vikings on 2010, hopefully for us, he will.

Thanks for reading,

Mau.

These last couple of weeks I've noticed a trend that most of the teams in the NFL share: Off Season foes. If it is not one thing then its the other, but for sure means a big disrupter for the team's ability to go forward and start a new NFL season. This are the top 5 Off Season Foes the Miami Dolphins don't have to deal with as we...... type (that was cute don't lie):

1-Holdouts-

Players holding out of OTAs is  a very common occurrence in the NFL. Most of the time it happens because a player who is in the middle of his contract decides that it is time to take advantage of his current success and get a new long term deal before he runs out of fuel. 

Around the league:

Currently there are a couple of players/teams in this situation, one of them being the New York Jets. The Jets have got both their stellar RBs on a contract holdout. This is really prejudicial for a team for two reasons: a- because the players are missing valuable time both on the field and off the field, which most of the time results in slow starts when September comes. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iknEJf9cPeY ) b- the whole point of signing a player to a cheap long contract is to give the guy a chance to make the roster while you save cap space. 

Dolphins that might have been: 

Ronnie Brown could very well be acting out this off season demanding a new contract. Even while the Dolphins have some leverage since the CBA might not work out for 2010 and Ronnie would've a restriction or two, Brown could pressure the FO into signing him to a new deal before his contract ends. When you are a RB in your prime carrying such a serious injury as a torn ACL in your resume, you might want to get inked asap while you are of great value to your team and get some guaranteed money before you blow out a knee again.

2- Angry/Asking To Be Traded Players-

This category is really annoying and goes to show the great environment there is in the dolphins building as of now. When this situation arises it is usually because a player is malcontent with his coach or FO and wants to flee as soon as possible. This is also very disruptive for the team's chemistry. 

Around the league-

Anquan Boldin and Chad Ocho Cinco are currently in this situation. Boldin wants a new contract and his relationship with both the Head Coach and the FO is broken. Chad as well has had continuos altercations with the coaching staff and his teammates. Today Carson Palmer said that they are ready to move on without Jackson.

Dolphins that might have been:

Chad Pennington. CP10 had a career year last season and there are a couple of reasons why he could've pushed for a trade:

a) Chad has been told that the QB of the future is Chad Henne, and that there is a real high possibility that Henne will be the starter for the 2010 season. Since this is the last year of the 2 year contract he signed with the dolphins that bring me to point b.

b) If Chad wants to keep playing as a starting QB after the 2009 season, he probably has to look somewhere outside of south florida (I damn the day this words came out of my mouth) and what better time to get a long term contract than coming off an MVP-like season.

3- QB Controversy-

This one is  a tough one too. It is as simple as this: the QB is the most important player in your team, if you have "the" guy at QB then you have a solid foundation to work and build around from, on and off the field. If not, you are screwed.

Around the league-

The Vikings, the Browns, the Broncos and the Niners all have on going QB competitions, or as one might say;  controversies. This situation sets back your offense's development as well as your team's confidence in themselves. Not to say that it means that the most important position on the field is going to be a major setback for your team's possibilities of success. 

Dolphins-

Chad Henne knows his place, he is working hard and taking all in from CP10. 

4-Arrested/Suspended players-

This has the capacity not only to disrupt your team's chemistry but also to change the way you Draft and build in the off season. This can go from adjusting your team for a game or two, to having to rebuild your franchise overnight.

Around the league-

The Bills are probably going to loose Lynch for the first couple of games and the Browns have a very high chance of loosing WR Stallworth for all of the 2009 season, forcing them to draft 2 WRs in the second round of the past NFL Draft. Plus Brandon Marshall of the Broncos is looking at a possible suspension too. Last of all, Plaxico Burres, who shot accidentally shot himself in the leg during last season, was released by the Giants which immediately suffered their loss during an abysmal playoff run. They also had to spend a 1st round pick in a quality WR.

Miami- No problems until now.

5- Win Now pressure-

There are a lot of teams around the league that are obliged to have immediate success or else. This really has the capacity to ruin a team both in the short term and in the long term. Teams in this situation usually spend high draft picks on over the top trades (Dallas Roy Williams, Wash Jason Taylor) , play under immense amounts of pressure, normally causing disruption between players, players and coaches and GMs and coaches, and rushing into desperate moves (T.O Bills)

Around the league

The Bengals, the Texans, the Cowboys, the Jets, the Bills, the Packers, the Vikings, the Chargers and the Saints are all teams that can suffer severe criticism and more importantly changes either in the coaching staff or the front office if they don't make the playoffs next year.

Dolphins- 

The Dolphins are in a beautiful situation. They have the swagger to win now and compete, but from a ownership point of view this is mostly a time to develop young players and keep building a dominant franchise and Super Bowl contender for years to come!

Hey guys, two quick things.

First, last friday morning I wrote a post about a topic that is quickly getting really hot; the expectations for the 2009 Dolphins. Since the site runs low on weekends and there was a massive attack of new posts after mine, not so many people got to read it. (at least thats what i like to believe lol). Since this gives us something somewhat relevant to talk about and some people found the post at least helpful I'll go ahead and post an excerpt:

Why I think the 2009 Dolphins can be succesful:

Retained Key Free Agents-

Parcells made sure that 3 key starters (Channing Crowder, Yeremiah Bell and Vernon Carey) remained with the team. This means that Parcells doesnt want to set back the team for a couple of years, and more importantly, that after last season, he might feel like some of the "pre parcells" era are good enough to build a solid foundation around them, therefore, shortening the duration of the rebuilding process. 

90% O and D Lines Completion

Parcells emphasizes the importance of building inside out, meaning, giving a lot attention to both defensive and offensive lines. Last year he drafted high two Defensive Ends, a Left Tackle and a promising Right Guard, this year he resigned a franchise Right Tackle and brought in a beast at Center. Depth will come by as time goes by, however besides that little problem, I do feel like we are set at the most important aspect of a Parcells engineered team. But since what I think doesnt matter, just take a look at this last draft, how many linemen did we get? one, just one, and as a late round project for depth. This brings me to the next argument

Drafted Skill Position Players

99% or more members of the site agreed on the argument that 1- We werent yet on a point in the rebuilding process were we could draft skill position players with our highest draft picks since our needs were many, and 2- Parcell doesnt draft cornerbacks in the first round. In the aftermath, both of these things happened, so what might they mean:

1- Parcells confidence in our Linebackers corps is vast and even more in the little things we hardly are able to see as fans, Prospects. Yes, prospects, we claim that we really need a pass rusher and what not, but these moves reflect that a- The coaching staff's have a lot of confidence in Cameron Wake, and more importantly b- Like Brandon London told us, we may have a hidden gem in Eric Walden.

2- We got two top notch CBs in the 1st round and the 2nd round, plus a sure fire-immediate impact wildcat specialist in Pat White with our other 2nd. I dont know about you, but I cant help but see these moves as the icing of the cake more than the milk and eggs for it.

Free Agents to be starters

Another interesting indicator is the signing of Jake Grove and Gibril Wilson. Again, I dont know about you, but to me, if you are a team that is in the middle of a deep rebuilding process you draft Max Unger or Alex Mack in the 1st round and then develop rookie safety Chris Clemons into a solid starter, not throw big money at a veteran Center and Safety. Therefore, in my opinion, this is a clear cut indicator that the trifecta is looking for short term impact.

In conclusion, I am not saying that this rebuilding process is over or that we dont need to continue to add depth and young players to our roster. I am saying, based on the trifecta's offseason moves, that right here and right now, this team might scare the hell out of the NFL.... AGAIN.

All right so those are my two cents on this topic. Remember these so called experts had Maualuga going in the top 15, and more...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The other thing, I was reading about the Cowboys scout who got the worst part of the training bubble collapse and found an account were one can donate. This guy is permanently paralyzed from the waist down and has two young kids. If we can spend 100 plus bucks on a jersey Im sure we can give at least something even if its small. This is what makes football fans truly great not funlimited Fantasy research.

This is the info

Donations may be made via check made payable to the Rich Behm Family Trust Fund and sent to this address:

Bank of America
c/o Shelby Kirksey
5500 Preston Road, Suite B
Dallas, Texas 75205

Peace

As Armando Salguero correctly points out in his latest article, it seems like we have been overlooking Chad (the one that has thrown more than 10 passes in the NFL not the other one) lately. We talk about Pat White and Chad Henne a whole lot, being no coincidence since we seem to be a bit obsesed with this whole building for the future thing. However, looking at how Parcells went about his business this past Draft, one cant help but wonder if, after all, this team is built to contend both in the future, but more interestingly, in the present. Why?

 Retained Key Free Agents-

Parcells made sure that 3 key starters (Channing Crowder, Yeremiah Bell and Vernon Carey) remained with the team. This means that Parcells doesnt want to set back the team for a couple of years, and more importantly, that after last season, he might feel like some of the "pre parcells" era are good enough to build a solid foundation around them, therefore, shortening the duration of the rebuilding process. 

90% O and D Lines Completion

Parcells emphasizes the importance of building inside out, meaning, giving a lot attention to both defensive and offensive lines. Last year he drafted high two Defensive Ends, a Left Tackle and a promising Right Guard, this year he resigned a franchise Right Tackle and brought in a beast at Center. Depth will come by as time goes by, however besides that little problem, I do feel like we are set at the most important aspect of a Parcells engineered team. But since what I think doesnt matter, just take a look at this last draft, how many linemen did we get? one, just one, and as a late round project for depth. This brings me to the next argument

Drafted Skill Position Players

99% or more members of the site agreed on the argument that 1- We werent yet on a point in the rebuilding process were we could draft skill position players with our highest draft picks since our needs were many, and 2- Parcell doesnt draft cornerbacks in the first round. In the aftermath, both of these things happened, so what might they mean:

1- Parcells confidence in our Linebackers corps is vast and even more in the little things we hardly are able to see as fans, Prospects. Yes, prospects, we claim that we really need a pass rusher and what not, but these moves reflect that a- The coaching staff's have a lot of confidence in Cameron Wake, and more importantly b- Like Brandon London told us, we may have a hidden gem in Eric Walden.

2- We got two top notch CBs in the 1st round and the 2nd round, plus a sure fire-immediate impact wildcat specialist in Pat White with our other 2nd. I dont know about you, but I cant help but see these moves as the icing of the cake more than the milk and eggs for it.

Free Agents to be starters

Another interesting indicator is the signing of Jake Grove and Gibril Wilson. Again, I dont know about you, but to me, if you are a team that is in the middle of a deep rebuilding process you draft Max Unger or Alex Mack in the 1st round and then develop rookie safety Chris Clemons into a solid starter, not throw big money at a veteran Center and Safety. Therefore, in my opinion, this is a clear cut indicator that the trifecta is looking for short term impact.

Parcells isnt getting any younger

Parcells is leaving next year, and after a lifelong of football the guy isnt getting any younger or any more patient. Does the recent Draft strategy of the Dolphins reflect that?

We got the QB

Yes, we got The Chad Pennington right here and right now. 2008 Comeback Player of the Year and runner up for the league's MVP.

"It covers speed ... power ... strength. It covers all the prehab, as I call it, to make sure that I'm keeping everything intact with the smaller muscles in my body. It covers film work. It covers the mental preparation. It covers being a servant to your team. That's part of being a leader -- the service. So it's a wide range of things and I constantly have to go back and revisit my plan to make sure I'm hitting all those goals."

His words dont seem like those of a guy who is waiting for the future to come by, this guy is getting ready to win NOW.

In conclusion, I am not saying that this rebuilding process is over or that we dont need to continue to add depth and young players to our roster. I am saying, based on the trifecta's offseason moves, that right here and right now, this team might scare the hell out of the NFL.... AGAIN.

Underrated-

Mark Sanchez- Qb- USC

His stock took a big hit mainly because he only started one year in college, however, since the beggining scouts acknowledged that he has got all the physical tools to be a pro quarterback. He is the prototypical NFL qb, think Carson Palmer. He stands well in the pocket, steps into his throws and even throws well in the run, he is accurate and most importantly, he can make all the throws given that he has a great arm. Ironically Im not the only one who thinks that:

Big (6-3) and blessed with a powerful right arm, Sanchez looks like the second coming of former Trojans great Carson Palmer

However, what stands out the most recently, is his personality, which goes to intangibles. I am a firm believer that leadership and work ethic plus football smarts are what can make or brake a qb in the NFL, if you add that his has  impressive physical tools, you are looking at a combination between Chad Pennington and Palmer.  Plus who are we kidding, he's got the looks. If not for his limited experience in college, we could have been looking at a digitally remastered Manning vs. Leaf saga.

Percy Harvin - WR- UF

Yes, eventhough Harvin might go in the late first, he will be a steal. Harvin is the most freakish athlete in this draft. His incredible speed and quickness do nothing but translate to the field. He is an explosive and versatile player that can line up in the slot or even as a tailback for a screen pass. I think the most accurate way to project him in the NFL is looking at Reggie Bush the receiver not the running back. When he has been healthy he has just torn apart opposing defenses, simply because these kind of athletes can not be stopped in the open field. This kid will immediately improve his team's passing offense as a whole.

Duke Robinson- OG- Oklahoma

Duke Robinson is an absolute beast, he started since his true freshman year and never looked back, racking up All-American awards along the way. He is partially responsible for Oklahoma's impressive offense. He is a nasty run blocker and very powerfull at the point of attack. He is not projected to go in the first round simply because guards dont usually go in the top 32, however, it would be a mistake not to aknowledge Robinson is 1st round material. Whatever team selects him is going to improve its O-Line from day one. (Jake Long next to Duke Robinson? wow)

Brian Robiskie-

This is the receiver that intrigues me the most out of the whole bunch. If not for his "limited" speed, he would probably be the best WR on this draft. He is the son of a former NFL Wide Receivers coach so it is not surprising that his mechanics are almost flawless, which is something that usually makes or breaks a WR in the NFL. Thus, he is an amazing route runner, uses his body very well to get separation, he is also tall and has soft hands so is  a powerful weapon in the red zone. This guy is definetely the most NFL Ready wideout coming out of the draft, and his work ethic along with his football IQ will make him  a steal for a team in the second round.

Macho Harris

Macho Harris has fallen of the map mainly because of his mediocre speed, which was around 4.5 and managed to lower it a bit in his pro day. However, just as Robiskie, he is regarded as one of the toughest and most instinctual cornerbacks coming out of college. He does all the little things well, footwork and hips, etc. What jumps out the most though, are his playmaking abilities, he is the personification of a ball hawk. If he continues to make up for his average speed in the NFL, he can be a solid starter for years to come. He could go in the end of the 2nd or even in the 3rd.

Andre Smith-

This guy is far and away the most talented OT in the draft. If not for his "character issues" he was probably a lock at #1 overall. He has a rare combination of power and strenght  with agility, mobility and quickness. I think he is going to be a steal at #6 because his "issues" in my opinion are just stupid. Think the Jets getting Jake Long at 6.

Overrated-

Clay Matthews-

This guy was a walk on at USC and managed to start only one season, his senior year. Basically everybody is so high on him because he is a phsysical specimen, which is basically all you have to be in college as a LB to be succesful. Think Vernon Gholston. But there are many questionmarks about his experience and football IQ, along with strong rumors about steroids use. I wouldnt touch Mathews, a guy like English should probably be higher on your board than him.

Derrius Heyward Bey-

This guy's got bust written all over. He was a 100 meter star in track back in college, and he had so much trouble running routes and catching the ball that his coaches suggested "sticking to track". No offense, but think Tedd Ginn. He might be able to be a succesful deep threat #2 wideout, but it is very unlikely he'll be something more.

We'll have to see

It is being reported that Zach Thomas has agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. Their GM, Scott Pioli appears to have an increasing interest for aging line backers, given that if this report is accurate, he would have added two aging veterans in the likes of Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas. 

We wish all the luck in the world to a guy who is and will always be a legend down in Miami like Zach Thomas. Hope this season the Chiefs can achieve to be the Cindirella team we were back in 08. 

Hey there guys. I am a blogger at the Phinsider for the Miami Dolphins, however, I am from Mexico City and the Cowboys are huge down here, just huge. Obviously people don´t follow the NFL on blogs and stuff like that, but they are huge fans of the team. This came to mind because an uncle of mine was telling me about the Dynasty of the 90´s, the Glory Days, and then hearing about Jay Cutler officially being placed on the trading block. That move is really surprising, a young, proven pro bowl Qb placed on the trading block because of a cat fight. So I wondered, is there a team in the league that despite a player´s antics off the field will take a shot at him? Well like I was saying, they know the Cowboys are all about Michael Irvin staying late in practice catching passes from the 3rd stringer until throwing up, not a whiny receiver that gets jealous of his Qb´s bromance with the TE. They know the Cowboys are all about tough Head Coaches who will rebuild the heck out of a franchise, even if it takes trading the most amazing RB in the league or benching a true american hero in Drew Bledsoe, not a guy who is afraid of his offensive coordinator and his owner. They know it is about guys like Emmitt Smith who will play with excruciating pain no matter what it takes, or Aikman having to stand a guy like Charles Haley flipping his wiener around his face because he knew the guy took them a step closer to a championship, not a prima donna QB who wants his best WR gone because he can´t take his bitching. Those were the days... the days of the Dynasty. My question is, is it time to go back to the days were nothing matters more than the W? Is that what it takes to win on December and January? Is that what will take the Cowboys back to the Super Bowl after all these years? What do Charles Haley, Tony Casillas, James Washington, Deion Sanders and one day Jay Cutler have in common? They were a pain in the ass off the field, but at the end of the day, come sunday, they were difference makers that more often than not, would walk out with the W. If possible, could this be the first move to build a new dynasty?

Congratulations for your blog guys, you ve got a great thing going here, I´ll be seeing you around.

How are you all doing guys? Tough times right? We know what not having a Franchise QB can do to a team believe me. So anyways, I wanted to run this through you because as you all can imagine every team in need of a franchise qb is talking about the Cutler situation. This is a piece we wrote at our blog about what it would possibly take to make a trade happen. How do you guys feel about it? 

"Ok so just to get some discussion going out of it lets talk about a possible trade scenario for Jay Cutler. As of now, if the Dolphins wanted to, they would be the absolute best trade partners the Broncos could possibly hope for, I explain why:

Lets say the Dolphins dont even contact the Broncos but the Broncos do contact the Dolphins and say 'Hey, lets make a deal, I am looking for a low 1st rounder due to contractual issues, Ive already got to pay top 15 money so I cant take Detroit´s first. Also, I´m looking for a young QB who has got all the tools and has potential so my fans don´t go crazy on me. Send me Henne and your 1st rounder and you`ve got Cutler'

In my opinion this is a trade with lots of upside for the Broncos, considering 1-Chad Henne is one of the game´s best young prospects at QB, 2- This is such a deep draft that the Broncos could get a stud defensive player at 25 and not have to pay big money, 3- The Broncos have put themselves in a situation were they are now on the wrong side of the negotiating process because they have already cut ties with Cutler so a trade is inevitable. So you have got to at least get your GM and your HC together and talk about it." 

Thanks guys, good luck.

Ok so just to get some discussion going out of it lets talk about a possible trade scenario for Jay Cutler. As of now, if the Dolphins wanted to, they would be the absolute best trade partners the Broncos could possibly hope for, I explain why:

Lets say the Dolphins dont even contact the Broncos but the Broncos do contact the Dolphins and say 'Hey, lets make a deal, I am looking for a low 1st rounder due to contractual issues, Ive already got to pay top 15 money so I cant take Detroit´s first. Also, I´m looking for a young QB who is got all the tools and has potential so my fans don´t go crazy on me. Send me Henne and your 1st rounder and you`ve got Cutler'

In my opinion you have got to at least get your GM and your HC together and talk about it. 

First of all I want to state how excited I would be if our own Jason Taylor was to come back to the Phins. Yes, he and the FO had a harsh rupture in the past, however, things are appearing to be settling down on both ends. (people have seen Parcells and JT chatting at the country club). I feel that our attitude towards this should be of embrace and not act like angry kids. This is a man, a future HOF, who gave us a whole lot of joys where you could count those with the fingers of one hand almost for a decade down in Miami. Maybe his attitude last off season was a bit off, however, the reason might have been because he had endured more than 4 Front Offices and coaches and Qb´s in less than 5 years, 5 years in which he was playing the best football of his career, and seeing the end approaching he wanted a last shot at a SB or whatever he was looking for. Now if he wants to comeback we should embrace him, JT is family and you dont ask family for reasons. Missing out on the Phins 08´ season was enough punishment for him. 

Well, today I saw three "points" or whatever, that I feel bring JT closer than ever to the 09 Dolphins:

1- The reason he left Washington was not because he didnt want to take part on the contractual mandatory work outs. This means a lot because we know that Parcells is high on off season workouts and having disciplinary parity on his team, so if JT is willing to take part on off season work outs, that would bring the 2 sides a lot more closer.

"I look forward to finding one, so I can get back to work, get with the program and keep going."

2- Its not about the money- We feel like a huge impediment for JT´s return would be the high salary he would demand, however, its looking like right now its not about the money anymore:

"it's not about the money. I walked away from the money in D.C."

3- He genuinely wants back in- When he was answering a question about how he felt about the patriots owner remarks about him and how he would love to have him in foxboro, he out of nowhere sent a clue to the Phins:

"But it's great to be wanted. It's great to be wanted. Sure, especially an organization like them or the Dolphins."

I thought this was hilarious, nobody in the room had even mentioned the Dolphins and he just slipped than one under the rug. And last of all, he talks about wanting to do what is best for his family, his family which lives in Miami, where his kids grew up. 

"My main focus right now is spending time with the kids and the family, being back down here in Florida"

The man wants to come back to Miami and end his career playing at home.

With everything that is going on in baseball, its hard not to wonder what is the reality of steroids in the NFL. Some have learned to accept that average or below average talent guys who play special teams or less than stelar roles might be on the juice. Nowadays you hear all the time about stelar college programs being involved with steroids, you hear about high school recruits going from normal kids to physical specimens overnight. After all this is a very physical sport and big, fast and strong is the name of the game. However, some others are preoccupied by the situation. Others that see the game as a true field of dreams. Others that believe the football field, at any level, is where a man is truly measured. Others that believe that the gridiron is the last place remaining in the modern world were the last man standing had to give nothing less than his heart and soul. Heart and hard work are becoming secondary, and as a fan, you cant help but wonder if the soul of the game is going away with them. I once read in a column by Bill Simons that when your team wins a championship, for the next year you go about in life with a special bloom. A lot of people don´t get what football is all about, where for once race and economic background do not count. The day you caught your first pass, the day your dad took you to your first game, the day you went to the stadium and 60,000 people voices became one, second chances, old men crying and kids smiling. The day football stops being about that, neither will I. 

My first reaction was what I wrote below out of the admiration I have for the guy, but now looking at his age and the trifecta ways it makes no sense. However, what does make sense is to take a look at this man´s amazing career.  This guy is what the game is all about. This comment by Ratenxs says it all: 

He was originally brought in as a HB. Had 13 carries for 89 yards before he broke his ankle and was told he’d never be able to run the same way again. So did get get depressed and threaten suicide like a certain QB we’ve all heard of?

No, he went into the coaches office and said hey, I just want to get on the field. I’ll be the best blocking FB you’ve ever seen. Since then, this has been his career. I put the team’s leading RB next to the team and how many yards that RB got, and in parenthesis is what that RB had the very next season after Neal left.

1997 – Jets – Adrian Murrel – 1,086 yards (1,042)
1998 – Bucs – Warrick Dunn – 1,026 yards (616)
1999 – Titans – Eddie George – 1,304 yards
2000 – Titans – Eddie George – 1,509 yards (909)
2001 – Bengals – Corey Dillon – 1,315 yards
2002 – Bengals – Corey Dillon – 1,311 yards (541)
2003 – Chargers – LaDainian Tomlinson – 1,645 yards
2004 – Chargers – LaDainian Tomlinson – 1,335 yards
2005 – Chargers – LaDainian Tomlinson – 1,462 yards
2006 – Chargers – LaDainian Tomlinson – 1,815 yards
2007 – Chargers – LaDainian Tomlinson – 1,474 yards (1,110)
2008 – Ravens – McClain + McGahee – 1,573 yards (?)

Look especially at Dunn, George, and Dillon. All 3 of those RBs took a nose-dive in their careers after Neal left, and many argue that LT isn’t the same without him, either.

Now, he’s 38, and he just completed (no lie) his 17th season in the league, so I doubt anyone is going to sign him. But for a 5’11" guy out of Fresno State, I think it’s safe to say he’s left his mark on the league. I just hope he gets the Hall of Fame vote that I think he rightly deserves.Someone get my Parcells cell number right now! 

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Then this was just my rant:

Are you kidding me?? Lorenzo Neal is a FA?? 

What does Baltimore rushing success and San Diego´s rushing decline have in common?? 

Lorenzo Neal 

This is a no brainer for any team in the league.  Lorenzo Neal is the personification of blocking. Seriously, Lorenzo Neal helped LT build a dynasty. And now he helped Baltimore turn into a rushing machine. This guy is truly amazing. Sure Polite is a good runner but nothing else, like somebody said in an earlier post, "he hast proved to be a great FB". Now, with Ronnie Brown healthier and with more confidence than ever, and an improved O-Line, RWilliams help we can turn into a PTR team, of you add Lorenzo Neal to the mix it could truly be special. Specially with a RB like Ronnie who like to run up the middle. Sorry Im just throwing around ideas that come to mind. Wow 

First of all let me begin by thanking all of you for your encouragement in the Matty´s, it means a lot coming from you guys. 

So this time I wanted to discuss Chad Henne. It has really come to my attention that everybody is really high on Henne and that made me wonder what we are basing our expectations on, specially since he has just thrown around 7 passes for us in a NFL game, meaning, why are we so high on Chad Henne?, what makes us think that he is not just more special than Kevin Kolb, Brian Brohm, or heck even our own John Beck, but a true Franchise QB?Why did so many teams pass on him not just once, but twice? teams in need of a QB such as Minn and Chi. I do realize that a huge confidence booster is that Bill Parcells drafted him in a high round, however, I feel uncomfortable with this situation. What would happen if we realize Chad Henne is nothing more than an average QB or worse, a bust, just when our long rebuilding process is completed and we are ready to contend. My take is that we can not rule out aspects of the market such as a young proven QB like Jay Cutler just because we feel comfortable with a "project". We have been looking for a franchise QB since Dan Marino left, and in the process, have lost a lot of amazing things such as a t dominant defense and one of the greatest seasons a RB has had in south beach. I would hate to put all of our eggs in this basket and later on be in this situation again. Personally, I´m not here nor there. I just hope they dont throw him in too soon and let him learn from a great student of the game such as CP10. 

I wanted to see how many franchise QB´s have been drafted in the late 2nd round(bottom half - 47 to 62- and how many of them have turned out to be busts in the last 10 drafts. 

2nd and 3rd Round QB´s

1998- None 

1999- Shaun King 

2000-None 

2001- Quincy Carter, Marques Tuisasopo 

2002- None 

2003-Chris Simms in the late 3rd 

2004 - Matt Schaub at 90 overall

2005- no 2nds. Charlie Frye, David Greene 3rd rounders 

2006- Kellen Clemens, Tarvaris Jackson UFFF 

2007- Kevin Kolb, John Beck, Drew Stanton

What really comes to my attention are two things- 

1- between these couple of years truly great franchise quarterbacks have been drafted in the 1st round, from P Manning to Donovan McNabb to Mike Vick, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisburguer....

The point is that these franchise went for a franchise QB for years to come in the 1st round with a high pick and were successful (of course you can also go bust : Leaf, Leinart, Young [leinart and young arent busts yet however you cant call them true franchise qb´s]) 

so then 

2- When teams in need of a franchise QB go get their QB in the 2nd round, specially as of lately, it has proven to be seriously unsuccessful and to amazingly set their organizations back. I am talking about guys like Kevin Kolb, Kellen Clemens, Tarvaris Jackson, even John Beck (if CP10 hadnt come) and Drew Stanton. They are second round picks that were expected to step in and consolidate as startes in their teams and being unsuccessful thus the jets having to bring in Brett Favre, the Vikings Gus Frerote and Sage Rosenfels this season, the Dolphins CP10 and the Lions Culpepper. 

I suppose this is a way of looking at our chances of Chad Henne becoming a true franchise QB, however, I sure as heck hope he doesnt follow this pattern.