***Official*** Miami Dolphins 2014 Off/In Season (1 Viewer)

[Horses Mouth]

Beasley reports that several players want out of the situation

I can't blame them...

So do several of the fans. This gets worse by the day. I see 3-13 in our 2014 future. Gonna be tough to retain our own free agents, nonetheless signing others to come kill their careers in this mess. Dark days ahead. Maybe even darker than the dark days behind.

How dark will it get?

Black

 

[Ministry of Pain]

In a real display of classlessness yesterday at the Dan Marino autism walk Jeff ireland showed up with his 2 daughters both impacted by autism and he was roundly heckled, booed, and quite frankly things were being tossed his way that were completely inappropriate and embarrassing. No link, you'll have to trust me.

I get you want to lambaste the guy but he's been fired, it's over, he's at an autism walk for children sponsored by Dan Marino no less who is there in person.

One good note to report was that Ryan Tannehill showed up and Marino has reportedly said he is going to work with Tannehill in the off season.

Also reported on the radio in the rumors section is that Marino is being approached behind the scenes to be named Vice President and would basically run the team like Elway runs things in Denver. Will not surprise me if Marino is named into the front office in the next few weeks if not sooner, you heard it here first, maybe second

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Nick Caserio from New England and has been there since Day 1 back in 2000/2001 and the only reason Caserio did not take the position after 2 rounds of interviews was that he openly asked if he had to fire Philbin, would that b an issue? Caserio was told he could not fire Philbin on a whim.

Miami had a chance to get one of the brain childs…OK maybe not the brainchild but someone who has been an active member and know everything that New England has done for th least 10-12 years and you don't hire this guy because you cannot make him comfortable with the abilities of the position.

Just incredible, you can read more about it in Barry Jackson's article today, will make your head spin. Most thought Caserio was down here snooping for the pats but we come to find out that Nick desperately wanted the job and to come here but could not be assured he would have any power. Unreal!

 

[Slapdash]

Nick Caserio from New England and has been there since Day 1 back in 2000/2001 and the only reason Caserio did not take the position after 2 rounds of interviews was that he openly asked if he had to fire Philbin, would that b an issue? Caserio was told he could not fire Philbin on a whim.

Miami had a chance to get one of the brain childs…OK maybe not the brainchild but someone who has been an active member and know everything that New England has done for th least 10-12 years and you don't hire this guy because you cannot make him comfortable with the abilities of the position.

Just incredible, you can read more about it in Barry Jackson's article today, will make your head spin. Most thought Caserio was down here snooping for the pats but we come to find out that Nick desperately wanted the job and to come here but could not be assured he would have any power. Unreal!

Can you hit us up with a link GB?

 

[Slapdash]

In a real display of classlessness yesterday at the Dan Marino autism walk Jeff ireland showed up with his 2 daughters both impacted by autism and he was roundly heckled, booed, and quite frankly things were being tossed his way that were completely inappropriate and embarrassing. No link, you'll have to trust me.

Shameful

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Nick Caserio from New England and has been there since Day 1 back in 2000/2001 and the only reason Caserio did not take the position after 2 rounds of interviews was that he openly asked if he had to fire Philbin, would that b an issue? Caserio was told he could not fire Philbin on a whim.

Miami had a chance to get one of the brain childs…OK maybe not the brainchild but someone who has been an active member and know everything that New England has done for th least 10-12 years and you don't hire this guy because you cannot make him comfortable with the abilities of the position.

Just incredible, you can read more about it in Barry Jackson's article today, will make your head spin. Most thought Caserio was down here snooping for the pats but we come to find out that Nick desperately wanted the job and to come here but could not be assured he would have any power. Unreal!

Can you hit us up with a link GB?

This...

Patriots personnel director Nick Caserio on Monday declined to comment about the Dolphins’ assertion that he wanted the job but did not take it because the Dolphins would not allow him to “clean house” and immediately fire coach Joe Philbin.

ProFootballTalk.com reported that Caserio likes Philbin and planned to keep him, but the Dolphins dispute that. Comcast Sports New England reported that Caserio did not demand that Philbin be fired but wanted to have a role in determining whether he would be retained after this season.

The Dolphins also have said that Tennessee Titans player personnel director LakeDawson was willing to retain Philbin but insisted on having the ability to dismiss him after the season. ESPN reported that Dawson did not ask for that authority, and Dawson was in meetings Monday and not immediately available to discuss it.

…was buried in this…http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/

Caserio turned the Dolphins down on Saturday Night after they essentially said he could not fire Philbin. It would seem like Philbin has a pass for 2014 and 2015 meaning I see no way Philbin would be fired at this point until the end of the 2015/2016 season, think about that. Caserio was basically saying he wanted to go ahead and let Philbin go right now if he so desired or at the end of 2014…might have been able to bring McDaniels in right now if Miami was ready for a full makeover and change but alas nada.

As bad as Hickey seems he also has sat in on some impressive hauls in recent drafts for the Bucs. I think TB has a pretty solid roster despite starting 0-8 this season. If I told you Hickey took the job but behind closed doors told Stephen Ross he could deliver John Gruden(never happen) if Philbin doesn't make it work in year 2, you would like him a lot more perhaps. I do think Miami blew it in not pouncing on Caserio, that was just dumb.

 

[MoveToSkypager]

In a real display of classlessness yesterday at the Dan Marino autism walk Jeff ireland showed up with his 2 daughters both impacted by autism and he was roundly heckled, booed, and quite frankly things were being tossed his way that were completely inappropriate and embarrassing. No link, you'll have to trust me.

I get you want to lambaste the guy but he's been fired, it's over, he's at an autism walk for children sponsored by Dan Marino no less who is there in person.

One good note to report was that Ryan Tannehill showed up and Marino has reportedly said he is going to work with Tannehill in the off season.

Also reported on the radio in the rumors section is that Marino is being approached behind the scenes to be named Vice President and would basically run the team like Elway runs things in Denver. Will not surprise me if Marino is named into the front office in the next few weeks if not sooner, you heard it here first, maybe second

That's sad that people do not separate football from real life. I wish Ireland's daughters the best.

Question about Marino. From what I remember, he wouldn't make a great teacher. I remember him as an amazing player that relied on his unique arm strength, quick trigger, and awareness of defenders. Watching as a kid, I was in disbelief how quickly he'd slide around the pocket as large and as otherwise slow as he was. Are these things teachable? He is and always be one of the greatest of all time. I think some player talking about Marino said he'd have 100,000 yards if he played in this era, and I believe it.

Also, wasn't he named President of the Dolphins a decade ago or so, then quit? Was he just not ready to take on that role? Why? Thanks.

 

[SwampDawg]

Seems like lots of conflicting reports on exactly what Caserio said he wanted to do. If he said he wanted the right to fire Philbin the end of next season or even midseason if they start out dismal and was told he couldn't then that is just stupid on Ross's part and I don't have any issue with Caserio telling him to go pound sand. Now if he came in and said I want to be able to fire Philbin next month if I wake up and feel like it and I'm sure my buddy McDaniels could be brought in then I think that is a different story and have no issue with them not agreeing to that (plus I want no part of McDaniels the Tebow lover).

Like it or not when they didn't fire Philbin the week after the season and then went out and got the new OC and put that in place you can't fire him now, unless you know you can land someone no one else had been able to like Gruden.

 

[Lord of the Rings]

In a real display of classlessness yesterday at the Dan Marino autism walk Jeff ireland showed up with his 2 daughters both impacted by autism and he was roundly heckled, booed, and quite frankly things were being tossed his way that were completely inappropriate and embarrassing. No link, you'll have to trust me.

I get you want to lambaste the guy but he's been fired, it's over, he's at an autism walk for children sponsored by Dan Marino no less who is there in person.

One good note to report was that Ryan Tannehill showed up and Marino has reportedly said he is going to work with Tannehill in the off season.

Also reported on the radio in the rumors section is that Marino is being approached behind the scenes to be named Vice President and would basically run the team like Elway runs things in Denver. Will not surprise me if Marino is named into the front office in the next few weeks if not sooner, you heard it here first, maybe second

As much as I'd love to see Marino in this role, I am not to comfortable with the Elway comparisons. Elway has an owner in Bowlen that has always been in his corner from the time he entered the league. Seems like they have a great relationship. Marino would have Ross. Not sure about their relationship, but Ross is 10x worse than Bowlen as an owner, IMO. How much influence over the team would he allow Marino to actually have or would he just be another 'celebrity tool' to sell tickets?

 

[ChuckLiddell]

The more I hear about Jonathan Martin, the sicker I get, and the less I respect him as a person.

This organization is guilty of so many horrendous decisions, and has made itself the justifiable object of league-wide scrutiny due to how it is run as an organization. Pretty much everything that they are scrutinized for seems to be valid...with the exception of this.

The accusations of physical abuse seem to have vanished into the fray and what we have now is the realization that this guy walked out on his team because a room full of 25 year old professional gladiators used too many vulgarities.

I don't know this for sure obviously, but it sure seems an awful lot like this guy is trying to find a way to get paid a lot of money without having to get hit.

 

[SwampDawg]

My problem with Martin isn't only the "soft" attitude that seems to be the issue, I wasn't there so I can't say 100% one way or the other. But he went dead quite after the NFL started to investigate and wouldn't say much of anything other then the few texts that were released. Now Super Bowl week with a big audience he starts hitting the interview circuit and talking and bringing up how much he wants to play next year so that everyone hears it. If Miami releases him as expected and no one picks him up expect the lawsuit that he was blackballed next. It just seems like he has been very self serving since this broke more then actually concerned with changing the leagues culture.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

Good points. I hate to turn this into another Martin thread, but it is unfortunately the dominant news item for our pathetic team. Good article in today's Herald by Armondo Salguero. He pulls no punches, and leaves the typical political-correctness that you see from national media at the door.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/

Some news and opinion on Jonathan Martin interview

First the news, although in this case there is precious little: In his interview with NBC, Dolphins offensive tackle Jonathan Martin claims when he became uncomfortable with what appears to be verbal abuse he told coaches "above me" of his discomfort but "didn't get into specifics because you're not supposed to quote unquote snitch on your teammates."

That suggests Martin told Dolphins offensive line Jim Turner of something going on but obviously was not specific.

Martin also confirmed he never talked to head coach Joe Philbin about his issue, which has been reported here multiple times and Philbin has claimed throughout.

"There was persistent comments of a racial nature, aggressive sexual comments related to my sister and my mother,'' Martin told Dungy in the interview, portions of which aired on NBC's TODAY Wednesday morning. "I’ve spoken to my former teammates in other locker rooms across the NFL and I asked them, does this stuff go on? Is this normal rooking hazing? The consensus was, this is not normal."

Martin claimed he had no issues with pranks (perhaps because he participated in those and pulled them on other teammates also) but said the verbal abuse was"personal."

"I have no problem with the normal hazing that you see in the NFL," Martin said. "'Get a haircut,' stuff like that, little pranks. The personal attacking nature, I don’t think there’s any place for that."

That's it. That's the news. The full interview with NBC's Tony Dungy will be aired on NBC Network's PFT at 6:30 Wednesday.

Now my opinion ...

At the risk of sounding unsympathetic, Jon Martin, your weak act is officially old. Go away. Just do what you did best as an offensive lineman on the field and back away. Just do what you did when you left your teammates unexpectedly during the season and simply disappear.

Every single step taken by you in this saga feels manufactured and authored by a lawyer as a step torward a suit. And that makes sense because you definitely have gotten excellent legal advice from your family and the lawyer you added to represent you in this matter. And I, for one, would be surprised if your legal team isn't preparing a suit.

The dramatic throwing down of your lunch tray and departure? No other teammate did that when you were among the players standing up and leaving them alone at a lunch table. So the fact you chose that harmless act to make your departure statement seems contrived now.

Seeking medical help? Please tell us where exactly? Please provide the details of what you were treated for? Because it seems you had some issues you're not eager to share. Furthermore, my understanding of classic ambulance chaser strategy is he or she demands you get "medical treatment" so your coming lawsuit can show damage, thus giving the legal action more bite.

The well-timed and slow leaks of allegations of wrong-doing, all of them done anonymously by your camp? Classic. They slimed the parties you intended be slimed and it was done with plausible deniability that you had nothing to do with it. It's brilliant, actually, using a media hungry for a story to feed the narrative of Martin as victim. You did it through the national media, of course, because you wanted to get your "story" out to as many as possible as quickly as possible. But you also wanted to use that vehicle because the national media wasn't going to question your motives. The national media wasn't going to form an opinion that is politically incorrect. And the national media wasn't in the locker room the week before you left when you were stewing and clearly unhappy about getting moved from left tackle to right tackle -- which in hindsight seems like another reason you left the team.

And now this NBC interview? Timed, coincidentally of course, during Super Bowl week. It is the NFL's biggest attention grabbing week of the year. And so that's the week you pick to go public with your first interview. Because that's the week it will get noticed most.

Well, this interview so far, is a dud, big guy.

The most hurtful thing you can point to as reprehensible behavior by the Dolphins is verbal abuse. So where's the "physical attack" your lawyer claimed happened? Why not give details to that? Where's the evidence of code reds?

You mean to tell me the full extent of the "bullying" your camp has alleged comes down to a pattern of mean texts sent and mean and unfeeling insults uttered by your teammates about your race or your mom or your sister?

Are you 11 years old?

You went to Stanford. You know how to communicate. Why didn't you take your tormentors aside and tell them in no uncertain terms the verbal abuse had to stop? Why didn't you tell your head coach, who definitely would have stopped the abuse and done so in-house so as to not embarrass you, your teammates or the organization? And failing that, why didn't you make an open show of one of the abusers in a full-on locker room takedown that would have definitely gotten everyone's attention -- including your coaches -- and screamed something had to change?

(Sorry people, but sometimes a man has to be a man and defend himself and his honor with whatever tools are available. Yes, flight is one of those tools, but that one pretty much sealed Martin's fate in Miami. He'll never play on that team again. He had to know that.)

Another thing:

Please Tony Dungy, you're a nice man and a Christian. So where is your discernment in all this, my brother? So far this interview shows no moment where you ask Martin why at the height of his frustration he didn't simply get face to face with whomever was tormenting him and do what men have done since David faced down Goliath -- they stand up for themselves.

No, NBC would probably frown upon this line of questioning because it would fly counter to the politically correct demasculinization of men in the 21st century. But if Martin's response to the abuse was always to grin and bear it, or even join in the abuse of others to be part of the group, that speaks poorly of the abusers, sure, but it also shows how weak Martin is in a den of Alpha males.

Dungy, by the way, is part of Dolphins owner Stephen Ross's committee that will look into establishing a code of conduct in the locker room. That the Dolphins need such a committee speak poorly of the coaching staff because it is their job to establish that code and make it clear to players in no uncertain terms. Discpline on the field is born off the field, folks.

Dungy should be removed from this committee because he no longer seems impartial.

One more thing:

None of this gets Richie Incognito off the hook. He's a meathead. He displays all the signs of a bully -- loud, obnoxious at times, demanding attention. But because he's something of a bully, he can be stopped dead in his tracks.

Early in training camp in 2013 he started calling another reporter a "nerd." One day as I'm standing in the middle of the locker room, he walks by and starts joking about me looking like I was lifting weights (which I don't) and then started speaking gibberish as if in mocking Spanish.

I asked Incognito politely, but firmly and seriously to stop. "Just stop."

He did. Never again.


Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/#storylink=cpy

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I love all my Miami Dolphins brethren but guys we got a thread devoted to that issue. One of the culprits is no longer with the Miami Dolphins in Incognito and the other is leaving very soon via trade or cut.

In no way do I want to diminish the story or its impact on the 2013 season and also hindering us in 2014 as we now have to replace these players which we thought were starters.

I believe Martin felt the things he felt and that in no way means I sympathize with him, it just means I believe him. I also do not believe that Martin was treated unusual or had the worst NFL experience of every man who has ever entered the league. We have no results from the investigation which has taken a very hushed up turn since the end of the season, supposedly post Super Bowl but teams already making their roster decisions in general for next season. Miami just got their new GM and no one is sure what that role actually even entitles him to do.

Remember when Ross wanted to meet with Martin, was ready to fly out and see him personally the next day from his press conference but then was told behind the scenes that this was never gonna happen. Then Ross said that Tony Dungy, Curtis Martin, Dan Marino, and others were going to lead up a leadership team to help navigate and steer this club for 2014 and beyond…DO ANY OF YOU EVEN REMEMBER THAT or was I hearing things? I know he said it but what happened to that group?

You see I think Ross called his bluff, I think he wanted to take drastic action and measures to help out Martin but once he started leaking things thru the media and not wanting to meet with the Phins, then you started to smell what Martin was really up to.

I would encourage Dolphins posters and fans in here to keep the Martin stuff in the Martin thread as unfortunately we have some trolls, even a couple already posting in this off season team thread that want nothing more than to bait you into a long drawn out discussion about bullying, etc…it's long left that issue at this point but they still want to try and scourge all of us for the misguided actions of a couple players.

I encourage everyone who posts here on a continual basis to keep this focused on players in the draft, free agents, our own free agents we are gonna lose, etc. I laid it out in the OP with a lot of positions and areas the Miami Dolphins need to focus on.

Maybe when they release the investigation report there will be some real meat to discuss there but for now it just seems like a waste of time and energy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2GtnAUipxQ

3:20 mark is when he starts to really lay the bullspit on. He actually named people on this committee…I wonder how much work Dungy and Curtis Martin have done in devoting time to this situation since November 11…anyone?

 

[Slapdash]

I have found the Martin thread completely unreadable. No idea what happened to the story, that KCitons guy is annoying as ####.

 

[MoveToSkypager]

I believe Martin felt the things he felt and that in no way means I sympathize with him, it just means I believe him. I also do not believe that Martin was treated unusual or had the worst NFL experience of every man who has ever entered the league. We have no results from the investigation which has taken a very hushed up turn since the end of the season, supposedly post Super Bowl but teams already making their roster decisions in general for next season. Miami just got their new GM and no one is sure what that role actually even entitles him to do.

It can't be both, unless you don't believe the part where he said he compared his experience to his old classmates', to which they said his experience was unusual. Maybe you just don't believe that part?

 

[ChuckLiddell]

I have found the Martin thread completely unreadable. No idea what happened to the story, that KCitons guy is annoying as ####.

Agreed. I got sucked into the weeds with that guy. Last thing I want to do is drudge him, or some of the others back out by bringing that thread back to the front page.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I have found the Martin thread completely unreadable. No idea what happened to the story, that KCitons guy is annoying as ####.

Did you see what was posted today? I think Miami fans deserve an apology in the SP. We don't know everything yet but the stuff being put out today from whatever the source, doesn't make Martin or his supporters look very strong.

I really don't want it to be about winners and losers, we all lost as fans thru that story and event, martin really put a damper not he season for a while, miracle they won 8 games. But Miami got better after Martin removed himself form the team, that's the truth. He was no better than a back up Tackle and maybe not even that. Guys bomb on the OL in the 1st and 2nd round of drafts all the time, swing and a miss but he wanted to bring the whole team down with his lawyer mommy who is referenced in that article today. I still prefer to keep that crap in the other thread, in a couple weeks after it all shakes out we are gonna be focused on FA/Draft, new GM, this story is gonna be a non factor.

They initially threatened draft picks being taken away over that situation, doubt that is gonna happen at this point.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Ask yourself this question…Is Coach Joe Philbin worth passing up superior GM candidates for? Because if you ask me he is an avg to below avg head coach in the National Football League.

And owner Stephen Ross told candidates that under no circumstances would they be able to fire Philbin in 2014, meaning his job is safe as I pointed out in other posts, all the way it seems thru the 2015/2016 season so we probably have our head coach for the next 2 years minimum. I'm not sure what he has done with a 15-17 record to deserve that kind of support form the owner.

I just don't understand the thinking over there and I would love to have 5 minute with Ross to ask him these point blank questions.

 

[MoveToSkypager]

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2014/02/dolphins-committees-poorly-planned-poorly-executed.html

At the height of the Dolphins scandal involving Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito, owner Stephen Ross announced the formation of two committees to address some of the problem he perceived to exist within his team.

One of those was to meet to set lockerroom standards for Dolphins players. It was supposed to include former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor and former NFL coach Tony Dungy.

Well, that committee has no agenda. It has never met. There is no schedule to meet. And sources say it's possible that committee may not ever meet.

Members of the committee have not gotten even one phone call relative to information on the committee. They obviously have not been given dates for a first meeting or marching orders on the committee's workload.

In that regard, the follow-up to the committee's work has so far been similar to how it hurriedly came together.

Ross called members to ask (tell them) he wanted them on the committee one day before the committee was announced. Ross personally called at least two members and didn't even talk to them at first, but merely left voicemail messages saying what he planned.

The next evening on Nov. 11, Ross announced the committees and also announced he would meet with Martin. Ross also had not cleared with the NFL he planned such a meeting and upon hearing of the owner's plans, the league promptly steered him away from the meeting with Martin for fear it would interfere with the ongoing investigation.

Ross's meeting with Martin may also never happen.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

I have found the Martin thread completely unreadable. No idea what happened to the story, that KCitons guy is annoying as ####.

Did you see what was posted today? I think Miami fans deserve an apology in the SP. We don't know everything yet but the stuff being put out today from whatever the source, doesn't make Martin or his supporters look very strong.

I really don't want it to be about winners and losers, we all lost as fans thru that story and event, martin really put a damper not he season for a while, miracle they won 8 games. But Miami got better after Martin removed himself form the team, that's the truth. He was no better than a back up Tackle and maybe not even that. Guys bomb on the OL in the 1st and 2nd round of drafts all the time, swing and a miss but he wanted to bring the whole team down with his lawyer mommy who is referenced in that article today. I still prefer to keep that crap in the other thread, in a couple weeks after it all shakes out we are gonna be focused on FA/Draft, new GM, this story is gonna be a non factor.

They initially threatened draft picks being taken away over that situation, doubt that is gonna happen at this point.

If they did take away some of our picks, at least it would keep our new GM from following in the footsteps of his predecessor and using them on guys who cant/dont want to play.

 

[MoveToSkypager]

I have found the Martin thread completely unreadable. No idea what happened to the story, that KCitons guy is annoying as ####.

Did you see what was posted today? I think Miami fans deserve an apology in the SP. We don't know everything yet but the stuff being put out today from whatever the source, doesn't make Martin or his supporters look very strong.

I really don't want it to be about winners and losers, we all lost as fans thru that story and event, martin really put a damper not he season for a while, miracle they won 8 games. But Miami got better after Martin removed himself form the team, that's the truth. He was no better than a back up Tackle and maybe not even that. Guys bomb on the OL in the 1st and 2nd round of drafts all the time, swing and a miss but he wanted to bring the whole team down with his lawyer mommy who is referenced in that article today. I still prefer to keep that crap in the other thread, in a couple weeks after it all shakes out we are gonna be focused on FA/Draft, new GM, this story is gonna be a non factor.

They initially threatened draft picks being taken away over that situation, doubt that is gonna happen at this point.

If they did take away some of our picks, at least it would keep our new GM from following in the footsteps of his predecessor and using them on guys who cant/dont want to play.

That's a LOOOOOONG list of players. Maybe the Dolphins should just opt out of the draft?

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I am going to go over each position and the current status of the players we have under contract and who might be going bye-bye. Miami has money to spend despite Mike Wallace

Offense

QB: Ryan Tannehill-3.45M/4.05M 2015, he is under contract for 2 more full seasons. I imagine Miami will have to start making a decision after 2014 if not sooner. I don't know if you could get him to sign an extension for say $10M a season for 4-5 years, does that even make sense for Miami right now? I think it is best to ride it out 1 more season and then decide what you want to do and if he is agreeable to an extension in 2015. This all assumes that he is our franchise QB and I still don't know if we are all sure if it. We hope but I doubt we are sure right now. Still miami is gonna go with THill for now.

Matt Moore-5.5M for a back up, Miami will try and restructure or let him walk. I wish they wouldn't but you cannot pay Moore $5.5M and watch guys like Grimes and Starks just walk without getting aggressive in resigning them.

Pat Devlin RFA, not sure of the current status here but Miami is high on him. Perhaps they are ready to make him the No 2 on this team for a couple million a season. Save some money on Moore.

RB: Daniel Thomas-1M, you might not like him but he is under contract in 2014 and Miami likes him so I bet he is back in the cuts come June/July. You also have Lamar Miller-691k, and those 2 combine equal cheap way to cover the RB spot although I believe Miami should be looking to jump on a potential free agent like a Chris Johnson. Miami also has to worry about their OL which we will get to but so far they are not pressed to spend if they don't want to.

WR: Mike Wallace-17.25M and that's not a misprint, this contract skyrockets and yet Miami can afford this. Could Wallace redo it and spread some of this out over the next 2-3 seasons? Perhaps if Miami was really in a pinch but I'm not sure they are just yet. Brian Hartline-6.2M is locked up for a few years, he did Ok but he also disappears which could be due to some horrific play calling by Sherman.

Miami is deep at WR with Brandon Gibson-3.75M and Rishard Mathews-583K/673K 2015 so they have the No 3 and No 4 WR slots filled already, they really don't need to grab a guy in the draft or sign anyone unless a steal comes along or a veteran is being overlooked for some reason.

TE: Charles Clay 673K, they have 2014 to decide if they want to lock Clay up long term. I think they probably should, he showed me some nifty moves but beyond that he has a big heart and he made plays that others can't, never gives up on a play and I would like to see him settle into the starting spot here. Dion Sims-600k, Egnew 740k, we have enough here at TE for now. Dustin Keller could be brought back for a reduced rate I'm sure but he also might want to move on, bad memories in Miami and his career may be over anyways, vicious injury in preseason.

Overall at the skill positions Miami does not need to go draft or sign anyone except if the right RB came available and they didn't have to break the piggy bank to get him. The real need on offense unfortunately is going to be the OL. That same one we addressed back in 2008/2009/2010 and spent $150M at the time over all the contracts, that is all gone and now we must rebuild this OL. LT/LG/RG/RT are all going to be open spots with only Center a sure thing at the moment.

LT: Bryant McKinnie is an UFA, he owns a house down in Miami but his exit interview did not sound good and I doubt he returns. This is a position Miami will need to draft and with the No 18 overall pick they should be able to find a starter.

LG: Nate Garner-1.8M/1.8M 2015, is he the answer at LG? I don't think so but Miami has a lot of holes to fill here.

C: Mike Pouncey-2.9M, he is an UFA in 2015, he's been linked to some off field issues, he was finger pointed behind the scenes in the bullying scandal, and he missed a couple games in season, was served a subpoena in NE, this guy is a good player but he has some baggage and I see a lot of immaturity on his part. I think i could live without him when his contract is up, I might even trade him and start all over on the OL if I could find the right trade partner.

RG: John Jerry is an UFA, this will need to be addressed in FA or the draft.

RT: Tyson Clabo is an UFA, this will need to be addressed in FA or the draft.

Defense

We are deep at DE as you will see, we need to make a move at DT, LB was a disappointment all season.

DE: Cameron Wake-7.25M, 9.8M 2015&2016, Vernon-750K, Shelby-575k, Dion Jordan 4.6M…Miami is deep here.

DT: Jared Odrick-2M, Both Starks and Soliai who made around 8M a piece in 2013 are UFA, both are going to be on a short list of guys that teams want. I don't think Miami can keep both, Starks hates management here for not giving him a long term deal and I think Soliai would be more open to coming back but they are going to want some real money and guarantees this time. Either would pair nicely with Odrick. I'm greedy and would love to see both of them back but that is probably not feasible.

OLB: Koa Misi-2.3M/4.4M 2015, Phillip Wheeler-6.4M, Jelani Jenkins 600K, Miami will roll with this again although Wheeler was a disappointment this season. Could Wheeler be cut? Misi is under contract along with Wheeler for the next 3-4 years so this is what Ireland envisioned and if he keeps his job, not sure he will turn this over. Wheeler was deemed sucker money when he signed, he did have 100+ tackles but it seemed like he didn't have a lot of impact plays.

ILB: Danelle Ellerbee-7.4M, much like Wheeler his base jumps from 2.4M to 7.4M, he was OK but IMO a big downgrade from Karlos Dansby. Jason Trusnik-1M is also under contract for 2014.

LCB: Brent Grimes is an UFA and made about 6M last season. He proved he is all the way back from his achilles tear that ended his run in Atlanta previously. Miami needs to make him their #1 guy to keep IMO. I would prefer they not franchise tag him and instead find something he can agree to. Maybe around $8M-$10M a season, however many years. He makes it hard for teams to want to throw his way and despite lacking some serious size which makes it hard for him to bring down big WRs, he makes enough plays to where he never gets picked on. Jamar Taylor is the next option on the list, Miami cannot go into 2014 with Taylor as a realistic starter, not on what we have seen so far.

RCB: Dimitri Patterson-5.4M, his season was cut short. He is a total tease, looks great one week then gets hurt then he is back making big plays then he is hurt again and lands on the IR for the season. He costs a lot of money, Grimes made about the same and look how much better his game is. The other guy is Nolan Carroll-UFA and Will Davis behind that. So if Miami does not bring back Carroll or Grimes they are going to be shopping in the off season. I don't like any of what was drafted last season which puts a lot of stress on the entire DB unit.

FS: Chris Clemons-UFA and I don't know that Miami will try to resign him. Jimmy Wilson-650K is all they have behind him and I'm not sure he is ready to start. Don Jones a rookie in 2013 could also be called on but that would be a project for sure.

SS: Reshad Jones-3.6M/7.75M 2015. And who could forget Michael Thomas-495K who will be signed thru the 2014 season before Miami decides if they want to keep him for the long haul but no one will forget that interception of Brady anytime soon.

So on defense we are loaded at DE, could make life easy if we sign 1 of the 2 UFA Defensive Tackles and also Brent Grimes because Miami has the money to do it. They are in the top 10 for money available against the cap so they are OK plus they can free up money like Matt Moore and apply that on top of what they have to spend. My question is how did this team not do more in 2013? Is it as simple as bringing everyone back for another year? I am not sold on Kevin Coyle yet as the DC, he was a DB coach in Cincinnati for basically 12 years. 2000-2011 and what did Cinci accomplish during that time? I question why this unit underachieved and so I must focus on coaching. Is Philbin the right guy? Should Mike Sherman still have a job?

We have a lot to talk about, I hope you find my OP a good start and we have a lot to discuss in terms of draft and also leadership which we will get to in many of my upcoming posts.

Cheers

Jason LaConfora did a big piece on the Miami Dolphins today. I tried to rattle off at each position but he had a nice piece on CBS and I thought you all might enjoy it, goes a little deeper into the front office and some other issues. I find it interesting that they have $30M in cap space. I think Moore and Patterson will be cut which could free up almost another $10M so we could be $35-$40M up in cap space. Grimes and one of the DTs are an absolute must re-sign, whatever it takes.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/24434345/new-gm-same-old-problems-for-dolphins-despite-cap-space

 

[Todem]

The real key is getting this OL fixed and fixed fast. If they manage to repair this by hitting a a couple of draft picks and maybe bring in a Brandon Albert at LT this team can have a big turnaround fast. I still believe Lamar Miller is a kid who can be a very exciting and deadly play maker and The Dolphins need to find the right complimentary back to get the inside tough yards....it's not Daniel Thomas. He is a lousy short yardage runner and has zero big play potential.

Tannehill must...I repeat must be let loose this upcoming season as far as rolling him out more and letting him have the option to use his feet more. He is quick and he can scramble and get some crucial first downs with his feet like some other up and coming QB's have a knack of doing when the circumstance calls for it (cough, Kaep, cough, Wilson, cough, Luck, cough RGIII).

Of course his deep ball was dreadful and when you have a Ferrari (Wallace) that can't get out of the garage it's a problem.

But it all starts up front. on the OL we must overhaul and rebuild for anything to turn around.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

The real key is getting this OL fixed and fixed fast. If they manage to repair this by hitting a a couple of draft picks and maybe bring in a Brandon Albert at LT this team can have a big turnaround fast. I still believe Lamar Miller is a kid who can be a very exciting and deadly play maker and The Dolphins need to find the right complimentary back to get the inside tough yards....it's not Daniel Thomas. He is a lousy short yardage runner and has zero big play potential.

Tannehill must...I repeat must be let loose this upcoming season as far as rolling him out more and letting him have the option to use his feet more. He is quick and he can scramble and get some crucial first downs with his feet like some other up and coming QB's have a knack of doing when the circumstance calls for it (cough, Kaep, cough, Wilson, cough, Luck, cough RGIII).

Of course his deep ball was dreadful and when you have a Ferrari (Wallace) that can't get out of the garage it's a problem.

But it all starts up front. on the OL we must overhaul and rebuild for anything to turn around.

Todem, you know if Miami wants to be good long term they will need some cohesion on the OL. You can't do that shuffling guys in and out every year. I think they will be in the market for a LT like Albert but it will cost them about $10M a season, that's a lot of money. I almost would rather go draft a young player to build around for Tannehill since it appears we are going to keep going with him at QB for a while. Philbin will be Mimi's HC thru 2014 and 2015 IMO.

We need to find some FA OGs we can sign fairly reasonable and plug them in on each side of Pouncey for now. Not sure I would be giving Pouncey $5m-$7.5m a season when his contract is up, would almost like to see Miami trade him but when have you ever heard of a team trading FOR a Center and giving much?

I would find some kind of band-aid at RT, draft my LT is possible, sign some middle of the road guys at Guard and hope Pouncey can elevate their game.

I agree Todem, above all else we need OL. The pair at DT, we need one of them but we still have Odrick inside, I would like to see Starks stay but he has a bad taste in his mouth, Soliai can be had for about what he was playing at, 2-3yr/$6M a season.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

The Dolphins are not projecting 2013 No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan as a 2014 starter.

Jordan only earned 339 defensive snaps as a rookie, and the Fins don't expect him to overtake RE Olivier Vernon or LE Cam Wake. Per the Miami Herald, the defensive staff "loves" Jordan's "tools," but believes he needs to "add more muscle mass" and "shore up his pass-rush moves." The Fins seem to think Jordan is a 'tweener. They've made no efforts to switch their scheme to fit him.


Source: Miami Herald

 

[Slapdash]

Rotoworld:

The Dolphins are not projecting 2013 No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan as a 2014 starter.

Jordan only earned 339 defensive snaps as a rookie, and the Fins don't expect him to overtake RE Olivier Vernon or LE Cam Wake. Per the Miami Herald, the defensive staff "loves" Jordan's "tools," but believes he needs to "add more muscle mass" and "shore up his pass-rush moves." The Fins seem to think Jordan is a 'tweener. They've made no efforts to switch their scheme to fit him.

Source: Miami Herald

Let's move up to draft a guy 3rd who is too small to play DE yet refuse to rethink the scheme. Brilliant.

 

[Todem]

Rotoworld:

The Dolphins are not projecting 2013 No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan as a 2014 starter.

Jordan only earned 339 defensive snaps as a rookie, and the Fins don't expect him to overtake RE Olivier Vernon or LE Cam Wake. Per the Miami Herald, the defensive staff "loves" Jordan's "tools," but believes he needs to "add more muscle mass" and "shore up his pass-rush moves." The Fins seem to think Jordan is a 'tweener. They've made no efforts to switch their scheme to fit him.

Source: Miami Herald

Let's move up to draft a guy 3rd who is too small to play DE yet refuse to rethink the scheme. Brilliant.

Hence why this team is a disaster. The HC and the GM were never on the same page from day one.

It was insane. Philbin comes in...wants Marshall, Bush, Dansby....just to name a few.....gone.

Brilliant.

Ireland passes on Dez Bryant and trades down for Jared Odrick....could have had a triad of Bush, Marshall and Bryant.

Brilliant.

Give me this job.....because it has been ####### amatur hour in Davie for the last 15 years.......and it will probably continue again this year.

Hope this guy Hicks has a clue. Because IMO Philbin as a HC has zero clue, zero moxie, zero presence and his team quit on him last year.....flat out quit.

 

[Horses Mouth]

blah

 

[Slapdash]

This report just underscores the need to completely clean house on the OL. I 'm not sure anyone wants to trade for Pouncey with this mess, but Miami should sure try to offload him.

The GM has a pretty clear job here. Resign Grimes and one or both DTs. Spend all 90% of the time scouting any OL that can be picked in the first 3 rounds. It is essential.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

This report just underscores the need to completely clean house on the OL. I 'm not sure anyone wants to trade for Pouncey with this mess, but Miami should sure try to offload him.

The GM has a pretty clear job here. Resign Grimes and one or both DTs. Spend all 90% of the time scouting any OL that can be picked in the first 3 rounds. It is essential.

FYI…the new GM is a devout Christian and highly religious. Not sure if it makes a difference but not sure how he can emily players with suspect morals like Pouncey. Problem for Miami and something that fans don't want to hear but I expect a major suspension for him.

 

[Slapdash]

This report just underscores the need to completely clean house on the OL. I 'm not sure anyone wants to trade for Pouncey with this mess, but Miami should sure try to offload him.

The GM has a pretty clear job here. Resign Grimes and one or both DTs. Spend all 90% of the time scouting any OL that can be picked in the first 3 rounds. It is essential.

FYI…the new GM is a devout Christian and highly religious. Not sure if it makes a difference but not sure how he can emily players with suspect morals like Pouncey. Problem for Miami and something that fans don't want to hear but I expect a major suspension for him.

How much control does the new GM really have though? Maybe Pouncey is on Philbin's leadership council?

 

[Rooster]

One thing I'm really afraid of now, is that some people are now calling for Philbin's head, saying it's clear he didn't know what was going on in the locker room, after the report. How could this whole half measures fiasco get worse? The Dolphins could fire Philbin, after all the other top candidates found jobs elsewhere and then use the new next-to-the-last-choice GM we got from the search, who was hired mostly because he could get along with the now-departed head coach, to choose from a list of second-rate head coaching candidates, late enough in the offseason that it may scramble things up for the draft and hamper the new second-rate head coach from implementing new schemes effectively. Then, the Dolphins are likely tied to this second-rate, cobbled-together GM/HC tandem for 2-3 years to "give them a chance to succeed" (certainly can't fire them next offseason after having a shortened offseason to try to pull something together). All that said, sounds exactly like the sort of circus that tends to follow this team lately. I'm very afraid that this scenario is even a possibility (not that I disagree that the team should've fired Philbin this offseason - it just should've been early so it didn't hamper the GM search and the top candidates could've been considered).

 

[fatness]

I can't see the Dolphins firing Philbin now, and I can't see the league or Miami fans pressing them to do so. Things are already far too disorganized for the team, they've been through a lot of turmoil, the draft is coming up, and it's just too late to start again with a new coach for this season.

 

[Pump N Go]

This report just underscores the need to completely clean house on the OL. I 'm not sure anyone wants to trade for Pouncey with this mess, but Miami should sure try to offload him.

The GM has a pretty clear job here. Resign Grimes and one or both DTs. Spend all 90% of the time scouting any OL that can be picked in the first 3 rounds. It is essential.

Pouncey is a top 5 C in the league, there would be a market for him if he gets put on the block.

 

[Slapdash]

This report just underscores the need to completely clean house on the OL. I 'm not sure anyone wants to trade for Pouncey with this mess, but Miami should sure try to offload him.

The GM has a pretty clear job here. Resign Grimes and one or both DTs. Spend all 90% of the time scouting any OL that can be picked in the first 3 rounds. It is essential.

Pouncey is a top 5 C in the league, there would be a market for him if he gets put on the block.

Then hopefully that happens because he is a cancer.

 

[Slapdash]

A lot of stupid going on right now.

Miami flies their long time trainer to the combine and then fires him there. Philbin finally speaks to the press concerning the Martin thing and is just getting roasted for how clueless he comes off.

 

[Raiderfan32904]

A lot of stupid going on right now.

Miami flies their long time trainer to the combine and then fires him there. Philbin finally speaks to the press concerning the Martin thing and is just getting roasted for how clueless he comes off.

Hard to believe they didn't just fire Philbin. He's either complicit with the bullying scandal or oblivious. Either way, as HC he is supposed to have good communications with his position coaches down to the training room staff and have a general pulse on locker room atmosphere. What was he doing sitting in his office the whole time while this was going on? Him taking full responsibility for his ignorance comes about 5 months too late.

 

[MoveToSkypager]

Just read the Phibin PC clip running on NFLN. It's great he can muster up a tough sounding voice for the first 10 seconds it tails off as the questions proceed though. We all know he wants us to believe he's running the locker room. Problem is that all evidence points to the contrary. No reason to keep him on. Whoever was talking about half measures, is 100% correct.

 

[Slapdash]

Despite all this crap, the team has a pretty talented roster (OL aside) and a ton of cap space. Seems like Ross fired the wrong guy.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

From the Boston Globe...

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/02/23/what-will-texans-with-top-pick/9EnOewbIMWk68ciYLdj0wI/story.html

Fallout of Miami mess continues to take tollSome interesting tidbits about the Jonathan Martin-Richie Incognito mess in Miami after speaking with team and league sources at the Combine:

■ Much has been made about coach Joe Philbin throwing offensive line coach Jim Turner and head trainer Kevin O’Neill, both fired on Wednesday, under the bus to keep his job.

But give Philbin credit for quietly fighting for Turner behind the scenes. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanted to fire Turner with cause, but Philbin successfully fought for Turner to receive two years of salary as severance pay. Turner, a Braintree native and former coach at Boston College, Northeastern, and Harvard, had recently signed a contract extension.

O’Neill was fired in Indianapolis last week after traveling with the Dolphins’ delegation, and was supposed to receive a prestigious award as the best athletic trainer in the nation on Friday. He was actually pulled out of a presentation he was giving to other trainers about how to handle a situation like the Martin-Incognito one when he was fired, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

■ One team source said that attorney Ted Wells, whose 144-page report on the situation was released nine days ago, was fairly dismissive of any team employee who showed support toward Incognito in their interviews with Wells. Assistant trainer Naohisa Inoue insisted repeatedly with Wells that he didn’t feel like he was the victim of bullying and racism. The much-publicized incident of Incognito, Mike Pouncey, and others wearing traditional Japanese headbands on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor was overblown, the source insisted — it was Inoue who gave the players those headbands that very morning.

■ Team officials never knew how much the pranks bothered Martin, as he was a willing participant in many of them, as well.

The tipping point for Martin allegedly was a cafeteria prank in which several players stood up from the table when Martin sat down. He slammed his tray on the ground, left the facility, and checked into a hospital for psychological treatment shortly thereafter.

Sources tell us that Martin not only often participated in that prank himself — he once did it to Philbin.

■ One source estimated that Martin has a “zero percent chance” of ever playing for the Dolphins again, as the players, coaches, and staff have too much resentment toward him for the way he handled this situation and cost people their jobs. The source doubted that any NFL team would sign him, though we think a team may be willing to take a flier on him for a minimum salary.

“If you were a GM, would you trust him as your left tackle?” the source said.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I'm numb at this point. I really am not that interested in the draft or whatever they do to patch up the OL. I won't buy a ticket as long as Mike Pouncey is the Center, he should have been cut like Aaron Hernandez after the report was released. I don't care if he is top5 or if there is a market for his services. I expect and support a year long suspension for him before the start of the 2014 season. Goodell hasn't had a chance to really make an example out of anyone on this and with the 15 yard racial slur flags now being adopted, I highly doubt Miami could get that much for him. They only got a couple 3rd round picks for a top 5 WR in Brandon Marshall.

Have some pride and just cut his ###. I also hate the owner and the HC should have been fired with Turner and everyone that was on his staff. I know it's tough to find a candidate but there would be some college coaches that would jump to come to this place and try to fix the culture. It would show some cajones by Ross and also send the right message that no one is above it. We aren't going to make a deep playoff run. We can't keep Solia, Starks, and Grimes so the defense will take a hit. The OL will be putrid again, you have to allow whatever you draft and sign to work together for a year or two and develop chemistry.

I plan on following this team about half if not less than what I normally do. I just don't care, don't feel a connection with the team any more. Gone are Shula, Marino, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, the team has been a non factor for the better part of the last decade. We missed out on some arms that could have turned things around here. I give up trying to have any passion for this team. Could that change? Sure it could but I would need to see something special on draft day, FA signings, and even then I would resent Pouncey and Philbin. I will be sending a letter to Stephen Ross with my ticket stubs form last season outlining all the money I won't be spending this year. He seems to respond to those types of letters from the fans.

In New York they would protest at the team HQ, that fan base wouldn't put up with this. But down here folks don't care. This is the worst sports town I have ever lived in bar none. I was at the Yardhouse(Gulfstream) watching Heat/Thunder and no one was watching or cheering along with me. The fans deserve better? IDK if that's the case but the team does nothing to excite the fan base here.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

I'm numb at this point. I really am not that interested in the draft or whatever they do to patch up the OL. I won't buy a ticket as long as Mike Pouncey is the Center, he should have been cut like Aaron Hernandez after the report was released. I don't care if he is top5 or if there is a market for his services. I expect and support a year long suspension for him before the start of the 2014 season. Goodell hasn't had a chance to really make an example out of anyone on this and with the 15 yard racial slur flags now being adopted, I highly doubt Miami could get that much for him. They only got a couple 3rd round picks for a top 5 WR in Brandon Marshall.

Have some pride and just cut his ###. I also hate the owner and the HC should have been fired with Turner and everyone that was on his staff. I know it's tough to find a candidate but there would be some college coaches that would jump to come to this place and try to fix the culture. It would show some cajones by Ross and also send the right message that no one is above it. We aren't going to make a deep playoff run. We can't keep Solia, Starks, and Grimes so the defense will take a hit. The OL will be putrid again, you have to allow whatever you draft and sign to work together for a year or two and develop chemistry.

I plan on following this team about half if not less than what I normally do. I just don't care, don't feel a connection with the team any more. Gone are Shula, Marino, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, the team has been a non factor for the better part of the last decade. We missed out on some arms that could have turned things around here. I give up trying to have any passion for this team. Could that change? Sure it could but I would need to see something special on draft day, FA signings, and even then I would resent Pouncey and Philbin. I will be sending a letter to Stephen Ross with my ticket stubs form last season outlining all the money I won't be spending this year. He seems to respond to those types of letters from the fans.

In New York they would protest at the team HQ, that fan base wouldn't put up with this. But down here folks don't care. This is the worst sports town I have ever lived in bar none. I was at the Yardhouse(Gulfstream) watching Heat/Thunder and no one was watching or cheering along with me. The fans deserve better? IDK if that's the case but the team does nothing to excite the fan base here.

Been hearing a lot of this about Pouncey. I must have missed something. I read the entire Wells report, and have followed the story pretty closely. My takeaway on Pouncey is that while he is not someone I would want to have coffee with, he is closer to that than to the devil worshiping spawn of Satan that some people are making him out to be. From what I can recall, Pouncey is guilty of the following:

1. Some "yo mama"and "yo sister" jokes that while in very poor taste, were just words that likely would not have harmed any one of the 1800ish other players in the NFL except for the one that they were directed toward. And that person failed to fill anyone in on how much they effected him.

2. Some racist antics toward a Japanese trainer, who has come out since and said that he provided the materials to them that led to the activity, and that he was not offended. Still not cool, but pretty far from beating up your girlfriend or driving while intoxicated - which happens an awful lot in the NFL, and does not result in teams cutting top 5 players at their positions.

3. Being friends with Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez is a scumbag, but they were teammates. That used to mean something, and probably still does to some people. The shirt he wore was stupid, but you want to cut arguably our best offensive player for making a poor wardrobe decision?

Is there more? I feel like there has to be, and I simply missed it, because if this is everything, then I dont even see cause for a one game suspension, nonetheless cutting our only good offensive lineman, and one who will require a first round pick to attempt to replace. This is the NFL. Not IBM. These guys are lunatics for a living. None of them are going for the Nobel Peace Prize, or Man of the Year. As long as they are not causing physical harm or endangering someone else's life by being irresponsible, for the most part I personally am fine with them playing in the trenches for my team.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I'm numb at this point. I really am not that interested in the draft or whatever they do to patch up the OL. I won't buy a ticket as long as Mike Pouncey is the Center, he should have been cut like Aaron Hernandez after the report was released. I don't care if he is top5 or if there is a market for his services. I expect and support a year long suspension for him before the start of the 2014 season. Goodell hasn't had a chance to really make an example out of anyone on this and with the 15 yard racial slur flags now being adopted, I highly doubt Miami could get that much for him. They only got a couple 3rd round picks for a top 5 WR in Brandon Marshall.

Have some pride and just cut his ###. I also hate the owner and the HC should have been fired with Turner and everyone that was on his staff. I know it's tough to find a candidate but there would be some college coaches that would jump to come to this place and try to fix the culture. It would show some cajones by Ross and also send the right message that no one is above it. We aren't going to make a deep playoff run. We can't keep Solia, Starks, and Grimes so the defense will take a hit. The OL will be putrid again, you have to allow whatever you draft and sign to work together for a year or two and develop chemistry.

I plan on following this team about half if not less than what I normally do. I just don't care, don't feel a connection with the team any more. Gone are Shula, Marino, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, the team has been a non factor for the better part of the last decade. We missed out on some arms that could have turned things around here. I give up trying to have any passion for this team. Could that change? Sure it could but I would need to see something special on draft day, FA signings, and even then I would resent Pouncey and Philbin. I will be sending a letter to Stephen Ross with my ticket stubs form last season outlining all the money I won't be spending this year. He seems to respond to those types of letters from the fans.

In New York they would protest at the team HQ, that fan base wouldn't put up with this. But down here folks don't care. This is the worst sports town I have ever lived in bar none. I was at the Yardhouse(Gulfstream) watching Heat/Thunder and no one was watching or cheering along with me. The fans deserve better? IDK if that's the case but the team does nothing to excite the fan base here.

Been hearing a lot of this about Pouncey. I must have missed something. I read the entire Wells report, and have followed the story pretty closely. My takeaway on Pouncey is that while he is not someone I would want to have coffee with, he is closer to that than to the devil worshiping spawn of Satan that some people are making him out to be. From what I can recall, Pouncey is guilty of the following:

1. Some "yo mama"and "yo sister" jokes that while in very poor taste, were just words that likely would not have harmed any one of the 1800ish other players in the NFL except for the one that they were directed toward. And that person failed to fill anyone in on how much they effected him.

2. Some racist antics toward a Japanese trainer, who has come out since and said that he provided the materials to them that led to the activity, and that he was not offended. Still not cool, but pretty far from beating up your girlfriend or driving while intoxicated - which happens an awful lot in the NFL, and does not result in teams cutting top 5 players at their positions.

3. Being friends with Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez is a scumbag, but they were teammates. That used to mean something, and probably still does to some people. The shirt he wore was stupid, but you want to cut arguably our best offensive player for making a poor wardrobe decision?

Is there more? I feel like there has to be, and I simply missed it, because if this is everything, then I dont even see cause for a one game suspension, nonetheless cutting our only good offensive lineman, and one who will require a first round pick to attempt to replace. This is the NFL. Not IBM. These guys are lunatics for a living. None of them are going for the Nobel Peace Prize, or Man of the Year. As long as they are not causing physical harm or endangering someone else's life by being irresponsible, for the most part I personally am fine with them playing in the trenches for my team.

His running buddy in college was Aaron Hernandez and crew, what else do we need to know? Imagine what you don't know. He said that Martin was dead to him when he found out he was squalling to the league. I've seen enough to not root for him.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

I'm numb at this point. I really am not that interested in the draft or whatever they do to patch up the OL. I won't buy a ticket as long as Mike Pouncey is the Center, he should have been cut like Aaron Hernandez after the report was released. I don't care if he is top5 or if there is a market for his services. I expect and support a year long suspension for him before the start of the 2014 season. Goodell hasn't had a chance to really make an example out of anyone on this and with the 15 yard racial slur flags now being adopted, I highly doubt Miami could get that much for him. They only got a couple 3rd round picks for a top 5 WR in Brandon Marshall.

Have some pride and just cut his ###. I also hate the owner and the HC should have been fired with Turner and everyone that was on his staff. I know it's tough to find a candidate but there would be some college coaches that would jump to come to this place and try to fix the culture. It would show some cajones by Ross and also send the right message that no one is above it. We aren't going to make a deep playoff run. We can't keep Solia, Starks, and Grimes so the defense will take a hit. The OL will be putrid again, you have to allow whatever you draft and sign to work together for a year or two and develop chemistry.

I plan on following this team about half if not less than what I normally do. I just don't care, don't feel a connection with the team any more. Gone are Shula, Marino, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, the team has been a non factor for the better part of the last decade. We missed out on some arms that could have turned things around here. I give up trying to have any passion for this team. Could that change? Sure it could but I would need to see something special on draft day, FA signings, and even then I would resent Pouncey and Philbin. I will be sending a letter to Stephen Ross with my ticket stubs form last season outlining all the money I won't be spending this year. He seems to respond to those types of letters from the fans.

In New York they would protest at the team HQ, that fan base wouldn't put up with this. But down here folks don't care. This is the worst sports town I have ever lived in bar none. I was at the Yardhouse(Gulfstream) watching Heat/Thunder and no one was watching or cheering along with me. The fans deserve better? IDK if that's the case but the team does nothing to excite the fan base here.

Been hearing a lot of this about Pouncey. I must have missed something. I read the entire Wells report, and have followed the story pretty closely. My takeaway on Pouncey is that while he is not someone I would want to have coffee with, he is closer to that than to the devil worshiping spawn of Satan that some people are making him out to be. From what I can recall, Pouncey is guilty of the following:

1. Some "yo mama"and "yo sister" jokes that while in very poor taste, were just words that likely would not have harmed any one of the 1800ish other players in the NFL except for the one that they were directed toward. And that person failed to fill anyone in on how much they effected him.

2. Some racist antics toward a Japanese trainer, who has come out since and said that he provided the materials to them that led to the activity, and that he was not offended. Still not cool, but pretty far from beating up your girlfriend or driving while intoxicated - which happens an awful lot in the NFL, and does not result in teams cutting top 5 players at their positions.

3. Being friends with Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez is a scumbag, but they were teammates. That used to mean something, and probably still does to some people. The shirt he wore was stupid, but you want to cut arguably our best offensive player for making a poor wardrobe decision?

Is there more? I feel like there has to be, and I simply missed it, because if this is everything, then I dont even see cause for a one game suspension, nonetheless cutting our only good offensive lineman, and one who will require a first round pick to attempt to replace. This is the NFL. Not IBM. These guys are lunatics for a living. None of them are going for the Nobel Peace Prize, or Man of the Year. As long as they are not causing physical harm or endangering someone else's life by being irresponsible, for the most part I personally am fine with them playing in the trenches for my team.

His running buddy in college was Aaron Hernandez and crew, what else do we need to know? Imagine what you don't know. He said that Martin was dead to him when he found out he was squalling to the league. I've seen enough to not root for him.

Meh. I am not asking for him to be cut just because his friend is a scumbag, or because he was upset that his "friend" had squealed to the world that he was being bullied without so much as giving them a chance to address the issues in-house.

Should we figure out everyone who was friends with Hernandez that plays in the NFL and suspend them too?

I am sure he is not someone I would want my sister to date, but I am cool with him trying to protect my quarterback. I see no cause for a suspension, but I believe there will be one. The PC police are very emboldened right now...so much so that players are going to be ejected for using bad words - even if not in bad context - on a football field. If that is going to really happen, and if Pouncey is going to be suspended for even one game, Ray Rice should be banned from the NFL for life.

 

[Lord of the Rings]

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora passes along "increasing buzz" from the Combine that the 49ers may ultimately have to decide between keeping coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Trent Baalke.
La Canfora reports Harbaugh and Baalke are "barely speaking," with "almost all" of their communication going through email. Harbaugh's relationship with club president Paraag Marathe is also "strained." Harbaugh has two years left on his contract, and is one of the NFL's most underpaid coaches. He's entrenched as the 49ers' coach for 2014, but the franchise may revisit the idea of "trading" him next offseason. La Canfora writes that he's "long expected" Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to attempt to trade for Harbaugh. Ross aggressively targeted Harbaugh to replace Tony Sparano as head coach in January of 2011.

I seriously doubt that Harbaugh would want to come to Miami given it's current situation (ownership, GM, locker room mess, etc) but maybe this is why Ross retained Philbin for one more year. To buy some time before trying to land Harbaugh again.

 

[False Start]

I bet it will not be at the end of the year Philbin is out, but sooner.

During a meeting with coach Joe Phibin, GM Dennis Hickey and CEO Dawn Apante, Jonathan Martin's representation conveyed to the Dolphins that Martin isn't comfortable returning to Miami.

Per CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, Martin's agents told the Dolphins that a return to the team "wouldn't work." Martin still wants to play in the NFL in 2014, but not in Miami. In the meeting at the Combine, Hickey reportedly did all the talking and expressed a heavy interest in retaining the third-year tackle, while Philbin was "staring daggers across the room." Philbin reportedly blames Martin's reps for the Martin-Richie Incognito fiasco reaching the level it has. The Dolphins are in the market for four starting offensive linemen. C Mike Pouncey is safe.

 

[fatness]

At the end of the meeting, however, sources said Philbin expressed his belief that Martin's agents were responsible for Miami's locker room controversy reaching this point, that they were the real problem and alluding that Martin's concerns could have been kept more private and handled differently.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/24456613/dolphins-wanted-jonathan-martin-back-his-agents-rebuffed-offer

Philbin had navigated this so well up til now.

 

[Slapdash]

sarcasm?

 

[MoveToSkypager]

From JLC's twitter:

Jonathan Martin's agents issued a statement in response to my story on their meeting with the Dolphins, saying what I wrote was not true...

The statement from Rick Smith, Martin's agent: "We have no idea where you got this information, but it wasn't even close."

Smith also added: "We'd appreciate it if everyone backed off and allowed the process to happen organically."

 

[Ministry of Pain]

At the end of the meeting, however, sources said Philbin expressed his belief that Martin's agents were responsible for Miami's locker room controversy reaching this point, that they were the real problem and alluding that Martin's concerns could have been kept more private and handled differently.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/24456613/dolphins-wanted-jonathan-martin-back-his-agents-rebuffed-offer

Philbin had navigated this so well up til now.

"Staring Daggers" was in that report I believe as well.