Open Rant To Mr. Ross

Turns out a check down weapon doesn't make a team. I am trying to not overreact and want to stay loyal, notice the optimism in the pre-season post, but I cannot stand these Dolphins anymore. This is less a reaction to the 0-2 start, more a culmination of many things being boiled over by the signing of Nate Jones and Igor Olshansky to try and complete the Miami Cowboys. This is where my dismay starts, at the top.

Our GM and Coach have no accolades other than they worked for Bill Parcels and both do an amazing job of showing that Bill ran the show. They are both average to pathetic dealing with the media which is minor to me, but still a good starting point. Jeff Ireland probably hasn't had a second round pick make the team yet, meaning his drafting is let's get one good player and grab gimmick guys after that. Our skill positions are devoid of talent because of weak drafting and weak free agency signings. Going with what you know (former Cowboys) hasn't made the 'Fins any better. Part of this is on Tony Sparano as well, our offensive line guru coach had one of the most underrated lines in the game and ruined it by mixing and matching bullshit players and jamming square pegs in round holes. It was a joke going after another coach and then signing Tony to an extension, yet it will be a bigger joke if these guys stay after this year. Flip flopping quarterbacks and not giving your week one starter any confidence is usually bad. Making trades public, like the Orton fiasco, is bad. Cutting Benny Sapp, who you handpicked for the team over Will Allen, and then cutting him after week one and resigning Allen does nothing but show how impotent you really are. To make matters worse you go and sign Nate Jones after cutting him a year or two ago and talking up your young corners all preseason. That shows what exactly? That you shouldn't coach and/or GM in this league ever again. And why bother toying with Larry Johnson not once but twice. That's disrespectful, he may have been able to catch on somewhere else instead of being Tony's little plaything.

I have yet to mention making Brain fucking Daboll your offensive coordinator. I have the task of watching every Browns game every year since I live in Cleveland and he is a trick play guy who runs a basic offense and rode Peyton Hillis' battered, bloody and bruised body to this new gig. If the trick plays or "mismatches" aren't working then he has nothing to move the ball. Glad to see his woeful red zone habits were brought to South Beach as well. I don't hate Mike Nolan and I actually like most of this defense, however, our strongest area is the defensive line so why run a 3-4? Our back end coverage is bad so why not run a system that helps that problem and also plays to our deepest position? Also to get back to Jeff Ireland, how many years in a row does our defense need to be eaten alive in the middle of the field before he addresses the issue? Yeah our free safety play is horrid, we could have gone with say Reggie Nelson via a trade and at least he tackles and tries to make plays while staying at home. But the real issue is a nickel corner, we play Brady twice a year and if we make it deep in to the post season that brings usually Brady, Manning or Rivers to us anyway. So why not go out and get three deep at this critical position? I liked Brandon Harris out of the U in the draft this year and he seemed quite obtainable and can play inside and outside which is exactly the type of nickel we need. At the least get a proven second inside 'backer. Free agency this year had an abundance of guys and we looked at none of them except the second or third tier guys.

My suggestion is to continue sucking, and suck harder than the Chiefs, Colts and Seahawks. Get Andrew Luck and just start anew. I am talking bye coaching staff and front office. Bring back the 4-3, sign some good free agents, or at least ones that weren't former Cowboys, then finally make the draft picks count. This is football, players from later rounds can contribute. Find ones that fit the new system and get this team back on track and moving forward. I have to say that right now I am hardly a Dolphins fan, I've been loyal but I've had it with this team. They could go 14-2 and I still wouldn't like them. This era is over, end it, move on. I don't think it would need to be a huge process to get competitive, maybe a year or two. Our best players would likely still be in their primes when the young guns can contribute, if they get the right young guns in the right system. I openly root for teams that are bad, so that doesn't scare me away, I just need to know that my higher ups can handle their shit. The players will fall in line as will the success on the field once the front office is an office not a wilderness where primal instincts take over and they tear apart what once was a promising team. Bottom line Tony Sparano is 2-5 against the Pats and that will not cut it.

-Jason

P.S. College Football Fans I have been watching a bit more college ball lately and here are my current favorite players to watch go HAM: Sammy Watkins (Clemson WR) Marcus Lattimore
(S. Carolina RB) Chris Rainey (Florida Do-It All) and Robert Griffin III (Baylor QB)

Quick Prediction

Let me start by saying this is a hastily posted post and I've been drinking but it's football season damnit. After reading this article from the Grantland Network and knowing what I do about the 'Phins I've finally decided that I truly believe in Miami having a respectable, playoff team this year.

Here is a key excerpt: If there's any obvious comparison to be made for Henne's early career path, it's Drew Brees. I know. Hear me out on this one. They're both undersized second-round picks from the Big Ten. They both sat out for most of their rookie season and then came in to play for most of their second year. Brees completed 60.8 percent of his passes. Henne completed 60.8 percent of his passes. Brees threw an interception on 3.0 percent of his passes and averaged 6.2 yards per attempt. Henne threw an interception on 3.1 percent of his passes and averaged 6.4 yards per attempt. In his third season, Brees tanked; in fact, to a much worse extent than Henne did. All of his numbers fell off, but what was particularly noticeable was his interception rate, which hit 4.2 percent

I have been looking for numbers to see if Chad can make a leap, any leap, and this may confirm that hope. The ending sounds very downer, but we all know that Drew Brees is fucking Drew Brees. I will concur and put some of that on Sean Payton and that team. But here is what i notice more than his audibles and the new burner in Mr. Gates, Checkdown Chad has the absolute best checkdown back in the league! Reggie Bush is gonna take those little nothing passes and make plays and probably score on an uncanny amount of them. Maybe I'm drinking the yearly pre-season Kool-Aid, but I'm in on the Dolphins and the wagon has plenty of room.

P.S. I want to love Clyde Gates, and hes been doing alright and seems like he'll get chances, but I'm absolutely envious or Denarious Moore on the Raiders. He's like silk on the field. I dont know if you can go with two little, silky speedsters with good hands, but the Raiders got two good looking ones in Moore and Jacoby Ford. Maybe I should call up Tony Sparano and tell him "Suck for Luck" and hope we lose enough for Andrew from Stanford. Sorry Bill Barnwell for stealing all your good shit.

-Jason