Miami Dolphins Thread

rosskeen

Adam Schefter reporting Knowshon Moreno signing a one year deal with Dolphins.

I'm not sure I buy the reports about Miami shopping Wallace. The beat writers were emphatic that the story was rubbish.

TaosHum

1 year contract is ideal when signing a player like Moreno. Hopefully it spells the end of Daniel Thomas.

donfers

satisfied with business so far folks or underwhelmed?

predictions for draft choices?

Sammo13

Oline in the first few rounds.. Not sure what to make of the FA signings we didn't over spend bar the OT but that was necessary... Still it is all about Tannehill next year, 3rd year need to see another big step up which starts with the OL.. So draft tackles and Guards..

TaosHum

My view on FA signings:

Branden Albert - Think Miami over-paid, but is a massive upgrade on what is there already. Will bring stability to RT's blindside.
Louis Delmas - Good contract for a good safety when fit.
Knowshon Moreno - Again happy with the contract given to a player who only performed in Denver when it came to his contract year.
Cortland Finnegan - Fins will be hoping he turns out to be another Grimes, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Was poor last season for Rams.
Earl Mitchell - I don't hate the signing as much as I did initially, but he doesn't fix the Fins biggest problem on the D-Line, which is run support.

Was delighted to see Starks and Grimes return, but sad to see Carroll go. Soliai was given a ridiculous contract, while Clemons won't be missed if Delmas can stay on the field.

With regards to the draft, you will certainly see two O-Linemen drafted, probably a Tackle and a Guard. Zack Martin is the popular choice as he ticks all the boxes Hickey likes in players. Other players Miami have shown interest in would be Tre Mason, Marqise Lee, Odell Beckham to name a few.

Miami have actually met/visited with quite a few receives. Don't be shocked to see one go at 19.

rantic66

Saw Moreno run very well vs 1st team Dallas Dfenz (granted one of the worst units last year) over the weekend...he's looking powerful...fingers crossed he stays healthy, would likely be taking over miller as #1 in depth based on that display!

Dolphins may just have taken a big step forward to balancing this offence...

rosskeen

The biggest concern on offense at the minute is at guard and centre. James and Albert seem to have shored out the tackle positions, so I'm hopeful that when Pouncey gets back into the side he'll help solidify the line. I can't trust Satele at all. Billy Turner has been doing well at right guard when given the chance so hopefully he'll be able to step up at sometime this season.

Having been sceptical about Tannehill when he was first drafted, I think he could have a good year if the line hold together and Moreno can run the ball. He showed some real glimpses of quality last year so hopefully he can make the jump.

It's easy to forget that we've been knocking on the door for the past couple of years. If the offence can start putting points on the board then I'd be more than confident that the defence can keep things quiet on the other end.

On the defence I think the job that Kevin Coyle has been doing has been excellent. If we could only get Ellerbe and Wheeler to learn to tackle we'd be set...

Sammo13

Big year for Tannehill and this offense. I also watched the Dallas game last week and he produced a mixed display. His long ball touch is still a concern, he missed a wide open Wallace and his pick was awful don't know how he was ever going to fit it in there.

Moreno looked good and he seems to be able to break a tackle and gain extra yards on his own. Pouncey will make big difference when he returns and it should improve the OL play.

Really hard to say with confidence this offense will get it right but the tools are there, get this up tempo offensive game going, limit the time Tannehill holds the ball and hopefully we can start putting 25/30 points game on the board.

Now all we need is some linebackers, Zach Thomas type would do nicely..

rantic66

Yeah i fear that Lazar will likely be over conservative in the passing game vs the pats week 1, in light of tannehill's apparent continuing issues with finding the wide outs especially with go routes, and the fact that pat's have one of the best secondary units in football....we will need a good run game, and not lose the turnover battle to beat them - cause big passing plays will probably be few and far between... then again - who knows what lazar has in store - it is week 1 after all!!

Leslie91

How many of you lads are going over to Wembley? I'm going, will be roaring for the Fish as I need to see the Raiduhs lose.

TaosHum

Sadly, I can't go. Family wedding the day before

TaosHum

Big season coming up for the Fins.

Tannehill needs to show further improvement as a passer. Hopefully he can add some accuracy to his deep ball and become more aware in the pocket. The offensive linehas improve but I'm worried about pressure up the middle, so getting the ball out quick and accurate will be important. But he does have a decent receiving core and a good outlet in Clay at TE. To his credit, RT has shown improvement each year he has been in the league. If he shows further development this season, then it could be an exciting season.

Philbin I feel might be under pressure if this side fails to make the playoffs. After the collapse at the end of last season, I don't think Ross will have much more patience with him and Hickey will probably want to bring in his own guy.

The additions of Lazor and Moreno at runningback should improve the offense. Philbin also seems to be trusting Lamar Miller more so I expect him to get much more carries than he did last season.

The defense is still solid enough, although I have reservations about the Fins ability to stop the run. Gave up some big plays on the ground last year and no Soliai leaves a big hole in the middle for the Fins. Linebackers need to step up. I'm also a bit concerned at corner across from Grimes.

All in all, there's potential in this Dolphins side, especially on offense. I'm not sure what to expect, but I think they will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. But for Philbin's sake, he needs playoffs IMO. Failure to do that and it could be curtains for him.

rosskeen

I'm fairly optimistic about this season (will I ever learn?)

As far as today goes I'm delighted to get the Pats in Miami in early September in an early game. The heat is going to be a big factor especially as the game goes on. Our defence has given Brady real problems over the past couple of seasons and if Wake and Vernon can get pressure on him we can spring a bit of an upset.

If we can establish a running game Tannehill could really shine this season. He's been fairly solid over his first couple of seasons, it's time to make the jump.

rosskeen

Get in Phins! Defence were brilliant today. Probably better without the missing linebackers truth be told. Wake is an absolute beast. Always makes the big plays when needed.

And Moreno! We mightn't meet a run defence as porous as New England's was every week but it looks like Moreno could be one of the free agent signings of the summer on that form.

McCain for an undrafted rookie made two huge plays and you'd hardly have known the line was thrown together over the summer. Absolutely delighted!

donfers

Are we taking Clemons back and more to the point, do we need him??

TaosHum

Fantastic performance yesterday. To come out like that week 1 vs your divisional rivals and score 23 unanswered was terrific to see.

If Miami can continue to run like that this season then they are going to be very tough to beat. Takes so much pressure off Tannehill and sets up the play-action nicely. Not to mention the wearing down of the opposition. That's what I think happened to the Pats yesterday. Was very warm and humid yesterday and by the time the second half came around, they were physically drained. Credit to the O-Line also. Looks much more solid and did what it was asked.

Was really happy with Mike Wallace yesterday. Okay, there were some mistakes, like not coming back to the ball and an easy drop, but his TD catch and beating of Revis on occasions were great to see. Going to need him to be at his best.

Can't say enough for the D. Pressure was what stopped the Pats yesterday and it wasn't just from the edge. Miami got some great pressure up the middle which will greatly stifle a QB who isn't too mobile. The linebackers were fantastic considering they were down to backups right across the board, there was no drop off which is a testament to what they did. Secondary was solid, but I think that was a by product of the work being done by the front 7.

All in all, great way to start the season. The Bills next week is another big game as they started off well with a big win vs the Bears.

Leslie91

Great win lads... love seeing the Pats get beat. Was great to see you run it down and over their throats. Happy for Moreno who almost got completely looked over in Denver and has proven himself a decent back this last yr and a bit.

Sammo13

Great win yesterday, both lines were outstanding.. Albert looks great at LT and get Pouncey back at C will only improve our play. Wake is a monster, serious explosion for the first sack and fumble, he was all over TB yesterday. Moreno looks good and maybe our best RB since Ricky Williams but we'll know more next week.

Tannehill had a mixed day, totally off for alot of the game, poor int, passes behind players and especially the touch pass to Clay in 3rd qtr which he has to make for a TD. But he finished strong and players also dropped a few. Lazor came out today and stated he was not happy with the passing game and it better improve quickly - which is great to hear.

Ellerbe gone is a blow but probably not massive as he has been a big disappointment, but we need the other LB's fit for next week. All in all a great start and I'm slightly positive for our chances, need to back it up next week..

donfers

Moreno hurt, punt blocked and Tannehill failing with a deep pass again costing us an easy 7 - poor first quarter

Tannehill holding onto the ball too long - jaysus I have a bad feeling this guy just isn't going to step up, another qb failure and three years invested in him down the drain. I hope I read this post in January and realise what a fool I was.

rosskeen

It went from bad to worse. Get a score to get back into the game, give up a kick-off return. Get a touchdown, give them one straight 6 plays later.

I'm not entirely surprised though. Our record in recent years in Buffalo has been shocking. 2-8 in out last 10 games there. The Bills seem to match up well against Miami. Better to lose to them no than in week 16 or 17!

While the offence never got going in the opening half, the defence failed to force any turnovers. I'm not going to throw the baby out with the bath water yet but I'd be hopeful of an improvement next week.

donfers

A year 3 quarterback should be showing more at this stage, this guy is average at best and isn't the answer - a solid back-up option yes but if you pin your hopes on him you ain't going nowhere, can't throw long, can't read defenses very well, poor positioning in the pocket, ok at short to midrange passes and can scramble a little - that's all you get from him. We should have cut our losses after year 2 but we just have to grin and bear it now and see out the season with him taking us to a 6-10 or 7-9 season. One in every three games he may produce a 7/10 performance and then you start thinking "hmm maybe he could progress towards an elite level qb" and then he'll let you down again and then you'll remember he's not a rookie anymore and we can't go on excusing mediocrity again and again

Sammo13

Lads agree re Tannehill he is in his 3rd year and really needs to make more plays, I can live with the long ball if he was excellent elsewhere but his miss to Gibson in the 3rd qtr was a certain TD along other miss passes. Philbin not letting him go into the 2min drill before HT says it all.

Still how poorly RT played, we were still in the game 9-3 and 16-10.. poor defense and awful special teams cost us, a stop at 9-3 or 16-10 and momentum was with us. Watkins was wide open all day across the middle, Davis is not up to it in the secondary and sooner the better Jones gets back and we can re-organise it.

This team is capable of 10 wins, but Moreno injury is a massive blow, hopefully he'll be back after bye week. KC next week will tell a lot about how we'll go this year, cause after Oakland our schedule gets pretty rough.

Sammo13

Hope this is as bad as it gets but I feel it isn't.. Philbin doesn't seem to have the players playing for him, lack of energy and hunger.. Also don't get Lazor play calling in 2nd half, we are running the ball well, trailing 21-15 in the 4th 2 and 1, pass and play action sack.. head wrecking stuff.. Millar plays his prob best game and we don't run the god damn ball when we should.. Raiders and then a serious beat down of a schedule.. hard to see us now winning enough for playoffs.. todays game was huge and when failed big time. I hate having hope as these Dolphins just kill ya.

TaosHum

It's a collective failure at this point. Philbin clueless, Tannehill not good enough, receivers dropping passes, interior OLine getting bullied, interior Dline can't stop run, linebackers not up to it, secondary coverage poor. LaMar Miller was averaging 7.2 a clip and yet he only received 15 carries. I don't know what has happened to Charles Clay. Local fans are a joke and don't deserve a team.

With that schedule, they will struggle to pick up 5/6 wins.

Benimar

Philbin refused 4 times today to announce that Tannehill will start on Sunday. 10 minutes later Lazor said he definitely would!

Nice to see that the HC and OC are on the same page!!

donfers

Tannehill doing a great job in the first half against the raiders, 14 straight completions, 10 more to equal NFL record - rushing effectively too.

This is his usual thing of producing a big performance just when everyone has resigned themselves to the realisation that he is not the answer, he's a big tease!

Seriously though, despite putting up impressive numbers today, you have to factor in the quality of the opposition. Admirable though his response is to the many critics that have written him off in recent days, this is not the game that will be his redemption or convince the critics that it's worth persisting with him. However if this boosts his confidence and leads him to produce much-improved showings during the rest of the season, guiding us into the play-offs, then a few of us may have to eat our words and he'll be saving his career and that of his head coach. Long way to go before that is achieved however - all he can do today is give himself a bit more breathing space and so far he is doing just that. More of the same in the second half please!

TaosHum

Yeah, I'm not getting excited about beating the crappy Raiders in a neutral venue where they had double the travel time to the Fins.

Positives to be taken from it, but I won't be getting excited until they produce against a team with an anyway decent defense.

Sammo13

Green Bay Sunday, Chicago on the road the following week.. this our season over the next few weeks, need a performance, Pouncey, Jones, Misi and maybe Moreno will be all back.. Though Rodgers form is a worry, looking very sharp..

TaosHum

Very deflating defeat on Sunday against the Packers. Philbin's time management at the end was shocking and was probably the reason the Pack were able to get in at the end.

Defense I though were excellent, giving the amount of time they spent on the field against a top offense and in very tough conditions.

Need to see more of what Tannehill produced in the second half. Getting the ground game going probably had alot to do with it, but he was awful in the first half.

Sammo13

Heartbreaker lads.. really frustrating watching these Dolphins, we have stretches of excellent ball and other times just awful. Offense was awful in the first half, OL, RB's and Tannehill, but played great in 2nd half, Tannehill made some great plays especially on the Wallace TD.

Defense was outstanding bar a few plays and the last drive. I have a few issues which cost us the game, Finnegan has to play tighter and tackle the receiver inbounds, Wheeler plays 4 yards off the TE on the winning TD.. just don't get it. Philbin does not fill me with confidence, he is surely dead man walking.

Annoying thing is this team as serious potential, instead of finding ways to win games, we find ways to lose.

Saying all that Aaron Rogers was outstanding and made some incredible passes.. hats of to the guy.