What to expect from YOUR Dolphins in 2007
I've read a lot of your comments on this blog in the past few weeks and would say that most of you are trying to be patient with the new administration of Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller. That is both right and fair.
But while I join you in refusing to get overly excited about a team whose offensive line is uncertain, a team breaking in a new offensive system and a rookie head coach, one with a new quarterback and age on defense, I don't think it is right to believe this season will be a catastrophe.
Why?
Because I expect from the Dolphins what they expect of themselves. Pretty simple.
Last year, players talked of having loads of talent and being playoff-caliber. So I expected them in the playoffs. Two years ago, everyone agreed Nick Saban's first year would be one of rebuilding, a year following a 4-12 season. No one was expecting a playoff run then, so neither did I.
This year I expect this team to squeeze into the playoffs.
I'm crazy, you say? Well then BILLIONAIRE owner Wayne Huizenga must be crazy and MILLIONAIRE coach Cam Cameron must be crazy, also.
I talked to Huizenga earlier this week and he told me flat out he doesn't see this as a rebuilding year. Now, I would normally take this with a grain of salt because Wayne is, after all, a fan. But the reason he told me he was so optimistic blew me away. In private conversations with Cameron, the owner told me the coach thinks this is going to be a pretty good team. Huizenga is emboldened about 2007 because Cameron told him to be.
"He doesn't tell me it's a rebuilding year," Huizenga said. "He's not telling me we're going all the way. But he doesn't want to hear that talk about rebuilding.
''We have a great defense. The offensive line, in his mind, is improving greatly. He's working on the basics with a lot of guys here. This preseason has been about blocking and tackling. And once you get all that stuff done, we can take it to the next step. I have a lot of confidence in him.''
And so will I. If the owner talks playoffs with me, I'm going to believe for the playoffs. If Cameron predicts the offense will improve from 29th in the NFL in scoring to no worse than 15 or 16, I am going to take him at his word. And he did exactly that in a conversation with me a few weeks back.
Based on what they're saying, I'm going to expect a successful season. And so should you.
I don't believe Cameron is lying to his boss or setting himself up to look like an idiot in front of fans by making promises he can't keep. So I am going to trust him until he shows me a reason to doubt him.
It could be that he's wrong. OK, he's human. But until I know that Cameron doesn't know what the heck he's talking about, I'm going to think he does. And I'm going to think the Dolphins will be challenging for a playoff spot this year.
Your thoughts?
But while I join you in refusing to get overly excited about a team whose offensive line is uncertain, a team breaking in a new offensive system and a rookie head coach, one with a new quarterback and age on defense, I don't think it is right to believe this season will be a catastrophe.
Why?
Because I expect from the Dolphins what they expect of themselves. Pretty simple.
Last year, players talked of having loads of talent and being playoff-caliber. So I expected them in the playoffs. Two years ago, everyone agreed Nick Saban's first year would be one of rebuilding, a year following a 4-12 season. No one was expecting a playoff run then, so neither did I.
This year I expect this team to squeeze into the playoffs.
I'm crazy, you say? Well then BILLIONAIRE owner Wayne Huizenga must be crazy and MILLIONAIRE coach Cam Cameron must be crazy, also.
I talked to Huizenga earlier this week and he told me flat out he doesn't see this as a rebuilding year. Now, I would normally take this with a grain of salt because Wayne is, after all, a fan. But the reason he told me he was so optimistic blew me away. In private conversations with Cameron, the owner told me the coach thinks this is going to be a pretty good team. Huizenga is emboldened about 2007 because Cameron told him to be.
"He doesn't tell me it's a rebuilding year," Huizenga said. "He's not telling me we're going all the way. But he doesn't want to hear that talk about rebuilding.
''We have a great defense. The offensive line, in his mind, is improving greatly. He's working on the basics with a lot of guys here. This preseason has been about blocking and tackling. And once you get all that stuff done, we can take it to the next step. I have a lot of confidence in him.''
And so will I. If the owner talks playoffs with me, I'm going to believe for the playoffs. If Cameron predicts the offense will improve from 29th in the NFL in scoring to no worse than 15 or 16, I am going to take him at his word. And he did exactly that in a conversation with me a few weeks back.
Based on what they're saying, I'm going to expect a successful season. And so should you.
I don't believe Cameron is lying to his boss or setting himself up to look like an idiot in front of fans by making promises he can't keep. So I am going to trust him until he shows me a reason to doubt him.
It could be that he's wrong. OK, he's human. But until I know that Cameron doesn't know what the heck he's talking about, I'm going to think he does. And I'm going to think the Dolphins will be challenging for a playoff spot this year.
Your thoughts?
posted by Armando Salguero at 9:54 AM
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51 Comments:
I can't imagine the Fins don't improve on 6-10 this season. The offense has to be better - just from a speed perspective.
The defense should be at least as good as last season and hopefully will be getting a few more turnovers this season.
I'm not so sure about special teams though I have never been a fan of the special teams coach.
If Trent has anything left in the tank and Brown can match his ypc from the first 2 seasons, I think fins will to go at least 8-8 and have a good shot at 10-6.
No one picked New Orleans or The Jets to do well last year - maybe this will be our year.
I expect the Football God to visit divine retribution on Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller.
The Dolphin will go 9-7 and miss the playoff by a single game-- the game they lost to the Raiders.
On Septmeber 30th, Dante Culpepper will throw for 300+ yards, 3 TDs, and the lowly Raider will defeat the Dolphins 27-17-- a game that will cost them a playoff berth at season's end-- and newly instated Ricky William, traded to the Raiders, for a 8th round draft-pick will run for 65 yards on 11 carries.
At season's end, "scrambled eggs" will amount to "fried eggs" and retire.
Meanwhile, Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller will apologize to the Dolphins faithful for their arrogance, myopia, and sanctimony in trading the rights to Ricky Williams and cutting Culpepper.
Cameron will then leave the Dolphins to coach Indiana.
Huizenga, meanwhile, will endeavor to lure Jimmy Johnson to return to the Dolphins as the team's GM.
And Armando will win a Pulitzer Prize for his candid, poignant first-person essay on the ignominy and abuse gay reporters suffer while covering professional football.
Everyone wants to blame the OL for the Dolphins failures. That has something to do with it. But last year they were flat out terrible at QB. The only reason the QB stats were better than reality is they only threw for short yardage, making the completion percentage better than the QB play as a whole. I see better QB and OL play this year. With our Defense, we could have a pretty good year, especially if the DBs step it up, which is possible with the egotistical Satan gone. If they can handle the Jets, it's possible the playoffs are in sight, but not the Super Bowl.
Look, the secondary, which was suspect last year, did not get addressed this year. The O-line, the less said the better. From what I've seen of Green, his tenure will be short. Did anyone notice how he underthrew Martin on a play near the Chiefs 15 yard line. Martin had the linebacker beat. If Green throws it out in front, its 6. Do you believe if this coaching staff thought anything of Ronnie Brown he would be returning kickoffs? I hope I'm wrong, but I don't expect much this year, maybe 7-9 at the very best.
"And Armando will win a Pulitzer Prize for his candid, poignant first-person essay on the ignominy and abuse gay reporters suffer while covering professional football."
Come on Armando....you have to admit, that was pretty funny...
Anyhow, Armando, I appreciate your write up today. Its upbeat, fresh, and puts a positive spin on the team, which I like.
My thoughts are this: We're obviously not expected by most so called "experts" to be any good. So there aren't any huge expectations. I don't think this is a team that is going to get blown out of the water by anyone they play. All of the games will be close and winable in the 4th quarter. All we need the kicker to perform well, a DB to get a pick at the most opportune time, and possibly a crucial fumble-inducing sack when it really counts. Those will be the games that decide if Miami can get in the playoffs and build up the confidence for coming years. There will be some nail-biter games and the Fins will emerge victorious for most of them.
Rah-Rah-Sis-Boom-bah
....and I hope the Fins D can put C-Pep back on IR on Sept. 30...okay..maybe not I.R., thats harsh...but maybe just out for the game...that would work.
I could see this team going 1-15 or getting the close games and coming out ahead to finish 10-6. I'll have to split the difference and go 5-11. My major hope is that when the time comes to pull Green, or he's injured, that Beck gets more playing time than Lemon. Then maybe we can build towards a very good team next season.
I love your optimism Armando. I think we'll improve on that 6-10 record. I really believe that the Dolphins will go 8-8, there's a possoble chance of 11-5. To me, 8-8 seems more realistc. If we do get into the playoffs, you won't hear me complaining! GO DOLPHINS!!!
Even though our O-line is a HUGE ??? The fact that we are going into this season under the radar is going to be our biggest advantage!!! Thats why I think we may have a shot to squeeze into the playoffs!!!
You are right on Armando, give the new ooach the benefit of the doubt. If he thinks this will be a pretty good team, so should we.
I may be wrong, but what team has actually come out and said "this is a rebuilding year" and seen ticket sales increase? I think that your fan expectations are being fed junk food by the PR machine engineered to protect the value of the billionaire's portfolio. I bought tickets this year to show support but I think that most people in this town of transients would not be so kind upon solid news of "rebuilding", specially at today's ticket prices.
Wow, shocking prediction from Mando!
I'm willing to give CaMueller the benefit of the doubt. I think they will improve on 6-10 because there are clear signs that weaknesses are being addressed and because we had a great draft.
But PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS?
Wow, that's a stretch for me, even the optimist that I am. There are too many questions on offense (OL, Green's noddle arm, Ginn's very slooooooow learning curve, getting the receivers on the same page with the new QB) and on special teams (new players, poor blocking in preseason).
Plus, we are in the toughest division and we have difficulty winning against our division rivals.
Man, I hope you are right.
Ken in San Diego
Ok ok here it is... my best Jim Mora impression, for all my favorite Dolfans!
"Uh, whats that? PLAYOFFS? Don't talk about playoffs!!! PLAYOFFS? YOU KIDDIN ME? PLAYOFFS? I just hope we can win a game!!!!"
I think that somes it up!
Not to be a jerk, but has any coach you've covered told you they had a crap team and that the upcoming season would be a wash?
Just curious Mando, seriously...I want so badly to beleive you and Cam and Wayne.
Go FIns!!!
I'm fresh out of optomism...the last five years have neutered me. I have no expectations, no hope. I just hope they don't crush us all again this season...
I have great hopes for the dolphins I believe they will have a good year and turn this into a winning season. beat washington and Dallas and we are off to a great start and build on that momentum.think postive dolphin fans.......................
MiamiRay
Wow, you sure went out on limb Armando... Quite honestly I don't have a clue how good this team is. The OL is still a work in process and the offense has shown literally nothing during the preseason. We know we have a good defense but we've had a good defense for the last 5 non-playoff seasons.
That means our success is directly proportional to our ability to put points on the board. So far I haven't seen many points and we are going on blind faith that Cameron can deliver on his top 15 offense.
All those SB predictions last year were based on Ricky not being the loser he is, Culpepper being ready to play and Chambers repeating his 2005 breakthrough. Unfortunately none of those things happened. What was missed in that analysis was our pedestrian offensive line. The questions that need to be answered are, is the OL finally ready for prime time, does Ronnie Brown become a back worthy of the second pick, does Chambers return to 2005 form and finally, is Green the answer at QB?
The main thing question in all of that is the OL. If the OL performs, all the rest will have a chance at success and so will the Dolphins. If the OL flops, the skill players in question will not be given the opportunity to rise to the occasion.
So I guess with all of my babble I have avoided your question. The season will hinge on the OL, if they are solid the Dolphins can be a playoff team, if the suck, the Dolphins will suck. I'll be completely non-committal and predict they will be better so the Dolphins will be 8-8 and miss the playoffs by one game.
hunt i got to say that your post was funny man. i think the fins are goin to suprise a lot of people this year. but if by chance they mis the playoff and its all by one lose and we lost to the raiders im goin to remember todays blog and just start smiling cause you cant do anything but smile at that
Heck, all teams are 0-0 right now. Loser teams turn it around in the following year all the time!
A lot depends on whether Green gets killed or not. If Green is injured or is throwing half is passes lying on his back then the odds of making the playoffs are not good.
If the OL can improve to being a consistently average OL, Ronnie Brown improves just a little, Porter earns at least half his pay and is around for the end of the season then I think the Phins have a great chance of making the playoffs. Advancing is another matter though :^)
--funkyj
We'll win around 6, just like Vegas & many predict.
That's why Cam's bringing in Bobby Knight, to teach him to throw chairs when we lose.
Don't yell "Hey Cameron" unless you're big, or he'll throttle you like Bobby "Hey Knight" did to a student.
Playoffs??? Maybe better for us to draft Top 5!! Better chance to draft Top 5, than make the playoffs.
i've been saying it all along the dolphins will win 10-11 games and make the playoffs with a leader like trent green and a solid defense i expect nothing but a winning formula.the real BRYAN IN OHIO HAS SPOKEN.MY DOLFANS REJOICE LET THE CAM CAMERON ERA BEGIN!
Week 4,5,6 Oakland, Houston, Cleveland. If we win those three games, than we get lucky a couple of times of the road. Win 75 % of our home games and your talking
"Playoffs, you kidding me, Playoffs". But it's not kidding.
6-10, or 7-9 i dont think we will have a winning season.. i still dont think our offense is going to be much better... first year in a new system...
im not expecting anything..been burned too much before..
With Culpepper/Harrington and Satan, Fins went 6-10 in 2006.
And remember in 2005, Ferrote and Satan were able to go 9-7.
I think, depending on the injury bug, that Cam/Green is worth at least 2 more wins than 2006.
8-8 is very reasonable.
ITS FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!!
GO FINS!!!!
I am looking at the schedule and I am just not seeing the playoffs. The first part of the year is actually pretty easy but I think we have to go 6-2 to even have a chance in the second half. The best I am seeing is 7-9 maybe 8-8.
Playoffs? I am sincerely doubting that.
I want to give Cam the benefit of the doubt about the offense but with the lack of talent I am not sure I buy it. Remember in the last couple of years there have been several very good offensive coordinators on this team and the offense has still not been very good. Linehan and Turner are now both head coaches, and while Turner may suck as a head coach he is one of the best offensive minds in the league. So I have to admit that I am not drinking the Cameron kool-aid but would love to see the fins change my mind.
The only thing about sneeking into the playoffs and then immediately losing that bothers me is that then we wont be drafting high enough to secure one of the stud LT coming out of college next year that we so desperately need. I would rather rebuild, get Beck some playing time, and move in the right direction than to sneak into the playoffs and collapse again next year. Either way I will watch every minute of every game as I do every year. Fin fan forever, Marino for pres in 2008, and good luck with that Pulitzer Mando.
I gotta say, I appreciate the lightheartedness of todays blog.
I think Cam has got a plan for the offense and he hasnt shown it yet. I also think that if the offense can kick into gear, the D will feed off of that and improve to one of the top in the league, statistically as well as "gut feeling".
For all this to happen, Brown has got to have a break-out year. Also Chambers will need to produce consistently. Some big plays from Ginn on special teams would be a huge addition, as well.
Man, its a couple of weeks away from the start of the season....I love this time of year.
I am hoping the Dolphins get around 8-8 to 10-6 this season. If the OL gels 10-6 possible playoffs. We know this defense can shut people down. We just need the offense to put up a few more points than last season. With Cam being an offensive minded coach I think the phins can put up a few more points than last season. I hope they sack Daunte 5 times LOL when they play the raiders.
One of your better comunications to us fans. Remember we are FANatical and always optimistic. We don't want to hear accessments with out proof. We do want insights from people that matter in the organization and Cam and H zing matter.good Job Remember the jets just did us a favor trading OG Pete Kendall to Washington there is no way he is going to have the skins offense in place for the dolfin game and the jets are terrible on their left side offense line. Pennignton got killed when Kendall was on the 2nd team advantage dolfins 2-3 wins in close games on that single move.If Cam moves the offense to 15-16 that's 4 more wins from last year by attrition to points scored and JoeyP gotta be worth one win.GoFins
6-8 Wins. Gonna be a tough season, with little Offense.
Green's a good/proven QB, he can't decline much more than 5-8% ... so if he doesn't do well, it'll be the O-Line & the running game.
Looks like Randy Mueller & Cam are off to a good start, but they have to fix a 9-12 years of mistakes!! Gonna take a few years, IF we're lucky.
Mike Hunt said...
I expect the Football God to visit divine retribution on Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller.
The Dolphin will go 9-7 .......
Hey dude get over the c-pep issue and move on!!! as a matter of fact, fans like you, should just move.... like to NY or Oakland. the past is just that.. the past and we hope that the people that count and know whats really going on are right and idiots like you will eat crow at the end of the season. if your a a genuine fish fan you would be optimistic. and quit crying over a has been
I think that Armando’s optimism is reasonable, not because of the positive feedback he's heard from the owner & coach alone, but because of Cameron & Mueller's track record with their previous teams.
Cameron came to San Diego & turned an offence ranked close to dead last & an offensive line which was dead last around over the first 1 to 2 years, to close to the top of the league in both categories. His talent evaluation in the draft, of QBs & other positions, i.e. Rivers over E. Manning & many other prospects was a major contribution to their success.
The "O" line his first year was comprised of virtually all rookies or players new to the team, yet he improved the line using accurate talent evaluation & coaching with the help of Hudson Houck, whom the Dolphins have as well.
Cameron is also known for deliberately not showing his hand & sending up smoke screens during preseason & media-covered practices to keep the rest of the league in the dark as to how good his team really is. To Cameron, this is all part of the strategy & his success, even though most of the other coaches around the league don’t take the same approach.
Mueller is no different when it comes to analyzing talent & picking good draft choices, as he showed in Seattle with what eventually became the player personnel which propelled them to a Super Bowl & several playoff births, a position the team rarely or never enjoyed previously.
I believe they both planned on nabbing Beck where they did as a better talent than Quinn, & looked at Ginn as the bonus which could upgrade the team's speed, a quality Cameron recognizes as essential to build world-class offences.
I believe they both plan to utilize Ginn & Booker much more than it may appear at this point. And possibly even some of the other players of whom there has seemed to emerge some controversy over their talent, or supposed lack there-of, such as possibly Brown, & the underestimating, even among fans & media could very well be a part of their success in concealing the team's talent until the regular season.
No, I am not saying this is some sort of conspiracy theory, but Cameron & Mueller are smarter than we think, & they have the track record to prove it.
While none of this guarantees success in the future, I do think we have reason to be more optimistic than perhaps some of us actually are.
I think that Armando’s optimism is reasonable, not because of the positive feedback he's heard from the owner & coach alone, but because of Cameron & Mueller's track record with their previous teams.
Cameron came to San Diego & turned an offence ranked close to dead last & an offensive line which was dead last around over the first 1 to 2 years, to close to the top of the league in both categories. His talent evaluation in the draft, of QBs & other positions, i.e. Rivers over E. Manning & many other prospects was a major contribution to their success.
The "O" line his first year was comprised of virtually all rookies or players new to the team, yet he improved the line using accurate talent evaluation & coaching with the help of Hudson Houck, whom the Dolphins have as well.
Cameron is also known for deliberately not showing his hand & sending up smoke screens during preseason & media-covered practices to keep the rest of the league in the dark as to how good his team really is. To Cameron, this is all part of the strategy & his success, even though most of the other coaches around the league don’t take the same approach.
Mueller is no different when it comes to analyzing talent & picking good draft choices, as he showed in Seattle with what eventually became the player personnel which propelled them to a Super Bowl & several playoff births, a position the team rarely or never enjoyed previously.
I believe they both planned on nabbing Beck where they did as a better talent than Quinn, & looked at Ginn as the bonus which could upgrade the team's speed, a quality Cameron recognizes as essential to build world-class offences.
I believe they both plan to utilize Ginn & Booker much more than it may appear at this point. And possibly even some of the other players of whom there has seemed to emerge some controversy over their talent, or supposed lack there-of, such as possibly Brown, & the underestimating, even among fans & media could very well be a part of their success in concealing the team's talent until the regular season.
No, I am not saying this is some sort of conspiracy theory, but Cameron & Mueller are smarter than we think, & they have the track record to prove it.
While none of this guarantees success in the future, I do think we have reason to be more optimistic than perhaps some of us actually are.
Sorry to rain on your optimistic parade guys but did you watch the dismantling the Patriots put on the Panthers tonight? There is no way the fins are anywhere near the Pats level no matter what tricks and gimmicks Cam is hiding. The only good news I have heard lately is that Kendall got traded to the Skins. Jason Taylor must have popped a chubby when he heard that. A rookie guard and second year D'brick blocking him come Sept. 23 will probably turn Chad Pennington into a pinata. Clemens best be ready to play but who knows with our OL Cleo will also probably be playing by then. I love seeing some optimism from my fellow Fin fans but the reality is the Pats are still miles ahead of the rest of the division and the rest of us are just playing for second place and a longshot at the playoffs. Still I cannot wait for tomorrow nights game and see just what our starting defense is capable of when they all play. Run Garcia, run!
Last year we were going to get beat in the Super Bowl so you have to ask "have we improved as a team" over what we looked like this time last year. The answer is YES.
1. An Offensive Head Coach 2. An established All-Pro QB 3. A very good draft which will probably result in at least 8 of the 10 guys drafted making the team and 2 or 3 of them being starters 4. Joey Porter. 5. A pretty soft beginning of the season
They should be able to beat Washington, Cleveland, Oakland and Houston. If they split with Dallas and the Jets, They are 5-1 to start. That will be huge momentum which will lead to 10-6 or 11-5 and a playoff spot. The key is the quick start. Remember the Wanny days we were 11-5? It always was the fast start that got us there.
We've had a playoff defense for the last 3 years. If we keep the game changing turnovers down and become a little more efficient offensively, not just score more but kill themselves less, I think that between 8-10 wins is a possibility
This team is going to go as far as the offensive line takes it. IF it can support an average running game and pass block they have a chance to make the playoffs. I think they will be improved (8-8)but not quite playoff material. I am really concerned about the left side of the o-line protecting Green's blind side. Carey is going to have to do a much better job over there this time. I am excited about the punch Cameron will add to the offense. I am excited to see Chatman back up Ronnie Brown.
Oye, dijiste playoffs? Oh snap B, for real? I dunno. Like, Armando, WE CAN'T SCORE POINTS ON OFFENSE. Sorry Charlie, I'm not buying playoffs. The offense (are they faster, Armando? If so, how much?) in my opinion, must improve & be better from a scoring points perspective. And mira, diablo, the o-line are (or seem like) weaklings who can't block; particularly can't handle stunt or blitz. (those tings r muy important) The fins 10 y seis? C'mon bro, 7-9 or maybe, 8 y 8. Chambers has to be an ace this year. He acts and talks like he's a superstar ... maybe someday he'll prove it
I'm giving them 5 wins before the bye week, then in the second half with the four away games in the northeast, they will be lucky to win 3 more. Overall 8-8, building for '08 with Beck as QB.
What do I expect from the Dolphins in 2007?
Major improvement and reason for optimism. 8-8 or 9-7 would be fine with me if the offense shows signs that it will be explosive.
I am tired of almost falling asleep during games because we are involved in another 10-7 nailbiter at the two-minute warning!
I don't expect the playoffs because the AFC is loaded but LEGITIMATE hope for 2008 is a must!
I think Trent will be fine, Why? Joey was good for 6 wins and Trent is 3 or 4 games better then him. What we do not know is how good is Mueller. He did some boneheaded things in New Orleans or he would still be there. Like! Why would we trade away one of our best play makers Wes Welker and keep Chambers who had 11 or so drops last year? Has anyone seen Wes in the last two Pre games? He looks great. Maybe Cam should have last say?
Dave Sinecera you are right on.
Mike Hunt,you are on crack. Culpepper is going to throw for 300 yards and 3 td's? On our defense?!!! Are you insane?! He will be lucky to get out of that game with his head on straight. Oakland was 2-12 last year and has one of the worst o-lines in the league. Our defense will dominate that game. And IF Daunte is the starter he will fumble twice,one for a turnover,and throw two interceptions,one to Daniels and one to Thomas. The score will be 27-10 Dolphins. PS Playoffs are going to be very hard to get to this year because of a tough schedule and division. It's always good to hope and while I definitely think we will improve over last year, I think we will be on the outside looking in.
I see no reason the Dolphins can't win nine or ten games this year and make the playoffs. I must be the only one here who thinks our D didn't do enough for us last year. I mean, don't get me wrong, but a defense as highly-ranked as ours should do more than decide one or two games. While I admit the D kept us in many games, they were still porous in the secondary and got beat deep on a regular basis.
Besides the Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and second New England games I don't remember the D doing that much. Hell, Joey had as much to do with the Detroit win as the defense. Our offense should be much better this year. I really hope so. I want my D to decide more games this year. I want teams to fear the Miami defense on game day. Just as they should.
Dave S., Keep in mind that by trading Wes Welker we received two draft picks that brought us Samson Satele(who will be our starting center through the next decade) and Abraham Wright (a LB who even the veterans have been impressed by). That's pretty damn good considering the fact that Welker is undersized and only had one TD last year. Shouldn't your leading WR (in catches) have more than 1 td in a season. Love Wes but lets not make him out to be Mark Clayton. He's solid but not so solid that I would want to give those two draft picks to keep him. Mueller single handidly built the Saints into the team they are today. The GM who took over was only there a year before they made it to the Championship. He did not build that team in one year. Randy traded Ricky Williams for 2 1st rounders and picked up Deuce and a starting LB. He also built Seattle into a winning team. Do your homework.
I won't miss Wes that much. We got 'way more value for him than he was worth. Compare the numbers mid-season and you'll find Ginn with gaudy stats and Welker... not so much. That was always my problem with his returns, he was just so-so. His routes were ok, but he went down too easy and was white-boy slow. But he was plucky.
Lol Mike Hunt's post was irreverent but pretty good nonetheless. Ah, our jaded selves as Fin fans. What can ya do.
I think you're right Mando...it's funny how quickly optimism slides from expectations of a year earlier too. People seem to base all their expectations on the previous year results. This defense has a chance to be special and this offense should be MUCH better. I expect Ginn to jump start the special teams returns - the preseason thus far is an aberration of what he'll bring. 10-6 is not out of the question.
Armando I just thought of something. When you said that Cam expects the Dolphins to make the playoffs (and said so) you created the possibility of a controversy that the whiners can grab hold of if things go wrong. I can see it now, Miami goes 8-8 and all of the numbskulls come out of the woodwork and cry about how Cam lied. 'He lied to us,waaahh,we're not in the playoffs and he said we would be,wah, he's a liar.'Always worried about whether or not they're being told the truth. Man, it's like a real bad relationship where someone gets cheated on by an ex (SABAN) and then has trust issues for the rest of their lives. Seek professional help people,this is football not marriage. Sometimes the truth is stretched to protect the teams interests. It has nothing to do with wanting to fool YOU.
5-11. Cameron seems to be very arrogant and seems to be trying to different then everyone else.
No game planning, let's just work on the basics? That is not a team set up to win many games.
Another lost season on the way.
Cam Cameron arrogant??? Ummmm.... I think you're confusing Cam with Saban. Saban was the epitome of arrogance! A lot of teams don't gameplan during preseason. It makes no sense to show your hand during meaningless exhibition games. Anyways, Dolphins go 8-8. Hope, I'm wrong and they end up winning more!!! LET'S PARTY AND GO DOLPHINS WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
What do I think the Fins will do this year?? The defense will be a top 10 squad. The offense will certainly be better. Chambers must be more consistent. Green is an upgrade. Yes, the O-line is very young. But, coach Houck is the very best at what he does. Coach Cam is very good at getting his playmakers the ball in his gameplans. I look for the Fins to spread the field and use quick hitting plays and keep the ball out of traffic. Also use some misdirection plays for Brown, Chapman and Booker. I also believe that Coach cam will use Ginn in situations that will allow him to utilize his speed and quickness. Am I a Dreamer, possibly. A football expert, no. A 100% Dol-finatic? Absolutely. I look for the Fins to be 10-6 and possibly even better
I agree with Armando's assessment, though I think coming up with stat lines out of thin air is a waste of time. The 2006 Dolphins weren't really a 6-win team last year and should be expected to improve. That doesn't mean they won't go one-and-done in the playoffs. It just means there's a very good chance they'll win more than 6 games, and a good chance they'll win more than 8, which was about their expected win total last year given their stats. Honestly, I'd expect the Dolphins to be this year's Jets. A team that overachieves their way into the playoffs and then regresses the following season (and believe me, all signs point to the Jets falling off this season).
I think people are underestimating Trent Green. Clearly, the receiving talent isn't what he's had in STL or KC, but I don't think this guy fell from top-5 or top-10 QB to schmuck in one season.
Then again, I might be crazy. I do think the Lions have a chance of making the playoffs this year.
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