sodenj5 said:
Marino might have been the greatest all time at Climbing The Pocket. Schofield wrote a longer piece on the concept, too.
2015 Dolphins: Fire the Lazor!
- Thread starter sodenj5
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Marino might have been the greatest all time at Climbing The Pocket. Schofield wrote a longer piece on the concept, too.
Ed Hillel said:
Incredibly white. It is nice to see he's trying to come out of his incredibly tightly sealed shell a little bit though, something he's been criticized for in the past. There was a video on Instagram of what I can only describe as Philbin in a pimp suit on stage, rapping about the Dolphins at their training camp talent show.
sodenj5 said:
In case anyone wanted the visual:
https://instagram.com/p/6q7IPzADa_/
This is great and all - but unless he's actually learned how to prepare the team on a weekly basis and illustrates some improvement with the utilization of his timeouts, its not going to matter.
So it seems like Miami is set to run Dallas Thomas out there at LT against Atlanta. Makes me nervous for a number of reasons, but they have really limited options. He played there some when Albert went down initially and looked awful. Also, he's actually started to look decent at guard. I'm not saying one game at tackle will undo the progress he's made at guard, but I would rather see him stick at LG as much as possible. Just make it through this game without any injuries and I'll be happy.
Super Nomario said:
True, although Beasely is a freak athlete and I can see him giving Thomas fits at LT and subsequently putting Tannehill's life in jeopardy.
It's also looking more and more likely that it's going to be Sheppard at Mike and MIsi at Sam, which I think is probably the best configuration for Miami. Misi played his best at Sam and is good at setting the edge and defending the run. McCain has a lot of upside, but he's still really raw. I would expect to see him on the field on third downs in the hybrid role that Dion Jordan was supposed to fill. He can get after the QB as either a LB or DE and should still be an asset for the Dolphins.
Not quite sure where to put this (here? Bills thread? some old thread?), but just thought it was worth posting since there was certainly a lot of discussion about Jonathan Martin a ways back.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13518483/jonathan-martin-says-depression-identity-struggles-suicide-attempts-nfl
I find his note really moving and sad...and well expressed, clearly a smart albeit troubled guy. His inability to deal w/ a-holes like Incognito is probably personal (chemical? who knows -- but as he says many others would have shrugged it off), but the way he speaks to identity issues is definitely societal.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13518483/jonathan-martin-says-depression-identity-struggles-suicide-attempts-nfl
I find his note really moving and sad...and well expressed, clearly a smart albeit troubled guy. His inability to deal w/ a-holes like Incognito is probably personal (chemical? who knows -- but as he says many others would have shrugged it off), but the way he speaks to identity issues is definitely societal.
Good interview with Philbin on MMQB.
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/08/28/nfl-joe-philbin-miami-dolphins-talking-football
Philbin obviously still has to prove himself on the sideline to gain more trust in his strategic abilities, both from fans and his players IMO, but this article offers me justifiable hope that he's genuinely grown as a coach. Unfortunately, they didn't get into specifics of his play calling or in-game coaching decisions in this interview, but they covered some interesting ground regarding his philosophical approach. It's been alluded to a couple of times upthread, but he's clearly working hard to do a better job of building relationships with his players, something he identified as a strength of his that he'd gotten away from after he became a head coach. Some other interesting takeaways:
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/08/28/nfl-joe-philbin-miami-dolphins-talking-football
Philbin obviously still has to prove himself on the sideline to gain more trust in his strategic abilities, both from fans and his players IMO, but this article offers me justifiable hope that he's genuinely grown as a coach. Unfortunately, they didn't get into specifics of his play calling or in-game coaching decisions in this interview, but they covered some interesting ground regarding his philosophical approach. It's been alluded to a couple of times upthread, but he's clearly working hard to do a better job of building relationships with his players, something he identified as a strength of his that he'd gotten away from after he became a head coach. Some other interesting takeaways:
- They've hired a full-time staff of psychologists to support players and keep them focused, etc. This stemmed from what Philbin identified as a lack of mental toughness by the team down the stretch in his previous years.
- He's tweaked the practice schedule for the regular season to lighten the load, both physically and mentally. He mentioned that the players are going to be in the building less.
- He thought the Tannehill comments about whether he would be starting in London last year took on a "life of their own," but admitted he could have handled that situation better.
- He specifically identified Greg Jennings as a guy he wished he'd brought in earlier.
- He worked as a correctional officer as a young man. Not terribly relevant to today, but still interesting.
- He personally does team bed checks. For some reason that amuses me.
https://twitter.com/caplannfl/status/637747219173634048
Adam Caplan basically saying what I kind of figured would happen anyways. Miami probably doesn't really need Albert back until Week 3 against Buffalo. They aren't going to try and rush him to be ready for Week 1. They should be able to get by Washington and Jacksonville with Fox at LT. They're going to make sure Albert 100% ready before he goes out there again.
Adam Caplan basically saying what I kind of figured would happen anyways. Miami probably doesn't really need Albert back until Week 3 against Buffalo. They aren't going to try and rush him to be ready for Week 1. They should be able to get by Washington and Jacksonville with Fox at LT. They're going to make sure Albert 100% ready before he goes out there again.
Let's hope Fox is healthy by then. Dallas Thomas as the LT is not a good time.
This team needs some OL depth so badly
Let's hope no one gets hurt. that's all I want to see tonight. Why even play Tannehill or the other starters?
This team needs some OL depth so badly
Let's hope no one gets hurt. that's all I want to see tonight. Why even play Tannehill or the other starters?
Aaaannnd......there goes Pouncey. Doesn't seem serious, but for the love of god don't send him out a 3rd time.Clears Cleaver said:
http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/08/29/dolphins-ol-dallas-thomas-is-motivated-confident-and-happy/
So Dallas Thomas has to be one of the top surprises so far this preseason. Coming into this season, he looked like the weakest link of the offensive line. If he can be even an average left guard, that's a big improvement over what I was expecting.
So Dallas Thomas has to be one of the top surprises so far this preseason. Coming into this season, he looked like the weakest link of the offensive line. If he can be even an average left guard, that's a big improvement over what I was expecting.
Everyone saying Pouncey will be ok. But no word on MRI. Ugh.
Matthews starting over Stills. That's five really nice WRs
Matthews starting over Stills. That's five really nice WRs
Also, conflicting reports about Albert. Armando insists the team has told him he'll be ready to go for week 1 despite Caplan saying he's out until week 3.Clears Cleaver said:
I'm kind of torn. While the O-line has been passable this preseason without him, you want to give yourself every chance to start the season strong, despite the supposedly lesser opposition. We've all seen Miami play down to some crap opponents too often in recent years. I lean toward starting the season with all your bullets to avoid digging yourself a hole. That's assuming they're confident he's 100% or darn close to it.sodenj5 said:
Positive news today with Pouncey's MRI coming back clean and him practicing today. Dodged a bullet there. Also, DeVante Parker will go through individual drills today. Still not a definite to go in Week 1, but progress nonetheless. With the way Tannehill has been throwing the ball, I'm salivating to see what a Parker, Stills, Landry lineup can do. Miami might be very good at WR for the next few years.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2015/08/monday-dolphins-notes-vets-deal-with-uncertainty-matthews-rises-pounceys-prediction-ongoing-battles-.html
According to Barry Jackson, the competition at RG currently belongs to Jamil Douglas. I've heard nothing but positives about Douglas thus far, while Turner has looked like the weakest link in the chain all camp. Turner still has potential, but coming from a small school, the learning curve was always going to be steep for him. Definitely a good guy to have on the roster as a backup.
Also, the news that Fields has been released is a bit surprising, but if you look into the numbers, the entire ST unit last year was abysmal. Miami finished dead last in terms of ST DVOA last year, but Sturgis was actually way worse than Fields was. I would be nervous if I were Caleb Sturgis.
According to Barry Jackson, the competition at RG currently belongs to Jamil Douglas. I've heard nothing but positives about Douglas thus far, while Turner has looked like the weakest link in the chain all camp. Turner still has potential, but coming from a small school, the learning curve was always going to be steep for him. Definitely a good guy to have on the roster as a backup.
Also, the news that Fields has been released is a bit surprising, but if you look into the numbers, the entire ST unit last year was abysmal. Miami finished dead last in terms of ST DVOA last year, but Sturgis was actually way worse than Fields was. I would be nervous if I were Caleb Sturgis.
Fields was horrible last year after three good years. Surges has never been good. Not saving a huge amount of $$ here...
Clears Cleaver said:
I think it's less about the money and more about the fact that Miami has been pretty bad on ST the last two seasons. I think the only reasons Sturgis is still on the roster is because Ireland was dumb enough to burn a 5th round pick on him amd there isn't an immediate veteran available that's a clear upgrade. They have a rookie Franks in camp that has a lot of leg, but has been a bit inconsistent as well.
Artical on Franks below:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/football/division-iii-to-nfl-kicker-andrew-franks-has-shot-/nnTX9/
sodenj5 said:
I've been pounding on this drum for a while. Not addressing the kicker situation before the regular season is the very definition of whistling past the graveyard. I think Franks would be an immediate upgrade on kickoffs, and I guess I'm a bit skeptical that he could be worse from an accuracy standpoint than Sturgis has been to date (career 77%).
I mean we're talking about a guy in Sturgis that was 56% beyond 40 yards last year (6/10 between 40-49 yards). That's just plain bad.
Tonight is the last preseason game. Some things to watch for:
- The battle to replace Delmas at safety. All signs point to Aikens being the guy, but I'm sure both Aikens and Thomas will get extended looks tonight.
- The battle for right guard. Again, this looks to be Douglas's job to lose, but I'm sure both he and BIlly Turner will see extra snaps, especially Douglas if he's going to be the starter. Sounds counterintuitive for the last preseason game, but as a rookie, and he can use the extra snaps. They did the same thing for James last season.
- LB seems to be settled with Sheppard in the middle and Misi outside. There are a bunch of young guys fighting for one or two spots including Zach Vigil, MIke Hull, and Jordan Tripp.
- I would like to see both LaMike James and Jay Ajayi get some extended time. MIller and Williams are locks, but James has had a great camp and Ajayi has been dinged up so I haven't seen a lot of him.
- Kicker. I would imagine Sturgis and Franks alternate duties tonight.
- Punter. See what the new guy has. I'll say I have no idea what he's capable of other than they say he's had a good camp.
Armando saying Will Davis is on the block. Likely the7th best cB and likely to be released
I suspect the Dolphins will be adding an OL, LB and maybe a K in the FA cutdown period
I suspect the Dolphins will be adding an OL, LB and maybe a K in the FA cutdown period
Davis with a pick in the 2nd quarter. Don't know if it'll increase his trade value, but it can't hurt.Clears Cleaver said:
Not much to show for it so far (near the end of the 1st half), but I'm glad to see this. 1) Because it means he's healthy. 2) Gives him some sorely missed experience at "game speed." Sure, he's matching up v. 3rd stringers and practice squad guys, but careers are on the line, so you know they'll at least be fired up.sodenj5 said:
What a sloppy game all around. James muffed the punt and handed the Bucs a TD and I was downhill from there.
Some positives:
Will Davis had 2 picks. He needed a big game to give the coaching staff a reason to keep him. I think he sticks now.
Parker got his feet wet, got his first reception, and made it out alive. Definitely a good sign that he's getting close to 100%.
Darr had a few exceptional punts and pinned Tampa at their 5 yard line 3 times with a coffin corner. Maybe we aren't doomed after all.
Jay Ajayi had a drive where he finally showed what he can do. Good to see him flash after being dinged up most of camp.
Some positives:
Will Davis had 2 picks. He needed a big game to give the coaching staff a reason to keep him. I think he sticks now.
Parker got his feet wet, got his first reception, and made it out alive. Definitely a good sign that he's getting close to 100%.
Darr had a few exceptional punts and pinned Tampa at their 5 yard line 3 times with a coffin corner. Maybe we aren't doomed after all.
Jay Ajayi had a drive where he finally showed what he can do. Good to see him flash after being dinged up most of camp.
Ajayi left the game with what was deemed a chest injury. Word is he has a fractured rib. This complicates things a little, as he wasn't expected to carry a heavy load, but be the third RB/possible goal line back due to his size. I don't think they put him on the IR and end his season, but he'll likely be unable to contribute for a month or so while the rib heals. Something Miami can afford to do from a RB depth standpoint, but he will be eating up a roster spot.
sodenj5 said:
He suffered a cracked rib last night. I bet the FO ends up putting him on the IR, saving someone else's roster spot in the process. They did the same with Gillislee his rookie year; and similarly, he really wasn't going to play much this season.
I like Will Davis. He's a bit of a freak athlete, still somewhat raw; but he makes plays. Of course, he needs to stay on the field. I could see the Fins going deep at CB -- Grimes, Taylor, McCain X2, Bowman, Davis, and Lippett (7) making the team. You got to expect/prepare for Taylor and Davis to miss some games this year; it's been their history.
sodenj5 said:
I think they shelve him for the year. I didn't see him in line for a heavy workload. D-Williams has firmly established himself as the primary backup to Miller, and James will get his touches, too. D-Thomas, Moreno, and Williams combined for only 100 carries last year behind Miller's 216.
Sorry, Sod' -- misread your post. I thought you said Ajayi was expected to have a heavy workload.
pdaj said:
I guess that's the tricky part. I mean, he probably sees <40 carries on the year, but he loses a lot of development time. Keep in mind Miller is a free agent going into next year. I think they're going to want to see Ajayi get some meaningful touches to see if he's part of the plan for the future. Due to his knee concerns, I don't think they can put all of their eggs into his basket, but it could be an Ajayi/Williams backfield if they let MIller go in 2016.
He could very well be Miami's designated IR recall guy. They can put him on ice for 6 weeks and bring him back if they wanted to go that route. I don't really see another candidate for that presently, as Miami has been relatively healthy thus far.
Reports are that Sturgis was cut, leaving the 'Phins with two rookie kickers to start the season. I'm a bit surprised but not terribly bothered considering their recent struggles on ST. I'm sure they'll keep a close eye on the pool of available veteran kickers if Franks struggles early. Paging mcaqua: you called it, or at least called for it. Nice work.
Much like our hopes for the OL, if this rookie tandem can at least perform at an average rate, I think we'd all be happy.
Much like our hopes for the OL, if this rookie tandem can at least perform at an average rate, I think we'd all be happy.
cut Don Jones and Sam Brenner, two guys I thought would make it. Let's hope they find at least one vet OL and LB who can supplant some of the flotsam on the 53
On the topic of Nick Saban with Miami, I was told an interesting story this weekend. One of our orthos did a fellowship with Andrews. He said that Andrews advised him that Brees' shoulder was in the worst shape he'd ever seen a football player have. Andrews had to put 16 anchors into the shoulder to repair it which is off the charts. However, he told Saban that after rehab he was miraculously back to normal and that he should sign him over Culpeper.
So, contrary to what Saban said on OTL today it was his choice not to sign Brees.
So, contrary to what Saban said on OTL today it was his choice not to sign Brees.
Brenner, Stoneburner, and Hull among 8 already signed to the practice squad.Clears Cleaver said:
http://m.miamidolphins.com/news/press-releases/article-1/PRESS-RELEASE-Dolphins-Sign-8-To-Practice-Squad/199711f4-ba11-4c87-9280-8708bae0b701
RedOctober3829 said:
several of the Miami media agree with that anecdote. Saban ran so fast...tough realization that everyone is just as smart and works just as hard as you
the practice squad looks fine. Lots of OL out there...there has to be an upgrade.
I fear that ST could be this team's undoing. Two rookie kickers and a couple of their ST players cut. the ST were atrocious for most of last year
Miami was the worst in the league last year in terms of ST. They literally can't be any worse. Franks should be an immediate improvement on kickoffs. Darr banged the few punts I saw. The key is consistency.Clears Cleaver said:
I think everyone in that facility knows this is a make or break season for the organization. They have salary cap room this year, so I feel like they truly had a competition for the jobs in earnest, and these two young guys won the jobs over the incumbents. No hidden agendas or salary cap shenanigans.
Miami signed Jonas Gray to their practice squad. He started in Miami originally. Interesting because he might actually be the second or third best RB on the roster behind Miller and maybe slightly behind Williams. I'm surprised no one signed him as a backup at least. As a member of the practice squad, any team can sign him and put him on their 53 man roster. I imagine they're debriefing him pretty quickly on the Patriot offense. He's good insurance to have while Ajayi is on the mend.
In other news, Miami is ridiculously deep at WR and RB.
In other news, Miami is ridiculously deep at WR and RB.
I'd be surprised if Gray's grasp of the playbook extends beyond "run right through the Colts defense."sodenj5 said:
Not a knock on his intelligence but that's pretty much what he was asked to do
steveluck7 said:
Belichick did the same thing last year with Don Jones. Whether or not teams get anything tangible out of it is certainly questionable, but it can't hurt. Plus, like I said, he's decent insurance if no one signs him off of Miami's PS.
Jones played a lot last year on special teams for the Patriots. I generally think signing a competitor's players doesn't provide any information a guy like Belichick can't get on film anyway.sodenj5 said:
It seems as if Branden Albert is going to start Sunday. When asked, he told reporters that he's been practicing with the first team all week, so that was his answer. Albert's presence makes the line much better because they can keep people where they belong. James stays at RT, Pouncey stays at C, Thomas stays at LG and Billy Turner stays on the bench. My only concern is that he's hopefully not coming back too soon, but either way it will be good to see the big man back out there. Even if he's at 80% of where he was last year, that's a huge improvement over the alternatives.
WIth the game against the Redskins approaching on Sunday, I'll just leave this gem here from Bleacher Report on why Washington must trade up for RGIII instead of selecting Tannehill:
Whoops.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1084330-if-redskins-use-sixth-overall-pick-on-ryan-tannehill-they-can-kiss-fans-goodbye
Whoops.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1084330-if-redskins-use-sixth-overall-pick-on-ryan-tannehill-they-can-kiss-fans-goodbye
After receiving zero snaps in preseason, I'm surprised Albert's starting on Sunday. He's truly one of the most important players on the team, so it's a no-brainer that the staff believes he's ready to go; but conditioning could be an issue for a bit. It'll be interesting to see how he performs in the 3rd and 4th quarters. I'm concerned about his ability to stay healthy -- but that's going to be a fear of mine all year.
I'm really, really excited for the season to start.
I'm really, really excited for the season to start.
part of it is jason fox is still not cleared from his concussion THREE WEEKS ago. they may need to find another tackle
Skins running left every play. Gaping holes
And dolphins fail third and one again.
Rinse. Lather. Repeat
And dolphins fail third and one again.
Rinse. Lather. Repeat
I'm done with this team. worst performance of the Philbin era, that's saying something. Ridiculous effort and staff/roster construction.
redskins have more yards than dolphins had possession in seconds
here's a little secret...Wake and OV suck. Neither should be in except situational pass rush. And the Sheppard/Vigil MLB is a joke.
the guards are getting killed. they have created no running space and have been blown backwards on pass plays
and Tannehill has missed two TD passes to wide open WRs while on the move (his former strength)
redskins have more yards than dolphins had possession in seconds
here's a little secret...Wake and OV suck. Neither should be in except situational pass rush. And the Sheppard/Vigil MLB is a joke.
the guards are getting killed. they have created no running space and have been blown backwards on pass plays
and Tannehill has missed two TD passes to wide open WRs while on the move (his former strength)
It's been a long time since I've had this much anxiety, excitement, anger and every other emotion watching a Dolphins opener.
I guess that's the product of actually having some expectations...
That TD drive was a neccessity heading into the half. Another TD drive here to start the half would be huge, so hopefully my emotions can skew back toward the positive, as opposed to the rage that filled mewhile watching most of that first half.
I guess that's the product of actually having some expectations...
That TD drive was a neccessity heading into the half. Another TD drive here to start the half would be huge, so hopefully my emotions can skew back toward the positive, as opposed to the rage that filled mewhile watching most of that first half.
I'm not on the ledge yet, but there's no doubt that 95% of that 1st half was excruciating to watch. Just getting abused at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. And their tackling......just putrid. The only guys who look like they came to play are Brent Grimes and Rashad Jones, and even Jones has had a couple of serious lapses.Clears Cleaver said:
I'll give the offense a pass since they've barely had the ball. But the D has been a bitter disappointment.
Matthews drops first down pass and next play is a disaster fumble. Guards again abused. They are trying really hard to lose
Jordan Cameron has been fun to watch. he gets open.
Jordan Cameron has been fun to watch. he gets open.