2012 NFL Preview: Miami Dolphins
By Editorial Staff
Miami Dolphins
Front Office:
Owner: Stephen M. Ross
GM: Jeff Ireland
C+: Owner Stephen Ross is all about show business and not enough about football business. Celebrities having partial ownership of the football team???? You know what fans want Mr. Ross? Victories, start focusing on that. Ross did employ Parcells so I will lay off a little. GM Jeff Ireland is a hard ass like Parcells with one big difference, Ireland hasn’t won anything. I do like Ireland’s approach on the trenches though. If they had a QB this team could compete…different team but same predicament as many others QB less teams.
Coaching Staff
HC: Tony Sparano
OC: Brian Daboll
DC: Mike Nolan
C+: Sparano and Daboll are semi productive but are extremely boring coaches. I do not know if their system will work in today’s high flying football. It requires too much perfection and does not allow one to come back if their team is down by too many points. Mike Nolan is perhaps the best DC in football today. His system takes a little while to learn but once the team grasps it they are a force. Sparano’s downfall will be his lack of finding an innovative OC that can get the most of this limited offense.
QB: C
Chad Henne is vanilla…not vanilla bean or vanilla with chocolate sauce….straight up vanilla. Henne is limited and not exciting. He works okay as long as he gets adequate protection and the run game is doing well. When pressed into action Henne is a turnover machine. A young signal caller is needed soon.
RB: B-
In Daniel Thomas and Ronnie Brown the Dolphins have two solid, yard churning Running Backs. What the duo lacks is a game changer. Their running style will be complemented by a physical OL, but I will not give them a higher grade till they acquire someone who will make DC account for them.
WR/TE C
Brandon Marshall could be an elite WR if he committed himself to the game and his GF to an asylum. Marshall is a distraction like many other Wide Receivers. Marshall is not the total problem though. The Dolphins have lacked consistent #2 WR. Brian Hartline can be a deep threat but he drops too many passes and disappears for too long. Davone Bess is a great slot WR. I like Edmond Gates, 4th round selection, from Abilene Christian. Gates needs to work on strength and route running but will be good in a few years. At TE Fasano is rock solid but does not scare anyone….seeing a trend???
OL: B+
Pouncey, Incognito, and Jerry form a very big, physical interior OL. Vernon Carey is a good RT. This group’s leader and best OL is Jake Long. It pains me to credit U of M players but he is a franchise type player capable of engulfing anyone.
DL: B+
Randy Starks is a very versatile DL capable of dominating at NT or either DE spots. Paul Soliai is showing hints of being one of the top NT in the league. Kendall Langford is both a solid pass rusher and dominate run defender. This is a great staring DL who also has great depth in Odrick, Merling, and others.
LB: B/B+
Both Cameron Wake and Karlos Dansby are game changers. I hesitate to give the Dolphins more than a B though because while Crowder and Misi are solid, neither impacts the game much. The Dolphins also lack any real depth. If they could get a solid pass rusher and move Misi inside than this would be a dominating group.
DB: B-
This group is capable of a better score. Vontae Davis flashes elite skills and going into year 3 he might capitalize on them. Sean Smith is solid but needs to make more big plays. Yeremiah Bell is very capable SS who is good vs. both run and pass. FS has two young players who need to seize their opportunity or be replaced: Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons.
2011 NFL Draft:
I think Mike Pouncey is a great fit but I think this team needed more of an impact position…pass rusher or game changing skill position…or a QB. Daniel Thomas, once again, is a great fit for this team. I don’t know if fitting this offense is a good thing. I liked Edmund Gates and he might give them big play opportunity. Rest of draft was lacking. C+
Offensive/ Defensive Sleepers
Davon Bess. He is becoming an elite slot WR. You do not know this because the Dolphins passing attack is not very good. Besides Welker he is the #2 slot WR in the NFL. On a high octane offense he would be racking up numbers. I predict 84 rec, 789 yards, and 4 TD’s.
If Sean Smith simply caught a fourth of his potential interceptions he would be a house known name. He breaks up a ton of passes and is solid vs. the run. My guess with his contract coming up he improves this ability. Maybe he gets 3 interceptions.
2012 Season Prediction:
In a league where teams without elite Quarterbacks get left behind I cannot see the Dolphins doing better than 7-8 wins. Sure this team will occasionally win 10-11 but they do not score enough to do it every year or even every other year. I am sorry Dolphin fans but it’s the truth….on the positive side if they do acquire a franchise QB the Dolphins have a good team and could be a force.