Another sign of rebuilding
The Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts pulled off a trade yesterday that sent Miami’s cornerback Vontae Davis to the Colts for a 2013 2nd round pick and a conditional undisclosed late round pick. The Colts were banged up in the secondary, and Davis fell out of favor with the Dolphins coaching staff because of lack of conditioning, attitude problems, and the acquisition of CB Richard Marshall. As a result these two sides both felt they made a great deal, which will help each of them to become a better team.
The main reason I am not thrilled with the trade is because the Dolphins secondary unit is probably their weakest unit on the team, along with their receivers. Once again this year, phins news fans get to sit back and watch the Dolphins brass, trade away a solid player at an already weak position. Ireland traded away WR Brandon Marshall to the Bears this off season for two third round picks, after only two years ago trading away two 2nd rounders to Denver to acquire him. As a result football gambling fans can agree that the Dolphins now have a major hole in their receiving unit. Now after three preseason games, where the Dolphins secondary has looked like a piece of swiss cheese, they decide to trade away former first round pick Vontae Davis. Obviously the coaching staff was unhappy with his attitude, however, lets not forget that he has 9 interceptions in his three seasons with the Dolphins. Davis has a knack for the ball, something football gambling fans can admit that the rest of the Dolphins secondary is lacking. Davis is a gamer, and will be a big boost in Indy. Now it is safe to say we have another hole at the CB spot. Also if any phins news fans saw the last preseason game against the Falcons, they will admit that Richard Marshall did not exhibit lights out corner back skills. I saw him get beat soundly at least twice. Oh, and lets not forget that the Dolphins spent a 1st round selection on Davis and are now only getting a 2nd round pick and maybe some garbage pick in the 6th or 7th round in return.
The one positive thing is that, the Dolphins are stock pilling picks (check out what Phinnation.com thinks the Dolphins will do with the extra picks this year) for next year, something that the Patriots have done over the past few years, which has worked out for them. However, the problem for phins news fans is that as long as GM Jeff Ireland is making the decisions of who will be selected with the draft picks, then the Dolphins are still going to be in trouble. Yes, it is obvious to football gambling fans that the Dolphins are in clear rebuilding mode when, they go out and trade two valuable assets that play positions that the team is already deficient at. Now the Dolphins are even weaker at CB and WR, before the 2012 season even starts and sorry phins news fans, but that is a fact. It is true that now we have additional draft picks to address these two positions, but if Ireland is not going to stop trying to bunt is way on base, instead of swinging for the fences, then it doesn’t matter how many picks the Dolphins horde. Next year the Dolphins better be using their 1st five picks (1 in 1st, 2 in 2nd, 2 in 3rd) on the wide receiver position and the secondary.
What Philbin is doing may work for a church congregation, a club, school, etc. but the NFL is non of these and the players are professional performers.
The huge miscalculation Philbin is making here is a bit naive…that he could be effective and successful in today’s NFL by only having players LIKE HIM around HIM.
Philbin is a midwesterner – Wisconsin at that – and ridding the roster of talent because of “fit” which is code for “I don’t like them nor trust them” is not realistic with the elite talented athletes every team needs to have on the roster in order to win.
Dolphin opponents have had success with divas, personas, past “trouble makers” rightly or wrongly labeled. Bill Belicheck comes to mind, Jimmy Johnson, and others. The jettison of Chad Johnson is proof that its not about behavior – nor performance for that matter – THIS IS PERSONAL – and therein lies the fatal flaw of this coach.
In today’s NFL, you have to realize you’re not dealing with boyscouts. Many have criminal records, grown up in broken homes/families, can’t read beyond an 8th grade level, came from desperate poverty – and these players are typically very young and still developing their maturity into adulthood.
To expect a bunch of boyscouts as NFL players with no symptoms from their background and upbringing, and nuvo riche post contract signing…is plain dumb and reaks of ignorant naivite – which by the way one must question why Philbin has been an assistant for over 30 years?
I believe that you do need a couple boyscouts on the team, perhaps one could even make the case that you need them at certain positions i.e. QB…I’ll buy into that – partially given the recent track record of 1st round busts at that position. But this is far different from thinking you can build a winning roster where everybody looks, thinks, and reflects your own personal morals and attitudes.
Until Ross, or whomever buys the team, hires an legit leader, experienced NFL HC, and GM, this franchise will continue to wallow in … chronic failure.
Well said Phinfreak, I was thinking about this when Philbin, first cut Chad Johnson. Then when they shipped vontae, I was feeling the same way as you. This are grown men, and most of them had rough upbringings, and would even be considered thugs. Now they are receiving paychecks each week that are more then they have ever seen in their lives. The result is inflated egos, and guys thinking they are above the law, and other people, this is the down side of professional sports where players get paid multi-million dollar salaries. Then add into the mix that most of these divas are getting paid more then the men whom are coaching them, and there is going to be some attitudes that don’t jive together. Yes some attitudes and personalities can not coincide together, however, some can be adjusted and need to be tamed, because the player’s playmaking ability is more valuable to the team, then his personality is detrimental to it. Like you said, you need a couple of boyscouts, and at certain positions, such as the QB spot. But it is ok to have some problem children, as long as their production on the field exceeds their issues. Look around the league, most of the best receivers are divas, but it is a necessary evil. Every team has some outcasts, so I am all for having a few bad attitudes, as long as they help us win. At the end of the day as a Dolphin fan, I just want to see them win, I don’t care if it is a team made of choir boys or criminals, I just want to see the Dolphins win a Super Bowl before I die. Good example of a group of misfits or questionable character guys winning a championship is the 86 mets. A great book to read is “The Bad Guys Won” by Jeff Pearlman, about the 86 Mets. I’ll take a team like that in a heart beat as long as they win!