Phins 2018 ‘Locker Room Enema Theory’
Phins are out with the old and in with the new: ‘Locker Room Enema Theory’
Phins 2017: ‘Keep Your Own’… 2018: ‘Good Culture = Replace Your Own’
The Phins last offseason was based on the philosophy of rewarding their own players. They paid handsomely to forge a ‘winning culture’ with Kiko Alonso, Kenny Stills, Andre Branch, Cameron Wake, and Reshad Jones.
This was the line fed Phins fans in 2017.
Phinsnews admits having eaten it up like syrup-drenched hotcakes with a side of bacon. On the surface, it looked a much better strategy than from years past. The title of ‘Winners of the Offseason’ as the biggest spender in Free Agency proved itself a complete dead end. Who wasn’t glad to be done with it. So it took very little to buy into the new philosophy. Although, Branch’s contract did take a little more syrup to swallow it.
Of course, by the end of the abomination that was the 2017 Season, half these contracts proved to be poor moves.
Hitting into the rough is par for the course in Dolphins land. At least we’re consistent.
But never fear… this offseason, the philosophy has changed again and for the better! The 2017 Season is all about ‘changing the culture’… and it’s going to make all the difference. Really!
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Will this new philosophy be a winner?
To get this ‘correct culture’ Miami jettisoned 4 former Pro Bowlers: Ajayi, Suh, Landry, and Pouncey. The new line being fed to fans is while they were the team’s best players, they were too difficult and weren’t leaders. So in the team’s best interest, they had to go: Addition by subtraction… Patriots style. If you can’t beat ’em join ’em.
Of course, there were money considerations involved in this as well… but let’s stick with the company line for a bit longer.
Truth be told, none of us spent every day in the locker room from minicamp to the end of the season. We’ll never know the extent of the problems these players caused… that is, in relation to the money they commanded. So we loyal, diehards we can accept it as gospel or gripe about it… either way we have to wait to be proved right or wrong.
In principle, Phinsnews can buy into this ‘locker room enema’… in theory
So now Miami has ditched all the headaches and acquired other team’s free agents who’ll be the saviors. Josh Sitton, Daniel Kilgore, Danny Amendola, and Frank Gore are the ‘team guys’ who’ll clean up a messy locker room.We all can only hope.
However, a crimp in the program is that they’re all over 30 yrs old. Miami hasn’t proved to be a lucky team over the last couple of decades. In any pro sport, especially in the NFL, getting older after 30 is never a positive attribute. You can bet with a price per head that soon as one of these FA’s gets injured, age will be the talk of the town. Will that chatter distract the locker room? Now imagine what will be said if more than one goes down.
Culture matters, but have the Phins found the right culture…and can it overcome lost talent?
Football is the most violent sport on the planet. Most careers begin to nosedive once they hit thirty. Three of the four Pro Bowlers Miami lost to get these ‘old men’ were still in their twenties. Miami has become much older. But did they get much wiser? Will it be wise enough to overcome the loss of some true studs? To be fair though, Pouncey’s hips made him much older than he was and Wilson is a young guy. So let’s not be too jaded.
Adding a bunch of veterans works for the Patriots because they are a Super Bowl contender nearly every season. They have a proven track record and cred enough to shrug off misses in personnel evaluation. However, shouldn’t a team that was 6-10 the previous season normally should be looking to get younger, not older.
This regime has pushed all their chips of credibility into the middle of the table. It’s ‘win big or go home’ time. I’m good with that… just as I’ll be good to see them move on if they flop.
Miami will ride or die with their latest philosophy
Fair questions linger: Should a franchise import other teams culture? Shouldn’t culture grow from within an organization? The answer COULD very well be that Gase is just trying to accelerate the process.
When Gase was first hired the talk was that he’d install a new and better culture to this organization. Gase’s player purge midseason in 2016 spurred a run to the postseason and made you think it was more than just talk.
Desperation has now forced them to reevaluate and install what should have been installed in 2016.
Unanswered questions are many:
- Was Gase strapped from the beginning with players he didn’t want? He seemed happy with them at the time. Maybe he was just running a company line?
- Was exceeding expectations putting lipstick on a pig? Who was the pig the talent, coaching or both?
- Was poor evaluation the major culprit? If so, who was at fault? Has it been corrected?
Whatever. Everone deserves a mulligan. Gase is a young coach and I get it from his side. Not sure what Tannenbaum’s excuse is… if there is one. But there’s no doubt we are in the 4th Quarter of this regime, down double digits.
Slice it however you like. Gase and Co. are silently admitting that their homegrown culture sucks and needs a shot in the ass. In theory, it makes all the sense in the world. But let’s see how it pans out on the practical side before they get the boot. The fact that it took 3 seasons to arrive at this evaluation gives even the most hopeful cause for concern. Can this regime be trusted to know what they are doing this time around? For Phinsnews, if this draft goes well, then we’ll play the fool by believing for one more season… what the hell else can we do? After that we break out the torches… Go Phins!!!
Number one picked trade back to the twenty’s for instance with the Buffalo Bills at the Bills 21st picked: Would warrant the Dolphins 450 points total warranting 370 points for A number 2—52 points for A 4th round—28 points for a 5th rounder. Chances are Edmund or Vea etc would be in the Twenties.
Scenario:
11 1250 Miami Dolphins 2018
Number one pick: Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Linebacker
Second Picked: Da’Ron Payne Alabama defensive tackle
Second Picked: DJ Moore Maryland W/R
Third Picked: Luke Falk Quarterback
Fourth Picked: Royce Freeman Running Back
Fourth Picked: Troy Fumagalli Wisconsin Sr TE 6 6-6 249
5th round trading the first round (171. Dallas Cowboys—Cedrick Wilson WR Boise State
6th round Picked: Free Safety
6th round Picked: 331 Nic Shimonek Texas Tech Sr QB 17 6-3 225
7th Round picked: Kicker Daniel Carlson Auburn PK
TTH Round picked: Brian Allen Michigan St OC 6’1″
I don’t think these 3 Amigos have thrown in the towel yet! They can turn this thing around.
Currently our AFC Conference long-standing rival; arch-enemy. the New England Patriots 2018 draft is listed below. This draft the Pat’s have two 1st round picks and two 2nd round picks. (This is A+)
Counter Move Miami Trade back into the early twenties will give us (another 2nd round pick + another 4th round pick, another 5th etc. Which would give us the best chance to Beat the Pat’s.
Just another reason why the Dolphins should trade back in this draft. (Why gamble with A single player at pick the 11th picked?
1-23-23 New England (from Los Angeles Rams)
1-31-31 New England
2-11-43 New England (from San Francisco
2-31-63 New England
3-31-95 New England
6-24-198 New England (from Los Angeles Rams)
6-36-210 New England (from Oakland; Compensatory Selection)
7- 1-219 New England (from Cleveland)
1-11-11 Miami
2-10-42 Miami
3- 9-73 Miami
4-23-123 Miami (from Cleveland through Carolina)
4-31-131 Miami (from New England through Philadelphia)
6-35-209 Miami (from LA Rams through Kansas City; Compensatory Selection)
7- 9-227 Miami (from San Francisco)
7-11-229 Miami
First round: No. 11 overall
Second round: No. 42 overall
Third round: No. 73 overall
Fourth round: No. 123 overall, No. 131
Fifth round: No selection (traded to New Orleans for Stephone Anthony)
Sixth round: No. 209 overall
Seventh round: No. 227 overall, No. 229 overall
This stuff is not Rocket Science!
The Dolphins can go after both QB’s Nic in the late rounds and Allen in the un-drafted. Both can sit behind Tannehill for a season. Both QB’s Nic and Allen in the long run will out perform the top 5 QB’s in this 2018 Draft. I don’t think no one in this draft can throw the deep pass as well as Nic and no one in this draft is better throwing underneath like Allen has proven.
332 Nic Shimonek Texas Tech Sr QB 17 6-3 225
342 Austin Allen Arkansas Sr QB 18 6-1 209
I’ll do some research on Nic… again, I agree that a trade back is a good option, but Edmunds, Minka, or Vea could be elite. I’ve been doing some research in Hurst… I know Dunner likes him… he i very intriguing.
Admin
Here’s the scenerio staying at spot number 11
11 1250 Miami Dolphins 2018
———————————————————————————–
Scenario:
First round: No. 11 overall
1. Vita Vea or Edmunds (Who both can be selected around 19th to late 20’s
Second round: No. 42 overall
Rashaan Evans Alabama Sr ILB
Third round: No. 73 overall
73 Mark Andrews Oklahoma Jr TE 3 6-5 253
Fourth round: No. 107 overall, No. 121-128 (from Philadelphia, hinges on playoffs)
120 Rashaad Penny San Diego St Sr RB 11 5-11 220
124 Coleman Shelton Washington Sr C 7 6-4 297
Fifth round: No selection (traded to New Orleans for Stephone Anthony)
Sixth round: No. 169 overall
171 Josey Jewell Iowa Sr ILB 8 6-2 236
Seventh round: No. 199 overall (from Tampa Bay because of a 2017 draft trade), No. 203 overall
7th kicker
7th TE
I like it… Penny and Andrews would be a nice middle of the draft stocking filling… I wouldn’t go C though if another position is there. I’m reading that Gase’s said his scheme put too much on Pouncey last season and he scaled it back… I’m thinking he will put a lot of responsibility on Sitton this season and maybe Davis so C wouldn’t be THE key factor… that would make Brendel a good enough back up. I really want a QB in this draft… you really need numbers of them over a few years too find a good one. It’s kinda the problem Miami has 3 top picks and 4 positions, maybe 5, to fill with them. Again, that’s why your trade back has weight. They def. only need one LB, so if they went Edmunds that second would open up the 2 for another position. Man, dunner has me hooked on Hurst… I was a huge fan of John Randle… he was right there with Barry and Marino as far as biggest influences on me… I’m very intrigued by Hurst… they could, as Dunner said, get Edmunds #11 and hurst at #42… but I have a weird feeling he’ll go higher than that… he seems to be a big under the radar guy right now due to the medical… but it’s been cleared I’m hearing… building a film stock to study him… damn you DUNNER… more work…
Great Work Admin
I agree that we should draft a QB in every draft until we have Two Pro Bowl Starting Quarterbacks.
The problem with the Dolphins is when it comes down to the Quarterback the Organization and many Fans are too loyal to NON Pro Bowl NON Supper Bowl QB’s.
This organization needs to grow a PAIR! (STOP BRINGING IN RETIRED, READY TO RETIRE,ANOTHER TEAMS BENCH WARMERS TO COMPETE FOR A QUARTERBACK JOB IN SOUTH BEACH.
THEIR ARE TOO MANY SECOND TO 3RD ROUND QUARTERBACKS IN EVERY DRAFT WHO WITHOUT A QUESTIONED CAN START. THE BOTTOM LINE WITH THE QB THE DOLPHINS ORGANIZATION IS LIVING IN DENIAL AND WILL CONTINUE TO SCRATCHED THEIR HEADS UNTIL ANOTHER OWNER COME IN WHO REALLY WANTS TO WIN, CHANGED THE CULTURE.
THE PATRIOTS WILL MOST LIKELY DRAFT A QB IN THE FIRST ROUND THEY HAVE TWO PICKS IN THE FIRST.