The release of Suh is a strong sign that the Fins finally get it
Suh is a business 1st and football 2nd kinda’ guy. When it gets tough, he reverts to type
The reports are everywhere: the Miami Dolphins will release DT Ndamukong Suh on Wednesday.
In less than a year the Dolphins will have traded or released three Pro Bowl players (Suh, Landry, and Ajayi). Up until this point, the Fins have been trashed for letting Ajayi and Landry go. I too shook my head at how the Landry situation ended…
But with Suh’s release, the worm is on the verge of turning. The Dolphins may have finally figured it out… winning franchises never choose talent at the sacrifice of culture.
It seems that Miami’s rock-bottom 2017 Season was exactly what the doctor ordered. Mike Tannenbaum may have finally had an epiphany: CAP responsibility is crucial and talent alone isn’t enough.
Adam Gase must not be forgotten in this. In 2016, Gase made sushi out a few dead-weight players on the Fins roster. His brash moves endeared him to fans. It was also Gase that made the ballsy call to move on from Jay Ajayi, so it’s very likely that he spearheaded this purge. If so, good for him, for we fans, and for the Dolphins future.
Even if you don’t see it now, when the shock subsides, you will. At the very least this ends Miami’s ‘surround a few good players with some warm bodies’ theory of team building.
Miami didn’t lack talent… they lacked leaders and chemistry
The reality is, having the right philosophy is only half the puzzle. Execution of that philosophy, and the iron will to stick to it, is the determiner on whether a dream becomes a reality. But… it first starts with the plan, and this is the right plan… FINALLY! At least now we have a shot at success, even if there’s no guarantee.
Initially, I scoffed at Suh’s release. A savings of $3.9 million seemed paltry for his elite play. But this view was before I understood that they could designate him as a Post June 1st cut and thus save far more than $3.9 million for FA. I can get behind that. On a side note, it also feeds into my belief that Vita Vea will be the Dolphins pick at #11 if Mayfield doesn’t make it to them. But this is likely just my love of Vea’s play… or the ghosts that haunt me on not trading up for Ngata and passing on Wilfork. So don’t book it with any white label pay per head bookie software solutions.
Believe it or not, beyond the hype, this FO has nailed a lot of low-priced purchases and back-end picks. Chirs Grier, if you look at his work objectively, has been quite good. Plenty will say Miami can’t draft or find talent. I disagree and wrote about it here.
It’s the big spends in FA where Miami has flopped.
I (like most sane fans) have had serious doubts about Tannenbaum. I thought the chances were high that Tannenbaum would pull a Jeff Ireland to save his job. That was my biggest concern. But the Maxwell dump, the Ajayi and Landry trades, and now the Suh release offer strong indications that the ‘buy a winner’ approach is going the way of the Dodo Bird in South Florida. Maybe it’s Gase’s call, or Ross’s, or the Trifecta as a whole. Whoever made the decision, it’s the right plan going forward.
So what’s the plan?
- H.C. is at the top of the food chain… and even if you’re a star player, cross him and you’re gone.
- Fill the roster with good talent for good prices at the sacrifice of expensive elite players.
- Find leaders to help the H.C. run a tight ship.
- Don’t drop a ton on a single player who isn’t a QB.
- Only accept players who are team-oriented, football-first guys.
- Build a team with CAP responsibility, make more good evaluations than not, and W’s will come.
This is the theory at least.
The practical side is: If the Phins can match their 2017 success in draftees, UDFA’s, and low-cost pickups, then you will see a much better team in 2018, despite the loss of some star talent.
You scoff? Just consider Ja’Wuan James being replaced by Sam Young as the test model. Young isn’t near the same level of talent. Most thought it would be an utter disaster. Instead, his production was far better. Consistency and chemistry were the winning factors. This is the format that needs to be rinsed and repeated this season. And then maybe, just maybe, the albatross will be removed from the mariner’s neck. Go Phins!
