-by Erick Coleman

The Miami Dolphins are a fractured franchise. Mistake after mistake after mistake have been made in regards to the once storied franchise; those mistakes have begun to pile up like bodies needing to be buried into a mass grave. The Miami Dolphins have not had sustained success in quite a while. Oh sure, the Dolphins would wow the NFL with the occasional 11-5 record and then proceed with a second round explosion heard all the way around the world. Not since the days of Don Shula has this franchise been able to hold it’s head high, and the hanging head started well before Shula left.

In looking at the immediate time, one would think that the Miami Dolphins would take a history lesson from the past. It was not long ago that the 1995 Miami Dolphins took to the field. Led by Dan Marino and backed by what seemed to be a former first round draft pick at every position, those Dolphins self destructed to a 9-7 record and a abysmal first round defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. What lines can be drawn between the 1995 and 2006 Miami Dolphins? Some teams are built for show and some teams built for go. The 1995 Miami Dolphins were the “sexy” choice to dominate the National Football League. Most picked them to win the AFC easily. Up and down the roster stood names that were the “who’s who” of almost every position. Now take a look at the 2006 Miami Dolphins. Former all pro quarterback Daunte Culpepper. All-pro wide receiver Chris Chambers. Former 1,000 yard receiver Marty Booker. Overall second round draft pick Ronnie Brown. All-world Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor. Former all-pro Vonnie Holliday and Kevin Carter. Look familiar?

Don Shula didn’t understand the salary cap. The “keys” to the franchise were handed over to Jimmy Johnson. A lot of coaches were overlooked in the hiring process of 1996: Andy Reid, Mike Holmgren and Bill Cowher, to name a few. Who were these guys? Against the bright lights of Jimmy Johnson’s successes in the college ranks and with the Dallas Cowboys, they weren’t the “sexy pick.” Jimmy Johnson was a coach that, like Shula, had not experienced life as a National League Football coach under the constraints of the salary cap. Jimmy Johnson rode one trade to fame, a trade that he didn’t even broker. The Miami Dolphins paid dearly for that decision. They paid for it with the names Yatil Green, Karim Abdul-Jabbar, John Avery and more. Under Jimmy Johnson’s direction every team in the AFC East won the division. Every team…except Miami. The New England Patriots, the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts. That is a very impressive failure for a guy of Johnson’s reputation.

Ironically enough, Miami started to turn things around under a coach that is now consider taboo: Dave Wannstedt. A savior by no means, Wannstedt accomplished more with less. He didn’t have Dan Marino’s arm to ride as did Jimmy Johnson. He inherited a mess in regards to salary cap and had to turn to career journeymen at critical positions; Lamar Smith, Jay Fiedler, etc led Miami further into the playoffs than Don Shula had in over a decade and Jimmy Johnson was able to do, period. Wannstedt picked up where Johnson left off in regards to coaching decisions and draft acquisitions, however. The mistakes continued to pile up. Wannstedt was also not immune to the calling of a big name “quick fix,” trading for running back Ricky Williams. Williams pilled up the yards in his freshmen year with Miami, eager to make a good and lasting first impression. The next year he never regained the same form. A handful of failed drug tests and the Candian Football League later, Williams is gone in a puff of smoke.

In late 2004 the Miami Dolphins had a unique chance to turn things around. Defensive coordinator Jim Bates had the Dolphins playing out the meaningless games of that season with the swagger of a team that was much better than the record indicated. The risky thing would be been to hire on Bates, a guy that got his player’s attention. The fans of the league, however, would have said “Jim Who?” The networks wouldn’t have been impressed. The season ticket holders wouldn’t have been impressed. Lured by the big name, yet again, the Dolphins turned to LSU’s Nick Saban. Miami also put entirely too much player control on to Saban’s lap, an effort that has failed time and time again with other franchises. Nick Saban, in true over controlling fashion, has already made player choices that will challenge the Miami Dolphins for years to come. Going against medical advice, Daunte Culpepper was chosen over Drew Brees. Joey Harrington was brought in as a backup player. Quarterback has been a sore spot for the Miami Dolphins for a long time, however opportunties have been missed along the way. Certain areas of the Miami Dolphins are woefully undermanned. The offensive line is one and the defense is rapidly aging. Miami has a huge salary cap number tied up in Culpepper and Ronnie Brown alone.

Further “big names” have been brought in as well in the coaching ranks. Mike Mularkey, who could not succeed as a head coach. Dom Capers, who could not succeed as a head coach. Mularkey’s offense has been stale, to state the least. Dom Capers defenses are more a product of the veteran talent on that side of the ball versus coaching skill. With the abundance of the defensive money tied up in aging superstars Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor, Kevin Cater, et all; Miami has been unable to sign an average defensive backfield. Miami’s commitment to the blitz in the 2006 season is an indication of this, and the Jets exploitation of that defense yesterday further demonstatres the balance shift.

In a lot of ways that Miami wanted, trading for Culpepper worked. Miami was spoken about again as a “favorite.” The television networks scheduled the Dolphins for nationally broadcast games. Revenue begin to pour in from season ticket holders and luxary box owners, excited to watch Miami return to the glory land. I wonder when the Miami Dolphins fan base will finally have enough of buying Wayne Huizenga’s fools gold. I used to believe that Huizenga wanted a champion as badly as the fans that follow the Miami Dolphins every step. Thankfully that naive nature, at least within me, is beginning to die.

When things break in your home there are some items that can be patched and repaired. Some that require over hauling and some that require a complete replacement. The Miami Dolphins, as a franchise, is a house that is being heated with a faulty furnace. The smart talking sales man Jimmy Johnson sold Miami a bunch of parts that made the furnace sound like it was working. The shining new door (Daunte Culpepper) gives the false illusion that the furnace will be okay in the future. Meanwhile, on the inside, the furnace is rotting away. Soon it will catch fire and bring the house down along for the ride.

Like the 2005 season, I am quite sure that something will happen towards the end of the season to make people feel hopeful about next year. Those people won’t be thinking about the fact that Miami will be out of the running to draft a true future quarterback because of the commitment to a “name brand.” The offensive line will continue to struggle and help won’t be on the way. Every year the Dolphins manage to trade away the real picks of value, the second and third rounds. Those picks are gone, and they aren’t coming back. Blown draft picks, bad hiring and mistake after mistake with free agent signings have caught up to the Miami Dolphins. In another year the shine will be off coach Nick Saban. He isn’t the next Bill Belichick, no matter how much people want him to be. The next Bill Belichick might have very well been under Miami’s own nose last year in Scott Linnehan.

If the Miami Dolphins were a “normal” business, say Microsoft, and made the types of errors that they have in that world, they would be defunct now. In the “real” world you can only stumble so many times before the board of directors smells a rat and replaces you. It’s different in the sports world, a world where the “ohhh’s” and “ahhhh’s” come with the “big splash.” Sports Illustrated picks you to win the Super Bowl. You sell more tickets. You make more money. And, as the Dolphins are showing again this year, you fall flat on your face.

But chin up, Miami Dolphins’ fans. Once Miami finishes the season this year with a 7-9 record, winning the last three meaningless games in a row, you’ll feel better about next year. The media will start to hype up that Culpepper has had a full year to rehab his knee. Ricky Williams will be coming back from his drug suspension. Miami will trade away a number one draft pick for Randy Moss. Yes, the sun will shine and all will be right with the Miami Dolphins. More fool’s gold will be sold. As for me, I’m not sure that I will recover. I can only be misled and deceived to so many times before I turn away for good. Next April, as I don my Daunte Culpepper jersey on draft day and I watch impact player after impact player selected by other teams, using picks obtained by bad Miami trades, I might just turn away for good

 

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