The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

He tore his ACL and MCL in Week 16 last year and hasn't really been good since, not surprisingly. He just tore his ACL again and will probably be released in the offseason.

Bringing this back to 2 years ago when he left and our O-Line fell apart, we really were damned if we do, damned if we don't. He was injury prone and expensive, so this is just validation for our decision to let him walk, even if that is no consolation to Tanny and the beatings he took.

Letting Long and Bush walk were 2 of the best moves Miami made in a long time. Both are old broken down players who are a shell of their former self. Giving either a multi-year contract would have been insane.

Long first gives up the sack that ends Bradford's season and now he tears his own ACL.

U hate to see it because he was so critical to our team at one point but we all knew (or should have known) he was broken down. Tough way to end a good career but we've seen it happen before.

I was a big Jake Long supporter, but I soured on him due to his money demands when Miami tried to re-sign him.  He did give his all when he played for Miami, and may not have went down the extended injury road if Sparano had sat him when he was not even 75%.

Ireland deserves credit for passing on this one.  He gets a lot of crap, but these short term bumps pay off in the long term -- Brandon Albert, too.  We didn't get him at a high price, but we waited a bit and got a great deal. 

Actually.........Ireland offered Jake MORE money than the Rams did. Jake just felt "disrespected" by Miami and wanted more $$ out of Miami. So he took less to go to the Rams.

The story is before Jake's last season in Miami, just prior to Week 1 in early September Ireland offered Jake a ton of money, an offer to make him the highest paid LT in NFL history at the time. Jake and his agent said no they wanted to play out the year and test free agency. Then after the season, a season where Jake was constantly hurt and he played poorly, Miami took the initial offer off the table and made Jake another offer. THAT 2nd offer was still higher than the Rams offer, but Jake was pissed that Miami took the 1st offer off the table. So Jake and his agent in a genius move, told Miami to kiss-off and went to the Rams for less money. Jake was pissed at Ireland and Miami when he should have been pissed at his own agent for doing a horrible job.

You never let a player play just to get his performance bonus. Sparano was too stupid to know that

True.  But didn't we not sign him originally for what he was asking and then let him test the market.  That was a good choice.

Sparano knew it. He just didn't want to piss off the locker-room leader and turn the locker-room and players against him. So he let it go

no. Miami made him the biggest sweet heart offer anyone could ask for originally in September. He said no because he was greedy. Then after a bad year is when Ireland played hardball and refused to give in to him. But Miami's 2nd offer was still higher than the Rams at the end of the day.

This is the part of the story Dave is commending, and rightfully so.

AND/OR Sparano was trying to eke out some wins to try and save his job.