The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

My thoughts are this - if we're going to rebuild, there cannot be half measures. The rebuild should be focused around players that are:

1) On their rookie contract
2) Would be valuable in protecting the quarterback that they draft in 2020 or 2021

To that end, here is who I would focus on keeping:

Quarterback: Luke Falk, David Fales
You'll need someone to lead the team during the years of rebuilding. Falk definitely stays, and I would potentially resign Fales too. I'd focus on developing the backup to the Future Quarterback's, with the idea of potentially flipping him for draft choices in 2021


Wire Receivers: Isaiah Ford, Jakeem Grant
Parker would be cut, but I would be interested in bringing him back at a reduced cost if he is interested. I would look heavily into trading Stills and Albert Wilson in 2019.


Running Back : Kenyon Drake, Kalen Ballage
I would look into trade options for Drake in 2019 as well.

Tight End: Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe

Offensive Line: Laremy Tunsil, Ja'Wuan James, Isaac Asiata, Jesse Davis, Travis Swanson, Zach Sterup, Jake Brendel

Defensive End: Charles Harris, Jonathan Woodward

Defensive Line: Davon Godchaux, Vincent Taylor, Kendrick Norton

Linebacker: Jerome Baker, Raekwon McMillan, Stephone Anthony, Cameron Wake,
Yes, I'd let Wake finish out his career in Miami. There has to be something for the fans to root for. I'd look for a trade partner for Kiko Alonso

Safeties: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Maurice Smith

Cornerbacks: Xavien Howard*, Cordrea Tankersley, Walt Aikens
If you can get a first and second round pick for Xavien, I would consider trading him as well. He'll be 28 before Miami is a contender again

Special Teams: Jason Sanders, Matt Haack

That's all that I would keep going into the 2019 draft. Everyone else is released or traded.

I thought that this was fairly reasonable plan that Miami might actually follow. Basically outside of offensive linemen, anyone not on their rookie contracts are to be released or are trade bait.

I challenge the basic premise of tearing it all down, in today's NFL.  I'm just not sure that it's necessary anymore, because of cap and free agency and all this other stuff. 

I'm not disputing any individual decision you're making...but I don't think you really have to get worse to get better anymore, like used to be required.

Here is the thing, Miami has no QB going into next year. Whether you agree with the process or not,  they will be getting worse based on that alone and I agree with that move.

You have to get worse to move up and increase your chances of drafting a franchise QB. I do believe drafting a franchise QB is the number one thing they want to achieve ...  followed closely by getting much better in the trenches and bigger at LB. Considering doing the second and third things will help you with number 1 it makes a lot of sense.

Hold on a minute, I thought they have been tearing it all down for years.  You mean they've actually been trying to win?  Jeez, you'd never know it by watching the team play and the moves that the front office makes. 

Maybe.  But I don't think that's even true anymore either.  Here are the last 10 Super Bowl winners:

Brady was drafted with pick number 199, in the 6th round.
Foles was drafted with the 88th pick, in the 3rd round.
Peyton Manning was acquired via free agency.
Russel Wilson was drafted with the 75th pick, in the 3rd round.
Joe Flacco was drafted with the 18th pick in the 1st round.
Eli Manning technically was acquired via trade, but that's more of a technicality.
Aaron Rodgers was drafted 24th, in the first round.

None of these guys were high draft picks by the team they won their ring with.

Peyton is not a good example because he originally won with the team that drafted him high and Eli has an asterisk

mmm yeah, but then again Peyton was a #1 pick of the whole draft. Eli likewise. Flacco was seen as a slight reach at the time but was still a better than solid #1 pick that won a SB. Rodgers won the SB as a late #1 pick and is widely seen as the slider that got away, way way cheaper than he should of been (like Marino, but with a SB ring)...

Looking at that list, Brady is the obvious bolt from the blue as a late pick that came good... actually way beyond good, like finding a perfect diamond in the middle of the ocean. Seriously Kraft and BB should find the recruiter and pamper them for the rest of their living breaths, you never get gifts that good...

Foles would be the next closest to a bolter. Wilson I remember being highly regarded as a possible bargain in the QB heavy draft that year, the main concerns being his lack of height - to be honest it wasn't a complete shock to see him do so well, especially after he beat Flynn in that first training camp so convincingly.

If we are going to have a lot of cap space in 2020 by cutting everyone, I am fine with keeping Tunsil and James. They are both solid and reliable at Tackle, our issue has always been our guards and line coaching and we have overlooked that for like a decade now.

Rebuild will go smoother if we still have some talent on the O-Line.

Every single one of these examples make my point.

These players all won super bowls for teams that didn't draft them highly.  It is irrelevant that they WERE drafted highly.  Who cares.  They were acquired otherwise.

The only player that even supports the "tear it down" theory in that entire list is Eli.  The Broncos won a Super Bowl without drafting an elite QB.  Fact. 

The Dolphins don't need to tank to be in the position to get any player on this list (save for maybe Eli).   Hell....they passed on most of these guys.

Sitton likely gone

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/02/26/report-josh-sitton-expects-to-be-released-by-dolphins/ (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/02/26/report-josh-sitton-expects-to-be-released-by-dolphins/)

So far, they seem to have followed the "tear it down" steps that I outlined previously. Somewhat surprised to see that they agreed with my assessment on keeping Devante Parker - I thought there still was potential and I was not against bringing him back for another year at a lower rate. If he does emerge this year, its entirely possible that we could in turn trade Parker for more picks as well.

A little disappointed on the signing of Fitzpatrick. I don't want to see Miami with more than two wins in 2019 - they have to secure the number one pick. I would have wished to see the Dolphins concentrate on developing the 2019 quarterback's backup - preferably a young player like Luke Falk who can eventually be flipped for draft choices if he develops. I'm hoping that Miami still considers this, as well as investigating a low impact trade for Josh Rosen or Kyle Lauletta.