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Miami Dolphins Give Fans Reason to Cry

By Dan Salem

Aug 22, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) gives a a thumbs up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 22, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) gives a a thumbs up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nothing is ever good enough in Miami and this offseason has been no exception. The Miami Dolphins continue to give their fans reason to cry, as this team has yet to improve.

We’re tackling each team in the league, traveling alphabetically to debate their biggest offseason issues. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.

TODD:

I can’t help but be disappointed with the way the Miami Dolphins’ offseason has transpired. After failing horribly to meet expectations last year, in a general sense, you would ordinarily expect a rebound to occur this coming year. But with the Dolphins, I am not so sure.

They started by clearing room this offseason: cutting Greg Jennings and Brent Grimes, re-working the deals of Ndamukong Suh, Jordan Cameron and Koa Misi. Then they made a bunch of wild decisions. The Dolphins signed Mario Williams and then removed the transition tag from arguably a better player, Olivier Vernon. They traded for some of Philadelphia’s bad contracts in Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso. They let Lamar Miller and Rishard Matthews walk out the door. It has just been one wrong move after another for Miami in March.

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Forget wondering how this team is better than last year. How is this team good, period? Maybe Mario Williams bounces back and has a good year. Maybe Alonso stays healthy and plays well at linebacker. Maybe Maxwell isn’t a complete train wreck. And if all those maybes come to light, maybe the Dolphins have a solid defense in 2016, but the offense is still kinda bad! Ryan Tannehill took a step back last year, and all that happened was he lost weapons heading into next year.

The franchise moved back in the first round of the draft in the trade with Philadelphia, so it picks 13th overall now. There will still be a quality piece at that position, most likely on the defensive side, such as Reggie Ragland or Vernon Hargreaves, etc. I suppose if that pick is a home run, the defense could take another step up and be an area of strength. I suppose.

New head coach Adam Gase has his work cut out for him. The ability for Miami to stay out of last place in the AFC East is going to come down to all these maybes, including Tannehill’s advancement.

Jan 3, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins fans at the game against the New England Patriots at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins fans at the game against the New England Patriots at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports /

DAN:

I can’t help but laugh at your struggle to compliment the Miami Dolphins. You tried so damn hard to discover anything to like about their offseason and 2016 outlook, yet still left empty handed. After years of enduring predictions of the second coming of the Dolphins, of their inevitable rise to playoff success, I think its finally over. This team does not look any better, leaving them firmly in last place in the AFC East once again.

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Let’s assume all of those maybes play out exactly as Dolphins’ fans hope. Will Miami’s defense be better than its division rivals? The answer is no. Every other AFC East team still has a better overall unit. Now I realize this comparison is a bit unfair, since the Patriots, Jets and Bills all have top defenses. Yet those are Miami’s prime competition. This is who they must beat eight times a season. If the Dolphins believe they have their franchise quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, then they are surely wasting his prime years by failing to build talent around him on both sides of the football.

The Dolphins were 19th in the league last season in points allowed, giving up an average of 24.3 points per game on defense. This should improve, if not from their free-agent moves, then from solid draft picks making instant impact. I’m high on the defensive rookies in this year’s draft and Miami is still in prime position to draft a stud.

The real issue for the Dolphins comes on offense. They ranked 27th in the NFL last season in points for, scoring an average of 19.4 points per game.Tannehill put up over 4000 yards passing, namely because the team was always playing from behind. This did not translate into points or victories. I’m a fan of Jordan Cameron at tight end, and their core of wide receivers is above average. Yet despite the production from Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry, I’m not sure this offense has a number one guy. Landry is getting there, but it never seems to be enough.

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That is really the story in Miami. Nothing they do ever seems to be good enough. Setting aside the Patriots who consistently own the AFC East, the Dolphins have not done enough to even be in the wildcard discussion. There is nothing dynamic about this football team. There is no player that currently scares opponents and that alone should scare Dolphins’ fans. If Ryan Tannehill is smart he’ll find a way out of town, because Miami is not doing enough to support him and his credibility is deteriorating in the process.

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