Our top 2 players

[kelbail21]

Remember how the 2014 season ended so disappointingly last year? It was clear we had some serious deficiencies in our starting line-ups. On offense, it was the offensive line. On defense, it was LB. So the draft came around and the boys upstairs went out and nabbed us a WR and a marginal DT. We did pick up a darn good OG in the 4th round and we pretty much cornered the market on undrafted LBs. However, a shadow still looms over these decisions as we approach the 2015 campaign. Where are our major areas of concern heading in? I think I'd have to say it's OG and LB. I love DeVante Parker. I've felt like he was the second best receiver in college football for the last two years. I didn't much care for the Phillips pick. Regardless, it is what it is. My question is, "Are the deficiencies we carried over from last year going to hinder us all year this season?" Philbin has sixteen games to prove to all of us that they made the right moves.

[DolphinsFreak]

I feel like a broken record here but I believe that the deficiencies "might" carry over to this season IF Albert can't play a full season. After listening to Philbin give his pre-game presser I am less convinced then ever that he knows what he is doing. He was listing players names that might be playing left tackle, stating this this guy played tackle in an NFL game, and that guy played tackle in an NFL game, blah, blah, blah. Really? Is that all Philbin is looking for in a left tackle, someone who has played in an NFL game? If so, I feel sorry for Tannehill.

[Driven_Phinsane!]

I feel like a broken record here but I believe that the deficiencies "might" carry over to this season IF Albert can't play a full season. After listening to Philbin give his pre-game presser I am less convinced then ever that he knows what he is doing. He was listing players names that might be playing left tackle, stating this this guy played tackle in an NFL game, and that guy played tackle in an NFL game, blah, blah, blah. Really? Is that all Philbin is looking for in a left tackle, someone who has played in an NFL game? If so, I feel sorry for Tannehill.

I guess i'm singing backup on your broken record because i keep thinking it's the seeming lack of impotance that the coaching staff & F.O put on getting the OLine up to snuff that will ultimately doom our season. Obviously i'm hoping i'm wrong but the whole idea that things will kind of sort of fix themselves has that whole 'wish in one hand, crap in the other & see which fills up faster' feel...I really, really hope i'm wrong, but that'll probably be the black cloud hanging over me this season 'til it's proven otherwise...

[DolphinsFreak]

I guess i'm singing backup on your broken record because i keep thinking it's the seeming lack of impotance that the coaching staff & F.O put on getting the OLine up to snuff that will ultimately doom our season. Obviously i'm hoping i'm wrong but the whole idea that things will kind of sort of fix themselves has that whole 'wish in one hand, crap in the other & see which fills up faster' feel...I really, really hope i'm wrong, but that'll probably be the black cloud hanging over me this season 'til it's proven otherwise...

Exactly. Until proven wrong this will remain my feelings and/or opinions about this coaching staff and front office. "Why didn't you address the offensive line? Were you too busy trying to find players to fit into Tannehill's short game?""

[Seadog]

Remember how the 2014 season ended so disappointingly last year? It was clear we had some serious deficiencies in our starting line-ups. On offense, it was the offensive line. On defense, it was LB. So the draft came around and the boys upstairs went out and nabbed us a WR and a marginal DT. We did pick up a darn good OG in the 4th round and we pretty much cornered the market on undrafted LBs. However, a shadow still looms over these decisions as we approach the 2015 campaign. Where are our major areas of concern heading in? I think I'd have to say it's OG and LB. I love DeVante Parker. I've felt like he was the second best receiver in college football for the last two years. I didn't much care for the Phillips pick. Regardless, it is what it is. My question is, "Are the deficiencies we carried over from last year going to hinder us all year this season?" Philbin has sixteen games to prove to all of us that they made the right moves.

Couldn't agree more with the fact OL and LB are the worse spots on the team, but fixing that horrid DT spot was a must, we couldn't stop a snail up front. And that spilled over the D as a whole, look Gina had a perfect QB rating against us, all because of the DT's, as well as Wake's inability to play against the run. If we are to point to one area that needed fixing, it had to be the DT spot. We did an outstanding job there. I also believe Phillips will be playing very well and often this year. The battles are won up front, no front line, forget about it, the hair swinging LB's aren't going to stop them and by the time a DB gets to them, 1st and 10.

My belief is that our D is much better because of the DT's we picked up and couldn't have improved by adding LB's, not with the glaring hole up front. We will play a 4-2-5 much of the time, I hope...

As far as OL, we needed major help there and still do, we have nothing but back ups on this team, and most of our starters won't even make another NFL team even as a back up....IMO...I know most disagree with me on this....

But we did get help for RT with some good WR's, and TE....RT still has legs and has done very well getting out of sacks. Maybe the FO feels like next year load up on the OL and LB's????...

Bottom line, this team had a butt load of holes, would make the Titanic jealous, so filling all of them in a year was out of the question, but we did fill needs, we just have too many to fill.....

[cuchulainn]

Remember how the 2014 season ended so disappointingly last year? It was clear we had some serious deficiencies in our starting line-ups. On offense, it was the offensive line. On defense, it was LB. So the draft came around and the boys upstairs went out and nabbed us a WR and a marginal DT. We did pick up a darn good OG in the 4th round and we pretty much cornered the market on undrafted LBs. However, a shadow still looms over these decisions as we approach the 2015 campaign. Where are our major areas of concern heading in? I think I'd have to say it's OG and LB. I love DeVante Parker. I've felt like he was the second best receiver in college football for the last two years. I didn't much care for the Phillips pick. Regardless, it is what it is. My question is, "Are the deficiencies we carried over from last year going to hinder us all year this season?" Philbin has sixteen games to prove to all of us that they made the right moves.

I think you're over-loooking how much injuries affected us last season, starting with Pouncey before the season even started...

Pouncey, Albert, Moreno, Clay, Odrick, Misi, Finnegan, Taylor, Davis, Delmas, etc... all missed significant playing time or or important parts of the season. Down the stretch, the defense was atrocious. That's why Suh, Phillips, Brice and Bobby McCain, and a few others are all here now on defense.

We also jettisoned some under performing or problematic players and replaced them.

We're still not a complete team, but the OL starting lineups have performed better than expected thru the PS. What is scary is our depth. Same with the LBs.

[Hulagal]

Are we seeing in the front office a false sense of belief that we are somehow set with the players? That we already have the pieces in place? I see Ireland déjàvu and repeat mistakes of the past. JMHO.

[DolphinsFreak]

After watching the press conference yesterday I don't think we have an "Ireland" problem, I think we have a "Sparano" problem. Coach Philbin made it sound like all they are looking for are players who have played left tackle before, that's it. He didn't sound like a coach who was looking for the best player to fill the position but the player with any experience would do. That was the sound of a mediocre coach looking for a mediocre player to fill avoid on his mediocre team.

[FinFan in KC]

Couldn't agree more with the fact OL and LB are the worse spots on the team, but fixing that horrid DT spot was a must, we couldn't stop a snail up front. And that spilled over the D as a whole, look Gina had a perfect QB rating against us, all because of the DT's, as well as Wake's inability to play against the run. If we are to point to one area that needed fixing, it had to be the DT spot. We did an outstanding job there. I also believe Phillips will be playing very well and often this year. The battles are won up front, no front line, forget about it, the hair swinging LB's aren't going to stop them and by the time a DB gets to them, 1st and 10.

My belief is that our D is much better because of the DT's we picked up and couldn't have improved by adding LB's, not with the glaring hole up front. We will play a 4-2-5 much of the time, I hope...

As far as OL, we needed major help there and still do, we have nothing but back ups on this team, and most of our starters won't even make another NFL team even as a back up....IMO...I know most disagree with me on this....

But we did get help for RT with some good WR's, and TE....RT still has legs and has done very well getting out of sacks. Maybe the FO feels like next year load up on the OL and LB's????...

Bottom line, this team had a butt load of holes, would make the Titanic jealous, so filling all of them in a year was out of the question, but we did fill needs, we just have too many to fill.....

Couldn't stop a snail up front! That's so funny and so sad and so true all at the same time.

[Phintim Menace]

Do you remember how last year started? The LB and OL were decimated by injuries by the end of last year. It isn't really fair to judge those units based on how our 2nd stringers performed down the stretch against other teams starters. The DL and WRs that were on the field at the end of the season were our starters, those groups were weak and that was addressed in the off season. I, like everyone else would like to see those groups upgraded, primarily through the draft. But it's hard to build a dynasty in 1 year. I hope next season we go LB, OL, DB, in that order of priority. If this year's additions pan out and we went this way in next draft, what would be our weakness in players? (coaches excluded).

[FinFan in KC]

As Seadog said, too many holes to fill in 1 year. I have confidence Hickey and Tannebaum will make O line and LB their priorities next offseason. And I think we will add depth this season once cuts begin to happen. I would still favor trading Rishard Matthews for a proven O lineman. Seems like the Packers or Panthers would be willing to listen to that trade talk and Matthews isn't going to see much playing time anyway. Sell high!

[DolphinsFreak]

I agree that there were a great deal of holes to fill. But, as I have stated before, I thought that the offensive line was far more important of an area to ignore, or wait to build on. I thought it was more important than the receiver position and other holes the Dolphins coaching staff felt they needed to fill first. What good is it to draft and sign a bunch of receivers if they don't build Tannehill an o-line that will give him enough time to find those receivers? Did they just throw together a line that will give him just enough time to find the receiver who is open 3 yards off the line of scrimmage? IMO the offensive line should have been addressed first, then the rest of the holes could have been filled. I know I am probably in the minority but that is how I feel.

[FinFan in KC]

I don't think you're in the minority at all. I think O line was the biggest weakness and probably still is. I didn't see an O lineman worth drafting at 14 ahead of Parker though. I would have rather seen them take an O lineman or Denzel Perryman in the 2nd round instead of a DT where we were already strong. So I agree they didn't address their biggest need but they did address some needs. Wallace, Ellerbee and Wheeler were all addition by subtraction. I think the FO is on the right path but I am still not sold on the coaching. Might be a weaker link than the O line.

[Phintim Menace]

I agree that there were a great deal of holes to fill. But, as I have stated before, I thought that the offensive line was far more important of an area to ignore, or wait to build on. I thought it was more important than the receiver position and other holes the Dolphins coaching staff felt they needed to fill first. What good is it to draft and sign a bunch of receivers if they don't build Tannehill an o-line that will give him enough time to find those receivers? Did they just throw together a line that will give him just enough time to find the receiver who is open 3 yards off the line of scrimmage? IMO the offensive line should have been addressed first, then the rest of the holes could have been filled. I know I am probably in the minority but that is how I feel.

That is certainly a legitimate opinion, being in the minority doesn't mean you are wrong. I think Albert, Pouncey and James are the keys. If they stay healthy and live up to reputation at their correct positions, it is much easier to play those 2 guard spots with a good tackle on your outside and a good center on your inside. If Albert , Pouncey or James got seriously injured in game one, it would change everything. We not only don't have depth on the OL, right now we only have 3 legit starters. The guards may (or may not) develop into starters during this season, but right now I only consider the 3. If we get down to 2, there is going to be a large area of weakness along that line. Also to be considered, the Jets and Bills have monster D Lines, and we have to play them twice each.

[DolphinsFreak]

That is certainly a legitimate opinion, being in the minority doesn't mean you are wrong. I think Albert, Pouncey and James are the keys. If they stay healthy and live up to reputation at their correct positions, it is much easier to play those 2 guard spots with a good tackle on your outside and a good center on your inside. If Albert , Pouncey or James got seriously injured in game one, it would change everything. We not only don't have depth on the OL, right now we only have 3 legit starters. The guards may (or may not) develop into starters during this season, but right now I only consider the 3. If we get down to 2, there is going to be a large area of weakness along that line. Also to be considered, the Jets and Bills have monster D Lines, and we have to play them twice each.

I totally agree. The keys to success this year is to keep the starting offensive line healthy all season long because there is no depth there and the 'starters' are not the best in the business and they will be facing some of the best in the business which could lead to disaster for this o-line. We need Albert back, healthy, and he needs to remain healthy throughout the season. I would ease him back into the lineup because I feel the back end of the schedule is much harder then the first half of the schedule. I would not allow him back on the field until I knew he was 100% and then some.