Khyber53

You build the right offensive line, pick the best left tackle available, then any QB will have a shot here. If you go QB in the first and work with the improvements we've nabbed, it's not going to work. It's just as simple as that. Grab the right OT and boom even Sam Darnold can win games. Gardner Minshew? Sure. Baker Mayfield? Definitely. Go back into the fray with the left side of the line still in flux and Aaron Rodgers couldn't get you out of trouble. It all begins and ends with the offensive line.

I've said again and again your team will think it has troubles if it doesn't have a star wide receiver, but there's no bigger trouble than your team's biggest star being a wide receiver. They can suck the money out of a team and break team chemistry faster than anyone else and there's no way they can touch the ball enough times in a game to make up for the resources they consume.

Crazy out there prediction... We grab Bailey Zappe way late in the draft as a future back up QB. By week five they throw him out there after Darnold and Walker have ruined the season. The kid does okay, rides out the season and cements himself as the back up guy to whoever we snag in the first next season. Unless we trade for Baker Mayfield. Then I have no idea what would happen, but I'd cheer for him if he had on our uniform.

And this is how the Dolphins are the third or fourth place in the AFCEast year after year. Someone always sells them the magic beans. But it's just beans. No magic. Again and again and again.

If he makes the playoffs and actually wins one game or more there, then I'll change my mind completely about him and be glad he's here. I just don't think he's the man and I honestly don't think he'll make it past the bye week this season, much less to the play offs. The results aren't on the table and there's no outside feeling that this team believes it is on the rise. I want him to prove me wrong. And if he does, I'm a big enough man to shake his hand and say I was wrong.

Always makes me wonder what is happening behind the scenes. Is there some team friction? Is there an injury? Is there a personal issue that makes them want to give him a change of location? Are there grumblings about a new contract?

Okay, @Zod I've got to complain about the new pop up banner at the bottom of the page on the site. It pops up again after every MF'ing change of page. I understand advertising drives the site, and it's the reason I don't use an ad blocker here (dude, you deserve income for what you've done here). This new one, though, it's just too much. How about going back to the one and done pop up from before? Thanks.

I'll believe it when I see it. I hope to see it, but nothing so far makes me expect it.

The biggest draw at Jackson St. is, at this time, Deion without a doubt. In time, that might change as the program grows and his coaching really starts showing fruit. There's just so many programs out there and only so many scouts and days to go around. Still, Deion did a smart thing by banging the drum right now. He knows two things very, very well -- football and how to draw a crowd. That program will make some waves eventually.

While I respect your opinion, I still don't think Rhule should have kept his job after last season. We could go into the reasons, and none of that really matters because he'll be here for this season. And that's what we've got to look forward to. The off season has looked good so far, thanks to a dodged bullet, but it looked somewhat promising this time last year, and the year before that. So, I sit here awaiting something... either Rhule pulls off a miracle and I can believe in him again, or Tepper pulls the trigger and I begin to believe he really does want to win here.

I don't think I've played many deck building games. I guess I spent so much time on M:TG in the 90s that I'm still burned out.

Well, I'm impressed. If he's the pick, I'm gonna be happy with it. If he can't play tackle, he's going to be a monster at guard. Now if the QB can just see over him...

True and honestly I think the same can me said about Cam Newton (except at QB now). People hate it when I say it, but Cam would make a hell of a good receiver now, but only a meh starting QB.

poo, at this point, who knows?

We need to quit letting Rhule trade away future picks that will be needed after his tenure here is up. He needs to work with the resources he has on the table right now. If he's hamstrung himself, that was his own doing. He shouldn't be allowed to foist it off on the next coach. I know, there's optimism because of some of the free agency movement we've had. There was last year at this time, too. The guy is just not a pro coach yet and I don't think he's managed to become one over this off season. Plus moving from one QB to another to another, all with descending on field experience hasn't been working so far, why would it work for him now?

That's what I've been trying to say...

And there's the rub... even getting hit with that dead cap money still on the table... they let him go. I'm not saying there's a hidden injury or just the slow downs that come with age, but New Orleans has been masterful at gaming the cap system for years. There may be a reason they didn't do some of their cap voodoo in this case. Or he could be physically fine, just financially expensive. Me, I just think the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Released or not, he's either too rich for their blood right now or there's a knock on him that we don't know about. Both are possibilities, both are things we don't need during a rebuild.

I don't really trust him at all on these things.

In a OT rich environment like this year's draft, I think I'd want to use the draft pick over an expensive LT that is being released by a team that needs a LT... Just saying.

I'm not sure we're drafting a QB in the first. We're picking up some decent playing pieces here and Rhule is on the hot seat for performance, not potential. There are some interesting, but not great, QBs still out there in FA. I think we'll snag one of them before the draft and then look for a stud OT or DE in the first. I'd been big on Linderbaum in the first, but it doesn't seem he's needed here anymore. This has been playing out quite interestingly and the loss in the Watson sweepstakes will play in our favor handily.

Yes. One of the most important things for offensive lines is finding the lineup and then sticking with it. Consistency plays a huge part in gelling the group.

Dur hur

When it comes to O-line, we've got to quit being the suckers that always buy the old beater that was only driven on Sundays by a little old lady. Maybe this is one of those better to pass ons. We've got a couple of good vet pick ups to help solidify the line. Let's build with some youth there.

There's a lot on paper to think optimistically about. But there's still these factors: 1) I'm not believing in our defense yet. We're looking at a lot of subtraction by subtraction at the moment. Perhaps some stout defenders are on their way in, but I'm looking at a defense that is right now weaker than it was last season. And last season, we got run over by everyone just about after week 4. 2) I don't believe in Robby Anderson as a WR2, I think he's chicken-hearted and a diva on top of that. Bad team mate and bench poison. Hopefully Terrace Marshall can move into the WR2 or we find a trade partner for him. 3) QB. We don't have one yet, but we doubled down on who we had last year. I'd bet that Cam is still on speed dial and that's not a good thing. We will probably draft QB in the first round now, but I'm not sure of the strength of this class (although no class is ever completely a bust in QBs, someone always seems to stick) and I'm not sure Rhule is going to develop a pro-level QB. 4) The team was soft last year, cream puffs in light blue and black. There was a decided lack of grit outside of three or four players, one of which has moved on to Philadelphia. Soft teams develop from soft culture. They don't survive in the NFL, they last about, hmmm, four weeks. I don't believe in Rhule's culture, but maybe it will firm up this year. We've gotten some good players and had the good fortune to NOT get our unicorn. That's reassuring, but man, the stink of the last couple of years is going to be hard to wash off of the team.