theres 2 guys total sitting out practice, its the 2 young corners 
cant win for losing at corner the past 5 damn years
cant win for losing at corner the past 5 damn years
Teal Death Do Us Part: Miami Dolphins 2013 season thread
- Thread starter SoulController
- Start date
heisenburrr
Have Fun Staying Poor
This team is gonna be a nightmare for QBs
Intelligence Report
Five things you need to know about the Dolphins:
1. Defensive line is a strength: If there's an area the Dolphins should count on consistently this season, it's their defensive line. Miami has tremendous depth up front and will bring waves of players to wear out opposing offenses. The Dolphins' defensive end rotation is tremendous, led by Pro Bowler Cameron Wake and young upstarts Olivier Vernon and Dion Jordan, who was the No. 3 overall pick in April. Defensive tackle also is deep with 2012 Pro Bowler Randy Starks, Paul Soliai and Jared Odrick. Miami's defensive line should thrive this year and be able to withstand injuries.
2. Ryan Tannehill is still learning: Expectations have gone through the roof for Miami's second-year quarterback, especially after the team added offensive weapons in free agency. But patience is still needed with Tannehill, who had only 19 career starts in college and continues to learn the NFL game. Tannehill has a lot of ability but had an uneven training camp. At times, he struggled with interceptions and the ability to quickly get to his second and third reads. All of this will come in time. Unfortunately for Tannehill, he's being compared with the lightning-quick development of draftmates Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Tannehill is not on the level of those second-year quarterbacks. However, expectations are starting to rise to that level in Miami.
3. Secondary is improved: The Dolphins were 27th against the pass last season. They gave up a lot of chunk plays and, as a result, got rid of their top three cornerbacks from last season. Miami added former Pro Bowler Brent Grimes, who had a terrific training camp and preseason. Dimitri Patterson joined the team late in 2012 but showed a lot with a full offseason. The safeties are solid, with Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons returning as starters. It will be important for one of Miami's young cornerbacks to step up in sub packages. Nolan Carroll and Will Davis are the two early leaders. Expect many opponents to spread out Miami's defense to test the depth beyond the starters.
4. Mike Wallace provides scoring: The Dolphins had just three touchdowns from their wide receivers last season. Wallace will change that. Miami signed the top receiver in free agency with the purpose of scoring more points and being more dynamic. Wallace is arguably the NFL's fastest receiver. He also has a nose for the end zone with 32 career touchdowns in four seasons. Wallace had eight touchdowns last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's five more than Miami's entire receiving corps from 2012. The chemistry between Tannehill and Wallace has grown throughout the preseason. Wallace's speed opens a lot of things up for him and the rest of Miami's offense.
5. Offensive line a work in progress: Miami has one of the top centers in the NFL, Mike Pouncey. Richie Incognito is also a strong guard who adds toughness. But the rest of the Dolphins' offensive line remains in question. Starting left tackle Jonathan Martin is the most important piece of this puzzle. The 2012 second-round pick is moving to the left side full time after the departure of four-time Pro Bowler Jake Long. Martin added bulk and continues to work on his technique. He quietly improved during the preseason, which is important because he will face the opponent's top pass-rusher all season. Free-agent pickup Tyson Clabo has done a solid job at right tackle, but right guard remains a mystery. John Jerry missed most of training camp with a knee injury but is the favorite to start at right guard in Week 1.
-- James Walker, ESPN.com
Inside The Numbers
Dolphins wide receivers combined for three touchdown receptions last season, fewest in the NFL and fewer than 57 individual wide receivers. Miami was the first team in the past five seasons without a wide receiver with multiple touchdown catches.
The Dolphins acquired Mike Wallace in the offseason to help boost the receiving corps. Since his rookie year in 2009, Wallace has 32 receiving touchdowns, fourth most among wide receivers during that span. An NFL-high 21 of those touchdowns have been on passes thrown more than 20 yards downfield.
Ryan Tannehill was tied with Peyton Manning in Total QBR on throws more than 20 yards downfield last season, and that was with Brian Hartline accounting for more than half of Tannehill's targets.
With another proven deep threat in Wallace, Tannehill and the Dolphins may be able to go vertical more often with even more success this season.
• The Dolphins averaged 1.3 yards per rush after contact last season, second worst in the NFL. In limited action last season, projected starter Lamar Miller averaged a team-high 4.9 yards per rush and 2.0 yards after contact per rush.
• When Cameron Wake was on the field last season, the Dolphins recorded a sack on 7 percent of opponent drop-backs, compared to 2 percent when Wake was not on field. Joey Porter was the last Dolphins defender other than Wake to record double-digit sacks in a season (2008).
-- ESPN Stats & Information
Five things you need to know about the Dolphins:
1. Defensive line is a strength: If there's an area the Dolphins should count on consistently this season, it's their defensive line. Miami has tremendous depth up front and will bring waves of players to wear out opposing offenses. The Dolphins' defensive end rotation is tremendous, led by Pro Bowler Cameron Wake and young upstarts Olivier Vernon and Dion Jordan, who was the No. 3 overall pick in April. Defensive tackle also is deep with 2012 Pro Bowler Randy Starks, Paul Soliai and Jared Odrick. Miami's defensive line should thrive this year and be able to withstand injuries.
2. Ryan Tannehill is still learning: Expectations have gone through the roof for Miami's second-year quarterback, especially after the team added offensive weapons in free agency. But patience is still needed with Tannehill, who had only 19 career starts in college and continues to learn the NFL game. Tannehill has a lot of ability but had an uneven training camp. At times, he struggled with interceptions and the ability to quickly get to his second and third reads. All of this will come in time. Unfortunately for Tannehill, he's being compared with the lightning-quick development of draftmates Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Tannehill is not on the level of those second-year quarterbacks. However, expectations are starting to rise to that level in Miami.
3. Secondary is improved: The Dolphins were 27th against the pass last season. They gave up a lot of chunk plays and, as a result, got rid of their top three cornerbacks from last season. Miami added former Pro Bowler Brent Grimes, who had a terrific training camp and preseason. Dimitri Patterson joined the team late in 2012 but showed a lot with a full offseason. The safeties are solid, with Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons returning as starters. It will be important for one of Miami's young cornerbacks to step up in sub packages. Nolan Carroll and Will Davis are the two early leaders. Expect many opponents to spread out Miami's defense to test the depth beyond the starters.
4. Mike Wallace provides scoring: The Dolphins had just three touchdowns from their wide receivers last season. Wallace will change that. Miami signed the top receiver in free agency with the purpose of scoring more points and being more dynamic. Wallace is arguably the NFL's fastest receiver. He also has a nose for the end zone with 32 career touchdowns in four seasons. Wallace had eight touchdowns last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's five more than Miami's entire receiving corps from 2012. The chemistry between Tannehill and Wallace has grown throughout the preseason. Wallace's speed opens a lot of things up for him and the rest of Miami's offense.
5. Offensive line a work in progress: Miami has one of the top centers in the NFL, Mike Pouncey. Richie Incognito is also a strong guard who adds toughness. But the rest of the Dolphins' offensive line remains in question. Starting left tackle Jonathan Martin is the most important piece of this puzzle. The 2012 second-round pick is moving to the left side full time after the departure of four-time Pro Bowler Jake Long. Martin added bulk and continues to work on his technique. He quietly improved during the preseason, which is important because he will face the opponent's top pass-rusher all season. Free-agent pickup Tyson Clabo has done a solid job at right tackle, but right guard remains a mystery. John Jerry missed most of training camp with a knee injury but is the favorite to start at right guard in Week 1.
-- James Walker, ESPN.com
Inside The Numbers
Dolphins wide receivers combined for three touchdown receptions last season, fewest in the NFL and fewer than 57 individual wide receivers. Miami was the first team in the past five seasons without a wide receiver with multiple touchdown catches.
The Dolphins acquired Mike Wallace in the offseason to help boost the receiving corps. Since his rookie year in 2009, Wallace has 32 receiving touchdowns, fourth most among wide receivers during that span. An NFL-high 21 of those touchdowns have been on passes thrown more than 20 yards downfield.
Ryan Tannehill was tied with Peyton Manning in Total QBR on throws more than 20 yards downfield last season, and that was with Brian Hartline accounting for more than half of Tannehill's targets.
With another proven deep threat in Wallace, Tannehill and the Dolphins may be able to go vertical more often with even more success this season.
• The Dolphins averaged 1.3 yards per rush after contact last season, second worst in the NFL. In limited action last season, projected starter Lamar Miller averaged a team-high 4.9 yards per rush and 2.0 yards after contact per rush.
• When Cameron Wake was on the field last season, the Dolphins recorded a sack on 7 percent of opponent drop-backs, compared to 2 percent when Wake was not on field. Joey Porter was the last Dolphins defender other than Wake to record double-digit sacks in a season (2008).
-- ESPN Stats & Information
Why Dolphins can win AFC East
Better weapons for Ryan Tannehill and an improved defense will help Miami
Updated: September 5, 2013, 2:32 PM ET
By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider
AP Photo/Lynne SladkyRyan Tannehill has a new downfield threat in Mike Wallace this season.
Since the NFL changed to an eight-division format in 2002, no team in the league has won as many division titles as the New England Patriots (nine).
The Patriots have been dominant in part because of their historically strong rosters, but some of their domination also has to do with the relatively weak state of the AFC East. This division has contributed only four wild-card playoff teams under this format, a total that ranks sixth out of the eight divisions. Every other division has had at least two different teams claim a wild-card spot, while the AFC East has had one (New York Jets).
This means the AFC East has been a two-team race over the past decade, and not much of a race at that. But the 2013 season could see a change in the status quo, as the Miami Dolphins have a good chance to win the division.
Miami's upward-mobility case starts with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill isn't currently thought of as one of the better downfield passers in the NFL, but his 14.2-yard mark in the stretch vertical yards per attempt (SVYPA) metric that gauges productivity on aerials thrown 20 or more yards downfield ranked ninth last season.
Tannehill combined that superb downfield number with a 2.1 percent mark in the bad decision rate (BDR) metric. BDR measures how often a passer makes a mental error that leads to a turnover opportunity for the opposing team. Anything under the 2.0 percent mark in this metric is considered a sign of excellence in general and that goes double for someone who can do so while succeeding at hitting riskier long passes.
Miami's stretch vertical attack should be even better in 2013 with the addition of wide receiver Mike Wallace. A good amount of Wallace's decline since 2011 can be attributed to quarterback injuries and the installation of Todd Haley's offensive system, so Wallace should be a lot closer to his 2011 production, given the change of scenery.
The Dolphins also have Brian Hartline, who may be the most underrated wide receiver in the NFL. Last season, Hartline racked up a 12.2-yard mark in the vertical yards per attempt (VYPA) metric that gauges productivity on passes thrown 11 or more yards downfield. He did this on a total of 66 vertical targets, posting better vertical numbers than Roddy White (11.9 VYPA on 70 targets), Eric Decker (11.3 VYPA on 60 targets), A.J. Green (10.7 VYPA on 75 targets) and Brandon Marshall (10.0 VYPA on 83 targets). If Hartline and Wallace play up their potential, Miami will have one of the league's best 1-2 downfield passing punches.
[+] Enlarge
Joel Auerbach/Getty ImagesLamar Miller will be Miami's starting RB.
The Fins' rushing attack could be nearly as powerful. Last season, Miami posted a 51.6 percent mark in the good blocking rate (GBR) metric that tallies how often an offense gives its ball carriers good blocking (very roughly defined as not allowing the defense to disrupt a rush attempt). That total (which ranked second in the league) could end up dropping a bit due to the offseason offensive line personnel changes, but the free-agent addition of Tyson Clabo and the recent signing of former first-round draft pick Danny Watkins should help Miami keep a top-10 figure in this statistic.
The running game should also benefit from Lamar Miller's skills. His 7.4-yard mark in the good blocking yards per attempt (GBYPA) metric was sixth-tenths of a yard higher than Miami's overall GBYPA (6.8). This was on a small sample size (51 carries), but it still indicates Miller is capable of doing more with good blocking than the other Miami backs did last year.
This potentially powerful offense is combined with some strong suits on defense. The Dolphins ended last season ranked 10th in sacks per pass attempt (7.0 percent), according to ESPN Stats & Information. It is possible that number could be improved upon now that Miami has the pass-rushing talents of No. 3 overall draft pick Dion Jordan.
The secondary could also be much improved with the addition of cornerback Brent Grimes. Grimes missed nearly the entire 2012 season with an Achilles injury but ranked tied for second in the league in cornerback YPA (4.0) in 2011, so he has elite skills when healthy.
Dimitri Patterson will man the other cornerback position. He may not have quite the coverage upside that Grimes brings to the table, but Patterson was good enough to post a 6.5 YPA last year (ranked tied for 19th in that metric).
Miami's defense was superb last year against the run, as the 2.9 mark in the good blocking productivity (GBP) metric that gauges overall rushing defense prowess tied the Dolphins for third in the league. A repeat of that performance looks to be quite possible, given that the Dolphins acquired Philip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe, two linebackers who graded out with exceptional "5" run defense ratings in their Scouts, Inc. free-agent write-ups.
The Dolphins showcased plenty of special-teams prowess last season, as ESPN Stats & Information credited the club with 15.76 expected points added by that platoon (ranked sixth). Miami is returning many of its most impactful special-teams contributors from last year, including punter Brandon Fields and returner Marcus Thigpen, so this part of its game should be strong once again.
With this level of talent, Miami could probably compete for a title in most divisions, but the Dolphins get an additional benefit from playing in a division that has two teams with significant issues at quarterback (Jets and Bills).
This combination of factors may not make the Dolphins the favorites to win the AFC East, but it wouldn't be a shock to see them go toe-to-toe with the Patriots for the division crown and potentially knock the perennial champions off of the throne.
Better weapons for Ryan Tannehill and an improved defense will help Miami
Updated: September 5, 2013, 2:32 PM ET
By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider
Since the NFL changed to an eight-division format in 2002, no team in the league has won as many division titles as the New England Patriots (nine).
The Patriots have been dominant in part because of their historically strong rosters, but some of their domination also has to do with the relatively weak state of the AFC East. This division has contributed only four wild-card playoff teams under this format, a total that ranks sixth out of the eight divisions. Every other division has had at least two different teams claim a wild-card spot, while the AFC East has had one (New York Jets).
This means the AFC East has been a two-team race over the past decade, and not much of a race at that. But the 2013 season could see a change in the status quo, as the Miami Dolphins have a good chance to win the division.
Miami's upward-mobility case starts with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill isn't currently thought of as one of the better downfield passers in the NFL, but his 14.2-yard mark in the stretch vertical yards per attempt (SVYPA) metric that gauges productivity on aerials thrown 20 or more yards downfield ranked ninth last season.
Tannehill combined that superb downfield number with a 2.1 percent mark in the bad decision rate (BDR) metric. BDR measures how often a passer makes a mental error that leads to a turnover opportunity for the opposing team. Anything under the 2.0 percent mark in this metric is considered a sign of excellence in general and that goes double for someone who can do so while succeeding at hitting riskier long passes.
Miami's stretch vertical attack should be even better in 2013 with the addition of wide receiver Mike Wallace. A good amount of Wallace's decline since 2011 can be attributed to quarterback injuries and the installation of Todd Haley's offensive system, so Wallace should be a lot closer to his 2011 production, given the change of scenery.
The Dolphins also have Brian Hartline, who may be the most underrated wide receiver in the NFL. Last season, Hartline racked up a 12.2-yard mark in the vertical yards per attempt (VYPA) metric that gauges productivity on passes thrown 11 or more yards downfield. He did this on a total of 66 vertical targets, posting better vertical numbers than Roddy White (11.9 VYPA on 70 targets), Eric Decker (11.3 VYPA on 60 targets), A.J. Green (10.7 VYPA on 75 targets) and Brandon Marshall (10.0 VYPA on 83 targets). If Hartline and Wallace play up their potential, Miami will have one of the league's best 1-2 downfield passing punches.
[+] Enlarge
Joel Auerbach/Getty ImagesLamar Miller will be Miami's starting RB.
The Fins' rushing attack could be nearly as powerful. Last season, Miami posted a 51.6 percent mark in the good blocking rate (GBR) metric that tallies how often an offense gives its ball carriers good blocking (very roughly defined as not allowing the defense to disrupt a rush attempt). That total (which ranked second in the league) could end up dropping a bit due to the offseason offensive line personnel changes, but the free-agent addition of Tyson Clabo and the recent signing of former first-round draft pick Danny Watkins should help Miami keep a top-10 figure in this statistic.
The running game should also benefit from Lamar Miller's skills. His 7.4-yard mark in the good blocking yards per attempt (GBYPA) metric was sixth-tenths of a yard higher than Miami's overall GBYPA (6.8). This was on a small sample size (51 carries), but it still indicates Miller is capable of doing more with good blocking than the other Miami backs did last year.
This potentially powerful offense is combined with some strong suits on defense. The Dolphins ended last season ranked 10th in sacks per pass attempt (7.0 percent), according to ESPN Stats & Information. It is possible that number could be improved upon now that Miami has the pass-rushing talents of No. 3 overall draft pick Dion Jordan.
The secondary could also be much improved with the addition of cornerback Brent Grimes. Grimes missed nearly the entire 2012 season with an Achilles injury but ranked tied for second in the league in cornerback YPA (4.0) in 2011, so he has elite skills when healthy.
Dimitri Patterson will man the other cornerback position. He may not have quite the coverage upside that Grimes brings to the table, but Patterson was good enough to post a 6.5 YPA last year (ranked tied for 19th in that metric).
Miami's defense was superb last year against the run, as the 2.9 mark in the good blocking productivity (GBP) metric that gauges overall rushing defense prowess tied the Dolphins for third in the league. A repeat of that performance looks to be quite possible, given that the Dolphins acquired Philip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe, two linebackers who graded out with exceptional "5" run defense ratings in their Scouts, Inc. free-agent write-ups.
The Dolphins showcased plenty of special-teams prowess last season, as ESPN Stats & Information credited the club with 15.76 expected points added by that platoon (ranked sixth). Miami is returning many of its most impactful special-teams contributors from last year, including punter Brandon Fields and returner Marcus Thigpen, so this part of its game should be strong once again.
With this level of talent, Miami could probably compete for a title in most divisions, but the Dolphins get an additional benefit from playing in a division that has two teams with significant issues at quarterback (Jets and Bills).
This combination of factors may not make the Dolphins the favorites to win the AFC East, but it wouldn't be a shock to see them go toe-to-toe with the Patriots for the division crown and potentially knock the perennial champions off of the throne.
Koa Misi gets deal through 2017
Updated: September 7, 2013, 3:16 PM ET
By James Walker | ESPN.com
MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins signed outside linebacker Koa Misi to a four-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday.
Walker: What deal means
Koa Misi's contract extension signals Miami's strong commitment to its linebackers, James Walker writes. Story
Misi, who was in the final year of his rookie contract, is now signed with the Dolphins through 2017.
This is a significant commitment for the Dolphins to their linebacking corp. Miami signed veteran linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler to sizable contracts last March in free agency. Adding Misi's extension this weekend means the Dolphins have locked up their three starting linebackers for the foreseeable future.
Misi started 14 games for the Dolphins last season and recorded 65 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The Dolphins will open the season Sunday with a road game against the Cleveland Browns.
Updated: September 7, 2013, 3:16 PM ET
By James Walker | ESPN.com
MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins signed outside linebacker Koa Misi to a four-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday.
Walker: What deal means
Misi, who was in the final year of his rookie contract, is now signed with the Dolphins through 2017.
This is a significant commitment for the Dolphins to their linebacking corp. Miami signed veteran linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler to sizable contracts last March in free agency. Adding Misi's extension this weekend means the Dolphins have locked up their three starting linebackers for the foreseeable future.
Misi started 14 games for the Dolphins last season and recorded 65 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The Dolphins will open the season Sunday with a road game against the Cleveland Browns.
954UAlreadyknow
All Star
Cant wait to see how we do this season...........
was at the beach didnt catch it
Patterson
Wake
no holes at all i take it, that CLE D is pretty solid got to be able to run a little if we want to be real contenders
Patterson
Wake
no holes at all i take it, that CLE D is pretty solid got to be able to run a little if we want to be real contenders
NYC Rebel
...on the otherside of the pond
Sounds like the Jets.
954UAlreadyknow
All Star
Ill take the win but A LOT of things concerned me......
Wallace didn't do much. Almost all his targets were deep balls
The pass blocking
Run game/blocking
Wallace didn't do much. Almost all his targets were deep balls
The pass blocking
Run game/blocking
He Who Posts Well
Superstar
Good win. Mike Wallace was just a decoy out there and Gibson & Hartline were eating good. Defense looked very good. The run game though 
He Who Posts Well
Superstar
Fins just won me 5k in colicash 
ComputersPutin
All Star
the DefensePlayoffs or bust...lets get it.
wallace was over payed imo. He isnt a megatron,fitz etc type. hes like a poor mans randy moss, and thats being generous. Hes good for the deep ball but his route running is mediocre at best.Ill take the win but A LOT of things concerned me......
Wallace didn't do much. Almost all his targets were deep balls
The pass blocking
Run game/blocking