h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I see the Surtain to Seattle talk has all but died, specifically in the light of our signing an offer sheet with the Bronco's Kelly Herndon. Not as good a corner, but a hell of a lot cheaper I'm thinking, especially as we are still in the running for the services of Edgerton 'show me the money' Hartwell.

I see you've also picked up Heath Evans. Good move. He was never going to be a starter (trapped behind the best blocking FB in the league on the roster) but he is a solid player.

Pre-season update time, I guess.

Following a 4-12 season, there isn't much to get excited about. Yeah, we got a new coach, but the team won't be fixed overnight. Overall it seems like the coaching staff is filled with good people. They got the right guy in Saban, and bringing offensive coordinator Linehan from the Vikings is a big positive. One of the key characteristics of his offenses in Minny was outstanding line play, and we've got a young group made up of a lot of first-day draft choices who have definitely underperformed. They're all back this year. If the coaches can turn this group around, big things can happen. If not... it'll be a lot of painful years replacing them. The o-line is the make-or-break unit for this team.

Defensively, there are some concerns. The secondary took a hit when they traded Surtain to the Chiefs for a 2nd round pick. They got their asking price, which is fantastic. And they had a pair of young corners last year who looked ready to step in. But the guy they had penciled in, Will Poole, went down early with a season-ending ACL tear. And we're returning no starters at safety. That leaves Sam Madison as the only returning member of a dominating secondary. Yikes.

It's at the defensive front seven that there are reasons to get excited about the upcoming season. That unit suffered last season due to injuries to starting tackles Tim Bowens and Larry Chester, and the trade of Adewale Ogunleye. This year they've added Kevin Carter to take Ogunleye's spot, and also added ends Vonnie Holliday and 2nd-round draft choice Matt Roth (our Surtain compensation). With three newcomers and two starting spots, you have to wonder where that leaves Taylor. And the answer is: everywhere. The first indication of some Bellicheck-esque creativity on the defensive side of the ball is that Taylor is going to be all over the field, and create serious gameplanning problems for opposing offenses. Me likey. Taylor is a special player and deserves to be used accordingly. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2087365

The DT position was beefed up with former Patriot Keith Traylor. Chester should be healthy and ready to contribute again. And there is a possibility that Tim Bowens may not be forced to retire. Plus, some of those DE guys are hybrids that can be used at DT. With a smart rotation of fresh players, we'll be very strong along the DL even without Bowens. With Bowens, that unit would dominate. The DT position should also be helped by the shift to a defense that will use the 3-4 alignment most of the time.

The linebacker position is still solid as ever with Thomas and Seau wreaking havoc, and with Taylor joining them from time to time, they'll be spectacular. The 4th LB spot in the 3-4 (or 3rd in the 4-3) would be manned by either Derrick Pope or Eddie Moore, both talented youngsters who had the opportunity to demonstrate they're ready to step up and start. One or both of them would probably have won the starting position from Morlon Greenwood even if he hadn't been let go. With a line that can keep blockers off of Thomas, this should be their best linebacking group yet.

According to The Miami Herald, here is a list of proposed nicknames for the Miami offensive line:

The Sunpass Line
The Unemployment Line
The Sackstreet Boys
The Green-Light District
Hadnot And The Havenots
Jeno And the Look-outs
The Do'h! Line. Dead Men Blocking
The First and 15s
Cinco de Stinkos
Weekend At Feeley's Fanny
The Finished Line
The Tumbling Turnstiles
The Uh-Oh Line
The Five Stooges
The Illegal Procedures

Four games into the preseason, and they still suck.

"Four games into the preseason, and they still suck."

Remind me, what upgrades have they made in free agency or the draft over the past few years? They bought in a new, well-respected line coach; didn't they?

BBS

PS "Weekend at Feeley's Fanny" ... always have a little giggle to myself at the American use of the word Fanny ... as in Fanny-pack. Located right where Brits would expect ...

They brought in Frank Middleton from the Raiders this year. He just got waived. They've also brought in Damion Cook from Cleveland and Stockar MacDougle from Detroit. Last year they brought in Jeno James, fresh from a season of paving a path for Stephen Davis into the Super Bowl, and John St. Clair from the Rams.

Since '02, the Dolphins have spent the following first-day draft choices on the offensive line:

'02 - Seth McKinney (3rd)
'03 - Wade Smith (3rd)
'03 - Taylor Whitley (3rd)
'04 - Vernon Carey (1st)

And a handful of second-day choices as well.

So the bottom line is they can't draft linemen, and they can't buy linemen.

Fat Frank was over there was he? Didn't realise. He was a good linemen 3 years ago, before injury took their toil.

I always felt linemen were the bedrock of any team. They come pretty cheap in salary terms (except left-tackles), so teams should be acquiring them.

As I remember there was always the opportunity to pick up Walt Jones or Orlando Pace, but for whatever reason the Fins chose not to.

BBS

From The Miami Herald on Ricky Williams losing his copy of the two page game plan before last weeks preseason game.

Have you seen the Dolphins game plan?If Herman Edwards found it,he'd have returned it unopened.
If Bill Belichick found it,he would have returned it with corrections.