Tackling the age question on the Dolphins

I remember covering Dolphins games that had Bill Parcells on the other sideline, and in some of those games, Parcells trotted out players such as Keith Byars and Bryan Cox and Drew Bledsoe and got excellent production out of them.

Those players were older veterans. So it didn't seem to me Parcells had a problem with older players back then. In fact, in some cases, it seemed he preferred the older guys.

So it continues to be a point of inquiry for me that now Parcells is running the Dolphins and he seems to have an aversion to older players. He'd rather sign a younger, unproven cornerback named Eric Green than an older and more proven Shawn Springs or Chris McAlister or Ken Lucas.

He'd rather pay a younger but oft-injured Jake Grove $29.5 million over five years than show interest in a older but more reliable Matt Birk, who ends up signing for three years and $12 million.

Why?

“It depends on the health of the player," general manager Jeff Ireland said, no doubt forgetting both Grove and Green have not exactly been pictures of health recently. "There is no doubt about it; you have to have younger players on your team. You want to build through the draft. That’s a strategy and philosophy that this trio has felt real strongly about as many times as we have been together. Age does make a difference as well as longevity, how many more years a guy can play and if a player is ascending or descending.”

I totally buy it if the team is drawing the line between filling a need through the draft verus free agency. In that comparison, the drafted player will always be younger, always have his best days ahead if he turns out to be good, and will usually be less expensive.

It makes sense.

The Dolphins need, must continue to fill in talent through the draft. They need, must continue to stay young and keep their salary cap structure manageable.

But if the comparison is one free agent versus another, the strategy needs some gray area between the extreme black and white of youth versus age.

The fact of the matter is some younger free agents get hurt a lot also, be it by happenstance or bad luck or something else. Grove, all of 29, has been hurt a lot in his career. Justin Smiley, 27, came to the Dolphins having been hurt in San Francisco. He got hurt and missed the end of the season last year.

Meanwhile, some older players such as Kurt Warner play and play and play with relatively few injuries.

And sometimes the younger players, despite their injury history, still draw bigger paychecks in free agency while the older players often come at a bargain. Age doesn't always work against a team when one is comparing free agents.

Bottom line: The age question is important for the Dolphins. They are a team still trying to get better for tomorrow. They need younger players. And it makes sense for them to draft those younger players. 

But once they start looking at free agents, where injury history, performance history, and price tag need to matter, I'm thinking youth is a variable that cannot always be considered most important above all others. 

 

Comments

[carlito from golfito]

Bfair,

Why do you feel the need to attack Dolphins fans on this blog? Just because you're upset that your beloved Patriots will only be 8-8 at best this year, is no reason to come to another team's blog and take out your aggression on innocent strangers. Maybe your time would be better invested writing to Scott Pioli and begging him to come back to be the Pats personnel guru. With the Patriot's senior citizen signings and trade blunders (they got ripped by Pioli for Cassel) it is clear who the brains were in the front office for all those years.

And if you take the time to read, it was one of your chowda head, pats fan buddies who coined the term "Brady Bunch" (gayest football nickname ever) before I ever mentioned it.

[Gopats]

garlito from golfito' your team is sucks and pats rocks,BTY who's your daddy?

[The Cuban Assassin]

Carlito
LMAO when you said "innocent strangers".

[carlito from golfito]

My daddy is Carlos Sr. of Golfito.

[Dat RoRo Kid]

Would be nice if Arrrrmando stopped logging on with fake names and giving himself credit.

[achlito from golfito]

once upon a time ,there were innocent strangers in the midst of the fins team,
1-Nick Saban
2-Cam Cameron
3-the whole team of -15
4-zack.jt and CO

[ricky CT]

my daddy is tom brady from golftio

[vachlito from calfito]

my daddy is mr vachlito sr from golfito, bty i never heard of your daddy carlito sr from golfito

[The Bra1n]

Hey Paco, if everyone here babbled the intellectual content of your "shutup already" post to me, there would be nothing worth reading, you hapless moron. Next time you post in my direction try it with some content.

[Mr Bunglito]

HEY The Bra1n less. Shut up already !

[?]

JED , where are you?i miss you, who you think i am?

[Jed]

you are the toothless NJ PHIN FAN,who else would be.

[klndry]

What can we possibly hope to gain by wasting money on people on the down side of their career? Hopefully we only get guys like JT to fill holes. It seems funny that we think 35 is old but it is in NFL years. Would JT help us? Sure he would but at what price? And that is the question, is it not?
In so far as signing veterans, the media decides most times who the darlings of the NFL are. Usually the guys with the weird last name or a player the coach points out. Or some cute white boy that goes to church every Sunday with his momma. The media create more drama around players than there really is. If the guy has a name they can sell, they keep saying it repeatedly.

[Mr Bunglito]

Menace aka imposter jed and nj phin fan , nice try !

[Carlito from golfito]

The Bra1n . Shut up you brain dead moron.

[mr.z]

carlito,you got to have class when you talk to your master.

[The Bra1n]

LOL, look at all mental midgets and trolls coming out of the woodwork to soil this otherwise excellent topic for discussion with proof positive of their stupidity.

It's a shame that so many mental crips with the IQ of plankton have infiltrated this blog and instead of a substantive discussion among fans on the topic Mando writes about, they'd rather read and post crap like GO FINS #1 and JETS SUCK! Every responsive post is dismissed with 2 or 3 non-responsive "Pats fan" and "shut up" one line droolings. Can't say that bodes well for attracting the non-tard readers.

I guess when you have a popular blog such as this, the bottom of the genetic cesspool is going to be pretty deep.

[mr.z]

the Bra 1n=================rex rayn sucks,some thing in the air

[Mr jungleito]

the Bra1n = alienman , Marc and NYscott.

[Mr jungleito]

The Bra1n sure knows alot about cesspools . That's because he cleans them out for a living. Now don't go away mad , just go away.

[stallone]

Mr Bungleito, you forgot Maxx======bra=alienman

[Mr Bunglito]

Stallone . Yeah you're right about Maxx=bra=alienman.

[wes]

Pathetic. The Fins say they are rebuilding. What team is rebuilding after winning a division title? Sorry, but this team could compete with a few seasoned veterans. Instead, you let them sign with others in your division. Sad. Parcells hasn't won a playoff game in over ten years. So why does he get all this hype? A weak schedule gave the fins the title, plus an injury to the best player in the league. 6 wins maybe in 2009 if they are lucky.

[go phins]

Bra, i agree with that you the man who evrey one must turn to when it come to the right use of the sewer chapter in the english language.can you tell us what Shredded means.

[des]

Bra 1n.in tuna we trust but what say if we can sign jason? don't you see the fruit of that.

[Rainbird]

Somehow I feel better knowing Parcells, Ireland and Sparano are making the decisions and not Armando or any of you dozzy bollocks losers posting on this website. Go Dolphins!!!

[NJ PHIN FAN]

WES . You just contradicted yourself , LOL. In one sentence you telling us how miami won the division and how we're a couple of seasoned veterens away from contention . Then in the next sentence you're telling us how miami won the division because they played a weak schedule and that the best player in the league ( Brady) got hurt . Which is it ? LOL

[Gopats]

it's b/c brady got hurt other wise you would have been 6-10 last year NJ PHIN

[Jrock]

Here is one thing to consider.. we groom a guy for 3 years, for example channing crowder. They come into there own and what?? resign with us for a large contract?or re-sign with someone else for a large contract?
We then go back and groom another for the NFL, to bid on. What Tri-fecta hopes is that most take Crowders path, when contract expires they still want to be a Dolphin, live,breath,mahi mahi(getting hungry). Keep a good young core together, is our goal, but free agency has its way in undoing a plan real quick. Lets see if Tri-fecta can mold, mind warp them into thinking the only way to be happy and productive in the NFL is by being a DOLPHIN!!!
In TRi-fecta we trust........

[cuban menace]

Its The menace boys and girls(and those inbetween, and you guys know who you are.) whats the subject, shoot a Q. to the menace.

[Nathaniel Dodsworth]

Hey, Menance! N.D. here. I'm up in Toronto now, and you'll be pleased to know that there are just as many Cuban Menace fans north of the border as south of the border.

Armando has an interesting article about age, and it got me thinking. Henry Winkler was about 30 when he started portraying The Fonz on Happy Days. He wore a white t-shirt at the beginning. Then he switched to a black t-shirt. By the time he was nearing 40, the black t-shirt just didn't work, and he went back to wearing white.

Now, if the Fonz can go back to his original white t-shirt, why can't the Dolphins go back to their old uniforms? (Technically, not their original uniforms, since those had no stripes, but the uniform of their Super Bowl championship years.) I very much dislike the 3-d numbers they have now, and the slightly angrier Dolphin on their helmet.

What do you think, Menace?

And while we're at it:

Morgan Fairchild 7
Tina Louise 6
Susan Dey 5

[Dolfiend]

Wow another post from a "reporter" on a news rag that thinks storys about the Giants and Ravens more relevant than anything Dolphins related. Go figure !

[Account Deleted]

Wes, as Jersey already pointed out, that was very weak. The plan from the beginning was a 3 to 4 year plan. Just because they won a Bradyless division in what was the easiest schedule in the league does not mean they're ahead of schedule on the rebuild. If you were a phins fan you would know this. Please come with a real opinion or at least some facts when trying to act like you know more than Bill Parcells. Very weak.

[Trippin]

Why does Armando's face look orange? Is it one of those instant tanning creams gone bad? ...Just wondering.

[cubasn menace]

Mr. dodsworth,i agree go back to the original(throwback)uniform.. alsoi like your "plesure girls" but lets not forget mary-ann. and i think jon bon-jovi ruined morgan fairchild...

[PhinStorm]

Armando,

We have some veterans on this team both in their prime and winding down. Ferguson 13th, Porter 11th, Williams 11th (counting his two suspension years in 04 and 06), Pennington 10th, W. Allen 9th, Martin 9th and Ayodele 8th. We also have a bunch of 5th and 6th year players. So it's not like we only go after or have young pups on our team.

Parcells and Ireland want to build this team so that the core develops together and can play together for a few years before free agency breaks them up. Doing it this way gives you a chance to compete for a title more than just one year. That's my take on it anyway.

[Jets rock]

mr, nathaniel...Morgan Fairchild has about 20 blasyic surgery sine she was 20 years olds .why you love all these old women unless you're more than 67 years old,i like to know what menace thinks.GO JETS

[cardoza]

Q for the menace.what is you worst moment as fin fan after getting ted ginn in the draft 2 years ago?

[Gopats]

every tim i see you
every time i hear you
i think no thing of you
unless you become
one of us
as jet
or pat but
never Fin

[cuban menace]

mr.cardoza, dave (no testicals) wannstadt being named head coach, knowing what he'd done to the bears i saw what was coming, i might also add another low point was when wayne(please rewind)(or i'll charge you $5.00) huizenga was made the controlling idiot in charge( how this clown became a gillzillionaire is amazing) has also got to be a low point, i mean there's so many low points its hard to just list 1 or 2 , the past decade his been a shining example on how not to run a foot ball team...., also jets rock, i think i answered your question at my 8:09 post, i hope this answers some of the "q"s the menace is being asked , ill be on the web to 9 pm, so lets get those "Qs" into the menace..

[cuban menace]

Also iam convinced that Gort(the day the earth stood still)could be the answer for the D. i mean this guy is 7 ft 9 in. 614lb robot, i also think he's a (as some of you say) A "parcells guy" what ever that means? he's big can destroy a city, i think he's a natural fit for the fish..

[NJ PHIN FAN]

CUBAN. LMAO

[cuban menace]

May i also add that he come's from a planet the parcells would be considered "small" , these guys are large man...

[cuban menace]

May i also add that he come's from a planet the parcells would be considered "small" , these guys are large man...

[cuban menace]

May i also add that he come's from a planet the parcells would be considered "small" , these guys are large man...

[The Cuban Assassin]

Cuban Menace,

You are right. Gort would be perfect. He would never get injured and he could really hurt Brady(kill)when he sacks him. To: The Bra1n, please shut up.

[cuban menace]

Assisan, True gort would hurt many players but you know the commish. would never let gort play for the fins....maybe for New England(the Flagship team for the n.f.l) but not the fins.

[cuban menace]

I Wonder what krafts got on goodall where new england gets away with so much B. S. ?

[THE AFC EAST CHAMPS]

I AGREE

[ziggy]

someone please tell me why the hell we havent met with Torry Holt??????? Think of all that he could teach Ginn, Bess, Camarillo and whomever we draft! We better be having some private meetings with Arizona about a trade for Boldin, we cannot afford to enter the season in a division that has Moss and Owens on the other sideline 4 out of 16 games for us. We have nooooooo #1 WR and a QB who, although having a career year last year, cannot be a deep threat.

[cuban menace]

Ziggy, if you think any of these "vets"teach any thing to someone younger you are clueless, would you train someone who will take your job in 9 months??

[cuban menace]

If anyone beleives any one teachs someone younger to help there team....please come back to reality.

[Ron In Charlotte]

Yeah but injuries are often a product of bad conditioning. Parcells teams, including the 08 Dolphins were extremely healthy. There were no reported injuries almost the entire first half of the season save Donald Thomas who was out for the season as soon as he was hurt. He kept Brown, Williams, and even Pennington healthy the entire year! That is quite a feat!

[carlito from golfito]

Torry Holt is going bald, that is not a Parcells guy.

[carlito from golfito]

If Tom Brady's knee shreds and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?

[Billy P]

Hey jed...when I say "DON'T EAT THE CHEESE!" and/or "DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID!"..THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN but it's quite obvious that you and MANY others are gorging on cheese and washing it down with pitchers of Kool-Aid!

Get back to your buttons honey!

[jordan jones]

will the dolphins get boldin? what's your take?

cheers miami

jordan jones

Birmingham, England

[jordan jones]

what's all this gayuniform stuff? im bisexual...nothing wrong with GAY LOL..im serious

cheers and i am lookin forward to my excursion to miami... i hear there is a lot of poofs there :)

ps: i just left my girlfriend..what a relief

jordan jones

Birmingham, England

[Billy P]

Boldin doesn't figure in to my 3 year plan Jordan because he will cost us priceless canvas space in this masterpiece I'm painting.

This thing is going to be awe inspiring and I can't wait to reveal it to the world!

[Jorge]

Armando,

The purpose of going with younger free agents and the draft is to build a future with the Dolphins. I do not think the Dolphins are a few veteran patches from a championship but they are a few young players with upside away from a championship.

Perhaps your argument has merit, but it seems to have merit if the Dolphins were a true 11-5 team that should make the jump next year. This team is really 8-8 Mediocre +- some close wins based on coaching but they cannot win in the playoffs.