Why not consider playing a couple of younger players?

Yesterday I shared with you the news Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman doesn't see Michael Egnew getting involved in the offense much this year and the reasons the coach gave for that.

Me?

It's bad news when a third-round draft pick playing a position that needs upgrade has been basically eliminated from playing this year. It's not a problem if a veteran ahead of him is playing great. It's fine if the rookie is simply caught in a numbers game.

But not playing based on his slow start while the guys playing are having a slow month?

Where does that make room for improvement? How does that keep the players playing from feeling entitled or too comfortable? Most importantly, where does that give Miami the opportunity to find out what talent is on the roster?

And that leads me down a road that eventually the Dolphins will travel. That leads me to thinking about the future. This year, you see, is on the brink of being over.

The Dolphins are 4-6 and have lost three consecutive games. And now comes the killer portion of the schedule. The next three weeks the Dolphins face three consecutive games against teams with winning records for the first time this season. (Also for the only time this season).

And we're not just talking about good teams. After Miami plays 6-4 Seattle on Sunday the team will welcome New England the following week and travel to San Francisco after that. The Patriots and 49'ers are Super Bowl contenders.

Unless the Dolphins find immediate answers to the issues they have been unable to solve the past several weeks, this team is going to find itself at 4-9 within the month. That's not a prediction. That is a statement of fact. The Dolphins must find their absent running game, must find a way to straighten out a suddenly leaking secondary, must get more consistent play and fewer mistakes at quarterback, and have to win battles along the offensive line or this is going to get ugly.

So think of what I'm advocating as desperate times calling for desperate measures. Sort of.

I, for one, am thinking this rebuilding season needs to get back to, well, rebuilding. The Dolphins have youngsters on the bench that may not be quite ready to play but could be the future for the team nonetheless.

Well, it's time to see what the future promises. Rishard Matthews finally got in a game last week and didn't seem overmatched.

“I thought he looked like he belonged out there," coach Joe Philbin said. "He did some good things. Hopefully, he can continue to develop. He earned the opportunity to play in the game. Some of these guys, you’ve watched them in practice and you see them make more catches, more plays, play faster and he deserved to be in the game and didn’t look out of place."

Great. Play him more.

Look, Jabar Gaffney is a better wide receiver right now. But at 32 years old next month and on a one-year contract that expires after this season, he's not going to be around next year and everyone knows that. Matthews will come to camp with the team.

So why not maximize the rookie's experience now, during a season that really isn't headed toward the playoffs anyway? You know, kind of like the Dolphins are doing with Ryan Tannehill.

Let's face it, Tannehill is in a slump because he cannot get the offense in the end zone lately. Maybe Matt Moore would do better. But the thought of a switch hasn't crossed anyone's mind (mine included) because Tannehill is the future and needs all the experience he can get now.

It's short-term pain for long-term gain.

Well, why not apply that to Matthews over Gaffney?

And while we're at it, why not apply that to Egnew over the veterans ahead of him who, by the way, are not exactly lighting it up lately and in Charles Clay's case haven't lit it up yet in over a season and a half?

Maybe Egnew doesn't have it. Maybe he was a reach or a bust. But isn't it better to find that out now than next year after the draft and free agency?

There's also the case of Lamar Miller. Perhaps I am biased because the University of Miami is my school. But the kid was dynamic in high school. He was dynamic in college. And I have seen hints that he can be dynamic in the NFL.

But he simply isn't getting many carries.

"We’re not getting a whole lot of snaps in the game," Sherman said, explaining why Miller doesn't get many chances. "If we were getting 65-70 snaps, which I envisioned -- actually I envisioned 75-to-78 snaps -- then I think there’s more snaps to be got. But when you’re not functioning like we’re not functioning, it’s hard to take a Reggie [Bush] out or a guy that has experience, whether it’s Daniel Thomas out of the game.

"I really like Miller. I think he works hard at it. I think he’s going to be a very good player. I’m excited when he gets in the game. I have no problem when he is in the game. It’s just only one of those guys can play at a time usually."

Timeout. Look, Bush is unsigned. I've told you time and again his chances of returning next year didn't look great at the start of the season. Then he got off to a fast start and that gave me pause. But he's come back to the pack and hasn't really electrified anyone to the point he must be re-signed.

He's been benched twice this year for fumbling -- once against the Jets, once against Tennesee. The foreshadowing here is obvious.

Well, why not give Miller more of a chance to show you if, indeed, he can help cure the ailing running game or at least give hope for the future?

Of course, the Dolphins don't plan anything such as I'm advocating. Philbin was asked this week if he planned any lineup changes in the midst of a three-game losing skid.

"Nothing really specific at this point," he responded.

Comments

[Scotty]

The problem is not the OL. The problem is Tannehill isnt a very good passer. The D's just stack the line to stop the run knowing that Tannehill isnt going to beat them passing. No OL can stand up to that. I think we have a very good OL. Long, Incognito, and Pouncey are 3 of the best in the league even if they havent been perfect. There's nothing wrong with this team that a better passer wouldnt solve.

[mattybfromnc]

You can get a Mike Wallace in Fa...

Dolfnman
Sure thatd be awesome to get us to 7-3 or 6-4 so we could draft around the mid 20 mark in the first round.. that will help with all of the holes we need to fill.. we need a game changer
Tannehill has regressed the past few games but hes a rookie without a #1 to stretch the field.. So D's stack the box and take away the underneath routes that the WCO calls for..

[Marc]

Draft draft draft draft and draft that's how you build a team and remember not all picks pan out it does not mean that you suck it's just the way it is

[mattybfromnc]

Scotty,
He gets hit constantly even with his 2.5 sec release... thats the onlines fault bro.. add that to the lack of a true down the field threat equals stacking the box to take away the underneath

[KingShula]

I dont buy the arguement that it is because of blocking that these players arent given plays during the game.Who is Martin if not a rookie starting on the O-line how many blocks has he missed and he is in there.I still believe they dont want to admit that Egnew was a mistake and thats why he hasent played A SINGLE DOWN.I dont think he has ever even been active.

[Marc]

We are not drafting anywhere near 20 you are a dreamer we will pick around 6 thru 8 overall we will be lucky to win 2 more games

[mattybfromnc]

Long has been handled this year like a BIatch... Most recently Merriman pancaked him.. BLEW HIM UP... He had one false start penalty last year and 11 + this year.. He knows hes getting beat off the edge thus leading to his false starts... Hes not the same in rush blocking and gets beat by decent to good DE's./

[Marc]

We need better guards

[Slam]

Scotty,

you have obviously not watched the games this year. The oline is a pile of trash. RT cant even scan the field. Sure he can play better, he missed some throws but its kinda hard to play great when you dont have the tools around you to do your job.

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

Scotty, not a good passer? Why was he a good passer in October? I'll tell you why...Because our o-line could actually run block and pass protect...That's why...Have you been watching the games? We can't run the football, we can't even convert 3rd and one's and 3rd and two's...Long is regressing at an alarming rate, Incognito is his usual good but not great, Pouncey has slowed down a lot and the right side is being dominated. Our o-line not the problem? Please...It is a BIG PART of the problem...

[mattybfromnc]

Marc.. please read the post.. I said according to Dolfanman if we had Moore at starting QB and were 7-3 6-4 wed be drafting mid 20's...
thats what that was about.. I said that we need to draft high to get a game changer..

[AndyNJ]

For all you idiots who says Tannehill is the problem take a look at this stat and it says it all:

The Bills barely blitzed and brought four or fewer rushers in 93.5 percent of dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats and Information. That made it tough for Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill to have any success throwing.

So Tannehill is throwing to Hartline, Bess and Fasano into 7 and 8 men in coverage. Get a clue. I don't have a problem being realistic but Tannehill is not the problem. He also isn't getting a fair shake from to succeed. Oh, almost forgot and he's a rookie! Clowns!

[Marc]

The worst pressure come thru the middle right up the gut we get beat on simple stunts and slants its just embarrassing

[oscar canosa]

BB is no rocket scientist either but he knows that if you give excellent protection to a very good QB you are going to win most Games you play in.

[NJPHIN]

Funny no one complains about the OL when Matt Moore plays....

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

And for those who think Philbin should get fired, think again...Has he made bad decisions? Sure, no doubt...But he is a smart coach, like the rest of the coaching staff...Problem is the players. And that's Ireland's players. Philbin often talks about smart players...Clearly, we don't have enough of them...

[Scotty]

We cant run the football because the D's are stacking the line daring Tannehill to pass. And he cant.

[Marc]

We need to spread the field go 4 or 5 wideout sets and start slinging it around put defenses back on there heels

[oscar canosa]

Philbin is right. We are not going anywhere scoring 16 points or less a Game. Now, What is he doing about that? Can he DO anything about that now?

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

oscar, BB is just another average coach who drafted a guy named Tom Brady...Ever wonder why they've re-signed him? I'd like to see BB without Brady...Like when he was in Cleveland...Trust me, he'd be just another face in the crowd...

[SimsPlaya]

Ok guys we been rebuilding since Shula was fired. I'm a fan since '71 so I'm frustrated to this point; call in 90 percent of the team put them in a room with the team management and set off a bomb ! Well they don't deserve to die; but they are garbage.Blow up this team and start over with new GM

[mattybfromnc]

Scotty they are shutting down the short and underneath routes, the staple of the WCO since we dont have a deep threat.. theres more to it than sayin ghte QB cant throw... know the entire game bro

[DarrylDunphy]

..Is this just a plague for this franchise? The last 4 seasons we seem to ask this same question at this same time of the season..Why aren't we seeing the young guys? Does this franchise have the amonia when it comes to letting the developmental guys get playing time. Or is this the same story for every bad team, I just don't pay attention to any of them to see it?

I am going to go after Joe Philbin here a bit. This will not be popular as Philbin a few weeks ago was being compared to the greats..He was a guy that was going to outscheme then next guy..Exploit the holes in the defense(that was my favorite) with his his gameplan. I am not a Philbin guy, never was. This doesn't mean I want to see him fail..Just the opposite. And a half of season of work is not even close to be able to come to any conclusion about him good or bad.

This is my point.. I kept saying during the high times that a better guage of Philbin as a coach would come after crisis. It was easy to get on the bandwagon and be excited when we were playing well(even in losses) but how would Philbin coach when this team came back down to Earth. How smart would he look? How would he "outscheme" teams once they had seen some film on us? So far not so good. I know that this is not all on Philbin, and he deserves the time to establish himself here. It just feels like things are back to the same, and the excitment and hope we all shared a month ago is long gone traded in for the same old dissapointment.

[Marc]

We have a below average o-line below average wr way below average d-backs and a inconsistent pass rush have I missed anything

[KingShula]

By the posts on this board Ireland will keep drafting O lineman and not players that can put points on the board and give their team mates the hope that they can win this game the one after the one after etc and play games in postseason to at least have a chance at the postseason.They havent played to win since The Colt game because they didnt have the offensive players to help the rookie QB and score points when it counted.

[Zonk]

In what decade do we get a franchise QB?

[Slam]

and they are stopping the deeper routes by jamming our small receivers at the line which is making tannehill hold the ball for more than 2 seconds. Our oline is so sorry they cant protect for 2 seconds so its leading to sacks and turnovers.

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

Scotty, he's got ZERO speed at the TE position, average WRs at best, no running game and a terrible o-line...Now tell me that's a perfect scenario for a rookie QB...

[Marc]

So where do our new offensive lineman come from if we don't draft them

[Finsfan Ralph]

The Fins coaches and front office don't really want to win this year.They would rather take their lumps this season to improve the teams draft stock next year.If I'm wrong,then why not implement some of the changes Armando suggested?

[Sherman/Ireland=lame]

It's not Tannehills fault when receivers drop passes.

[oscar canosa]

No doubt Brady is a great QB, #1 Montreal. However the reverse is true also. If Brady had no OL he would not be great just good. We Originals know this fact better than most as we watched Griese struggle before Shula arrived here.

[NJPHIN]

We have the worst starting QB in the league. Of course our opponents will game plan to stop the run.

[Marc]

I can only count Ireland last two drafts as his own work the others where parcels work so let's be fair here

[mike]

Lots of excuses for Hennehill. LOL

[Marc]

Ralph you hit the nail on the head man it's all about next year this year is about evaluating our roster and getting tannehill some experience and not dead

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

oscar, my point is BB is considered a genius because of Brady. Take him away from NE and they're just another average team. Brady's o-line is average, but he's got Gronkowski, Hernandez, Welker, etc etc...Before that he had Randy Moss...BB was smart enough to give him MAJOR weapons...We have NONE...In fact, our GM traded our best and only productive WR but never had a plan B to replace him...That's what you call FAILURE...

[mattybfromnc]

Posted by: NJPHIN | November 20, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Theyre not game palnning to stop the run.. theyre barely rushing anyone.. the oline cant stop 4 guys

[Slam]

Who would you guys rather have in free agency:

Greg Jennings, Dwayne Bowe, Mike Wallace or Jermichal Finley?

[Valhalla!!!]

So Plaxico signs with Steelers after begging to play for Fins, but Ireland sign Anthony Armstrong and Gafney. Wtf?

[oscar canosa]

Poor protection has NOTHING to do with the other Team's schemes. They are just losing the 1 on 1 battles at the line.

[KingShula]

Ireland should have learned by now after all the high picks that are o lineman and a lot on here are saying the offensive line is the problem.Well that to me tells me he aint fixing the problem by drafting olineman as the 1st or 2nd choice in the draft.When you draft them that high you have to pay them that way.They need players that score points on offense and get first downs when they need a score to win they just dont have them.The ENTIRE TEAM IS PLAYING LISTLESS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT ITS OVER AFTER 6 MORE GAMES.

[Marc]

Go miami keep losing get a top 5 pick then parlay it into 4 more picks

[Scotty]

I'm hearing the same excuses for Tannehill that were made for Henne. FROM THE SAME PEOPLE!

[Marc]

I would like Dustin Keller and Greg jennings

[Truth Hurts]

Funny, Ireland apologists were pointing to Reggie as a major hit as a FA signing & reason to give him more time.

Bush has fallen off the map. So has his other big time supposed FA acquisition last year, Mr. Burnett.

Add in this years atrocious FA record & you have 2 consecutive years of inadequate Free Agency. We all know his drafts have been more than stinky.

Time to get younger guys in & get a new GM.

THAT IS THE REAL ISSUE IN MIAMI

[Marc]

Or mike Wallace and finley

[Slam]

Marc,

Thats a nice combo. Both those guys coming of injury filled seasons though. Thats a little scary.

[Marc]

So what about the prep for the upcoming draft a lot of it is half way done

[Homer Jones]

How nany excuses can make up for Tannehill?

[Opti/Pessi Mist]

We have no leadership in the players. No leader in the O line. None in the RB's. nothing in the WR's. zero in the LB group and secondary??????. Only our D line is playing sound football and they are the only ones that stand out. I don't see too much fussing about our D line. Lead by example.

[oscar canosa]

Now, don't get me going. How come they protected well and opened holes the first 8 Games? Now, all of a sudden they can't zone block any more? C'monnn

[mattybfromnc]

whos makig excuses.. Theres more to football than the aspect youre looking at it Scotty

[TE Analysis]

Miami has 1 TE who can block well but, can't really get open consistently & has been known to have the dropsies(Fasano).

They have another guy in Mastrud who can block but can't get open.

Clay? Can't block, can get open but, can't catch consistently.

Egnew can't block. In preseason couldn't get open. When he did, he couldn't catch.

This type of talent or lack of is prevelant throughout the roster.

[mattybfromnc]

First 8 games Oscar? Try first 5

[2 watt]

lol

[2 watt]

more loses = quicker exit 4 irecorn.
boot in butt.

[Dline Analysis]

Dline was the supposed strength & lately have been getting manhandled.

Soliai? Space eater.

Starks? Consistent guy on the line. Not flashy but, gets it done. Impending FA & already 29

McDaniels has been consistent but, too injury prone. An impending FA

Odrick? A Complete waste

Vernon? Almost invisible on D but is decent on ST. IS that why he was drafted?

Wake - Only pass rush threat on the team.

Randall - rotational guy at best

Shelby - Rotational guy at best

This was the supposed strength of the squad & 2 of it's best performers are heading to FA.

OUCH!

[oscar canosa]

OK. First 5 Games our OL played fine zone blocking. Now, anybody here convince me they forgot how to zone-block. Eh?

[Dense 'R' Us]

Yeah,give the [BLOCKHEAD]Ireland more picks so he can pick more scrubs and everyone else in the NFL will pick players and become light years ahead of the Phins roster.
F'ING BRILLIANT...
LMAO