Don't blame this braintrust for chronic cornerback problem

My column this morning explains the mistake I believe this team made this offseason that is costing them (or should be) sleepless nights now because the cornerback position is so weak.

That's on this front office. This coaching staff. The folks running the franchise today.

But the cornerback position didn't become a chronic problem because these folks messed up. The foundation for today's problems were laid by other people who ran the franchise in the past.

Mike Tannenbaum didn't draft Jamar Taylor in the second round of the 2013 draft.

He didn't draft Will Davis in the third round of the 2013 draft.

Tannenbaum had to clean up that spill.

Adam Gase didn't have issues with Vontae Davis and his maturity and drinking. Rather than get those addressed, it was Joe Philbin who didn't have the patience or the wisdom to keep Davis. And it was Jeff Ireland who traded Davis -- who is now a Pro Bowl caliber player.

Letting Sean Smith go elsewhere in 2013 ... I wouldn't call that a mistake. Sometimes players find better deals elsewhere. But the Dolphins had a press cornerback they had drafted to play press man. And then Kevin Coyle came in as defensive coordinator and seeing that his best cornerback played press, still wanted to play off man.

None of those moves were made by this braintrust. They were simply inherited by this braintrust.

So fair is fair.

Now, this braintrust did not properly address the position this offseason from what I can see. Look, Bobby McCain returns to practice today and will be vying for the starting slot cornerback spot.

But I personally think Brice McCain, who wasn't making very much, would be better there. He played out of position all of 2015. He didn't complain about it, indeed tried to embrace it. And he failed on the outside. I don't see that as his fault. I see it as the team's fault for putting him in a position to fail.

And then the team compounded the problem by letting him go.

And I know rookie Xavien Howard will be healthy eventually. The team says by the opener. It'll be interesting to see how much he can contribute early in the season.

But it seems the Dolphins paid an abundance of attention to other positions -- such as defensive and offensive line -- while managing cornerback in bare minimum fashion.

Anyway, the team thinks there is nothing to see here. The team thinks I'm making too much of this. Gase bared his teeth at me during a press conference Saturday when I asked about the corners. (Love it).

So I'll move on to other things after today.

Maybe.

By the way, the Dolphins are installing a new offense. The quarterbacks are learning new things every day. But none have thrown an interception in like 300 passes thrown the first two days of training camp.

Just sayin'.