Great Teams Have Depth As Well As Stars: Next Man Up Is An Opportunity

Forget focusing on the weaknesses, great coaching puts players in positions that accentuate their assets

Great coaches make opposing teams deal with a player’s strengths

Miami Dolphins struggles are my pain. If you cut me, aqua blood will pour from my veins. So as the Fins continue to get pummeled with injuries, I appear more like a pale mummy than red-blooded man, these days.

Not only has Rookie LB Raekown McMillian and QB Ryan Tannehill been knocked out for 2017, but injuries have raged up and down the roster. Thankfully, none of these have been season-enders.

While everyone from the best bookie service to the guy who picks up the jerseys and jock straps knows, the NFL is all about ‘next man up’, this philosophy is far easier said than implemented.

But Adam Gase is the lifeline I hold onto. Given the understanding that great coaching is about putting players in position to win by making opposing teams deal with their strength and not their weaknesses, I see a light in the darkness.

That’s why I’m death-gripping the hope that we are on the verge of an amazing display of coaching.

Is Gase great? 2017 will go a long way to proving he is… should he succeed

How easy would it have been for Jimmy Johnson to have over-looked Zach Thomas or Jason Taylor‘s strengths in the face of their weaknesses? Neither was a prototype: too small and too thin.

But Johnson didn’t, and they became legendary players.

Now, it’s not to say that Mike Hull or Sam Young is the next anything. I’m just saying that both are in the NFL for a reason, because both have strengths.

I’m also not saying that good coaches can win with mules against those who have thoroughbreds. Rather, good coaches can turn a few mules into stallions.

How frustrating is it that the Dolphins can’t seem to get a break from the pile up of injuries?

Ja’Waun James and Neville Hewitt have bad shoulders; Isaiah Ford has had knee surgery, and Francis Owusu is dealing with a knee injury; Jay Ajayi and Malcolm Lewis have had concussions; Reshad Jones has a bad calf; Leonte Carroo, Kenny Stills, and Jordan Westerkamp are sidelined due to hamstrings; Mike Pouncey‘s career is on the fence with his hip; Ted Larsen is done for some time with a torn bicep; Rashawn Scott has a bum foot; and Nate Allen is unable to practice due to a groin injury.

The million dollar question now is, is there someone on the roster behind them who can hold the fort down till they return?

At least one thing is for sure, Miami hasn’t sat on their hands when something bad happens.

Miami quickly went out and coaxed Jay Cutler out of retirement and also signed free agent linebacker Junior Sylvestre. Unfortunately, the sober side says: Cutler retired because no one else wanted to give him a chance at a starting gig, and Sylvestre has zero NFL game-time experience.

Then again, I don’t have the vision of Gase. So what does he see? Man, what I wouldn’t give for a peek!

If Miami can foster talent in the middle of the roster it would be great asset going forward

It’s funny–not in a ha-ha way– that the off-season appeared to bring in a decent amount of depth. However, after a brutal couple of weeks of injuries, that depth is now as thin as a balding man’s hairline–no offense M.J.

Thankfully the staff has a plan to compensate.

For example:

Even though Miami has Kiko Alonso and Lawrence Timmons, who can both play Middle Linebacker, the staff appears to prefer keeping them at OLB.

Daddy know best.

The staff sees the NFL’s evolution into more of a passing league as devaluing the ‘Mike’, who will be on the field less than the Outside Linebackers. Given this, they want their two best Linebackers in Alonso and Timmons on the field more. So they are staying primarily outside.

At the moment, the Dolphins have been using Hull as the starting Middle Linebacker.

Hull is a gritty player entering his third year in the league. After going undrafted out of Penn State, he got some playing time last season, due to injuries, and filled in admirable. However, he’s on the small side and still needs to significantly improve on getting off blocks faster and more consistently. But, that’s an issue that can be compensated with scheme. See Sam Mills and Zach.

Great teams have great chemistry brought about by great coaching

Again, yes both those LB’s were far more talented, but Hull’s weaknesses can be mitigated and his strength focused on.

In addition, Miami has stated that they will continue to look for other options at the Linebacker position and have not ruled out anything including a trade.

Eagles. Eagles. Eagles and MLB Mychal Kendricks?

But let’s say they have to go with Hull as their best option… can they scheme it up to work?

Chris Perkins from Sun Sentinel had a interesting observation that he was unable to elaborate on it due to the Dolphins not wanting there tricks on display before game time. He said on Twitter, “Mike Hull at MLB… interesting formations & personnel groupings so far… would face harsh penalties for revealing tho”.

I’m a believer in Matt Burke. Call it instinct, or a hunch, or wishful thinking. But he reminds me of Gase on the defensive side of the ball. And given the success they had on defense at practice Sunday, there are hints of good things to come. Yeah, it could have been terrible Offensive Line play, but I really liked a lot of what I saw from those grunts against the Falcons, especially given that Laremy Tunsil and Ja’Wuan James was out.

In 2016 there was a disaster of injuries with far less talent than this year. Last season the team found a way to use the depth as starters and fight it’s way to a very unexpected birth in the playoffs. Can Gase and Co. do it a second time against a tougher schedule? We’ll find out soon if Gase is great or not. I for one have the champagne on chill. Go Fins!!!