Neil Reynolds catches up with the Miami Dolphins ahead of new NFL season
Is Jay Cutler coming out of retirement the answer for the Dolphins?
Thursday 17 August 2017 12:02, UK
We headed south from Jacksonville for day seven of our NFL 8 in 8 adventure and rocked up in Miami for a day with a Dolphins team that made a real splash in 2017.
I am now penning this article at the end of a long but very productive and insightful day in South Florida. We left our Miami hotel at 8am and headed to the Dolphins training complex just west of Fort Lauderdale and our day will end around 2am on Saturday as we fly from Miami to Cleveland at 10.20pm, landing around 1.20am.
I have to admit that I can recite the airline safety procedures verbatim at this stage of the trip, which ends on Saturday with the Browns.
Back to a day that I think gave a really good gauge on what is being built in Miami under second-year head coach Adam Gase. With that in mind, here are some thoughts that I have on the Dolphins as they head towards the 2017 campaign…
5 observations from Dolphins training camp…
Adam Gase is tasked with bringing down the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the AFC East. And that's kind of ironic given that the Bill Belichick coaching tentacles reach all the way to Miami's young coach. They're not quite operating under 'The Patriot Way' in Miami, but Gase did work for Nick Saban (who has strong ties to Belichick) and Josh McDaniels (a long-time Belichick disciple). That explains why Miami are very interested in smart and selfless players who love football. That recipe has proven a successful one when it comes to roster building in New England.
The elephant in our interview room on Friday was the absence of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who went down with a worrying-looking knee injury the day before. Tannehill opted for recuperation and stem cell treatment after hurting his knee at the end of the 2016 campaign, rather than opt for a full operation and questions will be asked about that medical route. There was a great deal of uncertainty in Miami when we were there but it does look like Jay Cutler is being considered as a viable option. I'll have more on that later but it seems like the Dolphins are preparing for an extended period of time without Tannehill.
While they had their moments on that side of the ball, the Dolphins expect their defense to be vastly improved from its 29th ranking of a year ago. That was the message delivered by Gase, linebacker Kiko Alonso and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who insisted that "the numbers don't lie" and things must be better in 2017. The addition of linebacker Lawrence Timmons and the return from injury of elite safety Reshad Jones should definitely help.
He is currently sidelined with a concussion, but it is clear that British running back Jay Ajayi is going to be the focal point of the Miami attack in 2017. Gase could not have spoken more highly about Ajayi if he tried. And in speaking to the likes of guard Jermon Bushrod and wide receiver DeVante Parker, it is clear that Jay not only provides yards to the Dolphins, he almost produces an emotional boost that can turn games around. Even more of the Miami attack is going to fall on Ajayi's shoulders in 2017, especially early, if Tannehill is out and a new quarterback is brought on board.
This is just a reminder as all quarterback conversation in Miami centres around Ryan Tannehill, Jay Cutler, Colin Kaepernick and even the likes of Josh McCown and Cody Kessler… Matt Moore is a decent alternative who made a decent show of the starting job at the back end of last year. For that reason, the Dolphins should absolutely kick the tyres on veteran options, but they should not be overpaying because, as Vikings GM Rick Spielman reminded us earlier this week, you will pay a premium in a quarterback trade at this time of the year. Moore can get the job done.
Training camp finish that sentence…
DeVante Parker is… poised for a breakout season in Miami. He has all the tools to be a true number one receiver and is growing up fast under Gase's guidance. Parker can make every kind of catch and is a natural receiver. If he stays healthy, I think he can blow it up this year, quarterback situation permitting. Parker's wide receivers coach, Shawn Jefferson, agrees and has suggested that his player is going to have a "monster season," should be re-named "Monster Parker" and he should be playing in the "Monster Bowl." I'm not sure what half of that means but the Dolphins have very high hopes for their third-year receiver.
Quote of the Day…
"One of the best things that has ever been said to me is, 'I would rather be his teammate than his enemy.' I have a friendly side and a side that has to be on top of what I need to get done. If you're in my way, I'm not going to treat you nicely." - Dolphins Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on being a nice guy off the field and a total menace on the gridiron.
Quote of the Day II…
"Horribly. There is not much balance. I look at it that I am 39 years old right now and get one chance to get a job like this. My wife and kids understand that I'm all in." - Dolphins head coach Adam Gase on how he handles the work-life balance when heading up an NFL team.
Final Thought
There have been far too many years in his career when Jay Cutler was a disappointment (maybe that's why NFL teams showed so little interest this offseason that he chose a move into the FOX commentary booth) but all I can say is that Gase is a renowned quarterback whisperer who has won a variety of ways with an array of passers - with Tim Tebow and his unconventional style, with a prolific and not-so-prolific Peyton Manning, and with Tannehill in Miami. He even made some progress with Cutler in 2015, helping him complete 64.1 percent of his passes for 3,659 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. I have my doubts that Cutler can be a high-end quarterback, but he is probably Miami's best option at this stage of the summer unless the Dolphins want to overpay in the trade market as previously mentioned.
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The regular season of home and away matches run from September to December 2017, culminating in PlayOffs from January 6, 2018 and the Super Bowl on February 4, 2018 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota to determine the world champion
