After a surprising finish to the 2019 season, a $145 million spending spree in free agency, and a glut of draft picks, Miami became a bit of a media darling in terms of 2020 prospects.
Under the surface, though, the mind-numbing approaches that have been so very on-brand for the 'Fins persisted.
First off, the Dolphins set the market for way too many players. Second, Miami seemed to exclusively target players who had previously been largely considered busts (Ereck Flowers, Shaq Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah, etc.) but had recently put together a season showing flashes of potential. And third, the team had to double down on positions where horrific drafting had left the depth chart barren.
Lost in the shuffle of this excitement was the fact that the Dolphins jettisoned both coordinators without explanation or justification after last season, while retaining a general manager who has played a major role in an almost incomprehensible series of bad draft classes.
Speaking of the draft, the 'Fins loaded up on high-potential players, some of whom could be considered projects. I understand the approach from a long-term standpoint, but there were some legitimate concerns that were pinpointed at the time and were borne out in reality.
First, Miami drafted a long-snapper. And not even with the final pick. In the sixth round. I can't even.
Second, the Dolphins traded up to take productive defensive end Curtis Weaver in the fifth round. However, two weeks before the season started, the 'Fins inexplicably cut him instead of putting him on IR. Multiple teams put in claims for him, and Cleveland promptly signed him -- and put him on IR.
Now, yes, maybe Weaver was disappointing on some level. However, cutting him before he ever plays in even a preseason game doesn't speak to proactivity, it reeks of roster mismanagement.
And finally, the team flat-out cut young quarterback Josh Rosen, a little over a year after giving up second- and fifth-rounders for him. In this new era of shifting rosters, high-potential signal-callers are a prized commodity, especially for a franchise that has a way-past-his-prime graybeard and an injury-prone rookie. The move makes less than no sense, no matter what justification the team may have provided.
Compounding matters, Miami then flipped a fourth-round draft pick to the Raiders for third-rounder Lynn Bowden, Jr. It may be unfair to label Bowden a bust before his first game, but when the team that drafted him immediately sends him out the door for a lower-level pick, that's not a great sign. Also, Bowden is a player without a defined position who was deemed a character risk in the draft process, headed to South Beach for a franchise that doesn't like to feature its playmakers.
The result of all this? The Dolphins were physically dominated by a suspect New England team in its first game, being largely uncompetitive in the contest. Lawson, Ogbah, and the rest of the high-priced defensive additions were outclassed in an embarrassing way, while Bowden was inactive, Ryan Fitzpatrick dead-armed his way to three picks, and Tua sat watching.
In summation, this is a microcosm of how bad teams stay bad. Sure, it's only one game into a new season -- but it's also a continuation of two decades of a trend that shows no signs of dissipating.
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