2014 Dolphins GM Career

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After a lengthy absence from the game I decided to finally give it another go. This time will be a bit different though...

Some general things first:
Roster: jlech's 2014 roster update
Sliders: Algoody's latest sliders (no idea if sliders matter at all in supersim)
Draft path: Sweetney path - don't want that talent overkill (too many stars/sleepers) from the English or Ozzie paths and I already used Zazzali for my earlier dynasty (see my signature if you're interested).

This will be a GM dynasty, all games are supersimmed and I will never interfere with playcalling (I select 'sim until the end of game' as soon as the supersim starts). My job is to focus on building the roster, managing cap, hiring staff, etc. Just what a GM does. I'll leave the coaching (playcalling) to the coaches I hire.


House Rules:
- No players can be added/signed to the roster in season 1. I have to make it through the first season with the Dolphins roster as it is. I can only sign a FA if someone goes on IR during the regular season.
- After the first season I'm only allowed to sign 1 FA per week (unless someone goes on IR).
- I am not allowed to DRAFT any players that are on the Future 50 list (a list published by the game developers which features some of the best players in the draft classes). However, if a Future 50 player becomes available via trade or free agency I am allowed to get him.
- I am not allowed to inflate my team with custom draft sleepers (e.g. Delaware St. TE with Kellen Winslow comparison, UNLV DE with Ogunleye/Hali comparison, VMI MLB or Grambling St. QB with Drew Brees comparison). I am only allowed 1 of these players per position at the same time on my roster.
- On draft day, I'm only allowed to trade up if a CPU team wants to trade out of their spot. I'm not allowed to use the 'Trade Up' button at all.
- No sign-and-trade deals (if I sign a player, I'm not allowed to trade him in that season).
- I'm not allowed to trade rookies, Kickers or Punters (doesn't happen in the NFL either).
- No trades allowed until the end of the first season.
- Only allowed to trade for players on the trading block. Not allowed to trade for CPU players that are not on the trading block (added at the end of season 3).


Playbooks:

Offense:
On offense I'll use my own PB which is loosely based on the Colts PB. Singleback & Shotgun formations all the way with a zone blocking scheme. I'll use 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) as my base, occasionally I'll mix in a 2 TE set. WRs and TEs are used as primary passing targets while the RB is almost exclusively used for rushing. In a perfect world I'll get a pass/run split of around 65-70 percent passing and 30-35 percent rushing.

Defense:
On defense I'll use the 4-2-5 PB with a clear emphasis on man coverage. '4-2-5 Cover 1' will be my base defense. I decided to go with 4-2-5 instead of the typical 4-3 because the game is so pass heavy. Having an additional DB on the field should help against those pass happy offenses in the game (Colts, Pats, Hammermill, Martz).

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We went 2-2 in preseason. Our passing game was ok but we struggled to run the ball. Kind of reminds me of the real 2013 Dolphins. DT Paul Soliai will miss 3-5 weeks with an injury and will be replaced by Jared Odrick.


Miami Dolphins opening day roster:

Offense:
QB Ryan Tannehill (83)
RB Lamar Miller (77)
WR1 Mike Wallace (86)
WR2 Brian Hartline (83)
WR3 Brandon Gibson (80)
TE Charles Clay (79)
LT Bryant McKinnie (89)
LG Richie Incognito (83)
C Mike Pouncey (90)
RG John Jerry (79)
RT Tyson Clabo (91)
key backups: QB Matt Moore, RB Daniel Thomas, TE Dustin Keller, OL Jonathan Martin, OL Nate Garner

Defense:
LE Cameron Wake (92)
DT Randy Starks (89)
NT Paul Soliai (89)
RE Dion Jordan (82)
LB Dannell Ellerbe (85)
LB Philip Wheeler (83)
SS Jelani Jenkins (72)
SS Reshad Jones (86)
FS Chris Clemons (83)
CB1 Brent Grimes (88)
CB2 Nolan Carroll (79)
key backups: DE Olivier Vernon, DT Jared Odrick, LB Koa Misi, CB Dimitri Patterson, DB Jimmy Wilson

Special Teams:
K Caleb Sturgis (85)
P Brandon Fields (92)
KR/PR Marcus Thigpen (81)


Note: I'm playing Jelani Jenkins as a starting SS although he's officially listed as a LB. In my 4-2-5 scheme I need two Strong Safeties who play near the line of scrimmage all game. They need to be able to play man coverage against TEs or slot receivers and also need to be good tacklers in run support. This position hugely differs from traditional defenses (4-3 or 3-4), in my scheme both Strong Safeties are basically LB/S tweeners.

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Midseason Report:

After a surprising 4-1 start we lost the last 3 games so we're now 4-4 at the midseason mark. Our running game can't move the chains, the QB has turned into a INT machine and our WRs drop a lot of balls lately. On defense we've had DTs Soliai and Odrick injured so we couldn't stop anyone in the running game. I've decided to instruct my coaches to lean a bit more on the passing game going forward.
We'll also make a change at RB - Daniel Thomas will get his chance to start after Lamar Miller only got 356 yds on 147 carries (2.4 ypc).

At the moment we're really heading in the wrong direction but at 4-4 we're still in contention...

[jlech1805]

Good to see you got a career going.

4-4 isn't an awful start, better than what I would expect given the Dolphin's roster.

[Mike3207]

I think sliders don't matter in supersim, only when you play the games. Don't quote me on that though.

[burnum]

Notable roster moves during season 1:
OG John Jerry, DT Jared Odrick & RB Daniel Thomas were put on IR after season ending injuries.
LB/DE Sergio Kindle, DT Devon Stills & RB Andre Ellington were signed as FA.

The contracts of OT Tyson Clabo, DT Randy Starks & DE Sergio Kindle were extended.


Season 1 has finished. We finished 9-6-1 and just barely missed out on the playoffs.

Offense: QB Ryan Tannehill threw 21 INTs with only 15 TDs. He finished the season with 3267 yds and only a 52% completion rating. Although he certainly had his moments, especially during the second half of the season, he did not play well at any standards. I'm not saying he'll be replaced but I'm planning to bring in some competition for next season at QB.
We've had 3 different starters at the position but none of the RBs (Miller, Thomas, Ellington) could eclipse 3 ypc for the season which is proof that my running game was really struggling. We're looking for a new starter during the offseason.
All of my WRs & TEs had some good games and some bad games. Nobody really stood out. Wallace barely eclipsed 1000 yds and Hartline was a solid #2. We're looking to upgrade the slot position where Brandon Gibson struggled to produce.
In the O-Line we have some bright spots (C Mike Pouncey didn't allow a single sack all year, RT Tyson Clabo played solid) but also some bad spots. None of the Guards (Incognito, Jerry, Garner) could really excel in pass- or run blocking. Hopefully I can find a decent prospect later in the draft here.
Generally the offense didn't perform well and no unit really stood out. The team was clearly held back by lack of offensive production.

Defense:
Our 4-2-5 defense played well when everyone was healthy but our general lack of depth showed during the season when some starters (Soliai, Odrick, Carroll) missed games due to injury. Without Soliai clogging up the middle we were unable to stop teams from running all over us. Cameron Wake & Randy Starks put some good pressure on opposing QBs while Dion Jordan continued to develop into a full-time DE after playing LB at Oregon.
Expectedly, LBs Dannell Ellerbe & Philip Wheeler led the team in tackles but the true standout of the defense was CB Brent Grimes who hauled in 9 INTs and was our only player selected to the Pro Bowl. His contract is up and I'm planning to keep him around even if it means using the Franchise Tag on him. While playing well against the run LB/S Jelani Jenkins was clearly a liability in pass coverage (allowed 59 catches). We're looking to upgrade the tweener LB/S spot next to Reshad Jones in the offseason.


Awards:
MVP: Andrew Luck
Off. PoY: Andrew Luck
Def. PoY: DeAndre Levy
Off. Rookie: Montee Ball
Def. Rookie: Desmond Trufant
Coach: Jason Garrett


Coming Up:
Staff changes, playoff results and offseason

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Staff Changes:
OC Bill Lazor left to become the new HC of the Oakland Raiders. I hired Norv Turner as his replacement.
DC Kevin Coyle retired and was replaced by Perry Fewell.
I decided to keep all my position coaches for now.
Trainer Roger Rodriguez was replaced by Robert Wyman.

Coaching changes around the league:
Bengals fired Marvin Lewis, hired Mike Zimmer
Lovie Smith left the Buccaneers, was replaced by Mike McCoy
Chargers fired Mike McCoy, hired Tom Clements
Eagles fired Chip Kelly, hired Romeo Crennel
Gus Bradley retired, Jaguars hired Chip Kelly
Jets fired Rex Ryan, hired Dom Capers
Raiders fired Dennis Allen, hired Bill Lazor
Jeff Fisher left the Rams, was replaced by Lovie Smith
Vikings fired Mike Zimmer, hired Marvin Lewis

All in all we have 9 Head Coaching changes in the league which is quite a lot. Interesting to see that the Bengals and Vikings just swapped coaches.
Gary Hammermill was hired as DC in Green Bay. I'm glad he didn't get a job as HC for now.


Playoff Results:
The NFC #1 seed Cowboys were eliminated in the Divisional Round by Tampa Bay after going 14-2 in the regular season.
AFC Championship Game: Colts win at Denver 41-38
NFC Championship Game: Rams beat Buccaneers 21-14
SuperBowl: Colts beat Rams 26-14


Offseason:
- Peyton Manning retired.
I decided to put the Franchise Tag on CB Brent Grimes after his contract had expired. He was the best player on the team last season (9 INTs) and our sole Pro Bowler. I didn't want to risk losing him on the open market and I also felt that at 31 he shouldn't be offered a long-term contract.

I decided to cut the following players because their salaries didn't reflect their production or value to the team:
QB Matt Moore, TE Michael Egnew, TE Dion Sims, OG Dallas Thomas, DT AJ Francis, LB Jason Trusnik, CB Dimitri Patterson

Free Agency started and my main goal was to upgrade the RB position. On top of my list was Knowshon Moreno but after seeing his demands I decided to move on. He ended up re-signing in Denver on a 5-yr, 38 million contract. I also passed on CJ Spiller who could've been had for 4 yrs and 13 mil because of his concerns. He ended up in Oakland. I decided not to sign any FA Running Backs and try to get one in the draft instead. However, I don't consider this draft class very strong. There are some clear cut top players (QB Luke Rambis, RB Maceo Sweetney, DE Andre Dalembert) but they'll be long gone when I pick at #20. Unfortunately, my divisional rivals Bills and Jets pick #1 and #2, let's hope they're foolish enough not to take one of these studs (especially Rambis is someone I don't want in my division). After scouting I think the draft class lacks overall talent but at least at RB, WR & CB there should be some depth.

- signed FS Chris Clemons as a FA, 4 yrs, 17.5 mil - we couldn't agree on a contract during the season so I had to sign him on the open market. With a weak Safety class in the draft I wanted to make sure he's back, even though I feel I overpaid a bit.


Coming Up:
The Draft

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Draft Recap:

Round 1:
After missing out on my favorite targets I traded down from #20 to #25, then took LB Jayshawn Ralls (will start at one of the 2 LB spots)

Round 2:
RB Jamel Keddington (probably new starting RB)
QB Jared May (competition for Tannehill)

Round 3:
traded further down

Round 4:
WR Marcus Friday (speed WR, backup for Mike Wallace)
LB/S Kepa Tonga (good in coverage, competition for the LB/S tweener spots)

Round 5:
traded away earlier in the draft

Round 6:
QB Kalen Parkman (value pick)

Round 7:
TE Kemba Borrough (TE depth & Special Teams)

I decided to trade down a lot because I didn't like the draft class too much and I didn't have the class fully scouted yet (GM skills). So I decided to trade some picks away for future picks. I now have three 2nd round picks next year.


Preseason:
- signed Safeties Eric Reid & Devin McCourty, WR/KR Devin Hester and LB Manti Teo during the preseason. They all got 1-yr deals.

We finished the preseason 4-0 but I don't really care about results in preseason. Only thing I care during that time is that players learn the playbooks and nobody gets hurt. DT Paul Soliai picked up a minor injury and will miss the first 1 or 2 games.


Coming Up:
- Roster Overview
- Start of Regular Season