High Expectations, Low Expectations

[cddolphin]

Who are some players you have high/low expectations for, and why? They can be rookies, players returning from injury, free agents, anybody on the team really.

[cddolphin]

High Expectations

QB Ryan Tannehill - Thoughts on our QB seem to be really split. Some think he's a replacement level QB, others consider him vastly underrated. The fact is, Tannehill was hitting his stride with Gase before his unfortunate injury, winning 7 of his last 8 games while posting a 100+ QBR, completing 69% of his passes and throwing twice as many TDs as INTs... behind a line of including the likes of Kraig Urbik, Anthony Steen, and Jermon Bushrod. For all of 2016, he threw 11 TDs in the redzone, to go along with 0 INTs (one of six QBs in the league to not throw a redzone INT). With an improved interior OL, a more balanced WR room, and a backfield with young talent and proven veterans both included, my expectations for Tannehill are high. Anybody worried about the ACL needs to look at the past decade or two of QB ACL injuries and the fact that the majority of the time, they bounce back just fine and stay healthy.

 

WR Jakeem Grant - Despite modest stats last season, it seemed like every other time Grant touched the ball, an explosive play resulted. The WR room is crowded this year, and targets will be spread out, but Grant had an eye-popping 18 yards per catch when he was lined up as a boundary WR. I like him to return punts as well. While I don't expect huge numbers, I do think he'll make a leap in his third year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him lead the Dolphins in yards per catch and explosive play %

 

Low Expectations

TE Mike Gesicki - Rookie TEs in recent years simply don't put up big numbers in the NFL. They just don't, especially ones drafted outside the 1st round. NFL playbooks are complex, and in Gase's offense Gesicki will be asked to line up in-line, in the slot, on the boundary; he'll be put into motion and ask to make post-snap reads based on coverage, not to mention needing to occasionally block effectively. The learning curve for TEs is steep, and my expectations for year 1 will be tempered. I'll not at all be surprised if/when both AJ Derby & Marqueis Gray play more overall snaps this season. However, I can see Gesicki's early action mostly coming in the redzone passing offense, where he can maximize his current strengths: winning 1-on-1s against mismatched safeties and linebackers, and attacking and high-pointing the ball; something even our big WRs can't seem to do consistently (cough cough DeVante Parker).

LB Kiko Alonso - A flashy 2016 was followed by a massively disappointing 2017. Kiko often looked completely out-matched in pass defense and missed too many tackles. With McMillan set to take over the middle, and younger, faster talent on the roster (Jerome Baker, Stephone Anthony), I expect Kiko to be relegated to the SAM role and coming off on passing downs most of the time. If his 2017 play bleeds into this season, he can be cut for savings in 2019.

[Tetsujin]

High: 

Quinn - b/c he has to play well for our D to have a chance

Davis - got 10 starts in 2017 and now a full offseason of starters reps

Low:

Gore - not expecting any type of explosive plays. Just mistake-free football and good pass protection. A lot of miles on those tires

Place Kicker - hopefully not our teams Achilles Heel

 

[cddolphin]

14 minutes ago, freak_of_nature said:

High: 

Quinn - b/c he has to play well for our D to have a chance

Davis - got 10 starts in 2017 and now a full offseason of starters reps

Low:

Gore - not expecting any type of explosive plays. Just mistake-free football and good pass protection. A lot of miles on those tires

Place Kicker - hopefully not our teams Achilles Heel

 

Agree on all four counts, honestly.

Jesse Davis ended last year so strong, and it says a lot coaches have already told him he's the starting RG.

I could see Gore with maybe 5 touches a game, something like that. I wonder how much coaches will trust Ballage his rookie year.. in Drake's rookie season, he only got about 40 touches all year as the 3rd RB.

[Dolphinmeister]

I have very low expectations for Devante Parker  this year. I just do not think he has the drive or the attitude to be a great receiver in the NFL.

I am  low on Tunsil, I am thinking he is good but not going to be great.

I also have very low expectations for the offensive line, I feel Tannehill and  more short pass targets this year along with Drake that can get to the outside will make O-line look better then they will really be.

Very high on Amendole, maybe not as many catches as Landry if the tight end starts producing but he will have a lot more YAC and TD's then Landry with no stupid penalties on critical plays.

High expectations for Harris, I think Charles Harris has a big year, With Suh gone and Wake aging I hope he grasp the opportunity he has to step up this year and be a difference maker..  

I am very high on the secondary to be great by mid season barring injury.

 

[john305]

High

Tannehill-This is it year 6; was 2016 8 game stretch a fluke or a sign of things to come. No more excuses.

Kenny Stills-With Landry gone he is our default #1 WR I expect 900+ yards and 7 TDs out of him

 

Low

Parker-This guy sucks and he is a bust imo

Quinn- I think he'll have 6-9 sacks, but people expecting him to be some kind of savior or pro bowl level DE should lower their expectations.

[ericsvibe]

High-Drake/Grant/Wilson-This is going to be a breakout year for Drake. Gase has spent the off-season re-tooling the playbook for Drake. Defenses are going to be forced to play conservative with Grant and Wilson. This is going to leave running lanes open on delayed runs, and Drake has the speed and vision to gash teams. If defenses decide to play aggressive, Grant and Wilson can take a short slant to the house. 

Minkah-The Dolphins are being careful not to give anything away, but it is being suggesting by the beat reporters that the Dolphins will run a 3 safety defense with 2 LB's on third and long, to give Minkah a chance to make plays. Minkah has shown the ability to read the ball in the air perfectly, and has gotten into position to challenge the WR. He has the most INT's so far from the OTA's, and even Gase said that Minkah just knows how to find the football. Maybe we can come up with a catchy name for it. 

Low-LB's. I don't think that the current starters compliment each other well. Normally you want a thumper at SLB, and speedy coverage LB at WLB, and a rangy balanced LB at SLB. We have an undersized speedy LB playing SLB, a LB with suspect coverage playing WLB, and a player with no experience playing MLB. Sounds awesome to me.