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Saban of Miami, meet Pyrrhus of Epiris
當Nick Saban一年前接任海豚總教練時，大部分的人都認為他至少要花2-3年的時間才能把球隊的勝率提高到五成以上。但顯然地，Saban並不想等那麼久，所以當他著眼於未來而挑選一批富有天份的年輕人時，他也同時簽下一些老將以便在短期內對戰績有所幫助。這的確費了一番功夫，但最後的結果是Saban所希望的。球隊以6連勝結束球季同時最終戰績是9勝7敗，這使得海豚隊成為下一季超級盃的潛在競爭者。
那6場勝利只花了三百萬元。球隊認為浪人四分衛Gus Frerotte能帶著他們贏得勝利，所以他們一直將他擺在先發，而沒有給年輕的四分衛Cleo Lemon機會來獲取經驗。那同時也意味著Frerotte可以獲得三百萬的出賽紅利，同時在下一季的薪資也來到七百萬。
很幸運地，電光的GM A.J.Smith人善良到沒注意到Saban的球隊薪資，他錯誤的讓Drew Brees成為自由球員使得海豚腓長有可能簽下這位聯盟中最優秀的年輕四分衛之一來順利地補起球隊最大的漏洞。Bree的肩傷所需要的復原時間比Culpepper和Carson Palmer的膝傷要少得多，而Dr. James Andrews也說大約到了訓練營時Bree的肩膀就會完全復原。要和Culpepper競爭對Bree來說將會是一項嚴苛的挑戰。如果海豚能說服他來到邁阿密，不但能把攻擊能力馬上提升了不只一級，球隊也不需要付Frerotte的那七百萬元了(註一)。如果Bree沒有來，海豚仍能選擇和Culpepper或Patrick Ramsey，也可以從選秀第二或第三輪挑一名四分衛，但是如果結果是這樣那他們就有必要留下Frerotte以作為保障。
Never Trust Anyone over 30
傳統上的說法認為海豚是一支年輕而且渴望贏球的隊伍；但是這種說法有一個錯誤，就是這支球隊已經不再年輕了。隊伍的防守組充斥著老將而四分衛更是一名34歲的浪人。而且老將的表現每況愈下而薪資卻節節高升。為了能釋放薪資空間，角衛Sam Madison和Reggie Howard、安全衛Tebucky Jones和線衛Junior Seau都是球隊可以放棄的(註二)。
好消息是只有Madison是防守組的先發，而球隊已經有了Will Poole可以取代他，原本他上一季就預計要取代Madison但是卻因為ACL而使得他的第二個球季不得不提早結束。而壞消息則是一般運動員在遭受ACL的傷害後身體無法恢復到受傷之前的狀態；而目前海豚隊在Poole和Travis Daniels之後沒有人可以打角衛(註三)。當角衛相當年輕時，前面的七個卻逐漸老化；沒錯，Jason Taylor和Kevin Carter仍然打得很好，但是即使他們打得再好，表現也會隨著年紀下滑。除了二年級的線衛Channing Crowder之外前面的六個先發到了2006球季開打時都會超過30歲。
海豚隊同時需要找一個新的左絆鋒(註四)，上一季先發的Damion McIntosh也是被列在需要被清理的行列(請見註二)。球隊應該可以以第16順位選來當地出生的 Eric Winston，也有傳聞說他們對Cleveland的L.J. Shelton有興趣(請見註四)。
也許Saban仍然會簽下一些老將。稍早的報導提到海豚正在和33歲的前比爾隊防守絆鋒Sam Adams以及35歲的前噴射機中鋒Kevin Mawae洽商。
註一:3/14海豚隊宣布釋出Frerotte；3/15球隊宣布簽下Culpepper。
註二:3/1 Howard、Madison和Tebucky Jones都遭到球隊釋出，同一天被釋出的還有絆鋒Damion McIntosh；Junior Seau則在3/6遭到釋出。
註三:3/13簽下角衛Andre Goodman；3/21簽下角衛Eddie Jackson。
註四:3/13簽下絆鋒L.J. Shelton。
原文:
by Aaron Schatz
Saban of Miami, meet Pyrrhus of Epiris
When Nick Saban took over as head coach of the Dolphins a year ago, most people expected that it would take two or three years to make the Dolphins winners again. But Saban did not want to wait that long, so while he drafted a lot of young talent to build the team for the future, he also signed a number of veterans to strengthen the team in the short term. It took a while, but in the end Saban got the results he wanted. Six straight wins to end the season gave Miami a 9-7 record and set the Dolphins up as a sleeper Super Bowl contender for 2006.
But those six wins came with a three-million dollar price tag. The Dolphins felt that journeyman quarterback Gus Frerotte gave them the best chance to win those games, and they kept him in the lineup. That didn’t just keep the Dolphins from giving experience to younger quarterbacks like Cleo Lemon. It also meant that Frerotte earned $3 million in playing time incentives, giving him a $7 million salary cap number for 2006.
Luckily, San Diego general manager A.J. Smith was nice enough to drop a solution right in Saban’s lap. San Diego’s misguided decision to let Drew Brees leave as a free agent means that Miami could end up signing one of the league’s best young quarterbacks and dropping him right into the team’s biggest hole. Brees’ shoulder injury requires much less rehabilitation than the knee injuries suffered by Daunte Culpepper and Carson Palmer, and Dr. James Andrews says Brees should be back to full strength by training camp. Minnesota, headed for an acrimonious divorce from Culpepper, will be the strongest competition for Brees. If the Dolphins can convince him to come to Miami, they will dramatically upgrade their offense and be free to divest themselves of Frerotte’s killer $7 million cap number. If Brees goes elsewhere, the Dolphins could sign Culpepper or Patrick Ramsey, or grab a quarterback in the second or third round of the draft, but they would probably have to keep Frerotte around as insurance.
Never Trust Anyone over 30
Conventional wisdom says Miami is a young and hungry team on the way up, but there’s one problem with that assessment: this team is not young. This was a team with a veteran defense and a 34-year-old journeyman veteran at quarterback. And talented veterans become declining veterans, and then salary cap casualties. The Dolphins had to get rid of cornerbacks Sam Madison and Reggie Howard, safety Tebucky Jones, and linebacker Junior Seau in order to get under the salary cap.
The good news for the Dolphins is that Madison was the only defensive starter cut, and the team already has a replacement for him in Will Poole, who was supposed to start opposite Madison last year until he lost his sophomore campaign to an ACL injury. The bad news? Athletes usually do not return to full strength until two years after an ACL injury, and the Dolphins have no cornerback depth behind Poole and Travis Daniels. And while the cornerbacks are young, the front seven is old. Yes, players like Jason Taylor and Kevin Carter are still playing well, but talented older players are eventually going to decline. Every member of the projected starting front seven will be over 30 years old when the 2006 season begins except one, second-year linebacker Channing Crowder.
The Dolphins also need to find a new left tackle, since last year’s starter Damion McIntosh was also part of the recent cap purge. The Dolphins could stay local by taking Eric Winston out of "The U" with the 16th overall selection in this year’s draft, and they are also said to be interested in Cleveland free agent L.J. Shelton.
Or, maybe Saban will just keep adding old guys. Early reports say the Dolphins are talking to 33-year-old ex-Bills defensive tackle Sam Adams and 35-year-old ex-Jets center Kevin Mawae.
當Nick Saban一年前接任海豚總教練時，大部分的人都認為他至少要花2-3年的時間才能把球隊的勝率提高到五成以上。但顯然地，Saban並不想等那麼久，所以當他著眼於未來而挑選一批富有天份的年輕人時，他也同時簽下一些老將以便在短期內對戰績有所幫助。這的確費了一番功夫，但最後的結果是Saban所希望的。球隊以6連勝結束球季同時最終戰績是9勝7敗，這使得海豚隊成為下一季超級盃的潛在競爭者。
那6場勝利只花了三百萬元。球隊認為浪人四分衛Gus Frerotte能帶著他們贏得勝利，所以他們一直將他擺在先發，而沒有給年輕的四分衛Cleo Lemon機會來獲取經驗。那同時也意味著Frerotte可以獲得三百萬的出賽紅利，同時在下一季的薪資也來到七百萬。
很幸運地，電光的GM A.J.Smith人善良到沒注意到Saban的球隊薪資，他錯誤的讓Drew Brees成為自由球員使得海豚腓長有可能簽下這位聯盟中最優秀的年輕四分衛之一來順利地補起球隊最大的漏洞。Bree的肩傷所需要的復原時間比Culpepper和Carson Palmer的膝傷要少得多，而Dr. James Andrews也說大約到了訓練營時Bree的肩膀就會完全復原。要和Culpepper競爭對Bree來說將會是一項嚴苛的挑戰。如果海豚能說服他來到邁阿密，不但能把攻擊能力馬上提升了不只一級，球隊也不需要付Frerotte的那七百萬元了(註一)。如果Bree沒有來，海豚仍能選擇和Culpepper或Patrick Ramsey，也可以從選秀第二或第三輪挑一名四分衛，但是如果結果是這樣那他們就有必要留下Frerotte以作為保障。
Never Trust Anyone over 30
傳統上的說法認為海豚是一支年輕而且渴望贏球的隊伍；但是這種說法有一個錯誤，就是這支球隊已經不再年輕了。隊伍的防守組充斥著老將而四分衛更是一名34歲的浪人。而且老將的表現每況愈下而薪資卻節節高升。為了能釋放薪資空間，角衛Sam Madison和Reggie Howard、安全衛Tebucky Jones和線衛Junior Seau都是球隊可以放棄的(註二)。
好消息是只有Madison是防守組的先發，而球隊已經有了Will Poole可以取代他，原本他上一季就預計要取代Madison但是卻因為ACL而使得他的第二個球季不得不提早結束。而壞消息則是一般運動員在遭受ACL的傷害後身體無法恢復到受傷之前的狀態；而目前海豚隊在Poole和Travis Daniels之後沒有人可以打角衛(註三)。當角衛相當年輕時，前面的七個卻逐漸老化；沒錯，Jason Taylor和Kevin Carter仍然打得很好，但是即使他們打得再好，表現也會隨著年紀下滑。除了二年級的線衛Channing Crowder之外前面的六個先發到了2006球季開打時都會超過30歲。
海豚隊同時需要找一個新的左絆鋒(註四)，上一季先發的Damion McIntosh也是被列在需要被清理的行列(請見註二)。球隊應該可以以第16順位選來當地出生的 Eric Winston，也有傳聞說他們對Cleveland的L.J. Shelton有興趣(請見註四)。
也許Saban仍然會簽下一些老將。稍早的報導提到海豚正在和33歲的前比爾隊防守絆鋒Sam Adams以及35歲的前噴射機中鋒Kevin Mawae洽商。
註一:3/14海豚隊宣布釋出Frerotte；3/15球隊宣布簽下Culpepper。
註二:3/1 Howard、Madison和Tebucky Jones都遭到球隊釋出，同一天被釋出的還有絆鋒Damion McIntosh；Junior Seau則在3/6遭到釋出。
註三:3/13簽下角衛Andre Goodman；3/21簽下角衛Eddie Jackson。
註四:3/13簽下絆鋒L.J. Shelton。
原文:
by Aaron Schatz
Saban of Miami, meet Pyrrhus of Epiris
When Nick Saban took over as head coach of the Dolphins a year ago, most people expected that it would take two or three years to make the Dolphins winners again. But Saban did not want to wait that long, so while he drafted a lot of young talent to build the team for the future, he also signed a number of veterans to strengthen the team in the short term. It took a while, but in the end Saban got the results he wanted. Six straight wins to end the season gave Miami a 9-7 record and set the Dolphins up as a sleeper Super Bowl contender for 2006.
But those six wins came with a three-million dollar price tag. The Dolphins felt that journeyman quarterback Gus Frerotte gave them the best chance to win those games, and they kept him in the lineup. That didn’t just keep the Dolphins from giving experience to younger quarterbacks like Cleo Lemon. It also meant that Frerotte earned $3 million in playing time incentives, giving him a $7 million salary cap number for 2006.
Luckily, San Diego general manager A.J. Smith was nice enough to drop a solution right in Saban’s lap. San Diego’s misguided decision to let Drew Brees leave as a free agent means that Miami could end up signing one of the league’s best young quarterbacks and dropping him right into the team’s biggest hole. Brees’ shoulder injury requires much less rehabilitation than the knee injuries suffered by Daunte Culpepper and Carson Palmer, and Dr. James Andrews says Brees should be back to full strength by training camp. Minnesota, headed for an acrimonious divorce from Culpepper, will be the strongest competition for Brees. If the Dolphins can convince him to come to Miami, they will dramatically upgrade their offense and be free to divest themselves of Frerotte’s killer $7 million cap number. If Brees goes elsewhere, the Dolphins could sign Culpepper or Patrick Ramsey, or grab a quarterback in the second or third round of the draft, but they would probably have to keep Frerotte around as insurance.
Never Trust Anyone over 30
Conventional wisdom says Miami is a young and hungry team on the way up, but there’s one problem with that assessment: this team is not young. This was a team with a veteran defense and a 34-year-old journeyman veteran at quarterback. And talented veterans become declining veterans, and then salary cap casualties. The Dolphins had to get rid of cornerbacks Sam Madison and Reggie Howard, safety Tebucky Jones, and linebacker Junior Seau in order to get under the salary cap.
The good news for the Dolphins is that Madison was the only defensive starter cut, and the team already has a replacement for him in Will Poole, who was supposed to start opposite Madison last year until he lost his sophomore campaign to an ACL injury. The bad news? Athletes usually do not return to full strength until two years after an ACL injury, and the Dolphins have no cornerback depth behind Poole and Travis Daniels. And while the cornerbacks are young, the front seven is old. Yes, players like Jason Taylor and Kevin Carter are still playing well, but talented older players are eventually going to decline. Every member of the projected starting front seven will be over 30 years old when the 2006 season begins except one, second-year linebacker Channing Crowder.
The Dolphins also need to find a new left tackle, since last year’s starter Damion McIntosh was also part of the recent cap purge. The Dolphins could stay local by taking Eric Winston out of "The U" with the 16th overall selection in this year’s draft, and they are also said to be interested in Cleveland free agent L.J. Shelton.
Or, maybe Saban will just keep adding old guys. Early reports say the Dolphins are talking to 33-year-old ex-Bills defensive tackle Sam Adams and 35-year-old ex-Jets center Kevin Mawae.
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