Here's something I don't understand. For some reason, there's many Dolphin fans who are already criticizing new head coach Cam Cameron and GM Randy Mueller. But why? He hasn't even coached a regular season game. We don't even know how his moves will pan out. Yet some people insist on being negative. If you're one of those people, then fine. Be negative all the time. But just don't come running back to this team and this head coach when things start going good...really good.
Alright, so I might be a bit biased. After all, Cam Cameron was the coach I wanted all along as soon as Nick Saban left. However, looking objectively at what he and Randy have done so far this offseason, I can't understand why fans are souring on this franchise already. I mean, can we at least play a damn meaningful game first?
But really, what has Cam done that's so bad? He cut the fat off the roster by ridding this team of overpriced guys who weren't producing. Randy McMichael? Besides being a wife beater, he consistently dropped passes and was not a very good blocking tight end. Seth McKinney? He's average at best but wasn't worth what he would have been making. Olindo Mare? He's certainly not worth what his prie tag was and has been steadily declining over the past 3 or 4 years. Kevin Carter? A good player and locker room guy, but it was time for Matt Roth to show he can play in this league (and he hasn't disappointed). Daunte Culpepper? Even if his knee is fine now, he wasn't the right fit for Cam's quick decision-making offense that also relies on accuracy. Wes Welker? He's a good player but he wasn't a good fit for this team, as Chris Chambers is a far better slot receiver than Welker. Also, the team got a great offer for him. A 2nd round pick is much more valuable than a third receiver.
Cam and Randy also brought in the players who they felt would be good fits for this team. I don't hear anyone complaining about signing Joey Porter. I also don't hear anyone complaining about the drafting of John Beck. What am I hearing? I'm hearing how Trent Green looks old and how Ted Ginn was a terrible pick. But the people who are continually saying this aren't seeing the big picture. So allow me to clarify some things.
First, on the passing of Brady Quinn, all you haters need to realize something. Don't look at how Brady Quinn is performing in the preseason against guys who will be moving onto their "other" careers over the next 48 to 72 hours. And for that matter, don't look at John Beck's numbers against the same kind of players in the preseason. Instead, look at how effortlessly John Beck throws the ball. Watch how accurate his arm is. Brady Quinn is not nearly as accurate. But that's not even my point. My point is that Cam and Randy did their homework entering the draft. Why do you think they had Brady Quinn tossing around a football in cold weather? Why do you think Cam visited Ted Ginn multiple times before the draft? These things were done so that Cam and Randy knew exactly what their plan would be entering the draft. Then on draft day, they executed the plan to perfection (with a little luck) and got the two guys who they wanted all along. Bur for some reason, some Dolphin fans can't grasp this idea. The idea that the draft played out exactly how Cam and Randy thought it would and they landed a number of the players that they wanted. That's exceptional and shouldn't be overlooked.
So let's move on to the play on the field. After all, Cam and Randy made all these decisions to better the product on the field. So, just for a moment, think about this offense (which is what Cam was brought in here to fix). They add Trent Green, who is a great fit for Cam's offense because he's accurate and makes quick reads and decisions with the football. They add Ted Ginn and Lorenzo Booker, two guys who are going to give defensive coordinators nightmares by creating mismatches. And then they add a QB of the future to groom and bring along slowly in John Beck. So now what you have here is the potential for a very efficient offense. And I think that's what some of you are missing. This isn't an offense that's going to be explosive. It could have its moments, of course. But it's built to be efficient and move the ball down the field with precision. You got a taste of that with the 18 play, 9 minute scoring drive on Saturday night. And that's without the innovation that Cam's offenses usually have. By innovation, I'm referring to the shifts and motions that Cam likes to use to create mismatches.
So, if you're still with me after all that venting I just did above, what I'm asking from all of you is simple. Can we all please give Cam Cameron a chance to prove himself? Can we let him have a half of season or so to show what he can do? Some people were ready to crucify him in March when they didn't bring in any big-name offensive free agents. But do you all see that building a team through free agency isn't how you build champions? Did the Patriots do that? Did the Colts? Have the Chargers done that to get to where they are right now? No. But I'll tell you who has. The Redskins have. How has that worked out?
Have patience, my fellow Dolphin fans. Since the day he was hired, I've had this gut feeling that Cam Cameron is the guy who's going to get it done. He's going to be the guy to turn the fortunes of this franchise around. But we all need to give him a chance to do so, don't we?