We just may have to suffer through another season with Gibril Wilson after all. Speaking for the first time in a while at the Scouting Combine today, Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland seem to hint that Wilson will be back in 2010. In doing so, he actually kind of threw Miami's two rookie corners under the bus. Said Ireland:
"He's playing a position with two young corners. A lot of things you would try to blame on him ... those weren't always his fault. We have our evaluation of Gibril Wilson. We know what kind of player he's capable of being. I think he's going to be a very good player for the future. He was disappointed in his play last year.He will tell you that. I think he can play better. We'll just have to see. I think he will."
So Wilson's embarrassing attempt at tacking Jeremy Shockey wasn't his own fault? What about his terrible attempt at stopping Reggie Bush at the goal line (that play, by the way, was featured on a Super Bowl commercial). What about all of the long completions allowed? The corner might give up the reception. But isn't it the free safety's job to keep the yards after catch to a minimum? Where was Gibril on so many of those big plays surrendered by this defense?
Ireland can say what he want. But the fact of the matter is that Wilson was just plain terrible in 2009. And I don't want to hear anyone say he was playing out of position. He played free safety for the Super Bowl winning Giants. Then in 2008, the Raiders signed him and moved him to strong safety - where he was so awful that Oakland cut him and took the huge cap hit that resulted from it. So he can't play strong safety, either.
I really thought Wilson was going to play well in 2009 when Miami initially signed him. But it's clear to everyone that he just isn't starting material as a free safety. So why isn't it clear to this front office?
Hopefully this is just Ireland trying to give Wilson some confidence heading into the offseason program. After all, Wilson doesn't have to be released in March. He could come to camp and try to win back his starting job. But if it becomes clear - as it will, I'm sure - that he just can't cut it as a free safety in Miami, the Dolphins better cut ties with him and move on.
And I'll leave you with a quote from Armando Salguero. We all like to get on his case at times. But I agree 100% with Armando here:
"If Wilson is on the team in 2010, he will once again find himself benched at some point in the season. That is how much I doubt his ability to get significantly better in his seventh season."