Miami Dolphins cleaning house after awful start to season

The Miami Dolphins, or at the very least Adam Gase, have finally had enough with the subpar loser mentality that has plagued the roster for the last decade and a half. Today, they are cleaning house.

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So far offensive lineman Billy Turner, Dallas Thomas, and Jamil Douglas have been given their walking papers. It’s now being reported that running back Isaiah Pead has also been handed his pink slip.

The axe has fallen and it may not stop. To fill at least one of the vacated spots, Miami is expected to re-sign offensive lineman Sam Young who barely missed the cut in August to 53. Today’s round of cuts feels more like a team paring to 53 than a team five weeks into the season.

Clearly the Dolphins are fed up with the play of their offensive line. Earlier this week following the loss at home to the Titans, Adam Gase informed reporters that Ryan Tannehill was the starter for the remainder of the season.

Gase also clarified that while Tannehill has not played as well as fans and media have expected, he believes that the problem truly belongs on the shoulders of the offensive line. Gase said that when he watches film, Tannehill is either hit as he throws, before he throws, or immediately after release. And no one can really argue with that.

One player not being released should consider himself lucky. Ja’Wuan James is playing so poorly that if his contract was a little higher would almost assuredly be gone after the season. The former 1st round pick has not only played bad, but has made Dallas Thomas look like a better option.

For Pead, the numbers were simply not there. The Dolphins are comfortable finishing out  the season with Jay Ajayi, Damien Williams, Kenyan Drake, and at some point Arian Foster. Pead simply got caught up in a numbers game and his average play thus far didn’t separate him from anyone else.

Here is where it gets interesting for those following from the edges. When the Dolphins signed Adam Gase to be the head coach, Gase was given control over the roster while Mike Tannenbaum was accountable for the drafting of players and the signing of free agents. In other words, Tannenbaum is buying the groceries but Gase is making the dinner.

Is there turmoil between coach and VP Tannenbaum? There might be and if push comes to shove, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Stephen Ross turn on Tannenbaum and support Adam Gase. That is if there is any problems beginning.

Gase wants players to be accountable and when the team didn’t respond to Byron Maxwell being demoted or Ja’Wuan James being demoted, heads are now rolling.

The next obvious question is who will Miami sign to fill the spots on their roster? They added former Panther cornerback Bene Benwikere but Benwikere filled the spot vacated by Koa Misi going on IR.

Today the Dolphins have jettisoned three players they had drafted. Jamil Douglas was drafted in round four last season by Mike Tannenbaum, Joe Philbin, and Dennis Hickey. The Dolphins did not have a 3rd round pick in 2015 making Douglas the 3rd player they drafted in the 2015 draft.

In 2014 the Dolphins spent a 3rd round pick on Billy Turner who became the 3rd player drafted in that draft. 2013 was not much different as the Dolphins made Dallas Thomas their 3rd player drafted in round three as well.

Overall the Dolphins have drafted 12 offensive lineman since 2008 under Bill Parcells. Three of those players came in 2008 with Jake Long number one overall, Shawn Murphy in round 4, and Donald Thomas in round 6.

Of the 12 players drafted in the last nine years, only Mike Pouncey, Ja’Wuan James, and Laremy Tunsil are still on the team after today’s moves.

When you have a bad team you make changes because you need to. Adam Gase is taking a stand and will show the players that if they can’t perform, they won’t be around to earn their money.