Dolphins Mailbag Spotlight: What’s the Most Talented Post-’70s Miami Team?

Infrequently, we’ll pull out a query from our weekly mailbags that deserves extra space than regular.

This query comes from Phinaholic (@dana_buice): I’ve been a Fins fan for greater than 35 years. This Dolphins crew is the best assortment of expertise I’ve ever seen the Dolphins assemble in my view. Please exclude the groups from the ’70s. What crew stands out to you?

THE TALENT ON THE 2022 DOLPHINS

There’s undoubtedly loads to love about this 2022 Dolphins roster, which now has 4 former Professional Bowl picks (Tyreek Hill, Terron Armstead, Xavien Howard and Byron Jones), together with a handful of up-and-coming stars like Jevon Holland, Jaelan Phillips, Jaylen Waddle and Christian Wilkins, and different blue-chip gamers like Jerome Baker and Emmanuel Ogbah.

However, no, I’d not put it on the prime of post-Nineteen Seventies Dolphins groups when it comes to expertise.

This 2022 crew has higher stability on paper than lots of Miami groups of the previous 4 years as a result of the Marino years had been top-heavy on offense and the other was true through the years when Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt served as head coach.

Probably the most spectacular latest crew when it comes to stability on the roster heading right into a season simply may be the 2014 version.

That crew featured newcomer Branden Albert, Mike Pouncey, veteran Daryn Colledge and rookie first-round choose Ja’Wuan James on the offensive line to go together with rookie large receiver Jarvis Landry and Mike Wallace. After which on protection, the roster featured Professional Bowl gamers like Cameron Wake, Randy Starks and Brent Grimes, together with 2010 first-round choose Jared Odrick and future Professional Bowl choice Reshad Jones.

THE DAN MARINO YEARS

Throughout the Marino years, possibly the perfect assortment of expertise was the 1995 crew, which featured Irving Fryar, Richmond Webb, Keith Sims, Tim Ruddy, tight finish Eric Inexperienced, O.J. McDuffie and Keith Byars on offense, plus Jeff Cross, Bryan Cox, Tim Bowens and former first-round picks Marco Coleman and Troy Vincent on protection. All advised, 15 former first-round picks began a minimum of one recreation for the Dolphins that season — the 2022 Dolphins have 10 former first-round picks on their roster.

Probably the most gifted post-Marino crew may need been the 2003 version, which was led by Ricky Williams contemporary off his 1,853-yard season, with Tim Ruddy anchoring the offensive line and a protection that includes seven Professional Bowl gamers — Tim Bowens, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Junior Seau, Patrick Surtain, Sam Madison and Brock Marion.

The 2022 crew is oozing with potential, however provided that all of the younger gamers attain their full or anticipated degree of play within the NFL.

As of now, it is a stretch from right here to counsel it is probably the most gifted assortment because the Nineteen Seventies.

At this level, the best choice has to return from both 1995, 2003 and even 2014.