Former Dolphins greats frustrated watching this team. And team auditions first-round QB
Ex-Miami Hurricanes stars aren’t the only accomplished South Florida football players frustrated by their former team.
Some distinguished former Miami Dolphins are irritated, too, though they are more measured and reserved in their assessment than some ex-Hurricanes have been.
Hall-of-Fame running back Larry Csonka criticized the Dolphins on Twitter when they stopped running the ball on their first drive against Green Bay on Sunday, then tweeted after the game: “These are tough times to be a Dolphin fan. Very frustrating. Shabby football.”
At last weekend’s John Offerdahl-hosted Gridiron Grill-off Food, Wine and Music Festival in Pompano Beach (benefiting Broward schools), former Pro Bowl receiver Mark Clayton said being a Dolphins fans “is very frustrating.”
“Sometimes they look like the team I thought they could be,” said Clayton, who’s living in Houston. “The next week, they look like a totally different team and look like they have nothing going for themselves. It’s hard for me to get a pulse on this team. They got an abundance of talent on the team, but it’s not coming together.
“They have the caliber of talent to produce some of those numbers you see with the Rams, Kansas City, Patriots, Saints,” he said. (I don’t agree on that point.)
“It’s a consistency thing,” Clayton said. “They must be consistent. You can’t be flash in the pan, one week show you something. You have to play your best every week.”
Duper also says it’s “frustrating” to watch this team, though he noted that he likes the coaching staff. He said this past offseason ”there’s always something wrong” with quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
So is it time to move on from him?
“I’m not sure yet, but I would definitely be looking,” Duper said.
And Hall-of-Fame offensive lineman Larry Little said: “Every year at the beginning of the year, I get my hopes up and then have a big letdown. The way they started off, my hopes were high and then they hit the bottom again.”
CHATTER
▪ The Dolphins auditioned former Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch on Wednesday, but a source said it was merely due diligence as opposed to trying to fill an immediate need.
Lynch, drafted 26th overall in the 2016 Draft, was released in September after two disappointing seasons with the Broncos. In two seasons with Denver, he played in five games and started four, threw for 792 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions and a 76.7 passer rating.
▪ Little says several members of the undefeated 1972 team — Mercury Morris, Csonka, Bob Griese, Larry Ball and himself, plus coach Don Shula — had a “little toast” in Delray Beach last week days after the Rams became this season’s last undefeated team to lose. They were there with Peyton Manning to tape a Dolphins segment for the NFL’s 100th anniversary special programming that will air next year.
▪ Duper again pushed for his close friend, Clayton, to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Clayton, a five-time Pro Bowler, ranks 18th with 84 touchdowns receiving, 63rd with 8,974 receiving yards and 83rd with 582 career catches. Clayton played his first 10 seasons with Miami and his final season with Green Bay, in 1993.
“What I want to talk about is Dan Marino is in the Hall of Fame, and nobody else except [center] Dwight Stephenson is in the Hall of Fame from those teams,” Duper said. “You need at least Clayton in the Hall of Fame. I can’t understand it. It’s time to put us in the Hall of Fame.”
Here’s one blog that ranks Clayton and Duper among the 10 most deserving receivers who are not in the Hall of Fame.
▪ Clayton and Duper are in their fourth year picking every NFL game in advance. They send each other their picks, and Clayton said he’s winning the competition.
Duper “is not doing so well,” Clayton said of their picks. “I’m playing with house money this year. It’s monetary [reward], nothing big, a small wager. He picks with his heart. I pick who I think is going to win.”
▪ Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders is tied with Baltimore’s Stephen Hauschka for second in the league in field-goal accuracy (93.8 percent/15 for 16), behind only Kansas City’s Harrison Butler, who’s 16 for 17.
The Dolphins have three other players at or near the top of the league in statistical categories: Minkah Fitzpatrick has the lowest passer rating of any cornerback in his coverage area (48.5), and Jakeem Grant leads the NFL in kickoff return yardage.
Meanwhile, linebacker Kiko Alonso is second in the NFL with 89 tackles, behind Colts linebacker Darius Leonard’s 97.
This story was originally published November 15, 2018 at 3:12 PM.