The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Too much whining and negativity.. :-[

Ok, it's a bad Decade for the the Dolphins,but I'm gonna ask...We just finished the 2010 season....

So who's the Best Dolphin Player  in the decade of 2000-2010?

Is Jason Taylor Defensive player of the year once? Zach Thomas? How about Ricky Williams had the rushing title in 2002?

Who do you think the best player of the decade was?

is it 2001-2010, or 2000-2009?

I think my answer is jason taylor.

slim pickings

Gotta be JT by default I guess.

JT is probably the answer. Jake Long is making a case to on the list, but his hasn't been around as long.

Despite not really being a "true" Dolphins fan, Jason Taylor is one of my all-time favorite defensive players, so that's an easy choice for me here. I really liked Zach too, but Taylor in his prime was an all-around elite defensive monster.

JT

This thread should just be called "A tribute to Jason Taylor."

Seriously, how can you argue for any other player with a straight face?  I look forward to someone making an honest effort.  The most reasonable choice is Zach, and Jason was better than Zach every year they were both here (in the '00s), and had one extra year on the team to boot.  Who else are you going to pick, Ricky?  He didn't even play for half the decade.

Madison and Surtain are both better picks than Jake Long (for 00-09), and neither one of them deserves it over JT.

JT

It depends on the metric.

I think that Patrick Surtain is the best player we've had in uniform in the last 10 years.  He was arguably the league's best corner.  However, his time was cut short in his prime, since we dished him when he still had value -- a painful, but necessary move.

If you're talking about contribution as a body of work, I think that you have to go with JT.  He was dominant for the longest time.

If you're going with a legacy type choice, I think that Zach is your answer, because he was an overachiever, similar to JT in performance, and his departure from the team was under better terms.

Brandon Fields?   ;D

And JT was the league's best defensive end and defensive player of the year.  Hard to argue he wasn't the best player the Dolphins have had over the last 10 years.

^ It may be hard, but I'll argue it.

Corner is a position that's hard to evaluate (stats-wise), because if you're really good, they don't throw to you.  I think that Taylor was GREAT for us for a long time, so this isn't a testament to how I think about him.  However, I think that Surtain is overlooked and that we forget (or didn't realize) how good he really was.

I also think that corner is position that's hard to flub.  It's a more important position, in my opinion, than DE.  At worst, a defensive end is ineffective.  At worst, a corner loses you the game single-handedly, by getting burned for TDs.

Again, not a reflection of Taylor, but more a praise of of Surtain and the value of a lockdown corner.

but surtain only played 2001,2002, 2003, and 2004 with the dolphins, while jt played, 2001,2002. 2003,2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009.

JT was a game changer. While coaches may have coached around certain individuals, JT managed to overcome that make plays that changed the course of the game. No other player did that even closet to the extent Jason did. I think he us hands down the best player to have played for us in recent memory.

If you look at my first post, I address that.  JT is the choice for an entire body of work.  But, if it's best player to put on the uniform, I think it's Surtain.

Can you really argue that Surtain was even better than Madison?  Madison made more All-Pro teams and Pro Bowls.

I loved Surtain, but even at his best I never thought the consensus was that he was the best in the game at his position.  Taylor was the defensive player of the year one year, the best defensive player in the GAME let alone his position.  

And as far as game changing plays go, Taylor I believe has returned 8 for TD's.  Surtain has 2 I believe.  Taylor has 8 INT's and 39 forced fumbles, Surtain has 37 INT's and 5 forced fumbles.  Taylor has 132 sacks.  Taylor is even credited with more pass defenses than Surtain, 66 to 53.

^ I can.  Madison played here longer than Surtain and we dealt Surtain at his peak (he had made 3 straight Pro Bowls when we traded him).  I think that Surtain was the better player.  The two didn't make the Pro Bowls in the same years (there was some overlap).  I'd have to see who were the other AFC corners that beat them out.

But I watched them play, in my prime as a Dolphins fan, on the field at the same time, and remember Surtain being the more dominant of the two.

I think a solid argument could be made for Ricky.  Crazy, I know.

I still think you have to go with JT and their isn't much room for discussion.

I think I may be able to help clarify Dave's position a bit. Madison was our original shutdown corner. Surtain came along later and developed later. By they time we dealt Surtain, he was the superior player, although he may not have started out that way.

Madison made more All-Pro teams and more Pro Bowls.  Surtain didn't make a single Pro Bowl after we traded him, which seems to indicate that 1) he burned out and 2) we got rid of him at precisely the right time.

I just don't think there is a strong argument for Surtain over Madison in any respect (time at the top or overall longevity), and neither one of them are close to JT (though Madison is closer than Surtain.  To be honest, neither one of those guys can really even rate above Zach, and Zach is clearly not as good as JT.

The only player on this list who has a shot (granted a slim shot) at making the hall of fame is JT. And its gonna take a minor miracle for him to get in. JT has been the best player for the Fins the last 10 years.

Surtain was a better player than Madison, and Sam was a very good player. Both were slightly overrated though looking back on things. Madison was a "me-first" player. The guy won a Super Bowl ring with the Giants and didn't show up for the Parade and celebration. Nuff said!!

Yeah, but we're not talking about consensus.  We're asking an opinion of who we all think is better.  If everyone already knows the answer, why are we asking the question, if not to voice our opinions?

I think that Surtain was the best Dolphin player during his years here.  However, if you're counting the longevity of a player, I agree that it's JT.

I agree that it has to be Taylor.  He has been far and away Miami's best player.  Had Taylor played in Nick Saban's 3-4 / 4-3 hybrid for his entire career, rather than just a few years, I think his sack total would've been in the 150s, and he'd have had a few more defensive TDs, and been a HOF lock rather than a HOF probable.  Zach Thomas gets some thought because he was the team's heart, though he wasn't the team's best player.  Madison gets consideration because, up until his last year or two, he was as dominant a corner as you could want.  Surtain had a higher peak than Madison (I think) but he had a shorter run as dominant (didn't he back up T-Buck for like 3 years?), so I rate him behind Madison.  A guy people forget is Tim Bowens.  He made it possible for Zach Thomas to fly around without being engaged by blockers.  He required constant double teams and would've been celebrated had Miami done anything in the playoffs during his time.  I love Vince Wilfork, partly because he reminds me if TimBo and partly because he's a 'Cane.  Put it this way:  No TimBo = no Zach Thomas as we know him.  Therefore, I rate 'em:

Taylor
Thomas
Madison
Bowens
Surtain

Are you joking?

If Jason Taylor retires at the end of this season, he has a fair chance at being a first-ballot HOFer (if, by some unholy act of god, the Jets win the Super Bowl, he'll be a first-ballot lock).  Taylor is as solid of a HOF candidate as any currently active defensive player not named Ray Lewis.

Zach is more of the slim shot candidate; you can make an argument for him, but he definitely won't get in on the first ballot.  If JT gets in on the first ballot, that wouldn't even be a surprise.

JT has around 130 sacks. Chris Doleman has 150 and hasn't gotten in yet. Plus Doleman was 8 time Pro Bowl. JT only 6...you can sit and say well its a popularity contest. Maybe, but that is what theese people are judging on. Stuff like that, your overall resume!!  If Doleman doesn't get in (and he retired in 99, so he has been pased over a few times now), JT will NEVER get in. Doleman has better numbers. Period! And to get in at 130 or so sacks(the number JT is at now) you gotta be an LT type or Rickey Jackson type. JT isn't even on their planet let alone in their league

If Doleman gets in this year that is a good sign for JT. But as long as Doleman doesn't get in, JT is on the outside looking in

^^^JT also has like 8 defensive TDs, which is a defensive record if I'm not mistaken.  He has more than sack totals going for him.

JT also has three All-Pro selections to Doleman's two.  I think I can safely say that an All-Pro is significantly better than two Pro Bowls.  But honestly, that barely even matters:

Jason Taylor has been selected NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Chris Doleman has not.

The two are not comparable.

Doleman has 3 All Pro selections, not 2, I just did a quick check. And Doleman was on the ALL-DECADE team as well. Bottom line is Doleman has better numbers and was a better player. 

Doleman has been a HOF semi-finalist 3 times including the last 2 years and should already be in.  Taylor will get in.

Couple more stats.

Taylor has 9 defensive TD's, Doleman had 3.
Taylor has 29 fumble recoveries for 246 return yards.  Doleman had 24 fumble recoveries, don't know the yardage.
Taylor has 45 forced fumbles, Doleman had 44.
Taylor has 3 safeties, Doleman had 2.

The one stat where Doleman clearly outdistances Taylor is in tackles where Doleman is credited with 975 total and Taylor has 758, but those stats aren't official because the NFL didn't start keeping track until 2001 after Doleman had already retired.

And Taylor has played in 217 games and started 197, Doleman played in 232 and started 213.

I'm only counting First-Team Associated Press All-NFL teams, not Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News, etc.  This is in exactly the same sense that when I ask who the NFL MVP was in 1988, the recognized answer is Boomer Esiason (the AP winner) and not Roger Craig (the Newspaper Enterprise Association winner).

Doleman has two AP First-Team All-Pro selections, in '89 and '92.  JT has three, in '00, '02, and '06.

Don't you claim to be a Dolphins fan?

How is it that you are unaware that Jason Taylor was on the 2000s All-Decade team (http://www.nfl.com/news/story?confirm=true&id=09000d5d8161b0e9&template=with-video-with-comments)?

Or were you just making a completely irrelevant point?  Do you intend to list off some more of Doleman's accomplishments that JT equaled or beat?

JT is my pick for player of the decade for the Phins and should easily get into the HOF!!!!!

You are so sensative. I am not knocking JT. Just pointing out that if Doleman isn't in, then JT probably won't get in. Stop acting like a little girl.  I can't be a Dolphins fan but live in reality and point out some facts!   ::)

This is a perfectly fine football discussion and you gotta go off and act like a sissy-mary becuase someone doesn't agree with you. 

Ironic that you claim to be just "pointing out facts," yet you apparently need to have the fact explained to you that Jason Taylor, one of the most high-profile players in Dolphins history, made the All-Decade team.

When proven clearly and irrefutably wrong on matters of fact, immediately start complaining about the tone, right?

who was wrong? Seriously.......I was talking about Doleman at the time. NOT Taylor!

And I don't complain about the tone, I like to point out that once again a thread was derailed and it wasn't me who did it. It was YOU who couldn't carry a civil simple football discussion without taking it to the gutter.

Actually if you post something so outrageous that someone has to go off topic to disagree with you, you did derail the thread regardless of whether that was your intent or not.  It's happened multiple times now which has given you a reputation which almost makes it difficult for you not to derail the thread anytime you post anything that's even remotely controversial.  It's gonna take a little effort by you to remove that reputation and keep threads from being derailed, not the other way around.

Nice try.  Claiming that "Doleman made the ALL-DECADE team!" as a point in your favor implicitly suggests that Taylor did not.  Otherwise, why even bring it up?

You can't even be honest about your mistake?

Because pointing out your factual errors and lack of knowledge about your own favorite team = taking it to the gutter?

Wes Welker.   >:D

Chris Chambers

You need to seriously GROW UP!!

I was talking about Doleman in the post and about his resume. Not Taylor's in that paticular post.

Take a chill pill and

Not trying to be an asshole but I would really love to hear your reasoning behind this selection!!!!!

Without the smiley after it, I just took "Chris Chambers" to be deadpan humor there...

Chris Chambers......any guy who marry's his stalker gets my vote!

I'm on the Chambers bandwagon too! lol

It would have to be Jason Taylor.

I don't fault Taylor for wanting to go to a team to win a Super Bowl, even if it is the Jets. After all, it is a business.

If the Jets win it all, then his Hall Of Fame candidacy is a lock.

Since Hoodie put Wes Welker up there, just thought I'd add Chambers to add a little levity to the topic.  Since the Fins haven't done much the past decade I don't really care for the topic.

Okay, while Wes probably doesn't deserve top honors....that belongs to JT. But a solid case could be made for him being in the top 5 players to have played for the Dolphins this decade if you include the totality of his body of work in the NFL.  If you only include his contributions to the Dolphins than no. 

OTOH, Chris Chambers isn't even in the discussion and the Dolphins got a pretty good deal in getting a 2nd round pick base on what CC produced for the Chargers.

Jay Fiedler or Tim Bowens. 

Well if you wanna go with body of work; I'd go with Thurman Thomas or Junior Seau.

Of course its Jason Taylor ,But after all he did for us should we root for him to get a ring.
In my mind I'd like to see him with a super bowl ring but in my heart I cant root for the jets............score was 3 to 24 pittsburgh when I typed this...

Reading Taylor talk about how much he loves being a Jet makes me sick.  That guy's dead to me.  With that being said, he is our best of the decade.  Maybe years from now I'll forgive his treachery and tell my kids how awesome it was watching him play.  The guy was just dominant at his position and made our defense an elite unit during his prime. 

I always forget Jr. was a Dolphin.  I always think of him as a Charger and Patriot, but he did have a three year stay in Miami in between.