This is for the older guys among us, but I just learned that we lost another member of the championship teams of the 1970s, Mike Kolen, #57, Captain Crunch. RIP Mike, you were a solid member of the No-Name Defense and will be missed.

Another very good, hard hitting defensive player that helped make the Dolphins #1.

Yep, Kolen was one of the unsung guys on that team like Swift, Ball Matheson each at one time in the 72/73 seasons made a key play to make that team the greatest.

Man if we could have kept Warfield, Zonk and Kick. Pittsburg, the Raiders and anyone else could not have stopped us.

mizzou15 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Man if we could have kept Warfield, Zonk and Kick.
> Pittsburg, the Raiders and anyone else could not
> have stopped us.


Oh man, the biggest what-if of my childhood, perhaps of my lifetime. Damn it would have made the Pats number of rings look like tiddlywinks championships.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who remembers these guys. Yeah Swift quit the NFL early to become an anesthesiologist (I think....or a surgeon...but either way a successful doctor) and Matheson was a position coach for us for a while. Both were contributors to those seasons.

My biggest What if is What if we drafted drew Breeze or took him instead of Culpepper.
The early Dolphins were great. Maybe the greatest.....but they had phenomenal success. Who would think 50 yrs later we still havnt won Manga Gatz.

Regardless.......RIP to a true Miami Veteran .

GO DOLPHINS!!!!

Passed on him 2x...sheesh! I remember visiting my parents the weekend of Brees' draft year. They hooked up cable especially for my visit so I could watch it. Everyone knew we were picking Brees...and then Jamar Fletcher. Then, as you said, 4 yrs later he wants to be a Phin and we send him on his way. You're absolutely right that he's the biggest what-if since the Czonka, Kiick and Warfield departure. If we'd had that kind of stability with a HoF QB for 15+ years, so much would have been different. C'est la vie.

The scenarios from Drew Brees all the way to Eric Kumerow are only a few of the reasons I don't get involved with the draft.

It's weird. I'm not saying I'm right or wrong......but a week before the draft I've read up on positions of need and at least have a strong opinion where we need to go.

This year we " created" positions of need by letting go of elite players and we stuffed holes with veteran injured players via free agency.

So......do we draft DT linebacker DB, or the oline that's been filled Free agency.....

Will these players stay healthy? Will they play well in the new systems with the new coaches (again?).

This team played well in the 1st half when healthy. This team has changed dramatically, not sure if alot of people see that . I'm not sure what position we go to at number 21. For that reason I hope we draft back. We have no picks in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Grab an extra 2nd rounder move back 20 spots and a 3rd and 4th pick.

Hit the trenches hard. Center , DT , linebacker, cornerback.

Nothing else makes much sense.

GO DOLPHINS!!!!

dolphan4545 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Treasure: They WERE the greatest! I don't care
> what any of these national 'talking heads' say-
> I've heard them say many times 'this team was
> nearly unbeatable!' about the myriad of very good
> teams that there have been over the years, but
> those Dolphins really were - Unbeaten! If there is
> any doubt about how good they were, look at the
> stats: undefeated, #1st in offense, #1st in
> defense. In what category can you get better?
> There can be no doubt: the 1972 Miami Dolphins are
> the best professional football team that there has
> ever been in the National Football League.


I agree. Unfortunately that was 50 yrs ago. My dad was in his 30s . He got elderly and past away and Miami has not seen another championship since

At least Shula kept them competitive. But this is a new NFL. Lots more to a winning formula now. I don't think our owner gets it. I feel different about the draft this year. Back then the purpose of the draft was to pick the best players for your program. May the best man win.

Now it's about money.only money. We can have the best draft tonight and it won't mean squat in just a few yrs. Yet teams like the Pats and now the Chiefs....capitalize . Why? Tom Brady and Patrick Mohames? They are just gears in a bigger machine.

Those teams are playing 3D chess.....Ross is losing to 3rd grades playing chutes and ladders.

GO DOLPHINS!!!!