And now for my Top 10 WORST Miami Dolphins of All-Time:
(get your box of tissues ready)
10. Ricky Williams 34...Texas…Running Back (2002-2003, 2005, 2007-present)
The Dolphins gave him chance after chance. We gave him two second chances. The first when he wanted out of New Orleans to start a new career elsewhere, and Miami accepting him back after his fourth failed drug test after the 2005 season. And what did he give back?…Nothing! Wannstedt and Spielman gave up too much for his value, and paid for it with his “character”. Dave and Rick gave up a 1st and 4th round pick in the 2002 draft as well as a conditional 3rd round pick (which turned into a 1st round pick) in the 2003 draft, in order for Ricky Williams to play for Miami. Ricky then went on to have the best two years of his career rushing for nearly 3,300 yards and 30 total TDs in the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Then he did something no Dolfan should ever forgive him for. He left us for his so called “retirement”, so he could travel the world, take yoga classes, and smoke marijuana. He left us three weeks before the 2004 season started. Because he left, during that three week span before the season started, Miami had to act quickly by getting a running back in free agency or a trade (which they did: Rick traded a 3rd round pick for the Rams’ Lamar Gordon, who than later was put on IR cause of an injury and a waste of a draft pick), and they had to adjust their ENTIRE offense in three weeks since Ricky did not show up. Because of Ricky, and Ricky alone, Miami was not prepared going into the season. They started 0-6 en route to a 4-12 record, our worst record in franchise history. Ricky's departure caused Dave Wannstedt’s resignation (he was going to get fired anyway), Rick Spielman’s resignation as well (he to was going to get fired anyway), and caused Miami to use their 2nd overall pick in the 2005 draft on Auburn RB Ronnie Brown when they needed to address other needs even more. Then it turns out that Ricky was in breach of contract and was forced to pay back 8.4 million dollars to the Dolphins. So then, Nick Saban and the Dolphins accepted Ricky back for the 2005 season after he served his four game suspension. This was the “second” second chance that Miami gave Ricky. Ricky helped us to a 9-7 record in 2005 and appeared to have his life together, but then after the season ended, he failed his fourth drug test, proving his unreliability yet again and was now suspended for the 2006 season, letting all the Dolphin fans and the organization down again. Yet still under contract with Miami, it is a wonder Miami has yet to get rid of Ricky. He is no longer the runner he once was when he younger, and he continues to prove his unreliability to the league. He has single handedly changed the course of this franchise in a negative way, as one of the causations of the Dolphins having a losing record twice during the three year span of 2004-2006. Ricky did not do much in his one game return on Monday Night Football in 2007 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even though it was on a crappy field, he had 6 carries for 15 yards and a fumble, before getting injured and put on IR for the rest of the season. Ricky’s negative impact will continue to haunt this team until Miami initiates a trade, or commits his release.
9. & 8. John Bosa 97 & Eric Kumerow 90...Boston College / Ohio State…Defensive Ends (1987-1989 / 1988-1990)
- 1987 / Round 1 / 16th Overall: FIRST ROUND DRAFT BUST
- 1988 / Round 1 / 16th Overall: FIRST ROUND DRAFT BUST
Regardless what most may say about John Bosa...here are the facts. Undoubtedly, these two are the biggest first round defensive draft busts in the history of this franchise. To many Dolfans, these two players will forever be known eternally as “The Bust Brothers.” Bosa and Kumerow were undoubtedly two of the biggest “draft reaches” in not only Miami Dolphin history, but in the history of the NFL. Both players were known as “tweeners” -- too small for the defensive line, yet too big and slow to play linebacker. Both were seen as finesse players, taken for potential, despite concerns that their abilities might not match an NFL system. That was clearly evident throughout their short undistinguished careers. When selecting my Top 50 worst Dolphins of All-Time, career data is usually used to support the choice. However, in the case of Bosa and Kumerow, it is their noticeable lack of any statistics that warrants their selection. Had either player been selected outside of the first round, they would’ve faded into obscurity and been long forgotten. However, when you have consecutive first round picks at the same position, with no considerable stats on their play, it speaks volumes:
Bosa - Played 3 years (31 Games: 0 starts), 7 career sacks
Kumerow - Played 3 years (36 Games: 0 starts), 5 career sacks
Not only were their intangibles similar, but so were their exits as both were out of football within three years of their acquisitions, after suffering knee injuries. It’s important to note that Bosa and Kumerow’s tenure came at time when the league had no salary cap or free agency. Teams were built primarily through the draft, and poor decisions often had long term impact. Taken back-to-back, the pair crippled the Miami defense for a decade, as the team was eventually forced to draft for other areas of need. What REALLY hurts is what the ramifications were when Miami selected Kumerow in 1988. During this time, Miami was in dire need of a running game and one player that Miami passed on in the 1988 draft was none other…than future NFL Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas. He was then picked up by Buffalo early in the second round, and Buffalo (Miami’s division rival) and Thurman made Miami pay for it for the next 10 years. Buffalo went on to be the best team in the AFC for the next decade making it to four Super Bowls in a row, and during that time, knocking Miami out of the playoffs three times. It’s quite rare for two players’ negative impact on the team to be linked, but such was the case when talking about Bosa and Kumerow.
7. Billy Milner 79...Houston…Tackle (1995-1996)
- 1995 / Round 1 / 25th Overall: FIRST ROUND DRAFT BUST
Another first round draft bust of Miami’s that never lived up to expectations. Milner did not even last five full years in the league, with only the first two years he spent in Miami. Once again, in similar fashion like in the past, at this time Miami was in dire need of a running game still. It’s bad enough that Miami passed on future Hall of Fame LB Derrick Brooks in the first round, but what really hurts is later on in that year’s draft. Miami passed on two more future Hall of Fame RBs. Curtis Martin and Terrell Davis were taken in later rounds, and both would lead their respective teams to the Super Bowl (Martin with New England, Davis with the Broncos).
6. Ray Lucas 6...Rutgers…Quarterback (2001-2002)
In 2002, the Dolphins were well on their way to the Super Bowl. They started 5-1, had the #1 ranked rushing offense, and a defense ranked in the top five in every significant category. However everything would come crumbling down due to the poor play of one player. Since Marino’s retirement after the 1999 season, mediocre QB play had haunted the Miami Dolphins. In 2002, a hungry young player waited in the wings for his chance to bring back glory to the position. Though he humbled himself through the media, proclaiming himself as the team’s backup, his confidence and swagger were undeniable. Dolphins fans ate it up, wishing to see him get his opportunity.
There’s an old saying: “Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.”
And boy did we ever. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you: Ray Lucas. Lucas didn’t get his opportunity due to the poor play of the team’s starter, Jay Fielder. In a odd twist of fate, Lucas’ number was instead called after one of Jay’s gutsiest performances as a Dolphin, where he brought the team from behind in a last second victory against the Denver Broncos. But that victory came at a cost: a broken thumb on Fiedler’s throwing hand. Lucas had shown poise and potential in four years as a backup with the Jets under Bill Parcells (including sweeping Miami as a starter in 1999), and had one year under his belt, learning Miami’s system. Fans thought that, unlike Fiedler, Lucas would be able to be more than just a game manager...that he could win games, where Fiedler could simply not lose them. Lucas took a 5-1 record and two game lead in the AFC East to Buffalo to face a struggling Bills team, ranked 25th in defense and giving up an average of more than 35 points per game…and what unfurled was far worse than any Dolphins fan could have ever possibly imagined. Against a backdrop of almost guaranteed success, Lucas took less than one quarter to show his true colors, turning in the single worst QB performance in Dolphins history. Lucas was responsible for six turnovers: four interceptions and two fumbles. He completed only 13 passes to Dolphin receivers. His leading receiver was Nate Clements, with three catches. Unfortunately, Nate played for the Bills. Lucas then continued to drop important games in the coming weeks while Fiedler was recuperating from his thumb injury. Games which included a Monday Night game against Green Bay, and a Sunday Night game against his former team the New York Jets. Overall, Lucas started a total of six games for Miami, going 2-4. In each of the losses, Lucas was the reason. Despite a dominating defense, Lucas found ways to lose. He fumbled eight times (losing four), and threw six interceptions. His QB rating was an ugly 69. Just how bad was Lucas? His performance was so pathetic after his first start against Buffalo, one announcer asked after the Buffalo game:
“Do you think Fiedler can throw with his left hand?”
It was that season in 2002 that all Dolphin fans learned an important lesson concerning the value of a viable backup QB. In six short weeks, Lucas took a front running team with Super Bowl aspirations, and turned them into a middle of the pack team. Jay Fiedler returned to get off a few quick wins, but despite having the NFL season leading rusher (Ricky Williams) and the NFL season leading sacker (Jason Taylor), Miami finished with a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs by one game…losing to New England 27-24 in OT (after leading 24-13 with just over eight minutes left to play) in the season finale. Ray Lucas was then cut that off-season. When Dolphin fans look back at the 2002 season, even though we had great memories of Ricky and Jason that year, that year will always be remembered on how our backup QB ruined our season.
5. & 4. Dave Wannstedt & Rick Spielman…Pittsburgh / Ohio State…Coach (2000-2004) / General Manager (2000-2004)
When you mention one, you have to mention the other. These two individuals set this franchise back so far back with their “win now” attitudes rather then the “win later” attitude, it is disheartening. Wannstedt and Spielman ruined this franchise so much, it is absolutely disgusting. Both worked together from 2000-2004, with Wanny being the head coach, while Rick was the Director of Player Personnel and the General Manager. Both will be remembered to Dolfans as the two primary individuals that left this team a mess and in rebuilding mode at the turn of the millennium. Dave Wannstedt led our team to four consecutive winning seasons from 2000-2003, including the AFC East Division Title in 2000, but what really sticks out about Dave Wannstedt was his coaching style. He was not a motivator. His methods were questioned constantly. Plus, the way he ran the offense was extremely predictable and ineffective. It’s the reason why our offense was so inept, and why we were too reliable on Ricky Williams when he had him. A perfect example of this was the 2002 season ender at New England. Remember Miami’s last offensive possession before the OT period, when they were on their own side of the field, and went run, run, pass, punt…literally. It cost us the game and the division title to the New York Jets. Dave Wannstedt was a great defensive coordinator in Dallas, but he is not head coach material. He proved it when he coached in Chicago, and here in Miami. It is a little bit unfair to not appreciate what Dave did for the Fins during his tenure with the team by getting us to four consecutive winning seasons, and a division title in 2000. However what is really noticeable with each passing year, is that we continued to go one step backwards with him at the helm:
2000 - 11-5 AFC EAST Division Champs / Divisional Round Loss
2001 - 11-5 2nd in Division / Wildcard Loss
2002 - 9-7 3rd in Division / No Playoffs
2003 - 10-6 2nd in Division / First AFC team in 17 years to have 10 wins and not make playoffs
2004 - Started 1-8 - Lead to his resignation / Finished 4-12 - Last in Division / Worst season in
franchise history (at the time)
A lot of Dolphin fans claim (and agree) that the only reason why Wanny had those four somewhat good years was the fact he was winning with “Jimmy Johnson’s” players. The players he drafted like Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor, Patrick Surtain, and Sam Madison. His partner in crime Rick Spielman was not so innocent either. Rick was responsible for so many awful trades, terrible player evaluations, and failure to properly produce talent with his poor drafting. Some of his most awful trades include the following:
- Trading a 2nd Round Pick in the 2005 draft to Philadelphia for QB A.J. Feeley
(Turned into a terrible starter / backup in the 2004 season - ironically wound up back in Philly in 2006)
- Trading a 3rd Round Pick in the 2005 draft to St. Louis for RB Lamar Gordon
(Wound up on IR six weeks later after the trade)
- Trading a 6th Round Pick in the 2005 draft to Arizona for WR David Boston
(Tested positive for steroids, served four-game suspension, then tore knee ligaments twice before being released…appeared in only seven games for Miami)
- Trading DE Adawale Ogunleye to Chicago for WR Marty Booker and a 3rd Round Draft Choice in 2005
(Trade became hardly adequate - Ogunleye became a dominant pass rusher in Chicago while Booker became average - with draft selection we picked up LB Channing Crowder)
- Trading CB Patrick Surtain and a 5th Round Pick in 2005 to Kansas City for a 2nd Round Pick and 5th Round Pick in 2005
(With draft selections we picked up DE Math Roth and T Anthony Alabi - Roth is below average, while Alabi is a reserve player)
And finally, you can not forget about the “big trade” that Dave and Rick was responsible for. The trade that no Dolfan will EVER forget.
- Trading 1st and 4th Round Picks in the 2002 draft and a conditional 3rd Round Pick in the 2003 draft (which turned into a 1st Round Pick) to New Orleans for RB Ricky Williams and a 4th Round Pick in 2002
(Ricky had two great years before abandoning us three weeks before the start of the 2004 season for his “retirement” which ultimately lead us to having an atrocious year in 2004 - with draft selection we picked up TE Randy McMichael)
If you think that all is not bad enough, you should see some of the draft busts that Dave and Rick were responsible for. Sure, Dave and Rick were able to acquire some “decent” talent through their five drafts together (Chris Chambers in 2001, Randy McMichael in 2002, Yeremiah Bell in 2003), however the purpose of the draft is to make sure that within the first two or three rounds of each draft, you select individuals that are sure players to make your team because they are the ones you invest highly in. It is absolutely crippling to look at some of the FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD ROUND DRAFT BUST players that Rick and Dave drafted that not only wound up not playing an NFL down or not even making the team, but were absolutely terrible when they did play:
- 2000 / Round 2 / 53rd Overall - T Todd Wade (Went to Houston after his release, now with Houston)
- 2000 / Round 3 / 84th Overall - CB Ben Kelly (Out of league)
- 2001 / Round 1 / 26th Overall - CB Jamar Fletcher (Was traded to San Diego, now with Houston)
- 2002 / Round 3 / 90th Overall - C Seth McKinney (Now with Cleveland)
- 2003 / Round 2 / 49th Overall - LB Eddie Moore (Now with Denver)
- 2003 / Round 3 / 78th Overall - T Wade Smith (Now with N.Y. Jets)
- 2003 / Round 3 / 87th Overall - G Taylor Whitley (Went to Denver, now with Washington)
And those are just naming a few. There are a ton of other players from those drafts that wound up busts for the Fins. Shawn Draper, Omare Lowe, Leonard Henry, J.R. Tolver, Corey Jenkins, and don’t forget about another one of our famous draft busts that I mentioned before…WILL POOLE! How long did we have to wait to see him play on a NFL football field? And it still does not mention the fact that players like Vernon Carey, Rex Hadnot, Derrick Pope, and Matt Roth are still up in the air. From 1998 (the year before Dan Marino retired) to 2003 (Wannstedt’s last FULL year with the Dolphins), the Dolphins had a grand total of 53 NFL draft picks in six total drafts that they used on player selections in the draft, or traded away in free agency for other players. It is staggering and depressing to know that other than Ricky Williams (who has left us numerous times) and Yeremiah Bell (who gets injured a lot), not one single player from any of those draft selections is currently on the roster now. Four out of those six drafts, Dave and Rick are responsible for. Their decision making set the Dolphins back for years, as Miami continued (and still is) to fade away in obscurity. With the debacle that was the 2004 season, Wannstedt and Spielman both resigned and quit in shame knowing that both were going to get fired anyway. Their five year span together with the Dolphins was undoubtedly one of the most turbulent, disgraceful, and unsuccessful times in the history of this franchise.
