Ross looking forward to new season,
MIAMI GARDENS — Dolphins owner Stephen Ross couldn’t be happier to see the last few hours of 2017 tick away.
“It’s a new year,” he said Sunday. “We need it.”
Big time.
The Dolphins wrapped up a lackluster season with a 22-16 home loss to the Bills, who swept them, and Ross was exasperated by what he saw this year. The biggest problem he saw was losing Ryan Tannehill to a knee injury in August and replacing him with a washed-up Jay Cutler, and things spiraled from there to a 6-10 finish.
“I’m terribly disappointed,” Ross said as the Dolphins’ locker room emptied. “The season didn’t start out right with injuries, and you can’t replace a good quarterback.
“Looking forward to next season, there will be adjustments. You put as much as I put into a team and you try to do all the right things to win, how can you not be disappointed? I (expletive) hate losing. Excuse me.”
Despite that frustration, Ross intends to retain the trio that runs the football side of his organization for the upcoming year. Executive Vice President Mike Tannenbaum, general manager Chris Grier and coach Adam Gase will “definitely” be back.
Gase, who was a Coach of the Year candidate in 2016 before falling back to earth this year, is now 16-17 in two seasons in Miami.
“I have a lot of confidence in Adam and the way Adam, Chris and Mike work together,” Ross said. “Adam is really a good football guy, and I believe in him. He’s as disappointed as I am. I talk to him a lot, and I think he recognizes we need to make adjustments, and I think we will.”
Parker disappointed: The Dolphins expected a lot from wide receiver DeVante Parker this season. He expected even more.
As the hype swelled that this would finally be Parker’s breakout year, he believed it more than anyone. He had good reason, too. It was a strong offseason for him, he upgraded his entire off-field program and he looked excellent on the practice field in the month or so leading up to the season.
After a good first few games, his season spiraled because of multiple ankle injuries, and he closed 2017 with pedestrian totals of 57 catches, 670 yards and one touchdown — nowhere near what he or Miami had in mind when he was the 14th overall pick in the 2015 draft.
“No, it didn’t go like I wanted,” he said Sunday. “Not for me. I just need to stay healthy, any way possible.”
Parker caught six passes for 64 yards against Buffalo, giving him a decent final few games after hitting a rut in late November.
His plan for the coming offseason is to “get the body right, keep it right and just work.”
Parkey hopes to stay: Cody Parkey wants to remain a Dolphin, and Miami would love to have the kicker out of Jupiter return.
Now they just have to work out the small stuff.
Parkey tied Jay Feely for the club record of 91.3 percent field-goal accuracy Sunday.
Parkey made his only field goal, so he ended the regular season 21 of 23.
“I was pretty successful, as statistically it was my best year in the NFL,” Parkey said. “Jay Feely was the holder of the record before this, so if there is one common denominator, it’s (long snapper) John Denney. That guy puts it right there. And (punter) Matt (Haack) does a great job of holding for me. And the field goal-protection team did a great job. We didn’t get one blocked this year, and that’s huge.”
Parkey set another record Sunday, converting his fourth onside kick. According to records, dating back to 1997, the Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to successfully convert four onside kicks in a season.
Parkey was the NFL’s 22nd-highest-paid kicker this season, at $690,000.
The 16th-highest-paid kicker, Greg Zuerlein, made $1.6 million this season. So it’s certainly possible Parkey could command $1 million or more as a free agent.
“I don’t know,” Parkey said. “I kind of leave that up to God, to be honest.”
Nicklaus cheers on grandson: Bills tight end Nick O’Leary, a former Dwyer High standout and Palm Beach Post Super 11 selection, caught a 26-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring in Sunday’s game against the Dolphins.
The touchdown catch by O’Leary — who was a sixthround selection out of Florida State by Buffalo in 2015 — was his second of the season, his other coming against New Orleans on Nov. 12. He finished the season with 22 catches for 322 yards and the two scores after recording just nine receptions for 114 yards and no TDs in 2016.
Longtime North Palm Beach resident Jack Nicklaus, wearing Bills colors head to toe, was seen celebrating in the Hard Rock Stadium stands after his grandson’s touchdown.
Larsen hopes to move back to right: Ted Larsen played eight games at left guard for the Dolphins this season, after signing a threeyear, $5.65 million contact before this season.
Larsen, who missed the first eight games after a biceps injury, stated his preference is to play right guard, where he obviously feels comfortable.
“I don’t know how things will shake out,” Larsen said in the locker room Sunday “But I would like to go back to right guard, if that was at all possible. But I’m open to playing left.”
Jesse Davis played well at right guard for four games after replacing injured Jermon Bushrod, who will consider retirement.
It is possible, however, Davis could play right tackle next season if Ja’Wuan James is not brought back, which the Dolphins will consider.
This gives the Dolphins some flexibility, as Davis can also play left guard. The Dolphins could look to add a guard or a tackle in the NFL draft and free agency.