Dolphins' 0-9 record a result of personnel moves

The Dolphins' first-round pick Ted Ginn ranks 17th in the NFL in kick return average and 20th in punt return average. Richard A. Brightly/Icon SMI

How did the Dolphins get this bad?

Easy.

Wide out Yatil Green, the 15th pick in 1997, caught 18 passes in his life.

Tailback John Avery, a first-round pick in 1998, lasted 1 ½ years before the Dolphins gave up on him.

Tailback J.J. Johnson, a second-round pick in 1999, started five games, recorded a 3.4 rushing average and was out of the league by 2002.

Cornerback Jamar Fletcher, a first-round pick in 2001, started six games in three years before drifting to the Chargers, Lions and Texans.

Offensive linemen Taylor Whitley and Wade Smith, third-round picks in 2003, were both gone by 2005.

Linebacker Eddie Moore, a second-round pick in 2004, started three games, was constantly hurt, and was out of football by 2006.

Defensive end Matt Roth, a second-round pick in 2005, has 6 ½ career sacks.

Etc.

It's easy to build a winless team. Just draft bad players year after year. Make dumb trades year after year. Make stupid free-agency decisions year after year.

Voila.

You're 0-9. With no prospects of getting any better any time soon.

This isn't a fluke. The Dolphins have earned every bit of their 0-9 record. Years of ridiculous personnel moves -- most, but not all, of them dating back to the administration of Rick Spielman -- have left the Dolphins at the point where they may become the first 0-16 team in NFL history.

The Dolphins' problems start at quarterback, which has been in flux since Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season. The Dolphins didn't draft a Day 1 quarterback for almost a quarter of a century -- from 1983 with Marino until John Beck in the second round this year. That's created a shocking level of instability at the game's most important position.

Jay Fiedler, Ray Lucas, A.J. Feeley, Gus Frerotte, Joey Harrington, Sage Rosenfels, Daunte Culpepper, Trent Green and Cleo Lemon.

Not a Marino in the bunch.

Not even a David Woodley in the bunch.

What were the Dolphins thinking when they traded a second-round pick to the Eagles for Feeley before the 2005 season? They cut him after eight starts and three wins.

What were they thinking when they shipped another second-round pick to the Vikings for Culpepper before his 2005 knee injury had fully healed? They released him after four starts and one win.

What were they thinking this past offseason when they acquired the 37-year-old concussion-prone Green from the Chiefs and signed him to a three-year, $13.5 million contract? Green lasted five miserable games before suffering another concussion, this one likely career-ending.

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