The Dolphins Players I Was Most Wrong About

The Dolphins Players I Was Most Wrong About

If nothing else, being a fan of a mediocre franchise means putting your hopes into players who never live up to the potential you create in your head. There have been many players who I thought were going to be the next great Dolphin, but in reality, they just faded away, a footnote in the story of the Miami Dolphins. I think, as a blogger, it’s important to admit when you’re wrong, so this blog is dedicated to the players I was wrong about. 

John Beck 

I feel as if John Beck was the perfect storm for a teenage version of myself to put stock in. The Dolphins were just entering what would become a multi-decade search for a quality starting quarterback when they selected Beck out of BYU with the 40th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. 

Coming out of college, all anyone had to say about Beck was that he was deadly accurate as a passer. There were stories about how he would practice for hours with his father, honing his craft until he became the football equivalent of Bullseye. His senior season saw him completing 69.3% of his passes for 3,885 yards and 32 touchdowns. I truly believed we could compete with Beck at the helm. 

In reality, Beck’s Dolphins tenure lasted only two seasons. He got some playing time for the horrid 2007 squad, posting a stat line of 56.1% completion percentage, 559 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. The following year, Miami signed Chad Pennington and drafted Chad Henne, effectively marking the end of Beck’s time in Miami. Silver lining for Beck: he is currently a quarterback trainer at 3DQB academy. As they say, those who can’t do, teach. 

Kalen Ballage 

Never has a player lived off one highlight more than Kalen Ballage. Ballage was a 4th-round pick by the Dolphins in 2018. In week 15 of that year against Minnesota, Ballage rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown, including an insane 75-yard TD.  

I genuinely believe that Ballage lasted as long as he did in the NFL because teams convinced themselves that they could recreate the magic of that one run. However, that would not be the case; in his second season with Miami, he averaged 1.8 yards per carry with his longest run being only 8 yards. Eventually, the Dolphins waived him, and he would bounce around the league, including stops with the Jets, Chargers, and Steelers. He spent time in the XFL, CFL, and UFL but is currently a free agent. 

Dion Jordan 

Dion Jordan will go down as perhaps the very worst draft pick in Dolphins history. Unfortunately, I was there watching the draft live and absolutely celebrating when Miami traded up with the Raiders for the 3rd overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. Jordan was highly touted coming out of Oregon ahead of the draft. His 6-foot-6, 248-pound frame had the Dolphins convinced he could become the second pass-rush option opposite Cameron Wake. The idea that we would have two potential All Pros on our defensive line was tantalizing; unfortunately, it didn’t end up that way. 

He struggled to find the field during his first season, recording 0 starts and only 2 sacks. Then he was suspended to start the 2014 season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. When he came back from suspension, he was ineffective, recording only 1 sack for the entire season. 

He once again found himself suspended this time for the entirety of the 2015 season for violating the performance-enhancing substance policy for a third time. He missed the 2016 season as well. Eventually, the Dolphins cut ties with Jordan, and he would go on to spend time with the Seahawks, Raiders, and 49ers. All told he would only record 13.5 sacks in the NFL and become a huge “What If?” in Dolphins history. 

So, who was a player you thought would become a star who flamed out? Let me know in the comments.