Thursday, February 14, 2008

Farewell, Zach

In a surprising move, the Miami Dolphins have reportedly cut ties with former Pro Bowl LB Zach Thomas. I say surprising because I felt Thomas had some value in the trade market. Apparently, he did not. The Dolphins saved nearly $6 million on the salary cap with the move.


His release makes Jason Taylor the lone remaining player from the last Dolphins team we can consider relevant. It also signifies the departure of a long-time fan favorite in Miami. Zach is an absolute class act and a true underdog story.

Though undersized for his position, he still managed to accumulate over 1200 tackles in his illustrious career as a Dolphin. The 7-time Pro Bowler will be missed on the field and in the locker room.

However, as Dolphins fans we shouldn't be too sad that he is gone. True, it's a huge disappointment that Zach never got a chance to win anything with the franchise that drafted and came to love him. But if he continues to play football, it will likely be for a team that has a chance to give him the ring he deserves.

I personally don't know if it is worth the health risk for Zach Thomas to return to football. He's made his impact and proved himself time and again to all the doubters. A ring is important, but your health and family trump the glory of victory. Unless he is absolutely 100% ready to go, I would hope he at least considers taking the year off before considering a return to football.

As for his destination, as long as he doesn't go to the Patriots (a possibility), the Jets, or the Bills, I don't really care. I just hope he gets a chance to win a title some day. Thanks for all the memories, Zach.

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