Super Bowl contenders with Taylor and Haynesworth?

[Partial]

Not a contender. Not even close imo. As I have pointed out numerous times, offensively we are simply not getting it done in recent weeks and our average is high because of early season success.

We need to address these issues, and they start with play calling, and demand more consistency from every offensive group outside of the receivers.

A few key pieces in a few key positions can make all the difference on a time scale of less than a season. Last year the Dolphins flirted historic futility and were only saved by overtime heroics due to one badly blown coverage. But despite losing their veteran leader, the addition of a few key free agents and a few contributing draft picks, different coaching attitudes, combined with relative good luck with injuries, and an easy schedule and this team is sitting in the catbird seat as concerns their division with one week to go in the season.

So I cannot agree that we are not close. Supposing we sign Haynesworth, draft Orakpo, Harrell finally gets it together, Rodgers improves like we're expecting him to, some of the project guys progress nicely, and the playcalling (and overall execution) improves, I'd say we're absolutely close. Very few teams aren't close (really, Oakland and Detroit and maybe St. Louis.) Teams regularly go from 5-6 wins to 10-11 wins in the following season in this league (and vice versa).

So who knows? Projecting doom and gloom about the future isn't very useful, accurate, fun, or productive. Teams go from to top to the bottom and the bottom to the top in the blink of an eye in this league. On a down year, you could pick apart any team in the league . On an up year, nobody has any warts.

Though, to be honest, I don't think Taylor would do much for us. I'd rather draft another DE (though, the prospect frightens me) than sign an aging vet. If Peppers somehow hit the market, I'd be excited but that's not likely to happen.

Assuming all of that will happen is crazy. Miami improved because they had a big change at the top and all the way down. That has caused a bit of a spark. They had some talent last year, there star player was just injured.

I too crave the spicy one at DE.