Someone in the Miami Dolphins' locker room got a bit too much of a self-esteem boost following the team's second win in as many weeks.
Miami LB Karlos Dansby held court in the Dolphins locker room after the Dolphins' 20-9 victory over the Washington Redskins, telling the assembled reporters that he is the best linebacker in the NFL right now. When pressed, he didn't back down.
"I'm better than everybody," he claimed. "Everybody. Period. Point blank. I just haven't had the recognition, man."
Dansby's reasoning was a bit squishy though. Besides simply repeating that he is the best, he cited his versatility to back up his claim.
"I can do it all. I can take the tight end. I can check the running backs. You don't have to put me in one hole, I ain't no hole guy."
For the record, "I ain't no hole guy" has got to be the funniest sentence uttered by a Miami Dolphin this season, even better than Kevin Burnett's "Put on some pads, homeboy," or Yeremiah Bell saying of Reggie Bush, "He stinks."
"I've played every position there is at linebacker," Dansby continued. "Nobody else can say they've done that and played at a high level."
In 7 and 1/2 seasons with both Miami and the Arizona Cardinals, Dansby has amassed 567 solo tackles and 138 assists. He has forced 15 fumbles and made 10 interceptions to go with 29.5 career sacks. Those numbers don't include his performance on Sunday, when he made 10 tackles to go with a sack and an interception.
For comparison, in his first 8 seasons, legendary linebacker Ray Lewis made 868 solo tackles, 234 assists, 6 forced fumbles, 21 sacks and 20 interceptions.
Even so, Dansby should tone down the "I'm the best" talk. His production has dropped off considerably since signing what was at the time the biggest contract ever given to a linebacker in 2010, and his Dolphins have only gotten worse since he joined the team.
To be fair, the Dolphins' decline is not entirely his fault. Even so, no one is impressed by a player on a losing team who has to announce his greatness. If Dansby really wants people to think he is the best linebacker in the NFL, he'll have to show it on the field, where he has only collected 2 sacks and 1 interception in 9 games this season.
And even if he puts up more great numbers, if his team can't do any better than four wins over the course of the season, no matter how bad Miami's offense may be, Dansby can't say anything about his own greatness. The greatest players elevate their teammates, all Dansby has done so far in Miami is make Dolfans regret his $43 million contract.
