Draft Approach

To be honest I'm generally a fan of trading up if you feel the talent is worth it. Not saying its a hood idea this year, just in general.

Since its a deep draft I'd be inclined to see if snyone would trade s future first for a two this year.

 

I was thinking about this last night and decided I couldn't make a decision until I know what happens in FA. If we get a LT in FA then I would be really open to trading back and hopefully getting another pick. I guess it depends on who is there as well like an Ebron or Evans or Lewan or......

 

I love your first three picks, explosive offense is how you wanna go eh?

I battle because Im a Defensive minded guy, and I think it's really easy to build an explosive offense..

I'm leaning towards really making the offense explosive because of the stadium we play in..I don't think the energy inside can push a good defense to be great or to sustain the energy necessary to play at their optimum levels for 60 mins.

With offense, you don't really need that so becoming the most explosive and talented might be the way to go, it's not my preferred identity but I must take into account tangible variables when it comes to this team.

Cooks, Seastrunk and turner are all explosive talented football players..

I like the way they can affect three levels of the offense, so I like how you put them together.

 

What a ludicrously fast offense the Dolphins could have with Lache Seastrunk and Lamar Miller at tailback and Mike Wallace, Brandin Cooks and Brian Hartline at wide receiver.

You want to talk about stretching the field. Try putting Mike Wallace on the perimeter of the right side and Brandin Cooks in the slot on the left side. See how empty the middle of the field gets after that.

 

I don't think we should trade up....as for the other two options, ask me when we're on the clock.

 

Good question though on the move up, move down or stay put thing.

Don't know which way I'm leaning. My tendency is to want to move down and pick up lots of picks.

 

Whatever is better for the team at the moment (the draft). I'd hate to move so far down, we miss out on much better talent.

 

In a year when the draft appears to have a lot of talent this makes total sense to me.

 

Building an explosive offense is so easy that we haven't been able to do it in how long?

 

I don't think it's difficult once you find the right signal caller, unfortunately we have had some of the worst drafting records the last two decades..

 

For me, it all comes down to value.

At 19, I think you have a very good chance of one of the prime talents falling to you. This draft is loaded and, like there is every year, teams will reach for needs at premium positions like QB and OT. More than likely there will be 3 or 4 QBs taken before we pick, so that's essentially a "free" move-up for us. If a stud like an Aaron Donald or Eric Ebron falls to you, you simply cannot trade down unless you're getting fantastic value. Even if your getting a big time player at a position you don't necessarily need like a Mike Evans, I think you have to pull the trigger. That guy is going to be special.

If somehow none of those guys fall, and you can get some value to move down, you do it without much second thought. This is a very good draft to have a lot of picks in, the depth is phenomenal. With extra picks to play with you can spend a 2nd round pick on a position like HB to make sure you get one of the ones you like, and not think twice about overspending on a position where it's easy to find a good player, or spend a 3rd or 4th round pick on a QB and get a guy you like that can be a good backup, a fallback plan on Tannehill, or ideally trade bait for the future.

The last option for me is trading up, but it all depends on value again. If you can trade up into that blue chip talent pool and aren't paying a premium, you do it. As bad as last year's trade looks for Jordan right now, the trade was great value to get a top talent. With the talent at the top of this draft I seriously doubt you'll be getting good value to move up, but maybe teams will look at the depth and be happy to get extra picks.

 

If we could get Robinson for the 19th 51st and a late rounder it could be worth it. I don't like to give up a lot of picks but that move would give us a tackle that could solidify a spot for a decade.

 

I don't like the idea of using your 1st and your 2nd to get a tackle. It's true if you do it right, you might shore the position for a good 5 years +, but rookie tackles struggle a little at first, and this team from the coaches and GM, to the QB, are in show me now mode. The offense needs a shot of adrenaline.

Use FA to get your LT and a G, then use your first 2 picks to grab some explosive offensive playmakers. Use your first pick to get you any of Eric Ebron, Mike Evans or Brandin Cooks. Then use your second to get you an explosive RB, Seastrunk, Mason or Sankey. Heck, I'd even go as far as to pick Troy Niklas in the 3rd round if he manages to fall.

I'd rather go bold and fail, than go safe and fail. Some of these athletic freaks are bound to pay off.


Trading down for extra picks is also a good option. 2nd round is stocked full of nice players.

 

I'm really not confident about much, if we can get a healthy Patterson to restructure, sign grimes, get Dion to play up to his skillset, maybe walk out of this draft with something like Aaron Donald, Tre mason/ Carlos Hyde, Billy Turner and and D' Anthony Thomas I would be excited..

Right now I'm just blah.

 

In an ideal world, yes. But I seriously doubt you're going to be able to get into the top 5 this year for that little. And you'd have to put all your eggs in that basket bypassing all the FA LTs prior to that. I just don't see how you could take that gamble. The Dolphins need to sign their LT IMO.

 

Greg Robinson may be a terrific long term option for the Dolphins but I think you should be wary of the idea of trading up and taxing future drafts in order to get him.

There's no real indication he's ready to pass protect as a rookie. Maybe he is. We don't know because he didn't really do it much at Auburn. Go from game to game and each game you're going to find one hand full of snaps where you see him kick back in a discernible kick slide for pass protection that translates to the pros. And when you stack those handfuls together and really look at them...it's not that great. That's the truth.

He's an immensely talented and physically gifted football player and his run blocking is obviously very good. Although I think some people are getting carried away thinking his run blocking is "the best they've ever seen," etc. I don't see that. But you've got to at this point consider him a long term project.

So you're thinking about trading up using a future 1st round pick for a guy who isn't going to help you win in 2014 as much as you would hope. And if Philbin really is about to crash and burn as the coach of the Miami Dolphins then that future 1st round pick could be a high one. And you know who is going to be available with a high pick next year? Some dude people are going to love just as much as Greg Robinson. Because that's what happens every year.

 

Ideally I'd like to sign a LT no doubt. I'm just looking at what our options could be if we don't get a legit LT in free agency which could very well happen. Obviously our Oline is the biggest need on our team, we aren't in a position to roll the dice, if we can't get multiple free agents in at key positions we are going to have to draft guys early and often. And also we could see Pouncey suspended for a few or a lot of games too. We aren't in any position to play games with the Oline. If we crap out in free agency its panic time and we need to start calling teams and we are going to get fleeced more than likely.

 

Yeah, much rather a proven FA LT even if it costs more.


Anybody have the new CBA pay scale chart? Not sure what the difference in cost is between a 19 and say a 3.

 

To me it's a no-brainer. You don't usually find safe left tackles like Anthony Collins and Branden Albert on the free agent market. It just doesn't happen often, for a reason.

Much more often you get damaged goods guys available on the free agent market like Jake Long and Rodger Saffold. Jake Long had a medical file thicker than a phone book. He spent two whole days during his free agent visit just going through all the medical stuff and getting the Rams trainers aware of all his specific issues they'll have to help him manage to keep him functional one day of the week. Saffold doesn't require quite the same medical maintenance but he's also got a history of getting hurt and was a much more mediocre left tackle even when healthy.

Those are the guys you're USUALLY going to find available...not guys like Branden Albert and Anthony Collins. There are special circumstances for why the two are available, so take advantage of that and fill up the position while you can.

It's not the same as spending $12 million on a hot free agent wide receiver. Just like how when you're picking top 10 in the draft it's usually considered "safe" to grab an offensive tackle as opposed to a sexy wide receiver, same thing applies to free agents.

So go take a left tackle from the proven market and check off that box while you can. Consider yourself lucky that you get the opportunity to do that.

 

Man I love this dirty talk. I am so hot right now. I really want to sew up our LT in FA w/ a good LT. Lock that position down, the rest is really manageable through the draft and maybe another, much less celebrated FA.

 

You simply cannot get through FA without getting a legit starting LT. If you have to overpay, you have to overpay. There is enough talent hitting the market that you will be able to get someone.

Bingo. You cannot waste this opportunity to get a good LT. That would be inexcusable in my book.

 

You would almost have to know that you're getting the 1st pick in the draft to KNOW that you will be able to get Robinson and can afford to bypass the FA class. The draft is so late this year that those guys will be signed long before the draft. What happens if you have a plan to trade up to, say 4, and he goes in the top 2 picks? What if the deal you think you have falls through? You simply cannot take that chance. Not when you can sign a good player instead.

 

Totally agree plus I still don't trust an unproven commodity. A guy playing LT currently in the league, you know he can play that position. Top of first round, really good chance he can but you don't know it.

 

Right. And I'd always rather give up lots of money as long as it's structured smartly, than a handful of draft picks to fix a position like this where guys play at a high level well into their 30's.

 

Thats true .....but those guys are going to have to want to come play here. I'm curious to see if we are ignored by some key free agents because of our coaching situation and the obvious bad publicity we've received. Granted we can overpay but that isn't smart either. I hope we can sign a tackle to solidify the line but its iffy at best IMO.

 

They go 90% by where the money is being offered.

 

Yeah but if its close and with a salary cap system it will be.....they aren't picking us if they have good options. I hope we get one of the premier tackles in free agency but if I was a free agent Miami would have to give me a lot more money. Our situation even beyond the soap opera nonsense is terrible. I'd genuinely be shocked if landed Albert.