Terrance Williams is a strong option if the Dolphins don't grab a Greg Jennings, and choose to re-sign Brian Hartline. The reason I say that is because everyone (including everyone in the building) believes the Dolphins need speed and a deep threat, and to me Terrance Williams is a proven speedy deep threat. Like I said, he's often got a narrow patch of grass to work with which means he's got to be able to challenge the corner vertically in order to create separation, which he does regularly. The thing I like about him though is he's not just deep speed. He makes plays catching the ball, and he makes plays after the catch. He's a good all-around player. Terrance Williams would be the kind of guy that has the potential to be a happy medium between Jeff Ireland's predilections toward speed, numbers and physical impressiveness, and Joe Philbin's preference for savvy football players. Williams is over 6'1" (NFL Draft Scout says 6014 but who knows) and over 200 lbs. I think he'll run very solidly into the 4.4's. If they're stuck on the speed/deep threat thing then Markus Wheaton is about as speedy a deep threat as you'll find. If you look him up you'll come out thinking he's somewhere between a Mike Wallace and a Tiquan Underwood. I don't know that he's as strong a possibility as Terrance Williams but then maybe he is. If you look at Ted Thompson's record drafting receivers while Philbin was there you certainly have to regard Wheaton as a possibility. Quinton Patton would be a possibility. He is a guy that does what Joe Philbin wants in terms of creating separation and catching the football. He's got great run after catch ability, good size, and he's just another good all-around receiver. Is he a deep threat? He claims he runs a 4.42 but I don't know how true that is. I doubt it. If the Dolphins grabbed a Greg Jennings while allowing Hartline to walk, than I think Patton becomes perhaps a more likely target. I don't know that Cobi Hamilton would be a strong consideration even though he's considered a deep threat, and I'm not sure which other seniors they'd like aside from perhaps Aaron Mellette. I don't think Jeff Ireland has the imagination to take Tavon Austin for a drive. Ryan Swope just seems too obvious, and plus the Dolphins seem happy with Davone Bess who does what Swope would probably do. Get to the juniors and I could imagine them being interested in Stedman Bailey, Cordarrelle Patterson, Robert Woods, Marquess Wilson or DeAndre Hopkins. That seems like I've named everyone but I left out Justin Hunter, Da'Rick Rogers, Keenan Allen and Kenny Stills. I don't know if Stills is well-rounded enough. I think when they scratch the surface on Keenan Allen they may find a little bit more diva than they have an appetite for, Da'Rick Rogers is a train wreck off the field, and call it a hunch about Justin Hunter.
You know Jeff Ireland wouldn't do it. When has he ever been creative, except in one case when he was dragged like a horse to water by the coaching staff's wildcat fever?
Oh I'm sure you're right. Part of me dreams that one year he'll go hell for leather, but deep down I know we'll draft a guard.
I am a HUGE fan of Williams and Hopkins. Wouldn't mind adding Patton or Bailey. I am still on the fence with Tavon though. He has the wheels and elusiveness of Percy Harvin, but how is that going to translate to the NFL at 5'9.
Weird, but I would probably be more pissed if we took a TE in round 1 than if we took an OLman. If we take a TE without trading down, I'll lose my s*#$.
Yeah that sounds about right. I singled out Terrence Williams, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tavon Austin as the prefered WRs i'd like the Dolphins to get. Williams and Hopkins because IMO they offer the complete package of well rounded WRs with the speed, quickness, strength, and catching ability to be productive as starters. Tavon Austin I like because of the mismatch factor and the multi-purpose deadly weapon potential. Yeah i agree. Even though some TEs are not coming out (i liked Toilolo), we could maybe target Fauria later down the draft.
Hilton is a little taller.... and a tad more wiry IMO. Hawkins is 5'073, 180. Austin is 5'8 172. (not sure if he's even 5'8) Both are built similarly. Austin's 3-Cone and 20 Yard Shuttle will be closer to what Hawkins' was (although probably even better), where as Hilton's was nothing special. ... and Austin will likely play a similar role to Hawkins in the slot (albeit with greater dimension added). [video=youtube;wteRZKHZVYg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wteRZKHZVYg[/video] [video=youtube;2eeOt4tyZG4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eeOt4tyZG4[/video] [video=youtube;THjEkvXdNRo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THjEkvXdNRo[/video]
I like Williams also. The thing that bugs me is that he is SOFT as tissue. Put a physical CB on him and he'll disappear. He ripped through those weak corners in the Pac 12 but when he faced a decent CB in Justin Gilbert he was a non-factor-6 receptions for 71 yards, well compared to his other games where he caught 80+ yards. I like Wheaton's game and if he's there in the 4th they should definitely take a look. Hamilton reminds me of Dwayne Bowe but I'm guessing he doesn't fit the offense. Wouldn't mind Robert Woods or Stedman Bailey on this team next year.
Sorry men, I've just watched two more FSU games back to back......takes me to seven on the year. Bjoern Werner is selling someone some magic beans. Just cannot see the fuss. I don't see much in the way of get-off, good hands, not quick, struggles to run the arc, just ends up engaged consistently, gets stood up and walled off. There's no quickness there at all. He's not a worker. If you isolate Cornellius Carradine and him throughout a game, Tank comes way with so many more plus plays. I dunno. I respect the guys that like him, but to me he's just a guy and one who doesn't go full speed but for about 10% of the time.
I wouldn't draft him in the first 2 rounds if that's how his own coaches feel about him. Too many other talented players to choose from IMO. He would need to slip in the draft to have a dose of reality perhaps smack him in the face and wake him up a bit before I'd draft him. Falling to the 3rd round could perhaps be that smack.
Here's Les Miles talking about the players on that list. Classic Les. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRXP5Bf8KFs I'm not sure I'm seeing any explanation from Les that the list was totally not related to the team or that it was done by a fan, etc. If it was really done by the strength coach though I imagine Les had some words for him.
Nonsense. We really value your insight. Even as you grow senile, you've forgotten more about evaluating players than I actually know. Seriously, appreciate the wisdom of your perspective.
One player that I like that could be available late in the draft is HB Latavius Murray. He is 6'3 222, has very good vision and is a tough, bruising runner. I've heard he isn't great during practice, which makes sense given his style of play; its hard for physical grinders to go all out during practice or else they would never be rested and ready for the games. He is a pretty good talent that I could see being taken anywhere from the 4th to 7th round (more likely between the 5th and 6th, but its harder to project players the farther they fall). Two years ago, in the Liberty Bowl game vs Georgia he rushed 18 times for 104 yards and 1 touchdown (the game winning touchdown given the final score was 10 to 6 UCF). I think that put him on a couple scouts radars. I have a friend that covers UCF football for a certain media and he has said GOL has really hurt Murray's stock via the way he used Murray (or the ways he didn't use him). [video=youtube;_yY9L4QsbZM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yY9L4QsbZM[/video]
Saw in a mock draft that had us taking Chance Warmack out of Alabama at #12. What do you guys think? Great player and obviously our o-line needs help. Really hard to justify picking a guard at #12, though. Don't think it happens, and would much rather go D-end with the pick. What do you guys think?
I wouldn't use a #12 pick on a guy we might only get for 4 years (considering how expensive he'll likely be in future FA).
Honestly, this view point is absurd. I know you are better than this so I won't judge you..... too much lol
So when 2017 rolls around you'd be comfortable shelling out upwards of $20 million/year on a center-guard tandem? That's bonkers. You know there's a salary cap right? I wouldn't put myself in that position, not when a #12 pick is involved and especially not with all the other talent available on the board. What's absurd is not planning for stuff like this in advance.
You realize that if Ireland doesn't hit on A LOT of his draft picks he isn't going to be here in 4 years to care. Hell, why should the Colts have drafted Luck considering in 4 years he is going to demand more than $100 million for his next contract? I understand your logic, but not drafting someone because re-signing them in the future might cost you too much is absolutely bonkers.
You're nuts. Look at the Saints. You think they wanted to let Carl Nicks go? Sh** no they didn't, but he was too goddam good to afford and essentially played himself right out'a town b/c there was no way in hell they could keep $100+ million worth of two interior linemen, nor would it be financially wise to. Fortunately for New Orleans, Nicks' initial cost was only a 5th rounder rounder, so getting 4 years from him was a win for them. Are you seriously comparing $100 million for a QB vs $100 million for a pair of interior linemen?
I'm not sure why you're using a straw argument here. We're talking specifically about a pair of interior linemen potentially eating up roughly 15% of your salary cap rather than an impact player at a core position. So again, you'd be ok with robbing that much from other core positions for 2 interior linemen? BTW, it's much easier to re-sign Luck for 100M when you don't have 100M tied up in a C & G.
Hold your horses. Its easier to replace a Guard than it is a franchise QB. We can fill the Line up later in the draft.
This is going to be my last response to this "idea" that you don't draft a prospect because in 4 years he will (might) be "too good" and thus you won't be able to resign him 4 years down the line; because I could go back and forth about this all day but it really doesn't warrant a response, much like someone proclaiming, "the sky isn't blue" doesn't warrant a response. It's frustrating because ideas like this led me to leave the other website and come here where there was a lot more logic. First off, let me say this, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. I think me and you actually think about things a lot more similar than we both realize. I know you post a lot about statistics (comparing Tannehill, etc.) and I love that. I am a huge proponent of looking at statistics and am a pro football focus junkie (to an extent lol). I get the feeling you have read Moneyball and are trying to base a lot of your ideas from Billy Beane's philosophy of looking at the numbers and statistics within the game and building a team smartly by basing FA signings, draft picks, etc on a value system, where you don't overpay for any individual player and plan far in the future. I am of a similar belief, however, baseball and the NFL have a lot of key differences and there are instances this system needs to be altered in the NFL. 1.) The Salary cap- Baseball doesn't have a salary cap where the NFL does. Contracts to MLB teams don't matter at all in terms of how they are structured because they don't have a cap they need to be under. In the NFL contract structuring is a big deal because you have to remain below a certain number at all times. Luckily, the NFL has rules on Signing bonuses and how contracts may be structured to spread the cost of a single player out. This year for instance the Miami Dolphins have a lot of cap room (around $40 million I believe). If they decide they want to resign Jake Long for, lets say, a 4 year deal for $48 million dollars, they can give him a huge signing bonus that counts against this years cap and front load the contract. Essentially they could give him a $15 million dollar signing bonus, then a $15 million dollar salary in his first year. Yes, that would eat up a lot of cap this year, but it would mean his contract would average $6 million dollars a year for the remaining 3 years of his contract. This allows you to keep most players with appropriate managing of the salary cap. 2.) The draft is used to improve your team. You do not pass on a player because you think he will be "too good." That logic is almost unheard of. With how hard it is to actually hit on a draft pick if you know someone is going to be good you take them. You don't pass up on them and hope to take an average player later on because he will be easier to resign in 4 years. 3.) 4 years is way too far to plan for when you are talking about a rookie. You normally think 1 to 2 years in advance when "projecting" rookies. I mean the draft is a good portion of luck and science. There are countless busts in the first round every year. That same guard that you think might be too good to resign in 4 years could actually turn out to be Justin Smith, Shaun Andrews, Levi Brown, etc. Now the one point I do agree with you is overloading a certain area in terms of talent and money. That being said, you simply do not write a player off because you think he is too good and will cost too much money to resign in the future. Do I necessarily want us to take a OG with our 1st draft pick? Not really, we have other needs and I think the pick would be served better elsewhere but you do not simply write Warmack off because you think he will be too good.
I understand that, I am just talking about writing off a player because you think he will be "too good" and cost too much money to resign in 4 years.
