It would definitely be a start. If they only upgrade 1 starting WR spot though, then they have to add more game breaking talet to the TE position IMO. If you've got Wallace, Hartline, Stedman Bailey, Bess, and Eifert at TE... I think you're looking at a very good group of receiving targets with complimenting abilities...
It also could mean an overblown cap hit in the final year, which would most likely never actually happen. Which would cause the annual salary to balloon. Also the cap hit of Bess after next year is zero because he is a free agent. Don't know how much he will sign for.
Long term... I think signing Hartline would bring the end to Bess in a Fins uni. They will need more speed...
I would be really disappointed in Ireland if he did resign Hartline for 7 million a season and then signs Wallace in FA. Hell, I would be mad if he signs Cook, too.
At least it would give people new things to hate Ireland for. Instead of being too conservative, he is too crazy with his money.
You would be mad if they signed Cook in general? Or are you just talking about that specific combination of players?
He wouldn't make me happy. No one would make me happy. I am so angry right now. I think I maybe should quit this forum.
There's a really interesting phenomenon happening right now. The board always needs ONE lightening rod. Fiedler turned into Ginn turned into Henne...we all seem to like Tannehill - so Ireland or Hartline have to fill that void. If Hartline gets $6-7 million it puts a target on both he AND Ireland.
Cook in general. I realize his athleticism and potential but I think he might be over paid. I would rather sign a TE who's a better blocker while going after a TE in the draft. What about yourself?
Where does the rubber meet the road on that? Does Lane Johnson, Luke Joeckel or Eric Fisher fall to pick 12? Because currently it doesn't look like they will. Do we use a 2nd round pick to trade up for one? We have $37 million after Starks. According to Omar you need about $6 million for rookies. You give $19 million to Wallace and Hartline. You've got $18 million left...with needs at CB, CB, DE, FS, TE and LT. How do we allocate this?
That is pretty normal. I remember a year where Miami had the best passing defense in the league and there were so many people on the board that HATED T-Buck. Well another board because this one didn't exist then, however it will always happen.
If you're spending 1/5th of your annual salary allotment on a wide receivers unit that is still so inadequate you need to use your #12 overall pick on it...isn't that a sign you mis-allocated?
Remember when Jason Taylor turned out to be garbage and the book had been written on how to block him, that all you had to do was "body him"? Good ole days.
Don't do that. Hiatus is ok, but don't leave. I go through periods of non-involvement and then as folks note so well I will show up a lot. The impulsive side of me. But I have always valued your participation.
Remember when Miami won the division, led by an MVP runner-up at QB? Remember when fans wanted him replaced with Chad Henne?????
You don't often see guys with Wallace's skill set allowed to test the market. He is not a complete receiver according to a number of experts, but his speed will blow the top off a secondary. This was an element Tannehill, as well as Moore, did not have . And we all know what that led to in terms of how the offense was defended by most teams. I am a strong supporter of the draft, but wrs historically need time and Ireland has precious little of it I believe. He needs and the team needs some skill on the offensive side. Can any of you point to an option other than Wallace on the market? I can't.
Yeah not to go off topic - but it's pretty cool how many of us have traveled from board to board but remained active in the Dolphins discussion - whether it be about Fiedler, Ginn, Sparano, etc. And looking back at all of those past arguments it's depressing for how many I was on the wrong side. #TeamGinn
To be honest... I know more about Cook at South Carolina than I do in Tennessee... so I havent followed his development closely at all. I do recognize his athleticisim/upside though, and the ability to flex out wide to create mismatches. If we are going to overspend on either a WR or a TE in FA (and you pretty much have to overpay in FA)… I’d probably rather it be TE while going WR in the draft from a cost perspective standpoint… since the TE will be much cheaper (6mil per year vs. 10 to 11mil?). I think we’ll need to add both, with most likely 1 of them coming via FA and 1 via the draft (if not more). So, I think I’d rather sign the TE and draft the WR just from the $$$ side of things. Regarding the actual players though, I’d rather have Wallace/Jennings + Eifert than CPatterson + Cook. Cook’s lack of production through 4 years is somewhat concerning. He wasn’t supposed to make an immediate impact as a 3rd rounder… and hasn’t exactly been in a high powered offense during his career… but while there definitely is some more upside, there is risk that at this point he is what he is (again… this is based off me not really watching him much in Tennesee, so I’m relatively ignorant in that regard). I’ll tell you what though Anonymous… right now I’m kinda in the mode of “beggers cant be choosers”. I’ll take receiving talent however which way we can get it… lol!
I believe this draft is deep in solid recievers. Not necessarily stars right away, but good solid players, like Williams from Baylor. Even if I am signing Wallace I want to draft at least one wr and probably 2. I think you have to sign a tight end again. At least for the moment last year's te selection is not contributing.
Certainly not at the 12th overall pick, that'd be a reach. He's not an elite prospect. Yeah, I think he's the best TE in this class, but I don't think he's on the same level of a Vernon Davis, Dwayne Allen, Rob Gronkowski. Where'd Kyle Rudolph go in 2011? 43rd overall? I'd imagine if the top of this year's overall class was as strong as last year's class or 2011's class, that's about where Eifert would go.
It's a valid question, I certainly believe we have not built this wide receiver unit correctly from the beginning..I certainly would not give Wallace 12 mill a year, I certainly would not give Hart 7 mill a year..we'll have to wait and see what the true numbers are before we get to frustrated, right now we have Bess on the books for 3 mill..about another 3 mill mill on the tight end position for Fasano, not much other than that worth note..I'd like to look at both units as a whole and allocate proportionately to what we know is a slightly above average monetary level for both combined..I do think we are ready to go a bit above that average level for some specific reasons like tempo and scheme fit and Qb skillset. If I changed that first scenario to Wallace at 10 mill, hart at 6 mill, Eifert in the first, resign Fasano, draft your favorite 2nd round receiver would that be more ideal for allocation reasons and effective offensive football? I'm signing Jennings for 8 over Wallace for 10 if I can, then I think you can choose between Eifert or Austin and it will be fine in terms of allocation?
Thank you for deleting my post. So, it's not ok for me to point out a thread veering off the original topic? Just other people can do that? I understand now. Please carry on.
To me it's still $20 million thrown to the wide receivers per annum and still finding you need a 2nd rounder at the position but I suppose you could justify that on the basis of needing to be able to replace Davone Bess by 2014.
Vernon Davis was unique in his speed and athleticism, but I think Eifert is a better prospect than either Allen or Gronkowski coming out. Physically and athletically, Eifert is nearly identical to Gronk and his college production was comparable(but for a longer period of time), but Eifert doesn't have the very serious injury/durability issues that Gronk had entering the draft after missing a season due to back injury. Eifert is a much smoother and more dynamic athlete than Dwyane Allen. .Of course, that ll necessarily be a better pro or even as good. But Eifert is a first round prospect in almost any draft and Allen and Gronk were not and did not go in the first.
I should of added "in the long run" to the end of my original sentence.. I have him as a top 20 pick, and I have him and Austin as being neck and neck as the best overall skill player coming out..would I chance it and move down a few spots, sure..their both going to be studs so I think it's fine to look for a partner, but I would not go outside the top 20..
The way this is trending, if the Vikings do beat us on the bidding war for Mike Wallace, the Dolphins will trade for Percy Harvin.
I'm cool with allocating a ridiculous amount of resources into talent surrounding our QB and to foster his development. If the QB pans out... everything will take care of itself. IMO... thats a far greater priority than anything else. I'd definitely be fine with 1/5 of our cap being spent on players to put around Tannehill for a few years during his development.
I think he'll go in the first round, but I think that's more due to the lack of overall top talent in the whole draft crop. I acknowledge he's the best TE prospect in this year's class, but I don't think he's necessarily an "elite" prospect. I think he's better than Kyle Rudolph, but not by a whole lot.
I have Eifert being the way better prospect than Rudolph, the better prospect than Allen, ( and I loved Dwayne Allen), I was extremely high on gronkowski, so I would put Eifert a bit lower on the chart than that freak, but Gronkowski in terms of true value, was easily a top 15 top 10 player..I don't believe Eifert to be a reach at 12, cause eventually his value will show thru, but like Gronkowski, if GMs can sleep on that film, Russel Wilson film, and Kaepernik tape, they can make mistakes all the time..