We have a lot of needs on this team. We need WR, ILB, OLB, NT, FS, Catching TE and maybe a RB prospect. But some of these positions we need for the future in case Jason Ferguson or Ronnie Brown get injured again. These need to be addressed but I put a slightly lesser importance than positions that need immediate starters. This thread isn't to discuss all our needs for the Dolphins. It's to discuss immediate needs. The following positions need new starters for 2010. 1. ILB we desperately, desperately need new starters at ILB. Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele are talented backups. They are solid place holders but they are not playmakers. A 3-4 defense depends on it's LB's to make the big plays and inside we have no one who can now. 2. Strong side OLB. Having JT and JP at OLB is a failed experiment. They are both natural weakside OLB pass rushers. We need to cut one or both and have a real LB here. Someone who can put some pressure and help open things up for the weak side guy. 3. Free Safety. Similar situation as OLB. We have 2 strong safeties instead. I think unless Cris Clemons shows he can be a starting FS we need to cut Gibril Wilson and draft one fairly early. Also if we draft one we waste half the season being timid about playing him. This FO is very conservative about developing players and taking a long time to start them. I think that cost us a few games this year. They need to desperately get serious about the FS position. 4. WR. No surprise here. We have 3 guys who can catch but don't have break away speed in Hartline, Bess and Camarillo. And we have one KR with bad hands in Ted "Downy" Ginn. I think we need to cut ties with Downy, get whatever value we can for him and acquire a true WR in his place. Even if we keep him we really need to use him where his talents lie as a KR/PR and not try to force him to be a WR. I feel he simply does not have the hands, head or heart to be a WR. No matter how many times you try the round peg does not fit into the square hole! Those 4 positions need new starters. TE depending on how Joey Haynos develops might become a position of need. Fasano at this time doesn't look like the TE of the future for us at this stage. RB and NT need to be addressed for 2011. Jason Ferguson and Ricky Williams will probably retire after 2010 and their production will need to be replaced. We might still have Ronnie Brown but with his injury history we will need another RB. I think we could possibly address RB, TE and NT in the 2011 draft. But if we draft them next year they could possibly not start til late 2011 til maybe even 2012 depending on how conservatively they develop them. But this draft is vital. We need immediate help this year at ILB, OLB, WR and FS. And depending on Ronnie Brown's situation and Jason Ferguson's it might be worse. This draft we can't afford to whiff on. We can't afford for them to look for the diamond in the rough. We need them to draft players with talent and not long term prospects. Players who can make an immediate impact from the beginning of the next season. What do you guys think? Where do you feel we need immediate starters and how best to fix our weaknesses?
1. I agree. 2. I agree. But, IMO, Jason Taylor did a pretty good job at the SOLB position last season. I wouldn't mind bringing in another youngster to sit behind JT for a year. Joey Porter, however, needs to go. A liability in the run game, and inconsistent in rushing the passer. Also, JP staying will take playing time away from Wake. 3. Agree. But, Bell, not Wilson, should go. Leave Wilson at SS, and acquire a new FS. 4. Agree. We need that number one receiver. But, we should keep Ted ginn for one more season, and let Camarillo go. He offers more to us as a team with his ability on Kick offs. Plus, he has that speed. As for the number one receiver, our best bet is Dez Bryant. Pretty much agree on everything. 4 major needs with FA and the draft to repair them. Should be fun.
Much depends on the scheme still. That has to be determined to know what kind of linebacking personnel are necessary, etc...
Honestly I don't see any chance of us going back to a 4-3 defense. Not with Parcells and Sparano here. And definitely not with such a good crop of LB's this year.
I think we should go back to the 4-3 We don't have the pieces set for the 3-4. Definitely need a franchise NT to run a 3-4.
Do you honestly think we can go back to the 4-3 get need, retool our defense and be in contention next year? I think changing the defense scheme would hold us back another year. I'd rather reload this year on defensive players and make a go of it. If you actually have decent LB's then the 3-4 is a dominating defense.
No not the 3-4 the type of 3-4. Who are our primary coverage LBs, do we go one-gap, two -gap, etc....
Well we already have the pieces set for the 4-3 in place. The problem is we don't have the pieces for the 3-4 and who knows how long it would take to get those players set in the defense. The Dolphins strength is the defensive line were better off using what we have rather than plugging scrub LB's to play around with.
The 4-3 is risky though in some ways if you can't field pressure from your DE spots. We could field it but would it be good enough? The 4-3 depends to a ridiculous degree on your 4-3 DE. If he's a good one you're doing fine. Is Morgan that guy or is he a LE?
depends how much Ferg has left in the tank. I think this team could get to the QB better with Merling, Starks, Soliai, Langford as the front 4 than our 2 OLB's. IMO that front 4 is SOLID and to have Wake or Anderson blitzing would be beautiful. I didn't say Porter or Taylor because I think their at the end of their career.
What about something like: RE- Derrick Morgan, Wake, Moses DT- Starks, McDaniel, Tony Brown (FA) NT- Ferguson, Soliai LE- Langford (holding down the two gap), Merling WLB- Crowder MLB- Angerer SLB- Edds The personnel can be changed upon encountering pass heavy or run heavy personnel on the offense. It can be switched to a ****ING heavy pressure defense. RE- Wake DT- Starks DT- Brown DE- Morgan/Merling It has possibilities. It hardly requires FA money. All I signed there was one DT for pass rush duty. If you add a big time free agent instead you can be even better. It has plenty of similarities to what Minnesota runs. If Cameron Wake could pack on a little poundage and stop the run at RE you wouldn't even need to select Morgan. It's flexibility is its depth. It's deep and it uses personnel in their appropriate roles. It protects its LBs very well.
I like it. I forgot about McDaniel. The downside to running a hybrid would be learning basically 2 systems. It could work with the personnel we have. FA and the draft will tell alot how good our defense might be.
We used to run a 4-3 early in JT's career and he tore things up. It can work. But Parcells LOVES LB's and a 3-4 with top LB's is insane. If we say draft McClain in the first and Spikes in the second along with Mike Nolan coaching we could be a top defense next year.
Of course if he is there he has to be the pick I wouldn't want pass on him. I'm kinda hoping he has a bad combine so he falls to us.
What I'm afraid of is more questionable picks like Ted Ginn, Pat White or Patrick Turner. That the FO sees potential and picks up some prospect who won't see the field for a couple of years. We especially can't afford that with our early draft picks.
