It's probably too early to realistically talk about who the Dolphins may pick in the draft, but it's definitely not too early to start to determine what we want out of the draft in April. This front office is known to pick players based on need (not just best player available), so what exaclty are our need positions? I think the best way to start is to start with a wide net, then slowly work to get more detailed. One thing that jumps out at me about the fins is that we don't really have speed on either side of the football. We're big, which is what we want to be, but we really need to be faster to be a contender. We don't have a guy on defense that is all over the field and making plays. Similarly, we don't have anyone on offense that defensive coordinators have to gameplan against. If you're an opposing coach, nobody really scares you on our team. So we definitely need to get faster, and we'd love to get playmakers (I'm sure every team would). But, which side of the ball do we prioritize?. The offense definitely needs more speed and playmakers, but it's not a bad offense. The offense is fairly middle of the road, and I don't think that's too bad considering we seem to want to be a tough defensive minded football team. And that's really our problem. Our defense is not very good, and it can really be exposed against the better offenses. Realistically, we need upgrades at safety, inside and outside linebacker, and better nose tackle depth. We need faster linebackers and safeties that can cover. I think our safety position as well as our linebacker positions MUST be upgraded through the draft. We simply cannot afford not to upgrade those positions through the draft That's why I expect this to be a draft that is primarily dedicated to defense. I believe we have 9 or so draft picks - I would estimate probably 6 will be used on defenders. I think we will select a safety as well as a couple of linebackers in the first four rounds. That said, I would be surprised if we don't go wide receiver with our first draft pick (#12 overall or a bit lower after a trade down). The fact is, we need a legitimate #1 wide receiver, not another receiver that fills a role. Although it's possible to find a stud WR in later rounds, chances are if we don't pick a WR with our first pick we'll end up with more of what we already have. That's why I think there's a good chance we buck the Parcells trend and go Wide receiver with our first pick. After our first pick, I think we focus on defense. As I mentioned above, I wouldn't be surprised if our next three picks were two ILBs and a safety. Those are, IMO, our defensive need positions. To round out our draft, I think we take a stab at a running back and maybe a project nose tackle, and finally a kick/punt returner. In summary, this is how I think we should prioritize: 1 - Wide receiver 2 - ILB/Safety (BPA out of those positions) 3 - ILB/Safety (BPA out of those positions) 4 - ILB/Safety Other postions of need (less priority): RB, Pass catching TE, NT, KR/PR. Thoughts?
i think OLB is more improtant than WR and maybe even a TE for our style of offense. My order of draft needs is ILB OLB TE WR NT FS (conditional on Clemons being the answer. If he isnt then FS moves up to 3)
Well, assuming Adamp's list is correct, first things first, what FA's are we most likely to pursue? To me: Wr: Bryant, Hixon, ? ILB Ruud, Morrison? Te: Schefler, Martin, ? NT: Hampton We've already added: G/T: Tsoumpas KR: Grice
It all depends on who available and rated higher for their position. If McClains available then there's your answer at ILB. If he's gone look to Earl Thomas for the answer at FS. Then maybe Dez Bryant, Dan Williams, or Jerry Hughes. IMO aslong as #12 answers a question I'll be happy.
For FS, Earl Thomas has declared so he can be our answer. In FA, Nick Collins or Atogwe would be tremendous upgrades. ILB, Spikes, Mcclain, Weatherspoon in the draft. Many to choose from in FA. Dansby, Ruud, Morrison, Silar, Ryans. OLB, Morgan, not sure about him though, Graham, Hughes. in FA, Merriman is the only player I can think of right now. NT, I would like to target this position in FA. Pickett or Franklin would be great. If we have to draft a NT, then Cody or Odrick would probably be the best. But, I don't know if Odrick can be a NT. TE, Scheffler, Owens, or Scaife. In the draft, Gresham, Hernandez or Graham. Graham is my favorite out of the 3. WR, Bryant, Jackson, Marshall. Bryant is probably the most realistic choice. In the Draft, Tate, Benn, Bryant. Dez Bryant would be a very good pick at 12. Our top needs, IMO, are OLB, WR, ILB, FS, TE, NT.
Atogwe is coming off of an injury. The Raiders ILB's are the most likely to be on the market, Ruud is interesting and Ryans won't be leaving Hou imho. Patsies are going to cut A Thomas, he would be a good SOLB for us. Pickett is close to signing an extension, Casey Hampton and TN's Tony Brown are FA's this year. Owens had an ACL, so he is shady, but we may take a chance on him, I like the idea of bringing DMart back. Most intriguing FA pickup would be Chris Chambers, and M. Floy d will leave the Bolts before V Jax, but they are unlikely to keep both players. Agree there, FA before the draft though, first things first.
Padre, remember Grove and Smiley were both coming off of injury plagued seasons, and the FO still took a chance on them. Atogwe isn't injury prone, like they both were, too. It would be a shame if we don't take a chance on him, if he hits the market. Adalius Thomas would be a solid pickup, I guess. He wasn't very good this season or last season. But maybe a change of scenery and playing against NE would help him out. Tony Brown isn't a very good run defender, Padre. He's more of a pass rushing 3-4 DE than a NT.
And how many games did they miss combined this year? That is an experience that does not bare repeating. I think a part of it was just playing in NE, recall that R Colvin did not do well in NE either. We could use more pressure from the DT slot to team up with Starks on the nickel passrush.
fasdf ok my multi quote failed miserably, how do i do it? loll my responses are all under ur responses in tha big blue box.
Sorry Padre, I'm not good at quoting so I have to answer like this, lol. Atogwe isn't injury prone like Smiley and Grove were. It's one year and he only missed the last 4 games.
Here's how I would prioritize, solely based on need: SOLB - JT is a free agent and better suited on the weakside. We signed Bryan Johnston, who I am fairly high on, but it's probably unreasonable to pencil him in as a significant contributor at this point. I still think we could try Merling there. Still, lots of questions with no answer at the moment. FS - We signed Gibril Wilson last offseason. That very afternoon, we signed Bell to a new contract that included a bonus, due this offseason, that will force our hand (cut or renegotiate). To me, this suggests that the regime was hedging it's bet with respect to throwing two SS's out onto the field. The gamble didn't pay off, and I see Wilson as our starting SS next season. No matter how you feel about Clemons' potential, it's clear we need a little competition there. ILB - We need a serious upgrade here. When healthy, the unit is average at best. But when banged up, we saw just how exposed it can make us. We can go for the small upgrade and find a replacement for Ayodele, or we can upgrade both spots by finding a "Mike" and sliding Crowder over to the "Ted." TE - Without a CBA agreement, Fasano is an RFA. He made some big catches towards the end of the season, but overall it was disappointing. Haynos and Sperry made modest contributions. None of them scream "great," and I think we would benefit from bringing in a guy that can be a true threat down the middle of the field. WOLB - Porter had a rough, injury-plagued season. He's still on the roster, but his future certainly isn't set. Charlie Anderson had a nice game, but I doubt anyone is comfortable with him as a starter. Perhaps the biggest question of the offseason is whether Cam Wake can make the transition to playing here. Either way, if Porter is let go, I can see JT being brought back to play his more traditional role. WR - I think we have a lot of potential here at the moment, but it's obvious the unit is not complete. Could we use a stud like Dez Bryant? Sure. Lots of teams could. More than anything though, it would appear that what we need is a "big" target. This regime has whiffed twice at trying to find one (Wilford & Turner). NT - I think Soliai made huge strides this season. I can envision us bringing Ferguson back but beefing up Soliai's snaps next season. I think he's ready, and it would (hopefully) help keep Ferguson healthy. PR/KR - I list this separately even though I suspect we'll bring in a WR that can man these duties. Bess should not return punts anymore. He's not dangerous enough to warrant being out there, particularly with his drop issues. Ted Ginn has shown what he is capable of, but I question his mentality at times.
Agreed. Great post Frayser! I share your feelings on bringing back JT as a WOLB. IMO, he could do wonders in the grooming of Cameron Wake. As for SOLB, if my memory serves me here, I believe Moses is either an RFA or ERFA, so it couldn't hurt to have him around for depth purposes. I think Merling could be an option as well.
Have no idea ET7, I simply use "quote' on the front and back of sentences and delete the part of the quote tag that I don't need.
Great post man. Free Agency should definitely tell us where we are heading when the draft rolls around. I know the FO just came out with the whole "bidding wars" thing, but I really hope that doesnt preclude us from going after and getting someone - ANYONE - able to come in, start and make an impact. Be it defense (Dansby, Ruud, Collins) or Offense (Bryant, Daniels, Scheffler). Speed was mentioned, we definitely need to get it on the offensive side. Aside from Ginn, who is inefective as a WR, we have no real offensive speed. Even Ricky and Ronnie arent burners, especially Ronnie who seems to be unable to break long ones. I think we need to come out and get 2-3 speed guys offensively in either the draft and/or FA. 1-2 at WR, 1 at TE and possibly one in the backfield (CJ Spiller for instance). Mardy Gilyard in round 2 or possibly (though unlikely) 3 would be an interesting pickup for speed and ST return duties. If Dez Bryant runs some good 40 and other speed drills, then I really really hope we dont pass on him (barring a FA miracle like VJax). A single true #1 threat WR I think will add more points per game to our offense than a single defender will prevent the other team from gaining. Its a premium position and we MUST surround Henne with more viable playmakers than hes got now - MUST MUST MUST. If we want to continue to develop him, it is vital. And QB is far and away THE most vital position. That alone dictates we should go offense in round 1 unless we get crazy lucky (Berry drop) or Spiller and Bryant are off the board. I know we have some people who like defense over WR, but its not JUST about the WR spot, its about giving our QB the chance to take us to the playoffs and win.
This idea that Taylor would be better at WOLB is baffling. Years ago yes he was better on the weak side but the current version of him is only decent at rushing the passer, diagnoses the action well, sets the edge well (best LB against the run), and is a decent cover man. I still fail to see why you would put Taylor in a primary pass rush position at WOLB anymore when his skills have improved in other LB aspects and improved at SOLB. Adalius Thomas is a solid OLB still. He'd be worth bringing in over Porter who can't stop the run, can't cover and only gets his sacks because he's opportunistic and plays a high number of downs. If you still put Taylor at ROLB for some odd reason, bring in Thomas at SOLB. The overall improvement against the run and in coverage over Porter would make a major difference.
Thomas isnt worth even looking at unless he comes cheap. He was boosted by that great Ravens D, and has sucked balls in NE.
Eh, Thomas will come cheap, he will be one of the players whose contract is to expensive and with no salary cap he worth more cut than on the Pat's roster. As a SOLB, he would do just fine imho.
I remember when he got juked out of his shoes by Ronnie Brown and Cleo fing Lemon on consecutive plays. I would much, much rather have Chris Gocong, who has a ton of upside after doing well for being a true 4-3 SOLB
I don't really follow. When you say "years ago yes" it makes me think his age has something to do with it. But that's the whole reason I would suggest moving him back. I think he still has a lot of miles on him as a primary pass rusher out of the WOLB. I don't think the same can be said for keeping him at SOLB. JT never officially had an injury this season, but I saw several times where he had to come out of games after getting banged up. We can expect that trend to continue if we bring him back at SOLB. In fact, I don't even know if he would want to come back to play there. I also don't know exactly what it says to call him the "best LB against the run." I think that says more about our linebacking unit than it says about JT. Don't get me wrong. I think he performed admirably, being asked to bulk up and take on a lot more grunt work (certainly better than when Porter was asked to do the same thing in 2007), but overall he was a lot closer to average than he was to great, at that position.
Great post (and assessment) Frayser! Honestly, and with the exception of adding a true #1 WR, and a playmaking TE to the team, I want to see an emphasis on rebuilding a very mediocre defense this off season. And, I'd really like to see a total make over at LB (inside and out). Porter, Crowder, Ayodele, I want all of 'em gone. Bring in FA's and draft LB's early and often. Finding a solution at FS is also an off season priority. And, I wouldn't mind seeing another corner drafted (or Allen resigned). I'm just not sold on Smith yet. Davis looks like he's got potential. But, Smith looks lost at times, and isn't nearly as physical as Davis is. As far as NT goes, I think if Fergy can come back, and he has some more gas in the tank, then fine. Platoon him with Soliai for another year and see if Soliai has what it takes to be a starter for 2011. If not though, we gotta do something to anchor that D-line. JMHO...
Well, I think our biggest need is at WR. It's right that we need a true #1 and that we have to give Henne some weapons. Of course we need some guys on the defensive side as well, but IMO WR is the most important position to address in the draft. I don't think Dez Bryant will still be available at #12, so I hope for another good WR to pick up in round 1. I'm a fan of Brandon LaFell, I'd really love to see us drafting him. If not in the first, then maybe in the second round (hopefully he'd still be there, if that was the case.)
According to PFF he was fantastic. According to the eye, he was good and a major part of our effort to stop Chris Johnson. I don't think he has the speed to threaten a left tackle but then again it may not matter. Terell Suggs is a highly overrated pass rusher, Jarret Johnson can't rush for crap, Ngata and Kelly aren't great pass rusher and somehow Baltimore is eight in pass defense. Ed Reed by himself? Really, I doubt that. No one man can make a pass defense great without true pass rushers.
Good post. I agree with a lot of what you said. Here are my thoughts. Every front office picks players based on need (not just best player available). Detroit didn't draft Matthew Stafford because he was the BPA. They needed a QB. The Rams didn't draft Jason Smith because he was the BPA. They needed a left tackle. We don't really have speed on either side of the football? Ted Ginn, Ronnie Brown, and Ricky Williams have tons of speed. So does Jason Taylor, Joey Porter, Cameron Wake, Vontae Davis, Will Allen, and Yeremiah Bell. However Ginn and JT might not be on the team next year. We don't have anyone on offense that defensive coordinators have to gameplan against? Anybody who didn't gameplan against Ronnie Brown would lose their job. Which side of the ball do we prioritize? Defense. We just fired our defensive coordinator for a reason. Our offense finished 15th in scoring and our defense finished 25th. We have major issues at the inside linebacker and safety positions. Plus our outside linebackers are aging. There's a good chance we can add a playmaker at wideout in the 2nd round. Other than that we should be drafting on the defensive side of the ball in the first four rounds. I like your idea of taking a stab at a running back and a kick/punt returner. Some players to consider are Keith Toston, LeGarrette Blount, Trindon Holliday, and Emmanuel Sanders. However we might need more than a project at nose tackle. We might need a guy who can come in and start right away or at least rotate in on a consistent basis. I strongly feel we should draft Rolando McClain in the 1st round. Then maybe take a flyer on a thumper in the 6th or 7th.
Maybe I read that wrong but it seemed like you said we should start Gibril Wilson instead of Yeremiah Bell.
In the scenario you quoted, there wouldn't be an "instead of" because Bell would no longer be on the team.
Oh man, that's so good. That's the funniest thing I've ever read. I don't think anything's every going to top that. rofl rofl rofl
Nice thread....I'd like to see who they get if anybody via free agency first, then I could tell you IMO better.....but as it stands right now for me... 1) ILB 2) OLB 3) FS 4) WR 5) RB 6) TE however I would truly spend ALOT of draft picks on defense, and look for a TE and a WR through free agency....
That's exactly what I said. Wilson gets knocked for a few marquee mistakes, but he played better down the stretch. He was playing out of position all season. He would be fine at SS. In fact, I don't think we would see a drop at all between starting Wilson and starting Bell there. Only, Wilson is several years younger. I think Bell gets a bit of a free pass because he's a fan favorite and one of the more tenured guys on the roster, but his play this year was really mediocre at times. He's due a $14 million roster bonus, which I think it's obvious we're not going to pay. So what do we do? Do we renegotiate his contract when we already have a SS on the roster in Wilson who is younger and signed to a long-term deal? Logistically speaking, it makes sense to assume that Wilson will be our starter at SS next year.
All due respect but I couldn't disagree more. Yeremiah Bell is a million times better than Gibril Wilson at any age. Did you see him run down DeAngelo Williams in the Carolina game? That was a thing of beauty. Led to a Sean Smith interception. EDIT: Led to a Nate Jones interception three plays later. The pass was intended for Steve Smith. Not to mention the countless passes broken up by Bell. Usually at the end of a game to end a drive.
They were whoppers. How many marquee mistakes do we allow him next year? I don't buy this either. Gibril is a safety. He should be able to play the strong side or the weak side. Its not like we moved him to linebacker or cornerback. What "playing out of position" really means is Gibril Wilson isn't very good at covering receivers. Not the best trait for a safety to have. You got it backwards. Yeremiah Bell is a fan favorite because he knocks down passes.
Oops! Sorry about that. Read it wrong. Three plays later Delhomme was intercepted by Nate Jones. The pass was intended for Steve Smith. Anyway that's what makes Yeremiah Bell so good. He never gives up on a play.
If you think Yeremiah Bell is good at covering receivers, you're wrong. Again, you can say you like him because he bats down passes. I'm telling you that I think you and everyone else ignores the mistakes he makes and play up the good plays because he's been around here for a while and you like him. He made plenty of mistakes this season if you watched closely. And I'm sorry but the idea that safeties should be able to freely move between FS and SS is just flat out incorrect. Bell would have been equally bad at the spot. They are two completely different positions.
Agree to disagree. The strong safety lines up on the same side of the formation as the tight end. He might line up a little closer to the line and play the run more but he still has to be able to cover receivers such as the tight end, running back, or fullback. A free safety is more likely to "play centerfield" but he must also be able to tackle running backs coming out of the backfield. The two positions are not radically different. Gibril Wilson is a liability in coverage. Therefore I don't want him at either safety spot. Yeremiah Bell has come up big in coverage situations time and time again. I wouldn't want Bell playing centerfield but I wouldn't be concerned if he had to on a handful of plays.
I would also argue that every player makes mistakes. Even Peyton Manning throws an interception now and then. However good players bounce back and step up when the game is on the line. Yeremiah Bell bounces back from his mistakes and steps up when the game is on the line. He has made the game-winning play several times over the course of his career. That's the guy I want on the field.
If you don't think that Yeremiah Bell can cover almost any tight end, running back, or fullback in the league then you're wrong.
