You can't grade a draft at this point. Miami is doing what they needed to do though - repair the running game and offensive line. Here's a few numbers for you, courtesy of my 2 cents: Miami rated 30th in the NFL in yards per rush. Miami rated 31st in the NFL in yards per rush on first down. Miami rated 32nd (that is dead last) in second level running. Miami rated 31st in quarterback hits per pass attempt. Miami rated 15th in quarterback sacks. What does this tell us? First of all, it tells us that Miami couldn't run the football at all this past season. They were horrific, especially on first down. Because of the fact we were so poor at running the ball on first down, we continually put ourselves in bad situations. Also, the stats show that our offensive line got our quarterbacks beat up last year. Chad Henne did well enough to get rid of the ball to avoid the sacks, but he got hit a ton. Our QB was getting hit more than all but one starter in the NFL, and we wonder why we ran so much max protection last year. I think something like 36% of Chad's pass attempts last season came when the offense was in second and long as well as third and long. So, the plan is to improve the line to help keep Chad from getting hit so damn much, and to also improve the running game so the offense isn't put into so many long yardage situations. This gives Chad Henne a chance to succeed. Like most young quarterbacks, you need a strong running game when they are young so you don't put the pressure to win all on their shoulders. Did you know that Chad was the #1 rated QB in the NFL on third and less than 5-7 yards last season?
TP dropped that nugget a while back, not bad for a bum. We were also next to last in rushing TDs with 8 IIRC. Pathetic. We did lead the league in FG%, which would be great if we were a basketball team.
Good post, KB. At the same time, defenses could load up against our run, and especially on early downs due to a combination of no genuine deep threat and predictable playcalling. It's not just about getting a better Oline and RB. An All-Pro Oline and RB would struggle against consistent 9 and often TEN men in the box. I couldn;t believe it late i the season as I watched defenses put TEN men near the LOS against our base offense on first and second downs. A QB who scares defenses, a TE who is a genuine receiving threat, and a WR with deep speed would all create more breathing room. Mainly, we need that QB. That said, I totally agree that we cannot grade the draft. Besides which, you can;t grade a draft independently of free agency and trades. The offseason roster changes come from all three areas. The draft is one part of a bigger plan. If we have a trade lined up for a veteran QB or have a free agent player in mind, it affects how we use our draft picks.
The sacks are misleading because during the last part of the year we averaged what would've equaled 52 in a 16 game season...... and there were many times we were protecting with 7 or 8 on obvious passing downs.
why would they NOT load up against the run when we're protecting the passer with 7 or 8 guys? Where else do they have to go but inside the box? lol.
thanks GM. Completely agree with KB. All of this is what I've been preaching for a while now, too --- that our goal of this draft should be to make ourselves capable of gaining solid yards on 1st down so that the top 3rd down converter in the league (when not long situations) could keep the chains moving and continue eating up the clock. Nothing this offseason should've superseded this goal IMO. lmao at the "FG" comment.
Mike Pouncey: A+ Daniel Thomas: B- Overall: A I'll give this draft an automatic A+ if they grab D.J. Williams tomorrow.
Pouncy good B+ Not as good as his brother Trading 3 picks for substandard back bad D- Draft if we have any picks left to use C-
And we happened to have drafted a running back that has scored 30 rushing touchdowns in the past two years. Did anyone watch Bill's Draft Confidential? He said that there is not set prototype for running back, and this is the one position where production in college typically is a good sign. Well, Thomas had over 2,800 rushing and 30 touchdowns in the past two years and also caught 57 passes for another 400+ yards.
Solid B. Nothing exciting, but we needed to improve our interior line and obviously we had a need at RB and got the guy we wanted. Now we just have to see how it all plays out.
Mike Pouncey: B- Not the best player at his position (whatever he winds up playing) in this draft. Not as good as his brother, who was selected four picks later. Feels like a reach, IMO. IMO. Repeat: In My Opinion. Daniel Thomas: B Fits the offense, but comparisons to Peyton Hillis remain to be seen. He doesn’t have Hillis’ athleticism or toughness, from what I’ve seen. Has a moderate ceiling, and should be effective as the wrecking ball half of an RBBC. Overall: C- This draft is an implicit endorsement of Chad Henne as the 2011 starting quarterback, and as such it’s automatically the equivalent of 7-9.
Anyone who makes jokes about Jacquizz deserves to die a slow death. One of the best college runners I've ever seen. I'd pray to the Football God that we take him, if I believed prayers actually worked anywhere but in one's mind. OK, I will pray we take Quizz, then if we do take him, I'll start believing that praying does some good.
Over the past two seasons, he fumbled 11 times. The opposition recovered 7 of them. In 2010, he fumbled 7 times. The opposition recovered 4 of them.
The Dolphins employ 20 coaches and 8 college scouts, counting the director of college scouting. Not hundreds...
That is not so Des, this draft is what it is, if anything this is a implicit endorsement of no Rook Qb will start for us in 2011. There will be veteran Qb's on the market from Orton to Young and everyone in between.
this regime is very predictable, yet get blasted for doing exactly what can be projected with a little thought .... i have no problem with Ireland - or how he goes about his business. He is Parcellian -- so when do we think he is going to go out on a limb with a pick?? Outside of the White and Turner picks - really, they've done a solid job in the draft ... no 'all-world' players - just solid lunch pail dudes. Many want a flashy team .... and that just isn't going to happen with this crew. Pouncey was the best interior lineman in the draft .... period -- who cares how he rates against his brother .... WE don't know if he will play C or G, regardless - it's not hard to say that the OL is already better than last year - when it was terrible. This regime TRIED to make it on the cheap with mid to late picks, CFL dudes and FAs .... and look where it got us last year. They finally said screw it ... and decided to fix it. We all agree that #15 was a bit to high for Pouncey, but when you don't have a 2d, unknown whether they had an opportunity to trade down or not -- really, they had little choice. Thomas, we know they spent a lot of time with workouts for all the better RBs .... and Thomas was the only 1 left - so they went and got him. Sure it cost a 5th and 7th to do it .... but doubtful he would have been there in the 3d. I'm not going to fault Ireland for that move either. We'll see in a few months how well Thomas does. Both of these guys are decent picks .... not sexy ... but not sure how we can say they've done worse than a B so far (not that i think you can really grade drafts) .... if you get 2 guys that come in and start immediately -- how can it be less than a B ???? really ....
B-. B: Pouncey is fine but you should know 100% what position he will play. It can always change in camps if he shines elsewhere. C+ When I read wildcat I cringe. Trade-up may not have been necessary so its hard to give this a higher grade.
Which is why this crew needs to go. Teams are not winning the Superbowl with a solid, stolid ground game. That time has past. Which is really the Dolphins' problem and has been for years: they are behind the learning curve, trying to win the way teams won 5 years ago constantly. The NFL is a constantly evolving league and we are not evolving with it.
Just because someone starts doesn't necessarily mean they are the best you can do. Hopefully there will be a good free agency period, but these guys so far have a "so-so" free agency record so far. They have a couple of winners, but they have just as many dogs too. My grade : C at best. We really needed to address the QB situation, and they failed to do that in this draft. Now we have to hope for some miracle in free agency.
Rick, brother ... i disagree, i believe with a shut down defense, and ability to run the ball, good STs, and although i hate the term 'chunk yardage' ... that is absolutely still a winning formula. our problem is our identity vs our capability ... we don't have a shut down defense -- it is / will be pretty good, but not shut down; we have VERY limited capability to run the ball; have a limited ability to achieve 'chunk yardage', and our STs are average at best .... Pouncey and Thomas 'should' help with running the ball -- which in turn 'should' help our ability to gain chunk yardage, even with our current QB and WRs. We can still improve or STs and chunk yardage with the speedy WR in RD 4/6 ... I wanted Aldon Smith in RD 1 to move us closer to shut down .... but he was gone -- so that left Pouncey ....
Need I remind everyone that this free agency will be unlike any other. And whether or not some here want to admit it or not (those head in the sand people), this organization is considered a joke by many around the NFL, and even Drew Rosenhaus admitted a while back that agents are advising their players to stay away from Miami, and that we are the haven of last resort. The perceived instability of the front office (due to Mr Ross' little California adventure) has us maybe having to overpay just to get "c grade" free agents. Players will take a little less money in order to know they might be in a system that will be around for the next couple of years. That is something many of the "head in the sand" people just can't or won't purposely get around their heads.
I would like to see some proof of that. So far I have seen Jeremy Shocky, DeAngelo Williams and Sims-Walker all say they wanted to be Dolphins.
With a few exceptions, free agents are going to sign with whomever offers the most guaranteed money. I don't buy for a second that Miami is a haven of last resort because of the current regime.
Total agree that we've been going down the toliet for the last 10 years. but thought that was just understood. Thing is now theirs even more areas of concern...........Ross ???? Totally clueless owner who must take full responsibility for the present fiasco. And wonder if he is so thick that he still will not see what BS he's hired to run this team and not even consider firing these hasbeens...... Organization philosophy and inability to change. Much like Coach S's game time stratigies Evaluation and the amount of time it takes and we waste to find out a players ability (going on 3 year and they are still figuring out Henne, I guess he needs to blow even more games this year. Define for me what it means to not be safe in the draft? Making decisions based on saving their jobs over building a team for the future....................
By comparison, How many times did Ricky and Ronnie fumble? Last year Ricky fumbled 4 times and lost 2, and Ricky is known as a fumbler. He had 159 carries from scrimmage and 19 receptions; total of 178 touches. He fumbled once every 44 to 45 touches. Ronnie fumbled 3 times and lost 2. He had 200 carries from scrimmage and 33 receptions; total of 233 touches. He fumbled once every 77 to 78 touches. Combined, Ricky and Ronnie had 411 touches. They fumbled a small fraction more than once every 59 touches. Daniel Thomas had 298 carries from scrimmage and 27 receptions, a total of 325 touches in 13 games, or 25 touches per game. That's about as many touches as a featured back gets in the NFL. He fumbled seven times. That's once every 46 to 47 touches. That's a significant problem, especially since the hits don't get any gentler at the NFL level, and top level college coaches can teach a player how to protect the ball, too. But in the end (at the college level, mind you) Thomas fumbled significantly more than than Ronnie and just a tad less than Ricky. Not the end of Western civilization as we know it, but he will be known as a fumbler like Ricky.
ditto .... i don't know of too many players that would sign for less $$$ anywhere - except for an 'expected' winning team for a percieved shot at a SB or because of a particular location for family reasons. players want 2 things: $$$$ and a chance at a SB, with some semblence of security thrown in there as well; but that is many times overlooked via the 'signing bonus' ...
So far I'd give it a C. I actually like both players but I don't like the trade up. I know RB was obviously a big need but we have a lot of needs and not a lot of draft picks. I hope the trade works out because if Thomas isn't starting next season and producing this move is horrible. I think fixing the running game was the top priority and Pouncey is a great draft pick but I think that trade wasn't the smartest move, we really haven't worked the draft like good teams do. And at the end of the day I don't think we've made the team a better team in the win/loss column yet and with only 3rd day draft picks left we are going to have to be really smart in free agency to be a playoff team. I think we need team speed, I mean who is a home run threat on offense? I like the two players we picked but don't like the trade.
Abbi I have given up for the most part. Many of the people here are the same lemming types that would follow a demagogue. They believe that absolute loyalty to their franchise is required and that if you disagree you are a trouble making disloyal fan that should find another team to follow. Its the same mentality that swept Germany in the early 1930's. Banning you is their way of putting you in a concentration camp. They refuse to allow anyone to have a differing PoV.
to me the question surrounding Thomas' fumbling is: is it improper technique or is it a Ricky (my forearm is too short) anatomical issue .... preferrebly, it's the 1st, since that 'can' be corrected ....
It does in the Draft, the idea is to land starters and contributors, if a GM is doing that, and the players function at a high level then it is a great draft and imho 2 starters in 2 picks is solid solid work by Ireland. DT's goes off for 1,300 yds and 10 td's we will not recall Ryan Mallett as he will be masked in obscurity in New England, that is until Belicheck robs some team for a #1 pick for Brian Hoyer and Mallett moves up to the #2 Qb slot for them.
Dude its impossible with guys like him, don't bother wasting your time. He would love the picks if they drafted a 90 year old grandma, because its all about loyalty to the regime - no one can have a differing PoV other than the "official one". We must at all times remain loyal to the party......zeich heil !
Grading a draft before a player has ever played one down in the NFL is a bit absurd. Right now I will give the Dolphins and every other team in the NFL an incomplete grade on all their draft choices and I will wait three years to see how these players turn out.
