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Just draft Melifonwu

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by invid, Apr 20, 2017.

  1. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    225 lbs., 6-4, 4.40, crazy jumps. 4 year starter at UConn. Can play either safety. Good range. Not super violent but sound tackler. No character issues. Can play nickel against big tight ends. Can rock Jedi nicknames.

    Dude has that combination of crazy athleticism and a sound career in college (at not a huge program).

    Just draft Melifonwu ©
     
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  2. hitman8

    hitman8 Well-Known Member

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    I would be happy with Obi wan.

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  3. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    Sure rd2


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  4. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    He won't make it to 54.
     
  5. hitman8

    hitman8 Well-Known Member

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    I don't think he will make it out of the first round. I worked out a scenerio where we trade down to pick #29 and select obi while picking up two more picks.

    [​IMG]

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  6. vmarcilfan75

    vmarcilfan75 blah...blah...blah... Club Member

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    from doing Fanspeak lately he rarely gets passed LAC/Buffalo in the 2nd.
    i wouldn't mind taking him at #22
     
  7. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    I'd be more than happy to get him with our 1st. I would prefer Peppers, but Obi is a beast too.
     
  8. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    Imo it's too much to invest in the least important position on D, we already have more invested in the S position in just one player than most teams do with both starters.

    The majority of S's are either, not talented enough to be CBs, or not big enough to be LBs, it's a "leftover" position, we have a superstar S, we can't expend so much at that position.

    Same goes for Lamp, too much invested on the Oline to be spending 1st round picks on Gs, we have to be able to do what all the other good teams do and draft these type players later.

    Imo, the 1st round list for our team in our position should only include DL, LB and CB.
     
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  9. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    The way the draft is being projected right now, and I know things can change, but S might be the best value depending on who gets selected before us. At DT, McDowell and Allen will probably be gone. After the recent Foster developments, Reddick and Cunningham may get pushed up. I could see CB, maybe a slight reach for Awuzie or Kevin King, Conley could be gone. We have at Safety right now (behind Jones), Allen on a 1-year deal, Thomas on a 1-year tender, Aikens who has had plenty of time to develop and hasn't (excellent special teamer though) and McDonald with an 8-game suspension. I don't see a rookie picked at 22 on a cheap four-year deal with a possible 5th year option as being too heavy on cap resources, and I don't think a pick that gives your defensive coordinator more flexibility in coverage as a throwaway position. Melifonwu will be covering tight ends in the slot his rookie year. I don't think that's a bad thing to have considering how often you have a nickel on the field in today's NFL, and that's not considering how well he could complement Jones in the future. This staff likes players that are on their details, and Melifonwu, while not perfect, is pretty technically sound.
     
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  10. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    Saying that a safety, especially with how the game is played nowadays, is the "least important position on D" is just ridiculous and flat out false. That statement may of had some merit 10-15 years ago, but it's totally wrong today.

    If the Dolphins can get someone like Peppers or Obi what they're getting is a person who can play nickel/slot corner, play inside on nickel packages, cover the slot receiver, cover the TE, AND do traditional S work (blitz, stop the run, and act as a safety net for their CB's, etc).

    A player with agility, size, and speed, a la Obi and Peppers, would be the best FIRST pick for this defense. They would both be the best athletes on the field and help everyone else on the field.
     
  11. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    The least important D position is #2 corner. Both safeties are Top 5 most important.
     
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  12. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I agree with this. The one thing working for Finster's position is history, as safeties don't traditionally get picked early. However, every crop is different. A couple years ago running backs could be gotten after the first round, now we're talking 2-3 being selected in the first round this year. This crop of safeties is very good. Hooker and Adams will be top-20, top-15 picks.
     
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  13. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    There's a very good possibility that 5 or more safeties will be picked in the top 20-25 of this years draft. The position isn't what it used to be. Hooker, Adams, Baker, Jones, Maye, Obi, King, Evans, Williams, and a few others are all worthy of 1st round grades. Of course some will go in the 2nd due to team needs and grading, but this year's safety class is outstanding.
     
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  14. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I think all positions on D are important. If an addition makes the unit more productive as a whole, then I don't care what position is picked. I disagree about #2 corner being not important though, listen to Gase's statements about Talib and Harris a couple weeks ago. He said that he could leave them alone, man-to-man, all game and it afforded the defense so much more flexibility than if they hadn't had those two corners. Even then, the Broncos drafted Roby in the first-round. Gase said "you can never have enough corners" and I don't disagree with him.
     
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  15. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    And that's the beauty about today's athletic safeties. They are typically bigger, just as fast or faster, and just as athletic as CB's.
     
  16. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Especially if their name is Melifonwu.
     
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  17. Silverphin

    Silverphin Well-Known Member

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    I wouldn't be mad at this.
     
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  18. hitman8

    hitman8 Well-Known Member

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    I agree with everything you said. Except I would prefer obi over peppers. Obi is bigger, faster and more technically sound than Jabrill and Obi can play center field and cover tight ends better than Jabrill can. I would even prefer Josh Jones over peppers for all the same reasons.

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  19. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    I can definitely see the argument for picking Obi over Peppers. I don't think a team would go wrong picking either in the 1st round.

    *Edit: However, you'd have to take into account pepper's return ability. He's fantastic. And I know we have Grant, and I love the kid, but what if he doesn't progress?
     
  20. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

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    As someone living in Seattle and watching most of their games, I see a lot of benefits in having two great safeties. One of the reasons why they have one of the best defenses of all time.
     
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  21. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

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    I have an issue with saying oline is off the table simply because we have to much invested in it already. While it may be true, it's also true that the oline is still a massive concern. You have to keep investing until you get it to work.

    That all being said, I'm not advocating for a first round pick on a guard, I think the defense definitely needs help.
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2017
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  22. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    I too am hoping for a defensive player in the 1st. However, if they do take someone like Lamp at 22, I can't be mad about that kind of thinking. It's sound thinking, just not what I want. lol
     
  23. Mrtree

    Mrtree Juan Huron's agent

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    I can't be mad with Lamp because he is a quality player and I feel like we are criminally underestimating how bad the center of our offensive line is.

    At the same time though I think there's a really good chance we are missing legitimately special defensive players if we take that approach at the top of this draft which is probably a long term mistake. (IE we could find another Forrest Lamp in the future easier than we can find some of the defensive talent that will be on the board.) I also think we have some battered fan syndrome because of how bad both our scouting department has been at finding mid round guard talent and our coaching staff has been on developing it. You don't have to take round one guards to get quality at the position. We have just been crapping the bed at it for so long there is a healthy amount of desperation.


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  24. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Are taking into account the schematic responsibilities Peppers had to that defense and the absolute elite return ability.?

    The more jobs a players can do the better..this guy is a weapon that can help us win games that we currently don't have..
     
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  25. hitman8

    hitman8 Well-Known Member

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    Yes I am taking them into account. While Peppers can do many things we already have great players who can do all those things as well or better. Peppers is a very good return man, but we already have very good return men in Jarvis Landry, Jaqueem Grant, and Kenyan Drake. Peppers could also be a great strong safety, but we already have a great strong safety in Reshad Jones signed to a long term contract. Peppers could be a pretty good free safety and we have a need there, but that is not his strongest position and guys like Obi, Budda Baker, Marcus Williams and Josh Jones are all better at free safety than Peppers is so I would rather take one of those.

    Finally an area where we do have a need and peppers could be great is as a nickel linebacker, however the nickel linebacker position is not an every down position and not worth a first round pick.

    Peppers is just not a good fit for us right now. He needs to go to a team that actually needs a great strong safety which is his best and natural position.

    For us I think we should draft either Obi, Budda Baker, Josh Jones or Marcus williams who can all fill our need at free safety better than peppers.

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  26. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    Well, I didn't say throwaway position, I said leftover, like Obi, he used to be a CB, but wasn't good enough so he had to be moved to S, just like many CBs at the end of their career, when they aren't good enough to play CB anymore they move to S.

    I disagree on Obi being technically sound, technique is the problem with Obi or he's be the 1st S taken, he is a physical specimen that has some cover issues, he's not an NFL FS at this point, he could be, but no guarantees.

    I don't think he'd be covering TEs too much, he'd be the FS, they aren't going to take Jones out of his wheel house, we need LBs that can cover TEs.

    I think we'll be fine with McDonald at FS.
     
  27. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    You're absolutely, 100%, provably wrong in 99% of what you've written here. It's comical, really. lol
     
  28. finsfandan

    finsfandan Well-Known Member

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    I'd be fine going with a safety if he's BPA. I wouldn't rule out any position aside from K, P and LS.


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  29. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Obi has played safety since high school. He's so athletic that teams were trying him out at CB during private workouts, so your logic is backwards. Instead of "Obi can't play CB so he plays safety", actual workouts with NFL teams during this pre-draft process has him actually trending the other way. Would I play him at CB? No. Would I trust him as a nickelback? Absolutely.

    He's not wart-free. Even Myles Garrett isn't wart-free. He gets bullied a little too much by wide receivers and tight ends on run plays which is why someone of his athletic ilk would be available at 22, but nowhere on his tape is there any inkling that he can't play FS in the NFL. Watch the games, you'll see his range. He tracks the ball well on deep throws and can cover serious ground in the back end. He squares up and, for the most part, is a textbook tackler. Will we be fine with McDonald at FS for the first 8 games? Will we be fine with McDonald if he gets caught violating the drug abuse policy again? Will we be fine if Nate Allen gets injured again? Are we going to have the money to resign Allen if he has a Renaissance? Instead of posting hunches, like you did with Tannehill vs. Moore, give me concrete examples of why he can't play FS in the NFL. I don't care if what you posted are hunches if you prefaced it so, but you're trying to pass it off as matter-of-fact that it kinda comes across as throwing darts in the dark.
     
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  30. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    He was a CB/RB in HS, and just because they had him run reps at CB doesn't mean they ever have any idea of playing him there, they are just trying to see his coverage abilities, and if he might be used in GL packages there, he's not getting drafted to play CB though, I can guarantee that.

    Nickel? Vs large WRs maybe, vs small quick WRs he's toast. His coverage is where he's lacking, you say he has some warts, he is the best physical specimen at the position coming out this year, if he was technically sound he'd be a top 5 pick.

    I am not saying he can't play FS, I'm saying he'll need work, he is at his best attacking, he gets a bit lost in coverage at times, takes bad angles, reacts late at times and gets himself in the wrong position, that's why he's projected as a 1-2 round pick with all his physical abilities.

    Bottom line, McDonald is probably a better FS, and if that is the case, what a waste of a 1st round pick that would be.
     
  31. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    How would you know, lol.
     
  32. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    Where did you read he was a CB in high school?
     
  33. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I'll post over the weekend refuting all of these made up negatives of Melifonwu, but here's a timely article that shows how those in the NFL view him.

    https://www.google.com/amp/www.cbss...-an-unknown-to-a-likely-first-round-pick/amp/
     
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  34. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    You realize that article says he may be the best athlete in the draft but probably won't be picked until at least 17.

    There's a reason for that, like I said, if he was technically sound he'd be a top 5 pick, the fact is, because of his physical traits he will probably be over drafted.

    I'm not saying he can't be a great player, especially at SS, but he is a bit of a project at FS imo, my take on him is based on watching game tape, so it's just my opinion from what I've seen.
     
  35. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Yeah, and we pick 22. I never said he was completely and perfectly technically sound, I don't think that exists in the NFL draft. Only that he was pretty technically sound, relatively speaking. Once again, we pick 22. He does have concerns, I never said he didn't, what you're doing is rephrasing what I've been saying in a negative light. You're expectations are unreal, you want a totally clean prospect in the back half of the first round. I got news for you, they don't exist. You say you want a coverage linebacker or a DL or a CB, but that's vague. Pick somebody from that position and we can look at how clean they are relative to Melifonwu. Anybody can post that they wouldn't do this and that, but what would YOU do? Who would YOU pick? Or are we going to wait and play the hindsight game?
     
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  36. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I think he will make a better FS than SS. But I think he definitely has the potential to be great at both.
     
  37. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I can't find it anywhere.
     
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  38. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    It's because Finster is making stuff up, again. lol
     
  39. Base of Gase

    Base of Gase Active Member

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    I don't think he is.

    High School: "Played both running back and defensive back in high school ... rushed for 1,394 yards in senior year with 17 touchdowns ... made 14 tackles on defense and had three interceptions..also had ten two-point conversions ... named to the ESPN Boston All-State team ..rushed for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Leichester in 2011..was also a long jumper and triple jumper on the track team."

    http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/obi_melifonwu_809934.html

    Took me a couple of seconds to find that on a google search.
     
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  40. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    Well, that's your opinion and I respect that, you are in the vast minority as far as the FS thing, but you are entitled to your opinion.

    He does have potential to be a great player, but so do a lot of guys.

    He is ranked as the 4th S by CBS, he is not rated as a FS by them, but has a draft stock of 1-2, Gil Brandt has him as the 69th best player, NFL.com has him as the 9th best S.

    I watched game tape and saw a SS, I'm not sure he'd be a better FS than McDonald, so why would I draft him?

    That's my opinion, we can agree to disagree.
     

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