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2021 Draft Pick Watch

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Galant, Sep 27, 2020.

  1. Rick 1966

    Rick 1966 Professional Hipshooter

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    Maybe. Or maybe he's just not a good enough QB to be a star in the NFL. Flores will know and I trust him to make the right decision.
     
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  2. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    Have to admit it's a tremendous vote of confidence by Flores to start Tua after benching him for a game we essentially have to win to make the playoffs. Should put a bit of a damper into thinking Tua isn't good enough IF you trust Flores.
     
  3. Rick 1966

    Rick 1966 Professional Hipshooter

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    That depends on how long a leash he gives him. If he pulls him after two series, that's not much of a vote of confidence.
     
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  4. The Guy

    The Guy Well-Known Member

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  5. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    If we dont draft a quarterback... i want the dolphins to grab Stafford and i want a true quarterback competition in training camp. Something tells me Stafford wins that one with ease. And yes hes injury prone, but so is Tua.
     
  6. The Guy

    The Guy Well-Known Member

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    Rick 1966 likes this.
  7. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    Not really.

    It's still important to know THIS YEAR what you have in Tua. If he goes out and ****s the bed I expect a QB drafted.

    It's not a vote of confidence so much as an interview. Hes prioritizing the future over the current moment, which I find thoroughly disappointing honestly.
     
  8. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    I'm sort of in that camp as well...not that I didn't like him, but I watched that Alabama offense just steamroll everyone due to much better talent. When Tua went down, that offense didn't miss a single beat and I thought, "Uh-oh, what were we really evaluating all season long? Was it the QB or the 4 best receivers and best RB, combined with the best offensive line in the country?"

    For me, it didn't matter since Miami was locked on Tua and there were no other candidates getting a serious look. I'm sure they did some homework on Burrow after that legendary season and Herbert probably got some looks too, but they were never seriously considered. It was Tua all along and I'm fairly positive that the viewpoint hasn't changed after 8 total games. For the record, I said that I would have drafted Burrow #1 overall or Jalen Hurts in the 2nd/3rd round....but I absolutely knew it was Tua all along.

    I do think we should draft a QB this year but probably in the mid-rounds as a project, much like we just did with Josh Rosen. I still believe in Tua though because of his intangibles- being a serious study, being loved by his teammates, being determined to learn and ask questions every chance he gets. His QB rating is a 93.2, which surprisingly is 23rd overall this season (Fitz is 17th w/ a 95.6), so I don't know what to make of that in a COVID year...why are QB's playing so much better this season? QB #11 to QB #26 are separated by 9 total points, so there's not much difference outside the top 10. For instance, Tua is .9 behind Big Ben and .2 ahead of Matt Ryan.

    I still have a lot of hope for Tua though because right now he reminds me of a young Ryan Tannehill- they're obviously different QB's, but Tua plays extremely safe just like RT did as he figures things out and finds his game. RT is currently 4th in the league w/ a 106.7 rating and coming off an even better 2019. For me, Ryan showed flashes early as a rookie but he was never as consistent as Tua is today, so I still have a lot of hope that he develops and we can get those Alabama-like pieces so he has a true #1 target throughout the season. Parker, Williams and Gisecki would all make AMAZING 2nd and 3rd options but we really need that #1 guy who stays healthy and is simply consistent. Today, we're just not getting any separation and that has to be tough on any rookie QB.
     
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  9. Phil Hutchings

    Phil Hutchings Well-Known Member

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    And, on the flip side, what would it do to Tua’s confidence if Flores were to start with Fitz on Sunday?
     
  10. Fishhead

    Fishhead Well-Known Member

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    If the draft order stays unchanged, then the Jets are, oddly enough, the keys to the top half of the draft. If they believe in Darnold, then you have to believe that Sewell or Chase is their pick. That makes the #3 pick immensely more valuable, as you now have your pick of Fields or Wilson. That then leads to this: if Miami believes in Tua, then they can trade down a few spots with a team looking for a qb, add picks, and get Tua one of the top receivers in the draft. If they don’t believe in Tua, then pick whichever qb they like better.
    I, for one, don’t see them moving on from Tua this off-season, so the draft and free agency will be time to add weapons to the offense.
     
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  11. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    I don't buy that theory. Why pull him TWICE to clearly try and win the game if it's an interview? If it's really an interview you leave the guy in the game and see what he does.

    I think Flores has already made up his mind about Tua being the future. Flores is acting like he wants to win games, not babysit Tua. It's why he replaced Tua with Fitz. And if that's true then starting Tua is a huge vote of confidence.

    I think concerns like that are overblown, especially when it's clear it's for performance reasons, and for some reason people only raise those concerns with QB's. The NFL isn't a baby sitting league. Benching Tua for the rest of the year I doubt would have any serious effect on Tua psychologically because he'd know it was for poor performance.
     
  12. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    I dont think the first portion of your post is logically consistent at all.

    I can interview someone and try to win now while seeing as much of them as possible. The ideas arent mutually exclusive like your logic relies upon.
     
  13. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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    Look, we’re not drafting a quarterback...win, lose or draw. Tagovailoa is going to get at least 3 years to prove or disprove whether or not he’s the franchise quarterback of the future. This covid affected season as well as the lack of offensive weapons has had a dramatic impact on what Tagovailoa has been able to do on the field.

    Has Tua made mistakes? Well duh...he’s a rookie. He’s SUPPOSED to make those mistakes! Is he THE answer at quarterback? I truly can’t say. When you’re calling up high school level receivers and running backs, there’s only so much one can do with that level of talent when you yourself lack that NFL experience. That’s why Fitz had more success with these folks than Tagovailoa had...Fitz possesses the EXPERIENCE to help those young players succeed where a rookie quarterback does not. Hell, even the great Patrick Mahomes wouldn’t be who he is without having Hill, Watkins and Kielce to throw the ball to.

    Offensively, we’re a dynamic wide receiver and a workhorse running back away from becoming a very competitive offense. If after solidifying these holes Tagovailoa still doesn’t perform, THEN we can legitimately have the quarterback discussion.

    Now myself PERSONALLY, I would have built the offense this past season and leveraged the first round picks we have in the upcoming draft to go for Trevor Lawrence...but that’s just me. But this is the hand we have and you have to objectively build that hand before you abandon ship on a rookie quarterback
     
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  14. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    As a dude whose watched Stafford in Detroit the last few years ... no thanks. The arm talent is there, but he's prone to making bad mistakes at bad times, doesn't display great leadership or drive and has no ability to carry a team the way a great QB will from time to time. There's a reason dude has never won a playoff game despite being in the league for so long.
     
  15. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    Lawrence isn't/wasn't really an option though. With the Jags set as the #1 pick, what incentive do they have to pass on the best QB talent to emerge in a decade? I wouldn't trade that pick for anything. Prior to this season, there was no way to expect that the Texans would potentially land us a top 5 pick, and every reason to expect that we would post a better record than last year. The only chance would have been for a team like the Bengals to capture the first pick. Just too much of a gamble - taking a QB last year was the right choice, you take one when you are in position to do it.

    I do think the rest of your post is pretty spot-on though. If we can land one of the top 3 receivers and top 2-3 RBs, we are in good position. Adding Smith and Harris in round 1 would be pretty interesting, basically an Alabama reunion. I wonder how hard Tua may stump for his guys and whether Grier and Flores would take it into consideration. Jamarr Chase and Travis Etienne would be just as good, if not better imo.
     
  16. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    That was my thought process as well. Draft Jalen Hurts in the 3rd, give him a brief audition while Fitz does his thing in 2020, then key on Lawrence in 2021. The only problem though is that nobody with the #1 overall pick is going to trade Lawrence away- ironically, maybe Houston...but they don't have that pick anyway. So even if we ended up a 4-win team this season, I don't think we had a shot at Lawrence.

    But like I said earlier, Miami was so locked on Tua there really weren't any other options- he was absolutely, positively the guy if we could make it happen. I'm just happy we didn't have to move up to get him- it was a great chess match keeping him at 5.
     
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  17. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    Herbert was the other option and as of now the correct one. If it was chess we were in checkmate before the game even started.
     
  18. Fishhead

    Fishhead Well-Known Member

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    I think we could end up with 2 of the top receivers in the first round (Chase with first pick and Waddle/Pitts later) and then pick up Harris or Etienne with the first pick in the second round. Talk about an offensive kickstart!
     
  19. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    They're mutually exclusive in this context. If you think the interview is making it too difficult to win, then you can't keep interviewing the player while trying to win. The "interview" ends once the player is no longer playing, and you lose the ability to determine how that player will play in such situations (i.e., no interview) because you're prioritizing winning.
     
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  20. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    Again, to the Miami staff, it was Tua the entire time. If that was the wrong move then it is what it is, but you're acting like Tua has no chance in the NFL and it's way too early for that kind of talk. Nobody busts after 8 NFL starts and an average overall NFL rating.
     
  21. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    That's my exact dream scenario...probably won't happen but I'd be thrilled if it played out that way.
     
  22. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    I think if we want to go WR first, we will have the choice of Chase, Smith and Waddle. I don't think any of them last to our second pick. Rondale Moore would be an interesting compliment though, but I don't know if I agree that two first-round WRs is a good strategy. I'd probably pick a good vet free agent to bring in and pair them with a premium first round talent, leaving DeVante as a #3 guy and maybe Perry/Bowden as 4-5. I'd probably cut bait on Grant and Williams, though Grant maybe you keep purely for ST if you think the value is there. Williams is just too inconsistent.

    I'm not a cap guru at all, so I could be insanely off base, but I'd do the same thing to the RB position. Pair someone like Aaron Jones with Etienne/Harris, keep Gaskin and/or Ahmed as backups. Use the rest of the draft to build line depth and keep adding defense.
     
  23. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    I want Chase. For some reason he "looks" like he could be elite more than the others (to my casual eye).

    As far as the idea of picking 2 of the 3 (or really 2 of 4 if you include TE Pitts) with our first 2 picks, I can't quite remember a year where there are so many disagreements among people doing these mock drafts, except for Lawrence of course. Go look at a bunch of them on the web. TONS of disagreements. Some have all 3 WR's going top 10, others have 2 of them falling to the end of the 1st, and it's not just with the WR's. Just disagreements all over the place.

    If we don't make the playoffs I think we get the #18 pick (lowest possible pick for a non-playoff team this year), and judging by many of those mock drafts I'd say there's a 50/50 chance we could snag 2 of those 4 with our first 2 picks. And even if we can't, no big deal if we get one of them (preferably Chase). In that case I'd pick a top RB with that 2nd pick.

    Speaking of RB, I'm torn on whether Etienne or Harris is better for this team. Etienne is great in open space, but you need a really good passing attack to take full advantage of him. Harris is much more likely to get you that 1st down on 3rd and 2, which might be better for where we are as a team. Hard to say. Anyway I'd be happy with either.
     
  24. Finrunner

    Finrunner Season Ticket Holder

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    Seems to me, Free Agency will play a big part in the Fins front office thinking. If the Dolphins decide to go after a player like Allen Robinson, the Bears WR, then it opens up some options both at 3 (saying we get Pick 3 overall) and our second choice. If the Dolphins landed Robinson, it relieves the necessity, albeit not completely, of taking a WR really early. They could still take their WR choice there (Chase, Smith, or Waddell) or they could take the best non-QB position player, probably Sewell, or the best defender, probably Parsons at 3. They could also trade down if they find a partner, not too much lower, though. Then, no one says you have to stay at 20-something, so if you did that and took Sewell or Parsons, you could trade a 3rd or 4th rounder to jump up and get Smith or Waddell earlier than with our second pick. Then, grab a RB in the second (Najee, Etienne, or Javonte Williams). Just a lot of options.

    If in FA, though I wouldn’t choose to do this personally, the Fins grab Aaron Jones at RB, then it alleviates the dire need there, and maybe you’re thinking of grabbing Chase first, someone like Zaven Collins or the Notre Dame LB with the 2nd pick in the first, and then an interior OL or DL early in the second round. You could still double up at RB later in the second or third round, depending. Again, options.

    I haven’t read thru all the responses to this post, so it’s probably been mentioned already, but I just think FA will play a huge part in the way the Dolphins draft goes. In other news, the sky is blue, I suppose.
     
  25. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    The funky college season will play hell with projections - no way around it. So many top players opting out for the whole season, others for just some games. Many teams playing incomplete schedules, lack of practice, lack of quality competition, scheduling problems ... I do not envy evaluators at this point.

    And yeah, I think the skill guys are just really good - I would be hard pressed to complain taking one guy over another at this point.
     
  26. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    Parsons is interesting, but a LB in the top 3-4 picks is ... not ideal. We needed a Chase Young/Nick Chubb type but defensively there isn't a GUY. IMO if it's not a WR we are picking, it had better be Sewell.
     
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  27. Finrunner

    Finrunner Season Ticket Holder

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    For the most part, I agree. At three, I would take Sewell. You never know, but he’s the one guy that if I had to bet on a guy from this draft who would make the Hall of Fame, he’d be my first pick, even before Lawrence. With a trade down a couple spots (perhaps Cincinnati who likely covets Sewell), Parsons, in my opinion, would have to be considered. He or Chase, I would think there at 5. Maybe Smith, if you value his previous work with Tua, but I like Chase as the first WR. I do think Parsons is going to go in the top seven picks, however, and I think Flores uses LBers in interesting ways and would love a player like that on his defense.

    Again, some of what I was presupposing was that the Fins had picked up Allen Robinson II in Free Agency.
     
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  28. Berezo

    Berezo Well-Known Member

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    Justin Fields’ value certainly shot up after tonight. Either the jets take him or we should be able to get a ransom for the #3 pick if we are in that position.
     
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  29. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    It felt like people were trying to hype Wilson and Trask (who was godawful) and get on Fields ... and yeah he just shut that up. Biggest stage and he just lit it on fire. I HOPE the Jests pass on him to keep Darnold. I think he's probably a lock to go #2, just a matter of Jests taking him vs trading out with a QB needy team who wants an elite player. Falcons, Panthers and Lions all come to mind quickly.

    Lawrence/Fields going 1-2 is ideal for our standpoint. Even if the Texans win this week and we end up closer to 5-6 than 3-4 we will still be in good shape. Will be interesting to see how Wilson and Jones start to line up, could end up pushing more guys down.

    BTW, anyone else see Harris hurdle that defender in the Bama game? Holy ****. Ill take that.
     
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  30. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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    Ok, watched the CFP games yesterday with great interest as some of those kids could end up in Miami.

    Alabama vs Notre Dame
    Now I’ll be the first to admit I hadn’t watch much Alabama football this season but after watching that game yesterday, Najee Harris is the real deal. He’s almost Derrick Henry like; big, strong, hits holes and has breakaway speed. DeVonta Smith is an incredible receiver. My only concern with him is his overall size. He’s tall yes, but such a skinny lower physique that I fear one NFL caliber hit and he’s done.

    Clemson vs Ohio State
    Well this game didn’t go anything like I thought it would. Every time someone sells me that poison pill about offense and I swallow it, a defense comes along to remind me what I’ve always known. Lawrence and Etienne had horrible games last night. Their only true abilities exhibition occurred in the Tigers first drive. While I’m sure Lawrence and Etienne will go on to have productive careers in the NFL, after last night’s embarrassing debacle at the hands of a potent defense, my viagra induced erection for Etienne felt like a kick in the balls
     
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  31. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    Ian Book is someone id consider with a 4th round pick.. his game is very similar to Fitzpatrick.. gunslinger, and mobile.


    My love for Najee Harris has been there since last year... i would use our second first round pick on him.
     
  32. Phil Hutchings

    Phil Hutchings Well-Known Member

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    I watched some of those games, and I was very impressed with Najee.

    The vault over the Notre Dame defender was phenomenal.

    I'd love him in this Dolphins' squad.
     
  33. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    He is the complete package... last year i wanted JK Dobbins. Though I liked Najee Harris more and was shocked he returned for his senior season... JK Dobbins is having an excellent season as a rookie.. i dont want to miss out on Najee this time... he needs to be a dolphin.. i like him a whole lot more than Etienne.
     
  34. Fishhead

    Fishhead Well-Known Member

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    If Smith has another game in the championship like he did last night, he may leapfrog Chase and be the first WR taken.

    Would love to see either, plus Harris, in Miami next year.
     
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  35. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    I've watched Lawrence and Etienne for three seasons now, on average catching 8+ games per season. They are both the real deal and will have long careers in the NFL. Maybe Etienne doesn't become a household name, but he's one of those backs that makes rosters because he does everything at really high levels. Harris has him beat in power rushing and aggression- I'd say Etienne wins in just about every other conceivable category. Both have incredible vision though and great speed....I'd still consider it a 1a and 1b discussion on who'd be a better fit for Miami.
     
  36. mlb1399

    mlb1399 Well-Known Member

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    Houston not giving up easy. 31-28 Ten
     
  37. Rick 1966

    Rick 1966 Professional Hipshooter

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    Well, Tennessee won, which is the only good thing that happened today.
     
  38. Destroyer

    Destroyer There for every play.

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    Whos the third best QB? haha
     
  39. cbrad

    cbrad .

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  40. Berezo

    Berezo Well-Known Member

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    Offer everything for Lawrence...if no...get the BYU kid. Keep rolling the dice.
     
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