A lot of teams were picking for need last night. And there was depth at several positions since the early run on OL, so there was less incentive to trade up. Add to that, the fact that this is a remarkably deep draft and a lot of draftable players will be available as UDFA. All of that being said to suggest that there's less incentive to trade up than we might normally see. I'm particularly excited because even though we have a slew of selections, we have a ton of needs so agents should want to steer their UDFA clients to Miami for a better shot of making the team. I'll bet we have at least three UDFA make the team and I wouldn't be shocked if one or two doesn't contribute from game one.
Chris Kouffman @ckparrot I've been making the case for Miami to take Kenneth Grant (my preference) or Walter Nolen for a while. Obviously, I liked the players. That's a given. I've always compared Kenneth Grant to Dexter Lawrence, and I compared Walter Nolen to Justin Madubuike. But here's the logic: - Miami had titanic-sinking holes at DT & CB. You CAN'T be weak at both of those! If you head into a game thinking your corners are over-matched, schematically you can help them. But that puts a lot of pressure on the DL to stop the run without help and to collapse the pocket from inside so the QB doesn't have time to wait for things to pop open against the coverage. The opposite is true. If you feel like your DL is going to be overmatched in a game, you can help them. But that will have a tendency to put your CBs on the proverbial 'island'. - The above dynamic means you can't just 'check a box' at the DT or CB positions. You need to turn at least one of those from titanic-sinking weakness into actual strength. It's a nuanced difference, but I think a massive, elite athleticism DT like Kenneth Grant has more immediate impact than a CB. That is not necessarily true if you just wait until the 2nd round for whatever 'box check' DT is still available. - Look at the street free agents. There are at least 8 corners available who could help Miami. There are guards available. There are safeties available. There are NO impact DTs available. Just a few greybeards who don't have much left in the tank. Calais Campbell is not walking thru that door. Miami has some irons in the fire at the CB position. They have NONE at the DT position. This is an important factor. Kader Kohou and Storm Duck are young, ascending players. Cam Smith has draft pedigree and the Dolphins are hoping to see him step up. Sometimes that works out (see: Austin Jackson), sometimes it obviously doesn't. They once had high hopes for Ethan Bonner, but I'm told he was de-railed by a series of injuries last year. On the DL, guys like Matt Dickerson and Benito Jones have already been around a while, and probably are what they are. You could argue Neil Farrell, especially as he was drafted with Champ Kelly in the Raiders front office, but he was also cut by the Raiders because they didn't see it anymore. Those seeds are not comparable to the seeds in the CB room. While I am not going to sit here and pretend they are 'good enough' on the offensive line, they have their tackle positions set with Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson, they have two interior positions set with Aaron Brewer and James Daniels, and so the die is 80% cast already. They need a guard to compete for a starting job. But the primary difference between this need and the two titanic-level needs on defense is that Miami (as of right now) still has the players in place to help them schematically take pressure off the OL. They can field an NFL offense with this OL. They COULD NOT field an NFL defense with the DT and CB positions both in the state they were. That is a huge difference.
I agree. I was thinking the same - just work it out for this year. At the end of the year goodbye. But the rumors are that he shows up late to meetings and practices. You just can't have that. And you have to make an example. An expensive example as it seems it's going to turn out.
This is what Nick Sabben said about Grant: “I don’t ever remember, in all the time that I coached, playing against two more dominating guys inside than when we played Michigan with #55 (Graham) and #78 (Grant). I mean, these two guys are really, really good. You’re talking about power. You’re talking about athleticism. You’re talking about guys who play hard and compete well.” He knows a little bit about the trenches and players.
I like this pick. I've seen him play alot since I'm a Michigan fan on Saturdays during football season. Big boy sure can move and be disruptive. Should certainly help us against the run. My only concern is wondering if that's all him and his ability, or due to the high level of talent around him too. But he's made enough plays on his own and shown enough too. Really the only doubt I have though. I'm still far more concerned about our OL though too, but this should be a good pick I think.
I like this pick. Was hoping we traded down a few spots for more picks. I think Grant could have been available a bit later, but I really liked Grant and he fills aneed so no complaints on picking him. Last time I really liked one of Grier’s first round picks was Cristian Wilkins and he turned out well. I think Grant can be even better than Wilkins.
That’s why I wrote it’s easier said than done. I agree with the UDFA‘s Grier has been good with those, just not good enough with the real draft. When I look at the Iggels snatching Jihad at the end of the first round, that’s what the really good franchises do. I‘m fine with what we did in the 1st round and really happy we didn’t draft Johnson(but the knee looks even to risky for Grier), let’s see what Grier does with the rest of the draft.
We can't count on JP or Chubb to stay healthy all year or be 100% since they are coming back from injury and are often injured, and chop is still developing.
I didn’t see as much of Michigan this year as they were down and not on tv as often, but I did see the Ohio State game, and that DL (specifically the tackles) manhandled an OL that has sent two members the NFL via the first round.
I mean lots of those Georgia guys are good, I don't like discounting guys just for playing on talented units. And frankly, I think Graham and Grant were the engines of those Michigan defenses and elevated the players around them rather than the beneficiaries.
Round 2 starting!! CB probably the single biggest need assuming we are for-sure moving Ramsey. DT/DE could be possible as reinforcements for those positional rotations. A TE or WR wouldn't be unwarranted (especially if you are moving on from Tyreek this year or next) and of course the ever present need at Guard. This feels like a good spot for a guard to me, maybe mirroring our pick of Hunt from a few years ago. Could Sanders fall to our pick? Would we take a shot at a Tua insurance/move-on plan, or do we think Zack Wilson fits that bill well enough?
And there is the guard lol. I'm not a fan of moving up in round 2 in general, but I do like player and fit. Can probably figure he will get the best shot at being RG, with Daniels slotting at LG to help Paul.
Well I personally love the first two picks. The Eagles just gave the world the simplest blueprint there is on how to win a Super Bowl and that is with a dominant lines. There are going to be clueless people crying about each and every pick we make in the draft just because they don't like Grier. Those same people piss and moan about how we need to build the lines up which is well...Expected these days. At least on this forum people have somewhat of a clue. The mass amounts of idiots posting on Facebook do not. I don't understand it. It's as if some of these people are either NPC Bots...Or they suffer from Tua tourettes syndrome. I mean, we drafted Kenneth Grant and some of the replies (in regards to Grant) are "Tua sucks." I get it...It's pro sports and it's filled with blowhard morons who left all their brain cells in their college dorm after they dropped out of school, but cmon...At least stick to the topic. Again, this forum for all it's bickering and division at least has knowledgeable fans that have logical stances on how they feel. Sorry for the rant. Very happy with the first two picks. We need some mean mugs on the line. We don't pick again for a while, but at least we've attempted to upgrade the positions of need.
I liked what I read about Jonah before the draft, so I'm happy with the pick. Side Note: Shough over Sanders?!
Lots of DTs going in the first two rounds. Makes me feel good about the Grant pick, getting ahead of the curve. I really like Collins in round 2 and he would have been gone. Guards haven't really been flying off the board yet, but if a run starts it does a bit more justification for trading up.
I'm looking at the teams left in the 2nd round and honestly I only see the Raiders taking Sanders. If LV passes on him he'll be a 3rd rounder.
I like Jonah more as a guard, i hope we arent trying to convert him to tackle.. a big guy on the interior to open holes for Achane… and he seems to excel as a blocker as a guard rather than on the outside as a tackle. i would not mind to trade up again and address the offensive line once more.. or trade some picks for an established veteran linemen.. we gotta protect Tua. The only teams i see selecting sanders at this point .. browns Jets Seahawks Rams Pittsburgh Raiders itll be one of them
At this point we are almost where its someone taking him as a backup in which case it could be almost anyone. Browns are probably just looking to next year with their two first rounders.
Well youre right, hes no longer a player that a franchise feels pressure to start because hes not a first round pick. hes a guy that will be battling against veterans to try to get first team reps.. and likely battling for the back up spot. his path had changed, he can still be a starting quarterback someday, but teams wont feel any pressure to give him that opportunity. He will have to really impress in practice and preseason to get there someday.. and maybe he plays some garbage time minutes, but you all know that usually is with a bunch of backups and can rarely show anything. He and deion did a whole lot of talking.. they didnt participate for the most part in the combine.. i dont even think he took the wonderlic. Meanwhile , he was a good college quarterback but there have been many great college qbs that are not nfl qb’s. his ball doesnt have that much zip, and yes so doesnt tua but he doesnt have tua’s accuracy.. and he throws a lot of balls that would be hospital balls in the nfl.. again so does tua but theyre completely levels as far as prospect goes
And he loses a little bit of backup appeal if teams fear Deion is going to **** on them for not playing him
I believe he would be a great fit as back-up to Tua, certainly better than Wilson. If Tua gets hurt again I believe it's time to cut him loose.
I would take him now. Feels pretty low risk even though I am sure part of the fanbase would treat it like they drafted Hitler.
Forgot the draft started at noon today. I see we traded out of the fourth round to add capital for next year - not a move to make a run this year, imo. Any news on the Ramsey situation?
Raiders pick one more time this round before Miami in the 5th. If he's there I feel like he's going to be a Dolphin. Every other team has passed on him multiple times and it's clear they don't want him.
A few months ago Deion was making some noise about Shedeur going to the Dolphins. This is now a very real possibility.
I said all along that I'm fine with us taking a quarterback in the later rounds. If Sanders is available with our next pick, I'd be fine with us taking him. Tua has had his eggs scrambled numerous times and one more might be it. The problem with drafting Sanders would be the volatility that would come with having him on this team with Tua still here. It would probably show a lack of commitment to Tua at this point and one can't really argue that based off of what we've had to deal with so far. IDK, I think when it comes down to it, you have to do what's in the best interests of the team. Both Tua and McDaniel could be gone by next seasons end. If you take Sanders, then you have to live and accept the consequences that come with doing so.
Not sure if this trading out of 4th means Grier will be here again next year? Or will he use the pick for some washed up corner out of desperation. Time will tell.
We pick three times before Pittsburgh or LA. If one of those three picks isn't Sanders I'll be very surprised.
I wouldn’t bet against it, the Ramsey thing where he explicitly praises Grier in an interview and when you look at what we did in FA and how he’s handling the draft, doesn’t look like a man afraid of losing his job or being on the hot seat.
No one that doesn't regularly kick footballs should feel a lack of commitment by a 5th round pick. I'm onboard with competition for Wilson.
I’m pretty sure he‘ll be here, maybe not as GM, only way that’s not the case is if they go like 1-16 or something like that and even then…
