Hickey draft Strategy

I've never been a best player available fan.. I'm not big on reaching for a need either.. It's a mix that's best, drafting the best player at a need that fits the system.. If that player is a reach then look at another position until u find that perfect fit.. Best player available usually ends up being a bad fit for the scheme..
for instance, we are in need of a db, and an ot, we pick 19th, if the best player on the board is a rb or te but Clinton Dix is there at 19, I would go with Dix over the best player on the board since Dix would fit my defensive scheme even tho we could use a rb or te or tackle Dix would fit a need as well as being a very good player on the board.. We can draft a rb there but who knows how many carries he gets same with the te, he's not in on every play where Dix could be an impact player on every snap..
jes my opinion on drafting, if that made sense...

 

I'm always a BPA kind of person as it always increases the talent on the team...I think the point DHick was trying to get across is that you need to build a good enough roster that there are no glaring needs in the draft and you have the luxury to pick the most talented football players regardless of position.

 

I believe in BPA within reason. For example if our BPA ends up as a QB I'd hope we don't take him #19.

 

agreed BPA within reason. If we draft a DE in the first 3 rounds its ridiculous.

 

I don't think "Need" vs. "BPA" is really a question. There aren't enough good players in any given draft to expect a player at any specific position to be worth a specific pick. Filling holes is helpful, but I don't think it's inherently better than building a strength that is the backbone of your team.

Instead of "need", I think the question should be if you add a player that you can use others at the position up to their merits and investment level. You can use three defensive tackles, two tight ends, three safeties, etc. and so on at "starting" levels if you're inclined.

 

I think you can cross off DE, QB and C (and maybe CB depending on what happens to Grimes) in the first 3 rounds... if a player of any other position besides those is the BPA, then you can go ahead and take him.
But if you can't decide between two players of different positions, then you go with the guy who fills a greater need. Which is why we should try to address most of our needs in free agency, without breaking the bank on coveted FA's (except for Grimes).

 

I think you can draft a Center if you have him highly rated, Pouncey is a great Center but I feel like his natutal talents make him an even better guard and its a position he has played previously.

 

We can always use a good corner if there were a strong guy there who is a better player than other available positions.

I wonder what he feels about trading down, picking up more picks?

 

The entire country knows we are drafting OL in round 1, so lets get real here. Or we can trade up and not only take the BPA but the arguably the best player in the draft and then let him play like 10 snaps a game because really "he has a lot to work on" cough* Dion Jordan cough*

 

I don't think that's necessarily true. It's more likely than not, but it's not a given I don't think.

 

Draft strategy..

Put a priority on toughness and physicality..pick BPA in most cases..Make sure all players acquired have a sense of their training morals.

 

Especially at 19, and being top 5 in cap space..

If anything I spend my money in free agency on that unit.

 

Albert should be #1 priority. BPA is a vague notion, and so is need, and both are a matter of opinion. I don't know how one can be distinguished from the other, I don't think it's easy either.

 

From listening to Hickey yesterday on the Phinsiders...when asked what identity he wanted the Dolphins to have...he said one that was consistently a tough hard nosed...hard hitting team. He said it all starts in the trenchs....so..I can see him taking the best player available that meets that need first. It sounded to me like...that could mean Guards or RB, as tackles were more something that would be looked at during FA. I think alot depends on what happens with our own FA's.

 

I think where GMs get in trouble is in the mid to later rounds tying to fill needs instead of BPA..

Keenan Allen Eddie Lacy and Tyronne matthieu were the best players available..regardless of who you have at those positions, select them.

 

I understand, but what if you just spent $100 mil on Hartline, Wallace, Gibson, and you have some young receivers as well who are promising. Do you take Keenan Allen, or let's say James Hurst or Morgan Moses in the 3rd round because you have no one to play RT? There is a level of risk involved that maybe hard to swallow and justify in neglecting needs, as we found out this year.

 

Where is TooGoodForDez and what did you do with him? You can't be him because I actually agree 100% with you.

Wow something new happens every day

 

It really depends on the level of discrepancy you have between the choices, if it's very close and your stacked at the position, then go with your need, if it's substantial then no because the NFL roster can change quickly, and when it does you want to be left with the better player.

 

Hopefully Evans or Ebron is there at 19 then.

 

It's always a balance. That's the art of drafting. Sometimes you will have two or three players who could arguably be BPA, so between those two or three, then you start thinking need. It's that balance, imo. If there is one player who is by far, clear and away BPA, then you have to give serious consideration to taking him. However, first point usually hangs true.

 

Yes.

Keenan Allen was considered a 1st round prospect until his 40 yard dash IRRC. Eddie Lacy was also considered a 1st round prospect but fell because of injury. When those guys fall in your lap, you scoop them up, regardless. Talent is talent. There's not enough to go around on draft day to pass on them.

 

I just watched the Vikings Dolphins Super Bowl highlights and Shula highlighted his OL coaching techniques throughout that game. Blocking techniques he coached that exploited the Vikings Page skills to Miami's advantage, and how he adjusted the blocking tecnnique during the game. It was clear, the Dolphins were dominant in coaching and talent during that era. Neither superceeded the other, and these days, I believe as teams are nearly equal in talent level, so that falls behind coaching and leadership in importance. I believe politics between coaching and executives led to players not putting the team first last year. We need vocal leaders on the team and a coaching staff that is superior to our advasaries. Hopefully we can find some OL leaders in this draft.

 

We need to draft a fiery guy like Ray Lewis. On eof those kind of guys on last years team and we don't lose the last two games.

 

Shayne Skov (out of Stanford) is legendary for some of his pre-game speeches...plays with passion as well

 

Who ever drafts Skov will have a special player... no reason why he won't be the best linebacker in the draft, I think he's as good as the other two above him.

 

We haven't had a Manny Fernandez and Zach Thomas in a while. Crowder, Ellerbee and Wheeler blah and Dansby sucked here he always took the wrong angles. Must be coaching.

 

#19 is the perfect spot to draft BPA. Didn't Giants nab Pierre-Paul at 19?

 

Wow! I even have more respect for Fernandez now.

Manny Fernandez was honored into the Miami Dolphins Walk of Fame at Sunlife Stadium on December 16, 2012. In 2013, President Barack Obama honored the entire 1972 Perfect Season Dolphins at an event in the White House, but Fernandez declined to attend.[SUP][9][/SUP][SUP][10][/SUP][SUP][11][/SUP] He told sports columnist Dave Hyde of Ft. Lauderdale's Sun-Sentinel "I'll just say my views are diametrically opposed to the President's...Enough said. Let's leave it at that. I hope everyone enjoys the trip who goes."[SUP][12]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_Fernandez_(American_football)

[/SUP]

 

he can have the respect he lost from me.

 

For this reason I think the BPA strategy is bogus. It doesn't really exist. Every draft is based on need. BPA just means none of your needs are any more/less important than others...but you're still essentially drafting for need.

 

"Dennis Hickey has a huge inclination to go for high-character players. If a player is perceived to be a thug, gang-banger or have a drug issue that could knock them off Miami's board. I could see Zack Martin(T/G) being a fit."

http://walterfootball.com/draft2014_1.php

 

I don't know how that's true given the Bucs recent personnel history.

 

Wasn't he part of the group that drafted Talib and brought in Blount, both of who has character concerns?

 

I think that Blount was picked up after he was cut from another team in the preseason, but the point is valid.

 

He didn't have final say, so who they brought in, is irrelevant. Unless a report comes out that Hickey wanted to bring them in.

 

I was trying to establish the idea that we have no idea who he is inclined to bring in draft...

 

Well absolutely. But if someone says Hickey huge on player character, chances are he is. The draft is a crap shoot. 9 times out of 10 you won't know the players real character until you bring them in.

 

I think all GM's are character guys...no one wants to be the guy who brings in a player that ruins team chemistry...