Soucres tell PBP: They'll let Soliai walk, and swith to 4-3

4-3 difference is exaggerated

4-3 and 3-4 aren't they key terms to be used. The primary difference between what Miami might do this year and next year is in the techniques used on the DL. The shift from a base package of two-gappers on the line including an out of position Soliai to a 4-3 (where the only difference is that Wake is on the blind side with his hand down), will not be difficult at all. This is how they project:

RDE- Cameron Wake 5 technique (plus fit)
RDT- Jared Odrick 3 technique (plus fit)
LDT- Randy Starks 1 technique (plus fit)
LDE- need a great one, Mario Williams would be incredible here, if Langford comes back that's fine
SLB- Misi or Dansby, either one fits. With Misi the LDE can be more of a speed rusher, with Dansby the LDE should be at least Mario Williams size
MLB- need a new one or Marvin Mitchell who isn't too bad for this run-stuffing, grunt work role.
WLB- Kevin Burnett (plus fit)

Then you have depth in McDaniel, probably Misi, and if you keep him Merling (why is he a turd, I hadn't heard that though I'll take your word for it)

If the Dolphins do get Manning and feel John Jerry is fine at RT, then the focus should be on creating this incredible *** kicking machine on defense.

- Get Mario Williams
- Get a fourth good DT, perhaps a great one
- Get a new MLB

My suggestion would be to drop down in the draft, get another defensive tackle, then draft Tank Carder.

 

Ask Sparano how much his OL and running game meant to his success in 2008 while we're at it. I'd rather ask the Superbowl Patriots how much Tom Brady, Welker, Gronkowski, and Hernandez means to their success. Or the Superbowl Giants how much Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and those pass rushers and safeties means to their success. I'm not interested in teams from the 90s or 1st/2nd round playoff fodder.

 

They signed a guard for $56 million. That's all there is to know.
Us signing one for $12 million when we need one does absolutely nothing to make us worse.

DeCastro by himself would make it a questionable pick.
However, Long-DeCastro-Pouncey becomes the cornerstone of an incredible Oline that could help a ground game & passing game do some serious damage for the next decade, especially if Philibin helps Jerry turn the corner after showing some promise late last year.

DeCastro & Pouncey's contract frees up some cash to be spent on impact players, Laron Landry perhaps?
Those 2 guys combined cost roughly equal to what we paid Smiley alone. Just something to think about.

 

It's going to be a tough choice at 8/9. I'm all for getting as many high impact players as possible. No Soliais, Langfords but instead Mario Williams, DeCastro, and then filling DL depth with veterans that are less expensive. If Soliai comes back cheap as a 4-3 NT then he's a nice fit too.

 

No, not really. We need another pass rusher in the worst way. But you know, we'd rather do stupid **** like draft Pat White over Connor Barwin.

 

I thought we played a hybrid anyway. On obvious passing situations I thought we pulled Soliai and played more of a 4-3 type front. If my eyes weren't fooling me than if we were to make the complete switch I don't think it would be a huge adjustment.

Though I think a lot of our personel is tailored for the 3-4, especially our LBs. Wake can go either way. But Misi, Burnett and Dansby are prototypical 3-4 LBs. I'm sure everyone can handle the switch. But I'm not sure everyone will thrive in it. And if that's the case, then what's the point of switching?

 

There is this thing called a salary cap, so if signing a guard to that type of contract hinders us from signing an impact player, than I'd say it does make us worse.

 

Burnett and Dansby would be better in the 4-3 if anything. Misi can play Manny Lawson's SLB in Cinncy. None of these guys are prototypical 3-4 players. The only true 3-4 player on the entire roster was Langford.

 

You just made an argument for drafting one at 9

 

DeCastro will be a great one to be sure. You'd have one of the strongest run blocking units in the league and a good pass blocking unit. It's year one really with this group of players. Can't pick for need, just pick great players.

 

Err not really.

 

Err, yes really

 

I'm not sure where you're going with this b/c Barwin & Gronkowski were my outspoken desired 2nd round picks in 09 & 10 (and I even wanted them in the 1st round to be safe).

I want impact players, period. Believe it or not, DeCastro falls into that "impact" category b/c of both how good he is and the added things his presence allows you to do on offense, especially when compounded with Pouncey.

I'm guessing what you want is impact plays rather than impact players, b/c an impact player really isn't one if he's not allowed to play to that potential. A guy like DeCastro allows for impact plays, and he allows impact players to maximize their potential. He'll allow a franchise QB (or any QB) that much more time to pick a defense a part, especially with a vertically gifted passer who could use that fraction of a second or more. He can get out in front of Reggie to help him pick up more chunk yardage..... or get to the 2nd level to help turn a decent 6 yard Daniel Thomas run into a 20+ yarder.

 

You don't draft a guard, you don't sign a guard to a huge deal, until you put yourself in position to so, period. Considering we have no QB and lack impact players, we're not in position.

 

I absolutely love Decastro's game, but there's several players that I'm taking over him.

 

We have to pay a starting guard dont we? So how does signing an elite one for $12 million hinder our salary cap? Are you planning on starting 4 guys on the Oline to give us freedom to dish out more for a Safety or something? lol.

 

It's really about who is the best player. I don't want to pick someone in year one of a rebuild that doesn't bring elite skills. You're talking about the 8th-9th pick. A guard like DeCastro is elite. He is absolutely elite and while a guard he's a really really good one that could be here for YEARS on end. I'd rather pick him then say draft Coples if you don't believe Coples can be elite at LE. I wouldn't draft a Keuchy because I don't see elite in him.

This team has holes but they're not miserable holes that will sink or break a season. They have a 1 CB, 1 WR, will have a QB most likely, a RE, and a LT. From then on it's really just drafting Haloti Ngata not because you don't have Kelly Greg but because he's just so good. DeCastro is that good.

 

If they switch over to a 4/3 then they better address the safety position. Yes, getting a solid pass rush helps the secondary but both safeties will need to be better with over the top help than they've been in 3 seasons...

 

You could probably just move Incognito to C then if that's what you want, unless you want to be able to pull the C as well and make your entire line basically a dancing bunch of bears with two big bears holding the edge (Long-Jerry).

 

If some of those players are already gone and we've picked up an impact player in FA, I'd absolutely take a potential HOF guard for $12 million.

There are the only 3 questions you need ask: Do you need a guard? Would you pay a measly $12 mil for a potential HOF'er?.... And does that potential HOF'er make you and your offense better? To me, the answer is yes to all.

If this were 2 years ago and that same draft pick would cost you $25 million, I'd likely say no..... but at $12 million, that could be viewed as an arse-rapin bargain.

 

Not to mention there's a RB we keep ignoring that is a baller. A Hall-of-Famer baller. This first round pick is just one pick. Let it be a great player, don't worry so much about the position because we there are very few positions where we can't use that kind of talent. Honestly there isn't a position since there are two tackle spots, multiple CB spots, and multiple pass rushing spots. Feel free to pick as you please Jeff Ireland, just let it be an elite talent.

You fill holes in free agency, you draft franchise players in the draft.

 

Drafting DeCastro is also a good counter-move to NE & big Vince with their 43 switch, Buffalo and the dominant Dline they're building, and what NY wants to accomplish on D.

 

Does not show what he is making in 2012. I will believe it when someone official actually announces it. If true, sounds fair, no way any team was going to give him the silly money some were thinking he deserved.

 

Because you can plug in a solid one for much cheaper, get more than good enough results, and use the money to sign an elite player that we actually need a lot more.

 

Bell is no spring chicken and he can be injury prone. Jones does way too much free lancing for me to like in a Cover defense. They need a stud back there to direct traffic and keep the secondary disciplined. I think Wilson is going to be very good sooner than later.

 

Counter-move or your own move regardless it's a great idea. Who is your top talent for round two? Just an overall game-breaker.

 

I think it would depend on what Philibin requires out of his interior Oline as well as what type of emphasis he places on each position.

 

Trade back into the 1st for Coby Fleener or Dwayne Allen. There is no other option.

 

And New England will pick him up...

 

Wild guess is that he'd like some mobility. The Packer OL inside are quite mobile, but as he said it's based on what I have more so than what a scheme says.

I would like to see:

LT- Long
LG- Pouncey
C- Incognito
RG- DeCastro
RT- Jerry

A line that can double pull like that is tough to stop. It got the Jets along with a great D to a title game.

Tank Carder is pretty tempting at the top of round two.

 

Yup. Top impact player on the board.

I'd be happy going Stanford with back to back picks. DeCastro then Fleener..... but we'd have to get an impact defender in FA for me to feel overly comfortable with that. Alshon Jeffery would be nice if he fell to our 2nd pick. If we make no defensive dent in FA, then I'm looking at a pass rusher, S, ILB, or DT depending on what we do with Soliai & Langford.

I share your sentiments, Jaj--- Use FA to fill holes and don't outsmart yourself or get too cute with the draft; if I know a player will make us better and he represents elite talent or BPA, I'll take him.

 

Speculation meets reality?

When they refer to him as Burnett it kind of ruins their credibility.

 

WOW, with exception of Jerry at RT, exactly what I was thinking. Incognito was made to be a center and that interior Oline would push any 3-4 4-3 5-2 you name it defense, around like a shopping cart. Serious, I like it. If they had gotten Boudreau the first thing he would have done was switched Pouncey and Incognito. He did that when he first went to the Rams and that was the last good year they had 2006 8-8 and Jackson rushed for almost 2000 yards. They had Orlando Pace, we have Jake long. IMO, same same difference. great idea.

 

Odds are pretty heavily against a guy as bad on the move as Incognito sticking around in this offense, especially at Center.

 

I disagree with that somewhat, imo Richie is a RG, always has been, he has been out of position at LG

I could see him being shuffled out of Miami, but would not like to start over from scratch with just Pouncey and Long.

 

Mario williams is 295.