It's time to start talking draft...

[marinomisser]

So, the offseason came a welcomed week later this year, but nonetheless it is time to start talking draft.

I haven't done any research yet, but just sitting here watching the national championship game I'm totally impressed with Percy Harvin from Florida. A little injury trouble this year, but he is a bigtime playmaker both out of the backfield and as a reciever. The play by play guys were also commenting on how strong he is, which makes me like him even more. Strong, Fast, and a natural playmaker. If he declares, he won't make it out of the first round, but will he make it to the 20th pic or so???

[marinomisser]

thus far, 12 touches 162 yards...

[Zacko54]

Here comes the Gatorade
Way to go Gators

[marinomisser]

14 for 171 to finish and a TD. not a bad average per touch...

[Zacko54]

I expected alot more pts from both teams, second half was good, lots of players to look at. Percy looked very good, Tebow, what do you say, Hope he stays his last year, he will be worth alot when he gets to the NFL.

[mdbw]

He will be a dangerous receiver in the NFL and I have been saying it all season (OK maybe not on here, haha). I went to two Gators games this year and watching their skill players in person is unbelievable. Harvin will go to the NFL and be a star, and then Will Demps will just follow in his footsteps at Florida. Demps is faster, and could end up being BETTER. He is a true freshman, and you think Ricky Williams turned on the jets in his prime, well Demps looks like he's got rockets for legs. 10.01 seconds 100 meter dash. Unbelievable.

I personally think we need to draft O-line, and more specifically center. Fishface and I both agree that Samson Satele is not an NFL center. He is a backup at best in this league because he is undersized. We need to have a line that can overpower D-lines like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New England, Carolina, San Diego... oh by the way all teams we play next year.

Here is who I predict the Dolphins will pick as of right now in the first round:

Alex Mack, Center, University of California: 6'4", 316 lbs

Mack is an intelligent, HUGE lineman. He plays in a smart system on a big line and has great pedigree. Not only do you have to be a good football player to play at Cal and in the Pac-10, but you have to be a great student as well, and that's what we need our center to be. Someone who can sit down with Chad (whomever it may be for the next 12 years) and figure out opposing teams blitzes. It was clear last Sunday that the interior of our line got manhandled which led directly to ALL of Pennington's mistakes. I don't care who you are, Brady, Favre, Marino, Pennington, if you have 300 pound lineman and speedy mean linebackers running after you in the backfield, you are going to fail.

Think about it, we have two big guys on the ends who did an excellent job all season: Long and Carey (Long should have made the Pro Bowl). We then have to rely on what the coaches saw in Donald Thomas and the fact that he will have had 9 months to rehab from tearing up his knee in week 1. Then Smiley who proved to be one of the best off-season (and first) pickups in the NFL last year will be back to anchor the left side with Long and help the new rookie Alex Mack transition into the NFL.

The thing I fear though is that Mack will go to the combine, bench an insane amount and rise on everyone's draft board. There are plenty of teams ahead of us who need interior line help, and one of them is in our division: Buffalo. The hope I do have is that there are a number of other linemen (tackles) who are also five-star players that will most likely go off the board before Mack just because they are tackles.

We have playmakers, and we also have 2 2nd round picks to add some more. A strong, big, young center is hard to come by and impossible in free agency, so I expect us to use our first round pick on a guy like Mack. It is possible Percy Harvin could be available with our first pick in the 2nd round (the Redskin pick we got for Jason).

[marinomisser]

if harvin makes it out of the first, it would be a small miracle to see him there very long in the 2nd. what pics do we have in the 2nd?

[mdbw]

Washington has the 13th pick, so pick 13 in round two (pick 45).

[mdbw]

By the way here's a really good in depth analysis on Mack by the NFL Draft Dog:

http://www.nfldraftdog.com/2009_NFL_Draft/Alex_Mack.htm

[Another Russian TD]

Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel tells it like it is:

".......... a thorough look at the roster will convince you last year's drastic 10-game turnaround was done with smoke and mirrors.

The Dolphins couldn't run between the tackles effectively all season.
The Dolphins needed gimmicks and trickery to produce most of their big plays on offense.
The Dolphins took three receivers into games, including the playoff loss to Baltimore, on more than one occasion.
An aging Joey Porter contributed as many sacks as the entire defensive line and linebacking corp, and that was before his season-ending slide.
The Dolphins defense sparingly got to the quarterback without a safety or cornerback blitz.
The Dolphins couldn't consistently stop the run, allowing 101 yards per game.
The bottom line is that depth remains a huge issue, and this team needs another infusion of young talent."

I agree. We did amazingly well, but we lucked out with injuries and what turned out to be a soft schedule. I would approach this upcoming season basically the same way that we approached 2008. Keep building the lines via free agency and the Draft. We have to continue to get bigger and nastier.

[mdbw]

Welcome back Russian! On such a dire note...

[Another Russian TD]

Welcome back Russian! On such a dire note...

Good to be back! It's not dire, just reality. We HAVE to keep building those lines. But if you want something more positive, I think the receiving group of Camarillo, Ginn and Bess are only going to get better, and I would continue to groom them. In fact with those three, Brown and Fasano, I think we have the basis of some really productive young play-makers for the future. But their talents will be wasted if we don't improve the O line.

[FinsFan]

Very True and Well Spoken, Russian.

[Zacko54]

Good to be back! It's not dire, just reality. We HAVE to keep building those lines. But if you want something more positive, I think the receiving group of Camarillo, Ginn and Bess are only going to get better, and I would continue to groom them. In fact with those three, Brown and Fasano, I think we have the basis of some really productive young play-makers for the future. But their talents will be wasted if we don't improve the O line.

Ill throw this out there, TO with Ginn and Bess

[FinsFan]

TO is not going to leave Dallas and Romo to play for Miami and Pennington. If he did I would support it since he would not be happy here. Don't get me wrong, I love TO and I have no gripes with his past. I just don't think he will be happy here and thus he will be distructive.

[FinsFan]

What I hear you saying is that we need a great WR.

Ginn is like Moss, tall, fast, and skinny. It seems to me that Moss has better hands and his size doesn't impead his ability to go down field like it sometimes does for Ginn.

TO is a stronger WR who runs great routes. I would like to see us get someone like him. With this coaching staff we can write up some great plays that use a great route runner. I think this is where Camarillo does well, but he is not a TO.

MD suggested Boldin, but at this time AZ is still in the running for the SB. If they make it and I think they will, then his price will go way up. Is he even avail?

[fishface]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/story/858935.html

Well, I guess we can dream about getting Michael Crabtree, but no way he would be available at No 25, and anyway the Tuna isn't going to pick a receiver No 1.

[mdbw]

There is a 0% chance of TO coming to Miami. He wouldn't even be in Dallas if Parcells had his way. Jerry Jones brought him in against Parcells will. Parcells does not like to have players like TO on teams (locker room cancers). Also, he is about 35 or 36 and we are looking to get younger, I suspect we either make a HUGE push towards TJ Houshmanzadej or however you spell his last name (who is a Free Agent), or draft one with one of our second round picks (our first rounder will be a lineman or linebacker).

Boldin is still under contract, but a trade is not out of the question as it seems that even though the Cards are going to the Super Bowl, he is still unhappy there. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3843834

We'll see what happens, but WR is definitely one of the positions that needs addressing, and I agree we need a big, physical WR. Crabtree or Harvin are not that type, they are like Ginn with better route running abilities.

[fishface]

This guy Sean Smith of Utah looks like the real deal at CB. He's 6'3" and a Junior who has declared for the 2009 Draft. He's a projected late first round pick. He had five interceptions on the season and manhandled Alabama's Julio Jones in the Sugar Bowl. Check out this one handed interception.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9M2w9m320k

[Zacko54]

My BC lions have made a deal with the Dolphins. Should help.

The BC Lions Football Club announced today that defensive lineman Cam Wake has signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.

“Our entire organization takes a great deal of pride in knowing that Cam has fulfilled his dream of playing in the NFL. He has been an outstanding member of our club and we wish him the very best in this new phase of his career,” said Lions GM and head coach, Wally Buono.

Wake, who came to the Lions as a free agent for the 2007 season, earned the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award twice (’07, ’08) as well as the CFL’s nod as Outstanding Rookie. Last season, the he terrorized opposing offences while rolling up a league-leading 23 sacks
http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/news/top_story.asp?contentID=6325

[mdbw]

Yeah I am very interested to see how this guy pans out. He is obviously undersized for D-Line, but the perfect size for linebacker. I hope he can make the transition well!

[marinomisser]

I suspect we either make a HUGE push towards TJ Houshmanzadej or however you spell his last name (who is a Free Agent)...

It's Houshmazilly. Everybody knows that.

[Zacko54]

TJ Whosyamama, we can use him.

[FinsFan]

LOL, that was one of the best NFL Fantasy Football commecials I have ever seen.

[marinomisser]

LOL, that was one of the best NFL Fantasy Football commecials I have ever seen.

I'm pretty sure everyone who has done a fantasy draft in the past 3 years has started off with somebody using a line from that commercial.

"Championship!" is the one I hear the most.

[fishface]

This a truly amazing piece of work, considering this guy is a Brit. based in England. It's a lot of reading but the detail and information is impressive. Take a read.

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/hyde/blog/2009/01/tuesdays_with_simon_dolphins_a.html