from Brian in NY

Q – Mike

Now that we have landed a true number one WR, when do you think we take one in the draft, and who do you think it will be?

I’d say it’s almost a certainty that our #12 pick won’t be a WR, now that we signed a young, explosive WR. If we had signed Jennings, due to his age, I still would have put WR as a priority in the draft, meaning one of our first 4 picks.

Wallace, Hartline, Bess and Matthews is good, but I would like to do better. This is a passing league, so I’d love to have as much talent as possible at the WR position. If I were the GM, I’d still use one of the first 4 picks on a WR, but it doesn’t have to be pick #42 or #54, and I highly doubt it will be the first. My guess is we will take a WR with our first 3rd RD pick, #77. Don’t be surprised if that’s the non-Samurai WR Ryan Swope. It could also be WR Stedman Bailey. Tough to say whether either of those guys will be available that late in the draft, but my guess is one, or even both of them will be.

Just to let you know, this is what I think Ireland and Co. will do, not necessarily what I want to do. If there was a talented WR staring at us in the 2nd RD that we had rated very highly, I wouldn’t mind, but not at the expense of shoring up the CB position.

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from Jahn

Q – I’m going to put you on this rather then do it myself 😉

What’s the deal with Wheeler? I have a Raider fan friend that is pissed we signed him away, but I don’t know much about him. Was last year the first year he started consistently? Did he start the whole season? Help me out. Do I need to start looking at a chiffon robe or what?

Wheeler was drafted in 2008 by the Indianapolis Colts, in the 3rd RD, pick #93, from GA Tech. In 2008, as a rookie, Wheeler did not start a game. He started 7 games for Indy at MLB, with 56 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed, and 1 FF. In 2010, Wheeler only started 6 games, totaling 51 tackles and 1 pass defensed. In 2011, Wheeler played at a couple of LB spots, both inside and out starting 11 games making 80 tackles, and 1 sack.

Wheeler signed a 1 year contract with the Oakland Raiders in 2012, and his career really took off. He started all 16 games, some at ILB, and some at SOLB, and finished with 109 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 passes defensed, 2 FF and 1 FR.

This article, from the Mercury News, gives you a very good idea of what Philip Wheeler will be bringing to the Dolphins. People here have asked about what happens now that are leaders are leaving, and i think you’ll see that Wheeler is ready take on that task.

http://www.mercurynews.com/raiders/ci_21814441/philip-wheeler-now-leader-oakland-raiders-defense

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from Rhino

Q – Impersonation is the best form of flattery. If you were the Rich Little of this blog (or for you young pups – Frank Caliendo) in your best MF-13 “voice” please give an honest evaluation of the first two days of Free Agency for the Dolphins. Your response should include a critique of Jeff Ireland’s strategies regarding the positions of WR, LB, and T. So tell us, MF-13 impersonator, why were these moves made and what do they mean for the direction of the Dolphins?

Sure you don’t want me to do Top Secret? 🙂

Ok, here’s my best, and M13, I love ya bud, take no offense, I’m just answering the question as it’s written.

“I worry about young Martin manning the LT spot, and I think we MUST get a T before the draft. I’d much prefer to trade back at #12, but I fear if we don’t adequately address LT in free agency, we may be forced to trade UP, and go for Luke Joeckel.

I’m pleased we got Dannell Ellerbe, as he was a very much an important cog in the Baltimore Ravens defense. I like this cat A LOT! Not sure how I feel about Wheeler, I think we’ll have to wait and see on this one.

I’m hoping we don’t get Keller, as I think, like much like Son, that Eifert will be a more complete TE, and not a one dimensional seam threat.

I was all for getting Greg Jennings, but I DO see why Wallace makes us better. He will blow the top off defenses, and keep the safeties honest, THAT’S REAL! 🙂

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from Wyoming

Q – Now that we have Wallace signed do you still go Patterson in the first?

How does your WR big board look now?

I wouldn’t go Cord in the 1st, and I’d bet a lot of money that Ireland and Co. won’t either. We have bigger fish to fry at other positions, namely CB, TE, OL and DE. I don’t have a big board set up, I have been crazy busy getting my basement set up. I can tell you the guys I like though. If we do need to go OT, depending on whether Ireland feels Martin can handle it or not, I like Lane Johnson and Terron Armstead. I also like OG Jonathan Cooper a lot. All of these guys have great footwork, and would be ideal for the zone blocking scheme we employ. I think we need a CB pretty badly, so if it were me, and some may think it’s a reach, but I would take Des Trufant at #12. He will be taken in the 1st RD for sure, likely the second half of RD1, but we won’t get another shot at him, unless we trade back into the 1st RD, and mid RD to be exact. I like Jordan Poyer too, and he should be available at pick #42, but you never know.

If we don’t get a TE in FA, I’d have to say Tyler Eifert makes sense. he’s an all-around TE, not just a pass catcher. He makes sense, but we are currently in the process of working out a deal with Dustin Keller, so by the time you read this, he may already be a Miami Dolphin.

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from O Rob

Q – Hi Mike,

Why did it take so long to have big FA $$$ and numerous early picks? Why wasn’t this done after the Henne debacle with the new CBA? Does it take time and foresight to be in this position with all the money and picks? Who’s responsible for getting us in this situation with our new found wealth? Do you think this is the answer to contention in 2013, (are you drinking the kool-aide)? Do you think this could’ve been done any faster post Henne?  How would you rate the party responsible for all this so far?

Thanks,

O Rob

Man! That’s like 10 questions in 1 ! 🙂

First things first. Ireland came here in 2008, as part of team, headed by Bill Parcells. Yes, Ireland had the GM title, but as far as I’m concerned, he wasn’t “Large and in Charge” until the big man left the building, and I really mean he left the building.

Second things second. I’m not sure if it was the master plan from the beginning, to have all these picks and cap money available all in one season, but regardless if it was or wasn’t, Ireland has to get the credit for that. No one else put is in this position, even if some didn’t like how we arrived here. We traded a fan fave in Vontae Davis for a 2nd and a conditional 6th RD pick, in which the conditional part never materialized due to the “conditions” of playing time, which Vontae didn’t get enough of to meet those parameters. We traded Brandon “Stabby” Marshall for two 3rd RD picks, one last year, and the other in this years draft. This gives us picks #12, #42, #54, #77 and #82, all totaling 5 picks in the first 3 rounds. We also have a 4th RD pick not yet determined due to compensatory picks, but we pick 14th in the RD, a 5th RD pick, NO 6th RD pick (Due to Vontae not making the playing time parameters, and the trade up last year to get Lamar “MillerTime” Miller), and two 7th RD picks.

Oh I’m drinking the kool-aid alright, I have a kool-aid line hooked up in my refrigerator baby!

If by contention, you mean Playoffs, (PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS??), I most definitely think we should not only be in the hunt for the playoffs, but for a much sought after division crown as well! How far we go in the playoffs will likely be determined by how far Ryan Tannehill has progressed, because that’s the key to our success. We can add all the talent in the world, but if Tannehill doesn’t step up and take the reins of this team, and get us into the end zone regularly, we won’t make it past the 1st RD. You need to score, and I think we will.

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And now for today’s, “Are they fake, or real? 🙂 Enjoy!