We’ve talked about it for a long time, in fact, some of us started talking about it before we drafted last year, in the 2015 NFL draft. It never stops. The NFL Draft, the place where dreams are either realized, or crushed. There is always hope, always, because where else can you bring in new, young talent, and the potential to bring in 8 or more new faces to your team in one weekend. This only happens with the NFL, and then after the draft, even more excitement is generated by the signing of players who went undrafted. Sometimes, a player who was expected to be a mid round pick falls completely off the draft board, or in last year’s case, a possible top 10 pick, like La’el Collins, who due to bizarre circumstances with a murder case he had no part in yet was being questioned by police, had all 32 teams wipe him right off their draft boards.
Tomorrow will begin the madness that is the 2016 NFL Draft. The Miami Dolphins currently hold 8 picks, starting from the #13 pick, #42, #73, #107, #147, #186, #227, and finally #231. There is no guarantee that the Dolphins will use all those picks to get 8 players, they may trade up early in the 1st RD and use 2 or 3 picks to accomplish that. They may trade back later in the into the 1st RD, and gain a couple of picks. There are so many angles from which to look at either strategy, and a case can be made for both, without either of them being necessarily wrong or right. For instance, supposedly, this draft plateaus from approximately pick #15 to pick #50, meaning the talent at #50 is nearly equal to the talent at #15. We pick at #13, right around that imaginary line, so would trading back to pick up a couple of extra players in that range be smart? Sure. If all the supposed blue chippers are in the top 10, does it not make sense to trade up and get a superior talent and a player with a greater chance of making a big impact on our team right now? Sure.
Whatever we do tomorrow, partly because of past failures, such as the Dion Jordan trade up to #3 in 2013, or just because of personal preferences, some of us will be angry at some of the selections we make, and yet others will be ecstatic. That’s how it is. I have to give all you guys/girls lots of credit for your dedication to the sport, and especially the entire draft process. I know many of you tirelessly watch college football to find potential for the Miami Dolphins, and others, like myself, who don’t watch college ball, scour as many scouting reports, watch highlight reels, record and watch the entire week of Senior Bowl practices and the game itself, the same with the NFL combine. The funny thing is, even the best of the best here, who really put in max effort, most likely don’t put in a fraction of the time our scouting staff put in, and our coaches and our GM put in. Granted, that’s their job, we do it for (fun?). Still, we should all probably just chill out with the negative feelings (I know I will have them), because these guys really did put in the effort to make the team better, and hopefully, it actually works.
I’m going to give you my picks for each round, without trade ups or trade downs, because those are just too hard to predict, it requires a lot of cooperation and desire from another team or two, and therefore, I’ll just do it straight up. This draft is not who I want for our team, it’s how I expect it to happen.
RD 1 – Pick #13 RB Ohio State – Ezekiel Elliott
First of all, let’s put that myth that if he’s elite, he’ll be gone by pick #10 nonsense, and if he’s not, he’ll be there. Great NFL players are chosen all over the place, and these selections are made by a few parameters, GRADE, NEED (at a certain position) and VALUE. Every team will have different metrics on those, and many teams obviously have different needs for both position, and the type of players they want to fill those positions. For example, while Vernon Hargreaves may be rated very high on most boards, a team that prefers bigger CB’s may not have him on their board early at all. So back to Elliott. He would most definitely be our best RB if he were to join our team.
Much has been made of Adam Gase’s use of a “running back by committee”. I think it’s only fair to look at each situation, and why that may have been. In Denver 2013, first off, Gase had Peyton Manning., who threw the ball 659 times for nearly 5500 yards. The Broncos drafted Montee Ball, and added him to a stable with Knowshown Moreno, Ronnie Hillman, and and CJ Anderson. Moreno carried the ball 241 times, more than double the carries Montee Ball got at 120 carries. Is that really a RB by committee? In 2014, again, Manning put up astronomical numbers, 597 pass attempts, over 4700 yards. With Knowshown Moreno out of the picture, and Montee ball fat and out of shape, and fumbling often, Gase had little choice to try and find the hot hand. CJ Anderson rushed 179 times, for 849 yards, and Ronnie Hillman 106 times, for 434. Keep in mind, Ronnie Hillman was the better 3rd down back, and most of his action was on 3rd down, but again, the RB by committee aspect doesn’t necessarily show up, because the talent just simply wasn’t there to earn the bulk of the carries.
In Chicago, 2015, Adam Gase had 30 YO Matt Forte, rookie Jeremy Langford, and 2nd YR RB Ka’Deem Carey. Just for some background, Forte has never really been a bellcow RB, the most carries he had in his career was his rookie season when had a high of 316 carries. He never broke 300 again, and has been slowly diminishing in carries the last few years, from 289 in ’13, to 266 in ’14, and last year 218. Langford carried 148 times, and Carey 43. Clearly, Forte was his best guy, but at 30 YO, he didn’t overwork him, and for the most part, Chicago’s offense was a disappointment, despite Jay Cutler playing at his most efficient, with 21 TD’s and only 11 INT’s. They sorely missed Brandon Marshall last season, and when Alshon Jeffery got hurt, that was it for this offense.
My point is, I don’t believe that Gase has a strategy to use his running backs nearly equally. I think he had to in Denver, out of necessity, and in Chicago, he didn’t want to burn out his 30 year old star in Matt Forte. Gase did say he wants a stable of RB’s, and I think that’s the responsible thing to do, considering what can happen if there’s a severe drop off in talent from your starter to your reserves. make no mistake, if we draft Ezekiel Elliott, he will clearly be our best RB, and we will use him as such. He will make a huge impact in our offense.
RD 2 – Pick #42 CB Houston – William Jackson III
We have a definite need at CB, no question about it, and we get the best we can in the 2nd RD. Jackson gives another 6 foot CB who can play both press and zone coverage. A good fit for what we’re looking for, Jackson will certainly be given every opportunity to start opposite Byron Maxwell.
RD 3 – Pick #73 OG Stanford – Joshua Garnett
As much as we need a CB, we need to shore up the interior OL. We get the powerful OG Garnett from Stanford. Garnett also will be given every opportunity to start somewhere on the OL, most likely LG, to compete with vet Jermon Bushrod. That will leave a battle royale at RG, with Billy Turner, Jamil Douglas, and Kraig Urbik .
RD 4 – Pick #107 OLB Akron – Jatavis Brown
Excellent athletic player, with wheels (4.47 40). Driven, team oriented player, lunch pail type of guy. A little undersized at 5’11” 227, but a great guy to bring into the mix at OLB.
RD 5 – Pick #147 S Miami – Deon Bush
Bush is a physical player who likes to hit, and when he does, forces fumbles. Bush forced 5 fumbles in 2014. He can also go up and get the ball with his 39 1/2″vertical. Bush has only 4 INT’s in 4 years, along with 13 passes defensed. Could be a good player down the line.
RD 6 – Pick #186 CB Virginia – Maurice Canady
Canady brings another CB with size to the team. Not a physical player, but a player with talent that perhaps VJ can bring out.
RD 7 – Pick #227 DE Baylor – Shawn Oakman
Oakman is probably worth a flier in the 7th RD. he could easily end up off the team before the season, but maybe, the light goes on, and he becomes a player. I’d take tht chance this late in the game.
RD 7 – Pick #231 WR Illinois – Geronimo Allison
OK, so I really just want to scream Genonimo!!!!!! Do I take a chance and try to sign him after the draft? No way!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
who knows why Grier or Tannenbum traded up. Maybe they heard someone else was going to get take him? He may be high on their board after meeting with him or whatever. Our DC has been a DB coach for years. He MUST have signed off on it. You guys know I don’t watch college ball so I don’t know anything about any of these guys until after the superbowl. I’m going to give Grier the benefit of the doubt like I always do until it plays out. WOOOO HOOOOOO GO HOWARD! GO DOLPHINS!
Mike I rarely listen to MF…lol…but he’s a great guy it seems…not knocking him…but our evaluations are usually quite different.
Rock: ‘stand the fuck up’ …. and put your back into that remote throw at your t.v. screen. 🙂
Bri
Tell me why I should be happy with X. Howard
I doubt the coaches were relying on him to play significant snaps this year.
I agree, but I don’t think they have ruled it out yet either. They have only had 3 practices with these guys and not even real practices. I think they will approach the offseason with open eyes and try to get every guy on the squad to be “the starter” until they SEE one or the other emerge. Hopefully the competitions are close and they all rise so there isn’t that much of a drop off if the guy who ultimately wins out gets injured.
https://twitter.com/theflyingpig44/status/726202402538414080
There goes the first RB
Maybe the fins were worried Baltimore or the Bills were going to pick Howard . I couldn’t see TB or NYG taking a CB after taking one in the first. Maybe they were afraid someone was going to jump them.
Henry…. a LB who runs the ball. lol
Titans lighting this draft on fire.
Mike E. says:
April 29, 2016 at 8:06 pm
I would have like to have paired Jihad with Isa. Could have been terrors on defense.
I was going to go with “well, the good thing is they probably have experience handling bombs.”
Xavien Howard
Sources Tell Us “I love his ‘see ball, get ball’ attitude. I thought he would run a 4.47 at the combine, so I’ll go back and double check the tape, but we value ball skills over speed so my grade won’t change based on his 40.” — AFC East scout
You guys think that AFC East scout was OUR scout?
** Think
Thanks Rock
Well, someone is wrong because Mayock said Howard had some trouble finding the ball on tape.
Mayock who cares what he says he don’t know shit. He does look back and locate the ball very well from what I saw of him. Nothing worse than a DB that just watches the receiver (Taylor).
Just watched Howard against NC, he covered both of their huge WRs and did a good job on most plays, but a couple of bad plays resulted in 2 long TDs. I don’t mind taking him, but a trade up? I guess his ability to cover the big ins excited them.
Mike,
Howard has very good size for a CB. He’s fast , plays physical and makes plays. He has some flaws in his game- he can be inconsistent at times (most college prospects can), and I think Joseph can get the most out of him.
Thanks Bri – Hoping for the best with him
26 picks to go… yawwwwn. That’s when we take the highest rated chiropractor on the board.
Man, I like the old blond chick much better than Much Mouth Deon Sanders, but “I just saw her wiping tears up there.”? huh?
I was just happy she didn’t comment in what color they were wearing
Someone needs to shoot her
Ifoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
That’s right!
rgs – Maybe the guy turns into a player. Can’t get too bent outta shape until he gives us a reason to
Mike, I am in book two “Servant of the Empire” I really think it is better than the previous Midkemia novels. It took a while for me to “get used to” the foreign culture but the story is good!!
That’s cool Rock. I’m still on book 2 of Riftwar. I only read during my paltry 1/2 HR meal breaks, and I really only get to read about 1/2 that
Ragland wasn’t as good as Rolando McClain coming out….so no big loss to me.
I do think that an early 4th is a bit much to move up four spots in the second.
Forkin Whiners!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s not like I wanted Ragland or something?
CBS Sports had Howard ranked 75th. So, you know, moving up to 38th was a steal.
I’ll wait and see with Howard, but his college film wasn’t overly impressive
CBS:
Xavien Howard | CB, Baylor
Height: 6-0 Weight: 201
This is a kid scout´s loved. A fast riser who can step into their scheme and start. I like the move to get him. A-
notice we both cited CBS…not sure what the ‘C’ stands for, but I got a good guess what the BS stands for. 🙂
Spriggs could be a very solid pro tackle. Nice pick.
Mike, I read at least an hour a day. I leave work, whatever time and stop at the Starbucks on the way home from my house. I sit on the couches out front and read and drink my Iced latte. (quad shot) But truth be told, the Starbucks is situated between a hair salon on one side and a nail salon on the other so I probably only read for 20-30 minutes of that time. LOL there is too much smoking hot traffic passing constantly.)
LOL!! I hear that. Have a little trouble keeping your eyes in your book, eh?
Rhino – Until Jihad went off the board, Howard was the lowest rated player on NFL.com
In the 2nd RD
He’s had 9 INT’s in 2 years!
He had some film that looked really bad too man. I’d take consistent play over burst greatness
He’s defiantly has some ballhawk skills
But he gives up a lot too
Grier’s body language is that of a person who thinks he’s fucked up and is making excuses. “We thought there was going to be a run” “there aren’t very many left”
Panic. SMH
Well . . . . Grier couldn’t have been more wrong. Howard the only CB taken so far in RD 2. 😦
MikeE,
Like I said….reeks of a panic move….sorta like Ireland did for DT3.
That sucks. If we took him at #42, I still wouldn’t have liked the pick, but hated it less.
But DTinfinity is going to be a stud for us this year in his 2nd incarnation!
3rd!
Oh well, all we can do is root for the kid to ball out now.
Bravo
If you look close at that clip of Grier, you can see the strings, and Mr. T’s shadow. You have to look close though
Oh where oh where has Hickey gone oh where oh where has he gone…
All college CB’s get beat some….you guys are funny. We needed a CB, the ir was a run last half of the 1st round…we couldn’t pass on a franchise LT.
Howard is the kinda tough kid VJ wants. He’ll have him ready by week 1 i suspect.
Relax and face the facts, we can’t get a Tunsil with every pick…lol
Why is it that when we trade up everyone is so pissed off and acts like our FO doesn’t know what they’re doing? How many other teams have traded up this yr for picks, the national guys aren’t killing them for it, why are you guys so worried about losing a pick, that probably isn’t going to have much of an impact on the Fins?
Tannenbaum likes to go up and get his guy, it’s worked ok in the past. If we don’t trade up we end up with Will Davis (I know we traded up for him, but not soon enough). They wanted the big CBs, and didn’t feel there was anyone else left like Howard. We’ll see how it goes.
Maybe it has something to do with the guy we traded up for, no? I’d bet if it was Noah Spence, the reaction would be very different.
Have a little trouble keeping your eyes in your book, eh?
Reply
Mike, today I was sitting there on the outdoor couch closest to the path reading and a women wearing one of those little “summer dresses” stopped next to where I was sitting, balanced herself on the column away from me and leaned over to adjust her sandal strap…….16 inches from me…..I had movement.
LMFAO!! it moved
Happy the see Jaylon Smith and Myles Jack drafted. Wish those guys the best. Smith’s brother plays for the Cowboys too. That’s kind of cool.
Xavien Howard fits the scheme we want to run and I knew it would be received with negativity and I have no idea why. LOL
We talked about him being a physical corner that fits what we’re looking for. 5 INTs and 10 PD last season – isn’t that what everyone wants, a guy who can get his hands on the ball?
He ran a 4.58 at the combine and a 4.41 at his pro day. A lot of combine times were slow for guys and they had drastic improvements at their pro days.
Maybe we traded up for him because he’s who we wanted, not just any CB.
Also like Rock said, they go to commercial before we pick, then do it again after our pick with no discussions and highlights like they do for every other prospect. WTF?!!!
Same shit every yr with the commercials. Why do you want to see his highlights anyways, go watch his game tape.
Just like they do with everyone else with the comments etc., they make it seem like we’re not in the league. LOL
I will laugh if we take the PK next. I was so close with Spence as the pick. Sleep deprived at the minute.
So, Tunsil was #2 on Fins board. Who was the #1? (Ramsey maybe?)
LOL @ Ireland comparisons. SMH
We traded up to get the 75th ranked player to 38 does that not reek of an Irelandism?
Tim, I think a lot of us were seeing Spence sitting there… a athletic freak.
Tim, they do that every year. Last year they were fucking talking about what the Patriots might do later in the draft when our pick came in. not even the team before or after us. then they had to catch up on the other teams and said like nothing about our pick. It was like “oh yeah the dolphins picked someone” The next team bla blah blah
Has to be an RB next, I like the guy from Utah Devontae Booker.
Man oh man… Texans keep building around Osweiller
Don’t pick Hackenberg. Don’t pick Hackenberg.
Brian is the shit tonight!
Grier said they felt there was going to be a run on DBs, and they moved up because of it. It never happened, so they were wrong.
I’d rather a trade up for someone they feel worth it, than just taking someone, because they’re on the clock with no real player targeted. With that say I hate losing picks.
They guessed wrong though Steve. Grier said he thought another run on CB’s was going to happen, and still at this point, not one CB off the board other than Howard. They fucked up, that’s it.
Lol @ the hackenberg pick
There is the Jet’s starter at QB
Son
Who had him 75th?
CBS according to what Rhino said earlier.
Hackenburg to the jets I like it he sucks.
No he doesn’t Steve.
22 picks until we have something else to be mad about
That’s like taking the fat girl home at 1:30 because the bar is going to close in 30 minutes….
I thought there was going to be a run on the honeys
Where’s Herd, Pennington is on.
Shit. I’m telling you right now if the Jets can develop Hackenberg, he’s going to be very good.
The only thing the jests can develop is herpes
Tannehill good or actually good? LOL
I must have cursed Mackensie Alexander
Son
Howard is #83 on NFL.com – Feel better?
LOL evil prick.
There you go invert it and we have our man Thanks Jeff Grier.
Clayton’s old number
So Tunsil at 13 (Marino)
And Howard is the 83rd best (Clayton)
It’s good luck
#24 is still there!
System fit.
Fat girls appreciate you more.LOL
Thy can appreciate you more. I stick with the ones who take me for granted if that’s the case, because, well, if their hot, it’s granted I will be willing to see to their desires. LOL
Wow the Mets scored 12 runs in the 3rd against the Giants capped off with a Cespedes grand slam and 6 RBIs in the inning.
Awesome, watching the draft, not even thinking of BB
I was flipping back and forth. Every time I went back there were still no outs, men on base and the score kept changing. LOL
Tonight I’m a mets fan, because they’re playing the giants. In two weeks I’ll be a mets fan again, because I’m going to the LV mets (51s) game.
Hopefully, we’ll get the next pick right
Wyoming… Mayock also had Howard at 78th. 70’s is a pretty consistent ranking.
I was just asking
#24 still on the board?
There system doesn’t seem to match the GM’s
We probably need to take that RB in the 3rd if we have no 4th
Unless we trade down
Or up from the 5th
And why the hell is he worried about a run on CB’s when they said they will let their board speak, that’s drafting for need
Man my speech recognition sucks. It can’t spell the right words half the time, uses the wrong their there and they’re and wont spell F******
Goodell probably called our FO and said “Listen guys, you really got thrown a bone in the 1st RD, how about you guys throw a bone back for me in the 2nd RD, take Xavien Howard, you need a CB, no one will know.”
Fuck!
Our 3 top outside CBs are 6′ 6′ 1″ and 6′ 2″. All system fit guys.
(A tear falls from Piggy’s eye)
F****** F***** F***** up!
We better score some fucking points
Sua Cravens
Jeremy CAsh
Mackensie Alexander
And a bunch of RBs still on the board
I had Howard in a couple of my mocks twice in the 2nd so I’m cool with the pick. He fits what we’re looking for. He needs to clean some things up in his game like most prospects do but he’s also a ballhawk.
D are you a D on Jones fan? LOL 6 1 222
Fuck
Look the Howard pick is over so I’m just going to hope for the best but no one is convincing me he is great other than him. I know what I saw and it definitely was not all good and it was an occasional burn. We did not have to trade up for him. If it had been sieve, Ragland, Henry, shit, a ton of different guys it at least would have made a little sense, that trade did not make sense for that pick period.
Wasn’t an occasional burn I meant. He had whole games of suck.
They gave their reason and it didn’t happen. Nobody here knew what was going to happen either. Hindsight is real easy.
Anyone else tired of booing the commissioner every freaking time? STFU!!!!
Yeah it’s annoying
Really annoying
Surprised they haven’t gotten bored by nor lost their voices
Yes STFU already. He get’s it.
Lots of Cheats fans there?
System fit is one thing. Being a good player is another. Just because you’re the first…doesn’t mean you’re the second.
Would you rather have Mario Williams playing OLB in a 3-4?
So they drafted him because they don’t think he’s a good player? We won’t know until he plays a bunch of games as is the case with every other prospect. We see it every year, some top prospects don’t pan out and lesser ones do.
Tim I get that, but that’s not even close to making sense
Makes perfect sense, if you don’t think about it 😛
I don’t have an opinion on Howard, but I do NOT like that Grier basically admitted that they panicked when they picked him.
By they way, does anyone know why the word is panic without a K but if you use it past tense you add the K??????? Panicked not Paniced?
Really?
Do you guys have anything else to bitch at? I need a beer.
Alright Mackenzie
Good team to go to
Hope Bullard lasts to our pick
So now what’s left
Calhoune
Bullard
Cash
Scooby….lol
Jordan Jenkins
Anyone else
Every year is the same. There are guys here that will crucify every move and those who defend the moves or at least say “wait and see” some people love to hate their team.
He had a rough time pronouncing Boyd
Tim
It’s their freaking job to gauge these things correctly. When they miss like that, it costs the team, in this case, a 4th RD pick. That’s fucked up. I know I get shit at work if I make a mistake, so should they!
Fair enough but you don’t know if he was a good pick or not yet.
Absolutely not. None of us do, even the ones that like him as a player.
What bothers me is our FO saying we are more than one player away (implying we need several), and yet we trade away the ability to bring in those players. frustrating.
https://twitter.com/justrvb/status/726213216272003072
I’m as loyal as anyone and I only bitch when I really don’t agree with it. Even if it’s reasonable I go with them being the experts but you are telling me I’m just crucifying my team because I can’t say great pick great trade?
18 picks to go
Piggs that kicker is out there…
May as well get a kicker who can kick 75 yarders we don’t seem to ever get in proper FG range
Rock
We can wait and see, but we have a loooooong way to wait, so we’ll bitch until we can see.
good pick for Bears
And why the hell is Tannenbaum letting a rookie GM panic(k)?
These players/teams wouldn’t be making millions of dollars if fans weren’t out there bitching and debating, so I’m guessing they are okay with it. If not..fuck ’em. Lol
Read the comment’s LMMFAO!!!!!!!!!!
Lol
We didn’t need to trade a fourth to live up four spots in the second. Two out of the four teams in front of us drafted a corner in the first round.
son,
Past tense ya frickin’ cretin! Lol