Last week I took a look at the 3 crucial positions we need to address either through Free Agency, or via the NFL Draft. This week I’ll take a look at the rest. Although none of these positions, or the players that play them are as needy for our team as LB, DE and OL, we may still pick up a few players at some other positions, so let’s take a look at them.
The first position I’m going to look at is CB. Right now, we have veteran Byron Maxwell, along with a collection of young players like 2016 rookie Xavien Howard, Tony Lippett (2nd YR), Bobby McCain (2nd YR), CB/S Jordan Lucas (R) and Lafayette Pitts (R). In other words, it gets real thin once you get past McCain, so we may be looking to add better depth, or possibly challenge the top 3 guys.
Cornerback
Justin Gilbert CB 6’0” 202 (Steelers)
Gilbert was the 8th pick overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. He languished in Cleveland, and was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Gilbert didn’t start a game for the Steelers, and appeared in 12, and he was just cut 2 days ago. Gilbert is a very good athlete who did well at the combine, running a 4.37 40, and putting up 20 reps, with long arms (33 1/8”). So what’s up with Gilbert? First of all, he was overdrafted. He has the size, and athletic ability, but even at Oklahoma St., he wasn’t a standout CB.
Why he fits – Gilbert is also a KR/PR. He would have value as a player who can also play ST’s. Good athlete with the size we’re looking for. Salary may be at a place that makes signing him worth a shot.
Why he doesn’t fit – Gilbert has yet to show he can play CB in the pros, and that’s already for 2 teams in his very young career. He may not be cut out for the NFL.
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Ross Cockrell CB 6’0” 191 (Steelers)
Cockrell was drafted in the 4th RD of the ’14 draft by the Bills, and released at the end of the ’14 season. The Steelers picked him up, and he appeared in 15 games in ‘15, starting 7. Last season, Cockrell started all 16 games, and finished with 62 tackles (47 solo), 14 passes defensed, and 1 FR.
Why he fits – Cockrell is the opposite of Gilbert. Maybe not the fastest guy, and drafted in the 4th RD, he has had a pretty good career, and has proven he’s a capable player, starting all 16 games last season. Would be a good player to challenge our young guys, and would give us some more depth.
Why he doesn’t fit – Not an exceptional athlete, not a ball hawk, just a steady, competent player. The Steelers are believed to want to re-sign Cockrell, so his price may escalate.
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The next position is Tight End. Right now all we currently have under contract is Marqueis Gray. Dion Sims is a FA, along with Jordan Cameron (Thankfully!). The ’17 draft offers a few good possibilities, but let’s look at who’s available in FA.
Tight End
Martellus Bennett TE 6’7” 248 (Patriots)
Bennett was signed by NE last season to be the complement to Rob Gronkowski, but Gronk again was injured, leaving Bennett to start 12 of the 16 games he played in. While Bennett isn’t Gronk, he had a nice season for the Patriots, catching 55 passes for 710 yards, and 7 TD’s. Bennett will be 30 before the ’17 season begins.
Why he fits – Coach Gase knows Bennett well from Chicago, and while Bennett didn’t enjoy the success he had in New England with Chicago, there is familiarity. Not a real blocking TE, he’s a pretty decent receiver who can be a seam threat.
Why he doesn’t fit – Bennett would just be a stop gap for the Dolphins, he’s already 30 YO. Not a great blocker, so doesn’t offer a lot in that regard in 2 TE sets as a blocker. He may cost around $6M, and we could draft a TE instead.
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Jared Cook TE 6’5” 246 (Packers)
Cook has played for 3 NFL teams, most recently for the Packers. Cook has always been a good receiving TE, and is usually used split out, rather than as an in-line TE. Last season, Cook hauled in 30 passes for 377 yards, and 1 TD.
Why he fits – Cook is an experienced TE, who understands the game. He’s an accomplished receiver, who can find the soft spots, and knows to work back to the QB when it’s necessary. He shouldn’t be getting nearly as much as Bennett, somewhere between $3-4M
Why he doesn’t fit – Like Bennett, Cook is a receiver first, blocker 3rd. He’s not a dirty in the trenches TE, he’s like a big WR. He also doesn’t offer much as a red zone target with only 17 TD’s in 8 seasons.
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Safety
Right now, we have Reshad Jones, Isa Abdul-Quddus and Walt Aikens. Michael Thomas and Baccari Rambo are both FA’s. Aikens who is a CB/S tweener much like Jordan Lucas, I’m not sure either one of these guys will ever find a position. I’d like to bring in a bigger safety, take some of the pressure off of Reshad Jones.
T.J. McDonald S 6’3” 219 (Rams)
McDonald was a 3rd RD pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and is a 4 YR starter for the Rams. Last season, McDonald finished up with 62 tackles, (49 solo), 2 INT’s, and 1 sack. McDonald has been a steady presence for the Rams, a defender who can be counted on to make the tackle. Not a real ball hawk, McDonald is good in coverage.
Why he fits – McDonald would be a complement to Reshad, and take the pressure off Jones to play up in the box and get dirty. It would allow Jones to run free and play more coverage. He has the right size to match up with TE’s and bigger receivers.
Why he doesn’t fit – Dolphins may be looking for a playmaker, and we already have Isa Abdul-Quddus. This would slide Isa down the chart, which is fine with me, but not sure we want to go that way.
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Jonathan Cyprien S 6’0” 217 (Jaguars)
Cyprien was a 2nd RD pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2013 NFL Draft. Cyprien has been a starter since his rookie season, and has started and played in 60 games. Cyprien is a physical player, and a tackling machine. Last season Cyprien finished the season with 126 tackles (96 solo), 1 FF, 1 FR, and 1 sack.
Why he fits – Our tackling issues are well chronicled, and although it’s not best to have your safety making all the tackles, at least someone is getting it done. Has been healthy his entire career, still young at 26. Much like McDonald, he would free up Reshad to play more centerfield.
Why he doesn’t fit – He will likely be an expensive player to bring in, and knowing we want to try and keep Reshad Jones, that’s a lot of money at safety. Not sure how high, but I’d figure at least $7M per year.
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Defensive Tackle
Obviously we have a lot of money tied up at DT with Ndamukong Suh, but besides Suh, we’re actually doing OK. Earl Mitchell is the next highest earner, and his cap hit is less than $5M ($4.5M). We have Jordan Phillips (3rd YR) returning, along with somewhat promising Julius Warmsley. Mitchell missed 7 games last season, playing in 9, starting 5. We could use another guy who could fill in, so let’s take a look at who I think can help us.
Bennie Logan DT 6’2” 309 (Eagles)
Logan was a 3rd RD pick for the Eagles in the 2013 NFL Draft. He has played 4 seasons, starting every game he played in since his his 2nd season. Last season he played and started in 13 games, and totaled 24 tackles, (16 solo), 2.5 sacks, 2 FF’s and 1 FR.
Why he fits – Logan can be a part of the D-line rotation, and can step in and start if there’s an injury, much like Earl Mitchell can right now. If they decided to cut Earl Mitchell, and replace him with Logan, Mitchell’s dead cap hit is only $500K.
Why he doesn’t fit – Logan will most likely receive offers for a salary commensurate of a starter, which could mean upwards of $10M per year, and with all the salary we already have with Suh, it’s not likely we tie up more money at that position, unless we make a cut.
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Abry Jones DT 6’3” 313 (Jaguars)
Jones was signed by the Jags as undrafted free agent in 2013. After playing in only 8 games his rookie season, Jones has played in almost every game the next 3 seasons. Last season, Jones played in 15 games, starting 9 of them. He totaled 32 tackles (26 solo) and 1 pass defensed. He does have 5.5 sacks in his career.
Why he fits – He would fit nicely as a rotational player on the line. He won’t be commanding a huge salary, and he’s very young, he will still be 25 at the start of the season. He has enough playing experience to be a productive player.
Why he doesn’t fit – I actually think Jones could be a perfect fit here. The money should fit nicely, but of course, I don’t know what our scouts think of him, and that could be why they look elsewhere.
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I think we’re set at QB, RB, and WR. I don’t expect us to be looking at any players at those positions. Like I mentioned in last week’s article, the 3 positions of most need where we may address our roster was OL, LB and DE. I think following those by a pretty good distance would be CB, S and DT. All this will be determined of course by Mike Tannenbaum, Chris Grier, and Adam Gase, our Vice President of Football Operations, General Manager and Head Coach respectively. I think most of the spending will be there, but we’ll see soon enough!
Feb 6th is the day when waivers start. Players with less than 4 years of NFL service can be waived and picked up by other teams. Any player with more than 4 years that is cut becomes a free agent. March 7th is the day when “legal tampering” begins, teams can begin negotiating terms for contracts at that time.
March 9th is the big day, by 4PM teams must decide whether to exercise any 2017 options on contracts with that clause. At 4PM, FREE AGENCY BEGINS!
Go Dolphins!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Nice job Mike!!!
Good read MikeE.
When did you become a professional?
Dont’a Hightower had only 1 tackle for a loss last season. 1. And this guy turned down $10M/yr extension from NE
Neville Hewitt: 5gms started, 64 tackles, 40 solo, 4 tfl’s.
Dont’a Hightower: 13gms started, 65tkls, 31 solo, 1 tfl.
Good job Mike. Of course we cannot and should not rule out anyone being traded. Nothing is off the table as far as Tannenbaum is concerned and if they have the opportunity to do what they think is an improvement they will take the opportunity.
I woke up a few times during the early morning storm, freezing rain was pelting the windows, and I’m a light sleeper. First text I get from my boss is we’re closed this morning. Next text comes in an hour later, and this time I fell back asleep, and we’re closed for the entire day. That’s great, but I lose a days pay, AND, I have to go shovel my driveway. It’s still kind of fun, but not as fun as when it was a snow day from school.
I get a text from my boss saying that we can work remotely but we have to be logged in on the system by 9 or else we have to take time off
My wife is in the same boat as you, except she would get paid either way. She doesn’t however have a choice, she has to work, it’s busy season, and they need all hands on deck.
That is so weird?
Ken
How is it by you? Is this storm worse in CT or NJ?
Massive snow storm today predictions keep going up latest is 14-20″. Looks like we already got about 8″
Wow! I think it’s only 6-10″ here.
I had to get up and turn the ceiling fan off
Time to
make the donutsshovel the driveway.This seems like a good time to remind everyone of the advantages of renting an apt in Manhattan
I’m in court right now
It’s a complete waste of time but I had to come
Everything is going no to be adjourned
we are experiencing “Record heat” here in SF today. at least that is what they said on the 10oclock news last night.
That’s what she said
I’m done with court weeeee
Glad I didn’t have to go the piggery today
aka Utopia
My friend from Idaho posted a pic of his barn roof caved in on top of his brand new Camaro, Combine, Travel trailer, Bailer!
It wasn’t pretty!
That sucks
Just finished shoveling. Plow came by twice, I shoveled all the way into the street so that when they came by, they didn’t bury the front of my driveway. Still, had to go shovel it again twice.
“Plow came by twice”
That’s what she said
Thunder and lightning during the snow storm is pretty cool
I bet! Haven’t seen anything like that here. It seems as if the snow is actually slowing down a little here, which is fine with me.
We have at least a foot and it is still coming down
That’ what she said
WY
I’m probably going to expose my urban ignorance with this question
but…
People keep their cars in their barns?
If you can afford a big enough barn!
Usually there is a side of the barn for equipment storage- Bailer, Combine. But a Camaro is in storage pretty much all winter.
I see that makes sens e
Mike E. says:
February 9, 2017 at 9:54 am (Edit)
Wow! I think it’s only 6-10″ here.
*************
that’s what she said
LOL – Getting some mileage out of this! I know, that’s what she said. 🙂
We now have a blizzard warning here locally
Man, stay safe Ken
That’s what she said
Good write up Mike.
I guess we got about 4-5″ and it seems to have stopped. I can’t tell if it’s just blowing around or still coming down a bit but it’s not a lot. I think people closer to the ocean got more.
That’s what she said
On my way back from court
I slipped in the ice and crashed on the sidewalk
Embarrassing…
Here a visual reference
LOL!
I think that Fireman is trying to help Piggy up?
That’s what she said
I think Amina is trying to help Piggy up, and I bet it’s working!
Thanks Amina!
22: R1P22 LB ZACH CUNNINGHAM, VANDERBILT
54: R2P22 G DORIAN JOHNSON, PITTSBURGH
98: R3P34 S MARCUS MAYE, FLORIDA
167: R5P22 EDGE DAESHON HALL, TEXAS A&M
177: R5P32 TE MICHAEL ROBERTS, TOLEDO
185: R5P40 CB JEREMY CUTRER, MIDDLE TENNESSEE
207: R6P22 QB CHAD KELLY, OLE MISS
243: R7P22 EDGE DEATRICH WISE JR., ARKANSAS
good overall
why bother with Chad Kelly though?
I like his QB play!
I understand that the team will have to decide if his “Off the Field” issues are worth it?
You can look at the Freaky athletes at QB this year if you want to!
But Kelly is the best pocket passer in the group. IMHO that is
Mike E. says:
February 9, 2017 at 11:30 am
Just finished shoveling. Plow came by twice, I shoveled all the way into the street so that when they came by, they didn’t bury the front of my driveway. Still, had to go shovel it again twice.
Reply
I was out in Colorado last winter visiting my sister and the night before I was supposed to leave a heavy snow storm can through and dropped 8-10″ of snow. My flight was a 8 am out of DIA (which is like an hour’s drive east of Denver and 2 hours east of my sister’s house so I had to leave at 4:30am to make sure I caught my flight.
My Brother-in-law got up with me when he heard me creeping around the house getting my stuff together and said, you better go out and warm up your car while you are getting ready, and you may have to shovel the driveway to get out. So I go out and sure enough the car is buried and the snow has drifted all up against one side to the roof. My B-I-L comes out in his pajamas and says “I would get the boys to come out and help you shovel but we only have one snow shovel, here it is.
It took me 1/2 an hour to shovel the driveway an unbury the car. Then I went in to say good bye to my sister and have another cup of coffee before hitting the road. Wouldn’t you know it that the plow came by while I was inside and piled 3′ of snow back in the mouth of the driveway!!! Screw that stuff! It is hard work and there is no way in hell I would EVER for ANY REASON live someplace I had shovel my driveway every day. (of scrape ice off the car) You northerners are nuts to put up with that shit!
It is sunny and 82 degrees here at my office right now! NEENER NEENER NEENER
I spoke too soon, now a thunderstorm has rolled in and it is poring rain and the thunder is shaking the building.
Take THAT you braggart!
MiamiDolphinsTopNews @MiamiDolphinsTp 42m42 minutes ago
More
Five Players the Miami Dolphins could target at No.22? – TheInsideZone http://gettopical.com/miami-dolphins/9536756f7d956624dcfac066f7d8b198?src=twitter … via @TomLikeNFL
So we were an 8-8 team at best but finished 10-6 and made the playoffs. Not sure how that statement made any sense.
I’m packing about 10 inches (that’s what she said), but it’s slowing down now.
That’s what she said
LOL!
From the article that Wyoming85 posted:
“How did the Dolphins get to the Play Offs? Excellent coaching that managed to squeeze every bit of potential out of 2016’s roster as a rookie Head Coach managed to win crucial games in Buffalo and New York in December, with a rookie QB…”
Did we have a rookie QB starting?? Who was it? My brain is half eaten with bong resin, but I am pretty sure we had our 5th year starter back there or at least his 10 year backup….
Mike E. says:
February 9, 2017 at 11:30 am
Just finished shoveling. Plow came by twice, I shoveled all the way into the street so that when they came by, they didn’t bury the front of my driveway. Still, had to go shovel it again twice.
*
There is nothing more infuriating than that.
Ya’ll actually read all those words in the article?
I just looked at the names and pictures! 😉
Rock
I forget, was that the first time you saw snow? I know someone here never saw snow, maybe it’s Rob (FFR)
I remember FFR saw it for the first time recently while on a business trip.
wyoming85 says:
February 9, 2017 at 3:37 pm
I like his QB play!
I understand that the team will have to decide if his “Off the Field” issues are worth it?
You can look at the Freaky athletes at QB this year if you want to!
But Kelly is the best pocket passer in the group. IMHO that is
————————————————–
Im not sure i think he is the best pocket passer, i think Luke Faulk is the best pocket passer in this draft. Only thing i dont like about Faulk is i see him doing the Cam Newton thing, throwing off his back foto and not stepping into all of his throws. He is highly accurate, has pretty good pocket presence, and he goes through reads pretty quickly.
That said a 6th for Kelly would be a good pickup, and i think id take a shot on him. He needs a lot of work imo, but he has all the tools he needs and if he doesnt get in his own way at the next level with that ego, i think he could be a great QB. He reminds me a lot of Brett Farve.
Mike E. says:
February 9, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Rock
I forget, was that the first time you saw snow? I know someone here never saw snow, maybe it’s Rob (FFR)
MikeE, the fist time I saw snow was 1977. Of course it melted as soon as it hit the ground, but enough built up on the cars where we could pelt each other with “snow” balls (which were really ice balls)
OMG thats a picture of FFR…..definitely not what i expected!
But for REAL snow, I think I was 12 or 13 visiting upstate NY
Seen “real” snow in several part of the US that have it in extreme ways, parts of Minnesota near the canadian border where it was -50 and throwing down feet of snow each day. Boston during the time a few years ago when it was causing roof collapses because of the amount they were getting, Buffalo NY during spring break where i waded through thigh high snowdrifts. For a guy who hasnt lived in places that get snow very often, the places i have visited have convinced me i dont want to lol.
Ive seen i meant…
It was definitely the fist time (an hopefully the last time) I shoveled snow
I haven’t seen a lot of Chad Kelly
but from what I’ve seen he looks fantastic for 1 play
then looks hopeless in another play
then you haven’t seen much of Chad Kelly. He’s much further along at this point than our qb was when he was drafted.
So you like his chances in the NFL?
he has the talent to play the game and become a starter IF he keeps his head out of his ass.
I think he gets rattled or overly egotistical when he plays, he starts making mistakes and it can make him look inconsistent. I think he needs work, dont get me wrong but he does have a lot of refinement to his skill set, a really great arm and a gunslinger mentality. He needs some polish and a mentor, but his ceiling i believe would be higher than Tanny’s, and the only question is can he get out of his own way so he can reach that ceiling.
yep. that’s his biggest problem. he’s a victim of “head in ass disease”.
This guy has never seen snow
I have to deal with snow all the time now that I am doing hotels all over the country. They remodel the ones up north in the winter and the ones down south in the summer because that is when those hotels have the lowest occupancy and they loose the least amount of money from customer displacement.
I was in Williamsburg, VA a few years ago (not know for getting a lot of snow) and it snowed overnight and then rained and then snowed again in the morning. When I came out to my car in the morning it was encased in 3″ of ice and I couldn’t get into it. Finally I was able to pop the trunk with the remote which cracked the ice and let me kick it off in sheets. (it was a rental car so I didn’t feel bad about kicking the sides of it to get the ice of. LOL)
I was in Jonesboro AR (actually a little north of there in Paragould) one winter and they had a really big icestorm move through. Had the same deal, the car looked like someone had put it inside and ice cube. I had to chisel my way around the door fram and door handle to be able to get one door open and then sit there inside that car for what seemed like an hour letting the defrost loosen the sheet of ice over the window enough for me to slide it off so i could go into work. I was working with the hospital there so, it was a really bad day. Wrecks all over the place from the iced over roads, power lines down because trees with frozen branches were snapping off and taking down power lines, really wicked stuff.
Piggy, don’t listen to Lou. Every quarterback that ever was, is or will be is much further along than Tannehill is his mind.
Dont know that he is further along that Tanny now… i mean 5 years of NFL experience would be hard to compare to a guy who never has taken an NFL snap, but compare him coming out of college right now to when Tanny did and he is right. They are completely different kind of QB’s but Kelly is way ahead of where Tanny was when he was drafted.
yeah Piggy, don’t listen to me. I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Piggy, Kelly is a gamble, a boom or bust kinda prospect, but as a 6th round pick i think the risk is so low that the chance taken on him would be well worth it. He probably wont last that long to be honest, i could see the Bills taking him way earlier than that.
Jarrad Davis will not perform at NFL Combine due to ankle injury suffered during CFB season. Will be ready for pro day.
“….it was a really bad day. Wrecks all over the place from the iced over roads, power lines down because trees with frozen branches were snapping off and taking down power lines, really wicked stuff.”
D, it was the same in Williamsburg when I was there that time the city is not set up to get snow at all. Once I was able to get into my car I couldn’t actually go anywhere because the roads were all a nightmare. I think they have like one part time snow plow in the whole city!
There was another time when it snowed in Atlanta and I had a connecting flight that was delayed like 5 hours because the Atlanta airport only had like one de-icing machine.
Lou
That sucks that Davis won’t do the combine. I just like to see what these guys can do, and there are definitely some telling events that these guys do, like the 20 YD shuttle, the broad jump, the cone drill. The 40 is important too, but for a LB, not as important as the 20 YD shuttle.
yeah, when you don’t get a chance to see these guys at the East-West Shrine game or the Senior Bowl and then they miss the Combine it’s a bit of a downer.
Pro day is mini combine, and its better one on one. Im sure they get to see what they need to see from him there.
Rock
Gotcha – Yeah, you’ve been doing a lot of traveling, it would be pretty unlikely for you to never have encountered snow somewhere. As much as it can be a pain in the ass, I kinda like having it every now and again.
Lou
I still have 3 practices, and the actual Senior Bowl itself to watch. I’ve only watched 2 practices so far. I really enjoy it, it’s just time consuming.
I don’t have the time to watch any of that. Too many cupcakes left to consume.
Wonder if pro day will be open to the public, havent been to Gainesville in a while, might be fun. Got a kid that wasnt to tour the campus (i took her on a small tour myself not too long back) so maybe could do that watch the guys on their pro day, again, if its open to public.
There is another QB i think might make it into the middle to late part of the draft we might want to look at. He is out of Western Michigan, Zach Terrell, little bit short for NFL standards at QB, he’s still taller than a few guy, like Brees and Wilson, and about the same size as Dak, but pretty accurate guy, almost 70% passer last year and makes pretty smart decisions 33/4 TD to int ratio. Not sure how deep in the draft he will fall, but certainly taking a guy like that in a later round makes sense.
My guy would be………………CJ Beathard. I still like what the guy brings to the table. Not the strongest arm but he’s very accurate and he knows the position probably better than any qb in this year’s class.
I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.
I really like Luke Faulk, but he is going to go too early for us to draft him. Zach Terrell just hit my radar recently but i like what im seeing. I kinda like Peterman dude out of Pitt too.
I wouldnt be opposed to Bethard, i just dont see real starter potential in him. He would be a perfect backup though, his consistency would give you hope that if something happened to Tanny, we know he could not lose the game for us. He wouldn’t be why we won, but he would not be why we lost.
Terrell reminds a bit of Matt Johnson from Bowling Green a couple years ago.
Okay done with the shoveling, cleaning off cars and salting the walkways. It’s really cold and it iced up pretty quick. I hope we don’t get too many more of these. Up until today we’ve had a mild winter. It was 65 yesterday. Bizarre!
I’m hoping for a sensible FA period….at least 1 OL, 1 DL, 1 LB…..and sign our own guys that we want to keep….and I all I REALLY want in the draft……..1st round OJ HOWARD…..4th round RYAN SWITZER….the rest can be BPA for where we need additional depth and competition.
GO DOLPHINS!
With ya on Howard man, I’d be thrilled if . . .
1) He was there at #22, and 2), if we selected him.
I don’t think Howard will fall to 22
but if he does
it seems like a smart pick
I don’t really think we need another WR (and that is almost blasphemy for me to say)
At this time we do not have a 4th rounder
We used it to trade up for Carroo last year
But we at projected to get a compensatory pick (3 actually)
Most projections I see have us at with picks in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd
but no 4th
and 3 in the 5th round
then a 6th and 7th
Its a shame we don’t have a 4th
but 3 5th rounders can be a really good thing
we can move up the board or get 3 players that have a shot to be good players with time
What does anyone think of Doughty’s projection in 2017 or have some of you already considered him not much of an option in any capacity?
I don’t think he’s passing Matt Moore next year, but I do think they might hold onto him, unless they see a QB they feel they want to draft.
Well did draft him.
Yep, 7th RD. I meant if they see a QB earlier than the 7th RD, I’m guessing that would be the end of Doughty
Mike, we must have seen something in Doughty to draft him. I understand late round QBs don’t have a great track record except for… well you know who, but he’ll have been in the system for a year in 2017. Maybe instead of everything being totally new, he’ll be more up to speed to show what he can do. That would be the best case scenario – Tannehill, Moore and confidence in Doughty.
Yeah, I didn’t say they will be drafting a QB, I just said Doughty will probably be here, unless they see a QB in the draft they like better. I’m fine with Doughty continuing to learn here, as long as he shows progress.
Agreed.
I think we continue to develop Doughty
Matt Moore was fine last year
the only reason I would part ways with Matt Moore is if some one offered a decent trade
That is why I inquired about the Chad Kelly pick to begin with. I don’t think we need to add a QB
But I guess ther eis that theory that you add a QB every year
I would prefer not to use our resources spreading ourselves too thin. To me on offense is OL and TE and on defense DE and LB. We could sign a quality player at every one of those positions in FA, not saying it will be like that, and then draft the same and bolster the competition where we have some voids.
I really don’t want to focus too much at QB, RB, WR, DT or DB with the exception of competition to push the depth in the secondary. I think we have starter options at all 4/5. Gotta keep them on the field together.
I tend to agree
I feel like I look at those positions and I say – OKAY, let’s not fuck it up and move parts around
If we really focus on our holes (interior OL, LB, DE & TE) we can be a really good team
I’m okay taking multiple LBs, Edge, OL or even TEs in the draft
or using our draft picks to move up if they really think the right player is there for us at one of those positions
“If we really focus on our holes (interior OL, LB, DE & TE) we can be a really good team”
Agreed.
I’d rather not focus on my holes.
Okay, we’re sitting there at #22 and here’s the situation:
Taco, McKinley, Barnett, Cunningham, Reddick and Howard are still on the board. Who do you take and why? Go.
I take Howard. I think he’s going to be a beast and mismatch nightmare who can also play the traditional role at TE. Remember we now know what Ajayi is. Grind teams into the ground and make big plays.
Do not be surprised if we trade up for Howard, will probably have to be at least #12. He could make our offense lethal.
And how do you know one of the guys on defense isn’t an elite talent? Taco or Tak or Barnett could be consistent double digit sack guys and could be dominant.
Cunningham and Reddick could end up being elite LB’s.
There’s nothing there that says Howard is that much better at TE than those guys are at their positions.
He could be an elite prospect. He blocks well, catches well and is very good running after the catch. But, did he show that he’s that much better than those other guys? That’s debatable.
I can’t see us trading up for Howard with the talent that’s going to be there at #22. We could always land Leggett or Everett later and Gase & Clyde will turn them into nightmares for the defense.
If anything, I could see us either staying at #22 or trading down about 5 or so spots to gain another 3rd rd pick and then taking someone who we really like at around #27 or #28. They may not see much of a difference between the talent there at that point in the draft.
When you look at the conversation the team had with Phillips and what they said to him about their vision for him the one player that also now has to come into play for them is Tim Williams. Not a guy who’s been talked about a lot and was mainly a pass rush specialist at Alabama but he’s got that body type, athleticism, etc just like Taylor did when he went pro.
professorloumiamidolphinsblog says:
February 9, 2017 at 10:19 pm (Edit)
Okay, we’re sitting there at #22 and here’s the situation:
Taco, McKinley, Barnett, Cunningham, Reddick and Howard are still on the board. Who do you take and why? Go.
Reply
****
I probably take in this order
Howard
Barnett
Cunningham
McKinley
Reddick
taco as a last option
I really don’t want to take a TE
But I tuning have to if Howard is there
Hopefully if that happens the next 4 picks will be LBs 😛
I would hope that wouldn’t be the case. You’ve got a chance to take a guy who can play alongside Suh or opposite Suh and Wake and be dominant on the defensive line you take that guy.
Or, you have a chance to take a guy who can be dominant at the LB position.
I think taking a first rd offensive line prospect who can help with the run game and shore up the pass protection would have a greater impact on the offense than a tight end.
It’s amazing that some people think Carlos Henderson is going to last until the 4th or 5th rd. not happening.
professorloumiamidolphinsblog says:
February 9, 2017 at 11:43 pm (Edit)
I think taking a first rd offensive line prospect who can help with the run game and shore up the pass protection would have a greater impact on the offense than a tight end.
**********************************************
Doesn’t taking a TE who can run and pass block, as well as get down the field and catch the ball in the seam give you some of that impact? It’s not just him either, you have those 2 TE sets with Howard and Sims, that’s some good blocking right there.
professorloumiamidolphinsblog says:
February 9, 2017 at 10:19 pm (Edit)
Okay, we’re sitting there at #22 and here’s the situation:
Taco, McKinley, Barnett, Cunningham, Reddick and Howard are still on the board. Who do you take and why? Go.
I would have to go with Barnett!
Cunningham
Howard
Riddick
Taco
Mckinley
JMHO of course
I’d take Howard if he’s there…unless some other guy I had very highly rated happened to fall. None of those other guys are “no brainer” picks to me. Every pick is an unknown, of course, but Howard is about as clean(no brainer) a pick as you’re gonna find in most drafts. If we can add one more actual threat in the passing game, it might really open things up for everybody. I don’t think an OL will have that sort of impact….and there isn’t an OL in this draft that we’ll get at #22 that is close to what Howard is at TE.
***
Kinda moot though because I just don’t think Howard will be there.
Yep
I think it was a fantasy hypothetical
Its February so….
I’m not too worried about the DT position. I think Suh and Phillips is a really nice combination. I am still hoping Phillips can become a more dominant player. I’d like to see him play with a little more discipline in the run game, but he has plays where he looks unblockable. Depth may be a concern, but I’m not gonna be looking to draft an interior guy before round 5 probably.
Definitely not a need, we may just need depth. If they really like Julius Warmsley, we may not really need that either. We’ll probably only carry 4 DT’s during the season
One DT I would keep my eye on as the draft goes along is Watkins from Clemson. He doesn’t seem to be jumping up the board like some guys…at least not yet, and I think he would represent really nice value after the third round. He’ll probably go in the third though.
Mike,
I guess there’s any number of ways to look at it but with the amount of resources they put into the offensive side of the ball last year I don’t see how they can do it again this year and hope for the best on the defensive side.
Taking a TE in the first round means you’re putting either your first two moves or two of your first three moves into the offense again. You’ve either signed an offensive lineman in FA or your taking one in the 2nd rd if not.
So, again, a huge amount of resources is going into the offense with the defense still lacking talent in major way.
I tend to agree with Wyoming that you would have to go with Barnett in that particular situation but even without him there the other defensive players are head to head at their positions with Howard and nobody can say any different. It’s way too close to say Howard is going to be that much better for the team than any of those other guys and even Reddick is a guy you MUST consider at that spot.
Do I feel a blocking TE who can split the seam is a plus over getting the offensive line right? No, I don’t. The offensive line is still in need of repair and we all know that. Does signing one in FA make it a different story. Most likely. But, I think signing an offensive lineman in FA frees us up to do some things differently in the draft like maybe not be forced to take on in the 2nd or 3rd rounds.
I guess there’s more than one way to skin a cat but, in the end, the defensive side of the ball needs to be addressed or it’s going to be a tough season. We went 10-6 with a lot of injuries but we’re not making the playoffs again this year unless we add some pieces to the puzzle on defense.
We can’t keep kicking the can down the road with the DE position either. So, there’s a lot to be considered. We need two guards and better depth on the offensive line. We need at least one starting caliber DE to be ready when Wake is finished or possibly goes down again. We need better quality depth all across the d-line. We need two starting caliber linebackers and better quality depth at that position as well and we need some quality depth with our db’s.
There’s a lot to do and taking a TE in the first rd isn’t the best way to spend your resources when it isn’t exactly a major need.
I agree with everything you said, but we don’t know what their plan is in FA yet. We may be signing an OL and a LB or 2, so our needs may drastically change once the draft is here. I can’t imagine we will be neglecting the defense in any way.
Lou,
Why is the OL such a major need? Even with the issues we had with injuries and guys getting moved around, our OL ended up being a middle of the pack OL. It wasn’t even close to a major flaw on the team. I don’t get why everybody thinks they sucked. They didn’t…and when we had our starters all playing at once they were actually solid. Even if Bushrod comes back at RG, our starting 5 has a chance to be a decent OL. I’d prefer to upgrade at RG, but every other position is set…assuming Pouncey can come back. That is a question mark, but nobody knows what will transpire there.
Not Lou, but not sure if you want to count on Pouncey, and Albert for that matter. Have to have viable contingency plans for both.
really? you need to ask that question? Is Bushrod our future at RG? Is Tunsil the future at LG? Look at a team like the Cowboys. Their offensive line is set. They’re not playing their future LT at LG because they have no other option. They’re not playing a rental guy at any position on the offensive line.
We were extremely inconsistent on offense last season. There were times we ran the ball really well and times we were shut down. You want to be able to run the ball when you want and run it effectively but we didn’t do that and even if we have those five guys in there we’re not doing it.
Last in the league in 3 and out’s. Last in time of possession per offensive possession. Last in number of plays per offensive possession. And, that ALL STARTS with the offensive line. “The game is won in the trenches” still holds true even in today’s NFL.
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Miami Dolphins NFL Draft Prospect: Tennessee Vols DE Derek Barnett – Miami – Scout http://gettopical.com/miami-dolphins/458ea5a0bb90cde58f8505a862b975e9?src=twitter … via @DolphinsViews
How is TE not a need when our top TE was about 38th(just guess) in receptions in the league last year? TE is definitely a need, how big of a need is up for debate. I don’t care if they draft a TE early, but it is a need….probably not a major need…but still a need. And, if a really good prospect drops to you at #22, I think you have to at least consider it.
If you look at Wake’s history, he’s on pace to have about 7 or 8 sacks this year. He has a big year and then a crappy year….been that way since he came to the NFL.
Randy
14 OT RYAN RAMCZYK – WISCONSIN Do we need to take another OT early?
33 G DAN FEENEY – INDIANA
35 G FORREST LAMP – WESTERN KENTUCKY
46 G DORIAN JOHNSON – PITTSBURGH
49 G DION DAWKINS – TEMPLE
64 C ETHAN POCIC – LSU
80 C PAT ELFLEIN – OHIO STATE
NO – We don’t need to take another OT early….lol
I keep ending up drafting guys like Pocic and Elflein
It would be nice to pick up a center that can play OG
it would also be nice to sign a veteran capable OG in FA. If we end up with a lot of $ after resigning guys, I think OG is the best way to spend FA $. It would be nice to find a solid vet
I really think that is all our OL needs
a vet OG and a OG/C hybrid type
I usually take an OG late in the 6th or 7th in my mock drafts
At that point its just developmental depth
I’m not seeing a Zach Martin type of OG via the draft
I actually don’t think its a great draft for OL in general
The center class though has some options after day 1
Wyoming,
Lol. Sweet! Hey…everyone knows me….I’m ALWAYS in favor of drafting OL.
Gotta run. Always enjoy draft speculation!
Lou, I’m not saying other prospects won’t be dominant, I just think Howard will be.
I think he can be. A lot of what teams look at with a prospect is what they project to be in 2 or 3 seasons after they are drafted.
2 players jump out as likely to be “special”
that are good fits for us
Both Alabama players
Foster and Howard
Of course there are guys like Myles Garret as well but I’m talking about guys that might go around 10ish or early teens
I’m not eager to trade up for anyone
If I did – I think it would have to be Foster bc we need LBs so bad and give up an early pick elsewhere for the trade up
I think we’ve got the right coaching staff now; the one we’ve wanted/needed for a long time and when I look some of the players in this draft I don’t think we need to put a lot of resources into obtaining “this guy” or “that guy”.
While I love Foster and would love to see him on the team I wouldn’t advocate for a trade up because I think we can make a major impact on the team overall in this draft and FA if we just use what we’ve got without giving anything away.
If anything, I could see us move down to where Dallas is and get their 3rd in the process to have two 3rds and have even a better chance at landing the players we want/need. I’d be just as happy if we got two LB’s like Reddick and Phillips as I would if we got one Reuben Foster.
Randy
Watkins is a terrific player
But I think he is likely to go before day 2 is over and I don’t think we can spend a pick on DT early in the draft
Pro Lou
I like the idea of trading down to get an extra 3rd
from 22 I don’t mind trading down so much (depending on what’s on the board)
and that extra 3rd would be helpful
If we had
a late first rounder, a 2nd rounder., 2 3rd rounders and 3 fifth rounders (after comp picks are handed out) you can move up the draft later in the draft
There are a lot of players that can help us in the 2nd and 3rd rounds
particularly if we want to bring in speed on defense, like I think we should
I think the conversation they had with Phillips gives a little bit of an indication of the direction they want to move in on defense. I think we’re looking at smaller, quicker DE’s and smaller, faster LB’s. Not the thumper type. This is a huge reason why I also don’t think Hightower fits; other than the fact that he’s overblown because he’s a Pat.
this is one of the reasons I lean so heavily towards Reddick, Smoot and Phillips. Three guys on the defensive side with the speed and quickness they are looking for and are fits in their system. I think the Falcons front 7 is the prototype of what they are looking to do on defense going forward. So, these are the types of guys I’m looking at on defense.
have to be quick off the snap to get pressure on the qb or quick off the snap to make those impact plays vs the run.
we’re getting beat on defense because our guys aren’t getting to the ball fast enough. we’re not only getting gashed in the run game but we’re allowing too much yac on short completions. we’re going to combat that with guys who can get to the ball faster and that includes DE’s who turn and run after the ball comes out.
so, when you’re looking at DE prospects in this draft, look for the guys who get off the ball quickly vs the pass and the run. look for the guy who turns and is immediately going after the ball when it comes out of the qb’s hands.
look for the LB’s who are making immediate tackles after the catch and not allowing a lot of yac. And, look for the LB’s who are moving towards the ball immediately when the ball is snapped. these are the LB’s who aren’t going to get blocked out of a play too often by an offensive lineman getting to the 2nd level because they got caught standing around, spectating.
I also have to throw McKinley in there too. I’ve been talking a lot of Reddick recently but I can’t discount McKinley. His torn labrum is the thing that has me concerned.
You’re looking at McKinley as a DE, right?
yes
If they’re talking to Phillips about their vision for him I could very well see our two new DE’s being Tak and Phillips.
What we do in FA shouldn’t affect our draft plan. It may, but it shouldn’t.
Ha! It won’t change their plan, but it might change ours. They know what they’re planning to do in FA and the draft, we don’t.
eggsactly. lol
I’ve been going to the doctors now for about 2 yrs because I just don’t feel right. I’ve seen numerous doctors over that period of time looking for a different opinion because I know something’s not right.
Finally, I went to an Asian doctor thinking maybe he’s more intelligent and can find something our American doctors can’t.
He examined me only for about 5 minutes and said, “I know what your problem is”.
I said, “how can you possibly know what’s wrong with me with a 5 minute examination while I’ve been to numerous doctors and they’ve run test after test on me and they couldn’t find anything wrong?”
He said, “you have Exaccery disease”.
I said, “Exaccery disease? What the hell is that?”
He said, “your face rook Exaccery rike you ass”.
I was once having a conversation with a girlfriend and her mother about noses, and whether I have a Jewish nose, and she told me I have a Roman nose. I said “Huh, what does a Roman nose look like?” She said “It’s roamin’ all over your face!”. lol
True story too
http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/02/10/miami-dolphins-wr-jarvis-landry-not-top-100-player-pro-football-focus/
PFF doesn’t measure intangibles, and Landry’s are off the charts.
Lou,
I agree the offense was inconsistent last year. I’ve been saying that all year! I know how the OL performed. Lol
***
What I said was when we had the guys we expected to start, they played fairly good. Are there concerns? For sure, but I think fans are jumping the gun on guys like Albert and Pouncey because we really don’t know whether health will be an issue next season. Fans are assuming a lot of stuff, but we don’t know for sure. They could both play the whole season next year for all we know right now. The team knows a hell of a lot more about those things than we do. It’s on them to figure out how much of a concern it is right now. Maybe they’re ready to move on from Albert. Maybe Pouncey truly won’t be healthy enough to play. Maybe not.
***
What I do agree with is that we need to upgrade at the guard position….been saying it for a long time. But, the solution to our OL MAY be just a RG. Yes, it might also be LG, RG and C but that’s speculation by fans right now…nothing more. I’d keep my eye open for a guard, preferably one who can play center too….depending on how it’s addressed in FA. Other than that, OL isn’t a major concern, to me. Now, you throw in all the negative “what if” questions and it’s definitely a major concern. But, maybe you’re unfamiliar with my decades-old rants, but I will ALWAYS be okay with the team drafting OL high and often! Lol
EDGE DEREK BARNETT
TENNESSEE
54: R2P22
EDGE T.J. WATT
WISCONSIN
98: R3P34
LB ANTHONY WALKER JR.
NORTHWESTERN
167: R5P22
TE JEREMY SPRINKLE
ARKANSAS
177: R5P32
C JON TOTH
KENTUCKY
185: R5P40
CB AARION PENTON
MISSOURI
207: R6P22
LB JALEN REEVES-MAYBIN
TENNESSEE
243: R7P22
G KAREEM ARE
FLORIDA STATE
TEAM DRAFT ASSESSMENT
Mike E. says:
February 10, 2017 at 3:49 pm
http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/02/10/miami-dolphins-wr-jarvis-landry-not-top-100-player-pro-football-focus/
PFF doesn’t measure intangibles, and Landry’s are off the charts.
+++++++++++++++++
been telling ppl for years PFF is a bunch of bullshit but nobody listens.
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Projected No. 1 pick Myles Garrett makes a plea to the Dallas Cowboys to trade up and select him.
Lou
LOL – I’ve been calling PFF Pffffffffft for years too! 🙂
Well, I’ve watched the BUF, CIN and SEA games so far to look at Hightower and all I gotta say is I’d rather Misi.
Lou, a bunch of us called out and blew off PFF years ago. I don’t mind their factual stats, just not their rankings based on opinion.
their player ratings are now and have always been nothing but a bunch of bunk.
I understand that Neville Hewitt isn’t a starter but when Dont’a Hightower plays 708 defensive snaps and Hewitt plays 352 and Hewitt out produces him on defense what does that say?
That says keep Neville Hewitt and let him develop, and don’t even think about signing Hightower to a big FA contract
definitely. and with the coaching staff this team has I don’t think there’s any reason to sign these big money/big name FA’s anymore. especially a guy who’s extremely overvalued.
he turned down a $10M/yr extension from NE. If someone wants to give him that or more than that, good luck.
It would be a different story if Hewitt’s numbers were better than his because our D was on the field a lot and so was Hewitt but when there’s that much of a difference in snap count you have to wonder why the numbers aren’t better.
You also have to wonder why there weren’t more impact plays like sacks, pressure and tfl’s.
It would also be a different story if the numbers were that far apart b/c teams ran a lot less vs NE than they did vs MIA but you’re only talking about a 100 rush difference between the two.
With that much of a diff in snap count there’s no way Hewitt’s making those tackles up with only 100 rushes vs the D.
Hey Lou, D
Is Duke Riley worth our 2nd pick?
I’m on the fence at the moment
tough call. if we were going to take him in any round I’d feel more comfortable with the 3rd or later. he played well last season but, again, it’s only one year as a starter and I’ve got to stick to my guns on solo tackles and assists when it comes to LB’s. 40 solo and 53 assists just isn’t doing it for me and I’m not just going off stats.
I’m putting it all into perspective with the game film too.
Yes
Yes
Yes
We add speed in defense
🐷
I really hope we pick up Malcolm Smith, or someone like him, so we don’t have the pressure of finding 2 starters in the draft
I mean, uh . . . .
22: R1P22 LB ZACH CUNNINGHAM, VANDERBILT
54: R2P22 EDGE T.J. WATT, WISCONSIN
98: R3P34 C PAT ELFLEIN, OHIO STATE
167: R5P22 S JOSH HARVEY-CLEMONS, LOUISVILLE
177: R5P32 TE MICHAEL ROBERTS, TOLEDO
185: R5P40 CB JEREMY CUTRER, MIDDLE TENNESSEE
207: R6P22 LB JAYON BROWN, UCLA
243: R7P22 EDGE DEATRICH WISE JR., ARKANSAS
Me likey
So is the plan to play watt at DE or LB
It would be DE
But I don’t really like him there!
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Reshad Jones says he’ll be 100% and ready to go once training comes around. Last season, if you recall, he held out for a new deal.
Glad to hear that – I’m a fan – I hope he kicks ass and gets paid. Here!
FA: Even if we don’t target a big time pass rusher ($$$$$$$$$$$$) we can still add an upgrade with a player with experience and run stopping ability. Even if he’s only a 4-5 sack guy, but he’s a warrior. The same at LB, it doesn’t have to be a guy who’s a top 10 player, but a guy who understands the game and plays it well in all phases even if not dominant in anyone area. You can get better with players like this and then try to find even better players at those positions in the draft. Even if they’re not at the level yet.
I also will not be surprised if Hewitt is one of our starters next year because he won a job. Re-sign Alonso and add a LB in both FA and in the draft. Build on what you have and add to it. I don’t think this defense needs a major overhaul. It needs some tweaks and upgrades and staying healthy.
even healthy this defense is MAYBE in the late teens overall compared to 30th. I don’t want a defense in the teens. I want one in the single digits.
Tim,
I’m with ya on the LB, I always think if you re-shuffle your LBs on whatever draft list you have using instincts as the ranking factor, you can identify a bunch of good LBs in the draft that you might get for cheap. Zach was a 5th rounder afterall.
On DE, I also agree, although I think if you’re going to use the draft for 1 thing it should be talent you can’t get on the FA market, so maybe the draft is a better place to look for DE. Cam Wake doesn’t need a replacement in September, so it might not be as crazy critical of a need as some of us think in FA, and frankly, I’m not sure how much better we can do in FA than Branch if I use Mike’s 7-8 million a year (iirc) pricetag for him.
I also think we can find interior linemen at good prices both in FA and in the Draft, that it’s most definitely a spot of great need, and I also think TE maybe doesn’t have to be a position of need for our team if they scheme away from the TE. There are productive TE’s that will be available for cheap, and I like Sims. He only scored late in the season because they only started targeting him late in the season, but almost as good as scoring…he can block in Goal to go situations.