The past few weeks, we’ve looked at the O-line and DE’s, 2 definite areas of need. This week, it’s time to focus on the front 7 playmakers, the LB’s. We’ve had some good ones in the past, but it feels like it’s been a while since we had either a dominant MLB knocking the snot out of everyone, or a guy who just seems to be everywhere making big plays, INT’s sacks, tackles for loss etc. It’s high time to find one, so let’s look at those linebackers!
Reuben Foster LB 6’0” 229 Alabama
While it would be ideal for Foster to slide all the way to the #22 pick, it’s just not very likely. Foster could well be a top 10 pick, except for one mistake when he blew up at the medical exams at the Hospital during the NFL combine, which is most likely not going to impact his status that much. Who knows, maybe like Wyo says, we want the guy, we go ahead and get the guy and trade up to do so.
Foster is a star in the making, and the last 2 years at Alabama, he showed us what he can do. His Senior year was his best, 115 tackles, (60 solo), 13 TFL’s, 5 sacks, and 2 passes defensed. On a talented defense, Foster still stood out. He can play any of the three 4-3 LB spots, and he would be an instant upgrade wherever he plays. Although Foster didn’t participate at the combine or his pro day, his speed and athleticism are well known. When he lost 20 lbs in his Senior year, it was like he took the piano off his back. True leader who loves to lay the lumber. NFL.com has Foster as the top rated LB at 6.4
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Haason Reddick LB 6’1” 237 Temple
Reddick is a little bit more complicated. He was mostly used a DE at Temple, and he truly excelled at rushing the passer. In the NFL though, he will either project as a 4-3 OLB, or 3-4 OLB, and possibly even an inside LB in a 3-4. Reddick has the athleticism to play any of those spots, a very explosive athlete with 4.52 speed, a 36.5” vertical, and the power too with 24 reps. Always tough to project how successful he will be changing positions, I’m not worried in the least. I’d take this “Temple Tough” athlete at #22 in a heartbeat! Reddick was a very disruptive DE, in his Senior year, Reddick totaled 65 tackles (43 solo), 22.5 TFL’s (Not a misprint), 9.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, and 3 FF’s. Playmaker!!! Just a note, When I listen to this kid talk, I hear an intelligent kid who is very grounded. When I hear the experts talk about him, they think he’s going to be a very good NFL LB, no matter where he plays.
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Zach Cunningham LB 6’3” 234 Vanderbilt
Cunningham is a tall lean athlete coming out after his Junior year. Cunningham started both his Sophomore and Junior years, and finished his Senior year with a bang. Zach totaled 125 tackles (71 solo), 16.5 TFL’s, 3 passes defensed, 4 FR’s and 2 FF’s. That’s some serious production. Somewhat hard to judge, because he was everywhere making plays, or trying to on an underwhelming defense where he was the best. Still young, but 15 reps is not good enough, he needs some serious weight training, although he does have long arms (34 3’8”) What you’re getting is a young player that needs to be molded and strengthened, and could become a great NFL LB. Another intriguing possibility for the Dolphins at #22. NFL.com has Cunningham rated at 5.94
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Jarrad Davis LB 6’1” 238 Florida
Davis did not perform at the NFL combine due to injury, but was able to do drills at the Florida Pro Day, and boy did he show up healthy! Davis ran a 4.56 40, 129” broad jump, and a really impressive 38.5” vertical, also putting up 23 reps in the BP. Davis was a 4 YR player starting both his Junior and Senior years, but his Senior season was cut short due to ankle injuries. Davis in his last full season (Junior) finished with 94 tackles (50 solo), 11 TFL’s, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT, 4 passes defensed, and 1 FF. Davis is known a solid, wrap up tackler. Can probably play any of the 4-3 LB spots, but I can see him in the middle. I dig this quote -“He’s good. I don’t care about some of those holes you are talking about. Kill him so maybe somebody will listen to you and he can fall to us. We’ll take him.” — AFC executive. (Chris Grier?) NFL.com has Davis rated at 5.98
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Tyus Bowser LB 6’3” 247 Houston
Big, explosive LB. 4 year starter at Houston at both DE and LB. He missed 6 games due to fight with his teammate, had his orbital bone (eye socket) broken. Bowser finished his Senior year with 47 tackles (27 solo), 12 TFL’s, 8.5 sacks, 4 passes defensed and 1 FF. Another DE/LB tweener, may see his best upside as a LB, and that could be in a 3-4, or 4-3. The Dolphins have met with Bowser, so you can’t rule him out. Bowser ran a 4.65 40, 37.5” vertical, 127 “ broad jump and 6.75 cone. Big guy can move, and as a pass rusher, has an impressive Cam Wake like dip around the edge. Could be a dual threat player, a LB who can also move to DE to rush the passer. NFL.com has Bowser rated at 5.86
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T.J. Watt LB 6’4” 252 Wisconsin
What’s in a name? Well, Watt is third Watt brother to enter into the NFL, following brothers J.J. (DE Texans) and Derek (FB Chargers). Is T.J. Watt that good, or is it the bloodlines that elevate Watt? You decide.
Watt is coming out as a Junior, and started all 14 games for Wisconsin. He finished his Junior year with 63 tackles (38 solo), 15.5 TFL’s, 11.5 sacks, 1 INT (for a TD), 4 passes defensed, 2FF’s and 1 FR. The guy certainly was productive, but again, where does he fit? Watt ran 4.69 40, 21 reps, 37” vertical, 128” broad jump, and a nice 6.79 cone. No question, he’s athletic and can move. My guess is he’s best off as a 3-4 OLB, or a 4-3 DE, but we’ll see. NFL.com has Watt rated at 5.88
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Alex Anzalone LB 6’3” 241 Florida
Big, athletic LB, who unfortunately can’t stay on the field. No career threatening injuries, just twice an injury to his shoulder, and once a broken arm, but in 4 years, Anzalone never finished a full season. His Senior season, Anzalone played 8 games and finished with 53 tackles (22 solo) 4 TFL’s, 3 sacks, 2 passes defensed, and 1 FR. Hard to really judge production when there is so much missing. Anzalone ran a 4.63 40, a nice 6.88 cone, a 4.25 20 YD shuttle and an impressive 11.71 60 YD shuttle, which all shows he has great burst and excellent change of direction skills. Because of his injury history, Anzalone will probably be agonizing until he’s finally called, maybe as late as day 3. Definitely potential, but can he realize it? NFL.com has Anzalone rated at 5.8
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Tim Williams LB 6’3” 244 Alabama
Yep, another DE/LB tweener. Williams played all 4 years at Alabama, starting every game his Senior season. Another productive player, Williams finished with 31 tackles (22 solo), 16 TFL’s, 9 sacks, 2 passes defensed, 2 FF’s and 1 FR. Williams spends a fair amount of time in opponents backfield. Williams ran a 4.68 40, did not do the BP, and was otherwise unexceptional athletically at the combine. Another difficult projection as either a 3-4 OLB, 4-3 DE, or 4-3 SAM. My guess is his pass rushing skills will have him at 3-4 OLB or 4-3 DE, but we’ll have to wait and see. NFL.com has Williams rated 6.0
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Raekwon McMillan LB 6’2” 240 Ohio State
McMillan will be coming out after his Junior year at Ohio St. McMillan was a 3 year starter at O.S., and finished his Senior year with 102 tackles (49 solo), 7 TFL’s, 2 sacks, 5 passes defensed, and 2 FF’s. Durable player who plays every game. Ran a 4.61 40, put up 23 reps, but was otherwise average at the combine. Pretty good instincts and decent coverage ability, just a little less athletic than some of the other prospects. NFL.com has McMillan rated at 5.55
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Anthony Walker Jr. LB 6’1” 238 Northwestern
Walker will also be coming to the NFL after completing his Junior season. a 3 YR starter at LB, Walker finished his Junior season with 105 tackles (62 solo), 10 TFL’s, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 5 passes defensed, 2 FR’s and a whopping 4 FF’s. True MLB prospect, great teammate, and leader at Northwestern. Instinctive player who gets the job done. Walker ran a 4.65 40, put up 23 reps, and was basically average in every other drill. I really like this guy in the mid to later rounds, he’s a good football player. NFL.com has Walker rated at 5.53
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Duke Riley LB 6’0” 232 LSU
4 YR player at LSU, Riley started 12 games as a Senior and totaled 93 tackles (40 solo), 9 TFL’s, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, and 1 FR. A little undersized, but a good athlete. Ran a 4.58 40, good 6.89 cone, and a quick 4.21 20 YD shuttle, along with 18 reps in the BP. His size will likely push him down on a lot of draft boards, but someone will be getting a good football player in the mid to later rounds. NFL.com has Riley rated at 5.5
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There are so many prospects, and so little time. I’m sure there will be a few I left out, such as Lou’s guy Ryan Anderson, and if you’re wondering, Peppers will be grouped with the safeties, which will be coming either next week, or the following week, I haven’t made up my mind on the order as of yet. I may do CB’s first.
GO DOLPHINS!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Lol Stanger i didnt even bother reading any of the side noise, i rarely do because its filled with add type stuff, but yeah after looking again, i get what your saying lol. I still thing the “news” report was fucking funny and that kid’s made up recollection of it was gold.
“Teenager Who Turned Blind After Over-Masturbating Warns ‘It Ain’t Worth It!’”
“Plane accidentally empties toilet tank over cruise ship, 23 injured”
“Woman Allowed to Divorce Husband After Being Found Guilty of Cheating on Her with a Goat”
“Man breaks into a Burger King and drinks gallons of deep frying oil”
“Amnesiac Police Officer Believes He is a Pig After Tragic Accident”
“Teacher arrested for stapling a “loudmouth” student’s lips shut”
“Yoko Ono: “I Had an Affair with Hillary Clinton in the ’70s””
“‘Little old lady’ Arrested for Making Fur Coats with Neighbor’s Cats”
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LOL, i think im going to have to read these.
Reminds me of the good old days with the Weekly World News.
Piggy…..you need to read this one lol.
http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/amnesiac-police-officer-believes-he-is-a-pig-after-tragic-accident/
” It’s a bit disturbing watching my own son sniffing the butts of other pigs, playing in his own shit and grunting like he’s one of them, but he’s our only son and we will always love him for who he is ”
– Henry Jr. Lewis, father
LMAO, Transspecies or Transbovine?
LMAO that site is pure comic gold.
I see someone is easily amused.
Takk was credited with 3 sacks against Utah, I saw 4, not sure which one they didn’t give him:
I truly believe MIA & PHI will be trading picks again come draft time.
What picks, 22 and their 2nd +?
Okay, you want me to talk draft. Here it is:
Rd 1 David Njoku
Rd 2 Ryan Anderson
Rd 3 Carroll Phillips
Move up to Rd 4: Dawuane Smoot
Rd 5: Adam Pankey
Rd 7: Dare Ogunbowale
Mike, are you getting Myles Garrets Gas Mask ready?
Look who it is
Lou
Do you think Pankey lasts until the 5th? That would surprise me just a bit. I still don’t like Smoot, so no move up for him, please! Lol
Considering he’s projected to go undrafted, yeah, I do.
As far as Smoot is concerned, there’s numerous ppl missing the boat on him. He didn’t have the benefit of playing with the DT’s Taco had on his line and he’s 255. Watch him jack up a Michigan RT all the way back to the qb.
He’s got tremendous strength. Add about another 12 to 15lbs of muscle to the guy and he’s going to be something to watch. Need to have some vision.
Pankey looks worth a 5th, but he doesn’t have much pulling ability.
I know he looks worth a 5th. That’s why I put him there.
I was agreeing with you.
yeah, a video from 2015 shows it all. Watch his 2016 games and then we’ll talk.
Of all the DE prospects in this draft who can play the run and aren’t just pure edge rushers, Smoot is the only one who’s got the quick twitch to his game.
I wouldn’t mind drafting Smoot, but he’s on the ground an awful lot.
Regular season schedule comes out next Thursday
Roddy White retires
I wish we could get Jamaal Adams
Man he’s Lawson
(Son nods to M13)
It’s draft time. LOL
Lou, #22 and what for #14 and for who? Also what is MIA/PHI thinking?
who knows wtf Philly is thinking? I just think that if Tannenbaum, Gase & Grier think that someone like Barnett or Foster or someone else is head and shoulders above anything they can get at #22 they are going to go for it.
Armando said they want to “kill” this draft and they may not feel they can do that staying at #22. However, I don’t think it happens until draft day & they see who is there at the time. If their guy isn’t there it doesn’t happen.
It’s funny you mentioned Barnett, that’s who I thought of. 🙂
I wonder if they want McCaffery
Maybe they really do want Watson…
You’re supposed to get the best players and you’re supposed to win
What’s so hard about that
Suh is here everything is different now
O-Rob – What it is brother? No gas mask for Myles, we’re picking at #22. I have a video of Reuben Foster stealing a packet of sugar from the cafeteria at Alabama. That should drop him to #22.
Gase is here . . . . . . Everything is different now. There . . . . I fixed it
Happy Easter to all, and also Happy Passover!
Is Foster worth giving something up? Like a player we have now? I am not sure that he is.
Who would we trade away? Parker? Caroo? Grant?
Philly needs a WR right? So does Washington after losing their top 2.
I would prefer the trading might be to get higher in the third or a high 4th.
Is it possible to trade 3 5ths for a high 4th? Like with SF?
Is a 7th worth anything to us this year? We don’t need more bodies or more projects.
Naples – We don’t have a 7th, we traded it to JAX for Julius Thomas
we have two of them
Oops, never mind, we got one back from the Rams.
I thought we got their 7th (#5 in the round) for Brandon Albert.
2018 7th for Albert.
Happy Birthday Hulk!
Lou
How did we get 2? I can’t remember all this stuff.
I believe we had 2 to begin with and traded one with Albert and got it back with Hayes. I don’t know if one was from Davis or Taylor or how we got it.
OK, thanks Lou
oh wait we have a 7th we picked up one from the Rams in the trade for that DE not the Albert deal.
Naples – I think the 7th we got from Jax was next year’s 7th
The 5th pick in the 7th is from the trade we made with the Rams to get William Hayes
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/sports/saints/article_afecae69-f247-5df1-ac23-336526be1c15.html
the above link is about gase and our new coaching consultant.
Most daughters would have reamed there dad out bad for doing that, but sorta shows you that even Dad’s volunteer their daughters to play with Gase. Starting to think Adam is a saint or something.
According to PFF, Tannehill’s 2016 Clean pocket passer rating was 116 and under pressure it was 49.1….the largest drop off of any NFL QB.
According to flat earthers the world is not round.
I have my problems with some of PFFs metric, but obviously passer rating is not subjective. Under pressure might be, far less than some of the others.
I know there’s plenty of scenarios but if we ended up with what I’ve got in my mock above I’d take it in a heartbeat. I’ve been pounding the table for o-linemen and I got one in the 5th with Pankey and I think he projects to be a very good guard for us. He can play in the zbs and he can play LT or G.
When you consider what Njoku projects to be at TE, an elite pass catcher, it’s hard to pass it up in the 1st considering the defensive players available at #22, especially at DE, don’t project to be elite at their positions.
Adding Ryan Anderson and Carroll Phillips to the mix at LB could turn our LB unit into one of the best in the league. Both should transition well to an off LB position and Anderson may even be able to transition to the middle at the next level. Both can rush the passer as well.
Dawuane Smoot can play the run better than any of the edge rush types in this draft and when he puts on a few more pounds of muscle it’s going to be tough to keep him away from the qb. He is the only true DE in the draft who has the quick twitch to his game.
I have Ogunbowale in the 7th but if you want you can substitute Tanner Vallejo there. At the least he could be a very good addition to Tim’s special teams unit.
I am not a fan of Ryan Anderson at all. I think he is just ordinary.
Njoku will be good, but taking a TE in the first seems like a waste. I’d not be angry if they took him or OJ Howard though, as both are exciting players. But if Reddick or Lamp are there, I’d much prefer them. Smoot got reportedly ragdolled by some TEs, so he needs to muscle up.
I don’t know where you guys are getting your intel on Smoot from. I’d like to see it.
When I look at McDowell, Taco and some of the other d-linemen who could be there at #22 and who some said they’d like to see us take I don’t see any that project to be elite at their positions.
Not that they don’t project to be good, solid players at their positions; just not elite. Njoku is the one guy who could still be there that projects to be not just good, but elite at his position. I can argue we don’t need a TE in the 1st, and have, but when you’re staring at a player who projects to be elite at his position when the others don’t you don’t pass that up.
Lou
What are the odds of this happening? I had a customer come in last week wearing a WV jacket. I fit both him and his wife glasses, and I call him this morning to notify him they’re ready. He comes in about 10 minutes later wearing his WV jacket, and I ask him if he watches a lot of WV football, if he’s a fan. He said he’s very involved with WV athletics, both BB and football. I ask him what he thinks of Adam Pankey. He says he was a 4 YR starter, and he’s pretty good, I tell him I’m a huge Dolphins fan, and he says so am I. I said what do you think of Pankey for MIA? He says he’s good but probably won’t fit Miami’s ZBS, he’s better in tight spaces. Just another opinion, but he watched a lot of WV football, so I give his opinion good cred.
Did you tell him about the board? Not sure if he and Herd would love each other or fight like a brother and sister.
I didn’t Jon, all of a sudden, the guy was in a rush. He was going to meet his wife in NYC for the holiday Nice guy though, and he looked like he definitely may have played either BB or football at WV. Big dude. I talked to him a little last week, but we were really concentrating on picking out 2 pairs of glasses for them.
I’ll respect that but I’ve watched plenty of WVU games over the past few weeks and he moves very well. I don’t see a problem with it.
Yeah, in the end, it’s just another guys opinion, though at least he watched him play, and met him a few times. He said he gives a lot of money and time to the WV athletic dept.
Pankey is closer to a statue than a guard that moves well, but I’d still take him in the 5th. The video I posted shows that.
One video of him playing guard from 2015 shows it all, huh? Watch his games from 2016 and then we’ll talk.
Always in the eye of the beholder.
Lou I see Njoku as a possible BPA…..but don’t we already have what he brings to the table in Thomas? Or are you thinking he can turn into a blocker?
Do we? Thomas hasn’t done shit since his Denver days. Saying Thomas is just going to pick up where he left off in Denver is something I wouldn’t hang my hopes on. He could get injured in training camp and miss the entire season.
You can argue about how he was used in JAX vs DEN or who he had at qb but look at his games in JAX. HE wasn’t good. Had nothing to do with the talent around him.
Was just talking about what we traded for in him as far as playing TE. Howard drops and it is a no-brainer for me, but he can be the all-phase TE. Was basically asking you if you think Njoku could be one as well. Was just asking for your far greater insight on such.
Personally, I don’t care if Njoku ever turns into a great blocker. That’s not what he is or should be. When you put him on the field it’s to create a mismatch vs a nickel LB or db; not to block on a running play.
That’s what guys like Gray are for.
I agree with Tim that the way we addressed FA means we go into the draft from a position of strength and, although we can use some upgrades at certain positions like offensive line, we don’t have any holes anywhere because we’ve got players at every position.
I don’t think any position is off the board in rd one expect for running back & when it comes to round one I can say one thing; they’re going to take the best player for the team regardless of position. This is just my take on it and how I see the players in rd one where we’re going to pick but if we stay at #22 and you look at the guys on defense it’s hard to argue one of them is a better prospect at that point than Njoku.
And, Willis isn’t even in the conversation at that point.
Agree in general on being open, but would take QB, RB and WR off our board in the first as well.
I would only take WR off the board in the first because I don’t see a guy there who I’d really like in the 1st. QB is another position. All the qb’s in this draft shouldn’t go any earlier than 2nd rd.
Well even if for different reasons (even if I was factoring in who) seems we agree as far as the draft. And what really matters is what happens.
I just think it’s funny how nobody was talking McDowell or Obi in the 1st until their names got thrown in the ring and then, all of a sudden, a bunch of people jump on the bandwagon.
Obi was a freak at the Combine but his tape doesn’t show it.
In regards to Obi, you probably saw me earlier on twitter, I agree in that people are biting hard based on his Freakish size & athleticism. I’d actually feel much better overall w/ Des King.
Malik has always been late 1 early 2 ability prospect. For me though when the biggest questions on a prospect is coach ability, effort, self entitlement….that’s a hard pass for me. Put it this way, I’d be more ok w/ your guy Smoot(who I don’t like) in round 2 than I would w/ Malik in the top 4 rounds.
Where Smoot is concerned, like I said, you’ve got to put things into perspective. 1. He played at 255 and was still pretty effective vs the run and the pass. 2. He had a LB playing the other DE position. 3. He didn’t have the benefit of playing alongside two DT’s like Taco had the benefit of playing with. 4. He was coached by Lovie Smith and that’s a plus.
A lot of people are missing the boat on this guy. He adds 12 to 15 lbs of muscle in an NFL conditioning program and he could be an unstoppable force at DE.
How are people missing the boat on Smooth? He’s projected to go 2-3, he’s not a finished product, he lacks size and strength. His best attribute is his quickness around the end.
Where is he projected to go rd 2-3? He’s a 4th/5th rd projection; although I think he does move up.
Smoot was given a 2nd rd grade by the NFL Draft Advisory Board before his senior year because of what he did in his junior season but he’s since dropped in the eyes of most because of his practices at the Senior Bowl and his Combine performance.
That’s okay by me. I’ll take him in the 4th. Remember, Cam Wake was undrafted.
The Bills are unsure if they want to pick up Watkins 5th yr option but Phins fans think doing the same with James is a “no brainer”.
Watkins has flashed high end talent but not consistently and health has been an issue
And James hasn’t exactly lit it up; especially for a 1st rd pick. I would have been happier if we took Cooks.
James has been up and down but he is still more consistent and healthier than Watkins. Yes Cooks would have been awesome but I am not going to complain about James
I am. He’s led the team in penalties 2 of the yrs he’s played for us. He was a reach in the 1st and when you’ve got Cooks staring you in the face you take him every day over James.
Another case where we went with need over BPA.
LOL at Stanger’s Hulk birthday cake. Thank you
For some reason I am not all that excited about the draft. I feel we have a few really viable options at 22 that could help almost immediately . Maybe this is what drafting with a winning record feels like
lou
My thinking on Pankey is that this is such a weak OL draft he could go a little earlier than expected. I don’t pay a ton of attention to round projections, so I had no idea where he’s projected. They’re usually wrong anyway. Lol
***
Now Smoot. There really isn’t a lot I do like about him other than he’s got some quickness off the snap. If he does win, it’s usually because he got off the ball quickly and slipped a gap. However, I am not sure another 20 pounds is going to help him. He lacks lower body strength….strength overall, really. I don’t think power will ever be a big part of his game. He does almost exactly the same thing with his hands every snap. He typically stays right in front of the blocker and stays engaged too long. He gets turned sideways a lot. He doesn’t even win his one-on-one battles with TE’s consistently. I don’t see him beating NFL tackles very often. But, if you’re saying he’s a 5th round pick…okay….I could live with taking a chance on him there. I wouldn’t myself, but i’ve been wrong before. Shit happens. Lol
If you think he lacks strength then you really haven’t watched him
I think we’re comparing guys who are 270 or more to a guy who goes 255. Yeah, I’d say Smoot used his quickness to make plays and that’s also where he differs from the others. They didn’t have that quickness.
Get him bigger, say around 267 to 270, and he’ll be able to handle those RT’s much better. Need to go back & watch Taco and Willis and you’ll see they struggled even with their size vs Smoot.
James was definitely a reach in the 1st. I liked him in the second. But, if you knew what you were looking at, you would have known he’d struggle with speed in the NFL, which he has. I think people underestimate just how big of an impact our situation at guard has had on him. He hasn’t had very good or consistent guard play next to him his whole, short, career. Teams would consistently overload our right side because our guards sucked. It’s not a coincidence that once Bushrod started playing better about midway through the season that James seemed to improve too. Extend him. Get better, more consistent guard play next to him, and he’ll get even better. It’s not his fault he got drafted a round earlier than he should have. Build on what he is. He’s just as good and probably better than 99% of the guys in this draft.
Pretty much my feelings on James
I must have missed something on Bushrod.
Lou
I’ll trust what I see. I know what I’m looking at, but thanks. 🙂
so do I
You see, that’s the difference between us and the Pats. They would be happy trading a guy like James for a 2nd and target Moton in the 2nd and make a starting RT out of him yr 1. We always think our guys can’t be replaced. Short-sighted.
Lou,
I never claimed you didn’t. It would be fun to sit down and review film with you some time. It’s interesting to see how guys see different things when you’re all sitting down and watching tape. It used to happen all the time when I played. It is actually a good process because you learn from what other guys see.
would be interesting.
Randy,
Bushrod would be a perfect example of where you and I would have to see what the other saw because I’ve been back over the ’16 games a few times and I don’t see where he started to play better.
Lou,
Not that a team wouldn’t….but, why would a team give up a 2nd round pick for James if he’s not very good? And, if he’s worth a second round pick, why trade him? Moton is a guy I like, but he’s probably gonna be a guard in the NFL. A team will throw him in a RT in TC to see what he can do, but I think he’s a perfect fit at RG and will end up there.
Again, that’s the short-sighted way to look at things. We always do that. We can’t get better players by trading away guys we have. That’s the mentality. It’s got to stop.
and that may very well be the case. maybe Moton does move inside. my point is a team like the Pats does it all the time. they don’t give a shit because they can take any number of guys and plug them in.
we’ve got to stop having the mentality that guys can’t be replaced especially when we’re waiting 3 yrs to see them become something they’re never going to be.
we used another 1st rd pick on a player we never should have used a 1st rd pick on, just like when we took Odrick at #28 and we’re not getting the return on our investment.
ppl aren’t happy with last yr’s draft but we did the right thing & time will prove that. hope we do the same this year. go for our guys rather than pick for need.
Lou,
I was riding Bushrod all year! Lol It’s not that I ever felt he played really good, but he did get more comfortable as the year went on. He was slow to react early on. He’s a natural tackle and was used to working in space and having a little more time to react. At guard, that’s not how it works. Everything happens quicker. Your sets have to be quicker. You have to engage quicker. You have to have precise hand placement right away. You have to have appropriate knee bend and lean, which are different from guard to tackle. You need to switch with stunts and twists and be aware of who’s coming into your zone and be able to adjust. At tackle, it’s often more of a one-on-one game. He was still setting like a tackle in the early part of the season. He was getting better and reacting quicker as the year went on.
***
Don’t get me wrong, I’d still prefer him as a backup, but I did see improved play out of him as he got more comfortable at guard.
I definitely prefer him as a backup.
Randy — when you say extend James do you mean take the 5th year option or longer? Even if the draft might change, figure he is at least here through 2018. Not all that thrilled with him, but then like you said shouldn’t blame him for where he was drafted…..even if think in a real solid OL he would be at G.
I’m not saying we tear things apart and start over. Just saying there’s some players we’ve got who are overvalued and can be replaced with better talent.
Lou,
I think James is a better RT than anybody in this draft will be. That’s where we differ. I just value him more highly than you do. I don’t think it’s shortsighted to keep your own good players. It’s a matter of what “good” is in someone’s eyes.
Put it this way. I’m just glad we now have people making the decisions who understand that talent outweighs need when it comes to drafting players and are going to take the best football players they can get in each round rather than just taking guys to fill a need.
That’s what’s going to get us better.
All I can say is I’d take a guy who catches 75 to 80 balls a yr and scores 8 to 9 td’s over a guy who catches 95 to 100 balls a yr and scores 4 tds.
stanger,
I’d keep James right where he is. I wish he had better feet, but i’d rather have him at tackle than guard. I definitely think he took a little step back last year. He was giving up a soft edge too often. Now, was that because he had shit guards playing next to him, and he was…consciously or otherwise…trying to help and favor the inside? Maybe. When you know the guy next to you is struggling. It’s just natural to try to help. That makes you vulnerable. I’d like to see a little more urgency in how he gets off the line and his first step while still maintaining a good balance, so he can shadow better. If he can improve on that this year and the guard next to him is trustworthy, I think we’ll see an improved player. I don’t wanna make it sound like it was all the guards’ fault either. It wasn’t. James is still a relatively young player. Hopefully, he can keep working at it and get better.
Thanks Randy — haven’t played the position like you have, but that soft edge was shown a bunch of times….but then his blocking seemed just fine when he was locked in. To me that said better at G. And could still actually see us taking a T and playing him there. Just a wild shot, but not out of the question.
lou
You have a lot more faith in this FO and coaching staff than I do after one season of average to below average play. Lol
we’re headed in the right direction. they went after the guys they wanted instead of taking guys just to fill a need. I really think it pays dividends this yr and next and we’ll see the benefit of going with talent vs need.
I truly believe there’s any number of ppl between this blog and the other who could have done a better job of choosing players, not only for this team, but also for a team like the Browns.
They just took Ogbah and the kid from Penn State last year and they’re still looking for d-line help. They don’t draft right for their team. Garrett is another example of drafting wrong for their needs. At his size, he’s not the right player for a 3-4 DE but I guess that doesn’t matter.
Now, if they were changing to a 4-3 with Ogbah on one end and Garrett on the other maybe things change. But, if they are staying with the 3-4 they’ve got to be bigger on the ends and go with someone like Allen, although I wouldn’t take him 1st overall.
Then there’s talk they may just want to go with Trubisky. Why? Build the D, build the O and go with Kessler and surround him with talent. In the time he played last season he showed some pretty good stuff and there’s really nobody in this draft that looks like they’re going to be any better than him. Go with if for now and see where it takes you. Not like they’re going from worst to first in one yr anyway.
Lou
I don’t get what you’re saying. We have exactly 8 players we drafted from ’16, 5 from ’15, 4 from ’14, ZERO from ’13, one from ’12, and one from ’11. How do you figure we think that what we have is better and we can’t get rid of them? We hardly have any players we drafted. 19 of the 53. Don’t quite get your point.
One from ’10 (Misi), so that’s 20 out of 53. That’s an underwhelming number if I ever saw one
exactly my point. we always have this discussion that we’ve got players on the team who aren’t replaceable and it’s silly to have the conversation but when you look at our track record of drafting players and who’s still around it says otherwise.
so, how is talking about trying to trade James & get something of value for him wrong? if you can look at the talent that’s out there and say we could do better than you do it. Now Randy feels we can’t replace him with what’s in the draft but I see at least two guys who I feel can. Maybe he’s right. but, my main point is, we’ve got the mentality that our players aren’t replaceable and I don’t think that’s right.
There are always different ways of looking at things Lou. I think with the paltry amount of players we’ve drafted that actually panned out, we’d want to keep the ones who did, and not pay for someone else’s players. James has been a good enough player to keep. You can usually count on him for 16 games, except last year, and he’s played well enough. He’s not a weakness, I think he’s a strength. Don’t forget how well he played when he moved to LT. He played pretty darn good. Don’t undervalue him. To trade him for a pick doesn’t seem like a sound idea, especially to draft an OL in this draft, which is a weak one. I get you like Moton, but no guarantee he’s even 3/4 as good as James this season, and that’s going backwards.
Let’s look at another situation at db. Some ppl feel Lippett has his work cut out for him at cb trying to beat out Max & Howard and if we draft another guy he’s going to have a tough time breaking into the lineup. And, that may very well be true, but it’s a good problem to have.
Lippett has shown some good coverage and ball skills and I don’t think he’s finished growing into the position yet. Did you know he played wr in college. Anyway, I digress.
This is the type of depth that’s important for us to have and it allows us to make moves for players who could help us at other positions. Other teams see value in a guy like Lippett and it could help us get better talent somewhere else.
That is why I’ll take talent over need anytime.
Gotta run, closing up here – Have a great holiday everyone!
stanger,
For sure. I think teams should always try to upgrade and find the best fit for guys. I rarely get locked into having to do something just one way. I don’t know if James could play guard, but I do think he can be a pretty good tackle if he can put it all together. If they draft/find a guy who is better, then there’s nothing wrong with giving James a look at guard. Maybe his lack of elite movement skills would be less of an issue at guard.
***
I’m gonna go enjoy some sunshine! Later fellas.
I’m going to do the same but I’ll finish with this. James is just a microcosm of what we’ve done in the past that was a reason for our lack of success. Like Mike E pointed out, we don’t have a lot of players remaining from previous drafts and the reason for that is because we drafted mainly for need rather than going for the best talent on the board.
I’m pointing out James specifically because he’s one of those guys we reached for to fill a need rather than going for the best talent and ppl are talking about his 5th yr option right now. Has he been a waste of a pick? No. Could we have done better in the draft. Yes. Maybe not at RT but from a pure talent perspective we could have.
I’m not going to belabor the point because I’ve said enough and, like I said before, I think this regime finally gets it. Just don’t get too caught up with need this draft because, unless need matches the talent, it’s not going to happen.
I agree, and the low point of that was Wanny taking that LB in the 3rd, when we had no 1st or 2nd, to play STs. We had a huge hole at RT, after playing guys like Martin and Colonblow, so I understood the pick of James, right or wrong who’s to say.
‘Tis the Mock season and hopefully they are getting more dialed in these days. Big board football does a compilation of them at each spot….here’s the mess that #22 presents from those in the last 30 days that they saw as worthy of counting.
———————-
Forrest Lamp – 27.59%
Taco Charlton -11.49%
Gareon Conley – 9.2%
Charles Harris – 8.05%
Haason Reddick – 6.9%
David Njoku – 5.75%
Teez Tabor – 4.6%
Malik McDowell – 3.45%
O.J. Howard – 2.3%
12 others – 1.15% (which means one mention)
http://www.bigboardfootball.com/MockDrafts (need to hit last 30 days)
Run Forest run
No to Taco Tuesday
21 one projected at #22…….gotta figure it should be one of them, but then who saw us taking Tunsil? I’d be groving with Howard or Reddick on that list, but other wise hope the front runner big horse gets it.
Brownies
son of a son of a shula says:
April 14, 2017 at 8:47 pm
Man he’s Lawson
(Son nods to M13)
———
What’s good, Son?!!
Luv Carl Lawson the player, but I’m not sure about him what with his injury history. If someone could guarantee to me that there’s nothing to see there (injuries), I could draft him @ R1P22. We’ll soon see what the league thinks of him:. only 11 days, 23 hours, 27 minutes, and 8 seconds until the 2017 NFL DRAFT!!! 🙂
Happy B-Day, Ken!
Thank you MF13
I doubt we’ll be drafting a RB this year (we’ll see Damien Williams’ fate), but in the event we do…
Fastest RB in College Football || North Carolina RB TJ Logan Career Highlights ᴴᴰ
He’s a junior and raw, and that’s why he’s projected to be a day 3 pick in the Draft. 6’6″, 257, 4.57 40-time, 39″ VJ, and 11’2″ BJ. Sleeper TE selection…
Virginia Tech TE Bucky Hodges Career Highlights ᴴᴰ
Knocks on him? Alligator arms @ 32.5″ and he’s been arrested for public intoxication.
You guys crack me up. Everyone knows we are taking Jarrard Davis at 22.
That wouldn’t surprise me! He’s a very good player.
The more I watch him the more I don’t like him.
I’d definitely prefer Takk or Reddick over Jarrad… JMO.
Maybe we would take Davis in the 1st if Ireland were still the GM.
I find it interesting that one Pat Elflein is falling down many Draft boards after his Combine… some even have him going in the 3rd-4th Round. I call that CRAZY, being his tape doesn’t LIE. He’s a nasty mofo who doesn’t quit.
I’ve got Dion Dawkins just slightly higher than Elflein. Should Dawkins go off the board before we select @ R2P22, I think Elflein would be a ‘no-brainer’ selection for us. JMO
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN! May you get exactly what you want tonight.
——————————-
MF13; The “ELF” @ R@P22 would be outstanding, indeed. We are STILL one man short, IMHO, in the O-Line, especially if 2 starting O-Linemen miss significant time this season. Toss in Asiata with a pick after round 3 and we will have a significant “Attitude Adjustment” in the O-Line 4 SURE!
Make that R2P22.
Thank you OD
Here’s the video of the North Korean missile test:
I see people are starting to get antsy over this draft. LOL
Happy Birthday Ken!
Thank you
HAPPY EASTER, good peeps! LUV Y’ALL!
You too brother!
For me if we come away with one or a couple of front 7 defenders, a DB and a guard I think we addressed what we needed to do. If not, maybe that’s not where we saw the talent. That’s why I love the post-draft, you get to look into these players, see the vision for them and the direction of the team.
All I know is this team is made up of quite a few vets and prime players to be building for down the road. Sure build a sustainable core but there are too many players on this team in win now mode to be drafting an abundance of development and little early impact. That’s what I keep coming back to. I think we’ll try to land 3 impact players in this draft and forego depth for quality.
And that’s why I like my mock I put up above so much. Njoku will have an impact in his rookie season. May not be huge but he’ll still have an impact and he’s going to be an elite player at his position.
Ryan Anderson and Carroll Phillips will give us two starters at LB for at least the next four years and hopefully beyond that. And Smoot is going to be one of the better DE’s coming out of this draft.
that’s four starters right there who will have an impact for this team early on and that’s hard to do. but, if we find a way to come away with those four we’ve done great.
I’m not a big fan of Lawson. If you don’t like Smoot, I don’t know how you can like Lawson because he loafs on way too many plays.
Lou,
Free choice & eye of the beholder.
stupid answer.
I’m just busting your ass. Don’t take it seriously.
If people knew Jordy Mac’nCheese from Twitter they’d appreciate that response.
Everyone have a Happy Easter.
Ditto. Happy Easter Dbolt and everyone else. I hope everyone has a great day and a safe, happy Easter with their families.
😂
One way the draft can fall using Lou’s TE round 1 option. Definitely a chance to get impact players all around:
TE DAVID NJOKU
MIAMI (FLA.)
54: R2P22
EDGE JORDAN WILLIS
KANSAS STATE
97: R3P33
EDGE RYAN ANDERSON
ALABAMA
166: R5P22
G BEN BRADEN
MICHIGAN
178: R5P34
LB BLAIR BROWN
OHIO
184: R5P40
CB BRANDON WILSON
HOUSTON
223: R7P5
LB ELIJAH LEE
KANSAS STATE
TEAM DRAFT ASSESSMENT
Happy Easter everyone
Happy Easter folks
Nice breakdown of the major mocks and #22 that includes a link to the most recent one for a bunch of places. Also includes by position:
“defensive end was the highest projected selection for Miami at 43.6 percent of the mocks, while guard was 18.2 percent (all Lamp), and tight end at 14.5 percent. Cornerback and safety then each had 9.1 percent of the selections.”
http://www.thephinsider.com/nfl-mock-draft-2017/2017/4/16/15315416/nfl-mock-draft-2017-database-miami-dolphins-picks-forrest-lamp-taco-charlton-jabrill-peppers
Interesting that Marlon Humphrey is only mentioned once. If he’s there at #22 he’s got to be a strong consideration as well.
Agreed.
Happy Easter
I hope yours is better than mine
Food poisoning 🤒
Aww sorry Piggs hope you feel better soon
Ouch…….hope it doesn’t last long. When you were ready my mom always said campbell’s chix noodle soup was the way to go.
Right now I can’t eat anything
When the time comes it is real easy to digest and easy on the stomach….comes with energy too.
Happy Easter Everyone and a belated Happy B Day to Ken 🐣
Thank you Doggie
Happy Easter to all. Enjoy the day.
That sucks Piggy, feel better.
Even if our old friend Ben Volin is right on the NFL opener match, Phins play both at Pats and at Falcons. Since they would want a good match-up, seems we would be in consideration for both prime time opening games.
——————–
“The Patriots’ opening game on Sept. 7 at Gillette Stadium will almost certainly be against the Chiefs, who are coming off a 12-4 season and an AFC West title. A rematch with the Falcons was an option, but they are likely to open the season at home on “Sunday Night Football” to debut their new stadium.”
It would be fitting of the NFL if we start out @NE, then in week 2 @Atl.
Feel better Piggy! Drink some green tea when you’re able to keep something down.
^
The Thunder vs Rockets series is going to be a war.
I watched Njoku again this morning for like the 10th time in the past month, and if he’s on the board at 22 I’m all in, Howard first, but he won’t be there, so… The cheats with Hernandez and Gronk were unstoppable, KC with just Kelce unstoppable. I think with Thomas and Njoku we could join those 2. We can get an LB in the 2nd and an OG in the 3rd.
He’s a willing blocker too, but isn’t very good yet.
If we didn’t trade for Thomas I would say yes, but I doubt we go TE early now. We also signed Fasano to be the in-line blocker to replace Sims. Gray won the coaching staff over to get a new deal as depth and STs, and Duarte is the developmental prospect.
yes, but none of them are elite and he projects to be elite. Fasano is at the back end of his career and he’s not in our long-term plans. Gray is a very good blocking TE who may get better and isn’t a bad pass catching option from time to time but he’s not the seam threat we need.
Neither is Thomas. Hanging our hopes on a guy who’s not done anything since ’13-’14 is old time Miami and not the New Miami. We go after the best talent now and position doesn’t matter. If Njoku is the best player from among those available we’re taking him over someone who doesn’t have the elite projection.
Thomas is irrelevant to taking Njoku, because you win in this league when you do something great, Thomas alone isn’t going to make us great, but the pair should make our passing game great. If our D is on the field for only 25 or 26 minutes a game, they can be pretty good as is.
Lou, for what we paid for Thomas they think he can be elite again.
Steve,
we traded nothing for him. neither team thinks he can be elite again and they both know it. he’s only guaranteed this year with zero dead next yr.
Steve
Njoku is an explosive player. I don’t think he’s going to be our pick even if he’s there, but I could understand if he was.
I think he’d be hard to pass up, if he gets by TB.
Help us Obi Meli Fonwu! You’re our only hope!
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article144709489.html
If McDonald keeps himself clean he is the pairing with Jones. I’d be a bit surprised if we made safety a high priority in the draft. Nate Allen isn’t crap by the way. LOL
THREE THINGS: #1 –Mrs. OD wanted me to take her to see the movie “Going In Style,” starring Alan Arkin, Michael Caine , Morgan Freeman and Ann Margaret. It was SUPERB!!
#2 –I was absolutely ASTONISHED when I found out a couple of minutes ago that the Marlins SWEPT the last 3 games of their series against the Mets. All 4 games were “edge of your seat” games! Frankly, I did NOT think the Marlins had this in them after watching them bumble around during the pre-season and the first 8 games of the regular season. That said, I STILL think the division will come down to the Mets or the Nationals. We’ll see.
#3; Piggy, sorry you caught food poisoning. Agree with YOUNG STANGER that a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup and LOTS OF WATER will make you feel like a new man real soon!–Get well, young man.
You do know where to find your Mets fans. 🙂
What did the Easter bunny bring me this weekend?…….Bucs sweep three at Wrigley. Including ones started by Arrieta and Lester. What a way to come back from a losing streak.
I check in on baseball but I want to see where a team is after 50 games. It’s such a long season. None of these early games mean much because it’s the team you have the 2nd half that determines your season.
Walter Football has these listed weaknesses for Njoku:
Weaknesses:
Needs to improve route-running
Needs to improve blocking
Lacks experience; somewhat raw
One of the 30 strengths is Experienced
Read more at http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2017dnjoku.php#XtzhSRZKpUZkt1Vl.99
Do you know Sergio?
Yeah, he’s the tall short guy 😛
I can’t believe Gareon Conley was considered a 1st rd prospect.
MY 6th 2017 Miami Dolphins Offseason Blueprint 4/12/17 (now complete with UDFAs)
Re-sign: Spencer Paysinger, LB/ST; Donald Butler, LB
FA options: Tony McDaniel, DT or Paul Soliai, NG; Jacquies Smith, low-tendered RFA DE (check on his knee injury)
R1P22: Takkarist McKinley, OLB/DE, UCLA
R2P22: Dion Dawkins, OG/T, Temple
R3P33: Blair Brown, MLB/OLB, Ohio
R5P22: Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA
R5P35: Hunter Dimick, DE, Utah
R5P41: Shaquill Griffin, CB, UCF
R7P5: Fish Smithson, FS, Kansas
UDFA: Evan Schwan, DE, PSU; Cody Heiman, ILB, Washburn; Samson Ebukam, OLB, Eastern Washington; Lucas Wacha, OLB, Wyoming; David Talley, OLB, Grand Valley State; Jason Thompson, S, Utah; Jacques Bryant, S, Florida AM; Nicholas Morrow, S, Greenville; Branden Leston, S, Western Kentucky; Algernon Brown, RB, BYU; Keith Towbridge, TE, Louisville; Bug Howard, WR, UNC; Robert Tonyan Jr, TE/WR, Indiana State; Francis Owusu, WR, Stanford; Speedy Noil, WR, TAMU; Tim Patrick, WR, Utah; Max Rich, OT, Harvard; Kent Perkins, OT, Texas; Jylan Ware, OT, Alabama State; Kofi Amichia, G, USF; Bret Treadway, G, Lamar; Thomas Evans, G/C, Richmond
Are there any other guys that are in the draft that aren’t in your UDFA list?
LOL! 🙂
We’ve gotta fill out our 90-man roster somehow. All of these guys on my UDFA list are worth a shot to see if they can stick… but most of them won’t, obviously.
I can live with that draft.
Exactly my point (we’ve got to fill out the 90 man roster), why you guys try fill out all 90… 😛
I am so stuffed after Easter dinner.
SAME!
I feel like pregnant yak
This cat feels like yakking a hairball to make room for more great food! LOL 🙂
You east coast guys are so traditional
This is all I got so far:
20 players:
1A 1B 1C
Ramczyk Cunningham Bolles
Njoku McKinley
Humphrey
Lamp
Reddick
2A 2B 2C
Tankersley D Johnson
Feeney Moton
R. Anderson Asiata
3A 3B 3C
Phillips D Walker J Johnson
Elfein A Garcia
well, that didn’t work right.
I don’t know about Tyus Bowser but his teammate Ed Oliver is going to be a top 5 pick in a couple of years.
Bowser is an oh that’s good, no that’s bad type of player, he really doesn’t make enough plays for how often he’s around the ball.
Are you parroting Oliver’s highlight reel by saying he’s going to be a top 5 pick? I caught you Lou 😛
I haven’t watched Oliver’s highlight reel.