It's that time of year where Dolphins fans start scouring internet, looking for hope in the form of a mock draft that fills all the team's needs. I will do my best to outline the teams needs and potential draft targets heading into this critical 2010 offseason.
Two years into the Parcells, Sparano, & Ireland project, the trifecta has left much to be desired. This regime has proven that they are highly ineffective at upgrading the Dolphin's roster through free agency, but much hope rests on the broad shoulders of Karlos Dansby to reverse that trend.
Dansby, of course, was signed by the Dolphins this offseason to the richest contract ever for an NFL inside linebacker. It remains to be seen how Sparano and Nolan will utilize Dansby, who can also rush the passer, but he most likely will be replacing Akin Ayodele at MLB.
It goes without saying that Dolphans will be hoping and praying that Dansby's signing improves the team more than the signing of other notable free agents under the trifecta: Ernest Wilford, Eric Green, and Gibril Wilson. Amazingly, two of these three players (Wilford and Green) never even suited up as a starter for a single game after receiving hefty signing bonuses.
Green, in particular, never even made it to the regular season. He was swiftly jettisoned, along with his guaranteed bonus, after several abysmal outings in the preseason. These days Green can be found in a courtroom defending against a whole other kind of deep ball; In January of 2009, Green was served with a civil suit for forcibly sodomizing a member of our trans-gender community (see the link below)....but I digress.
With the signing of Karlos Dansby, MLB is no longer an area of need for the Dolphins. With the release of Gibril Wilson and Joey Porter (good riddance), the suspension of Jason Furgeson, and the lackluster performance of the Dolphins' 2009 receiving corps, the team has gaping holes at FS, OLB, NT, and WR. In sum, this team has more holes to fill than Jenna Jameson in her big screen debut!
First Round Options
While Renaldo McClain, an ILB from Alabama, was the player nearly everyone predicted the Dolphin's would draft with the #12 pick, this seems to be out of the question with the aforementioned Dansby acquisition. Instead, look for the Dolphins to select one of following five players with their first round pick:
Dan Williams, NT, Tennessee, 6'2" 327 lbs, 5.2 40 yd dash
I would not be surprised if the Dolphin's took Williams at #12, given their need at NT, the lack of free agent NTs available, and the team's familiarity with Williams after coaching him at this year's Senior Bowl. Williams compares favorably to B.J. Raji who was drafted #9 overall last year by the Green Bay packers.
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State, 6'2" 220 lbs, 4.6 (projected) 40 yd dash
The team could only hope to find a WR with Dez Bryant's size and talent available with the 12th pick in this year's draft. This is the exactly the physical receiver for which Chad Henne has been publicly lobbying. Only problem, however, is Dez Bryant has done his best to create the perception among many that he is this year's ultimate diva at wide out. To further the matter, Dez Bryant skipped working out with his Oklahoma State teammates at their recent pro day, and now is facing rumors that he had to be constantly reminded to attend class and football practice. You can rest assured that none of this will sit well with The Tuna. In sum, Dez Bryant likely will not be wearing Aqua and Orange next year.
Earl Thomas, CB/S, Texas, 5'10", 208 lbs, 4.4 40 yd dash
There is no question in my mind that Earl Thomas would be a top 10 pick, and still might be, if not for Eric Berry stealing much of his thunder. Add one inch to Thomas' height, and his numbers and measurements would mirror Berry's with one notable exception- Thomas had 8 interceptions this past year far exceeding Berry. He very well could be the sort of instinctive ball hawk that this team is looking for at FS. Only problem is that his height is far from ideal and leaves scouts to wonder how he will avoid injuries in the NFL with his physical style of play unless he switches from FS to CB. Even still, if we pass on Dan Williams, I say there is a good chance we take Earl Thomas.
Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas, 6'3", 250 lbs, 4.7 40 yd dash
Mike Mayock of the NFL Network has predicted that Sergio Kindle will be the Dolphin's first round pick. When Mike Mayock speaks, people listen. Sergio is an incredibly gifted athlete who can and did play OLB at times in college. He had an impressive 22 tackles for a loss in his senior year, despite only amassing 5 sacks. The real trouble I have with this selection is Kindle's history of off the field issues. He has had purported alcohol troubles, leading to more than one run in with the police. Moreover, Kindle's own high school coach is rumored to have said he hopes Kindle does not end up in a place with a big party scene like Miami. This cannot bode well with the Dolphins' "character counts" front office.
Brandon Graham, OLB, Michigan, 6'1", 265 lbs, 4.7 yd dash
There is no question that Brandon Graham is not expected to be taken #12, and many people have him going in the late first or even early second round. This amazes me, however, when you consider that this guy has the speed of Sergio Kindle (4.7 40) despite weighing 15 lbs more. Also, Graham is the sort of guy who will lead a locker room and raise the level of play of those around him. While there are questions about his height and short arms, I think this guy will be every bit as good as Lamar Woodley is as a 3-4 OLB and possibly an even better locker room presence. If the Dolphins are going to select an OLB in the first round, I sure hope Graham is their man.
Second/ Third Round Options
Obviously the Dolphins will only be able to fill one hole in the first round, barring a Ronnie Brown trade. Therefore, look for them to fill at least one or two more holes in rounds 2 and 3. The players to keep an eye on are as follows:
NT: Second round options will likely include Mount Cody from Alabama or Cam Thomas from UNC. Either of these players would make excellent additions to the Dolphins and can likely contribute in their rookie seasons. If the Dolphins don't take Dan Williams in round one, and miss out on Cody and Thomas in round two, look for them to reach for Torell Troup from UCF or Linval Joseph from East Carolina in round three. Since neither of these two players are well known, I am attaching a link to their bios below. One late round possibility is Jeff Ownens of Georgia, who is undersized but could be a Casey Hampton style NT and is from Ft. Lauderdale.
OLB: If the Dolphins pass on Graham and Kindle in round one, they will have at least a half dozen good options between their second and third round picks, and that is assuming Jerry Hughes is already off the board: (a) Ricky Sapp of Clemson; (b) Eric Norwood of South Carolina; (c) Thaddeus Gibson of Ohio State; (d) Koa Misi of Utah; (e) Jason Worilds of VA Tech; and (f) Jermaine Cunningham of Florida. One late round sleeper to keep an eye on is Adrian Tracy of William & Mary (link below). Nobody is singing his praises, but he dominated the small school level and has the size and speed to make it as an NFL OLB.
FS: If the Dolphins pass on Earl Thomas in round one, look for them to draft one of the following free safeties in rounds two or three: (a) Nate Allen of South Florida (this is the best case scenario); (b) Morgan Burnett of GA Tech; or (c) Major Wright of Florida. One late round sleeper to keep an eye on is Robert Johnson of Utah (link below).
WR: Finally, if the Dolphins do indeed decide to pass on Dez Bryant in round one, they will have plenty of options to upgrade their receiving corps in rounds two and three. Expect them to draft one of the following big, physical receivers: (a) Demaryuis Thomas (could be gone) of GA Tech; (b) Arrelious Benn of Illinois; (c) Damian Williams of USC; (d) Brandon LaFell of LSU; (e) Carlton Mitchell of USF; (f) Jeremy Williams of Tulane; or (g) Eric Decker of Minnesota (could slip due to injury).
This concludes my 2010 Miami Dolphins draft preview. I am anxious to see how the draft unfolds. As always, the Dolphins are just three good players away from being a complete team.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/01/28/2010-01-28_nfl_player_city_sued_by_transgender.html
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/probe.php?genpos=DT&draftyear=2010&sortby=tsxpos&order=ASC&startspot=10
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=73137&draftyear=2010&genpos=OLB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=69270&draftyear=2010&genpos=FS
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