Building a team goes beyond drafting

[MexDolfan]

I (just like every forum member at finheaven) have been researching for candidates to be quality free agents, draft prospects and figuring on potential trades.

Also I'm evaluating our front office trying to have a realistic vision on the events to come.

I noticed (and sorry if this is not news) that Jeff Ireland seems to be an expert on evaluating draft prospects, that his job has been adequate on dealing with Dolphins' own free agents in terms of negotiating contract extensions, but his weakness is adding talent on free agency.

Every statistic used to compare his job shows he's a draft genius, with important additions in the recent years including starters for several positions: QB, LT, C, RT, LB, CB & DT. His main failure has been finding receivers and tight ends.

2013 is one of the weakest QB classes of all-times, but offers a great pool of talent at OT, DT, WR, CB & TE.

That said as free agency has been the weakest link of Jeff Ireland and with Dolphins on great position because of a fine salary cap, but I didn't find great options to upgrade TE and WR would be tricky out of Wallace and Bowe. In fact I think with a new regime in town, Dwayne Bowe will be back with Chiefs and Wallace will be top free agent, meaning he could select a team with better chances of success and easier free-agent negotiation.

As I don't see any trade that will add a WR or TE to Miami, we'll have huge problems.

This scares me because of Jeff Ireland history picking receivers in the draft. Also our needs could include lacking of LT, RB, WR, CB & FS.

Is there any other way to fix 2013 Dolphins roster?

 

[zach attach]

I didn't see my option. Get Wallace, keep Hartline, and draft a rd.1 or 2 wr. Kinda all depends on if we can get Milliner at 12.

 

[DKphin]

I noticed (and sorry if this is not news) that Jeff Ireland seems to be an expert on evaluating draft prospects, that his job has been adequate on dealing with Dolphins' own free agents in terms of negotiating contract extensions, but his weakness is adding talent on free agency.

A genius? He is far from being a genius. I will say that he is better at drafting than picking up FAs. This is strange, at least to me, because are FAs not a known quantity and draft picks are somewhat a mystery as to how well they will perform at the next level? You give Ireland far too much credit.

 

[TealAttack13]

A very true statement. You CAN"T build a team exclusively through the draft. You can bring in some blue chip players, but you need to surround them with vets and role players, I've been an Islanders fan my entire life, they still haven't figured this out yet, hopefully the Fins do!

 

[silver McNibblets]

Sign Wallace, draft Stedman Bailey and/or Robert Woods on day two. Keep Bess, Matthews and Binns.

 

[LandShark13]

I didn't see my option. Get Wallace, keep Hartline, and draft a rd.1 or 2 wr. Kinda all depends on if we can get Milliner at 12.

^^

 

[hemidemon]

A genius? He is far from being a genius. I will say that he is better at drafting than picking up FAs. This is strange, at least to me, because are FAs not a known quantity and draft picks are somewhat a mystery as to how well they will perform at the next level? You give Ireland far too much credit.

Time will tell if Ireland is a genius. I will say he doesn't get the credit he should get for his drafts. Ireland's drafts have gotten much better since Parcells left. We had the second youngest team in the NFL last year. He's created a ton of cap space, and players he's are improving each year. Before I get lambasted by Ireland haters...Yes I know he's drafted some players that have busted. Every GM in the NFL has. I will say Ireland is a good GM. If you disagree with me all I have to say is look at the Jets. Things could be a lot worse.

 

[z926538]

Every statistic used to compare his job shows he's a draft genius, with important additions in the recent years including starters for several positions: ..., LT, ....

...

This scares me because of Jeff Ireland history picking receivers in the draft. Also our needs could include lacking of LT, ...

Am I the only here who sees how absurd it is that a player who cost us the first pick in the draft is described as an example of genius drafting at the same time as that same player is considered a position of need?

 

[MexDolfan]

A genius? He is far from being a genius. I will say that he is better at drafting than picking up FAs. This is strange, at least to me, because are FAs not a known quantity and draft picks are somewhat a mystery as to how well they will perform at the next level? You give Ireland far too much credit.

Nope, numbers offered such conclusion. Several stats show he's on top 5 adding starters to the league (that doesn't mean just the Dolphins).

The thing is Draft offers a large evaluation process that dictates if a player has the tools to execute the plays that the team is planning to try with him.
On FA you have a short time to decide and make certain financial offer to guys that could hear several offers at the same time.

Those are very different tasks.

Let's say you have a dog show judge.
He must be an expert on telling how well each contender represents the standard of its breed. At dog show he will look for imperfections and could ask them to walk and get every angle.
Now the same guy must go to black-market and choice ten dogs for a rich guy. He won't have the time to pick the tail or see tooth. There are going to be several suitors. And finally several dogs will be old, with a broken ear or some sickness.
The same expert could fail on selecting dogs.

NOTE: I have been a dog breeder for several years, so when I compare humans to dogs I do it without trying to insult anyone, dogs or humans.

So Jeff is good while evaluating talent, but a rude negotiator, he's a control freak who wants to reduce the payment and surely lost several chances with important free agents.
In conclusion all Ireland needs, is some assistant to deal with free agency in a warmer way. A guy capable of preparing quick offers and a chart of free agents qualities, just like scouts evaluate draft prospects.

 

[MexDolfan]

Am I the only here who sees how absurd it is that a player who cost us the first pick in the draft is described as an example of genius drafting at the same time as that same player is considered a position of need?

Or starting LT is a guy who was pro-bowler on his first three years, was picked to play on a different style of offense and his contract expired. He will be starter somewhere else unless he accepts a lower role with Dolphins. The pick was correct at such time.

Jake Long is the prototypical body guard, an immense strong guy. Under Sparano, the team was looking for protection for a pocket passer and a fine blocker for old school running game. Now with Philbin Dolphins are switching to zone blocking scheme, where offensive lien uses speed and athleticism more than size and strength.

Think about the switch we got at RB when Ronnie & Ricky left and Reggie was the replacement. All of them are running backs, but of different conditions.

Well with that in mind as Miami needs to find a different kind of players to install the designed protection, it's a fact Jake is asking too much money for a role that requires another type of player.

So It's not an absurd, it's part of business. It will be a win-win situation, Miami will find an adequate player and Jake Long will get a big check starting somewhere else.

 

[MexDolfan]

I didn't see my option. Get Wallace, keep Hartline, and draft a rd.1 or 2 wr. Kinda all depends on if we can get Milliner at 12.

That option was out of question in my mind because I assume you will need to fill several other holes like TE, CB, S, OL & DT.
Using that many resources at WR looked incompatible with cap issues and quality control.

Clarify your option please.

 

[MexDolfan]

Sign Wallace, draft Stedman Bailey and/or Robert Woods on day two. Keep Bess, Matthews and Binns.

I think that sounds pretty fine.
That leads me to get a pair of doubts.
Who else would you hire on free agency? And what's your first round pick on the draft?

 

[insomnia411]

I've accepted that getting both Wallace and Jennings is not realistic. I want Wallace, Keller at TE, then draft best available WR in the top of the 2nd. Even if we had to give up one of our thirds to trade up a tad for Terrence Williams or Deandre Hopkins, I would go nuts if we got either of those two.

 

[MexDolfan]

I've accepted that getting both Wallace and Jennings is not realistic. I want Wallace, Keller at TE, then draft best available WR in the top of the 2nd. Even if we had to give up one of our thirds to trade up a tad for Terrence Williams or Deandre Hopkins, I would go nuts if we got either of those two.

In fact I'm assuming getting Wallace or Jennings or Bowe is unrealistic with Miami Dolphins having too many holes to fix in the upcoming free agency.
As posted in another thread:

If my sources are right, Dolphins could be about $44.5M under salary cap, that leads to interesting scenarios. Also in my poor opinion, Karlos Dansby will be asked to restructure his current contract and accept some pay cut. Also Dimitri Patterson will be cut to recover $4.5M.
Those moves could lead to add something close to increase cap space by something close to $6.5M .

Hartline could make a home-town discount if Dolphins commit to extended contract and I'm talking of a $5M/year in a 4-5 years contract. With that in mind and if those numbers are right, I would extend Randy Starks, Chris Clemons & Brian Hartline to create continuity and reward great effort.
Extending Own Free Agents Hartline, Starks & Clemons: $14M

Since his agent claimed Jake Long's services are in the $10M+ range, I understood he will be starting elsewhere. Also beyond money issues, Jake just doesn't fit the speed, agile style of O-Liner that Philbin is looking for. So with that in mind and thinking that number is the same than the sum of hiring Andy Levitre and Sebastian Vollmer, it's a serious upgrade for a weak O-Line.
Upgrading offensive line: $10.5M

Anthony Fasano has great hands, but Dolphins are in great position to upgrade the spot. With Jared Cook and Dustin Keller at similar price tags, it's time for a change. Everybody could select a different guy, but having a yearly exhibition of his capacities, I would pick Dustin Keller. Also Todd Heap is available and after the Arizona disaster, could come for cheap.
Upgrading tight end spot: $6.5M

If each of the top free agent wide receivers have similar price-tag and knowing each of them offers different abilities, I would hire Mike Wallace. But since this is going to be Jeff Ireland's job he will pick a cheaper guy, let's say Josh Cribbs, with a much cap-friendly contract.
Upgrading wide receiver spot: $4.5M

Running backs are cheaper each year because rule changes have created a pass happy league, where running backs are used in tandems so instead of using old school RB to carry the load, most teams use 2-3 guys. So if Reggiie Bush wants something above the $4M, he will be playing on a team out of Miami. To replace him I would opt to increase the load on Lamar Miller and draft another RB. Adding Peyton Hillis could be as cheap as $2.5M and surely would upgrade our running tandem.
Fixing backfield: $2.5M

Sean Smith is a great example of how different are every-down player and situational players. Sean Smith is a red zone stopper that has excellent results against physical receivers like Julio Jones, but a CB needs to make several functions and Sean is weak at most. He isn't a zone coverage guy, his skills are among worst while attempting to seal a corner to running game and his tackling technique is questionable for saying the least. Conclusion he is unworthy of a big payment like that. Such salary could be used on a better CB free agent, let's say Marcus Trufant.
Upgrading secondary defense: $7M


Those movements would allow Jeff to have an easy task at draft, focusing on finding quality young guys for: WR, CB, OLB, & RB. Also could use late rounds to pick a new QB project and a K to push on Carpenter.

There's a chance none of the top free agents (Wallace, Bowe & Jennings) will be wearing a Dolphins' jersey on 2013.
But Jeff Ireland will claim he signed his own top free agent WR: Brian Hartline.

 

[TealAttack13]

I want Wallace, Keller at TE, then draft best available WR in the top of the 2nd.

I hope we have nothing to do with Keller. Living on Long Island and having a Jet fan family, I've seen more than enough Jets games. Keller can make circus catches, but that's about all he is good for. If you see him enough, it will astonish you how many times he drops a pass thrown right into his numbers, or takes a pass off the helmet because he isn't paying attention. Trust me, you want nothing to do with Dustin Keller.