GM Jeff Ireland reiterated that the Dolphins will not address Jason Taylor's status until after the draft, and he offered no hints on whom Miami might select at No. 12.
Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland sounded as if the Dolphins' feet weren't planted in the ground, but rather moored to cement on the subject of longtime Dolphin Jason Taylor at his predraft media session Thursday afternoon.
As for the draft, Ireland admitted this third draft by the current Dolphins regime is important because ``we need to make a big jump.'' He didn't, of course, tip his hand on what the Dolphins will do with the No. 12 overall pick.
Taylor, a free agent as he was last spring, visited the New York Jets this week as he ponders where to continue his 13-season NFL career. As ambivalent as Ireland sounded a year ago when he referred to Taylor as a possible ``progress stopper'' for up-and-coming talent (before signing him a month later), that was warm compared to Thursday.
``They know our stance. We know our stance,'' Ireland said. ``I've told Gary [Wichard, Taylor's agent] this. Tony [Sparano] has told Jason this. We have to evaluate things after the draft. So that's where we're at.''
Where the Dolphins are since football czar Bill Parcells brought in Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano is obviously ahead of where they were in 2007, 1-15, but certainly not parked as a premier team.
``We're in our third year of this regime, our third draft of this regime,'' Ireland said. ``[This draft] is extremely important. We need to make a big jump. We need to get more good players on this team. We know that. There's a little bit of urgency to do that. Is there more urgency to do that than in the last draft? Probably not.''
As for the players who have visited the Dolphins from what Ireland says is a good, deep draft, not all of them have been under serious consideration by the Dolphins. In fact, the Dolphins don't consider some at all.
``I bring guys in when I have a question about them,'' Ireland said. ``I bring guys in for a physical. I bring a guy in when I need to see the guy up close, if he fits what I'm looking for, if what Bill's looking for or Tony. Maybe there's a question mentally. Maybe we need to do a little more chalk talk.
``Or maybe I'm trying to trick the 11 teams in front of me or the five behind me.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/08/1569647/miami-dolphins-gm-talks-draft.html
Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland sounded as if the Dolphins' feet weren't planted in the ground, but rather moored to cement on the subject of longtime Dolphin Jason Taylor at his predraft media session Thursday afternoon.
As for the draft, Ireland admitted this third draft by the current Dolphins regime is important because ``we need to make a big jump.'' He didn't, of course, tip his hand on what the Dolphins will do with the No. 12 overall pick.
Taylor, a free agent as he was last spring, visited the New York Jets this week as he ponders where to continue his 13-season NFL career. As ambivalent as Ireland sounded a year ago when he referred to Taylor as a possible ``progress stopper'' for up-and-coming talent (before signing him a month later), that was warm compared to Thursday.
``They know our stance. We know our stance,'' Ireland said. ``I've told Gary [Wichard, Taylor's agent] this. Tony [Sparano] has told Jason this. We have to evaluate things after the draft. So that's where we're at.''
Where the Dolphins are since football czar Bill Parcells brought in Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano is obviously ahead of where they were in 2007, 1-15, but certainly not parked as a premier team.
``We're in our third year of this regime, our third draft of this regime,'' Ireland said. ``[This draft] is extremely important. We need to make a big jump. We need to get more good players on this team. We know that. There's a little bit of urgency to do that. Is there more urgency to do that than in the last draft? Probably not.''
As for the players who have visited the Dolphins from what Ireland says is a good, deep draft, not all of them have been under serious consideration by the Dolphins. In fact, the Dolphins don't consider some at all.
``I bring guys in when I have a question about them,'' Ireland said. ``I bring guys in for a physical. I bring a guy in when I need to see the guy up close, if he fits what I'm looking for, if what Bill's looking for or Tony. Maybe there's a question mentally. Maybe we need to do a little more chalk talk.
``Or maybe I'm trying to trick the 11 teams in front of me or the five behind me.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/08/1569647/miami-dolphins-gm-talks-draft.html