Mello Yello
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Heading into the 2021 draft, the utmost concern was bolstering the offensive weaponry around Tua. Thankfully, the available options aligned well with this: Chase, Pitts, Waddle and Smith were all worthy of a Top-10 pick.
So, in hindsight, the options were:
(1) Stay at #3 and take who we thought was BPA
(2) Fall back to #12 w/ 2 additional R1 picks ('22 & '23)
(3) Trade back up to #6 keeping only the additional '23 R1 pick
It's tempting to say Miami should've taken Chase at #3 or stayed at #12 to take Parsons but that's really hindsight.
I think there was a good reason for not taking Chase at #3 and that was the depth of receiving talent available and the obvious benefits of trading down. Other teams wanted QBs, OTs and CBs so at least a couple of the receiving options were bound to fall into the #6-10 range (2 of which did) and at least 1 would likely reach #10 (which Smith did).
To be clear, there was MUCH debate about the weapons. Chase had taken a full year off during Covid so he wasn't the obvious pick. Nobody knew who the best option was going to be and there was buzz around each of the prospects. Some said Pitts was the once-in-a-generation, uncoverable TE every offense dreamed of and in the end, he did go #4, first among non-QBs.
Chase obviously had prototypical size but Smith had the height, hands and insane route-running that generated comparisons to HoF WR Marvin Harrison. Smith had just won the Heisman for goodness sake with 1,850-yds receiving along with 23 TDs. It was hard to pass on that!
And while Waddle wasn't going Top-5, he did have the speed and separation ability to be the steal of the group for anyone trading down so the idea of Waddle + additional picks was a tempting option for a team willing to gamble.
Likewise, I think citing Parsons being taken at #12 is hindsight, too. For one, nobody knew how great he'd be. Had they known, he would've obviously gone above defenders like Jaycee Horn and Pat Surtain II. And I'm sure the Bears would much prefer Parsons over their #10 pick of QB Justin Fields.
Miami needed a pass-catcher and they weren't forgoing that. Had they passed on Chase, Smith, Waddle and Pitts (not to mention OT Sewell) when their offense was atrocious and their developmental QB had no one to work with, the fans would've justifiably rioted. If you have a wealth of picks and don't pull the trigger on one of those players in the Top-10, it's indefensible when your young QB needs help.
Additionally, Miami took a productive edge player at #18 in Phillips who isn't as good as Parsons but would've been fine had he avoided the Achilles and subsequent ACL, all of which has sadly happened in the last year. Those are unpredictable injuries and you can't say those make Phillips a bad pick. I even recall some analysts reporting Phillips as the steal of R1 having fallen outside the Top-10.
So, even if you did forego an offensive weapon (which the fans would've killed you for) and you drafted Parsons at #12, you would've ended up wasting the #18 pick on a weapon like WR Kadarius Toney or Reshod Bateman.
You think fans are mad now? Imagine if we'd passed on Chase for Toney! Fans would be burning Grier in effigy outside the practice facility, LOL.
In the end, taking Waddle / Smith + Phillips + an additional '23 R1 pick was a logical balance even if you correctly called Pitts & Chase as the #1 and #2 options off the board. The path Miami chose provided a balance of a good WR, a good edge rusher and another future R1 pick...
...btw, we lost that '23 R1 pick for Ross' tampering with agent Don Yee.
But in hindsight, while Chase is the clear #1, you can't say Waddle hasn't kept pace given he's the 2nd best of all the weapons taken...
Chase
347 rec, 4859-yds, 42 TDs
Waddle
296 rec, 3986-yds, 20 TDs
Smith
281 rec, 3694-yds, 23 TDs
Pitts
184 rec, 2543-yds, 9 TDs
So, from now on I do not want to hear about this anymore. Waddle was not a mistake, nor was the '21 Draft. We acquired Waddle, Phillips, Holland and an additional R1 pick the following year. There's nothing wrong with that if you're grading the GM.
The harshest thing you can say is that Eichenberg (taken as an OT) has been mostly a bust but so were the majority of the OTs taken where he was. The guy right after (Jackson Carman) made it from Cincy to our practice squad, in fact. Sam Cosmi has been solid for the Commanders and was available when we picked Eichenberg, but that can't undo all the positives.
Yes, you could've had Creed Humphrey (OC for KC) but so could 62 other teams.
So, IDK, there it is.
So, in hindsight, the options were:
(1) Stay at #3 and take who we thought was BPA
(2) Fall back to #12 w/ 2 additional R1 picks ('22 & '23)
(3) Trade back up to #6 keeping only the additional '23 R1 pick
It's tempting to say Miami should've taken Chase at #3 or stayed at #12 to take Parsons but that's really hindsight.
I think there was a good reason for not taking Chase at #3 and that was the depth of receiving talent available and the obvious benefits of trading down. Other teams wanted QBs, OTs and CBs so at least a couple of the receiving options were bound to fall into the #6-10 range (2 of which did) and at least 1 would likely reach #10 (which Smith did).
To be clear, there was MUCH debate about the weapons. Chase had taken a full year off during Covid so he wasn't the obvious pick. Nobody knew who the best option was going to be and there was buzz around each of the prospects. Some said Pitts was the once-in-a-generation, uncoverable TE every offense dreamed of and in the end, he did go #4, first among non-QBs.
Chase obviously had prototypical size but Smith had the height, hands and insane route-running that generated comparisons to HoF WR Marvin Harrison. Smith had just won the Heisman for goodness sake with 1,850-yds receiving along with 23 TDs. It was hard to pass on that!
And while Waddle wasn't going Top-5, he did have the speed and separation ability to be the steal of the group for anyone trading down so the idea of Waddle + additional picks was a tempting option for a team willing to gamble.
Likewise, I think citing Parsons being taken at #12 is hindsight, too. For one, nobody knew how great he'd be. Had they known, he would've obviously gone above defenders like Jaycee Horn and Pat Surtain II. And I'm sure the Bears would much prefer Parsons over their #10 pick of QB Justin Fields.
Miami needed a pass-catcher and they weren't forgoing that. Had they passed on Chase, Smith, Waddle and Pitts (not to mention OT Sewell) when their offense was atrocious and their developmental QB had no one to work with, the fans would've justifiably rioted. If you have a wealth of picks and don't pull the trigger on one of those players in the Top-10, it's indefensible when your young QB needs help.
Additionally, Miami took a productive edge player at #18 in Phillips who isn't as good as Parsons but would've been fine had he avoided the Achilles and subsequent ACL, all of which has sadly happened in the last year. Those are unpredictable injuries and you can't say those make Phillips a bad pick. I even recall some analysts reporting Phillips as the steal of R1 having fallen outside the Top-10.
So, even if you did forego an offensive weapon (which the fans would've killed you for) and you drafted Parsons at #12, you would've ended up wasting the #18 pick on a weapon like WR Kadarius Toney or Reshod Bateman.
You think fans are mad now? Imagine if we'd passed on Chase for Toney! Fans would be burning Grier in effigy outside the practice facility, LOL.
In the end, taking Waddle / Smith + Phillips + an additional '23 R1 pick was a logical balance even if you correctly called Pitts & Chase as the #1 and #2 options off the board. The path Miami chose provided a balance of a good WR, a good edge rusher and another future R1 pick...
...btw, we lost that '23 R1 pick for Ross' tampering with agent Don Yee.
But in hindsight, while Chase is the clear #1, you can't say Waddle hasn't kept pace given he's the 2nd best of all the weapons taken...
Chase
347 rec, 4859-yds, 42 TDs
Waddle
296 rec, 3986-yds, 20 TDs
Smith
281 rec, 3694-yds, 23 TDs
Pitts
184 rec, 2543-yds, 9 TDs
So, from now on I do not want to hear about this anymore. Waddle was not a mistake, nor was the '21 Draft. We acquired Waddle, Phillips, Holland and an additional R1 pick the following year. There's nothing wrong with that if you're grading the GM.
The harshest thing you can say is that Eichenberg (taken as an OT) has been mostly a bust but so were the majority of the OTs taken where he was. The guy right after (Jackson Carman) made it from Cincy to our practice squad, in fact. Sam Cosmi has been solid for the Commanders and was available when we picked Eichenberg, but that can't undo all the positives.
Yes, you could've had Creed Humphrey (OC for KC) but so could 62 other teams.
So, IDK, there it is.
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