Armando: Miami Dolphins’ Jeff Ireland must find a star in draft | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Armando: Miami Dolphins’ Jeff Ireland must find a star in draft

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z926538

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www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/12/3339299/armando-salguero-miami-dolphins.html

Surprisingly accurate analysis by Armando of what Ireland must do in the draft. Here's a small quote that hits the target about our need to draft ELITE players:

I left the 27-minute news conference without issues.
Well, maybe one issue.
At one point in the session, Ireland was asked if he’s more interested in adding quality talent or quantity talent to the Miami roster.
“Both,” he responded after a taking a moment to think about it. “We’d like to have a bunch of good players. That’s what you’d like to come out with.”
No.
Wrong.
The Dolphins have good players. Most NFL teams have good players. And the Dolphins have enough of them to be more or less mediocre.
So we don’t need more of the same. Spare me the priority free agent walk-ons that surprise and inspire because Vince Papale never took the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship.
What the team lacks, what so many drafts have failed to deliver, is elite players. Miami has not drafted one in a long time, and getting just one of those should be the goal glowing in neon this draft.
The Dolphins have drafted only one Pro Bowl player since 2008, when Ireland joined the team under Bill Parcells and with coach Tony Sparano.
In the five drafts, and through 41 players Ireland has had a role selecting, only Jake Long ever went to the Pro Bowl. And Long, diminished and perhaps declining, didn’t make the postseason all-star game last season and isn’t on the team anymore.
So five drafts and the Dolphins today have no Pro Bowl player to show for the trouble.
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We can argue all we want about whether we take a lineman or a playmaker. Whichever type we choose, with eleven picks we need to find a way to draft at least two ELITE players.<br>
 
this is why I would rather trade up than down, especially in the 2nd-4th rounds
 
based on what you quoted, he doesn't offer any players as an example. which to me says Armando needs to just shut the hell up. we just stockpiled WR's. they will be much better than they ever get credit for.
 
finfan54 said:
based on what you quoted, he doesn't offer any players as an example. which to me says Armando needs to just shut the hell up. we just stockpiled WR's. they will be much better than they ever get credit for.
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Agreed. It's easy for an a-hole to criticize when they aren't making the decisions

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
 
Certainly would have given Mando a ton more credit for naming a couple of guys to pick and putting his money where is mouth is. But end of the day, what he said is true. Picking a few solid to good players will not get us deep into the playoffs.
 
This is why I usually am against trading down. He didn't name anyone but the point remains. I would rather get one GREAT player than two really good ones. It's time.
 
When Ireland said "good", he wasn't stating a player's talent level. He's saying he wants quality football players in general.

When the Marines say they are looking for a few good men, its generalizing that they are recruiting quality individuals.
 
Well I guess I am in the minority here. I happen to agree with the article. I have been one of the few Ireland supporters around here, but safe picks don't win championships. We can not afford any more trade downs and end up with two players like Odrick, and Misi, rather than a JPP. I am not against trading down but we have to get some difference makers rather than other players who might be solid players. Misi and Odrick are two players that if they were lost for the season tomorrow, no one would even think about by TC. They were two players that you watched on tape and could see easily who they were. Neither of them were play makers on thier team in college, neither was even in the running for best defensive player on their college team, so how are they going to come into the league and be game changers?? I would rather have a player that dominated his small college team than just another player from an SEC team. I want PLAYMAKERS!!! We have the other pieces in place, go get players that can win games.
 
finfan54 said:
based on what you quoted, he doesn't offer any players as an example. which to me says Armando needs to just shut the hell up. we just stockpiled WR's. they will be much better than they ever get credit for.
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Signing two WRs, only one of whom is appreciably better than anyone we previously had, is hardly stockpiling them.
 
No where in the article did Armando say that Ireland has been unable to acquire Pro Bowl players via free agent signings. In fact he did point out the Pro Bowlers obtained via free agency. I read the article to say that with eleven picks in this year's draft he needs to find a way to draft someone who is Pro Bowl quality. Unless you are promoting trading all of these picks into next year's draft, I don't know how anyone could disagree with that statement. Forty-one draft picks in which Ireland either made the pick or had an influence on the process -- and we don't have a single Pro Bowl player still on the team. You would think there would be one or two there simply by accident.

With the ammunition Ireland has going into this draft he needs to dramatically up his game.
 
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z926538 said:
No where in the article did Armando say that Ireland has been unable to acquire Pro Bowl players via free agent signings. In fact he did point out the Pro Bowlers obtained via free agency. I read the article to say that with eleven picks in this year's draft he needs to find a way to draft someone who is Pro Bowl quality. Unless you are promoting trading all of these picks into next year's draft, I don't know how anyone could disagree with that statement. Forty-one draft picks in which Ireland either made the pick or had an influence on the process -- and we don't have a single Pro Bowl player still on the team. You would think there would be one or two there simply by accident.

With the ammunition Ireland has going into this draft he needs to dramatically up his game.
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It's even worse when you think about the fact that the only one he did have was the first overall pick. On top of it all, that was a Bill Parcells pick.
 
This goes to confirm the wide-held justified sentiment that a dummazz like Mando best stick to straight factual "reporting" and leave the analysis to those who are smarter and more insightful.
 
It is a ridiculous article. To judge a draft by "Pro Bowl Players". The Pro Bowl is a popularity contest, that is usually a year or two behind on players that actually earn it by performance, rather than hype, past performance and name recognition (See Jake Long leading fan voting last season before his injury.) . I could easily see Pouncey and Jones being Pro Bowlers next year. Both deserved it this year, IMHO. And I believe (hope) that Tannehill and Lamar Miller can be added to that list this upcoming season. Ultimately, the team is judged by W's & L's.
 
1. Ireland has passed up very good players in the draft in favor of mediocre ones.
2. He has overpaid for players that underperform after signing.
3. He has not been effective at resigning important players to reasonable contracts.

Those 3 things are my biggest criticisms about him. He seems to do better on defense then offense but not by a large margin. Ryan Tannehill is still unproven in my eyes but either way it turns out, I only credit him with being smart enough or foolish enough to listen to Sherman about him. I think its hard to dispute that Shermans oppinion on RT was most likely the biggest determing factor in them drafting him.
 
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