Dolphins Draft Strategy

[Perfect72]

Why are the Dolphins employing the draft strategy of stating they are negotiating with Jake Long but none of the other top rated prospects?
Doesn't this seem to be a limiting strategy? If the Dolphins were negotiating with most of the top 5-6 prospects wouldn't it be more likely that:

A. You would find one of them to meet your salary requirements
B. Get other teams calling to try and trade with you.

Doesn't this action actually give MORE leverage to Jake Long & his agent?

This just doesn't make sense to me how this could be an effective smoke screen. If you don't pick Jake Long and choose another player, you may not have a contract negotiated with him and find yourself over a barrel?

Thoughts?:err:

 

[Roman529]

How do you know what Ireland and Parcells are doing or are not doing behind the scenes?

Do you really think these guys are going to talk to the media and give away who we are speaking to????

 

[Padfoot]

They've been negotiating with Gholston too.

 

[phinphan4life]

How do you know what Ireland and Parcells are doing or are not doing behind the scenes?

Do you really think these guys are going to talk to the media and give away who we are speaking to????

Very valid point. Astute front office people (which I'm assuming Parcells and Ireland are) wouldn't give the media a whiff of what their true intentions were leading up to draft day.

 

[Danny]

can't wait for next saturday when all the questions will be answer

Ozzy rules!!

 

[Mannyjr23]

can't wait for next saturday when all the questions will be answer

Ozzy rules!!

True

 

[jtsacksyou]

Im really interested to see if all the pieces really come together. On Saturday, will all the smokescreens make sense, or will they just be pieces of misguiding information. On a side note, I believe the FO has done a fantastic job handling this pick. IMO this is what is happening.

They tried to make everyone think they were taking Jake. This would give the Rams and lower teams a chance to fall in love with a particular player. In the rams case perhaps its chris long or vernon. Then they hear that we want a defensive player.
But do we want a defensive player or was it a smokescreen? They have no idea. No one knows who we will pick right now and that is the best possible scenario we could've hoped for.

As far as contract negotiations go, I think this is whats happening. We first drove down the price of the defensive players Gholston and possibly Long by making them believe J.Long was our favorite player and likely pick. Then Ireland "slips up" and reveals that we will be taking a defensive player. JLong wants to be the #1 pick and this drives down his asking price.

In my opinion the recent "smokescreen" given by Ireland is a tactic to lower JLongs price and inevitably make him the 1st pick of the draft.

 

[finfan54]

They've been negotiating with Gholston too.

They have? That was the original report, which has been now said that J Long is the only one we have talked to (Adam Shefter) so far. I do think that if Long and his agent refuse, then Gholsten is the guy. Which takes us back to Ireland. Maybe he did tip his hand and knowing that Long is refusing the offer emphatically and so we are getting ready to pick Gholsten.

Either way, whether a smokescreen or not, it puts pressure on Long to sign. If he refuses, he may end up getting what we offered him anyways or less if he drops down to 4 or 5.

 

[BlueFin]

As someone said, the best scenario is if no ones what we are doing with the pick.......mission accomplished.

I think Jake Long was identified early as the player most likely to draw a tradeup offer, it also happens to be a position of dire need for Miami, as we have 2 tackles on our roster, and only one proven tackle in reality.

We still have a week and things could get turned upside down by then, or, this could be a true poker hand, and the above scenario could be the strategy that is played all the way thru the draft.

We may even draft Jake Long and consider offers to trade him after the pick is made......the bluff could go that far. We would have nothing to lose as LT is a big need for us anyway.

Think back to San Diego drafting Eli Manning, they had nothing to lose really, as QB was what they were after anyway, they traded him for Rivers +++.

 

[Stoobz]

Everything's a rumor until it happens 8)

 

[phinfan40353]

I've done it, we've all done it. Even Mel Kiper does it, . Every year we try to predict draft picks. And every year, it NEVER goes to expectations. Weird trades and maneuvering happens up and down the draft.

Remember the look on Keyshawn's face when Carolina drafted Dwayne Jarrett? PRICELESS!

Fact is... no one knows what is really going on. Each NFL team plays chess with the media. Some are good, some are bad. Frankly, we've got one of the best.

And we'll see it unfold in about a week.

Maybe, just maybe, Parcells has multiple surprises up his sleeve. A JT trade, a trade for #1, Jake Long @ #1 (signed early this week without our knowledge), Chris Long @ #1 (signed early this week without our knowledge).... who knows?

I'm just glad I've got Bill Parcells and his hand picked staff running the draft of my beloved Dolphins.

When he was hired, my first reaction was *calm*. No need to go running on message boards and figure out the guy's history... clamoring to find good articles promising greatness.

This time, we bought a Cadilllac. First rate. No doubt. All respect. All winner. All Champion.

I'm just glad to be here to enjoy the ride.

 

[sleek]

In order to judge a strategy you have to know what it is. Strategies are hardly ever revealed even after the draft because if it went according to plan you don't want anyone to know and if it went not according to plan you don't want anyone to know.

 

[dolfanmark]

Why are the Dolphins employing the draft strategy of stating they are negotiating with Jake Long but none of the other top rated prospects?

The Dolphins haven't stated anything. The reports of negotiations with only Jake Long have been from several NFL reporters. But, the Dolphins have said nothing.

 

[Lenny]

Very valid point. Astute front office people (which I'm assuming Parcells and Ireland are) wouldn't give the media a whiff of what their true intentions were leading up to draft day.

Hell, even bad front office people are good at keeping things secret.

Who among us saw Ted Ginn Jr coming?

 

[m i n o]

Why are the Dolphins employing the draft strategy of stating they are negotiating with Jake Long but none of the other top rated prospects?
Doesn't this seem to be a limiting strategy? If the Dolphins were negotiating with most of the top 5-6 prospects wouldn't it be more likely that:

A. You would find one of them to meet your salary requirements
B. Get other teams calling to try and trade with you.

Doesn't this action actually give MORE leverage to Jake Long & his agent?

This just doesn't make sense to me how this could be an effective smoke screen. If you don't pick Jake Long and choose another player, you may not have a contract negotiated with him and find yourself over a barrel?

Thoughts?:err:

they put themselfs over a barrell when they told long that they wanted to pay him 3% less than jemarcus russell. they only way i see that working is if every other team does the same thing. i.e saint louis pays their guy 3%(or whatever it should be) less than last yrs #2. i think what parcells and co tried to do kinda screws them if jake does not agree and we go with another player as we may see a very long holdout and no player is gonna want to play for the "cheap" team.