RealDriscoll
Still Perfect.. and You're Not.
Quarterback:
I would consider this position a need since the jury is still out on John Beck. Personally I think John Beck has all the tools to be a successful NFL Quarterback. In Fact, I would rather have him over any of the top prospects in the draft but that's probably just me. Our biggest need, supposing we release Trent Green, would be a veteran Quarterback. We have to be patient and give Beck a chance to blossom. I actually like a majority of what I saw out of John Beck this year and truly don't believe that Andre Woodson, Brian Brohm, or Matt Ryan would be an upgrade. If we did draft a Quarterback, I wouldn't want us to do until the later rounds; For example I wouldn't be terribly upset if we selected Matt Flynn out of LSU in the 6th Round to give us some depth at the position. Joe Flacco could turn out to be a good pro but could also turn out to be a major bust. He is one of those guys that a few "experts" get hot on and them all of a sudden he is a 2nd Round Pick. How did that work out for the Vikings with Tavarias Jackson? Quarterback is a position where it is imperative for the player to be taught well and learn from experience. For those who expected John Beck to step on the field and be the second coming of Dan Marino , well your either drunk or just don't understand football.
Running Back
Many people think that the best player in this year's draft is infact a Running Back by the name of Darren McFadden out of Arkansas, Heard of him?McFadden is as complete as a Running Back that has come out in a long while and many people such as the Cowboys, Seahawks, Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, and Falcons have all shown some kind of interest in McFadden. I truly believe that he and Glenn Dorsey are the best players in the draft but honestly Running Back is one need that we do not have. Granted that Ronnie Brown is coming off a serious ACL injury so drafting McFadden would not shock the world but think about what Ronnie was doing before his injury. Not only was he leading the league in total yardage, he was threatening the yardage record. Ronnie Brown is the MOST complete Running Back in the league; that is a bold statement but one I am willing to make. He puts up his numbers with a mediocre at best offensive line. Could you imagine if he had San Diego's line? The guy breaks tackles, runs people over, blocks, catches the ball, and most importantly is understanding the game. Brown is learning how to read and cut off his blocks and he will be GREAT for years to come. Ronnie would have been heading to Hawaii in the next couple weeks if that injury had not occurred but mark my words when I say he will be their next year. We have something special in Ronnie Brown and McFadden would NOT be an upgrade over Brown. Oh and by the way e have Ricky Williams. I know this guy has let us down many times before but the fact of the matter is when the guy has his pads on and is wearing a Dolphins jersey we all love him because we know how good he was. There is no question that before his early retirement that Ricky Williams was a Top NFL Running Back. What good is he now? Well he can still carry the rock and hasn't taken multiple hits in over two and a half years. For the price we pay him, he is the most valuable player in the league. When I talk about value I mean player for the price and there would be no reason to send Ricky anywhere for a low draft pick, especially since Ronnie is coming back from an injury. Then there is the guy who was the sole reason I even watched the Dolphins the last three games of the season, Lorenzo Booker. The fact that this guy was inactive for so many games shows how big of an idiot that Cam Cameron is and was. Booker has explosiveness and can both run and catch the rock. I am excited about this guy because I think he is the best change of pace RB in the game. Running Back is our strongest position on the team and with Ronnie Brown already running and ahead of schedule, I see no reason to pick up anyone via free agency or the draft.
WIDE RECEIVER
Many people hated the pick but to be honest it was my favorite pick that our franchise has made since Ronnie Brown. Ted Ginn Jr. could have been a "reach" at #9 in the 2007 NFL Draft but it was a reach worth making. The guy might not have had the sexiest stats in his rookie campaign but the guy is going to be good. Ginn is a hard worker who has speed that is so rare. His hands were in question seemed pretty good to me as I saw him only drop two passes all season. He has 2 receiving TD's and one return TD but had two returns called back due to phantom holding calls. The thing that impressed me most about Ginn Jr. is the fact that he is always open. If we had QB's that could get him the ball than he would have a monster season. Asante Samuel even said that Ginn was the fastest guy he ever covered. After Ginn, we need some help. Marty Booker will be released in the off-season considering his $5.2 million dollar cap hit which can be wiped away without penalty. I like what I have seen from Derek Hagan but do agree that he has to become more consistent. He makes big catches that you don't think he will make but then drops the easy ones. Good coaching could elevate him to starter quality but even with that this draft is loaded with talented Wide Receivers. Potential First Round Talent includes DeSean Jackson, Malcolm Kelly, Limas Sweed, Malcolm Kelly, James Hardy, Early Doucet, and Adarius Bowman. One of these guys will have to fall to #32 and could be an option there. After that there is 2nd and 3rd Round Talent which includes Devin Thomas, Donnie Avery, Earl Bennett, and Mario Manningham. Then there are a few sleepers such as Eddie Royal, Jordy Nelson, Lavelle Hawkins, Andre Caldwell, and Paul Hubbard who could turn out to be good players. Either way, this a position we need to upgrade come April or via Free Agency.
Tight End:
We need to address this position in Round 2 of the draft because the free agent options are terrible. David Martin was a major disappointment for us this year as his hand seemed to turn into rocks. He dropped so many passes and only made a few "nice" catches. Justin Peele is a solid backup but will never be starter quality. A solid Tight End would help the progression of Mr..Beck most importantly. Fred Davis out of USC, Martellus Bennett out of Texas A&M, John Carlson out of Notre Dame, and Martin Rucker out of Missouri are the four guys who interest me. Davis, Bennett, and Carlson would have to be taken in Round 2 while there is a good chance Rucker falls into Round 3. This a position we have neglected far too long and it is time we improved this position.
Offensive Guard:
One way or another this is a position of major need. Both our 2007 starters, Rex Hadnot, and Chris Leweinski are free agents. Rex was solid for us but he thing he is worth more money that he actually is. We could always move LJ Shelton back to Right Guard where he excelled a few seasons ago. Left guard is the position that worries me. Brandon Albert out of Virginia, Eric Young out of Tennessee, and Chilo Rachal out of USC would be interesting prospects in the 3rd round. Alan Faneca is a Free Agent but what kind of money would that cost? It could be worth it.
Offensive Tackle
A lot of people are really jumping on the Jake Long bandwagon and while I think he will be a very good NFL player, just not at #1 overall. Long is better suited for Right Tackle and paying #1 pick money for a Right Tackle is ludicrous. Jeff Otah out of Pittsburgh and Ryan Clady out of Boise State would be better options for us. Speaking of good Left Tackle's, Sparano coached one who is a free agent named Flozell Adams. Could he be signed? That would allow us to move Carey to Right Tackle, Shelton to Right Guard which would be pretty solid. One player who intrigues the hell out of me and would be a steal in Round 3 is Anthony Collins out of Kansas. Collins is a pure Left Tackle and would look good in the aqua and orange.
