Fins sitting pretty on $15.8 mil cap space

[Gonzo]

That's the lust for a skilled player position talking. Fact is, if we sign a QB through free agency before the draft, it would be a shock to me that they go any other place outside of OL. I understand you don't wanna draft need, plus our certain history with a so called O-line guru. But we have to make an investment and get more athletic on the right side of the line. It would fix a glaring need immediately. I just want a dominant offensive line...helps in both the pass and run game.

I didn't say anything about not drafting need or drafting skilled positions, unless you consider pass rush a skilled position (in which case every position would be a "skilled position"). There's no need to reach for a lineman simply because it's a need when we have plenty of other, equally important needs. Any OT outside of Kalil (and I would argue him too) would be a reach at our spot, IMO. Only Decastro really warrants he spot, and even that is hard to swallow given that it's an interior lineman. The right side can be fixed later in the draft. The difference between the top teir linemen and the 2nd tier linemen is negligible this year, again, IMO. The same can't be said for other positions.

I'd say the lust for cornfed that we've had the past few years is far more detrimental than any lust for skilled player positions.

 

[wisefin]

I didn't say anything about not drafting need or drafting skilled positions, unless you consider pass rush a skilled position (in which case every position would be a "skilled position"). There's no need to reach for a lineman simply because it's a need when we have plenty of other, equally important needs. Any OT outside of Kalil (and I would argue him too) would be a reach at our spot, IMO. Only Decastro really warrants he spot, and even that is hard to swallow given that it's an interior lineman. The right side can be fixed later in the draft. The difference between the top teir linemen and the 2nd tier linemen is negligible this year, again, IMO. The same can't be said for other positions.

I'd say the lust for cornfed that we've had the past few years is far more detrimental than any lust for skilled player positions.

Then let's say you're correct in your assessment. Mostly of which I agree with, how about drafting either Mark Barron or Robert Lester, the safeties out of Alabama? That would be a bold move. Not gonna happen though. Because IMO, SS, WR, DE, LB, FS, CB, and HB (Jerome Messam) can all be addressed via free agency or in rounds 2-7 of the draft, but neither position really being deserving of the 1st round pick over the others. And again, this is all assuming we land a highly touted QB before the draft. Because if that doesn't happen then nobody truly knows where the chips will fall.

 

[phinzfan21]

This senario is not going to happen. You get one or the other. Wake is worth the extension. Nothing to prove. With no real pass rusher on the other side of him defenses could tee off on him. That will take any players #s down.

Wake plays offense?

 

[Doctor Phibes]

I can't understand why we seem to be so reluctant to sign our own players. I realize that it's not always possible to get players to extend mid-contract but other teams seem to manage to sign at least some. Is there an internal policy to let every key Dolphin player's contract run out before attempting to re-sign them ? Seems very short-sighted to me. Yeah it costs more money in the short term but less than it does to sign them when they hit free agency and you have other teams bidding or you end up paying them franchise money. With a little bit of forward thinking we wouldn't be in a situation where we spend years developing Paul Solai (knowing how long NTs take to be good players) then let him go as soon as he's becoming a force (or pay him a fortune). Similarly if we continue to ask Cam Wake to play for peanuts when he's the best player on the team then you could hardly blame him if he took off at the first opportunity

 

[CANDolphan]

Those numbers are flat out deceiving. On another forum I frequent (which is the best football forum on the internet, IMO) a VERY knowledgeable poster has been breakin down cap numbers and such. A lot of these reports are using the maximum numbers, which is deceiving because you cannot use the credit two years in a row (ie you cannot take the $9.1 million Miami had last season under the cap, apply it to 2012, then apply it to 2013 again. You're forced to cut back the cap in 2013)

Basically you'd be mortgaging your teams future for one season, with the cavaet that you'll have to restructure some deals the very next off-season or make some cuts.

As it stands Miami needs to restructure Jake Long, possibly Brandon Marshall, and maybe Karlos Dansby. After that? Yeremiah Bell is not worth his cost, Tony McDaniel might be cut to shore up money for Kendall Langford, who is the better d-lineman of the two, and *then* we will have the required money to go after our big three (Flynn, Nelson/Griffin, Draft picks)