Free Agency vs. The Draft | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Free Agency vs. The Draft

Rich

Rich

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In a previous Message, I posted what a phenomenal job Jeff Ireland and the dolphins did with the draft.
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Our pre-draft Free-Agency on the other hand isn't looking so hot.

Josh McCown - 4th string QB
Ernest Wilford - #7 Wide Receiver (worse than Armstrong, Bess, Kircus and Camarillo)
Randy Starks - 2nd string DE. Looks ok for a backup.

Justin Smiley - starter - great signing.
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These aren't very big contracts, and we have plenty of money under the cap, however, it appears that we kissed a lot of frogs this preseason.
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Pennington looks like a great signing that makes up for the crappy McCown signing. Perhaps we'll sign another receiver to make up for the crappy Wilford signing.
 
McCown was needed at the time. We only had Beck, who would have known Pennington would be a FA a few weeks months later. When he did become avaliable however, we snatched him up ASAP.

Wilford will still make the team I feel. We were weak (and still are) at the time at WR, and he was a good pick up.

Starks, all teams need backups, he is solid. Provides depth.

Smiley, well, enough said. Great pick up. :)

I think you raise a great point, but for me, im happy with them.
 
Free Agency was good for getting players for depth purposes. There weren't any real players that jump out at you as being great, but they're serving their purpose for adding depth.
 
It's still early. I know it looks like there were some bad signings, especially McCown and Wilford, but there were also some great signings that were excellent fits for our team, especially Ayodele and Smiley. Like the draft, only time will tell which signings were in fact great and which ones were duds.
 
I think you also need to look at Ayodale and Fasano, Torbor, Ferguson, McKinney - I mean we picked up a lot of guys in need areas from outside of the draft.

Overall - I think they've done a very solid job in FA, trade, and draft.
 
It is all a nice blend of long, mid and short term fixes. Penny gives them solid shot to win in the next two to three years. Henne, Beck of yet un-drafted talent provides a longer term solution. The free agent market solidified several other short term needs, Torbor, Ferguson, McKinney all solid pick ups. Lets face it, the top pick in the draft in not worth the value anymore. Finishing 5-11 to 8-8 is perfect for this team and next years draft, you assure yourself a high pick and save a ton of cash with the signing of that pick. Plus you build in the locker room confidence by winning. Realistically Parcells and company have this franchise in better shape both cap wise, talent wise and draft pick wise then it has been in a decade and that is in one year. Give them three and see where the Fins end up!
 
Wilford shows(like a 1000 FA's before him) that he is just another guy who produces in his contract year, takes the bonus and then does jack squat
 
I still believe Wilford and Starks will rpove to be solid additions. Pennington fell in our lap, so that's a bit of good fortune.

McCown was roll of the dice per se and won't kill us if he's released.

At least we didn't break the bank and put ourselves in a salary cap hole.
 
Let's say the following were your top 65 players:

QB - Chad Pennington
QB - Chad Henne
QB - John Beck
QB - Josh McCown
RB - Ronnie Brown
RB - Ricky Williams
RB - Patrick Cobbs
RB - Jalen Parmele
FB - Boomer Grigsby
FB - Reagan Mauia
WR - Ted Ginn, Jr.
WR - Derek Hagan
WR - Ernest Wilford
WR - Davone Bess
WR - Greg Camarillo
WR - David Kircus
TE - Anthony Fasano
TE - David Martin
TE - Sean Ryan
TE - Justin Peelle
OT - Jake Long
OT - Vernon Carey
OT - Ike Ndukwe
OT - Dan Heerspink
OG - Justin Smiley
OG - Donald Thomas
OG - Shawn Murphy
OG - Trey Darilek
OC - Samson Satele
OC - Steve McKinney
DE - Vonnie Holliday
DE - Matt Roth
DE - Kendall Langford
DE - Phil Merling
DE - Randy Starks
DE - Rodrique Wright
DE - Quentin Moses
DE - Lionel Dotson
DT - Jason Ferguson
DT - Paul Soliai
DT - Anthony Toribio
LB - Joey Porter
LB - Charlie Anderson
LB - Rob Ninkovich
LB - Junior Glymph
LB - Titus Brown
LB - Channing Crowder
LB - Akin Ayodele
LB - Reggie Torbor
LB - Ed Miles
CB - Will Allen
CB - Andre Goodman
CB - Michael Lehan
CB - Nate Jones
CB - Joey Thomas
CB - Travis Daniels
FS - Jason Allen
FS - Chris Crocker
FS - Renaldo Hill
SS - Yeremiah Bell
SS - Keith Davis
SS - Courtney Bryan
P - Brandon Fields
K - Dan Carpenter
LS - John Denney

Veteran acquisitions would be the following:

QB - Chad Pennington (starter)
QB - Josh McCown
FB - Boomer Grigsby (starter)
WR - Ernest Wilford
WR - David Kircus
TE - Anthony Fasano (starter)
TE - Sean Ryan
OT - Ike Ndukwe
OG - Justin Smiley (starter)
OG - Trey Darilek (significant backup)
OC - Steve McKinney
DE - Randy Starks (significant backup)
DT - Jason Ferguson (starter)
LB - Charlie Anderson (significant backup)
LB - Junior Glymph
LB - Akin Ayodele (starter)
LB - Reggie Torbor (significant backup)
CB - Nate Jones
CB - Joey Thomas
FS - Chris Crocker
SS - Keith Davis

The following are the rookie acquisitions:

QB - Chad Henne (significant backup)
RB - Jalen Parmele
WR - Davone Bess (significant backup)
OT - Jake Long (starter)
OT - Dan Heerspink
OG - Donald Thomas (starter)
OG - Shawn Murphy
DE - Kendall Langford (starter)
DE - Phil Merling (significant backup)
DE - Lionel Dotson
DT - Anthony Toribio
LB - Titus Brown
K - Dan Carpenter (starter)

Just in terms of pure numbers...the Dolphins got 3 starters from among 13 rookie acqusitions that make the top 65 (23%), and 4 significant backups (54%). BTW, I consider significant backups to be third corners, third receivers, heavy rotators on DL or LB, primary backup QB, primary backup RB and top backup OL. Some of them are almost like pseudo starter positions because of how heavy they rotate in, and the primary backup QB position is paid like a starter positions.

The Dolphins got 6 starters from among 21 veteran acquisitions (29%), plus 4 significant backups (48%).

Now it gets interesting when you consider the remaining 31 "holdovers" in the mix.

QB - John Beck
RB - Ronnie Brown (starter)
RB - Ricky Williams (significant backup)
RB - Patrick Cobbs
FB - Reagan Mauia
WR - Ted Ginn, Jr. (starter)
WR - Derek Hagan (starter)
WR - Greg Camarillo
TE - David Martin (significant backup)
TE - Justin Peelle
OT - Vernon Carey (starter)
OC - Samson Satele (starter)
DE - Vonnie Holliday (starter)
DE - Matt Roth (starter)
DE - Rodrique Wright
DE - Quentin Moses
DT - Paul Soliai
LB - Joey Porter (starter)
LB - Rob Ninkovich
LB - Channing Crowder (starter)
LB - Ed Miles
CB - Will Allen (starter)
CB - Andre Goodman (starter)
CB - Michael Lehan (significant backup)
CB - Travis Daniels
FS - Jason Allen (starter)
FS - Renaldo Hill
SS - Yeremiah Bell (starter)
SS - Courtney Bryan
P - Brandon Fields (starter)
LS - John Denney (starter)

You have 15 starters of 31 holdovers (48%), plus 3 significant backups (58%).

So, they've probably approximated their success levels through both methods.

Looks like a very even split, to me. When you consider the 25 starting positions (including K, P, LS) and the 10 significant backup positions (#2 QB, #2 RB, #2 TE, #3 WR, #6 OL, #4 DL, #5 DL, #3 OLB, #3 ILB, #3 CB)...the about 48% of their veteran acquisitions , about 54% of their rookie acquisitions, and about 58% of their holdovers all take significant roles. That's pretty even team rebuilding.
 
I think you might be looking too far into things too early.. its only been 2 pre-season games. And besides what has any of those receivers accomplished in this League that Wilford has not.
 
ckparrothead said:
Looks like a very even split, to me. When you consider the 25 starting positions (including K, P, LS) and the 10 significant backup positions (#2 QB, #2 RB, #2 TE, #3 WR, #6 OL, #4 DL, #5 DL, #3 OLB, #3 ILB, #3 CB)...the about 48% of their veteran acquisitions , about 54% of their rookie acquisitions, and about 58% of their holdovers all take significant roles. That's pretty even team rebuilding.
Click to expand...


Thanks for putting the analysis together. This type of even distribution is encouraging. No one is going to hit 100% of the time. I will certainly be very pleased if the FO achieves this success for the next three years. Although I would like to see the percentages go up with the hold overs.
 
I don't know how encouraging it is or not, ideally half your new acquisitions should not be starters or significant backups. Ideally you have most of those guys already.
 
I forgot we even had Starks his impact has been so minimal. Although i wasn't exactly one of the guys screaming like a school girl in excitement as the Dolphins signed some VERY mediocre free agents on that first day when they got 10 or whatever. They did get David Kircus out of it, i think he'll make the team, and i kind of like him. Plus Reggie Torbor i think was a good pickup. Smiley no question, and i still think/hope Starks has some impact. But other than that.....
 
Aside from Smiley, this group of FA's aren't anything to scream about. If this time has an opportunity to gain extra draft picks this upcoming season, by all means do it. I would like too see this team rely less and less on free agency in the coming years.
 
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