- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
- Messages
- 30,987
- Reaction score
- 1,249
Positives
* The selection of DeVante Parker gives the Fins two great catch radiuses in the Red Zone for the first time in many moons. Between Parker and Jordan Cameron, the Fins will present opponents with match up issues.
* I loved the selection of Jordan Phillips. I have argued on this site for awhile that more was needed behind Ndamukong Suh and Earl Mitchell. Anthony Johnson and A.J. Francis have done nothing to warrant complete faith they could produce as rotational DT's. Phillips is mountain of a man that has a ton of potential. When the team was about to pick in RD 2, I opined in the draft thread that there were many quality DT's were on the board. While people discussed other needs, another DT was necessary for the roster. Phillips will thrive practicing and playing with Suh. Suh will have a similar impact on Phillips' game like he did on Nick Fairley. I am excited to see over time Suh and Phillips play in tandem.
* Jamil Douglas has an opportunity to play as much as any player drafted this weekend. Douglas is a nice fit in a ZBS and I love turning college OT's in NFL OG's. I want to see him get tougher as it looked he was on his heels when competing in the "pit" at the Senior Bowl. However, I think with line coach John Benton and playing next to a leader like Branden Albert, Douglas has chance to play effectively right away.
* Jay Ajayi was an ingenious pick. He fell and fell because of possible knee issue that could strike in the future. I love the FO here rolling the dice in the 5th. He was one of the top backs in the draft. He fits what Bill Lazor wants to do. He will play well off of Lamar Miller. Ajayi is high character player that has an "it" factor. Strong pick in the 5th. Value pick.
* The stable of running backs is interesting. 1,000 yard rusher Lamar Miller returns. Ajayi gets added to the mix. Damien Williams will force his way into getting snaps with his unique skill set. Three young backs with a lot of talent.
* Bobby McCain is a very interesting CB. Small, but athletic….electric with the ball in his hands. Plus, he could help in the return game.
* Fmr. Gopher Cedric Thompson has a chance to develop for this team at safety. He will chip in ASAP on special teams. The kid has knack for being in the right place at the right time. Interesting.
* Smart move making Tony Lippett a CB. He fits best there and has a unique physical characteristics that could allow him to match up with bigger receivers. Again, he will be special teams maven for Miami.
* With the signings of Brice McCain and Zach Bowman and drafting of McCain and Lippett the Fins have excellent CB depth. To go along with Brent Grimes, Jamar Taylor and Michael Thomas the Fins have strength in numbers. The team was short at CB leaving training camp last year, I do not think that will be the case in 2015 after this strong offseason.
* What a phenomenal group of undrafted free agents. The LB's they signed post-draft have as much chance of producing in the NFL as a Denzel Perryman or Benardrick McKinney. Mike Hull, Jeff Luc and Zack Vigil all have a chance. No doubt they have holes in their games, but all work hard and are intelligent. Neville Hewitt, Ray Drew and Damarr Aultman all have interesting qualities. It will be fun to see the undrafteds compete this summer. Some make it every year.
* The FO kept their picks and did not trade up in the first round. A few NFL insiders mentioned Thursday afternoon that Mike Tannenbaum was looking to move up in RD1. The Fins needed as many picks as possible and moving up would have been ill-conceived. Tannenbaum stayed put at 14 and got an obvious targeted player.
* It is obvious the FO drafted players that loved to play football. The game seems to be a vital part to their lives. After the recent Dion Jordan debacle, it was important to double down on high character, hard working kids.
* Eric Stokes is rising star. He was impressive in his press conference. He is a future GM that the organization needs to hold on to.
* As Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Mike Tannenbaum has been tremendous in his first offseason.
* Hats off to the work the Finsiders put in over the draft. Hours and hours of coverage. Greg Likens was an ironman. Tip of the cap.
* Nice job by Chicago. It appeared they did a great job in hosting the draft. Keep rotating it NFL.
Negatives
* I took heat Thursday for saying I was "disappointed" in the Parker pick. I was never high on Parker in the draft process. I question if he can separate. I question if he is strong enough currently. I will be surprised if he makes an impact as a rookie. The other point is Parker has a ton of competition within this receiving corp. Kenny Stills is playing a ton of snaps as will Jarvis Landry. It is crazy to sleep on the ultra confident veteran Greg Jennings. Plus, I would not be surprised if Rishard Matthews makes a major jump this year. People need to calm down the Parker comparisons to AJ Green or the Jason Laconfora comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr. Parker is going to take time to develop.
* If Douglas cannot make that jump to start at LG, Dallas Thomas getting the call is a terrifying proposition. Dallas Thomas cannot start opening week.
* I am not sure that the team has created enough depth at TE. I like Cameron and Dion Sims, but the talent behind the two is completely unknown. I was hoping to see a draft pick or a priority UDFA, but it did not happen.
* Not sure what Steve Ross and Dennis Hickey meant as to "getting wild".
Overall Assessment
* The team in one offseason has given Ryan Tannehill "his" receiving corp. Gone are the pricey veterans that "know best". In return, young and selfless receivers take their place. There is no question that this is now Tannehill's team.
* It is incredible how much money the team saved by jettisoning the high price contracts of Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson and replacing them with one cheap veteran and a bunch of other receivers on their rookie deals. The Fins will get a much better return on their money this season.
* The new DT's will make the LB's better. The size and ability of the DT's will help keep the LB's clean and able to make plays. Kevin Coyle must simplify. From there, the team must be lined up properly and play their responsibilities. There is no doubt in my mind the run defense will improve this season.
* People have to understand the importance of having talented group of DT's that can be rotated. They must stay fresh and playing in the humidity of South Florida, there needs to be multiple DT's on hand in order to hold up over a game. Jordan Phillips was needed.
* Yes, there was a need at MLB for the Fins. However, this draft was just not very good. I argued in my offseason plan that the team should not force a MLB upgrade over Koa Misi if it is not obvious. I think that came to pass over the weekend.
* Misi's issue last year was not his instincts…it was his injuries. He has to be available to his team this year.
* That said, I am not sleeping on Kelvin Sheppard and Spencer Paysinger. Sheppard is terrible against the pass, but is very solid in stopping the run. Paysinger has a lot of experience as well. Mix in Chris McCain and the newly signed UDFA's, Miami might be able to cobble something together that could produce.
* Will Davis is in a lot of trouble to make the team next year.
* The sky is the limit for Miami's special teams. Paysinger, McCain(s), Bowman, Thomas, Lippett, Matthews, Thompson, Don Jones…just to name a few could create a dynamic special teams group. This season, special teams will aid in winning multiple football games.
* How bizarre is the La'el Collins situation? His behavior and tactics have been completely odd. Very good player that I liked a ton, but the team cannot touch him until he is completely cleared or the team's security team is completely confident he is innocent. The Dolphins cannot have an embarrassing situation/distraction away from the field this year.
* The competition at training camp will be fun. There are positions with a lot of depth and undefined starters and contributors.
* The FO selected players from major college football programs this year.
* The pro personnel department needs to continue to do its work. Looking for additional help at TE, perhaps a situational pass rusher and kicker could still be areas the team looks to improve in.
* Finally, Mike Tannenbaum, Dennis Hickey and Joe Philbin had an outstanding offseason IMO. Early in the year I produced the following:
http://www.finheaven.com/showthread.php?363519-Hayden-Fox-s-2015-Offseason-Plan
I am so happy to see so many objectives that I stated, attacked this offseason. Mike Tannenbaum has set a foundation for the Dolphins to be successful in the coming years. Now, it is in the hands of the coaching staff and leaders of the team to get the job done.
* The selection of DeVante Parker gives the Fins two great catch radiuses in the Red Zone for the first time in many moons. Between Parker and Jordan Cameron, the Fins will present opponents with match up issues.
* I loved the selection of Jordan Phillips. I have argued on this site for awhile that more was needed behind Ndamukong Suh and Earl Mitchell. Anthony Johnson and A.J. Francis have done nothing to warrant complete faith they could produce as rotational DT's. Phillips is mountain of a man that has a ton of potential. When the team was about to pick in RD 2, I opined in the draft thread that there were many quality DT's were on the board. While people discussed other needs, another DT was necessary for the roster. Phillips will thrive practicing and playing with Suh. Suh will have a similar impact on Phillips' game like he did on Nick Fairley. I am excited to see over time Suh and Phillips play in tandem.
* Jamil Douglas has an opportunity to play as much as any player drafted this weekend. Douglas is a nice fit in a ZBS and I love turning college OT's in NFL OG's. I want to see him get tougher as it looked he was on his heels when competing in the "pit" at the Senior Bowl. However, I think with line coach John Benton and playing next to a leader like Branden Albert, Douglas has chance to play effectively right away.
* Jay Ajayi was an ingenious pick. He fell and fell because of possible knee issue that could strike in the future. I love the FO here rolling the dice in the 5th. He was one of the top backs in the draft. He fits what Bill Lazor wants to do. He will play well off of Lamar Miller. Ajayi is high character player that has an "it" factor. Strong pick in the 5th. Value pick.
* The stable of running backs is interesting. 1,000 yard rusher Lamar Miller returns. Ajayi gets added to the mix. Damien Williams will force his way into getting snaps with his unique skill set. Three young backs with a lot of talent.
* Bobby McCain is a very interesting CB. Small, but athletic….electric with the ball in his hands. Plus, he could help in the return game.
* Fmr. Gopher Cedric Thompson has a chance to develop for this team at safety. He will chip in ASAP on special teams. The kid has knack for being in the right place at the right time. Interesting.
* Smart move making Tony Lippett a CB. He fits best there and has a unique physical characteristics that could allow him to match up with bigger receivers. Again, he will be special teams maven for Miami.
* With the signings of Brice McCain and Zach Bowman and drafting of McCain and Lippett the Fins have excellent CB depth. To go along with Brent Grimes, Jamar Taylor and Michael Thomas the Fins have strength in numbers. The team was short at CB leaving training camp last year, I do not think that will be the case in 2015 after this strong offseason.
* What a phenomenal group of undrafted free agents. The LB's they signed post-draft have as much chance of producing in the NFL as a Denzel Perryman or Benardrick McKinney. Mike Hull, Jeff Luc and Zack Vigil all have a chance. No doubt they have holes in their games, but all work hard and are intelligent. Neville Hewitt, Ray Drew and Damarr Aultman all have interesting qualities. It will be fun to see the undrafteds compete this summer. Some make it every year.
* The FO kept their picks and did not trade up in the first round. A few NFL insiders mentioned Thursday afternoon that Mike Tannenbaum was looking to move up in RD1. The Fins needed as many picks as possible and moving up would have been ill-conceived. Tannenbaum stayed put at 14 and got an obvious targeted player.
* It is obvious the FO drafted players that loved to play football. The game seems to be a vital part to their lives. After the recent Dion Jordan debacle, it was important to double down on high character, hard working kids.
* Eric Stokes is rising star. He was impressive in his press conference. He is a future GM that the organization needs to hold on to.
* As Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Mike Tannenbaum has been tremendous in his first offseason.
* Hats off to the work the Finsiders put in over the draft. Hours and hours of coverage. Greg Likens was an ironman. Tip of the cap.
* Nice job by Chicago. It appeared they did a great job in hosting the draft. Keep rotating it NFL.
Negatives
* I took heat Thursday for saying I was "disappointed" in the Parker pick. I was never high on Parker in the draft process. I question if he can separate. I question if he is strong enough currently. I will be surprised if he makes an impact as a rookie. The other point is Parker has a ton of competition within this receiving corp. Kenny Stills is playing a ton of snaps as will Jarvis Landry. It is crazy to sleep on the ultra confident veteran Greg Jennings. Plus, I would not be surprised if Rishard Matthews makes a major jump this year. People need to calm down the Parker comparisons to AJ Green or the Jason Laconfora comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr. Parker is going to take time to develop.
* If Douglas cannot make that jump to start at LG, Dallas Thomas getting the call is a terrifying proposition. Dallas Thomas cannot start opening week.
* I am not sure that the team has created enough depth at TE. I like Cameron and Dion Sims, but the talent behind the two is completely unknown. I was hoping to see a draft pick or a priority UDFA, but it did not happen.
* Not sure what Steve Ross and Dennis Hickey meant as to "getting wild".
Overall Assessment
* The team in one offseason has given Ryan Tannehill "his" receiving corp. Gone are the pricey veterans that "know best". In return, young and selfless receivers take their place. There is no question that this is now Tannehill's team.
* It is incredible how much money the team saved by jettisoning the high price contracts of Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson and replacing them with one cheap veteran and a bunch of other receivers on their rookie deals. The Fins will get a much better return on their money this season.
* The new DT's will make the LB's better. The size and ability of the DT's will help keep the LB's clean and able to make plays. Kevin Coyle must simplify. From there, the team must be lined up properly and play their responsibilities. There is no doubt in my mind the run defense will improve this season.
* People have to understand the importance of having talented group of DT's that can be rotated. They must stay fresh and playing in the humidity of South Florida, there needs to be multiple DT's on hand in order to hold up over a game. Jordan Phillips was needed.
* Yes, there was a need at MLB for the Fins. However, this draft was just not very good. I argued in my offseason plan that the team should not force a MLB upgrade over Koa Misi if it is not obvious. I think that came to pass over the weekend.
* Misi's issue last year was not his instincts…it was his injuries. He has to be available to his team this year.
* That said, I am not sleeping on Kelvin Sheppard and Spencer Paysinger. Sheppard is terrible against the pass, but is very solid in stopping the run. Paysinger has a lot of experience as well. Mix in Chris McCain and the newly signed UDFA's, Miami might be able to cobble something together that could produce.
* Will Davis is in a lot of trouble to make the team next year.
* The sky is the limit for Miami's special teams. Paysinger, McCain(s), Bowman, Thomas, Lippett, Matthews, Thompson, Don Jones…just to name a few could create a dynamic special teams group. This season, special teams will aid in winning multiple football games.
* How bizarre is the La'el Collins situation? His behavior and tactics have been completely odd. Very good player that I liked a ton, but the team cannot touch him until he is completely cleared or the team's security team is completely confident he is innocent. The Dolphins cannot have an embarrassing situation/distraction away from the field this year.
* The competition at training camp will be fun. There are positions with a lot of depth and undefined starters and contributors.
* The FO selected players from major college football programs this year.
* The pro personnel department needs to continue to do its work. Looking for additional help at TE, perhaps a situational pass rusher and kicker could still be areas the team looks to improve in.
* Finally, Mike Tannenbaum, Dennis Hickey and Joe Philbin had an outstanding offseason IMO. Early in the year I produced the following:
http://www.finheaven.com/showthread.php?363519-Hayden-Fox-s-2015-Offseason-Plan
I am so happy to see so many objectives that I stated, attacked this offseason. Mike Tannenbaum has set a foundation for the Dolphins to be successful in the coming years. Now, it is in the hands of the coaching staff and leaders of the team to get the job done.
