Lets Look At The Pattern What Positions Are We Going To Draft In What Order.

[phintim]

Year 1 Gases first year we purged the defense backs, running back, wide reciever and defense ends. So we trade up for a cb, wr and then pick a rb in the first 3 rounds then blow the budget on 3 veteran DL, along with the trade for the cb Maxwell and Kiko.
Year 2. Last year when the veteran line experiments did not work, didn't resign Sims at TE, linebacker was still a mess and Howard the cb was up and down and on ir and Maxwell was a yo yo. So on the menu after a free agent pickup at TE. Then it was back at filling holes in the draft at DL, LB and CB along with the OL.
Year 3. Tight end veteran experiment failed last year, we spun off our DT, along with rb, rookie lb and top lb fa signing did not work out with Timmons and then we had aling with a QB on IR. Point is we are back at drafting to filling holes this year.
Currently linebackers are a mess so expect our top pick here to go along with the 5th we gave to the Saints last year for a lb. Tight end is a hole with only 3rd backup Grey returning expect our top 3-pick here. Defensive Tackle well just how good were the young DTs last year because of Suh is the question. Another top 3 pick here as insurance probably in the 2nd round. As far as rb we have some insurance with Gore outside of Drake but a 4 th rounder will fill the bill, also a backup QB in the cards in the 4th on deck, perhaps a experiment at free safty in the 6 th and if course with no kicker on the roster look for that position in the 7th. Another OL, cb or FB in the 7th would not hurt.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

That first round will determine the direction to a large extent. I think the four quarterbacks go, Chubbs, Barkley, Smith and Edmunds. That means two of the following should fall to #11: Fitzpatrick, Nelson, Ward, James. My guess is Ward and Fitzpatrick fall.

If that scenario comes about, Miami gets a really good defensive back either way. I'd prefer Fitzpatrick. Then look at tight end and linebacker next I would think.

 

[Jay131866]

That first round will determine the direction to a large extent. I think the four quarterbacks go, Chubbs, Barkley, Smith and Edmunds. That means two of the following should fall to #11: Fitzpatrick, Nelson, Ward, James. My guess is Ward and Fitzpatrick fall.

If that scenario comes about, Miami gets a really good defensive back either way. I'd prefer Fitzpatrick. Then look at tight end and linebacker next I would think.

I really dont want another CB, so I hope we don't take Ward.

I think if we go S in round 1, we take LB in round 2 or vice versa. So something like Minkah/James with Warner in round 2. Or Smith with Justin Reid round 2.

We obviously have a huge need at TE but this years crop is going to get massively over-drafted. After all that I have read, I think our high 2 is even too high for the top TE.

 

[phintim]

While I think Ward is the pick of that litter I see these needs at DT, LB in the first 2 rounds as being so great we will be grabbing those positions rather than best talent.

 

[AJ Duhe]

I don't see Ward as the pick. Denzel Ward reminds me of a faster Brent Grimes. I believe his lack of size and play strength will be limiting if asked to press. I think the Dolphins' board is going to prioritize LB, TE, FS, QB, DT, then RB in that order.

 

[Danny]

I don't see Ward as the pick. Denzel Ward reminds me of a faster Brent Grimes. I believe his lack of size and play strength will be limiting if asked to press. I think the Dolphins' board is going to prioritize LB, TE, FS, QB, DT, then RB in that order.

That order seems about right at this point. We really need an impact player that can cover all over the field. Minkah would be nice and James as well. Smith if he's there of course and a RB,DT and QB all at some point

 

[AJ Duhe]

That order seems about right at this point. We really need an impact player that can cover all over the field. Minkah would be nice and James as well. Smith if he's there of course and a RB,DT and QB all at some point

Smith, Minkah, or James and I wouldn't be upset. All three players help us on the coverage and tackling problems in this defense.

 

[tay0365]

IMO:

LB
TE or FS
TE or FS
QB
2nd TE or DT
GUARD
KICKER
(If not none yet) DT

 

[LargoFin]

I don't want any question marks with the 11 pick. Ward is smallish, that's not good enough. Fitzpatrick, did not test like James, Ward, Lattimore, did not test at elite levels, and has position question marks. I do not want that. Roquan is fast but cannot block. I do not want any of that stuff at 11.
Everything has to be perfect at 11, big guy, super athletic, like elite historically, great production, great highlight tape, everything has to be a 10.

 

[dolfan91]

I just read an article on sporting news that claims, Miami is one of a hand full of teams who view Fitzpatrick as a hybrid CB/Safety type player, whereas, most other teams see him as a nickel, and suggeted they’d select him, if available @ #11. They also say Miami is expected to select a TE @ #42, IF they don’t trade the pick. I was a bit taken off guard by the speculation they’d trade the pick. Perhaps Miami sees more value in the latter part of round 2 through round 3?

 

[NoblePhin]

Well outside of Landry and X, we havent drafted well in the 2nd

 

[BlueFin]

That first round will determine the direction to a large extent. I think the four quarterbacks go, Chubbs, Barkley, Smith and Edmunds. That means two of the following should fall to #11: Fitzpatrick, Nelson, Ward, James. My guess is Ward and Fitzpatrick fall.

If that scenario comes about, Miami gets a really good defensive back either way. I'd prefer Fitzpatrick. Then look at tight end and linebacker next I would think.

Nelson will be gone...Fitzpatrick also I think.

I see James, Vea and Ward as our best players available.

 

[Gonzo]

Well outside of Landry and X, we havent drafted well in the 2nd

I never really understood holding the current FO responsible for past FO decisions. As much as I dislike Tbum, 2nd round picks made before he got here have no bearing on anything.

With Phillips (who looks much better now), Howard, and hopefully McMillan (a very good pick at the time), 2nd rounders may be his only strong suit. Too bad he'll botch any attempt to extend/re-sign them.

 

[finmann]

I bet a nickel LB would be first choice, if not FS possibly Fitz if he is there.

 

[Ray R]

Year 1 Gases first year we purged the defense backs, running back, wide reciever and defense ends. So we trade up for a cb, wr and then pick a rb in the first 3 rounds then blow the budget on 3 veteran DL, along with the trade for the cb Maxwell and Kiko.
Year 2. Last year when the veteran line experiments did not work, didn't resign Sims at TE, linebacker was still a mess and Howard the cb was up and down and on ir and Maxwell was a yo yo. So on the menu after a free agent pickup at TE. Then it was back at filling holes in the draft at DL, LB and CB along with the OL.
Year 3. Tight end veteran experiment failed last year, we spun off our DT, along with rb, rookie lb and top lb fa signing did not work out with Timmons and then we had aling with a QB on IR. Point is we are back at drafting to filling holes this year.
Currently linebackers are a mess so expect our top pick here to go along with the 5th we gave to the Saints last year for a lb. Tight end is a hole with only 3rd backup Grey returning expect our top 3-pick here. Defensive Tackle well just how good were the young DTs last year because of Suh is the question. Another top 3 pick here as insurance probably in the 2nd round. As far as rb we have some insurance with Gore outside of Drake but a 4 th rounder will fill the bill, also a backup QB in the cards in the 4th on deck, perhaps a experiment at free safty in the 6 th and if course with no kicker on the roster look for that position in the 7th. Another OL, cb or FB in the 7th would not hurt.

I wonder if Gases' opinion of our new guys on the defensive line was high enough he felt he could cut Suh a year earlier than his salary cap would indicate made sense. If this is the case we still have two possibilities that Gase might follow:

1) We will be good enough on the defensive line with our newer players. This will allow us to move on from Suh without drafting a replacement defensive lineman and still be effective.
2) We will be good enough on the defensive line with our newer players. This will allow us to move on from Suh and take a chance on adding a draft pick on the defensive line and still be effective.

These choices are a direct effect of cutting Suh.

There has been a lot of talk about weather we should have cut Suh or not. I want to add my opinion here because I think it addresses a corundum that many clubs have - High salary great players vs. low salary new players.

Possibly the FO had enough information on the defensive linemen available in this draft that they feel a solid replacement defensive lineman will be available. This, coupled with a good feeling about our newer linemen's' performance could have, in their minds, justified cutting Suh this year instead of waiting for next year to reduce his hit to our salary cap.

I suggest that a combination of the following situations was in play:

1) Our newest defensive line players showed improved performance last year, especially near the end of the season
2) A posibility for getting a solid lineman in the draft has been determined.
3) Gase was unhappy with Suh's occasional freelancing.
4) There has been a general purge of all our players having trouble learning or following the playbook.
5) We are addressing some of our high salary contracts.

While individually none of these situations really threatened Suhs' position; when they are all added together these situations combined to convince the FO they would be justified in cutting Suh. I think it's not that Suh did too much wrong, but that what he could do was offset by the lower cost of using newer defensive line players to achieve reasonable results along with the potential of more new defensive linemen being available, which will reduce long term cost.

When I look at the situation the way I just described it, I see the cap hit as a one year expense that lets us get more good players (as proven with some of our up and coming new players) at a much lower long term cost. With the changes we made in reducing salaries, we were able to handle the cap hit without a lot of damage. Considering all the other situations that exist and the purge of some problematic players this year; cutting Suh became an obvious move.

In the end, I think it was Suh's high salary and the indirect competition of lower cost and improving defensive line players, along with coach Gases' frustration over his freelancing that made cutting Suh a viable choice from managements point of view, even with his cap hit.