March 24
Q: Hi Mike, all the experts keep saying this could be the deepest draft in 10 years, so my question is who are the Dolphins going to deal in order to acquire something akin to the 12 picks the Pats have amassed? Ginn, Crowder, Smiley, White, Thigpen
could any of these bring in a 2nd/3rd or 4th? Thanks for the good work, Mike. Alan, Bucks, England.
A: Well, Smiley is already being shopped just for this purpose. Considering his health issues and the $13 million still left on his contract over the next three years, he MIGHT bring a third-rounder, more likely a little lower. As for the others you mentioned, I could definitely see Ginn being dealt for a mid-round pick. Unfortunately, Baltimore Cam Cameron's employer has already addressed its need at receiver with the additions of Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth. That always seemed like the best possible landing spot for Ginn. Cleveland is home, so maybe the Dolphins try to get Mike Holmgren to bite on a player who's got a little Desmond Howard in him. As for the QBs, somebody's going to get dealt at some point. Maybe that's why Tony Sparano refused to specify this week whether Tyler Thigpen or Pat White was the No. 2 QB. Chad Pennington is nominally No. 3, but come one, once he's fully healthy, he's your true No. 2, even if one of the others is active on game day for gimmick-package purposes. Dolphins, by the way, now have 10 picks, thanks to picking up another seventh-rounder as compensation.