Nolan is gone, we can forget about continuity on the defense. Will probably end up switching to a 4-3 defense or run a hybrid.
Looks like Philbin may go to Tampa Bay, and they are having 2nd interviews with guys so it doesn't look like Carmichael is even getting an interview.
That means a prolific, or even improved offense is doubtful.
Might as well just let all the significant free agents walk, and take the comp picks in the 2013 draft. Soliai,Langford,Carey,Will Allen,Chad Henne,Colombo,etc. Should get 3 comps in 2013 if we don't sign any FA's. Two of them should be high picks IMO. Soliai and Langford should get significant deals. Carey,Allen and Henne should count for something as well.
Cut Yeremiah Bell. He is due more than 5mil. At 33, that amount makes him untradable.
Merling and Hilliard could both be given low RFA tenders and then traded for late round picks.
Bess,Matt Moore,and Hartline could all be put on the trade block. Dolphins will need all the extra picks they can get if they are truly going to rebuild and get younger. Bess and Hartline are both solid players, but I think the new coach will be asking for some players with more explosiveness; young gifted athletes they can coach up. Hartline's puny salary should make him very appealing. A team like the Texans could really use a guy like Bess. Jacoby Jones is a an extreme liability. He lost that playoff game for them. Texans need a sure-handed slot receiver who can return punts and doesn't fumble.
I'm terrible with trade values, so you name it. For the sake of the mock draft I'll estimate way low and take 7th's for Hilliard and Merling and a 4th for Bess. There are a lot of WR's available in FA this year but they will cost way more to sign than what Bess or Hartline are owed. Moore and Hartline in a package for a 3rd.
Sign all the veterans who are going to be a part of the Dolphin future to enormously front loaded contracts. By maxing out this year's cap with new extensions and bonuses for guys like Jake Long,Cam Wake,Anthony Fasano and Randy Starks , the Dolphins can put themselves way, way under the cap heading into the 2013 off-season. Maybe an extension for Reggie Bush as well, but with his injury history, it would have to be a very reasonable contract. Fasano?? You may say. Yes, definitely, even if the Dolphins draft Fleener in the late 1st or early 2nd. Fasano is an excellent blocker and a decent receiver. A rare combination that always puts him near the top in PFF's rankings year after year. A nice front loaded 3 yr extension should do it.
Dolphins will be looking to sign guys from other teams who get cut, as this does not affect compensatory status.
In a rebuild the Dolphins would looking for quantity. They definitely will be looking to trade down at least once in the 1st round and twice if possible. Something like from the 8th spot to 17-20 and from there again to the back of the 1st round and pick up two additional 2nds.
Mock Draft:
1st....................Coby Fleener...........TE................I expect him to blow up the combine so, ya, in the late 1st.
2nd....................Bruce Irvin..............DE/OLB.........Good player to have for a hybrid defense.
2nd....................Chandler Jones.........DE/OLB.........Another good player for a hybrid defense
2nd....................Brandon Weeden......QB................Best QB in the draft IMO, a steal in the late 2nd
3rd....................Kevin Zeitler............OG................Should start at RG
3rd....................Harrison Smith..........S.................Might start at SS??
4th....................Brock Osweiler..........QB...............Could be future trade bait or a real good #2.
4th....................Jake Bequette...........DE...............Depth, but could surprise
5th....................Tom Compton............OT..............Will push Jerry for the RT spot
6th.....................Blake DeChristopher...OL...............Might push Incognito at LG
7th.....................Sean Richardson........OLB................Should convert well from S to OLB,cover LB's are needed in today's NFL
7th.....................Darrell Scott............RB...............?
7th.....................Devon Wylie............WR/KR/PR......Should win both return jobs and see a little time in the slot
FA,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Tony Dye..................S................Depth
FA.....................Ryan Van Bergen.......DE...............Could surprise
FA.....................
FA....................Randy Colling............DT...............Big,strong,fast,was a champion wrestler,dominated in div 2
FA.....................Paul Cornick ...........OT...............Depth
FA.....................Nick Provo...............FB
Roster:
QB.......................Weeden,Devlin,Osweiler
RB........................Bush,Thomas,Darrell Scott,
FB.......................Nick Provo
WR......................Marshall,Wallace,Devon Wylie,Moore,Pruitt,Pat Carter
TE.......................Fleener,Fasano,Clay
OT......................Long,Jerry,Compton,Cornick,Murtha
C/OG...................Pouncey,Incognito,Zeitler,Garner,DeChristopher
DT......................Starks,Odrick,McDaniel,Baker,Colling
DE......................Wake,Chandler Jones,Jake Bequette,Ryan Van Bergen
MLB......................Dansby,Spitler
OLB.......................Burnett,Irvin,Misi,Sean Richardson
S........................Harrison Smith,Jones,Clemons,Dye
CB.......................Davis,Smith,Carroll,Wilson,Vincent Agnew
Feilds,Carpenter,Denney
2013:
In 2013 WR Mike Wallace will be an UFA and the Steelers will still be in cap hell because they have already stated they have no intention of taking care of that business this offseason. They are going to continue to hold on to their old veterans and it will result in them being unable to offer Wallace a decent contract or be able to afford his franchise tag. He will be the Dolphins #1 target; and the Dolphins will have tons of cap because of the creative contract extensions of 2012.
Mario Williams will most likely be franchised this year and that means he will also be a UFA in 2013 and those 2nd year tags are awful expensive. Dolphins will have plenty of cap room for two top tier FA's and a few mid-tier FA's as well. Dolphins should be able to nicely shore up their depth and sign Sean Smith to a new contract and Vontae Davis to a nice extension. That should get the team up to the new cap minimum at least.
Kerry Rhodes FS may be a nice mid-tier FA acquisition if Reshad Jones or Chris Clemons don't excel at FS.
2013 Draft: The Dolphins will be free to draft BPA
Looks like Philbin may go to Tampa Bay, and they are having 2nd interviews with guys so it doesn't look like Carmichael is even getting an interview.
That means a prolific, or even improved offense is doubtful.
Might as well just let all the significant free agents walk, and take the comp picks in the 2013 draft. Soliai,Langford,Carey,Will Allen,Chad Henne,Colombo,etc. Should get 3 comps in 2013 if we don't sign any FA's. Two of them should be high picks IMO. Soliai and Langford should get significant deals. Carey,Allen and Henne should count for something as well.
Cut Yeremiah Bell. He is due more than 5mil. At 33, that amount makes him untradable.
Merling and Hilliard could both be given low RFA tenders and then traded for late round picks.
Bess,Matt Moore,and Hartline could all be put on the trade block. Dolphins will need all the extra picks they can get if they are truly going to rebuild and get younger. Bess and Hartline are both solid players, but I think the new coach will be asking for some players with more explosiveness; young gifted athletes they can coach up. Hartline's puny salary should make him very appealing. A team like the Texans could really use a guy like Bess. Jacoby Jones is a an extreme liability. He lost that playoff game for them. Texans need a sure-handed slot receiver who can return punts and doesn't fumble.
I'm terrible with trade values, so you name it. For the sake of the mock draft I'll estimate way low and take 7th's for Hilliard and Merling and a 4th for Bess. There are a lot of WR's available in FA this year but they will cost way more to sign than what Bess or Hartline are owed. Moore and Hartline in a package for a 3rd.
Sign all the veterans who are going to be a part of the Dolphin future to enormously front loaded contracts. By maxing out this year's cap with new extensions and bonuses for guys like Jake Long,Cam Wake,Anthony Fasano and Randy Starks , the Dolphins can put themselves way, way under the cap heading into the 2013 off-season. Maybe an extension for Reggie Bush as well, but with his injury history, it would have to be a very reasonable contract. Fasano?? You may say. Yes, definitely, even if the Dolphins draft Fleener in the late 1st or early 2nd. Fasano is an excellent blocker and a decent receiver. A rare combination that always puts him near the top in PFF's rankings year after year. A nice front loaded 3 yr extension should do it.
Dolphins will be looking to sign guys from other teams who get cut, as this does not affect compensatory status.
In a rebuild the Dolphins would looking for quantity. They definitely will be looking to trade down at least once in the 1st round and twice if possible. Something like from the 8th spot to 17-20 and from there again to the back of the 1st round and pick up two additional 2nds.
Mock Draft:
1st....................Coby Fleener...........TE................I expect him to blow up the combine so, ya, in the late 1st.
2nd....................Bruce Irvin..............DE/OLB.........Good player to have for a hybrid defense.
2nd....................Chandler Jones.........DE/OLB.........Another good player for a hybrid defense
2nd....................Brandon Weeden......QB................Best QB in the draft IMO, a steal in the late 2nd
3rd....................Kevin Zeitler............OG................Should start at RG
3rd....................Harrison Smith..........S.................Might start at SS??
4th....................Brock Osweiler..........QB...............Could be future trade bait or a real good #2.
4th....................Jake Bequette...........DE...............Depth, but could surprise
5th....................Tom Compton............OT..............Will push Jerry for the RT spot
6th.....................Blake DeChristopher...OL...............Might push Incognito at LG
7th.....................Sean Richardson........OLB................Should convert well from S to OLB,cover LB's are needed in today's NFL
7th.....................Darrell Scott............RB...............?
7th.....................Devon Wylie............WR/KR/PR......Should win both return jobs and see a little time in the slot
FA,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Tony Dye..................S................Depth
FA.....................Ryan Van Bergen.......DE...............Could surprise
FA.....................
FA....................Randy Colling............DT...............Big,strong,fast,was a champion wrestler,dominated in div 2
FA.....................Paul Cornick ...........OT...............Depth
FA.....................Nick Provo...............FB
Roster:
QB.......................Weeden,Devlin,Osweiler
RB........................Bush,Thomas,Darrell Scott,
FB.......................Nick Provo
WR......................Marshall,Wallace,Devon Wylie,Moore,Pruitt,Pat Carter
TE.......................Fleener,Fasano,Clay
OT......................Long,Jerry,Compton,Cornick,Murtha
C/OG...................Pouncey,Incognito,Zeitler,Garner,DeChristopher
DT......................Starks,Odrick,McDaniel,Baker,Colling
DE......................Wake,Chandler Jones,Jake Bequette,Ryan Van Bergen
MLB......................Dansby,Spitler
OLB.......................Burnett,Irvin,Misi,Sean Richardson
S........................Harrison Smith,Jones,Clemons,Dye
CB.......................Davis,Smith,Carroll,Wilson,Vincent Agnew
Feilds,Carpenter,Denney
2013:
In 2013 WR Mike Wallace will be an UFA and the Steelers will still be in cap hell because they have already stated they have no intention of taking care of that business this offseason. They are going to continue to hold on to their old veterans and it will result in them being unable to offer Wallace a decent contract or be able to afford his franchise tag. He will be the Dolphins #1 target; and the Dolphins will have tons of cap because of the creative contract extensions of 2012.
Mario Williams will most likely be franchised this year and that means he will also be a UFA in 2013 and those 2nd year tags are awful expensive. Dolphins will have plenty of cap room for two top tier FA's and a few mid-tier FA's as well. Dolphins should be able to nicely shore up their depth and sign Sean Smith to a new contract and Vontae Davis to a nice extension. That should get the team up to the new cap minimum at least.
Kerry Rhodes FS may be a nice mid-tier FA acquisition if Reshad Jones or Chris Clemons don't excel at FS.
2013 Draft: The Dolphins will be free to draft BPA
