Opinion: Building The Dolphins Through The Draft

[xSxPxHx]

I always hear the concept of "building through the draft". I do agree that its the correct form of how you build a team, but one thing that is constantly in my head is, is there enough draft choices to build a team through the draft?

I can't help but think though that there is never enough draft picks for a team given in a year(nevermind the fact teams trade for more draft picks). Im talking hypothetically, you are given 7 draft choices to pick players. We all know that you MUST NAIL 1st 2nd and even 3rd round choices. the rest are project type players. Even 1,2,3 rounders for the most part don't pan out, its all a lottery.

We all know that part of a great draft is having a GM and his scouts study potential draft picks and doing due diligence on every aspect of the individuals game. In other words, the GM and scouts need to get the picks right.

My question is:

How are you supposed to "build a team" through the draft with so many little choices? (again, lets take the trading and trading down to acquire picks scenario). At best you get a contributer at 1,2, possibly 3, but not really the rest.

 

[Mach2]

It takes more than 1 draft. I would say three years is realistic, but even then, you have to get it right.

We need to come out of this draft with at least 2 day one starters, and a couple more contributers.

 

[supernintimdo]

My problem with building through the draft is it's a crapshoot. How many times have we picked garbage draft picks? Get talent on the team, doesn't matter how. Then have good coaches to manage the talent.

 

[NJ Dolphan]

"Building through the draft" is more of another way of saying what you will not be doing, which is spending a lot of money on free agents and using draft picks to make trades for established players, in the short term anyway. In our case it means doing that with an eye towards getting our quarterback in next year's draft.

 

[Danny]

Building thru the draft doesn't mean you draft all 53 players on your team but draft picks are more important than making a splash in free agency.

 

[PhxSunFan34]

My problem with building through the draft is it's a crapshoot. How many times have we picked garbage draft picks? Get talent on the team, doesn't matter how. Then have good coaches to manage the talent.

same with FAs these days.

 

[67Stang]

You have to build through the draft because if you don't, FA is too expensive to rely on. If you notice, teams that make the big moves like the Rams and other teams are on rookie QB contracts. Drafted players are cheap in comparison to trying to get quality through FA! You build through the draft and supplement through FA!

 

[Russ57]

I don’t know when it became a “given” that you couldn’t draft a stater past the third round. Pretty easy to get your pick of the best punter, fullback, or kicker well past then most years.

The Dolphins have historically done well in the fifth round.

 

[Aqua and Orange]

The whole "building through the draft" to me always meant a team composed of a combo of GOOD players on cheap contracts and GREAT players that teams never touch free agency.

The Dolphins seem to always be doing the idiot tactic of signing GOOD players they never let touch free agency. Mismanagement on full display. Throw money at Brian Hartline to make your previous drafts look better and ignore the urge to upgrade.

My fear in this draft is the Dolphins getting so eager to trade down that they lose out on marquee talent at the 13 spot. I still remember being slightly annoyed when the team traded down instead of getting Earl Thomas, who I thought was a sure thing. I hope this Dolphins team loads up on what they view as sure things this draft because there is barely any foundation on this current roster for them to build on.

 

[Mach2]

I don’t know when it became a “given” that you couldn’t draft a stater past the third round. Pretty easy to get your pick of the best punter, fullback, or kicker well past then most years.

The Dolphins have historically done well in the fifth round.

I wouldn't say it's a given, but the odds of getting a "stud" drops off quite sharply beyond round 2.

That said, you can find good players, at some positions, in later rounds. RBs, Corners, Recievers can drop do to a couple hundreths slower time in the 40. Thier "football" speed, is not thier 40 yard dash time.

A few good scouts are worth thier weight in gold, when it comes to later round gems.

 

[Digital]

Different teams have different philosophies about how to use the draft. Some teams like to swing for the fences, get lots of chances for guys with high potential, and this tends to be the Dolphins' approach. Others like to target production with some picks and high potential with a few select picks, and this tends to be the Patriots' approach.

The high potential approach means you tend to draft guys with superior athletic traits, even if their skill/technique levels are lower, then you develop them, and hope you get some of them developed into stars. This works. But it doesn't work all the time. Here's the problem … free agency robs this approach of most of its value. The successes look like Olivier Vernon, Charles Clay, Laremy Tunsil and Reshad Jones. The non-successes look like Mike Pouncey, Ju'Wuan James, Pat White and Cordrea Tankersley. The problem is that when you miss … you get nothing. When you hit, you don't get that production immediately, but rather just around the time they're ready for a new contract. So, either you pay through the nose, or you let them go.

The Patriots' approach gets instant production now, even if many of those guys have limited upside. Sure, they still swing for the fences some too, drafting guys like Chandler Jones and trading for Stephon Gilmore, but they'll go after solid but unspectacular OL and less phenomenal but more versatile defensive linemen. They need to make sure their scheme wins for them, without less-polished phenom's making mistakes and gumming up the works. So, the Patriots get more production out of the first 4 years of their players. After that, those guys have a limited ceiling … so they're not that expensive to re-sign. Win-win. They'll still need to hit on some successes, but since they can resign more of their team, they don't need as many hits.

 

[Feverdream]

If you look back to how Jerry Jones and Jimmuh turned the 1 win Cowboys into a Super Bowl champ, you saw them trade down and trade down and trade down for three or four years running.
It wasnt that their scouting was better than everyone else, it was that they had tons of draft picks...
In other words, the same thing the Patriots have always done.
Good teams trade up ONLY when they need finishing pieces, because the draft IS a crapshoot with well regarded picks going bust every year.

If the 'phins want to stop being average, they need to trade down... a lot... for the next FOREVER years.

 

[Ray R]

I always hear the concept of "building through the draft". I do agree that its the correct form of how you build a team, but one thing that is constantly in my head is, is there enough draft choices to build a team through the draft?

I can't help but think though that there is never enough draft picks for a team given in a year(nevermind the fact teams trade for more draft picks). Im talking hypothetically, you are given 7 draft choices to pick players. We all know that you MUST NAIL 1st 2nd and even 3rd round choices. the rest are project type players. Even 1,2,3 rounders for the most part don't pan out, its all a lottery.

We all know that part of a great draft is having a GM and his scouts study potential draft picks and doing due diligence on every aspect of the individuals game. In other words, the GM and scouts need to get the picks right.

My question is:

How are you supposed to "build a team" through the draft with so many little choices? (again, lets take the trading and trading down to acquire picks scenario). At best you get a contributer at 1,2, possibly 3, but not really the rest.

I always hear the concept of "building through the draft". I do agree that its the correct form of how you build a team, but one thing that is constantly in my head is, is there enough draft choices to build a team through the draft?

I can't help but think though that there is never enough draft picks for a team given in a year(nevermind the fact teams trade for more draft picks). Im talking hypothetically, you are given 7 draft choices to pick players. We all know that you MUST NAIL 1st 2nd and even 3rd round choices. the rest are project type players. Even 1,2,3 rounders for the most part don't pan out, its all a lottery.

We all know that part of a great draft is having a GM and his scouts study potential draft picks and doing due diligence on every aspect of the individuals game. In other words, the GM and scouts need to get the picks right.

My question is:

How are you supposed to "build a team" through the draft with so many little choices? (again, lets take the trading and trading down to acquire picks scenario). At best you get a contributer at 1,2, possibly 3, but not really the rest.

It's a combination of:
1) Consistently drafting effectively (keeping more then 1/2 of your picks more than 3 years is my definition of effective).
2) Consistently using Free Agency effectively. This means getting some short term improvement in as many positions as possible when you are losing and making smaller, less expensive improvements when you are winning.
3) Always improving, which is basic maintenance after your team has established itself as a winner.

 

[Highzenga]

I always hear the concept of "building through the draft". I do agree that its the correct form of how you build a team, but one thing that is constantly in my head is, is there enough draft choices to build a team through the draft?

I can't help but think though that there is never enough draft picks for a team given in a year(nevermind the fact teams trade for more draft picks). Im talking hypothetically, you are given 7 draft choices to pick players. We all know that you MUST NAIL 1st 2nd and even 3rd round choices. the rest are project type players. Even 1,2,3 rounders for the most part don't pan out, its all a lottery.

We all know that part of a great draft is having a GM and his scouts study potential draft picks and doing due diligence on every aspect of the individuals game. In other words, the GM and scouts need to get the picks right.

My question is:

How are you supposed to "build a team" through the draft with so many little choices? (again, lets take the trading and trading down to acquire picks scenario). At best you get a contributer at 1,2, possibly 3, but not really the rest.

Not every starter on your team is going to be a draft pick in this era of free agency. The point of building through the draft is that draft picks are cheap the first few years. If you consistently draft well, then you will always have good cheap talent and you can allocate your cap accordingly. I have heard that the thinking in NFL front offices is that you need 8 blue chip players to be a contender. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to afford 8 blue chip free agents. Most have to be on rookie deals. This is what they mean when using the term “build through the draft.”

 

[DPhinz_DPhinz]

Building through the draft is a system where you identify your cornerstones (QB, LT, CB, DE, MLB) and the rest of the positions can be drafted and be a part of FA to upgrade the talent level on the team.

You have an average RG about to come into a contract year at the same time a stud RG is co.ing out in the draft. The RG on the team is moved (trade, release-comp pick) so tharts his spot is now open for the rookie upgrade at a diackubrws rate than the vet.

I see this happening to Drake in the near future.