Conuficus
The look on Tom Brady's face: Pricless
I’m just kicking stones here, but I decided to do a little research on my own regarding a historical perspective as to what we may do in the future regarding the drafting of players. If any of you remember, (maybe it was so bad I forever etched into your collective psyche) I did a historical breakdown of the offensive lineman Mike Maser had targeted during his coaching days at Jacksonville and Carolina. I thought such an examination was important being that Maser worked with both Chris Palmer (Jacksonville) and Dan Henning (Carolina) during that time. Henning is, and Palmer was considered a candidate for the Offensive Coordinator position. Both OC’s from my perspective operate a vertical style of offense with a large reliance on the WR’s and RB’s to do the heavy lifting. Palmer made Jimmy Smith, Keenan McCardell, Mark Brunell and Fred Taylor household names. Henning has more than 25 years OC experience in the NFL, and is a former member of the Dolphins family.
In this project I intend to take the examination a little deeper, I’d like to look at Parcells’ drafting history, and combine it with looking at what Jeff Ireland did in Dallas last year. I don’t think I’ll get too into position coaches as it would cloud the overall body of work, not to mention cause my multiple migraines. I know position coaches don’t draft the players, but they do however have an input. However, it is just too much work for me, sorry boys I’m still getting my feet under me with these outlandishly long musings. At the end of it I will make a mock draft, using the information provided to help make my selections.
Obviously, in an undertaking like this I cannot simply look at the drafts that occurred during Parcells’ tenure. I must give an indication as to the history before he got there. For instance, I could look in Parcells’ second year with the Jets – 1998, and say he took 3 O-lineman in that draft and where, but does that help explain why, or at the very least give a decent indication. As such, I have decided to provide the 2 drafts previous to when Parcells’ appeared on scene.
All draft information was gleamed from NFL.com if anyone is interested. And, any player information will be primarily pasted from DraftScout.com. So let’s get started with this:
Please note: ---------- indicates a time line break. Anything above this line is two years of drafts by the team in question before Parcells got there. Everything beneath it is after Parcells became HC.
Bill Parcells:
New England Patriots:
1991:
Round 1 #11 – Pat Harlow, OT – USC
Round 1 #14 – Leonard Russell, RB – Arizona St
Round 2 #41 – Jerome Henderson, CB – Clemson
Round 3 #56 – Calvin Stephens, G – South Carolina
Round 4 #84 – Scott Zolak, QB – Maryland
Round 5 #112 – John Vaughn, RB – Michigan
Round 5 #124 – Ben Coates, TE – Livingstone
Round 6 #140 – David Key, DB – Michigan
Round 7 #168 - Blake Miller, C – LSU
Round 8 #196 – Harry Colon, SS – Missouri
Round 9 #224 – O’Neil Glenn, -- - Maryland
Round 10 #251 – Randy Bethel, -- - Miami (Fl)
Round 11 # 279 – Vince Moore, -- - Ten.
Round 11 # 303 – Paul Alsbury, -- - Texas St.
Round 11 #307 – Tim Edwards, DT – Delta St.
1992:
Round 1 #13 – Eugene Chung, OT – VT
Round 2 #35 – Rod Smith, DB – Notre Dame
Round 3 #64 – Todd F. Collins, LB – Carson Newman
Round 3 #71 – Kevin Turner, RB – Alabama
Round 4 #90 – Dion Lambert, DB – UCLA
Round 4 #93 – Darren Anderson, DB – Toledo
Round 5 #116 – Dwayne Sabb, LB – New Hampshire
Round 6 #165 – Tracy Boyd, -- - Elizabeth City St.
Round 7 #176 – Wayne Hawkins, -- - Southwest St.
Round 7 #194 – Jim Gray, -- - West Virginia
Round 8 #204 – Scott Lockwood, RB – USC
Round 8 #205 – Sam Gash, RB – Penn St.
Round 9 #232 - David Dixon, DT – Arizona St.
Round 10 #262 – Turner Baur, -- - Stanford
Round 10 #277 – Steve Gordon, C – California
Round 11 #288 – Mike Petko, -- - Nebraska
Round 12 #333 - Freeman Baysinger, -- - Humboldt St.
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1993:
Round 1 #1 – Drew Bledsoe, QB – Washington St.
Round 1 #31 – Chris Slade, LB – Virginia
Round 2 #51 – Todd Rucci, OT – Penn St.
Round 2 #56 – Vincent Brisby, WR – Louisianna-Monroe
Round 4 #86 – Kevin Johnson, DT – Texas Southern
Round 4 #110 – Corwin Brown, SS – Michigan
Round 5 #113 – Scott Sisson, K – Georgia Tech
Round 5 #138 – Rich Griffith, TE – Arizona
Round 6 #142 – Lawrence Hatch, CB – Florida
Round 8 #198 – Troy Brown, WR – Marshall
1994:
Round 1 #4 – Willie McGinest, LB – USC
Round 2 #35 – Kevin Lee, WR – Alabama
Round 3 #78 – Ervin Collier, DT – Florida A&M
Round 3 #90 – Joe Burch, C – Texas Southern
Round 4 #121 – John Burke, TE – VT
Round 5 #135 – Pat O’Neill, P – Syracuse
Round 6 #166 – Steve Hawkins, WR – Western Michigan
Round 6 #168 – Max Lane, OT – Navy
Round 7 #198 – Jay Walker, QB – Howard
1995:
Round 1 #23 – Ty Law, CB – Michigan
Round 2 #57 – Ted Johnson, ILB – Colorado
Round 3 #74 – Curtis Martin, RB – Pittsburgh
Round 3 #88 – Jimmy Hitch****, CB – North Carolina
Round 4 #112 – Dave Wohlabaugh, C – Syracuse
Round 6 #195 – Dino Philyaw, RB – Oregon
Round 7 #234 – Carlos Yancy, DB – Georgia
1996:
Round 1 #7 – Terry Glenn, WR – Ohio St.
Round 2 #36 – Lawyer Milloy, SS – Washington
Round 3 #86 – Tedy Bruschi, LB – Arizona
Round 4 #101 – Heath Irwin, G – Colorado
Round 4 #119 – Chris Sullivan, DE – Boston College
Round 4 #124 – Kantroy Barber, RB – West Virginia
Round 5 #139 – John Elmore, G – Texas
Round 5 #149 – Christian Peter, DT – Nebraska
Round 6 #173 – Chris Griffin, TE – New Mexico
Round 6 #195 – Mario Grier, RB – Tennessee-Chattanooga
Round 6 #206 – Devin Wyman, DT – Kentucky St.
Round 7 #216 – Lovett Purnell, TE – West Virginia
Round 7 #247 – J.R. Conrad, C – Oklahoma
New York Jets:
1995:
Round 1 #9 – Kyle Brady, TE – Penn St.
Round 1 #16 – Hugh Douglas, DE – Central St. (Ohio)
Round 2 #33 – Matt O’Dwyer, G – Northwestern
Round 4 #106 – Melvin Hayes, OT – Mississippi St.
Round 4 #107 – Tyrone Davis, WR – Virginia
Round 5 #142 – Carl Greenwood, CB – UCLA
Round 6 #178 – Eddie Mason, LB – North Carolina
Round 7 #217 – Curtis Ceasar, WR – Grambling St.
1996:
Round 1 #1 – Keyshawn Johnson, WR – USC
Round 2 #31 – Alex Van Dyke, WR – Nevada-Reno
Round 3 #62 – Ray Mickens, CB – Texas A&M
Round 5 #133 – Marcus Coleman, CB – Texas Tech
Round 6 #168 – Hugh Hunter, -- - Hampton
Round 7 #210 – Chris Hayes, CB – Washington St.
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1997:
Round 1 #8 – James Farrior, OLB – Virginia
Round 2 #31 – Rick Terry, DT – North Carolina
Round 3 #88 – Dedric Ward, WR – Northern Iowa
Round 4 #102 – Terry Day, DE – Mississippi St.
Round 4 #104 – Leon Johnson, WR – North Carolina
Round 5 #131 – Lamont Burns, G – E. Carolina
Round 6 #164 – Tim Shaft, -- - Northwestern
Round 6 #191 – Chuck Clements, QB – Houston
Round 7 #202 – Steve Rosga, DB – Colorado
Round 7 #229 – Jason Ferguson, DT - Georgia
1998:
Round 2 #56 – Dorian Boose, DE – Washington State
Round 3 #67 – Scott Frost, DB – Nebraska
Round 3 #87 – Kevin Williams, FS – Oklahoma St.
Round 4 #111 – Jason Fabini, OT – Cincinnati
Round 5 #134 – Casey Dailey, LB – Northwestern
Round 5 #141 – Doug Karczewski, G – Virginia
Round 5 #146 – Blake Spence, TE – Oregon
Round 5 #149 – Eric Blakeman, OT – BYU
Round 6 #163 – Eric Ogbogu, DE – Maryland
Round 6 #174 – Chris Brazzell, WR – Angelo St.
Round 6 #183 – Dustin Johnson, RB – BYU
Round 7 #195 – Lawrence Hart, TE – Southern Univ.
1999:
Round 2 #57 – Randy Thomas, G – Mississippi St.
Round 3 #90 – David Loverne, G – San Jose St.
Round 4 #123 – Jason Wiltz, DT – Nebraska
Round 5 #162 – Jermaine Jones, DB – Northwestern State-Louisiana
Round 6 #183 - Marc Megna, LB – Richmond
Round 6 #197 – J. P. Machado, G – Illinois
Round 7 #223 – Ryan Young, OT – Kansas St.
Round 7 #235 – J. J. Syvrud, LB – Jamestown
Dallas Cowboys:
2001:
Round 2 #53 – Quincy Carter, QB – Georgia
Round 2 #56 – Tony Dixon, CB – Alabama
Round 3 #93 – Willie Blade, DT – Mississippi St.
Round 4 #122 – Markus Steele, OLB – USC
Round 5 #137 – Matt Lehr, C – VT[/font
Round 6 #171 – Daleroy Stewart, DT – Southern Miss.
Round 7 #207 – Colston Weatherington, DE – Central Missouri St.
Round 7 #240 – John Nix, DT – Southern Miss.
2002:
Round 1 #8 – Roy Williams, S – Oklahoma
Round 2 #37 – Andre Gurode, G – Colorado
Round 2 #63 – Antonio Bryant, WR – Pittsburgh
Round 3 #75 – Derek Ross, CB – Ohio St.
Round 4 #129 – Jamar Martin, FB – Ohio St.
Round 5 #168 – Pete Hunter, CB – Virginia Union
Round 6 #179 – Tyson Walter, C – Ohio St.
Round 6 #208 – Deveren Johnson, -- - Sacred Heart Univ.
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2003:
Round 1 #5 – Terence Newman, CB – Kansas St.
Round 2 #38 – Al Johnson, C – Wisconsin
Round 3 # 69 – Jason Witten, TE – Tennessee
Round 4 #103 – Bradie James, LB – LSU
Round 6 #178 – B. J. Tucker, CB – Wisconsin
Round 6 #186 – Zuriel Smith, WR - Hampton
Round 7 #219 – Justin Bates, G – Colorado
2004:
Round 2 #43 – Julius Jones, RB – Notre Dame
Round 2 #52 – Jacob Rogers, OT – USC
Round 3 #83 – Steven Peterman, G – LSU
Round 4 #121 – Bruce Thornton, CB – Georgia
Round 5 #144 – Sean Ryan, TE – Boston College
Round 7 #205 – Nate Jones, CB – Rutgers
Round 7 #216 – Patrick Crayton, WR – Northwestern Oklahoma St.
Round 7 #223 – Jacques Reeves, CB – Purdue
2005:
Round 1 #11 – DeMarcus Ware, OLB – Troy St.
Round 1 #20 – Marcus Spears, DE – LSU
Round 2 #42 – Kevin Burnett, LB – Tennessee
Round 4 #109 – Marion Barber, RB – Minnesota
Round 4 #132 – Chris Canty, DE – Virginia
Round 6 #208 – Justin Beriault, DB – Ball St.
Round 6 #209 – Rob Petitti, OT – Pittsburgh
Round 7 #224 – Jay Ratliff, DE – Auburn
2006:
Round 1 #18 – Bobby Carpenter, LB – Ohio St.
Round 2 #53 – Anthony Fasano, TE – Notre Dame
Round 3 #92 – Jason Hatcher, DE – Grambling St.
Round 4 #125 – Skyler Green, WR – LSU
Round 5 #138 – Pat Watkins, FS – Florida St.
Round 6 #182 – Montavious Stanley, DT – Louisville
Round 7 #211 – Pat McQuistan, OT – Weber St.
Round 7 #224 – E. J. Whitley, C – Texas Tech
Jeff Ireland in Dallas: I thought that I should show Ireland’s only draft without BP. However, last year’s Dallas team was in the hunt for the Super Bowl, and probably drafted for luxury, and need which can be misleading. I don’ think it is necessary to break it down into percentages, as it is only one draft. But, it appears Ireland followed the Parcells tendencies, which I will highlight in the paragraphs afterwards. Once you’ve read it you can refer back to this draft below, and see what I mean about “tendenciesâ€.
2007:
Round 1 #26 – Anthony Spencer, OLB – Purdue
Round 3 #67 – James Marten, OT – BC
Round 4 #103 – Isaiah Stanbeck, WR – Washington
Round 4 #122 – Doug Free, OT – Northern Illinois
Round 6 #178 – Nick Folk, K – Arizona
Round 6 #195 – Deon Anderson, FB – Conneticut
Round 7 #212 – Courtney Brown, CB – Cal Poly-S.L.O.
Round 7 #237 – Alan Ball, CB - Illinois
Well, trying to digest all that just by looking at it is a bit daunting. Being the nice guy that I am, I thought it would be easier to assimilate if I break it down a little. What I will do is to examine what the regime prior to BP did in regards to drafting players. Such examination, should to some degree, help us to understand what BP was trying to achieve with his drafts, aside from the obvious; make the team better. For example, if we looked at BP first year with the Jets we can see he didn’t draft a DB until the later rounds in Steve Rosga. Leaving it there would not let us see that the year before, the previous regimes drafted both Ray Mickens and Marcus Coleman, both CB’s. Both players ended up being solid contributors, so in the eyes of Parcells DB was obviously not that important. He had two decent, young players to go along with Aron Glenn, why would he need to draft a 4th corner high? This is the root of why I have chosen to include two years worth of drafts before BP. Makes it much easier to understand where he was going, especially when we know where the team has gone before. (I know that is a very clandestine way to slip in a Star Trek reference.) Now that I have given a rough gist as to what I am trying to do I think we can go ahead and get started.
The Patriots: Before Parcells got there the previous regime had a total of 32 picks (I only have info on 22 of the picks though, which is what I can use to make an analysis) and if you break it down they spent: (Numbers will be shown as: 5 of 10 = 5/10)
12/22 on offense = 55%.........thus 45% were spent on defense (no ST).
After Parcells came on board he was there for 4 years total. I will break his numbers down by the first two years, his next two years, and overall. Hopefully by doing this it will give a fair example of his first two years compared with the last two years by the previous regime. Then obviously the other numbers tell what he did after his system had been properly implemented (2 years), and how his total tenure breaks down. His numbers break down as:
First 2 years:
11/19 on offense = 58%.......6/19 on defense = 32%........2/19 on ST = 10%
Next 2 years:
11/20 on offense = 55%.......9/20 on defense = 45%
Overall:
22/39 on offense = 56.5%.......15/39 on defense = 38.5%.......2/39 on ST = 5%
Numerically, Parcells definitely favored the offensive side of the ball. But these numbers do not include any FA signings as FA was just in its infancy in his tenure there. But simply looking numbers such as these only tell which side of the ball he was drafting not the positions, which break down as such:
First 2 years:
3 OL – 3/19 = 16% 2 DL – 2/19 = 10.5%
4 WR – 4/19 = 21% 2 LB – 2/19 = 10.5 %
2 QB – 2/19 = 10.5% 1 CB – 1/19 = 5.5%
2 TE – 2/19 = 10.5% 1 S – 1/19 = 5.5%
Next 2 years:
4 OL – 4/20 = 20% 3 DL – 3/20 = 15%
1 WR – 1/20 = 5% 2 LB – 2/20 = 10%
4 RB – 4/20 = 20% 3 CB – 3/20 = 15%
2 TE – 2/20 = 10% 1 S – 1/20 = 5%
Overall:
7 OL – 7/39 = 18% 5 DL – 5/39 = 13%
5 WR – 5/39 = 13% 4 LB – 4/39 = 10.25%
4 TE – 4/39 = 10.25% 4 CB – 4/39 = 10.25
4 RB – 4/39 = 10.25% 2 S – 2/39 = 5%
2 QB – 2/39 = 5%
From the numbers we can see that Parcells’ was determined to revamp the offense, as he spent 11 picks the first two years on that side of the ball. 4 of the 11 offensive picks were spent on a WR, which surprised me honestly. As his tenure continued, he switched his focus to the defensive side of the ball, although he did stay pretty consistent with the additions of both LB’s and D-lineman.
The New York Jets: Before Parcells got there the previous regime had 14 picks, (I only have information for 13 of 14 picks) and they break down like this:
7/13 on offense = 54%..........6/13 on defense = 46% (No ST)
After Parcells came on board he was there a total of 3 years. As such I will break his tenure down as the first two years, and overall.
First Two Years: (22 total selections, info for 21)
11/21 on offense = 52%.........10/21 on defense = 48% (No ST)
Overall:
15/29 on offense = 52%..........14/29 on defense = 48% (No ST)
Once again I will break down the information down into positions:
First 2 Years:
4 OL – 4/21 = 19% 5 DL – 5/21 = 24%
3 WR – 3/21 = 14% 2 LB – 2/21 = 9.5%
1 RB – 1/21 = 4.75% 2 CB – 2/21 = 9.5%
2 TE – 2/21 = 9.5% 1 S – 1/21 = 4.75% (.25% is dispersed between the 3
1 QB – 1/21 = 4.75% above, sorry trying to keep simple)
Overall:
8 OL – 8/29 = 28% 6 DL – 6/29 = 21%
3 WR – 3/29 = 11% 4 LB – 4/29 = 13%
1 RB – 1/29 = 3% 3 DB – 3/29 = 11%
2 TE – 2/29 = 7% 1 S – 1/29 = 3%
1 RB – 1/29 = 3%
From the data above it is clearly evident that Parcells tried to improve both the offensive and defensive lines during his tenure. But, the defensive line received much more consistent emphasis, as 4 of the 8 O-lineman BP drafted came in his last year. I again highlight the fact that he only drafted 3 DB the entire time he was there is a clear example of why I chose to include the draft classes of the two previous years. In 1996, the Jets drafted both Ray Mickens and Marcus Coleman, plus they already had Aaron Glenn on the roster. If we didn’t have this type of information, an erroneous conclusion could be made regarding Parcells’ desire for CB’s during his days in New York.
Dallas Cowboys: Before Bill Parcells got there the previous regime had 16 picks (info for 15), and they break down like this:
6/15 on offense = 40%..............9/15 on defense = 60% (No ST)
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']After Parcells came on board he was there a total of 4 years. Once again I will break down his tenure into the first two years, the next two years and overall.
First 2 Years:
9/15 on offense = 60%.............6/15 on defense = 40% (No ST)
Next 2 years:
6/16 on offense = 37.5%.............10/16 on defense = 62.5% (No ST)
Overall:
15/31 on offense = 48%...........16/31 on defense = 52%
Once again I will break down the information down into positions:
First 2 Years:
4 OL – 4/15 = 26.25% 1 LB – 1/15 = 6.75%
2 WR – 2 /15 = 13.5% 5 DB – 5/15 = 33.25%
1 RB – 1/15 = 6.75%
2 TE – 2/15 = 13.5%
Next 2 Years:
3 OL – 3/16 = 18.75% 5 DL – 5/16 = 31.25%
1 WR – 1/16 = 6.25% 3 LB – 3/16 = 18.75%
1 RB – 1/16 = 6.25% 1 CB – 1/16 = 6.25%
1 TE – 1/16 = 6.25% 1 CB – 1/16 = 6.25%
Overall
7 OL – 7/31 = 22.5% 5 DL – 5/31 = 16.25%
3 WR – 3/31 = 9.5% 4 LB – 4/31 = 13%
2 RB – 2/31 = 6.5% 6 DB – 6/31 = 19.5%
3 TE – 3/31 = 9.5% 1 S – 1/31 = 3.25%
Again by breaking down the numbers we can see that Parcells targeted offense heavily in his first 2 years. Without the use of what the previous regime did we would not know that Dallas had spent 60% of its previous 2 drafts on defense. Knowing what the previous regime did, allows us to make a fair and accurate assessment of why Parcells did what he did. I know I keep hammering that point home, but without that part of this analysis present the overall point taken from this is would be; that I like numbers and must type to fill my free time.
The one thing I have gotten from this research so far is that Parcells is a master at adapting to his surroundings. In Dallas for instance he inherited a good defense and D-coordinator, so he made the parts worked and gave when necessary. He also wanted to revamp the secondary and did that the first 2 years he was there. In New York, he realized he had the secondary he wanted for the most part, and revamped the front seven. Being adaptable usually isn’t the first thing people mention about Parcells, stubborn, controlling and egomaniacal are. If Parcells was all of those things he wouldn’t have done things differently each place he went.
However, a few trends have shown up in analyzing the numbers outlined. Everywhere Parcells has been he has concentrated a majority of his efforts into the offensive and defensive lines, linebacker core, and surprisingly receivers. The only time defensive backs were a major priority were the first 2 years in Dallas, he drafted more there than anywhere else. Offensive and defensive lines remain Parcells staples however, though much of that has to do with the 3-4 scheme on defense, and the desire for tall, lean and agile O-lineman in my opinion. Not every team has those essential parts in the quantity and quality that Parcells wants them. Receiver being as prevalent as it is was surprising to say the least. That might be the one diamond in the rough of crunching these numbers for dolphins fans. Our new OC – Dan Henning runs a vertical style offense with a great deal of emphasis on the receiver position. We leave much to be desired in terms of overall talent at the receiver position, and we need an influx of talent already, regardless of scheme. Could this be the surprise come draft day, that we take another WR early if possible? Before some say, well BP has always depended on the TE. True he had both Coates and Witten as prolific pass catchers, but neither were seen to be that type of TE coming out of college. And, on a side note, Henning in 25 years as an OC has had a TE catch 30 or more balls 4 times. That’s not a typo – 4 times. Henning uses the TE, just not as the focal point of the offense, and it will be pass catching by committee. Who do you think might be taken first; a TE or WR?
For the record, I’m not going to over analyze this and provide a series of matter of fact dissections of each transaction, or pick. Rather I’d like to leave something for you, the reader to assess. After all, if I wanted this info for my own conclusions, I wouldn’t have bothered to type it, let alone post it. In my opinion people view information differently, and I am not the one to say that this study is scientific, nor meticulously finite in its assessment of the numbers presented. All I am attempting to do in the end of this is to use the information available to form an educated attempt at my first public mock draft. What you do with it, and how you apply it to your own mock draft or thread discussion (if at all) is up to you. I’m just glad you’ve read this far.
The 2008 Miami Dolphins:
Bill Parcells took over the job knowing that the situation isn’t as good as some of the other places he’d been. He has even publicly commented as such. In Dallas he walked into a good defense, NY had some talent in certain areas, such as LB and CB for instance. In Miami here’s my take on what BP sees. He sees a team that before FA was defunct of solid NFL caliber backups, D-line & O-line talent, QB, WR and CB depth. Not to mention an undersized LB core. But, after FA what we have is 3 quality players on the O-line, 2 new D-lineman, 6,000 LB’s and upgraded ST. I won’t go into an all out recant of all of our inadequacies, and or break down of our faults. I will say however that Parcells’ tendencies; O-line, D-line, LB and WR are some of this teams more troubling spots on the roster. Our secondary needs a player or two, but could be serviceable this year. Alas I am digressing as most posters here in the club level know what we need, or at least think they do. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Here’s my Mock Draft based on the information I examined earlier. Please keep the laughter to a minimum, I’m sensitive.
Round 1 - Chris Long:
]http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=33806
I have thought about this choice quite a bit over the last few days. I keep hearing how Miami is presently up Dorsey’s *** with a petree dish and tweezers so I have to consider both him and Chris Long as the front runners for the #1 overall. And, after seeing his arm measurements of almost 35†there is no longer a question in my mind as to if he has the length required for the DE in a two gap 3-4. If the level of interest we are hearing is true, and I believe it is as it from the gurus, then it might be a two horse race between Long and Dorsey. The apparent lack of interest in J. Long IMO lends credence to my hypothesis. Matt Ryan is being used as bait, pure and simple. He will probably be a good pro QB, but he isn’t worth the #1 overall in my view, at least not to us. Chris Long will be the pick IMO because of what he can bring to the table as far a SOLB. He can help control the run on the strong side, and provide some pass rush. Bringing in Long also allows us to keep Porter on the weak side, where he had the spent his career until last season. Also because the contract demands of a of a OLB are a little less in the end. Also Long will get more of a chance to show why he is getting paid, where as Dorsey will be lost to common fan, and thus bring about their ire for the lack of “big playsâ€. I know this is rather brief, and superficial but I think this pick has been debated to death and I can’t offer a new take, and won’t.
Round 2a - James Hardy: http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=33065
Here is where the information I examined earlier plays a big part for me. Seeing how surprisingly enamored with receivers as BP is, and how Henning’s offense requires them, I think the Fins will look to fill this need earlier than most would think. Parcells and co. signed Ernest Wilford to be a big receiving threat – size wise. Wilford should excel in that role, unfortunately to expect Wilford to become a solid #2 after being a #3 on a mediocre Jaguars receiving corp is a bit much. Having Wilford means having an experienced guy, who can start the season, and eventually give way to Hardy later on. Dan Henning has utilized a big receiver in his last two stops as OC; the Jets and Carolina. Chances are he will want one this time around, and so will Parcells. Hardy is just an amazing athlete, and can go up and make the big grab. He does need some refinement in route running, but who doesn’t at WR? Malcom Kelly, or Limas Sweed are also possibilities, for an early name call. If we don’t get a WR early, we will in all likelihood look at Jordy Nelson, or Paul Hubbard in rounds 4-5. However, should none of these guys be there at #32, I think we could consider Antoine Cason to play CB. At this pick I am trying to get value, much as BP and Ireland will, Cason at #32 is a great value, and fills a need.
Round 2b – Kendall Langford:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=56382
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] Langford creates some added flexibility to the defensive front, and should play the weak side for us. His weight has fluctuated from the low 300’s to 275lbs for the Senior Bowl. To my eye this fluctuation was caused more so by his desire to show that he was a pass rushing DE, who command the big dollars as opposed to the natural 3-4 DE that he is. Langford was only doing what he thought would give the best chance to raise his draft stock. Langford can play both the DE position for us, or kick inside on pass rushing situations. He has some natural pass rushing ability which could come in handy. He has the lateral agility that I think is necessary for the position especially the weak side. If Langford is gone my first choice to replace his position would be Dre Moore. He is tweener, plays a little tall to be a full time DT, but as a 3-4 DE he may be a natural fit. He does disappear in the mix sometimes, so getting him in some more space might help him show up more consistently. Again he has good lateral agility and 33 3/8’ arms. If these two guys are not here Parcells might look to see if Gosder Cherilus is still available for RT, which he might not be, or for an ILB like Cliff Avril, Jared Meyo, or Curtis Lofton if any are there
Round 3 – Duane Brown:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=11685
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] In Brown the Fins get a player who should excel at RT. Brown played last year at LT, where he struggled a bit especially early. However, the two before that he was a solid RT for VT. Coming from a program like VT, we know Brown knows how to run block. Brown is one of those guys who won’t wow you with power, or the sweet feet of a LT, but he gets the job done. He is just a solid prospect at RT IMO. He will struggle with speed rushers a little, but isn’t that what OT’s struggle with anyways? The fact that Brown has played some LT is helpful, in that he will be probably asked to switch to the left side if Carey goes down. If Brown is gone, we might reach a little and grab John Greco, who we have shown a lot of interest in. But IMO he might be better suited at G than RT, but Parcells just likes tough guys there. He wants a RT who is tough, physical and powerful and both Brown and Greco are just that. If for some reason neither is here we might look to grab Charles Godfrey, this is of course assuming we never drafted Cason either. Godfrey is a strong, speedy, physical corner who can cover most guys. He does need some technique work, but is solid, even on ST.
Round 4 – Jeremy Zuttah:[
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=33570
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] Zuttah, in my opinion will be asked to move inside, where he can use his 35 reps in the bench to move DT’s instead of DE’s. Zuttah is another tough, hardnosed guy who won’t win any dancing competitions, but he will knock the snot out of you. Rutgers doesn’t like passing, ask Ray Rice. Zuttah was big part of his running success and should be a viable option for us. Being that was a OT he should fit the mold of tall, long and mobile that BP seems to covet. If Zuttah is gone, we make look to Donald Thomas as a replacement. If we don’t go offensive line here, I think this will be a prime time for Parcells to draft a stack and shed type LB. Phillip Wheeler, Beau Bell come to mind but really this draft is weak on ILB for our needs IMO. There are some OLB that could kick inside such as Ezra Butler or Brian Kehl. We could also look at Tyvon Branch as aproject at CB aswell
Round 6 – Caleb Campbell:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=55391]
Let’s be honest, at this point I’m just guessing like the rest of you. Campbell is tough and has a nose for the ball, and seems to have good character. If Campbell isn’t there I personally would like to take flier on Jack Ikewuono, who is injured, but was considered a pretty good prospect before the injury. I could see him lasting this long because of it. We found Rodrique Wright this way, and it wouldn’t hurt here either. Andre Guillon might be nice fit as a DE too at this juncture, he’s need a lot of work but who doesn’t here. The QB position could be addressed here with the addition of Kevin O’Connell, or Stuart Brink. Both of whom are nice developmental guys who have some upside IMO
Round 7 – Mike Gibson:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings...php?pyid=72877
A versatile guy who can play several positions, and considering our needs along the O-line a guy like this can’t hurt. He will most likely be on the interior in the pro game. After this it really becomes fill in the blank here, as almost anyone left is possible.
Now that that is finished, please hack away at me and my skewed logic. I know most of this is probably wish wash to some, but I hope at least I’ve provided a handy draft chart for all the Parcells history buffs. I realize that some will question why there isn’t more of this position drafted or less of this one. But, that is why I said I wanted to leave something for you the reader to decipher. It is my mock draft, no one else’s, and hopefully you might use some of the info to make yours, or include in your discussions regarding football.
In this project I intend to take the examination a little deeper, I’d like to look at Parcells’ drafting history, and combine it with looking at what Jeff Ireland did in Dallas last year. I don’t think I’ll get too into position coaches as it would cloud the overall body of work, not to mention cause my multiple migraines. I know position coaches don’t draft the players, but they do however have an input. However, it is just too much work for me, sorry boys I’m still getting my feet under me with these outlandishly long musings. At the end of it I will make a mock draft, using the information provided to help make my selections.
Obviously, in an undertaking like this I cannot simply look at the drafts that occurred during Parcells’ tenure. I must give an indication as to the history before he got there. For instance, I could look in Parcells’ second year with the Jets – 1998, and say he took 3 O-lineman in that draft and where, but does that help explain why, or at the very least give a decent indication. As such, I have decided to provide the 2 drafts previous to when Parcells’ appeared on scene.
All draft information was gleamed from NFL.com if anyone is interested. And, any player information will be primarily pasted from DraftScout.com. So let’s get started with this:
Please note: ---------- indicates a time line break. Anything above this line is two years of drafts by the team in question before Parcells got there. Everything beneath it is after Parcells became HC.
Bill Parcells:
New England Patriots:
1991:
Round 1 #11 – Pat Harlow, OT – USC
Round 1 #14 – Leonard Russell, RB – Arizona St
Round 2 #41 – Jerome Henderson, CB – Clemson
Round 3 #56 – Calvin Stephens, G – South Carolina
Round 4 #84 – Scott Zolak, QB – Maryland
Round 5 #112 – John Vaughn, RB – Michigan
Round 5 #124 – Ben Coates, TE – Livingstone
Round 6 #140 – David Key, DB – Michigan
Round 7 #168 - Blake Miller, C – LSU
Round 8 #196 – Harry Colon, SS – Missouri
Round 9 #224 – O’Neil Glenn, -- - Maryland
Round 10 #251 – Randy Bethel, -- - Miami (Fl)
Round 11 # 279 – Vince Moore, -- - Ten.
Round 11 # 303 – Paul Alsbury, -- - Texas St.
Round 11 #307 – Tim Edwards, DT – Delta St.
1992:
Round 1 #13 – Eugene Chung, OT – VT
Round 2 #35 – Rod Smith, DB – Notre Dame
Round 3 #64 – Todd F. Collins, LB – Carson Newman
Round 3 #71 – Kevin Turner, RB – Alabama
Round 4 #90 – Dion Lambert, DB – UCLA
Round 4 #93 – Darren Anderson, DB – Toledo
Round 5 #116 – Dwayne Sabb, LB – New Hampshire
Round 6 #165 – Tracy Boyd, -- - Elizabeth City St.
Round 7 #176 – Wayne Hawkins, -- - Southwest St.
Round 7 #194 – Jim Gray, -- - West Virginia
Round 8 #204 – Scott Lockwood, RB – USC
Round 8 #205 – Sam Gash, RB – Penn St.
Round 9 #232 - David Dixon, DT – Arizona St.
Round 10 #262 – Turner Baur, -- - Stanford
Round 10 #277 – Steve Gordon, C – California
Round 11 #288 – Mike Petko, -- - Nebraska
Round 12 #333 - Freeman Baysinger, -- - Humboldt St.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993:
Round 1 #1 – Drew Bledsoe, QB – Washington St.
Round 1 #31 – Chris Slade, LB – Virginia
Round 2 #51 – Todd Rucci, OT – Penn St.
Round 2 #56 – Vincent Brisby, WR – Louisianna-Monroe
Round 4 #86 – Kevin Johnson, DT – Texas Southern
Round 4 #110 – Corwin Brown, SS – Michigan
Round 5 #113 – Scott Sisson, K – Georgia Tech
Round 5 #138 – Rich Griffith, TE – Arizona
Round 6 #142 – Lawrence Hatch, CB – Florida
Round 8 #198 – Troy Brown, WR – Marshall
1994:
Round 1 #4 – Willie McGinest, LB – USC
Round 2 #35 – Kevin Lee, WR – Alabama
Round 3 #78 – Ervin Collier, DT – Florida A&M
Round 3 #90 – Joe Burch, C – Texas Southern
Round 4 #121 – John Burke, TE – VT
Round 5 #135 – Pat O’Neill, P – Syracuse
Round 6 #166 – Steve Hawkins, WR – Western Michigan
Round 6 #168 – Max Lane, OT – Navy
Round 7 #198 – Jay Walker, QB – Howard
1995:
Round 1 #23 – Ty Law, CB – Michigan
Round 2 #57 – Ted Johnson, ILB – Colorado
Round 3 #74 – Curtis Martin, RB – Pittsburgh
Round 3 #88 – Jimmy Hitch****, CB – North Carolina
Round 4 #112 – Dave Wohlabaugh, C – Syracuse
Round 6 #195 – Dino Philyaw, RB – Oregon
Round 7 #234 – Carlos Yancy, DB – Georgia
1996:
Round 1 #7 – Terry Glenn, WR – Ohio St.
Round 2 #36 – Lawyer Milloy, SS – Washington
Round 3 #86 – Tedy Bruschi, LB – Arizona
Round 4 #101 – Heath Irwin, G – Colorado
Round 4 #119 – Chris Sullivan, DE – Boston College
Round 4 #124 – Kantroy Barber, RB – West Virginia
Round 5 #139 – John Elmore, G – Texas
Round 5 #149 – Christian Peter, DT – Nebraska
Round 6 #173 – Chris Griffin, TE – New Mexico
Round 6 #195 – Mario Grier, RB – Tennessee-Chattanooga
Round 6 #206 – Devin Wyman, DT – Kentucky St.
Round 7 #216 – Lovett Purnell, TE – West Virginia
Round 7 #247 – J.R. Conrad, C – Oklahoma
New York Jets:
1995:
Round 1 #9 – Kyle Brady, TE – Penn St.
Round 1 #16 – Hugh Douglas, DE – Central St. (Ohio)
Round 2 #33 – Matt O’Dwyer, G – Northwestern
Round 4 #106 – Melvin Hayes, OT – Mississippi St.
Round 4 #107 – Tyrone Davis, WR – Virginia
Round 5 #142 – Carl Greenwood, CB – UCLA
Round 6 #178 – Eddie Mason, LB – North Carolina
Round 7 #217 – Curtis Ceasar, WR – Grambling St.
1996:
Round 1 #1 – Keyshawn Johnson, WR – USC
Round 2 #31 – Alex Van Dyke, WR – Nevada-Reno
Round 3 #62 – Ray Mickens, CB – Texas A&M
Round 5 #133 – Marcus Coleman, CB – Texas Tech
Round 6 #168 – Hugh Hunter, -- - Hampton
Round 7 #210 – Chris Hayes, CB – Washington St.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997:
Round 1 #8 – James Farrior, OLB – Virginia
Round 2 #31 – Rick Terry, DT – North Carolina
Round 3 #88 – Dedric Ward, WR – Northern Iowa
Round 4 #102 – Terry Day, DE – Mississippi St.
Round 4 #104 – Leon Johnson, WR – North Carolina
Round 5 #131 – Lamont Burns, G – E. Carolina
Round 6 #164 – Tim Shaft, -- - Northwestern
Round 6 #191 – Chuck Clements, QB – Houston
Round 7 #202 – Steve Rosga, DB – Colorado
Round 7 #229 – Jason Ferguson, DT - Georgia
1998:
Round 2 #56 – Dorian Boose, DE – Washington State
Round 3 #67 – Scott Frost, DB – Nebraska
Round 3 #87 – Kevin Williams, FS – Oklahoma St.
Round 4 #111 – Jason Fabini, OT – Cincinnati
Round 5 #134 – Casey Dailey, LB – Northwestern
Round 5 #141 – Doug Karczewski, G – Virginia
Round 5 #146 – Blake Spence, TE – Oregon
Round 5 #149 – Eric Blakeman, OT – BYU
Round 6 #163 – Eric Ogbogu, DE – Maryland
Round 6 #174 – Chris Brazzell, WR – Angelo St.
Round 6 #183 – Dustin Johnson, RB – BYU
Round 7 #195 – Lawrence Hart, TE – Southern Univ.
1999:
Round 2 #57 – Randy Thomas, G – Mississippi St.
Round 3 #90 – David Loverne, G – San Jose St.
Round 4 #123 – Jason Wiltz, DT – Nebraska
Round 5 #162 – Jermaine Jones, DB – Northwestern State-Louisiana
Round 6 #183 - Marc Megna, LB – Richmond
Round 6 #197 – J. P. Machado, G – Illinois
Round 7 #223 – Ryan Young, OT – Kansas St.
Round 7 #235 – J. J. Syvrud, LB – Jamestown
Dallas Cowboys:
2001:
Round 2 #53 – Quincy Carter, QB – Georgia
Round 2 #56 – Tony Dixon, CB – Alabama
Round 3 #93 – Willie Blade, DT – Mississippi St.
Round 4 #122 – Markus Steele, OLB – USC
Round 5 #137 – Matt Lehr, C – VT[/font
Round 6 #171 – Daleroy Stewart, DT – Southern Miss.
Round 7 #207 – Colston Weatherington, DE – Central Missouri St.
Round 7 #240 – John Nix, DT – Southern Miss.
2002:
Round 1 #8 – Roy Williams, S – Oklahoma
Round 2 #37 – Andre Gurode, G – Colorado
Round 2 #63 – Antonio Bryant, WR – Pittsburgh
Round 3 #75 – Derek Ross, CB – Ohio St.
Round 4 #129 – Jamar Martin, FB – Ohio St.
Round 5 #168 – Pete Hunter, CB – Virginia Union
Round 6 #179 – Tyson Walter, C – Ohio St.
Round 6 #208 – Deveren Johnson, -- - Sacred Heart Univ.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003:
Round 1 #5 – Terence Newman, CB – Kansas St.
Round 2 #38 – Al Johnson, C – Wisconsin
Round 3 # 69 – Jason Witten, TE – Tennessee
Round 4 #103 – Bradie James, LB – LSU
Round 6 #178 – B. J. Tucker, CB – Wisconsin
Round 6 #186 – Zuriel Smith, WR - Hampton
Round 7 #219 – Justin Bates, G – Colorado
2004:
Round 2 #43 – Julius Jones, RB – Notre Dame
Round 2 #52 – Jacob Rogers, OT – USC
Round 3 #83 – Steven Peterman, G – LSU
Round 4 #121 – Bruce Thornton, CB – Georgia
Round 5 #144 – Sean Ryan, TE – Boston College
Round 7 #205 – Nate Jones, CB – Rutgers
Round 7 #216 – Patrick Crayton, WR – Northwestern Oklahoma St.
Round 7 #223 – Jacques Reeves, CB – Purdue
2005:
Round 1 #11 – DeMarcus Ware, OLB – Troy St.
Round 1 #20 – Marcus Spears, DE – LSU
Round 2 #42 – Kevin Burnett, LB – Tennessee
Round 4 #109 – Marion Barber, RB – Minnesota
Round 4 #132 – Chris Canty, DE – Virginia
Round 6 #208 – Justin Beriault, DB – Ball St.
Round 6 #209 – Rob Petitti, OT – Pittsburgh
Round 7 #224 – Jay Ratliff, DE – Auburn
2006:
Round 1 #18 – Bobby Carpenter, LB – Ohio St.
Round 2 #53 – Anthony Fasano, TE – Notre Dame
Round 3 #92 – Jason Hatcher, DE – Grambling St.
Round 4 #125 – Skyler Green, WR – LSU
Round 5 #138 – Pat Watkins, FS – Florida St.
Round 6 #182 – Montavious Stanley, DT – Louisville
Round 7 #211 – Pat McQuistan, OT – Weber St.
Round 7 #224 – E. J. Whitley, C – Texas Tech
Jeff Ireland in Dallas: I thought that I should show Ireland’s only draft without BP. However, last year’s Dallas team was in the hunt for the Super Bowl, and probably drafted for luxury, and need which can be misleading. I don’ think it is necessary to break it down into percentages, as it is only one draft. But, it appears Ireland followed the Parcells tendencies, which I will highlight in the paragraphs afterwards. Once you’ve read it you can refer back to this draft below, and see what I mean about “tendenciesâ€.
2007:
Round 1 #26 – Anthony Spencer, OLB – Purdue
Round 3 #67 – James Marten, OT – BC
Round 4 #103 – Isaiah Stanbeck, WR – Washington
Round 4 #122 – Doug Free, OT – Northern Illinois
Round 6 #178 – Nick Folk, K – Arizona
Round 6 #195 – Deon Anderson, FB – Conneticut
Round 7 #212 – Courtney Brown, CB – Cal Poly-S.L.O.
Round 7 #237 – Alan Ball, CB - Illinois
Well, trying to digest all that just by looking at it is a bit daunting. Being the nice guy that I am, I thought it would be easier to assimilate if I break it down a little. What I will do is to examine what the regime prior to BP did in regards to drafting players. Such examination, should to some degree, help us to understand what BP was trying to achieve with his drafts, aside from the obvious; make the team better. For example, if we looked at BP first year with the Jets we can see he didn’t draft a DB until the later rounds in Steve Rosga. Leaving it there would not let us see that the year before, the previous regimes drafted both Ray Mickens and Marcus Coleman, both CB’s. Both players ended up being solid contributors, so in the eyes of Parcells DB was obviously not that important. He had two decent, young players to go along with Aron Glenn, why would he need to draft a 4th corner high? This is the root of why I have chosen to include two years worth of drafts before BP. Makes it much easier to understand where he was going, especially when we know where the team has gone before. (I know that is a very clandestine way to slip in a Star Trek reference.) Now that I have given a rough gist as to what I am trying to do I think we can go ahead and get started.
The Patriots: Before Parcells got there the previous regime had a total of 32 picks (I only have info on 22 of the picks though, which is what I can use to make an analysis) and if you break it down they spent: (Numbers will be shown as: 5 of 10 = 5/10)
12/22 on offense = 55%.........thus 45% were spent on defense (no ST).
After Parcells came on board he was there for 4 years total. I will break his numbers down by the first two years, his next two years, and overall. Hopefully by doing this it will give a fair example of his first two years compared with the last two years by the previous regime. Then obviously the other numbers tell what he did after his system had been properly implemented (2 years), and how his total tenure breaks down. His numbers break down as:
First 2 years:
11/19 on offense = 58%.......6/19 on defense = 32%........2/19 on ST = 10%
Next 2 years:
11/20 on offense = 55%.......9/20 on defense = 45%
Overall:
22/39 on offense = 56.5%.......15/39 on defense = 38.5%.......2/39 on ST = 5%
Numerically, Parcells definitely favored the offensive side of the ball. But these numbers do not include any FA signings as FA was just in its infancy in his tenure there. But simply looking numbers such as these only tell which side of the ball he was drafting not the positions, which break down as such:
First 2 years:
3 OL – 3/19 = 16% 2 DL – 2/19 = 10.5%
4 WR – 4/19 = 21% 2 LB – 2/19 = 10.5 %
2 QB – 2/19 = 10.5% 1 CB – 1/19 = 5.5%
2 TE – 2/19 = 10.5% 1 S – 1/19 = 5.5%
Next 2 years:
4 OL – 4/20 = 20% 3 DL – 3/20 = 15%
1 WR – 1/20 = 5% 2 LB – 2/20 = 10%
4 RB – 4/20 = 20% 3 CB – 3/20 = 15%
2 TE – 2/20 = 10% 1 S – 1/20 = 5%
Overall:
7 OL – 7/39 = 18% 5 DL – 5/39 = 13%
5 WR – 5/39 = 13% 4 LB – 4/39 = 10.25%
4 TE – 4/39 = 10.25% 4 CB – 4/39 = 10.25
4 RB – 4/39 = 10.25% 2 S – 2/39 = 5%
2 QB – 2/39 = 5%
From the numbers we can see that Parcells’ was determined to revamp the offense, as he spent 11 picks the first two years on that side of the ball. 4 of the 11 offensive picks were spent on a WR, which surprised me honestly. As his tenure continued, he switched his focus to the defensive side of the ball, although he did stay pretty consistent with the additions of both LB’s and D-lineman.
The New York Jets: Before Parcells got there the previous regime had 14 picks, (I only have information for 13 of 14 picks) and they break down like this:
7/13 on offense = 54%..........6/13 on defense = 46% (No ST)
After Parcells came on board he was there a total of 3 years. As such I will break his tenure down as the first two years, and overall.
First Two Years: (22 total selections, info for 21)
11/21 on offense = 52%.........10/21 on defense = 48% (No ST)
Overall:
15/29 on offense = 52%..........14/29 on defense = 48% (No ST)
Once again I will break down the information down into positions:
First 2 Years:
4 OL – 4/21 = 19% 5 DL – 5/21 = 24%
3 WR – 3/21 = 14% 2 LB – 2/21 = 9.5%
1 RB – 1/21 = 4.75% 2 CB – 2/21 = 9.5%
2 TE – 2/21 = 9.5% 1 S – 1/21 = 4.75% (.25% is dispersed between the 3
1 QB – 1/21 = 4.75% above, sorry trying to keep simple)
Overall:
8 OL – 8/29 = 28% 6 DL – 6/29 = 21%
3 WR – 3/29 = 11% 4 LB – 4/29 = 13%
1 RB – 1/29 = 3% 3 DB – 3/29 = 11%
2 TE – 2/29 = 7% 1 S – 1/29 = 3%
1 RB – 1/29 = 3%
From the data above it is clearly evident that Parcells tried to improve both the offensive and defensive lines during his tenure. But, the defensive line received much more consistent emphasis, as 4 of the 8 O-lineman BP drafted came in his last year. I again highlight the fact that he only drafted 3 DB the entire time he was there is a clear example of why I chose to include the draft classes of the two previous years. In 1996, the Jets drafted both Ray Mickens and Marcus Coleman, plus they already had Aaron Glenn on the roster. If we didn’t have this type of information, an erroneous conclusion could be made regarding Parcells’ desire for CB’s during his days in New York.
Dallas Cowboys: Before Bill Parcells got there the previous regime had 16 picks (info for 15), and they break down like this:
6/15 on offense = 40%..............9/15 on defense = 60% (No ST)
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']After Parcells came on board he was there a total of 4 years. Once again I will break down his tenure into the first two years, the next two years and overall.
First 2 Years:
9/15 on offense = 60%.............6/15 on defense = 40% (No ST)
Next 2 years:
6/16 on offense = 37.5%.............10/16 on defense = 62.5% (No ST)
Overall:
15/31 on offense = 48%...........16/31 on defense = 52%
Once again I will break down the information down into positions:
First 2 Years:
4 OL – 4/15 = 26.25% 1 LB – 1/15 = 6.75%
2 WR – 2 /15 = 13.5% 5 DB – 5/15 = 33.25%
1 RB – 1/15 = 6.75%
2 TE – 2/15 = 13.5%
Next 2 Years:
3 OL – 3/16 = 18.75% 5 DL – 5/16 = 31.25%
1 WR – 1/16 = 6.25% 3 LB – 3/16 = 18.75%
1 RB – 1/16 = 6.25% 1 CB – 1/16 = 6.25%
1 TE – 1/16 = 6.25% 1 CB – 1/16 = 6.25%
Overall
7 OL – 7/31 = 22.5% 5 DL – 5/31 = 16.25%
3 WR – 3/31 = 9.5% 4 LB – 4/31 = 13%
2 RB – 2/31 = 6.5% 6 DB – 6/31 = 19.5%
3 TE – 3/31 = 9.5% 1 S – 1/31 = 3.25%
Again by breaking down the numbers we can see that Parcells targeted offense heavily in his first 2 years. Without the use of what the previous regime did we would not know that Dallas had spent 60% of its previous 2 drafts on defense. Knowing what the previous regime did, allows us to make a fair and accurate assessment of why Parcells did what he did. I know I keep hammering that point home, but without that part of this analysis present the overall point taken from this is would be; that I like numbers and must type to fill my free time.
The one thing I have gotten from this research so far is that Parcells is a master at adapting to his surroundings. In Dallas for instance he inherited a good defense and D-coordinator, so he made the parts worked and gave when necessary. He also wanted to revamp the secondary and did that the first 2 years he was there. In New York, he realized he had the secondary he wanted for the most part, and revamped the front seven. Being adaptable usually isn’t the first thing people mention about Parcells, stubborn, controlling and egomaniacal are. If Parcells was all of those things he wouldn’t have done things differently each place he went.
However, a few trends have shown up in analyzing the numbers outlined. Everywhere Parcells has been he has concentrated a majority of his efforts into the offensive and defensive lines, linebacker core, and surprisingly receivers. The only time defensive backs were a major priority were the first 2 years in Dallas, he drafted more there than anywhere else. Offensive and defensive lines remain Parcells staples however, though much of that has to do with the 3-4 scheme on defense, and the desire for tall, lean and agile O-lineman in my opinion. Not every team has those essential parts in the quantity and quality that Parcells wants them. Receiver being as prevalent as it is was surprising to say the least. That might be the one diamond in the rough of crunching these numbers for dolphins fans. Our new OC – Dan Henning runs a vertical style offense with a great deal of emphasis on the receiver position. We leave much to be desired in terms of overall talent at the receiver position, and we need an influx of talent already, regardless of scheme. Could this be the surprise come draft day, that we take another WR early if possible? Before some say, well BP has always depended on the TE. True he had both Coates and Witten as prolific pass catchers, but neither were seen to be that type of TE coming out of college. And, on a side note, Henning in 25 years as an OC has had a TE catch 30 or more balls 4 times. That’s not a typo – 4 times. Henning uses the TE, just not as the focal point of the offense, and it will be pass catching by committee. Who do you think might be taken first; a TE or WR?
For the record, I’m not going to over analyze this and provide a series of matter of fact dissections of each transaction, or pick. Rather I’d like to leave something for you, the reader to assess. After all, if I wanted this info for my own conclusions, I wouldn’t have bothered to type it, let alone post it. In my opinion people view information differently, and I am not the one to say that this study is scientific, nor meticulously finite in its assessment of the numbers presented. All I am attempting to do in the end of this is to use the information available to form an educated attempt at my first public mock draft. What you do with it, and how you apply it to your own mock draft or thread discussion (if at all) is up to you. I’m just glad you’ve read this far.
The 2008 Miami Dolphins:
Bill Parcells took over the job knowing that the situation isn’t as good as some of the other places he’d been. He has even publicly commented as such. In Dallas he walked into a good defense, NY had some talent in certain areas, such as LB and CB for instance. In Miami here’s my take on what BP sees. He sees a team that before FA was defunct of solid NFL caliber backups, D-line & O-line talent, QB, WR and CB depth. Not to mention an undersized LB core. But, after FA what we have is 3 quality players on the O-line, 2 new D-lineman, 6,000 LB’s and upgraded ST. I won’t go into an all out recant of all of our inadequacies, and or break down of our faults. I will say however that Parcells’ tendencies; O-line, D-line, LB and WR are some of this teams more troubling spots on the roster. Our secondary needs a player or two, but could be serviceable this year. Alas I am digressing as most posters here in the club level know what we need, or at least think they do. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Here’s my Mock Draft based on the information I examined earlier. Please keep the laughter to a minimum, I’m sensitive.
Round 1 - Chris Long:
]http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=33806
I have thought about this choice quite a bit over the last few days. I keep hearing how Miami is presently up Dorsey’s *** with a petree dish and tweezers so I have to consider both him and Chris Long as the front runners for the #1 overall. And, after seeing his arm measurements of almost 35†there is no longer a question in my mind as to if he has the length required for the DE in a two gap 3-4. If the level of interest we are hearing is true, and I believe it is as it from the gurus, then it might be a two horse race between Long and Dorsey. The apparent lack of interest in J. Long IMO lends credence to my hypothesis. Matt Ryan is being used as bait, pure and simple. He will probably be a good pro QB, but he isn’t worth the #1 overall in my view, at least not to us. Chris Long will be the pick IMO because of what he can bring to the table as far a SOLB. He can help control the run on the strong side, and provide some pass rush. Bringing in Long also allows us to keep Porter on the weak side, where he had the spent his career until last season. Also because the contract demands of a of a OLB are a little less in the end. Also Long will get more of a chance to show why he is getting paid, where as Dorsey will be lost to common fan, and thus bring about their ire for the lack of “big playsâ€. I know this is rather brief, and superficial but I think this pick has been debated to death and I can’t offer a new take, and won’t.
Round 2a - James Hardy: http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=33065
Here is where the information I examined earlier plays a big part for me. Seeing how surprisingly enamored with receivers as BP is, and how Henning’s offense requires them, I think the Fins will look to fill this need earlier than most would think. Parcells and co. signed Ernest Wilford to be a big receiving threat – size wise. Wilford should excel in that role, unfortunately to expect Wilford to become a solid #2 after being a #3 on a mediocre Jaguars receiving corp is a bit much. Having Wilford means having an experienced guy, who can start the season, and eventually give way to Hardy later on. Dan Henning has utilized a big receiver in his last two stops as OC; the Jets and Carolina. Chances are he will want one this time around, and so will Parcells. Hardy is just an amazing athlete, and can go up and make the big grab. He does need some refinement in route running, but who doesn’t at WR? Malcom Kelly, or Limas Sweed are also possibilities, for an early name call. If we don’t get a WR early, we will in all likelihood look at Jordy Nelson, or Paul Hubbard in rounds 4-5. However, should none of these guys be there at #32, I think we could consider Antoine Cason to play CB. At this pick I am trying to get value, much as BP and Ireland will, Cason at #32 is a great value, and fills a need.
Round 2b – Kendall Langford:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=56382
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] Langford creates some added flexibility to the defensive front, and should play the weak side for us. His weight has fluctuated from the low 300’s to 275lbs for the Senior Bowl. To my eye this fluctuation was caused more so by his desire to show that he was a pass rushing DE, who command the big dollars as opposed to the natural 3-4 DE that he is. Langford was only doing what he thought would give the best chance to raise his draft stock. Langford can play both the DE position for us, or kick inside on pass rushing situations. He has some natural pass rushing ability which could come in handy. He has the lateral agility that I think is necessary for the position especially the weak side. If Langford is gone my first choice to replace his position would be Dre Moore. He is tweener, plays a little tall to be a full time DT, but as a 3-4 DE he may be a natural fit. He does disappear in the mix sometimes, so getting him in some more space might help him show up more consistently. Again he has good lateral agility and 33 3/8’ arms. If these two guys are not here Parcells might look to see if Gosder Cherilus is still available for RT, which he might not be, or for an ILB like Cliff Avril, Jared Meyo, or Curtis Lofton if any are there
Round 3 – Duane Brown:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=11685
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] In Brown the Fins get a player who should excel at RT. Brown played last year at LT, where he struggled a bit especially early. However, the two before that he was a solid RT for VT. Coming from a program like VT, we know Brown knows how to run block. Brown is one of those guys who won’t wow you with power, or the sweet feet of a LT, but he gets the job done. He is just a solid prospect at RT IMO. He will struggle with speed rushers a little, but isn’t that what OT’s struggle with anyways? The fact that Brown has played some LT is helpful, in that he will be probably asked to switch to the left side if Carey goes down. If Brown is gone, we might reach a little and grab John Greco, who we have shown a lot of interest in. But IMO he might be better suited at G than RT, but Parcells just likes tough guys there. He wants a RT who is tough, physical and powerful and both Brown and Greco are just that. If for some reason neither is here we might look to grab Charles Godfrey, this is of course assuming we never drafted Cason either. Godfrey is a strong, speedy, physical corner who can cover most guys. He does need some technique work, but is solid, even on ST.
Round 4 – Jeremy Zuttah:[
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=33570
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] Zuttah, in my opinion will be asked to move inside, where he can use his 35 reps in the bench to move DT’s instead of DE’s. Zuttah is another tough, hardnosed guy who won’t win any dancing competitions, but he will knock the snot out of you. Rutgers doesn’t like passing, ask Ray Rice. Zuttah was big part of his running success and should be a viable option for us. Being that was a OT he should fit the mold of tall, long and mobile that BP seems to covet. If Zuttah is gone, we make look to Donald Thomas as a replacement. If we don’t go offensive line here, I think this will be a prime time for Parcells to draft a stack and shed type LB. Phillip Wheeler, Beau Bell come to mind but really this draft is weak on ILB for our needs IMO. There are some OLB that could kick inside such as Ezra Butler or Brian Kehl. We could also look at Tyvon Branch as aproject at CB aswell
Round 6 – Caleb Campbell:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/nflcombineprofile.php?pyid=55391]
Let’s be honest, at this point I’m just guessing like the rest of you. Campbell is tough and has a nose for the ball, and seems to have good character. If Campbell isn’t there I personally would like to take flier on Jack Ikewuono, who is injured, but was considered a pretty good prospect before the injury. I could see him lasting this long because of it. We found Rodrique Wright this way, and it wouldn’t hurt here either. Andre Guillon might be nice fit as a DE too at this juncture, he’s need a lot of work but who doesn’t here. The QB position could be addressed here with the addition of Kevin O’Connell, or Stuart Brink. Both of whom are nice developmental guys who have some upside IMO
Round 7 – Mike Gibson:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings...php?pyid=72877
A versatile guy who can play several positions, and considering our needs along the O-line a guy like this can’t hurt. He will most likely be on the interior in the pro game. After this it really becomes fill in the blank here, as almost anyone left is possible.
Now that that is finished, please hack away at me and my skewed logic. I know most of this is probably wish wash to some, but I hope at least I’ve provided a handy draft chart for all the Parcells history buffs. I realize that some will question why there isn’t more of this position drafted or less of this one. But, that is why I said I wanted to leave something for you the reader to decipher. It is my mock draft, no one else’s, and hopefully you might use some of the info to make yours, or include in your discussions regarding football.
