RealDriscoll
Still Perfect.. and You're Not.
Now that the football season is wrapping up and it's looking the Dolphins only have one more game this season it is time to turn our attention to the NFL Draft. The Dolphins should be drafting somewhere between slots 11-15. A lot of speculation will surface about who we will select but for me it comes down to six players who include Dez Bryant, CJ Spiller, Rolando McClain, Brandon Spikes, Dan Williams, and Jermaine Gresham. For those out there who love Ndamukong Suh and Eric Berry the fact is that they will not fall to us. There are other quality players like Derrick Morgan, Mike Iupati, Arrelious Benn, Jerry Hughes, Terrence Cody, Earl Thomas, and possibly Golden Tate but our focus needs to be on the six players who I listed above.
Let me plead my case for each player starting with Dez Bryant. Dez Bryant could fall into our laps after being suspended by the NCAA after he had some conversations with Deion Sanders. Luckily a lot of the teams that will be drafting ahead of us have much bigger needs than a Wide Receiver. There are a ton of sexy names such as Miles Austin, Vincent Jackson, Braylon Edwards, Anquan Boldin, and Brandon Marshall but the chances that any of them become available are very slim. The only one I would want over Dez Bryant in the first place is Brandon Marshall. We could focus on a second tier Wide Receiver such as Antonio Bryant, Demetrius Williams, Malcolm Floyd, Jason Avant, or Kevin Walter but none of those would give us that #1 option. An ideal situation of drafting Bryant than singing one of these 2nd tier players such as Antonio Bryant would give us two serious options for Henne with Bess and Hartline working the slot. I am completely unsure on how Ted Ginn Jr. will fit into this teams' plans of the future; I was actually shocked he wasn't used in any "Wild-Cat" formations after Ronnie went down but that is besides the point. Dez Bryant is a top 5 talent in this draft and if he falls into our laps there is no chance we can pass on him.
CJ Spiller is simply an electrifying football player. Whether is returning kicks, returning punts, catching a screen pass, or running a counter Spiller is dangerous. He has world class speeds and despite lacking an ideal built for a running back he can break some tackles along the way as well. Our kick and punt return games are a major flaw of this team and Ted Ginn Jr. was suppossed to be the savior returning kicks but inconsitent is the word that comes to mind. Sure we have Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams but lets be honest Ronnie Brown is fragile and Ricky Williams fell apart when he had to carry the load; Spiller can spread a defense and I look for him to have a big impact at the next level. Unfortantly I see the Browns, Seahawks, or even the Redskins taking an early flyer on this guy.
Dan Williams is a guy who surpassed Terrence cody to become to premier Nose Tackle in this draft class. Williams' stands at roughly 6"3, 330 lbs and has a good ability to shed blockers. Williams is stout aginst the run and uses his hands fairly well. Drafting him in the Top 12 of the draft could be considered a reach but we have seen Paul Soliai really stuggle since being inserted as a starter.
Jermaine Gresham comes off a knee injury that cost him his Senior season but remains the best Tight End in this draft class. Gresham is a solid blocking but his pass catching ability is what seperates him from the pack. Gresham has good speed with his 4.76-4.78 forty range which is accompanied with great route running ability and good hands. Gresham presents a veritcal threat and could become a real cushion/play-maker for Henne.
Let the debate begin who is better suited for Miami's 3-4 Defense, Brandon Spikes or Rolando McClain. Both players would be immediate upgrades and allow Channing Crowder to bump down to Akin Ayodele's position. Reggie Torbor and Ayodele both have been servicable but age and lack of dynamic ability are exposing their weaknesses. Mcclain plays sideline to sideline better than anyone in the country and his football IQ is extremely high. Standing at 6"4, 260 lbs McClain has the ideal size that the trifecta covets in their Inside Linebackers. McClain should run in the 4.65 to 4.68 range and I expect him to be a top 15 selection. Spikes is a more rugged player than McClain. Spikes hits harder than McClain and is the better blitzer of the two. the area where Spikes needs to improve is getting off of blockers. The Alabama SEC title game exposed Brandon Spikes a little. He struggled getting off blocks by Alabama linemen such as Offensive Guard Mike Johnson which lead to a big day from Heisman winner Mark Ingram. These guys are options 2A and 2B in my book.
All six of these guys would make an immediate impact so what route do we take? For me it's Dez Bryant because he is a special talent and we can address the other issues much easier than finding a true #1 receiver in free agency.
Here is a list of free agents that I think the Dolphins will have an interest in....
Wide Receiver
*Malcolm Floyd
*Jason Avant
*Miles Austin
*Vincet Jackson
*Brandon Marshall
*Demetrius Williams
Tight End
*Owen Daniels
Offensive Line
*David Baas-Guard
*Richie Icognito-Guard
*Marshal Yando-Guard/Tackle
Defensive Line
*Johnny Jolly-Defensive End
*Marcus Spears-Defensive End
*Vince Wilfork-Defensive Tackle
*Casey Hampton-Defensive Tackle
Linebacker
*Shawn Merriman-Outside Linebacker
*Karlos Dansby-Inside Linebacker
*Kirk Morrison-Inside Linebacker
*Demeco Ryans-Inside Linebacker
*Thomas Howard-Inside Linebacker
*D'Qwell Jackson-Inside Linebacker
*Antwan Barners-Outside Linebacker
Defensive Back
*Nick Collins-Safety
*OJ Atogwe-Safety
Let me plead my case for each player starting with Dez Bryant. Dez Bryant could fall into our laps after being suspended by the NCAA after he had some conversations with Deion Sanders. Luckily a lot of the teams that will be drafting ahead of us have much bigger needs than a Wide Receiver. There are a ton of sexy names such as Miles Austin, Vincent Jackson, Braylon Edwards, Anquan Boldin, and Brandon Marshall but the chances that any of them become available are very slim. The only one I would want over Dez Bryant in the first place is Brandon Marshall. We could focus on a second tier Wide Receiver such as Antonio Bryant, Demetrius Williams, Malcolm Floyd, Jason Avant, or Kevin Walter but none of those would give us that #1 option. An ideal situation of drafting Bryant than singing one of these 2nd tier players such as Antonio Bryant would give us two serious options for Henne with Bess and Hartline working the slot. I am completely unsure on how Ted Ginn Jr. will fit into this teams' plans of the future; I was actually shocked he wasn't used in any "Wild-Cat" formations after Ronnie went down but that is besides the point. Dez Bryant is a top 5 talent in this draft and if he falls into our laps there is no chance we can pass on him.
CJ Spiller is simply an electrifying football player. Whether is returning kicks, returning punts, catching a screen pass, or running a counter Spiller is dangerous. He has world class speeds and despite lacking an ideal built for a running back he can break some tackles along the way as well. Our kick and punt return games are a major flaw of this team and Ted Ginn Jr. was suppossed to be the savior returning kicks but inconsitent is the word that comes to mind. Sure we have Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams but lets be honest Ronnie Brown is fragile and Ricky Williams fell apart when he had to carry the load; Spiller can spread a defense and I look for him to have a big impact at the next level. Unfortantly I see the Browns, Seahawks, or even the Redskins taking an early flyer on this guy.
Dan Williams is a guy who surpassed Terrence cody to become to premier Nose Tackle in this draft class. Williams' stands at roughly 6"3, 330 lbs and has a good ability to shed blockers. Williams is stout aginst the run and uses his hands fairly well. Drafting him in the Top 12 of the draft could be considered a reach but we have seen Paul Soliai really stuggle since being inserted as a starter.
Jermaine Gresham comes off a knee injury that cost him his Senior season but remains the best Tight End in this draft class. Gresham is a solid blocking but his pass catching ability is what seperates him from the pack. Gresham has good speed with his 4.76-4.78 forty range which is accompanied with great route running ability and good hands. Gresham presents a veritcal threat and could become a real cushion/play-maker for Henne.
Let the debate begin who is better suited for Miami's 3-4 Defense, Brandon Spikes or Rolando McClain. Both players would be immediate upgrades and allow Channing Crowder to bump down to Akin Ayodele's position. Reggie Torbor and Ayodele both have been servicable but age and lack of dynamic ability are exposing their weaknesses. Mcclain plays sideline to sideline better than anyone in the country and his football IQ is extremely high. Standing at 6"4, 260 lbs McClain has the ideal size that the trifecta covets in their Inside Linebackers. McClain should run in the 4.65 to 4.68 range and I expect him to be a top 15 selection. Spikes is a more rugged player than McClain. Spikes hits harder than McClain and is the better blitzer of the two. the area where Spikes needs to improve is getting off of blockers. The Alabama SEC title game exposed Brandon Spikes a little. He struggled getting off blocks by Alabama linemen such as Offensive Guard Mike Johnson which lead to a big day from Heisman winner Mark Ingram. These guys are options 2A and 2B in my book.
All six of these guys would make an immediate impact so what route do we take? For me it's Dez Bryant because he is a special talent and we can address the other issues much easier than finding a true #1 receiver in free agency.
Here is a list of free agents that I think the Dolphins will have an interest in....
Wide Receiver
*Malcolm Floyd
*Jason Avant
*Miles Austin
*Vincet Jackson
*Brandon Marshall
*Demetrius Williams
Tight End
*Owen Daniels
Offensive Line
*David Baas-Guard
*Richie Icognito-Guard
*Marshal Yando-Guard/Tackle
Defensive Line
*Johnny Jolly-Defensive End
*Marcus Spears-Defensive End
*Vince Wilfork-Defensive Tackle
*Casey Hampton-Defensive Tackle
Linebacker
*Shawn Merriman-Outside Linebacker
*Karlos Dansby-Inside Linebacker
*Kirk Morrison-Inside Linebacker
*Demeco Ryans-Inside Linebacker
*Thomas Howard-Inside Linebacker
*D'Qwell Jackson-Inside Linebacker
*Antwan Barners-Outside Linebacker
Defensive Back
*Nick Collins-Safety
*OJ Atogwe-Safety
