The Draft Battle Royale: Finheaven Versus The Pundits! | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

The Draft Battle Royale: Finheaven Versus The Pundits!

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Finheaven's view of the Dolphins draft was quite positive. 60% of people thought it was above average or great. See the survey results and comments within the thread (and carefully read the OP right after the survey as well if you didn't), many of which were over the moon happy with it: https://finheaven.com/threads/grading-the-dolphins-draft.387079/

The pundit's view (national and local), compiled by @Finsup1981, by and large was that the Dolphins draft was not very good. Mel Kiper had them ranked as the third worst draft in the entire NFL. Even one of the local pundits, Hal Habib from the Palm Beach post, panned the Dolphins, and the local guys are loathe to do that: https://finheaven.com/threads/full-draft-grades-and-reactions.387092/. Here is another one. Matt Miller from ESPN said we had the worst draft in the entire NFL: https://finheaven.com/threads/matt-miller-just-said-we-had-the-worst-draft-overall.387102/

Please avoid the "we won't know anything for three years" response. I disagree it takes three years, I think you often know in a year. But that is not the point either. We have a show to do today. Analyzing the draft is fun. You work with the information you have. That is what we have to go on now, of course things can change.

Where do people disagree with the pundits that were negative on the draft?

Were the pundits not high enough on the talents of the individual players the Dolphins took? Or was Finheaven too positive about the talents of the individuals we took? Do the draftnicks on Finheaven know more than the pundits, and have access to more tape, more college coaches, and more evaluators than the pundits do? Or are the pundits just complete and utter idiots with an agenda?

Were the pundits not high enough on how the Dolphins managed the board, who they took where, what they traded up and down to do, and the number of picks they made and where they ended up making them due to how they managed the board? Or was Finheaven too positive about these same issues?

Were the pundits not positive enough on the amount of needs that were filled? Or was Finheaven too positive? Do the pundits not have the ability to evaluate the Dolphins draft, because they are not familiar enough with the Dolphins and their issues and needs? If that is the case, why would they be more familiar with the other teams and their needs and be better able to evaluate other teams drafts than they can evaluate the Dolphins draft?

Now a small public service announcement.

Whether you like them or not, the pundits are the most objective evaluators of a teams draft. They also have access to the most information and they have the most time to analyze it. That does not mean they will be right. That is a different issue. But based on what we know now, they are the most objective view that there is. We are all fans of the team and have biases. The pundits could care less. They have to evaluate every teams draft. Some of the pundits probably have some bias, but on average, they are just trying to do their job and give you their view. They have no real axe to grind. Guys that are negative on the Dolphins draft this year have been very positive in the past.

Those of us that were not positive about the Dolphins draft are aligned with the pundits, who are the most objective data point that we have. We were not trolling, nor do we have some sort of agenda. We were just being objective, and funny enough, our objective view equaled the objective view of many of the national pundits.

Being a Dolphins fan does not mean you have to be positive about everything they do. I understand why fans view things through rose colored glasses, and I do not fault anyone for that. In fact, I wish I had a lot more of that in me. It would make being a Dolphins fan more fun. However, what I object to is that when someone's view is not positive, it is referred to as trolling, or agenda driven. It is not. We are just being objective (in most cases). The fact of the matter is, those that have not been positive have been right, for about 24 years running. As long as the views are respectfully and reasonably stated, it is not trolling. Go back to my OP in my thread about the draft. Read it. It is plainly and objectively stated in a straightforward and logical fashion. Many of the pundits, with no axe to grind, came out in the same place.

That does not mean I and they will be right. That does not mean the other opinion is wrong. We will find out over time. Hopefully, this go around the rose colored glasses crowd turns out right. I am rooting for you guys, and I will be happy to turn out wrong!

PS, this is what happens when you are smart about how you build your team. If you go into the draft without huge holes you need to fill out of pure desperation, you can take the BPA. And it is all circular over time, because taking the BPA is part of what puts you in a position to keep taking the BPA. Hit rate becomes much higher too when you are not forced to reach. This is why year after year, teams like the Ravens and the Eagles seem to have good drafts. Ravens are smart, they just sat where they were and let the player come to them - that also shows mastery of the board. The Eagles also picked last, and the pundits loved what they did. Sadly, Grier put us in a position where we had to make our draft picks out of desperation, and that included having to trade UP for a guard:

What was your favorite pick of the entire draft?​


Reid: Malaki Starks, S, Baltimore Ravens (No. 27 overall). Once again, the Ravens allowed the board to fall to them and simply took the best player available. Starks doesn't play a position of immediate need, but the Ravens don't bypass talent to reach for needs at certain positions. With the recent release of Marcus Williams, Starks could start right away at free safety and be another crucial performer for an already versatile secondary.
 
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They can both be correct if one view looks only at draft rankings that are constructed in a vacuum and are agnostic to team construction and scheme fit, while the other view takes those things into account. Pundits are probably also less keyed in on soft, off the field considerations than the fans are. My favorable rating definitely weighs more on character and locker room implications than I see in pundits' assessments.
 
Kiper gave 1 A+, to Cleveland because they selected Sanders. Had another team selected him, they would be an A+ according to Mel.

I really don't give a **** what the pundits say, most of them don't watch Dolphins football. We've been labelled soft for years and the first draft we try to address it in the pundits don't like it? Sounds like a pundits problem.
 
Finheaven's view of the Dolphins draft was quite positive. 60% of people thought it was above average or great. See the survey results and comments within the thread (and carefully read the OP right after the survey as well if you didn't), many of which were over the moon happy with it: https://finheaven.com/threads/grading-the-dolphins-draft.387079/

The pundit's view (national and local), compiled by @Finsup1981, by and large was that the Dolphins draft was not very good. Mel Kiper had them ranked as the third worst draft in the entire NFL. Even one of the local pundits, Hal Habib from the Palm Beach post, panned the Dolphins, and the local guys are loathe to do that: https://finheaven.com/threads/full-draft-grades-and-reactions.387092/. Here is another one. Matt Miller from ESPN said we had the worst draft in the entire NFL: https://finheaven.com/threads/matt-miller-just-said-we-had-the-worst-draft-overall.387102/

Please avoid the "we won't know anything for three years" response. I disagree it takes three years, I think you often know in a year. But that is not the point either. We have a show to do today. Analyzing the draft is fun. You work with the information you have. That is what we have to go on now, of course things can change.

Where do people disagree with the pundits that were negative on the draft?

Were the pundits not high enough on the talents of the individual players the Dolphins took? Or was Finheaven too positive about the talents of the individuals we took? Do the draftnicks on Finheaven know more than the pundits, and have access to more tape, more college coaches, and more evaluators than the pundits do? Or are the pundits just complete and utter idiots with an agenda?

Were the pundits not high enough on how the Dolphins managed the board, who they took where, what they traded up and down to do, and the number of picks they made and where they ended up making them due to how they managed the board? Or was Finheaven too positive about these same issues?

Were the pundits not positive enough on the amount of needs that were filled? Or was Finheaven too positive? Do the pundits not have the ability to evaluate the Dolphins draft, because they are not familiar enough with the Dolphins and their issues and needs? If that is the case, why would they be more familiar with the other teams and their needs and be better able to evaluate other teams drafts than they can evaluate the Dolphins draft?

Now a small public service announcement.

Whether you like them or not, the pundits are the most objective evaluators of a teams draft. They also have access to the most information and they have the most time to analyze it. That does not mean they will be right. That is a different issue. But based on what we know now, they are the most objective view that there is. We are all fans of the team and have biases. The pundits could care less. They have to evaluate every teams draft. Some of the pundits probably have some bias, but on average, they are just trying to do their job and give you their view. They have no real axe to grind. Guys that are negative on the Dolphins draft this year have been very positive in the past.

Those of us that were not positive about the Dolphins draft are aligned with the pundits, who are the most objective data point that we have. We were not trolling, nor do we have some sort of agenda. We were just being objective, and funny enough, our objective view equaled the objective view of many of the national pundits.

Being a Dolphins fan does not mean you have to be positive about everything they do. I understand why fans view things through rose colored glasses, and I do not fault anyone for that. In fact, I wish I had a lot more of that in me. It would make being a Dolphins fan more fun. However, what I object to is that when someone's view is not positive, it is referred to as trolling, or agenda driven. It is not. We are just being objective (in most cases). The fact of the matter is, those that have not been positive have been right, for about 24 years running. As long as the views are respectfully and reasonably stated, it is not trolling. Go back to my OP in my thread about the draft. Read it. It is plainly and objectively stated in a straightforward and logical fashion. Many of the pundits, with no axe to grind, came out in the same place.

That does not mean I and they will be right. That does not mean the other opinion is wrong. We will find out over time. Hopefully, this go around the rose colored glasses crowd turns out right. I am rooting for you guys, and I will be happy to turn out wrong!

PS, this is what happens when you are smart about how you build your team. If you go into the draft without huge holes you need to fill out of pure desperation, you can take the BPA. And it is all circular over time, because taking the BPA is part of what puts you in a position to keep taking the BPA. Hit rate becomes much higher too when you are not forced to reach. This is why year after year, teams like the Ravens and the Eagles seem to have good drafts. Ravens are smart, they just sat where they were and let the player come to them - that also shows mastery of the board. The Eagles also picked last, and the pundits loved what they did. Sadly, Grier put us in a position where we had to make our draft picks out of desperation, and that included having to trade UP for a guard:

What was your favorite pick of the entire draft?​


Reid: Malaki Starks, S, Baltimore Ravens (No. 27 overall). Once again, the Ravens allowed the board to fall to them and simply took the best player available. Starks doesn't play a position of immediate need, but the Ravens don't bypass talent to reach for needs at certain positions. With the recent release of Marcus Williams, Starks could start right away at free safety and be another crucial performer for an already versatile secondary.
I feel like the pundits look at the NFL Draft like a Dynasty Draft in Fantasy. If you didn't add what they consider to be a top 24 Fantasy player to your roster you are a failure.
 
Kiper gave 1 A+, to Cleveland because they selected Sanders. Had another team selected him, they would be an A+ according to Mel.

I really don't give a **** what the pundits say, most of them don't watch Dolphins football. We've been labelled soft for years and the first draft we try to address it in the pundits don't like it? Sounds like a pundits problem.
I will say in the case of Sanders, Kiper has a grudge for lack of a better term. I think for Kiper it was personal, more than objective, in the case of Sanders (not in the case of his view on the Dolphins draft). Kiper seems to be a total narcissist. He had Sanders graded highly, and was on record that he expected Sanders to go high. I think even third to the Giants. Which was stupid, because you knew he wasn't going high when he wasn't invited to the draft. Anyway, the whole thing was embarrassing to Kiper that he got it so wrong. So he kept pounding the table for someone to draft Sanders, to try to bail him out of his awful call. Bottom line, he got it wrong. It was stupid of him to think he could goad someone into taking the kid. Arrogant. And he handled himself terribly. Really embarrassed himself, and came off like a jerk and a baby. Sanders fell in the draft because teams did not like the combination of his skills and his attitude. I was on record before the draft saying I did NOT want him and I wouldnt touch him with a 10 foot pole, and that i did not understand the fascination with the kid.
 
Hopefully the grier error is coming to an end this offseason.

after we battle the jets for 3rd in the division.
That is my hope. There are a few scenarios:

-Dolphins are good and Grier bails himself out. Fine I guess. I will take the good year, but if it is just dumb luck, the problem gets extended.

-Dolphins are mediocre again (9-8, 8-9), and somehow Grier stays because some story is concocted that things are looking up, or something like that. This is what I dread the most, a repeat of last year, and we continue to stay on the hamster wheel and go nowhere

-Team dissappoints, everyone goes, rebuild starts. Bad news/good news. We will have hope, but it is going to be another few years of tear it down and rebuild, which is never fun. But I guess when expectations are low, if you think they put good people in place, watching it build is still fun. The key issue is who they hire to run the thing. If it is this Champ Kelly guy, I will crap myself. Has not done it before, so no proven record of success. Everyplace he has been imploded, so he hasn't even learned from anyone good. I want a guy from Baltimore, Philly, KC or Pitt.
 
That is my hope. There are a few scenarios:

-Dolphins are good and Grier bails himself out. Fine I guess. I will take the good year, but if it is just dumb luck, the problem gets extended.

-Dolphins are mediocre again (9-8, 8-9), and somehow Grier stays because some story is concocted that things are looking up, or something like that. This is what I dread the most, a repeat of last year, and we continue to stay on the hamster wheel and go nowhere

-Team dissappoints, everyone goes, rebuild starts. Bad news/good news. We will have hope, but it is going to be another few years of tear it down and rebuild, which is never fun. But I guess when expectations are low, if you think they put good people in place, watching it build is still fun. The key issue is who they hire to run the thing. If it is this Champ Kelly guy, I will crap myself. Has not done it before, so no proven record of success. Everyplace he has been imploded, so he hasn't even learned from anyone good. I want a guy from Baltimore, Philly, KC or Pitt.

You don’t have to worry about being good. Fixin to be a long season. Even if Kenneth grant is Dexter Lawrence out the gate (which he won’t be)

Ross better hold up his end of the “status quo” is not acceptable bargain.
 
Miami did what was needed to fill the holes on the roster. They attacked the strength of the draft which was the DT position; adding 3 quality players.

They addressed the need for a bigger more powerful RB. A player that can power his way to first downs on third and forth down, short yardage situations. As well as score TD's in goal line situations.

They addressed a need to get a quality OG. A guy nimble enough to play within the system being run, with a minimum learning curve.

They also addressed the need to get bigger and tougher in the trenches.

Miami drafted a truly unique player to develop as it's backup QB. A kid with tons of big game experience.

And to top it off they went into UDFA with a plan to attack the other roster short comings. Addressing the need to find bigger more physical WR's, DB's who offer upside to challenge for roster spots and beyond; and a TE who offers a well rounded skillset. A skillset that makes him a potential UDFA gem and a player who appears, to be able to challenge for immediate playing time.

In my eyes, this was a Homerun draft, for Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel. I could care less about those TV talking heads think. To be honest, not every fan or professional draftnik will see eye to eye. But that's the fun part of the draft process. Count me on the side of the good guys.
 
Kiper gave 1 A+, to Cleveland because they selected Sanders. Had another team selected him, they would be an A+ according to Mel.

I really don't give a **** what the pundits say, most of them don't watch Dolphins football. We've been labelled soft for years and the first draft we try to address it in the pundits don't like it? Sounds like a pundits problem.
Mel Kiper should be fired by ESPN, and I'm not joking. What he did during the draft, taking away so much attention from the other prospects selected was immature and unprofessional.
 
Miami did what was needed to fill the holes on the roster. They attacked the strength of the draft which was the DT position; adding 3 quality players.

They addressed the need for a bigger more powerful RB. A player that can power his way to first downs on third and forth down, short yardage situations. As well as score TD's in goal line situations.

They addressed a need to get a quality OG. A guy nimble enough to play within the system being run, with a minimum learning curve.

They also addressed the need to get bigger and tougher in the trenches.

Miami drafted a truly unique player to develop as it's backup QB. A kid with tons of big game experience.

And to top it off they went into UDFA with a plan to attack the other roster short comings. Addressing the need to find bigger more physical WR's, DB's who offer upside to challenge for roster spots and beyond; and a TE who offers a well rounded skillset. A skillset that makes him a potential UDFA gem and a player who appears, to be able to challenge for immediate playing time.

In my eyes, this was a Homerun draft, for Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel. I could care less about those TV talking heads think. To be honest, not every fan or professional draftnik will see eye to eye. But that's the fun part of the draft process. Count me on the side of the good guys.
i hope you are right, and i am wrong. heck, as you lay it out, it does make a compelling case. i don't agree, but i totally understand how you got to where you were.
 
s

see what i said about kiper in post #6!
Do you think Whitlock is correct and the Samders paid Kiper to rank Shedeur as the #1 QB in the draft and his fall will hurt Mel in the future from getting other prospects to pay him to raise their draft stock?
 
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