This draft will define the future outcome of this team in the next couple of years.

[juniorseau55]

One must think hard and see all the past drafts and one would laugh in misery. The 2008 nfl draft will be the second time in a few years that this team is able to draft within the top 5 picks. The front office is playing with the following scenarios.


1. A player who will anchor our line.
2. A defensive Player
3. Possability of a QB but reports have shut down Matt Ryan since there might be talks with OT long.


Which Decision do you think will be hte most impacting?
Which decision will drive this team to a draft failure?
What direction do you think this team is heading?

 

[Nublar7]

One must think hard and see all the past drafts and one would laugh in misery. The 2008 nfl draft will be the second time in a few years that this team is able to draft within the top 5 picks. The front office is playing with the following scenarios.


1. A player who will anchor our line.
2. A defensive Player
3. Possability of a QB but reports have shut down Matt Ryan since there might be talks with OT long.


Which Decision do you think will be hte most impacting?
Which decision will drive this team to a draft failure?
What direction do you think this team is heading?

I am one of those people who thinks any good team is built from the line out. Whether that be the offensive line or the defensive line. If you don't have solid players up front, the rest of the team will struggle.

IMO, you can't go wrong with drafting either Jake Long or Chris Long. Obviously, Jake Long will fill a more immediate hole, but Chris Long could also be the heir apparent to Jason Taylor. Matt Ryan is a solid prospect, but if we don't have a solid line up front blocking for him, how is he going to have any more success then Beck did last year?

You HAVE to fortify the lines before anything else. So far, Ireland and Parcells have done exactly that. Guys like Starks, Ferguson and Smiley will go a long way in developing the core of this team. If you add either Jake Long or Chris Long to that group, I think you will see some of the players that struggled last year having more success this season.

If you add Chris Long, guys like Channing Crowder and Jason Allen could vastly improve. If you add Jake Long, Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams/Lorenzo Booker could find themselves having more success in the running game. Also, John Beck would likely have more time to make decisions and could ultimately prove to be the QB of the future. Plus Ted Ginn will have more time to run his routes and get open.

I am a fan of some of the first round picks in recent years(Ronnie Brown and Ted Ginn), but we have to finally address the parts of the team that really have been holding us back. When Goodell takes the stand in two weeks, I am hoping he will announce one of the Longs(leaning more towards Jake right now) going to the Dolphins.

 

[Dol_Fan_4_Ever]

For the past week or so since Jake has been in contract talks, I've been trying to defend the pick. They all say:

"It's not a great first pick. It's not a sexy pick. It's not a need as much as DE/OLB"

This whole team has needs. Let me ask this question? Out of all the LT studs you've seen drafted in the first round, how many have you seen go into free agency? Perhaps one only because the teams that draft LT studs never want to let them go (in the encyclopedia see Richmond Webb). Jon Ogden, Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace come to mind all the time too.

I believe if they don't draft Jake Long this year, this O-line won't be good for another couple years and everyone will b**** and complain week in and week out about how Beck can't throw and Ronnie can't run and call them busts. IMHO I see Jake Long as more of a cost effective pick to the only reason is he could be our LT for the next 10-15 years whereas Chris Long will have the shadow of J. Taylor hanging over him like every other QB has in Miami after Marino.

I would rather pay the $60 mil to Jake to protect from sacks rather than pay that same amount to Chris to perhaps get only 8-10 sacks total his first two years and about 100 tackles. Defensive ends are just like wideouts, a dime a dozen. You can find the same non-stop defensive motor in the second and third rounds.

 

[Nublar7]

For the past week or so since Jake has been in contract talks, I've been trying to defend the pick. They all say:

"It's not a great first pick. It's not a sexy pick. It's not a need as much as DE/OLB"

This whole team has needs. Let me ask this question? Out of all the LT studs you've seen drafted in the first round, how many have you seen go into free agency? Perhaps one only because the teams that draft LT studs never want to let them go (in the encyclopedia see Richmond Webb). Jon Ogden, Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace come to mind all the time too.

I believe if they don't draft Jake Long this year, this O-line won't be good for another couple years and everyone will b**** and complain week in and week out about how Beck can't throw and Ronnie can't run and call them busts. IMHO I see Jake Long as more of a cost effective pick to the only reason is he could be our LT for the next 10-15 years whereas Chris Long will have the shadow of J. Taylor hanging over him like every other QB has in Miami after Marino.

I would rather pay the $60 mil to Jake to protect from sacks rather than pay that same amount to Chris to perhaps get only 8-10 sacks total his first two years and about 100 tackles. Defensive ends are just like wideouts, a dime a dozen. You can find the same non-stop defensive motor in the second and third rounds.

I agree, Jake Long does appear to be the smart pick. He would likely start this year at RT, but then make the switch to LT in year two. As you pointed out, not many stud offensive lineman, especially tackles make it to free agency, so you need to get them through the draft. Jake Long is the best offensive line prospect in the draft, and a great way to jump start your team.

In addition to possibly drafting Jake Long, the Dolphins NEED to lock up Vernon Carey to a long term deal before the season starts. The line is the foundation of the team, and if you can put together a line that could be the same for the next 4-5 years, you will have great success.

Jake Long would likely sign a 6 year deal, Smiley signed a 5 year deal this offseason, Satele still has 3 years left, but Carey is entering his final year.

 

[Deus Ex Dolphin]

I've been much more in favor of getting Chris Long, as he seems the safer pick at #1. I'm slowly coming around to the idea that Jake Long would be a very good option.

How can you not like the idea of having a solid LT for the next 10-12 years? I also agree that Carey needs to be extended this year, so the core of the OL is locked up for years -and a young group that will only get better.

However, if getting Chris Long at #1, then an OT like Carl Nicks at #32, seems a better option to the Tuna? Fine. We could always leave Carey at LT and play a rookie at RT.

If Jason Taylor is traded, then you have to think Chris Long gets the nod, as the defense will need more help. If Tuna really is keeping JT, then the balance swings over to Jake and helping the OL.

Either way, the Phins get better as a team, and I'm excited about this coming season.

 

[jared81]

doesnt every draft define a team for the next couple years???

 

[Deus Ex Dolphin]

doesnt every draft define a team for the next couple years???

No, only the bad teams lacking enough good players and/or depth. Did the Pats 07 draft define that team? Hardly. It was all about getting Moss and Welker for them.

As a rebuilding team, Miami needs to hit on at least 4-5 of its draft picks to see much improvement in the win-loss columns.

Of course, the Pats now need help at CB, maybe Safety, and have all those aging LBs too, so this 08 draft will determine whether they stay as an elite NFL team or fall back into the "good team" range.

 

[ssnjamerson]

I Pray Every Night Before Bed That We Give Up Jt For Mckinney And The Rumor Was True. He Would Be A Force Here Along With Smiley Satele Carey And Nicks Or Cherilus Then We Take C Long With # 1 Mckinney Is Only 28 And Jt Is Going To Retire Anyways And Id Rather Have Him Than A Couple Of Picks. Mckinney Is Proven But If Not Then We Have To Take Jake Long

If We Can Pick Up Jake And Nicks/cherilus Then We Are Set At Oline.
Carey-cherilus/nicks-satele-smiley-long That Line Should Def Give Beck Time To Throw The Ball And Open Some Holes For R&r.
I Have Never Been Big On Drafting Oline In The First Couple Of Rounds Until I Realized How Important It Is. It Is Just As Much A Skill Position As Any Other. I Mean Could Ginn Or Beck Or Brown Get In There And Block A Merriman/urlacher/lewis Day In And Day Out No They Cant. But Yet We Take Ginn And Brown In The 1st And Beck In The 2nd So I Say Take Jake #1 Cherilus #32 Or Nicks #57 And Then Call It A Line. I Am So Tired Of Not Winning I Have Been Cheering For 26 Years And Have Got Squat For My Faith In This Team Its About Time I Got Something In Return. I Mean Bring Marino Back If We Have To I Would Take Him On A Rascal Scooter And He Would Still Be Better Than What We Have Had.

 

[Roman529]

One must think hard and see all the past drafts and one would laugh in misery. The 2008 nfl draft will be the second time in a few years that this team is able to draft within the top 5 picks. The front office is playing with the following scenarios.


1. A player who will anchor our line.
2. A defensive Player
3. Possability of a QB but reports have shut down Matt Ryan since there might be talks with OT long.

Which Decision do you think will be the most impacting?

I think who we take or don't take with the first pick will have the biggest impact on our future. We have to make sure we get this right because of the money we are doling out. I don't think you can wrong with either of the Longs, but I hope Jake Long is the pick.

Which decision will drive this team to a draft failure?

To me it is not about getting the "sexy name" player or the flavor of the week. It's usually the hard working guys in the trenches that matter most. We lost out on 4-5 years of draft picks who are no longer a part of this team, and we won't turn this around overnight or in one draft. We gotta draft smarter.


What direction do you think this team is heading?

This team is heading up baby!!!!!! Unlike the Pats who are going to be heading in the opposite direction. The Jests are also doing ok, but they have mortgaged their future and their cap space by overspending and their QB's are worse than ours , and the Bills are the Bills. :sidelol:

 

[209Mason]

doesnt every draft define a team for the next couple years???

You've been thanked and you beat me to it.
The reason we're in this spot is because of the horrible drafting over the past 5-10 years. Too early to tell on the most recent drafts, but by and large every move we've made since giving up those picks for Ricky has been disasterous... Feeley, Culpepper, Green...

I agree that this draft could go a long way to help solidify key spots on our team for years to come, so I will answer the questions posed by OP:

Which Decision do you think will be the most impacting?

D. Mcfadden is the best player in the draft. Since we have Ricky and Ronnie, we won't look at him... But unfortunately, they are a bag of weed and another knee injury away from leaving us with nothing... So I think D. McFadden could make the biggest impact (see Reggie Bush and A. Peterson).

Otherwise, the most impact a player will have is on Defense. A defensive guy like Long or Gholston could step in right away and have an impact. Don't get me wrong, I think O'Line is key, but it's an impact by proxy, since they make the ball carriers look better, but don't actually get the glory themselves.

Which decision will drive this team to a draft failure?

Matt Ryan, plain and simple... I think he'll be a good pro, but using two top 40 picks in 2 years on QB's is stupid, I'm sorry. We invested in John Beck, and if we didn't think he was the guy, we should have taken one of the many other needs we had last year. I'm fine with drafting another QB this year, just not with our #1 pick... I say we wait for one of the good guys coming out next year (Tebow, Painter, Daniel, etc.) or take one late this year (Brohm, Dixon, etc). If we do draft Ryan, we better hope Beck turns into Brees and Ryan into Rivers, or the Beck pick is a complete waste.

What direction do you think this team is heading?

Um... UP? lol... isn't that the only direction to go? Seriously though, I see us making a good stride this year, maybe not over .500, but we lost half our games last year buy what, a TD or less? I think we could realistically win 5-7 games this year. In all, I still think we'll be drafting in the top 10 next year, which could help us get very good very quickly if we handle these next two to three drafts right.

 

[SportsWorx]

If the reports are to be levieved, OT Long #1 and Henne with the first of our 2nd rounders, we would be off to a good start. definately need good O-line play and if this is the first pick we should have that. also, throw Henne/Brohm/Flacco, whoever they get, into the QB mix and the odds one of them actually being the next Dolphin franchise QB increases greatly. Not real comfortable with just Beck and mc Cown as ouroptions. One may turn out to be great but no one on the boards knows for sure if Beck can do it. Hopefully he can. I am just saying we can't risk that and then go out and try and get someone in the next couple years. Isn't that what we have done since Dan left?

 

[MarinoFishHead]

I've been much more in favor of getting Chris Long, as he seems the safer pick at #1. I'm slowly coming around to the idea that Jake Long would be a very good option.

How can you not like the idea of having a solid LT for the next 10-12 years? I also agree that Carey needs to be extended this year, so the core of the OL is locked up for years -and a young group that will only get better.

However, if getting Chris Long at #1, then an OT like Carl Nicks at #32, seems a better option to the Tuna? Fine. We could always leave Carey at LT and play a rookie at RT.

If Jason Taylor is traded, then you have to think Chris Long gets the nod, as the defense will need more help. If Tuna really is keeping JT, then the balance swings over to Jake and helping the OL.

Either way, the Phins get better as a team, and I'm excited about this coming season.

Nice post exactly how I feel as well

 

[The Myth]

No, only the bad teams lacking enough good players and/or depth. Did the Pats 07 draft define that team? Hardly. It was all about getting Moss and Welker for them.

As a rebuilding team, Miami needs to hit on at least 4-5 of its draft picks to see much improvement in the win-loss columns.

Of course, the Pats now need help at CB, maybe Safety, and have all those aging LBs too, so this 08 draft will determine whether they stay as an elite NFL team or fall back into the "good team" range.

age of the Patriots LBs and DBs
52 Eric Alexander LB 6'2" 245lbs age-26 4th year.
54 Tedy Bruschi LB 6'1" 247lbs age-35 13th year
Victor Hobson LB 6'1" 252lbs age-28 6th year
53 Larry Izzo LB 5'10" 228lbs age-34 13th year
51 T.J. Slaughter LB 6'1" 233lbs age-29 8th year
96 Adalius Thomas LB 6'2" 270lbs age-29 9th year
50 Mike Vrabel LB 6'4" 261lbs age-33 12th year
58 Pierre Woods LB 6'5" 250lbs age-26 3rd year
That is three out of 8 over 30.
The DBs
23 Willie Andrews DB 5'10" 190lbs age-25 3rd year
25 Fernando Bryant CB 5'10" 184lbs age-31 9th year
37 Rodney Harrison S 6'1" 220lbs age-36 15th year
27 Ellis Hobbs III CB 5'9" 195lbs age-25 4th year
31 Brandon Meriweather S/CB 5'11" 200lbs age-24 2nd year
22 Tim Mixon CB 5'9" 184lbs age-24 2nd year
35 Mike Richardson CB 5'11" 195lbs age-24 2nd year
29 Lewis Sanders CB/S 6'1" 210lbs age-30 9th year
36 James Sanders S 5'10" 210lbs age-25 3rd year
28 Antwain Spann CB 6'0" 195lbs age-25 2nd year
41 Raymond Ventrone S 5'10" 200lbs age-26 3rd year
21 Jason Webster CB 5'9" 187lbs age-31 9th year
26 Tank Williams S 6'2" 223lbs age-27 7th year
That is 4 out of 13 age 30 or more.
So enough with the old stuff it just isn't true any more.

 

[The Myth]

If the reports are to be levieved, OT Long #1 and Henne with the first of our 2nd rounders, we would be off to a good start. definately need good O-line play and if this is the first pick we should have that. also, throw Henne/Brohm/Flacco, whoever they get, into the QB mix and the odds one of them actually being the next Dolphin franchise QB increases greatly. Not real comfortable with just Beck and mc Cown as ouroptions. One may turn out to be great but no one on the boards knows for sure if Beck can do it. Hopefully he can. I am just saying we can't risk that and then go out and try and get someone in the next couple years. Isn't that what we have done since Dan left?

How quickly do you think the Fins are going to need to develope a new QB?

Henne--Chad needs to continue the dramatic improvement that he has shown this year in his leadership skills, footwork and decision-making in the pocket.
Brohm--[FONT=Verdana,sans-serif]Brian’s biggest problem is that he does not show poise in the pocket. When he is up against a good pass rush, he changes his arm speed when delivering the ball and his footwork is all screwed up. All of this affects his accuracy, which is a very bad thing for a QB who wants to go to the next level and start.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,sans-serif]Flacco--Joe has some significant flaws in his play on the field that will be magnified at the next level. He cannot take pressure in the pocket. Pressure affects his delivery and causes him to make bad decisions. Pressure causes Joe to lose accuracy and when Joe moves out of the pocket, he loses the ability to throw touch passes. Joe also lacks the real leadership quailities that will be needed for the next level. He is not ready for the big time and may never be the QB his arm strength suggests that he can be.[/FONT]

 

[ShaBam]

I agree, Jake Long does appear to be the smart pick. He would likely start this year at RT, but then make the switch to LT in year two. As you pointed out, not many stud offensive lineman, especially tackles make it to free agency, so you need to get them through the draft. Jake Long is the best offensive line prospect in the draft, and a great way to jump start your team.

In addition to possibly drafting Jake Long, the Dolphins NEED to lock up Vernon Carey to a long term deal before the season starts. The line is the foundation of the team, and if you can put together a line that could be the same for the next 4-5 years, you will have great success.

Jake Long would likely sign a 6 year deal, Smiley signed a 5 year deal this offseason, Satele still has 3 years left, but Carey is entering his final year.

I'm just worried that we won't get Carey signed, as he has proved that he can be a very GOOD left tackle....why would he settle for RT money when he could cash in big to be an LT on another team?

Drafting Jake Long is counter productive with Carey on the team. Take a RT in the 2nd and let Vernon improve as he has every year since he was drafted.