Which is more important: Drafting a better Offense or better Defense? (long post)

[finfanatic13]

hey guys and gals. Let me first say that I love this site and am here listening to all of your input everyday for about a year now, but this is my first BIG post. I love this team sooo much and have been a season ticket holder with my dad since I was 6 (unfortunatly with the ticket prices skyrocketing and myself moving to Orlando before the season, we may be giving them up).


Anyways, I hope you all enjoy my views and am welcome to any disagreements and opnions! Please, I welcome them. I wanna know what YOU think we should do to fix this team in the draft!:)

In your opinion, what do you feel is our biggest need in the draft? Obviously, we will be building on both sides of the ball but what do you think we need to focus more on?


The Case for Defense:
Obviously our D is getting older and showed last year with our pitiful run defense and lack of depth in the backfield. Yet, we have addressed the D line with Starks/Fergueson and Torbor/Anderson at LB. So we should improve our run defense with these FA pickups. The posibility of drafting Chris Long is very tempting. Since Zach is gone and Taylor could be soon as well, we need a leader on Defense? Who is that going to be in 2-3 years when Taylor might retire or be gone? Chris Long is the perfect combination of skill and determination (ala a hybrid of Zack and JT). Though its not the biggest need at the moment, he is VERY hard to pass up as the number one overall pick IMO. Plus, with VG skyrocketing up the charts, BP and Ireland have a tought decision to make if they feel this is the biggest need for us.

Our backfield, on the other hand, still has some question marks. I believe we definatly need to pick up a cornerback. I cant stomach watching another year of Travis "I get burnt more than toast" Daniels. We definatley need to pick up a corner in this draft. i would like to see either Cason, Flowers, Talib, or Porter with one of our 2nd rounders, depending on whats there.


The Case for the Offense:

Obviously once Ronnie went down, our oline fell apart last year. Was it a confidence thing or just lack of talent? I think a little bit of both. i strongly believe that Carey is a pure RT and needs to stay there. Thus, DEPENDING ON YOUR OPINION, do we take a potential franchise left tackle in Jake Long to protect our QB (which im hoping will be Beck) for years to come? You cant ignore that this guy's career in college was nearly perfect. But, this draft is full of oline talent. So, once again...what do you do if your parcells and ireland??? remember, Sparano was a oline coach in dallas so he should definatley know what he's got here now and what kind of things to look for when watching these tapes of all the potential draftees.

Then there is the WR position. Obviously Ginn is now our #1 threat with Wilford most likely our #2 posession reciever. I think that we have a good group with these 2 guys and perhaps an improved Hagan (bleh.) So do we draft another reciever? If so, I dont believe we should draft one high at all because of the guys we have now. Perhaps in the 4th one or so.

One need for sure is a tight end. I'd like to see us take Cottom but dont think we should take him with one of our seconds. Yet if he's there, I would think you have to you know? Kellen Davis will probably be there in the 3rd/4th and I think would be a good pickup.

QB is another question mark. I, personally, want John Beck to suceed more than anything. I love the guys' attitude and work ethic. I really hope we start him this year and give him some protection to show the world what he's got. But, as a precaution, we should draft a QB. Once again, it come down to many choices. obviously Ryan is a posibility, but I doubt seriously. Joe Flacco has been my choice for awhile now, but I dont know if I can pick him at 32 if he's there, knowing we spent a 2nd on Beck last year and that there is gonna be some darn good talent at that spot. Once again, another tough decision. I say we just grab one in the later rounds.

So, what do you guys think? Which should we really focus on for our team? Offense or defense? Obvioulsy coming off a 1-15 season, we need help everywhere.

The first mock for the first 4 rounds that I have done would be (and im sure it might change closer to the draft):

1. Chris Long DE/OLB Virgina

2. Gosder Cherilus (can play right or left tackle) OT Boston College

2. Tracy Porter CB Indiana (though I would like to have Cason/Flowers, I dont think they will drop this low.)

3. Philip Wheeler ILB Georgia Tech

4. Kellen Davis TE Michigan

This is my first attempt at a mock draft so far. Obviously I would like some other players, but I think if we could come out of the first 4 rounds with these guys I would be pretty happy.:up:

So, lets here what you would do:

 

[Padfoot]

Considering the moves we made in free agency. I think the area that needs the most work right now is the secondary.

Second most, I think we need run-stopping linebackers. JT and Porter are not stellar in run support and with the loss of Zach, our run D is going to be weaker than ever if we don't find some guys to who can get the job done on the inside.

 

[knoxpk]

My opinion is not based on what WE need per se' but overall.

I beleive that mission #1 is to get the best defensive players and an aggressive scheme in place from the jump.

A rock solid defense backed by a mediocre offense is a playoff team and sometimes even a superbowl team, in other cases a superbowl winner!

On the other hand a mediocre defense with a rock solid offense sometimes does not make the playoffs even.

I believe that a stifling defense contributes MANY hidden points that can elevate the "mediocre" offense by creating good field position for us, bad FP for them, they can DIRECTLY contribute to points via Int's and Fumble returns so on and so forth.

Not to mention the IMPACT they have on a gameplan IF a mediocre offense can generate even a 10 point lead!!

SO in my HUMBLE opinion the defense is far and away the more important side of the ball.
not just this season with this team but EVERY year.
That being said, ONCE a top 5 defense is here we should shift the priority to offensive lineman to further put pressure on our opponents as well as adding a playmaker here or there!

Let me add that the *best* case scenario is a great O and great D but barring both a great D can carry you very far.

 

[DaytonaDolFan13]

Great post FINFAN. I think we all have a common thread in our desire to see our team improve drastically. This year's draft in combination with our FA acquisitions, should make a significant improvement.

Where do we go in the draft?

DE/OLB-C LONG is a tenacious HYBRID of ZACH and JT.
OT-Sam Baker is my choice but their are a few (unless KENNY PHILLIPS SS still avail.)
CB-Take your pick, we need one BAAAaaaD!
WR-This is where we find an X factor, someone to catch the DEEP BALL!
and TE- Brad Cottam may drop to this point and would be a steal with his size/speed

#64 Thats where we snatch the BEST receiver off the board and if we are fortunate, it will be 4.3-40 absolute burner ANDRE CALDWELL from UF. SPEED KILLS and with he and Ginn, they could create intense match-up issues for a defense, especially when LoBO is in the game.

I really like your choices in your MOCK and would be happy with them on draft day. The possibility of Trading JT and picking up extra picks is an option we should not deny.

 

[fishypete]

Since the Dolphins are rebuilding and that rebuilding process will take a couple years to finish...I'd say both offense and defense are important. The defense has been changed by free agency so far...so I have to believe that the O-line is the target for the most part in the draft. Of course players will still be waived prior to and after the draft, so we don't know yet who will become available...that will fit Parcells and Co.'s plans.

 

[JFoxx]

Good post, but is the issue what we need to improve the most or what we need to go after first in the draft? I ask because I don't think the two are necessarily the same thing. While I firmly believe the most important position on the team is QB and probably the second most important is the RB, neither are going to do anything if they don't have a line to block for them. And how do you get them the ball if your defense is endlessly on the field because they can't stop anyone? I think our biggest need for improvement is the OL, but do we need to spend our first couple picks to do that ? Do we need to spend our first couple on defense ? I think you have to look at our list of needs and pick the player who will make an impact in that position on your team in a short time frame. Someone who is far and above others at that position available at that time. Call it BPA or whatever you want, but with our needs being so deep, it's hard to argue against it. Usually skill positions are the one's where there's huge seperation in skills/speed between early rounders vs. late rounders. That's where we'll spend our early picks. Positions where there's not as much of a drop off from #1 to #7 are positions we'll take in the middle and late rounds. In this case, that's probably a bulk of our OL, ILB & possibly TE. Funny thing is, this will probably be the most important picks we make, as they will be the foundation of our team that will help all the skill players look good/bad for years to come. So while the first 2 rounds will probably be where everyone is looking for our saviors, our big picks probably will come from the 4th and after.

 

[phinfan33]

My opinion is not based on what WE need per se' but overall.

I beleive that mission #1 is to get the best defensive players and an aggressive scheme in place from the jump.

A rock solid defense backed by a mediocre offense is a playoff team and sometimes even a superbowl team, in other cases a superbowl winner!

On the other hand a mediocre defense with a rock solid offense sometimes does not make the playoffs even.

I believe that a stifling defense contributes MANY hidden points that can elevate the "mediocre" offense by creating good field position for us, bad FP for them, they can DIRECTLY contribute to points via Int's and Fumble returns so on and so forth.

Not to mention the IMPACT they have on a gameplan IF a mediocre offense can generate even a 10 point lead!!

SO in my HUMBLE opinion the defense is far and away the more important side of the ball.
not just this season with this team but EVERY year.
That being said, ONCE a top 5 defense is here we should shift the priority to offensive lineman to further put pressure on our opponents as well as adding a playmaker here or there!

Let me add that the *best* case scenario is a great O and great D but barring both a great D can carry you very far.

i agree with you on this,but we've had a great defense for a few years now,up until last year that is,and yet we've not done anything since the days of Richmond Webb&Keith Sims to really address our O-Line...in my opinion,we really need to go ahead and solidify our O-Line to make it a dominating group,and still add pieces to our defense to make it a dominating&stifling group again....i say finish the O-Line out.

 

[mexicandolfan]

I would have to say we should get an impact defender with the first pick, the one that BP and Ireland think fits best our system, then with 2-A I'd go O-line, specially if we can get someone like Tony Ugoh last year which will help us ot inmediatly at LT and let Vernon Carey be the great RT he is, and with 2-B I would choose the best CB available. The rest of the draft we should be picking a TE a WR and probably LB but the round they are selected will depend on whats available.

 

[finfanatic13]

I completely agree with you mexicandolfan. all of your posts have been great people. It seems that according to the poll, most of you believe that oline is the most important focus come draft day. keep em coming!!

 

[Bettor Days]

Offensive line helps move the chains keeping defense off the feild. What good is a good DE if he's sucking wind towards the end of the game. Time of possesion is the name of the game.

 

[Padfoot]

Offensive line helps move the chains keeping defense off the feild. What good is a good DE if he's sucking wind towards the end of the game. Time of possesion is the name of the game.

You can say the same thing about defense though. What good is a potent offense if your defense can't get off the field? Not to mention the value of turnovers.

 

[Dupont24]

I can't agree more with the fact that our offensive line needs help,especially to give our QB [Hopefully Beck] more time in the pocket.I completly understand alot of finfans wanting us to take Jake Long with our #1,but with the depth at tackle in this draft ,I personally would like the pick to be Chris Long and hopefully Gosder Cherilus,Carl Nicks,or Sam Baker ,with our 2a. If our pick is Jake Long #1 ,possibly someone like Dan Conner,or Cason will be there for us with our second pick.