Derrick Johnson. Who the hell do you expect to play OLB for you? your SSLB is a 16 year veteran who has been a bum in your system. Tell he how many effective pass-rushing and/or run-stopping LBs are in the league that are this old? There's one, and his name is Junior Seau. He is the Tim Brown of LB.
And on the other side? who is that? Donnie Spragan? Newsflash for ya. Spragan is a backup Linebacker. He's not a starter, nor will he ever be unless an injury forces him into the role. He is a good blitzer for the WSLB position, and he's a good run stopper, but he has played as good as he will ever play. He's a great backup, but a sub-par starter for long-term.
And who have you got behind these two "starters"? nobody. Miami has no depth (i.e. - signed Spragan).
They are drafting Derrick Johnson if they pick at No.2.... likely they will try and trade down, but only to a team willing to cough up an arm and a leg for him (Dallas). At No.3 is CLE who will draft him, so MIA won't be able to trade down and still nab him, and they won't be able to trade down period unless they have some blockbuster deal hand-delivered to their war room on draft day. CLE has Alex Smith, Mike Williams, and Braylon Edwards to barter with, and are more willing to trade down than MIA, all but clipping the Achilles of any possible Dolphin draft-day trades with the No.2 pick.
The reason you keep hearing so much about Ronnie Brown is because of exactly what one of the first replies to this thread stated... he's the top-rated RB in this draft, and Miami doesn't have an established running game.
My take is: Did you ever watch an LSU game last year? Cedric Benson is a much better fit in this offense than Brown ever will be, and Benson has a lot more going for him: Durability.
Brown's only thumbs-up to him is that when he was put into the starting role THREE YEARS AGO, for 6 games he averaged about 120 yards a game. Benson averaged that over his career. And you know what happened to him by Game 11 of that season? He broke down (leg injury)... he missed Game 12 against Alabama entirely, and it took him over a month to recover for the Bowl Game.
You want to throw a guy who calls getting 100 attempts a year a good season behind that offensive line, and make him the workhorse back for this system? You are all nuts if you think that, because this new coaching staff sure doesn't.
As for drafting Alex Smith (Rodgers is going #1, he recently bought a house in the Bay Area), that's not going to happen.
Anyone know why the Dolphins don't have a 2nd and 3rd rounder this year? Of course you do, it's because they traded them to the Eagles and Rams for AJ Feeley and Lamar Gordon, neither of whom has had an adequate chance to show themselves. Gordon was thrown to the wolves after spending about a month in that offense, and expected to be the next Ricky Williams. Feeley was looking over his shoulder for most of the season until they settled on him as the starter (and you wonder why he showed such promise at the end?)
Saban is a defensive-minded coach, and is going to draft the biggest need position on this team, as well as the highest-rated impact starter and most gifted athlete in Derrick Johnson.
You don't hear much about it because they have no reason to hype him up. The No.1 pick is all but solidified, and they have no reason to talk players up other than to trade down. If they do, Cleveland takes him at No.3, and they are not trading up with MIA to get him.
Projected 2005 Defensive Starters:
LDE Vonnie Holliday
UT Tim Bowens
NT Kevin Carter
RDE Jason Taylor
SSLB Junior Seau
MLB Zach Thomas
WSLB Derrick Johnson*
LC Will Poole
SS Tebucky Jones
FS Travares Tillman
RC Sam Madison
looks like a top-tier defense to me, anchored by the next great Derrick at WSLB. Guys like that will cut an offense that struggles early a lot of slack.
p.s. - this is my first post, nice to meet you all :)