Pat Kirwan on Ryan Mallett

So he's not going to be a waste in Washington where his #1 receiver will be Anthony Armstrong?

 

He'll be a waste there too, especially because the Redskins have a crap line, Ryan doesn't handle the pass rush very well and he doesn't have the athleticism to keep the play alive.

Gabe Carimi is the pick. zzzzzzzz

 

no its not.

 

Anyone else read the title and was happy this wasn't porn? Just me?

 

someone needs a good shrink

 

I really dont think Sparano was in charge of this offense the past three years...Maybe thats why he fired the QB's coach and offensive coordinator, so he could be in charge, just sayin?.

 

Mallet is the guy I want in this draft. He has all of the things you want in a Qb, the size the arm the ability to read defenses and he seems to study the game and work hard. I have no problem with his 40 time, if you watch him he moves around the pocket very well and always looks down field. People must not have watched Marino in his prime, he was slow as molasses but he moved great in the pocket and avoided sacks, kept plays alive by stepping around the pocket and using a fast release. Mallet is going to be the best Qb in this class. I think we will have a shot at him at 15, hopefully we have the guts to make the right pick. If we wait around for a late round project we aren't going anywhere, we need to target our Qb and do what it takes to get him.

 

Wait, are you saying I should be unhappy this isn't porn?

 

Coaches and GM's asses are on the hot seat in this league, when your talking the 15 pick in the draft, red flags may not worry some of you, but you can better believe they do with them..

 

I said this in the same thread in the draft forum, but I figure it's worth repeating here. I expect there will be a lot of people here upset on draft day. It will be very similar to the Brady Quinn draft. I've had Mallett rated as a 2nd round prospect all along on talent and I would drop him more for the character concerns. I think that come draft day Miami will pass on him and Mallett will drop into the 2nd. Kiper this morning on Mike and Mike said that he expects Mallett to go in the 2nd but wouldn't be surprised if he dropped to the 3rd.

 

Im practically all in on Ryan Mallett right now. I have felt he and Ponder are the two best QB's in the draft for months now and with our QB needs qualifying as almost dire I really dont even want to know about any other player but a QB if one of these two cats are on the board at 15. I hope the character concerns continue to knock him down the board a bit and right in to our laps because I think he can be something special and anytime you have a conviction like that about a player, especially a QB, you dont waste time or trade down or pick someone else. If neither Ponder or Mallett is there give me Aldon Smith or a trade down.

 

Silly argument. I was referring to this season, not last season or the Cowboys.

Sparano was do busy screwing up the offensive line and counting the carries that Ricky and Ronnie got. He wasn't in charge of the offense. No, he left that to Henning to run, who was completely asleep at the wheel.

There will probably be modest improvements on the offense, but I think there would be modest improvements if I called the plays.With a washed-out OC and a green QB coach, they won't be nearly good enough to groom a young QB properly. These coaches ability to stay employed next year depends on the running game, not a rookie QB.

Draft Carimi, he fits the mold PRECISELY. We are a running team after all.

Instead you and everyone else has us going for a confirmed cokehead diva QB who is in the same mold as Henne, just with a worse pedigree. Prepare to be disappointed.

Every year you gurus fall in love with a different guy, their height, their lower body explosion, their hand size, etc., and ignore reality.

 

You mean kind of like Marino was in 83?

 

I do not agree that he is in the same mold as Henne. Henne's strength is the short passing game. He does not have mid range touch passes or long range accuracy. Both of those are Mallet's strength.

 

Mallett supposedly confirmed his recreational drug use in recent interviews (I suspect it was something harder than pot), and is known as a party guy. You are asking for trouble if you bring a guy like that to South Beach. Those are key differences.

Mallett guns the short stuff like Henne, but he has worse footwork and the ball sails on him too often. It gets worse with there's pressure. Henne has a better release, Mallett offers better deep ball. Mallett still has the gunslinger mentality, he hasn't yet been broken into a checkdown Qb. Overall, the differences are not profound.

Mallett is a Derek Anderson QB. I'm not sure who I'd want under center right now, Chad Henne or Derek Anderson. I think you lose either way.

I like Gabbert and I like McElroy, but neither is probably franchise material. This is a poor QB draft and I'd hate to see us force a pick simply because we have a need.

If it wasn't for the lockout, we'd already have Carson Palmer or Matt Hasselback and this wouldn't be an issue.

 

Our founding fathers once said, "Give me Mallett or give me Death!" or something like that.

I would think taking mallett can go both ways for Sparano and Ireland. Some say it'll risk their jobs. Others might say it may buy them more time. We don't know the conversations they have. Ross maybe wants a new qb/passer, and Sparano and ireland are in his ear saying if we pick Mallett, we need 2-3 years to develop him and the offense. Who knows.

 

2-3 years developing? LOL not in this town. Henne just finished his 3rd season and most Miami fans are ready to string his *** up from the stop light on Dan Mariono Blvd. And Henne's a lte 2nd rounder. Imagine if he was a mid 1st round pick? Not a bad idea, but fans down here don't have the patience or the perspective to go through anything like what you're describing.

 

i keep seeing this lack of leadership thing in these posts. at the combine jim miller and pat kirwin were surprised at how the other qbs followed mallet around and were drawn to him. they were both asked about mallet @15 from a dolphin caller on their radio show the other day and said definately if he is there take him @15.

 

Or maybe because he was low second rounder we are more willing to cast him aside, but would be more patient with a first rounder?

The fact that we waited until the bottom of the second round to take Henne indicates strongly that our FO did not feel he was franchise QB - otherwise he would have been taken at the top of the second at the latest - perhaps trading back into round 1 ala Flacco. Nope, they picked a guy with a good arm and hoped he could turn out to be an NFL QB. Unfortunately he hasn't show much in that regard in the opinion of quite a few people, apparently including the head coach. Maybe we just want a premium talent at the most important spot on the field instead of continuing the ongoing 10+ year patch job.

 

I very much disagree with your assessment that Mallett = Anderson, Anderson wishes he had the upside Mallett has.

And if we signed Palmer or Hasselback we would be back to looking for a QB next year again. Enough with the old retreads already!

 

It's hard not to get excited when you watch Mallett and some of the things he can do. But IMO he needs to go to a team where he can be brought along slowly, not placed in the pressure cooker we have down here.

 

I can understand the excitement of a big armed QB, but I think fans are forgetting about the conservative, possession type, run-oriented offense he'd be playing in. I'm not sure I see him as the efficient and consistent game-managing type. He's like getting caught up in wanting the shiny new Porsche when you're supposed to be looking for a work truck.

 

Unless he dominates in preseason, Henne would still start.

 

Or just go to a team that does a good job coaching QB's. That's not Miami, at least they haven't shown the ability to do that IMO.

 

To be fair, how many people have they really had to develop? Perhaps the problem isn't with the coaches, maybe it's with Henne.

It isn't like Tony, Brian and Karl have been in the league coaching QBs for 20 years with a trail of disappointments behind them.

 

Excellent point.

On a side note. I understand the scrutiny of the QB position. However, the position that has the most to prove is the head coaching position. That's the position that needs to be figured out next year above and beyond all else.

People talk about bringing in a QB in an attempt to "fix" the offense. Before we do that, how about we bring in the offensive personnel needed to run the ball etc in order to see what Sparano's truly made of. "Can Tony deliver the goods?" is what this season should be critical of. A coach who professes he still wants to run the ball should have to first prove that he can ACTUALLY run the ball (without the wildcat) before we hand him a shiny, new QB.

During the past 2 years, Tony's done little to earn a new QB..... and like you wisely stated-- this regime under Sparano has yet to prove they can develop one (with Henne & Thigpen "seeming" to have regressed). The worst thing that could happen IMO is Ireland drafts a QB in the first round who doesn't contribute to 2011 success, and the offense doesn't play as well or run the ball effectively because we "didn't use that pick to help establish the ground game". Then Sparano spews out more nonsense to the tune of him not being able to accomplish his goals because we didn't have the right personnel to run the ball blah blah blah...... and then Ross gives him another year to prove himself or some crap like that.

We need to give Sparano every tool needed to succeed at running the ball well so that if he fails, we can swiftly terminate him. If he proves himself, and he and his staff exhibit some sort of QB developing potential, then he deserves to draft 7 QBs in 2012 for all I care. If he can't prove himself, then a new coach & staff (hopefully a successful & trusting one) can then have carte blanche to develop and/or draft whatever QB they want.

 

......and Thigpen looking like a practice squad guy rather than someone who's previously started in the NFL?

To be fair, if they haven't had people to develop, then why the heck are you giving THEM the benefit of the doubt over a talented, 2nd round QB who seems to be a shadow of the player we drafted? If I've never taken a pottery class and one of the first vases I make ends up looking like a termite hill, are you gonna blame the clay itself for the outcome rather than the novice who didn't mold it properly?

 

Unless Sparano's looking for every excuse to save his butt. He seems to like BS'ing; therefore, a rookie QB taking his lumps would be a perfect scapegoat for another disappointing season. Just sayin.

 

Thigpen started, oh well lawdy I guess he was in the Super Bowl! Such a valuable QB we got him for a what round draft pick? He won so many games in KC that they all but gave him away?

As for Henne, I wouldn't give ANY second round pick the benefit of the doubt. Second round picks are a QB wasteland, hard to give any of them the benefit of the doubt.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/35543/instincts-correct-on-second-tier-qbs

After watching Henne, I just don't see any reason to think he can be the man. You say he is such a talented and amazing player, then why did he last until the bottom of the second? Why did we pass on him once in the round already before taking him? Maybe, just maybe, he had issues that marked him as a non-premium talent. Maybe, just maybe, he is showing that in the NFL now.

Maybe I would like to see what our coaches could do with a premium talent. If they fail with a premium talent, then we know it's time to move on at least, and at least we finally tried instead of just trying to scrap by at the position like we have been doing for years.

 

you just succeeded in not making any point whatsoever in regards to my post. Congratulations.

You should tweet that to Drew Brees.

It's called player development. He needed some refining that comes with practice and time, just like MOST NFL players do..... and he's ACTUALLY improved upon some of those areas. Don't believe me, ask Rafael.

You do realize at this time before the 2008 draft that analysts etc were talking about Henne's premium arm ability, right? You do realize that Henning admitted to NOT changing the playbook to fit Henne's skill set, right?

 

While I agree that QB is the biggest need right now for the Dolphins. I would be very suprised to see the Dolphins select a QB in the first round. Sparano and Ireland both know that their jobs are on the line this coming season. They do not have the time to develop a QB for the future. Therefore I think that the Dolphins will try to pick up one of the veteran QB's who will be on the market once free agency begins after the CBA is finally settled. I suspect the Dolphins will try to trade down in the first round but no matter what happens, I think they will draft a running back or an offensive lineman with their pick in the first round. Drafting a QB in the first round when all you really have at the QB position right now is Henne would make sense for a new head coach and a new GM, but Ireland and Sparano do not have the luxury of drafting a young QB who will not be ready to play in the NFL for a couple of years. They both understand that the team must win NOW or they will be gone after this season. Mallett is too big a question mark for the Dolphins brass to stake their jobs on selecting him in the first round. Unfortunately for Dolphin fans, it will probably be the 2012 draft before the Dolphins actually use their first round selection to take a QB. By 2012, Sparano and Ireland should be gone and the new head coach and GM will have the time to draft a young QB and develop him without the fear of losing their jobs after the season.

 

Henne is one, yes. It may be Henne but they've had a part in his development or lack of. Tyler Thigpen has regressed, though I never thought of him that highly. Pat White, I don't really need to discuss, do I? Thus far, they have not done well.

 

This is precisely why I would be thrilled with a defense heavy draft. Leave the QB stuff to the next regime, because this one is incompetent (save maybe Ireland) and will be shown the door in a year or two

 

Never thought of Thigpen as more than a backup.

Pat White had the dice stacked against him coming out - very few people thought he could be a successful QB. A lamentable pick.

You mentioned Thigpen started, and seemed to indicate that he is a premium talent, when reality suggests otherwise.

Also, congrats on naming Drew Brees - the ONE second round pick to pan out this decade! Also picked at 33 if memory serves correctly.

Henne had a premium arm. So did Jamarcus Russell and many other failed prospects. I don't think he had many other premium talents, and this seems to be bearing out. Sometimes there isn't much to develop.

 

There were quite a few people who liked him. Its the same as any other pick.

 

And many who hated the pick the moment it was announced. Far from universal support that he was a premium QB prospect, and there was plenty of thoughts that he would be best served trying to convert instead of remaining a QB.

My only point is that people like to bash the coaches, and to a degree rightfully so. However, we gave Sparano some lemons and told him to make lemonade without sugar. Should we be entirely surprised when that lemonade is a little bitter and not very good? As I have mentioned, it's not like second round picks have a litany of success - Drew Brees is the one exception and he was essentially a first rounder.

To loosely quote Dennis Green - Maybe they simply are who we thought they were. Second tier "talents."

I am not going to hold back on a premium talent at QB just because Sparano couldn't turn a bottom second rounder into a probowler.

 

You get that with every pick.

There were also thoughts that you could develop him at QB.

I don't think the talent is as bad as you say but OK.

Its not about the Pro Bowl or All-Pro's or any of that crap. Its about gradually developing the guy and putting him in position to succeed with play design, play calling, etc.

 

True. But Henne is in the last year of his deal so Mallett would be the starter by 2012 at the latest.

 

Exactly! The offense we ran last year was not at all suited to Henne's strengths, it wasn't suited to anyone's strengths IMO.

When you have a QB like Henne, its a crime not to attack the defense vertically. Of course we couldn't do that b/c we didn't have the personnel at WR, but I'm talking digs, corners, deep comebacks, posts, wheel routes, etc. Get some speed at TE/WR and have them run those routes to stretch the defense and have Bess and/or Marshall wreaking havoc underneath. Get a RB who is a threat out of the backfield on so that when defenses adjust coverages to the vertical game (or blitz), we can hit them screens and checkdowns and hurt them that way. Establish some semblance of a running game. That'll create play action opportunities and force defenses into single high looks so that Henne can throw the aforementioned deep routes. Lastly, spread the field. Force defenses to declare what they're doing and help simplify the reads for the QB. Ireland is on record saying we need more (some) speed, so I'm thinking that he'll provide Daboll w/ some pieces to help accomplish the above. I'm not saying Henne is some HOF candidate, but we haven't even scratched the surface in terms of what we can do to maximize his abilities. Hopefully that changes this year.