Virginia's Chris Long and Ohio State's Vernon Gholston are the two stud pass rushing linebackers the Dolphins have thoroughly investigated and are considering selecting with the No. 1 pick, but the position they play isn't exactly a need for this team. At least not a pressing one. By my account, the Dolphins need to address nine other positions more than they do outside linebacker if the plan's to keep Jason Taylor like the Trifecta says it is. While I promised you a list of the players who need a big year in 2008, considering the draft is right around the corner (it's okay to cheer now) I figured it would be a better idea to do a top 10 list of draft needs for the debut of my weekly Dolphins list. I'm going real specific with these needs, not just saying the Dolphins need defensive line help because truth is the Dolphins have a pressing need for a nose guard, not a defensive end or defensive tackle. My plan is to be as brutally honest with each analysis as I can so that we can fully understand why there are needs. Here goes. Good read link to rest of story http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/04/dolphins-list-d.html
I disagree that OLB isn't a major need. JT might be gone, Porter's future in Miami after this year is in doubt and Crowder (if he plays on the outside) is not a playmaker, he lets plays come to him. So I think we desperately need to draft a young player to rush the QB, and Chris Long's motor and ability are on the top of my wish list. My top 5 position priorities: OLB LG TE NT RT Of course we need help everywhere, but I want to focus on the lines and LB in this draft.
For me I think our biggest needs are the O-Line (G and T to be specific), then our CB's need help, and WR/TE.
I look at it like this, what do we need to improve in 08, not 09 or 2010, but this coming season. We need LT, T, CB and DT or TE whichever offers better value at this pick. That's what I would do in that order on draft day. With the remaining picks in this order I would look for TE or DT, WR, OLB, DE. I think we have our Safties. I wouldn't be at all upset if we took 2 OT's in the first 2 picks with plans to move Carey inside in a year or two solving all our problems along the line. Think about this for an Oline, LT- Jake Long- 6'-7" 325 lbs LG- Vernon Carey-6'-5" 325 lbs C- Samson Satele-6'-3" 300 lbs RG- Justin Smiley-6'-3" 311 lbs RT- Gosder Cherilus or Jeff Otah or Sam Baker. 6'-5" 320 lbs in that neighborhood. That would still leave us with a shot at, Mike Jenkins, Brandon Flowers or Patrick Lee and maybe others.
That would be a great OL for years to come, but who stops the run and rushes the QB? We can't try to outscore teams every week, the Raiders game still haunts me when I think about how easily they ran all over us.
Two big problems last year that I don't think we face this year. 1) conditioning 2) injuries. I think those two things were the biggest reason we were so bad last year. Remember in 06 we were a top 5 defense in 07 we weren't. It's not hard to think we can't return to form. Miami has added quite a bit of depth this off season. Bigger, stronger, faster is what we brought in. I think Miami just by improving the offense will improve the defense.
True, I think that both of those areas will be improved upon, but our defense is still in need of alot of work. JT is a question mark and another year older if he stays with us. Porter is still playing out of position if JT stays and he might be a goner next year. Zach is gone, that is a huge loss. Crowder isn't a guy that makes plays, he may find himself elsewhere next year. The DL has a few new faces, but we could use a few more (mainly NT). The secondary is weak and Bell needs to stay healthy (always a concern with him). My feeling is that we should build from the inside out and focus on stopping other teams from scoring. Parcells has proven time and time again that he loves defense, he can't get enough defense, so I would hope that he would value a guy like Chris Long over Jake Long, especially with the depth at OT in this draft.
I agree we need help on D, but the Offense needs more help IMO. We could also draft Dorsey and Bell this year, but that would leave Beck in serious trouble if we do., I think the Offense upgrade at this point would get us more wins this year than an upgrade to the defense.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying ignore the OL, I just think there is a bigger dropoff from Chris Long to any LB we could select at #32 than there is from Jake Long to any OL we can find at #32. I would do backflips if we could draft Chris Long and a guy like Branden Albert, Chris Williams, Baker, Nicks, etc.
See, this is us manufacturing a need though. Fact of the matter is, we have Taylor and Porter. There is no need there, is there? Other than us fans speculating, what evidence is there Porter's future is in doubt? That speculation may be 100% accurate, but where is the evidence? Our biggest need is O line IMO. That's #1. Everything else are secondary needs. They can still be addressed high, but still secondary needs. You have to balance BPA with needs, no matter what anyone says. I agree with Oh-Maahh on Paul Soliai 100% surprisingly, and have been saying it all offseason.
If you want a direct quote, I don't have one. But if you look at what Porter is being payed, his injury history, his lack of production, his inability to stay out of trouble, the fact that he runs his mouth more than he contributes on the field, the fact that he didn't know the playbook until a few weeks into the season and the way he treated Cam at the end of last year.....to me makes it seem as though he might not be a favorite of Parcells and Co. who are trying to change the culture of the team and stay away from major headcases that don't produce. JMO though Also take into account that JT has said that he didn't want to be a part of a rebuilding team which could lead to a trade and that he has hinted at retirement every year for the past who knows how many years...and I think there is a major need at LB. Again, I think there is a bigger difference between Chris and the quality of LB that you can get at #32 than there is between Jake and the quality of OT at #32.
What if it's Gholston plus OT at 32? Also, what is the cap hit of Porter if we trade or let him go next year? Porter turned it on at the end of the season, and if he can carry it forward this year, I dont see us letting him go, but then Parcells has his M.O. and he sticks with it. We'll know more about that this year. For all his faults, he never mailed it in when others did at the end of the season, IMO.
You do realize Miami has added a boat load of LB's so far this off season? How do you know a drafted LB is a better option then anyone we have on the roster at this point? I don't think any LB we've added is older then 25. As far as the Dline, what about Roth, Soliai, and Wright, just to name a few? Miami's biggest need is without a doubt is their Oline. I understand you logic and I'm not saying BP and company won't agree with you. I'm just saying I think Miami needs, needs needs Olinemen! John Beck will need to be protected or else the kid will never survive in Miami. Ronnie Browns numbers should be better then they are, but our Oline has just been pathetic for the last 4 years.
I might be able to live with that, although I think that Chris is the better choice. The fact that he didn't know the playbook until a few games into the season doesn't help that statement. I'll give him the fact that he was playing out of position, but there is no reason not to know the playbook. Personally I would like to see Porter moved to the inside, much in the same way NE has moved OLB to the inside to get the most out of them as they get older. But with the way Porter has acted so far in Miami, I don't see him lasting very long.
None of the LB's that we brought in have the upside that Chris Long or Vernon Gholston have and none of them should be counted on to be major contributors. So we added depth and improved our size in the hope that one of them might earn a starting job, but we still went after Pace, which tells me that Miami still looks at LB to be a need. Ronnie actually had a very good year last year, he would have been a Top 3 RB if he had stayed healthy IMO. Once all of the injuries hit (on both sides of the ball) the whole team took a step back. The OL didn't play at the same level at the end of the season that they played in the beginning. Remember that we have Mormino coming back from injury and he had a starting gig locked up until he went down. See, I'm fine with Vernon Carey at LT, I think he can become very good LT with more time and instruction. I'm guessing that you feel he is better off on the right side, which is exactly how I feel about Long. I just don't see the logic in selecting a RT at #1, JMO though.
Hey cut him some slack, his position requires: Wait for hike, rush the passer. If passer doens't have the ball, chase guy with the ball.
I just almost had a wet dream just reading that! OMG can you IMAGINE that OL? The running game would be incredible, the development of Beck would be pushed ahead by a year. Our passing Game would improve exponentially, our WRs would have time to get open. I think I will print out that OL and put it under my pillow tonight, so I can dream about that OL!
