There is still one major admission even Miami’s tight-lipped boss is willing to concede: The Dolphins need to find faster players. Quicker players. More explosive players. And they need to find them before the start of the upcoming season. When the Dolphins drafted players, they drafted big ones. And that’s not just singling out linemen like Jake Long and Jared Odrick. They picked big wide receivers like Patrick Turner. Big cornerbacks like Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. As a result, Ireland now looks back retrospectively with a major realization: “It’s become apparent we need more speed on the field, at all different positions,” he said. They need an outside receiver,” NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi said Friday. “Brandon Marshall is a run-after-the-catch receiver. He’s not a vertical, outside-the-numbers guy. He’s going to catch the ball in a crowd, so they need someone out there to help Marshall separate the defense.” When some fans hear the cries for a speedy deep threat, they immediately wonder why the Dolphins unloaded Ted Ginn Jr. last offseason. That brings us to the final, most important point: Miami can’t simply draft the fastest players. It’s not that simple. “To me, what their 40 time is important, but do they play fast?” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “Are they in and out of breaks quickly? Can they make radius catches? Can they make plays downfield?” Ginn, for example, wasn’t aggressive or consistent enough. As a result, the Dolphins fan base has learned some very difficult lessons on both ends of the size-vs.-speed spectrum. For nearly an entire year leading up to the 2007 draft, former Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller was enamored by Ginn’s speed. He didn’t care about anything else – only those gazelle-like legs. The blinded approach came back to bite him. Four years later, Ireland has taken the opposite approach: He refuses to let speed potentially fool him. He refuses to get caught in the same mistake made by Mueller. Somewhere, there is a middle ground – one that leads to the successes of players like Tennessee’s Chris Johnson, Oakland’s Jacoby Ford, Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace and Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson. Ireland clearly is beginning to recognize this. “Mike Wallace’s speed is unique,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. “It doesn’t make him a great player. His overall ability makes him a great player. But speed is certainly an uncoachable asset that we all covet.” It will soon be time to find out if Ireland agrees. Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/...o-nfl-draft-miami-dolphins.html#ixzz1FHV6ktIf
Ireland may agree 100%. That doesn't mean we will automatically get a guy like that. They might be gone by then.
I think there are plenty of guys that will be available that play 'fast' in the mid-later rounds. Locke of UK, Helu from Neb, some of the smaller school WRs (Lockett, Jernigan, Gates) should all still be on the board at that time.
If Julio Jones slips out of the top 10 and past the Rams at #14 (unlikely) we'd have to take a very long, hard look at him.
The question is why did it take Ireland 3 years going on 4 to realize we need faster players or was it Ross's foot up his backside that was the revelation
The plan was beef first, speed second. Now it's time for the speed. Hartline will be serviceable, but what a shame (in hindsite) that we didn't get a shot at Mike Wallace, who was taken a few spots ahead of the bust otherwise known as Patrick Turner. Mike Wallace is the bomb, literally and figuratively.
We probably wouldn't have taken him anyways b/c we've ignored playmakers at WR, TE, and RB since this regime took over. It's pathetic really. SO MUCH talent has been passed over by this staff, only to see these playmakers go on to make a difference for the teams that have taken them. Now that we FINALLY "get it", we have a draft that is pretty barren in explosive playmakers.
Lombardi obviously doesn't realize that Hartline is our playmaking, vertical threat #2 receiver. Who cares about Brandon's play as long as Hart can pick up his 700 yards and a TD opposite him in easier coverage?!