They have a 3-1 team drafting at #16 overall? Interesting. But no the Dolphins will not take Seferian-Jenkins. He's not their type.
I'd like another impact player in the 1st round, preferably a defensive playmaker like Clinton-Dix to put the final stamp on that side of the ball [after re-signing Grimes and hopefully Soliai too]. We can go right tackle in the 2nd round or trade up if needed considering Ireland seems to have a better than normal success rate on Day 3 which makes sacrificing a pick more stomachable.
It's tough to say. Right now I'm not sure I'd call anything on defense a "final stamp". Dimitri Patterson, Nolan Carroll and Jimmy Wilson are not long for this team, and both Jamar Taylor and Will Davis are completely unknown quantities drafted in areas of the draft where the odds are against them. The swap of Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett for Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler has had...shall we say mixed (? ... I'm being kind) success. The team still hasn't integrated Dion Jordan into the defense and the road map for doing so long term is currently in 8-bit mode. Paul Soliai and Randy Starks are both free agents...and right now, neither are very happy with the team. Both are of the opinion that they're leaving next year, much as Sean Smith reached that opinion fairly early in his last year. Brent Grimes will be a free agent. Thing about being a free agent is the whole "free" thing. That would be the same "free" thing that resulted in Jake Long signing with the Rams instead of re-signing with Miami even though most sources agree the offer from Miami was competitive with that of the Rams. So while I could easily see going after defense in the 2014 NFL Draft, I'm not sure I view it as the kind "cherry on the top" move as you do.
I can agree with much of this. My previous post was the optimistic one in that things work out as far as rookie development, FA, and linebacker adjustment in the system go. I liked the Ellerbe signing, but Wheeler left me apprehensive b/c my initial thought was it's a lot of money and commitment for a guy who might not be enough of a playmaker in the passing game and whom could be fairly easily replaced in the draft at a savings of roughly $20 million. Jelani has a chance to be a good player and might've been one of the top LB prospects this year had he stayed so I'm not really worried about LB at the moment. My biggest concern is potential implications for re-signing Misi for 5 years. Hopefully that move doesn't handcuff our defensive possibilities moving forward. I like Misi but I'm not a fan of the cap on his ceiling as pass rusher & playmaker, nor a fan of making the decision at the start of Jordan's career that he'd be a DE. Having a more dynamic linebacker playing the hybrid role would've been of greater priority for me than signing Wheeler & Misi for $40 million. I'm not sure that's considered maximizing the value of that money. If it were my team and I had decided on Jordan at RE, I would've pursued Connor Barwin for $36 million to replace Misi and then would've traded Misi for a draft pick and then either drafted a Will or kept Burnett for an extra year, or both. ATM things feel like they may have been forced/rushed a bit. To me it seems like we're making potentially handcuffing decisions about the right LB spot even though the 2014 draft is far off and may offer a better solution than Misi. I would've also liked the flexibility of being able to move Jordan to hybrid LB should a versatile DE/nickel DT be available this draft who allows us to better mix up schemes [like Dominique Easley or Stephon Tuitt]. I like having that hybrid DE - hybrid LB dynamic. I like having a bigger RE to help stuff the run on 1st down so that Wake & Jordan may have more opportunity to pin their ears back on 2nd and 3rd & long. I also like how the hybrid DE/LB dynamic means making only one substitution in nickel, Soliai coming out for the nickel corner, as well as how it allows us to either rush 5 or blitz with greater effectiveness in base D, and I like how it improves our nickel pass rush. Anywho.
My main problem with the linebacker moves was the fact that it came in a pair and it came at such an expensive price. I wasn't as wary about Philip Wheeler. I had him as a good free agent to target. He's a play maker if you use him right. Putting him alone on Marques Colston in the slot isn't an example of using him right. I just didn't think he should be signed for $5.5 million a year or whatever that was. That's damn expensive. You tack onto that Dannell Ellerbe at $7 million a year and that's a lot of change, a lot of money, a lot of risk. The risks are these guys never played in your system, never played for your coaches, there's just a ton you can't know about them yet you're paying them money. That's the risk of free agency period, buying free agents is known to have low return on investment. Just a fact. But by doing both of those guys and not having any continuity I really thought the Dolphins multiplied the risk. And I don't think Ellerbe is doing so hot right now either. I think the main difference is Wheeler is asked to do a lot more. You don't see Ellerbe matched up on Marques Colston in the slot, that's for sure. You and I have different opinions about Jelani Jenkins. Didn't like him at Florida at all. I actually like Koa Misi but like you I also think that really clouds up the picture for Dion Jordan to where he pretty much HAS to be the DE opposite Cam Wake...a position they felt it was so important to get a run stuffer at last year, that they had the 300+ lbs Jared Odrick playing there. It's confusing. But on the other hand what if they cut Philip Wheeler and put Koa Misi there? Or what if they put Dion Jordan there? It's a long shot to hope for considering the guarantees they gave Wheeler, and it still opens them up for criticism for being unwise with their money, but it could be how things work out. My guy for a DT/DE hybrid would definitely be Aaron Donald. He's so the next Geno Atkins. I feel it in my bones. Speaking as a guy that thought Geno Atkins worthy of the first round prior that draft when he went 4th round.
I think Ireland would go with best guard available... I'd like us to look at a linebacker early on this draft. I've watched 3 BYU games and I like Van Noy, hopefully he's there in the 2nd round though this mock has him in the top 20.
