Just some food for thought here. What would things look like if the Dolphins hire Mike Shula as head coach and Eric Mangini as DC, and trade Tannehill.

This will be a very conservative projection based on the CBS draft site,NFL Draftscout,and very little from Walter Football and Drafttek.

Tannehill traded to who?? My wild guess...Rams. Because I said conservative, Dolphins send Tannehill,Grimes and Billy Turner and receive their two 2nd rounders. This move is a horrifying dead money nightmare.....sometimes ya jus gotta move on.....sigh

Cam Wake? Personally I would not let him go. I would extend him until he is 37 and just drop his cap hit next year....however I concede that he would only be a situational pass rusher and would not start so he could be traded. Why the hell would we cut a top 100 player. There are lot of teams that would quickly overlook the injuries and cap hit and pay high draft comp to get him. Dolphin fans have forgotten what it is like to have a defense with no pass rush. The Bucs,Bears,Jags,Falcons,etc. would love to have him. In fact the Giants may become a contender again if they bolster their pass rush next year. I'd take a third, otherwise I keep him and try to get a new deal.

Dolphins also find trading partners for Mike Pouncey and Koa Misi, committing themselves to a total rebuild of the OL and LB corps. It's a bummer but Grimes is making himself almost untradable. Unless he grabs 2 or 3 picks in the last few games I think he is only a throwin in a trade package to a team with a lot of cap room or to a team Grimes likes and will restructure his contract. Mitchell may yet be trade worthy, as are both Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner. Some may disagree, but because they are both very young and have significant starting experience and are getting paid peanuts they do qualify as throwins on trade deals imo.

Because I said conservative, Dolphins send Tannehill,Grimes and Billy Turner and receive the Rams two 2nd rounders.

So Pouncey and Dallas Thomas to the Titans for their 2nd. Misi and Mitchell and our 5th and 6th to Atlanta for their 3rd.

Cap Room. Here's and articlehttp://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2015/12/so-how-does-one-turn-a-2-5-million-deficit-into-a-35-40-million-windfall-well-if-youre-an-nfl-team-or-an-observer-of-nf.html

Actually I believe the Dolphins will retain Jordan Cameron if Shula is hired. He is the same kind of player as Olson, and Greg Olson is the Panthers leading receiver this year. I would also expect Reshad Jones to get an extension and a raise in the future. Both contracts would push their money money forward and significantly drop their cap hits 2016. Dolphins cap room would exceed 50 mil in this scenario and after the dead money sit around 38 mil in actual space, 28 mil after the rookie pool. Dolphins would be desperate to trade down in the first because of the cap and rookie pool. Granted 2nd rounders get a fraction of what 1st rounders get, but...that's a lot of 2nd round picks being garnered.

Free agency:
A. Eric Weddle FS Dolphins will be very young at CB. Having the best safety tandem in the league will be huge.
B Haloti Gnota DL Seeking dominance here. If Pot Roast and Jordan Phillips can fire it up this could be an All Pro DL.
C. Vincent Rey Will LB
D. Pot Roast NT
E. Evan Mathis OG

The QB situation is fluid ala Kaepernick,Manning,RG lll,and a jillion others so I'll just say sign a QB or two with Chase Daniel being one of them.

Lamar Miller returns, most of the other free agents of note, walk. Sign OL Barrett Jones and RB Terrell Watson to futures contracts

Draft: Dolphins have a 7th-12th? pick and trade down to the back of the first round and add a 2nd and 4th and 6th from? The Panthers seeking a LT.

1st....Carson Wentz QB...The internet is now full of articles about the biggest wildcard in 2016 draft. I have watched extensive film over and over again and I am no longer of the mindset he will need time to be ready. I have all confidence he can start and be successful in the NFL from day 1. There is nothing wild about him, he is as steady as a rock and has upside into the heavens.

2nd...from Titans...Kyle Fuller CB...Seeking gifted intelligent young prospects. Fuller is renown for his smarts.

2nd....Trade down and add a 3rd then draft Joshua Perry Mike LB another brilliant, elite character leader

2nd..Rams...Bronson Kaufusi DE He switched from LB last year to DE and added 30 pounds projects as a pass rushing 5-technique, this high position is given him on the speculation that he may light up the combine.

2nd...Rams..Spencer Drango OL Possible RG or competition at RT for James and a candidate to replace Albert in 2017 at LT

2nd...panthers...Joe Haeg OT The next Jordan Gross Maybe?

3rd....James Cowser OLB Sees himself as the next Clay Mattews or Connor Barwin.

3rd....from trade down...Miles Killibrew Safety/LB Freak athlete, big safety at 6'2 225, and fast.

3rd....from Atlanta....Maurice Canady CB Prototypical size and great speed, but needs refining

4th....Cole Toner RT from Harvard is being projected inside at OG or Center and is moving up boards.

4th....Panthers....Morgan Burns....KR/DB....Awful high for ST's...but he is awful good

6th.... from Panthers..... Alex Lewis OT Another genius with some upside

7th from Ravens....Adairius Barnes CB May run a 4.2 at his pro day has great hands as well

7th......Matt Dobson FS/ST's/Wildcat QB

FA's
Zach Vraa WR Carson Wentz favorite target
Dean Lowry DE Super Sleeper

Roster:

QB....Wentz,Chase Daniel,Colin Kaepernick?
RB....Miller,Ajayi,Williams,Terrell Watson
WR....Landry,Parker,Simms,Hazel,Zach Vraa,Robert Herron
TE....Cameron,Simms,Stoneburner
OT.....Albert,Haeg,James,Fox
C/OG....Kelly,Mathis,Drango,Toner,Barrett Jones

NT....Terrence Knight,Jordan Phillips
DE.....Suh,Haloti Gnota,Bronson Kaufusi,Terrence Fede,Dean Lowry
ILB.....Joshua Perry,Vincent Rey,Jelani Jenkins,Zach Vigil,Neville Hewiit,Mike Hull
OLB....No order...Cameron Wake,Chris McCain,Dion Jordan,Damontre Moore,James Cowser
Safety..Jones,Weddle,Killibrew,Michael Thomas,Walt Aikens,Cedric Thompson
CB......Fuller,Lippett,McCain,McCain,Maurice Canady,Adairius Barnes,Morgan Burns
Franks,Darr,Denney

I think it is obvious that these offensive players are much better than what Shula is working magic with in NC. Other than QB, and only because of experience, I think the talent on the Dolphins in this state would be more than he had with the Panthers. If Wentz isn't ready I think this defense could get us to the playoffs. But I believe Wentz is ready and his rushing ability is being grossly underrated at this point. The kid is a major threat running the football even at that size. There are rumors out of Fargo that he has run 4.5 forties, however, I expect a 4.6 at the combine if he manages to get a good start.

This defense would completely turn around the run defense and make it into an elite unit. The wildcard is the young corners.

 

Read the thread. The post said both of the Rams 2nd rounders. They have two in 2016.

This was not a prediction, it was clearly stated as food for thought.

I changed my mind about Bryce McCain. Obviously Bobby McCain is going to a slot corner or moved to FS. I would rather draft a CB high and go with Lippett. There is no point in paying either Grimes or Bryce McCain.

More than ever after watching today's game do I believe the Dolphins need to convert to a base 3-4 and acquire new guys to play the Will and the Mike. I like the guys we have on the outside and, and Eric Weddle would be an extremely high priority free agent for me next year.

 

Mere veteran backups. IMO, Carson Wentz will be in the HOF someday. This thread was all about Carson Wentz,a completely restructured OL, and fixing the LB issue with radical changes.

 

Kaepernick has been to the SB. Has Tannehill been to a SB?? You do know that Kaepernick was playing with a torn labrum this year, right?

Nobody is going to give him a starters contract after he is released from the 49ers. We are talking about signing a an experienced QB to sign as a backup, a #2 as security if Wentz isn't ready. There is a chance that after his recovery he may return to previous form and be an excellent #2.

 

Wait until more people watch his film, and then there is his elite athleticism and prototypical size, and then there is his 4.0 GPA with an engineering degree, and then there is the fact that he is an extraordinary leader and will absolutely ace every interview, and then there is his amazing game management and come from behind wins and game winning drives, and then there is ability to be a bona fide run threat on the order of Cam Newton; his excellent pocket awareness and Aaron Rodgers type elusivity, and then there is his lightening quick release like unto Marino that scouts love. Shall I continue?

 

Actually his salary is average for a starting QB and they could release him 2017 with very little dead money because of the way the contract was set up.
The Dolphins, on the other hand,would get hit with a wicked amount of dead money in 2016.

 

Well,obviously it isn't too hard to imagine a team viewing the Dolphins with extreme disdain and thinking that Tannehill may be a great talent on a team with an OL and a good coaching staff. Why would a team give a 1st round pick for a RB that was an obvious bust??(Trent Richardson)

 

It would help if you actually read the original post. You are commenting on my choice for a veteran backup that was listed as the # 3 on depth chart behind Carson Wentz and Chase Daniel.

And yes, playoff experience in general is very nice addition to an NFL QB's resume, and Super Bowl experience is,of course, the best experience of all.

 

By the way, I change my 3rd round pick from Canady to CB/Safety Sean Davis of Maryland. Surprised Davis isn't ranked higher.

 

Precious, you write a nonsensical sentence to critique my logic; and that, in and of itself an empty complaint seeing as how the original post was never meant to be logical,or a prediction, or even what I would necessarily do if I were king. It was clearly stated as food for thought; you know, just throwing some stuff out there to get an idea of some of the kind of things that could happen if the Grand Buffoon blows up the FO and brings in a new coaching staff.

The Carson Wentz issue is the only stalwart position I hold at this time.

 

Weddle has been publicly candid, he won't be back with the Chargers next year. They spoke of this issue twice during yesterday's broadcast as well.

 

If you are looking for someone to defend the quality and value of the player, Ryan Tannehill, you are looking in the wrong place. I hated Tannehill long before we drafted him. I was crushed when we didn't draft Kuechly,a shoein for the HOF IMO. There are oodles of threads arguing the talent and upside of RT.

As far as the contract is concerned, we have known from the get go that the contract left room for trade or release at the end of 2016. The amounts on the contract just aren't as high as most people are perceiving. In today's NFL yearly amounts under 20 mil are becoming just average pay for starters. Every year the cap goes up and players are getting bigger contracts and QB's get more than other players as a rule. Of course there are exceptions. Obviously if you acquire any player you have some level of faith.

Chip Kelly had 13 mil in faith in Sam Bradford this year. Someone else may have that same kind of hope and expectation for Ryan Tannehill. Like they say, " it only takes one team to make a deal."