Targets for 2014 Dolphins Draft

"ckparrothead wrote:

I think others are going to have Joel Bitonio rated higher than I do.

I see some Jonathan Martin in there. His overall lack of strength and ability to put defensive lineman at physical disadvantages is a big concern. He's more of a persistent annoyance as a blocker than a dominating force. He's got good athleticism which lets him easily use his feet to mirror players and he has a knack for staying square with them, using his hands well. He makes up for natural anchor with this ability. But he has no ability to affect players who are outside of his frame, and his persistent annoyance will only keep defenders occupied for so long before they are able to physically shed him, sometimes throwing him to the ground while doing it.

Come to think on it, I would probably like Bitonio better if he were an underrated, borderline UDFA prospect. He reminds me a lot of Jeff Adams...whom I liked because he was viewed as a UDFA. Bitonio and Adams both athletically very good, but skinny, not strong, can't dominate. And I don't really know that just putting them in a professional strength program is going to fix all of that.

I've no been talking about him in some other threads as well, way overrated imo..not a fan of his game, its sloppy to me.

Man, no love in the draft forum. I'm hungry for some talk.

"77FinFan wrote:

Man, no love in the draft forum. I'm hungry for some talk.

Boomer mentioned this in the Club Thread, but if you look at what positions Miami has brought in thus far and if they're able to somehow land Zach Strief that really frees them up at 19. You could be looking at guys anywhere from Brandin Cooks, Mike Evans, Allen Robinson, Eric Ebron, Jace Amaro, Zack Martin, Morgan Moses (if they don't land Strief) on offense to guys like HaHa Clinton-Dix, C.J. Mosley, Ryan Shazier, Justin Gilbert, Jason Verrett, etc.

I like the fact that, on paper at least, Miami has some freedom to maneuver even though they're in the latter half of round 1.

"RoninFin4 wrote:

Boomer mentioned this in the Club Thread, but if you look at what positions Miami has brought in thus far and if they're able to somehow land Zach Strief that really frees them up at 19. You could be looking at guys anywhere from Brandin Cooks, Mike Evans, Allen Robinson, Eric Ebron, Jace Amaro, Zack Martin, Morgan Moses (if they don't land Strief) on offense to guys like HaHa Clinton-Dix, C.J. Mosley, Ryan Shazier, Justin Gilbert, Jason Verrett, etc.

I like the fact that, on paper at least, Miami has some freedom to maneuver even though they're in the latter half of round 1.

I think Moses would be more in line with our 2nd round pick. He'd be a huge reach at 19 IMO.

My personal 3 favorites for 19 right now would be Beckham, Shazier, and Cooks.

"MrClean wrote:

I think Moses would be more in line with our 2nd round pick. He'd be a huge reach at 19 IMO.

My personal 3 favorites for 19 right now would be Beckham, Shazier, and Cooks.

I think Moses goes round 1 at this point.

"RoninFin4 wrote:

Boomer mentioned this in the Club Thread, but if you look at what positions Miami has brought in thus far and if they're able to somehow land Zach Strief that really frees them up at 19. You could be looking at guys anywhere from Brandin Cooks, Mike Evans, Allen Robinson, Eric Ebron, Jace Amaro, Zack Martin, Morgan Moses (if they don't land Strief) on offense to guys like HaHa Clinton-Dix, C.J. Mosley, Ryan Shazier, Justin Gilbert, Jason Verrett, etc.

I like the fact that, on paper at least, Miami has some freedom to maneuver even though they're in the latter half of round 1.

I definitely love this. I think Hickey has opened up this draft so that they can take BPA or whoever they want. Kind of curious to see if they trade up or trade down. For instance Cooks could well be there until deeper into the first round than 19. Trade back and get another late round pick?

"77FinFan wrote:

I definitely love this. I think Hickey has opened up this draft so that they can take BPA or whoever they want. Kind of curious to see if they trade up or trade down. For instance Cooks could well be there until deeper into the first round than 19. Trade back and get another late round pick?

I think if you like a player there is no reason to get cute. All it takes is one team liking your guy to ruin that plan.

Point well taken.

I'm not so sure that Hickey has done what people think he's done.

There are still a series of NEEDS remaining on this team, and even a few MUSTS. Yet the free agent market is drying up considerably.

Signing Shelley Smith is a lot like signing Lance Louis a year ago, if Louis had been healthy. You're not even 100% sure he beats out the likes of Nate Garner for a job. I don't know that you forecast him to be better than Richie Incognito and maybe not even John Jerry. It's a question mark. I like the move but it's always been in my eyes a low cost gamble. Gambles can turn up losses.

So essentially you have two MUST positions...right guard and right tackle. Or perhaps left guard and right tackle if they're intent on having Shelley play right guard which personally I don't think advisable but it's their call.

A MUST position is exactly what it implies. It means you CAN'T let the draft pass by without having grabbed a viable starter for that position, because you don't have one. It's more of a priority than just a NEED position and certainly more than a WANT position.

If you have must positions left on your roster then I do not believe you've set up your draft to be able to steer toward the best player available.

Aside from the must positions you do have some needs. They include the tailback position, slot receiver position and linebacker positions.

I thought Morgan Moses looked a lot more of a potent athlete on tape than his Combine numbers.

According to Tony Pauline, Moses ran in the 5.0 to 5.1 range today at his pro day, with the tweaked hamstring. It may be he was just really bogged down in Indy by the injury as he only did a 21.5 inch vertical which is just plain shameful, lol.

If I understand the tweets right he also put up nearly 40 reps on the bench. He didn't lift in Indy.

"RoninFin4 wrote:

I think Moses goes round 1 at this point.

I hope it is by someone other than Miami if he does.

Miami dined Brendon Kay, Cincinnati QB, the night before his pro day. They also held a meeting with Luke Bowanko, C/G from Virginia. This according to Tony Pauline.

Robert Herron apparently ran in the 4.3s after extensively working on his starting technique, something that hindered him in Indianapolis.

"invid wrote:

Miami dined Brendon Kay, Cincinnati QB, the night before his pro day. They also held a meeting with Luke Bowanko, C/G from Virginia. This according to Tony Pauline.

Robert Herron apparently ran in the 4.3s after extensively working on his starting technique, something that hindered him in Indianapolis.

That explains why Herron was so much faster.

I do like him. As I said before after I did my tape watch of him, he reminds me a lot of Victor Cruz.

Not a big fan of Brendan Kay.

Saw the Luke Bowanko note. Hard to know what to make of it. May have been pumping him for information about Morgan Moses. Bowanko is the type to go undrafted and I think he's got to know that. He'll try and impress a team any way he can. If they want to know about Morgan Moses, you tell them about Morgan Moses. Then maybe they remember you later when they're signing UDFAs.

Tre Mason's dad is Maseo from De La Soul? I want him on my team now.

Hah, yeah.

He's De La Son.

He's also really good. I have a good mental battle between he and Lache Seastrunk. The latter is the only one in this draft that makes me audibly yell "bullsh-t" at times when watching his tape, as if the move he just did were actually against the rules and deserved a flag.

"ckparrothead wrote:

Hah, yeah.

He's De La Son.

He's also really good. I have a good mental battle between he and Lache Seastrunk. The latter is the only one in this draft that makes me audibly yell "bullsh-t" at times when watching his tape, as if the move he just did were actually against the rules and deserved a flag.

There will be many De La references by me, myself, and I if he gets drafted.

I'm taking a look at Will Sutton and it's reminding me how I liked Chris Young last year. He'll be entering the draft next year, so it's not relevant now - but if you are watching Sutton keep an eye on #5. In the past he played a hybrid of S/LB, but bulked up to 244 to play ILB this season. He racked up 7.5 sacks and when he was playing the hybrid position he was very good in coverage. Just someone to keep an eye on if you're looking at Sutton.

Edit: Apparently he's a senior now, so I guess he's in the draft? I haven't heard ANYTHING about him.

Second Edit: It looks like he ran a 4.75 at his pro-day, put up 15 reps (meh) - I can't seem to find anything else about his numbers at the pro day.

I'd steer WAY clear of Brendan Kay.

This guy made some waves recently by having a phenomenal pro day at West Texas A&M. He ran like a 4.32 and had a 44.5 inch vertical.

I know him because I've made an effort to watch a lot of Dustin Vaughan footage and here's this guy Nathan Slaughter running around, killing everyone with his speed, quickness and play making ability.

I saw his game against West Georgia. He really was a go-to guy in that game. He was finding holes between the zones and being the guy that Dustin Vaughan relied on. His overall stats suggest a couple of guys were used more,

You see something like this though and you know that Slaughter is not just a set of numbers on a page. He knows how to bend, how to make people miss with the football in his hands, how to catch the football away from his frame, etc. He's not one-paced, and he's got elite overall athletic ability. This is the kind of guy you take in undrafted free agency and see if he shows you something unexpected, especially in the return game where he averaged a deadly 41.7 yards per kick return with 3 touchdowns on 15 returns in 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APzPna4bbfE

EDIT: Reminds me of Aldrick Robinson. If Aldrick Robinson can survive in the NFL as a depth player I imagine this guy could.

Incidentally Dustin Vaughan was a guy I liked a lot based on a tape he had from 2012, and his cartoon-ish good arm strength...he also had a good Combine throwing session as a slappy. However the more I've watched of him the more I've come to regard him as a guy with his work cut out for him if he wants to read an NFL football field with the kind of speed that he will need to in order to survive the pro game. He had GREAT protection, and I know LeCharles Bentley particularly loves #64 Craig Watts. Bentley has him as one of his biggest sleepers in the entire draft.

What does everyone think of ASJ? With us most likely going OL in round 1 as of now, do you think he would be a good pick in round 2?

"ckparrothead wrote:

Incidentally Dustin Vaughan was a guy I liked a lot based on a tape he had from 2012, and his cartoon-ish good arm strength...he also had a good Combine throwing session as a slappy. However the more I've watched of him the more I've come to regard him as a guy with his work cut out for him if he wants to read an NFL football field with the kind of speed that he will need to in order to survive the pro game. He had GREAT protection, and I know LeCharles Bentley particularly loves #64 Craig Watts. Bentley has him as one of his biggest sleepers in the entire draft.

Chris Watt?

No hype for the change of pace backs this year? I wouldn't mind a later round selection of DeAnthony Thomas or Dri Archer. Either would be a capable return man at the least. Better than signing a 32 year old Hester IMO. Thomas' 4.50 forty didn't help, but he looks much faster on film and confirmed it by running a 4.34 and 4.35 at his pro day.

Do you think drafting Gillislee last year put makes it unlikely that we will draft another RB this year unless he is a capable feature back?

"77FinFan wrote:

Chris Watt?

No. Craig Watts.

"Tone_E wrote:

No hype for the change of pace backs this year? I wouldn't mind a later round selection of DeAnthony Thomas or Dri Archer. Either would be a capable return man at the least. Better than signing a 32 year old Hester IMO. Thomas' 4.50 forty didn't help, but he looks much faster on film and confirmed it by running a 4.34 and 4.35 at his pro day.

Do you think drafting Gillislee last year put makes it unlikely that we will draft another RB this year unless he is a capable feature back?

I'm all in on drafting Thomas in the later rounds purely to be your returner, and hoping he can give you something on offense as well. I'd much prefer that to paying Hester as much money as he's supposedly looking for.