The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

  Reports on ESPNews have stated that the Miami Dolphins have begun contract negotiations with Left Tackle from Michigan Jake Long.  If this report turns out to be true, We will hopefully have our All-Pro stud left tackle for many years to come.  This guy is an absolute beast. 
  Any thoughts about this?

it's just smoke and mirrors so we can pick howie's son

It makes sense to have him in camp on time. I mean if you can't decide between 3-4 players.......See which one is available for the best price. But I wouldn't put too much weight on it. The Tuna is a tricky MoFo.

I would be happy with Jake Long, but I still think if they have the first pick, they will take Chris Long.

In a recent column, Peter King suggested that the smart move in this situation would be to shop a contract to all 3-4 potential #1s and sign whomever was willing to do so.

The Texans signed Mario Williams and got: #1) a really good deal because he wouldn't have gone first otherwise, #2) a really great player in camp on time.

^^ It was his Monday morning QB
9. I think I have this interesting theory about what Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland might do with that first-overall pick in Miami. I think they just might choose the four guys they like the most and say to each one, in effect: "We've got an offer for you. Look at Gaines Adams' rookie contract last year as the fourth overall pick -- six years, $42 million, with $19 million guaranteed. We'll raise the money and the guarantee five percent overall. Let's call it six years, $45 million, with $21 guaranteed.'' Then they'd go each player, one by one, and make the offer. That's the smartest way to not get held hostage by a player you don't think is worth first-pick-in-the-draft money. If no player took the offer, which would surprise me, Miami would have to decide whether it would be willing to pick the best guy blind, with no deal.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/04/06/labor/3.html (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/04/06/labor/3.html)

an article from the miami Herald...
The Dolphins have formally begun contract negotiations with agent Tom Condon about the prospect of selecting former Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long as the first overall selection in this year's draft.

Condon, who also represents Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, was in South Florida early this week to negotiate specifically on behalf of Long at the request of the team, The Miami Herald has learned.

The Dolphins would like to have a contract in place with their first pick before the draft on April 26, which would allow them to avoid a potentially ugly holdout like the one that took place in Oakland last year upon the Raiders' selection of quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Miami is still intrigued by Virginia defensive end Chris Long, but no in-person talks between Chris Long's agent and Miami are believed to have taken place to date. However, the Dolphins are believed to be happy with quarterback John Beck, and they are not considering Ryan as an option with the first pick.

The latest meeting between Condon and the team doesn't necessarily mean the Dolphins have made their final decision to select Jake Long over Chris Long, but it is certainly a major step in that direction.

By selecting Jake Long, the Dolphins would fill a gaping hole along their offensive line. Vernon Carey is currently slated as the starter at left tackle, but selecting Jake Long would potentially allow the team to move Carey back to his more natural position on the right side of the line.



http://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/489210.html (http://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/489210.html)

This would work out because it would get our top draft choice in camp on time, and set the precedent for all the other top picks early on (They usually wait till the #1 pick has signed). 

I bet it pisses off HBO. They like the Drama. F Them.

HBO? TNT is the place for Drama!  ???

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this news...


"Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy joy"


I mean, there are obviously several highly qualified candidates, and I don't want to sell any of the others short...


"Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So lets sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again!!"


I seriously wonder whether Parcells and Ireland are doing the right thing, tipping their hand this early...

 
"Infatuated with the fame
now let me explain
how we doin this,
at any time or any place
ready willin and able
let's get the dough
secure the FOOD ON THE TABLE!"


I think I'll just keep an open mind (oh wait, I just did!) and see how things play out here...


(Props to Ren & Stimpy, Ager & Yellen and Mos Def for the subliminals)

I was just watching HBO, I had it on the Brain........I meant ESPN. They Love the drama , the build up.  This kinda takes away a little of the Mojo. Tough Shit. If nobody wants to trade then it makes all the sense in the world. Lets make a deal and start thinking about #32.

Thanks for the clarification....I agree with the F- HBO, for canceling Inside the NFL though

I agree as well.  HBO is no longer worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence with NFL. 

  I think I can live with Jake Long as our number one overall pick.

Good news.   Excited about the Draft now  ;D

I think what happens with JT should determine what we do in this draft.

If we keep him, then go for o-lineman.

If we trade him, go for the D-lineman

  What?  You thought this was a one horse race?

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-flspdolphins10sbapr10,0,7093217.story

Contract talks begin with OT Jake Long, and DE Vernon Gholston

By Omar Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

April 10, 2008

Apparently content to keep the No. 1 overall pick, the Dolphins have begun discussing contract parameters with at least two players on their short list of candidates to become the draft's top selection.

Official contract negotiations with Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, and Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston were started this week, according to a source. Coincidentally, Long and Gholston are represented by the same agency, CAA, but have different agents.

Long and Gholston are believed to be two of the five prospects the Dolphins have thoroughly investigated in case they don't trade away the top pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, which takes place on April 26-27.

Virginia defensive end Chris Long, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, and LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey are the other potential candidates to be taken first overall.

Negotiating a contract before making the selection could allow the Dolphins to avoid a potentially ugly holdout like the one that took place with the Raiders last year over the No. 1 selection of quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Russell missed all of training camp before a six-year deal worth $68 million (with $29 million of it guaranteed) was finalized.

According to another source, the Dolphins "haven't even sniffed at" the possibility of selecting Arkansas running back Darren McFadden with the draft's top pick.

McFadden is viewed as the draft's top offensive player, but the Dolphins appear to be set at running back with Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Lorenzo Booker already on the roster. Also, Bill Parcells' draft history shows he's traditionally shied away from selecting running backs that high.

Parcells, the Dolphins' new vice president of football operations, generally prefers to start building a team in the trenches. Gholston, Dorsey and both Chris and Jake Long, who are not related, would address that.

Dorsey is viewed as a traditional defensive tackle, one more suited for the 4-3 defensive scheme. The Dolphins are presently set up to play a 3-4 even though coach Tony Sparano won't commit to it until practices start.

Gholston and Chris Long are viewed as the two college defensive ends that would have the smoothest transition to outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. The Dolphins have had private meetings with each.

Selecting Jake Long would address the team's most pressing need: the offensive line.

The Dolphins have two glaring holes on the starting line, one at right tackle and the other at left guard. Last week Sparano said the plan is to fill those spots through the draft, allowing the line to "get younger."

Waiting until the second round to draft an offensive linemen could be risky considering most NFL executives and draft analysts say this is the best year for offensive tackles in more than a decade, and believe as many as six could be taken in the first round.

When asked at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis about the possibility of playing for the Dolphins, the 6-foot-7, 313-pound Long said, "It would be an honor."

"They would get a hard-working, passionate player," said Jake Long, who allowed two sacks and was flagged for two penalties throughout his four-year college career. Jake Long and Gholston, who is 6-4, 265 pounds and runs in the 4.6 range in the 40-yard dash, were the two strongest players at the NFL combine. Both bench-pressed 225 pounds 37 times. Jake Long's lone sack of his senior season was to Gholston, who finished his junior season with 14 sacks before entering the draft.

I think that's exactly what's gonna happen.  And the reason they're negotiating with Vernon Ghoulston as opposed to Chris Long is Chris Long is not deemed to be a good fit in the 3-4 scheme which Parcells runs. 

I wouldn't mind Jake Long as our top choice.  He'll be a stud left tackle for the next 10-15 years.

 
 

And watch the play of our QB, RB and recievers get that much better. I say INK him. But I wouldn't be surprised if Parcells is playing mind games.

I have been a big Matt Ryan advocate but after reading some of these articles it is clear Miami needs help on their offensive line, Jake Long should fill the position and offer more protection for our QB. But I still believe we need a QB maybe we can snag one in the 2nd round.

Good luck trying to convince this years number#1 pick that he isn't worth as much as last years. Sounds like the miami is trying to find a sucker to take the cheapest deal. If they aren't prepared to offer between 27-30 million this deal has zero shot of being completed before the draft.

I like the way the Tuna is playing this!  Is there any way for us to lose in this draft, other than a gamble on Matt Ryan?

If they do take Jake Long I think there is a good chance they put him at right tackle to start out with.  I think they will work on his speed and footwork for a year before putting him on the left.

Just a prediction.