The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

http://dolphinsindepth.blogspot.com/

Ireland reveals (really little) nuggets of information

Jeff Ireland just talked for 23 minutes and there were parts that were interesting. Here they are initially:

The Dolphins have fielded calls about trading for the first pick, according to Ireland. Nothing apparently is imminent if anything were to happen at all.

"People are interested," Ireland said. "People are always interested in the first pick. I'm not going to tell you what people are asking or offering. But I would think the talks would heat up next week."

Ireland might have slipped when he was talking about what he expects from the first overall pick. "This guy is going to be the pillar of your defense," Ireland said of the first pick.

Really? Defense?

"That was a Freudian slip," he said under his breath.

Someone then asked if it was a smokescreen. "I'll let you guys decide," he answered.

I asked him about the speculation the Dolphins might pass on the first pick. He initially waved off the question, but when pressed whether he could put that rumor to rest, he said, "yes," as in that is not happening.

Finally there is clear indication that Reagan Mauia's status with the team will depend on what the team's internal investigation reveals about his recent arrest for battery at a local Ale House. Ireland said he needed all the details before making an "intelligent decision," which obviously means a decision is pending.

FYI: Ireland would not discuss what he called strategy, so there was no talk about Jake Long and negotiations and a deadline in those negotiations.

smokescreens, smokescreens.  these guys crack me up!

I really enjoy watching the GMs maneuver in the offseason...

I like that:  "Ireland might have slipped..."

Sure he did... ;)

when u listen to the clip, it certainly does sound that he was totally unaware of what he just said. it seems like he let the cat out of the bag. unless this was rehearsed and choreographed (which wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility) it did sound like a slip of the tongue.

in any event, i don't see the big deal in the whole thing. no one was gonna trade into the first pick given the financial consequences and no real stand out player. im hoping that they already negotiated a low ball pre-deal with gholston and in principle have an agreement to select him. otherwise this mistake is a little bigger deal...

Gholston?

Before C-Long or Dorsey?

Man, I don't know. I just watched a panel of touts unanimously talk about how he's got overinflated value due to the Combine, and I think they have a point. If Miami traded down to the 5-6 area, sure...I could see Gholston, but as the #1? I really hope not.

the thinking is that they can sign gholston to a low ball contract and not take a huge financial hit that comes with the #1 pick. given that there is no one that clearly stands out from the crowd as being worthy of all that guaranteed money, there might be value in getting the cheapest of the bunch. gholston is probably the one most likely to bite...

But in that group of top players, Gholston DOES stand out...as the one who doesn't have the talent to belong in that group. ;)

I like Gholston, again, but not as the #1 pick...

Gholston is the most overrated player in this draft. The guy is a workout warrior, but didnt show me a whole lot at OSU when facing top flight competition. Where was he against florida last season and even LSU this year........whodini.

Ohh by the way ireland, no one is intrested in that pick. Don't try and lowball jake long, just pick him, pay him and be satisfied with a LT that will anchor your line for the next 12 years.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_seasonticket/2008/04/fins-ireland-pr.html

Fins: Ireland pre-draft chat

Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland set the ground rules early.

"We're not going to talk about strategy in this press conference," he said.

Still, here are some quick hits:

-- He said the board is "pretty close" to ready. I'm writing a story for Saturday about how the Dolphins' board is smaller than other boards.

-- He said he had fielded "some calls" about the No. 1 pick, but it didn't sound like he had fielded many. "I'm actually excited about being in that position," Ireland said of the No. 1 spot. He better be. It doesn't look like any other team is taking it off his hands.

-- He definitively said that they will be making the pick if they don't trade up. So that puts an end to talk about letting the time expire.

-- Much will be made of his slip that he was looking for a "defensive" pillar. I won't be one of those making much of it. Freudian? I don't think so. When you're holding press conferences, and you're not used to doing so, sometimes you make mistakes.

-- What does he think of the reduced amount of time between picks? "Ask me after the draft."

-- He said there was more depth at offensive tackle than at quarterback, though he called quarterback "a pretty good class." He said John Beck had "thrown close to 4,000 balls" with QB coach David Lee.

-- He gave himself some wiggle room on the character question, particularly after I asked what he planned to do with Reagan Mauia. He said that they were waiting on the facts with Mauia, but that he wasn't happy with the situation. He said when it came to character in the draft, that sometimes players make the most of second chances. (Expect to hear that next Saturday or Sunday.)

-- He did say, however, that "I'm not really one to take a lot of risks. I like to go after guys who fit what we do."

-- He said that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones let him take reports "that I specifically wrote" out of Dallas.

-- He said that the Dolphins' grade scale was changed "to what I knew."

-- What did they do in free agency? According to Ireland, "we improved our depth" and "got younger" with "guys who fit our philosophy."

-- When he spoke of premium positions, he spoke of the ones you often read me write about here. QB, OT, pass rusher ("pressure players"). He included #1 receiver on his list.

-- This was the key quote. "We don't have a whole lot of our core positions on our team right now. We need all of them."

-- The highest that Ireland has ever picked? 11th.

-- For all the talk about how he is just a Bill Parcells puppet, remember this: Ireland is the one who has led all the legwork at the Senior Bowl, Combine and the workouts. He's the one bringing the reports back. This draft is largely about him. And I've heard good things around the league about him. He needs some polish in his presentation, but other executives seem to have respect for his organization and evaluating skills.

> Posted by Ethan J. Skolnick at 1:37:14 PM

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/04/smoke-screen-or.html

Smoke screen or Freudian slip?

I kept meaning to ask Jeff Ireland if he was much of a poker player, but time and team related questions wouldn't allow it.

If you read my post press conference story with the Dolphins new General Manager you'll discover Ireland either provided a "tell" or is trying to "bluff" with a slip of the tongue.

Most teams, especially those with a top 10 selection, need to know what the Dolphins are doing with that No. 1 pick so they can set up their draft board.

For the past week the line of thinking was that Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long was the guy, filling the team's most glaring need. But on Thursday Ireland's claims that the Dolphins were seeking a pillar for the "DEFENSE" was extremely interesting. It could either throw us off the Trifecta's trail, or be his attempt to leave us a trail of crumbs that might boost the pick's trade value.

I was sitting there in the front row, and actually clued Ireland in on his slip of the tongue, after I stopped laughing. I ultimately left the press conference thinking it was totally unintentional considering how puzzled he was with our response, which was laughter.

However, there generally isn't much that isn't calculated around draft time.

Hell, Dolphins PR director, Harvey Greene, usually goes over a LARGE list of questions his coaches and GM's will likely face before they hit the podium, every time they are scheduled to speak to the media. Ireland's list for Thursday's league mandated pre-draft session had about 50 possible questions on it. If he'd prepped himself right, how could Ireland have made such a mistake?

Or did he?

Clearly, the Dolphins will go heavy on defense in this draft. Bill Parcells led teams usually do.

About 70 percent of the prospects who have been brought in for a visit are defensive guys, which includes Auburn defensive tackle Patrick Sims, who has spent the past two days talking to the Dolphins.  The Dolphins are also high on Auburn's Quentin Groves, a possible converted linebacker, and Hampton defensive end Kendall Langford, who the Jets and Browns are also hot on because his frame makes him an ideal fit as 3-4 front line guy.

The Dolphins are clearly doing their homework on defensive players. But will they also opt to use the No. 1 pick on Virginia's Chris Long, Ohio State's Vernon Gholston or LSU's Glenn Dorsey, who are viewed as the three elite defenders of the 2008 draft?

Can the Dolphins risk passing on Jake Long with the No. 1 pick and gamble on finding a starting right tackle later in the draft?

Have negotiations with Jake Long's representatives soured, and are the Dolphins firing a warning shot before they get specific on contract terms about Gholston, or begin negotiating with Chris Long or Glenn Dorsey?

Maybe the Dolphins are close to having a trade worked out with a team like the Saints (don't sleep) or Ravens, and have another defender like Florida's Derrick Harvey or USC's Keith Rivers or Sedrick Ellis in mind for the first-round pick they inherit.

I predict this week's going to get really interesting, and Dolphins fans better buckle up.

Considering we in the media, and Dolphins fans, generally pick apart every word that's said by the Trifecta I have a funny feeling we won't be hearing from anyone not named Tony Sparano for a loooong while once the draft is in the rear-view mirror.

Maybe Ireland, who seemed very polished outside of his one mistake, needs a bit more practice so these gaffes don't happen as often.

> Posted by Omar Kelly at 4:54:52 PM

I watched the press conference on the news.  If he was posturing, he's the best actor ever.  Give the man an Oscar!

He was totally backpedaling when the reporters called him out on his comment.

Yeah, when I finally saw the film on it, rather than just the audio clip, I have to agree with Brian...Ireland might be a good actor, but he's no Pacino. That was a tell, not a bluff.

Come on Jake...get on the phone and tell Parcells that you want to be a Dolphin.

  This is what happens when the puppetmaster dosent train his puppets in media relations 101. He wasn't acting. This was the second slip up from Ireland. At the senior bowl he revealed the dolphins were "open for buisness" regarding the number 1 pick. Any leverage the dolphins may have had in regards to dealing the pick was lost thanks to ireland. Hey dolphin fans meet your number 1 pick.......Chris long.

You just have a completely miserable streak in you, don'tcha... I really hope you work through those issues at some point and start feeling a little better, because it would have to suck to be that negative and bitter all the damned time.

What do you expect from a Gaytors fan?