2008 Miami Dolphins NFL Draft Thread

[KC]

  No doubt about it, very stupid trade.

I regret it already as many of us do.  This is a pick that worked out and we traded for a lower pick which who knows about.  I guess since we have that franchise player Ginn we can deal away all the other guys even after a good rookie season.

[Guru-In-Vegas]

LOL Lil B.  I know I keep repeating myself but I just want to people to know that we've done a lot of dumb things with our second round draft choices regarding QB's and Henne, IMO will turn out to be worthwhile. 

I haven't been this excited after a draft, since...well...I can't remember a draft that I like as much as this one so far. 

The thing that does have me most confused is that Lorenzo Booker move.  I would understand for a 3rd rounder, but a 4th?  I don't get paid what Parcells does so obviously he must know something about him or some other prospect that we don't. 

I would like to see us pick up Dan Connor.  I'll be honest its mostly to fill that huge void our boy Zach left.  Undersized, strong, extremely committed I like what this guy could do and knowing first hand what an impact a defensive general like Thomas made this guy could turn out to be something special.

[KC]

I just want to say 1 thing: I think the Dolphins had an excellent Day 1 draft. What a difference Parcells makes, huh guys? The guy builds WINNERS. Don't ever take it for granted.

Side Note: I like the Giants pick, Kenny Phillips (S, the U).

Definitely a big improvement over past seasons. There's a hell of a lot of work to do but this is a good start so far and I expect we'll do well over the rest of the thing. 

[KC]

You guys are right Dan Connor is a no brainer here and has late first round talent and potential.  #2 rated LB in the draft.

[bsmooth]

All in all a fantastic draft compared to the last few years.

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/news/top_story.asp?contentID=5759

Jeff Ireland Day 1 Wrap-Up

April 26, 2008
   
(On summing up what the team accomplished today) -- “I think we’ve accomplished a lot, actually. It started last night with taking Akin Ayodele and Anthony Fasano. I think we’re adding two quality players into the mix. They’re both very competitive kids that will bring the value of the depth chart up. So, overall, having Jake (Long) already done, that’s a big plus for us. Phillip Merling brings us a quality pass rusher. He’s a big guy that we like, a solid kid, competitive, tough, brings good depth to the end position. And Chad (Henne) obviously brings competition at quarterback. So, I think we’ve brought the level of competition in all five spots, and we’re excited to have all five of those guys.”

(On if the quarterback position is vital) – “ I think it should be. And it’s a competitive position. We just brought another guy in to compete for the job.”

(On if he thought about taking a quarterback at the top of the second round) – “No.”

(On his opinion of QB Chad Henne) -- “Well, he was a four-year starter at the University of Michigan. I like that. He’s a great leader. He’s got an aura about him that you like about a quarterback. He’s highly competitive. He’s tough. He’s got mental toughness. Doing my homework, he had, I think, nine come from behind fourth quarter wins in his career, and I think that was more than any other quarterback we studied. Those are just a few things we liked about him. He’s got a strong arm and accuracy.

(On what he likes in QB John Beck) -- “John’s got a quick release, a strong arm, and he’s highly competitive. But you never have enough of those guys, to me. It’s going to bring some competition to the position and we like both these kids, and Josh McCown as well. So, it’s going to be a good battle for these guys.”

(On if there was anything that John Beck could have done in the offseason to prevent the team from drafting a quarterback this high) -- “Not necessarily. No. I think he’s done everything David (Lee, QBs coach) has asked of him, everything we’ve asked of him. We like John. This has no bearing on whether we like John or don’t like John or anything like that. We’re in the business of collecting football players, good football players. And that’s what we’ve done.

(On what sold him on DE Phillip Merling and if his hernia concerned him) -- “We weren’t concerned about the injury. We had Coach (Kacy) Rodgers (Defensive Line) go there, a couple of days ago. We have all the medical reports. Nothing really concerned us from that aspect. He still has a ways to go in regard to becoming full strength. But we feel pretty good about him and he’ll be full strength before too long.”

(On if he was specifically targeting the defensive line and quarterback positions today) -- “Not necessarily. You’ll learn from me, I’m a core position guy. I like drafting core positions and definitely a pass rusher/defensive end is a core position. Quarterback is a core position. We weren’t targeting him but he ended up being good value for us.”

(On if there was anything that happened Saturday in the draft that surprised him) -- “Not necessarily. There were really no surprises to be honest with you.”

(On if the quarterback position is wide open and if Chad Henne has a chance to start immediately) -- “That’s up to him. It’s up to him.”

(On if he has an idea of who they will take with their first pick on Sunday) -- “We’ve got a pretty good idea who we’ll take, but we’re going to field calls hopefully through the night and the morning and see what that brings us.”

(On if he was surprised Phillip Merling was there) -- “No. that’s about where we had him.”

(On if he was concerned Green Bay would take Chad Henne right before the Dolphins did) -- “Our studies and due diligence showed that Green Bay had a shot to take a quarterback. Yeah, we were real concerned about that and took a deep breath when they did take a quarterback but it wasn’t the guy that we coveted.”

(On if he think Phillip Merling would have been there when he was had he been 100 percent healthy) -- “No at all. That’s about where we had him on the board. So we thought we had good value for him.”

(On with the concern of Green Bay taking a QB, if he thought about moving up ahead of Green Bay) – “No. We stayed put.”

(On his biggest difference running this draft with Miami as compared to his past drafts with Dallas) -- “Not a big difference. I mean it’s just a good communication group here with Tony (Sparano) and Bill (Parcells). The same thing it was when I was in Dallas with Jerry (Jones) and Bill or just Jerry and Stephen (Jones) last year. So it’s pretty much the same routine. You know you’re jumping on the table for guys you like. You’re building a case for the guys you like. And there is always good discussion and pretty much the same routine for me.”

(On him being a core position guy and with the lack of them if he will try to fill some those spots on Sunday) -- “Well I wouldn’t say we don’t have any of those. I think we have some of those players here. We’ve got to get better production out of some of those guys. But what we’re lacking right now, I don’t want to give any strategy away so I’m going to probably not talk about where we’re going towards tomorrow. I think there are a few guys that fit the core position that we’ll be going after pretty early.”

(On the decision to trade RB Lorenzo Booker to Philadelphia) -- “It was really more systematic here. I don’t think he really fit our system that we’re trying to put in place here and we fielded the call pretty early in the process about him. He’s a great kid. He’s a playmaker. At the end of the day he just really didn’t fit the system that we’re putting in place here.”

(On what type of players the Dolphins are looking for at the running back position) -- “Well we’re looking for guys that play plays- play a lot of plays. If you’re a third runner it’s kind of hard to get that player on the field. If he doesn’t play special teams and you’ve got Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in front of you, I don’t know how you’re going to get that player to the field right now. So there’s a little bit of a system there that he just doesn’t fit.”

(On how much discussion there was today of trading Jason Taylor) -- “Really none today. Didn’t get any calls. So there was no discussion.”

(On the rumor that Jason Taylor had been traded to Tampa Bay) – “You said it. I was not aware of it. I was aware of it after the fact, but obviously it’s strictly rumor.”

[DolFan619]

  Some Phillip Merling videos and information:

http://cbs4.com/video/?id=53974@wfor.dayport.com

http://cbs4.com/video/?id=53978@wfor.dayport.com

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d807f49ca

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/phillip-merling?id=778

[DolFan619]

http://dolphinsindepth.blogspot.com/

Bad news for Beck: You're not one of Bill's peeps

One thing I think we all should have learned about Bill Parcells by now is that he knows who he likes and doesn't like and he is loyal to his peeps.

H fired Randy Mueller and Cam Cameron, in part, because he didn't know them. He hired Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano, in part, he knew them and felt comfortable with them. Parcells is big on familiarity and that's the reason he's got a corps of assistant coaches that follow him from place to place.

Picking his guys and sticking with them is HUGE for Parcells.

And that is the reason John Beck should be worried.

Beck is not a Parcells guy. Parcells didn't scout him, didn't draft him, didn't sign him. And that makes Beck the only one of Miami's three quarterbacks that Parcells did not pick or scout or sign.

Parcells inherited Beck from the previous regime while he went out and got Josh McCown as a free agent and drafted Chad Henne Saturday.

So that puts Beck at a disadvantage. Henne and McCown are not going to get a free ride by any means, but I do believe they rate higher than Beck in the mind of Parcells -- because they were picked by Parcells.

That means any tie on any matter goes to McCown and Henne. And not Beck. For Beck to win the coming quarterback competition -- assuming he's even in the competition, by the way -- he's going to have to outplay the other two.

Ties go to the other guys because they are Parcells guys.

One final thought: Yes, I said assuming he's in the competition. It is a big assumption, in my opinion. Given what I've seen of how Parcells has basically torn up the roster -- with the latest move being a trade of running back Lorenzo Booker -- I would not be surprised if Beck ends up traded or cut altogether by this time next year.

The only way he avoids that fate is by being waaay better than Henne and McCown. It's the only way he overcomes not being one of The Big Tuna's peeps.

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/04/27/a1b_fins_lede_0427.html

Help arrives: Dolphins acquire three more potential starters

By EDGAR THOMPSON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, April 27, 2008

DAVIE — It was the first time he had been in charge of an NFL Draft, but General Manager Jeff Ireland was anything but timid.

Instead, Ireland attacked his new role with a sense of confidence and conviction reminiscent of the man sitting at his elbow in the draft room, Bill Parcells.

During a 24-hour period beginning Friday night, the Dolphins picked up two players from Dallas in a trade, traded away another and drafted two more Saturday during the draft's second round to join No. 1 pick Jake Long, whom the team signed last week.

Miami selected Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling with the first pick of the second round (No. 32 overall) and Michigan quarterback Chad Henne with pick No. 57.

The Dolphins also were poised to trade Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor, but a reported deal with Tampa Bay for three draft picks never materialized.

When the dust settled after the draft's Day 1, the Dolphins had acquired four potential starters and a quarterback who will be given the chance to win the job.

"We accomplished a lot," Ireland said. "We're excited to have all five of those guys."

Ireland is ready to try to do it all again today,

The Dolphins will go on the clock at 10 a.m. with the first pick of the third round (No. 64). Ireland said he, Parcells and coach Tony Sparano "have a pretty good idea what we want."

It's the first time the third round opens the second day of the draft. Ireland said he hoped to hear from teams hoping to move up and make the first selection of Day 2.

"We're going to field phone calls during the night and see what that brings us," he said.

By taking Long, Merling and Henne, the Dolphins addressed some of the areas Ireland believes are critical to building a team. The rookie GM calls them "core positions."

Long fills a hole at left tackle, Merling provides a pass-rusher, and Henne, who is second in Big Ten history with 87 touchdown passes, will boost the competition at quarterback.

Ireland and the Dolphins addressed two other question marks Friday night by trading their No. 100 pick to Dallas for tight end Anthony Fasano and linebacker Akin Ayodele.

Miami recouped that fourth-round pick Saturday when it traded second-year running back Lorenzo Booker to Philadelphia for its fourth-round pick (No. 115).

Booker (5-foot-10, 191 pounds) came on late in his rookie season, catching 28 passes in the final five games. But he isn't considered an every-down back and did not fit into the Dolphins' plans.

"He didn't fit the system," Ireland. "We're looking for a guy who plays a lot of plays."

Few Dolphins have played more plays than Taylor, who holds the team record with 130 consecutive starts. But his days in Miami seemed to be over when the team chose Merling.

The Dolphins had been hoping to trade Taylor, a six-time Pro Bowler, for a first-round pick. But no team was willing to do that for a player who turns 34 on Sept. 1.

Now Merling could end up with Taylor as his mentor, unless the Dolphins trade him today.

"I like the way he plays, how fast and aggressive he is," Merling said. "I know it will be a good opportunity to learn behind him and learn with him."

Merling said he was surprised to hear from Miami. The team had not spoken to him since the NFL scouting combine in February.

Merling's value had dropped in the view of some teams because he recently had surgery for a sports hernia. Ireland said the Dolphins attended a private workout at Clemson on Thursday and have no concerns about Merling's health.

"He still has a ways to go to become full strength," Ireland said.

Henne, on the other hand, had been seen as rising up draft boards, some saying he could be a first-round pick.

Henne said Ireland and Parcells had hinted they would select him with the 32nd pick.

"It happened to be later, but it's a good fit for me," Henne said.

[DolFan619]

  Some Chad Henne videos:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d808010e9

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8073833e

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d807632b7

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d806db022

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d806db964

[landlocked]

Good picks so far.I hated to see Booker go.This leaves us with a guy coming off an injury,Cobbs,and a guy that isn't sure whether he wants to play football/smoke weed/teach yoga.I'm not feeling good about our RB position.Oh well,it's still early.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

We could see another RB drafted today.  They are a dime a dozen. 

[DolFan619]

  Some Day One thoughts before we head into Day Two.

- Jake Long    Nuff Said.

- Phillip Merling was EXCEPTIONAL value at 32.  If he hadn't of suffered that sports hernia, he would've been long gone by 32.  Merling is going to be good football player.  Solid pick!

- I was intially upset over the Chad Henne pick, mainly because Patrick Lee was still on the board, and the Dolphins need secondary help.  However, Henne probably should've went a lot higher, and getting him at 57 is pretty hard to pass up.

Question of the Day:  Let's play "what if."  If Coach Sparano named  Chad Henne the starting quarterback for the 2008 season, would you be comfortable with Henne as the starter?

[Rick]

  Miami traded the first pick of round 3 to the Lions.  The dolphins pick 3rd in round 3  and pick up another 6th round draft pick.

[DolFan619]

  Miami traded the first pick of round 3 to the Lions.  The dolphins pick 3rd in round 3  and pick up another 6th round draft pick.

  I figured Miami would be fielding some calls for that first pick of the third round.