Parcells' draft lacks any kind of flash

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-flspskolnick28sbapr28,0,268286.column

Parcells' draft lacks any kind of flash

Ethan J. Skolnick
Sports columnist

April 28, 2008

DAVIE - Looking for electricity during the 2008 NFL Draft? The Dolphins left you snoozing in the dark. Need for speed? Hope you headed for the highway.

This was trench bore-fare.

Still, while it's impossible to evaluate a draft after a weekend, it appears safe to say that Bill Parcells fared well in the most important regard: keeping with his proven team-building approach.

Other than the regrettable failure to trade Jason Taylor, in light of a damaged relationship and his advancing age, the Dolphins' Saturday and Sunday work mostly made sense. The Dolphins made foundation, not frills, moves. In fact, this draft most resembled the one that Parcells and GM Jeff Ireland collaborated upon in 2005, which propelled the Cowboys back to consistent contention. Five of those Cowboys picks were offensive or defensive linemen. Another was a linebacker.

Dallas is built. The Dolphins are just a blueprint.

"They went with more skill position players," Ireland said of the Cowboys' 2008 draft, "where we went with more offensive and defensive linemen."

Did the Dolphins ever. With the exception of quarterback Chad Henne, the Dolphins passed on flash. Two straight-ahead runners replace one slippery scatback (Lorenzo Booker). No ballhawks or burners on either side of the ball. They made a run on run-stuffers and run blockers, monsters who man the point of attack rather than slicksters who score points and grab picks. They made the draft an extension of base-building free-agent activity.

And they deviated little from their core philosophies, even if it was surprising to see some less prominent programs (Hampton, Utah State, Montana, Toledo) represented.

They continued operating with the knowledge that the public would patiently accept virtually anything they did, a luxury not afforded to their predecessors. They couldn't lose in free agency because any addition to a 1-15 team seems an upgrade. They couldn't lose over draft weekend because every position seemed paramount. They can't lose during training camp since most draftees will make the depleted roster. Tony Sparano can't even lose when he starts making coaching choices, not with Parcells' backing.

The question is whether any of that leeway contributes to winning.

That will depend on other questions:

If the Dolphins get stouter play from their pile drivers and pile pushers, will that allow some actual playmakers to emerge? Are there more on hand than we assume? Is Ronnie Brown healthy? Is Ricky Williams trustworthy? Will someone show himself a true No. 2 receiver, let alone a No. 1? What can new tight end Anthony Fasano offer? Is there a keeper in the secondary?

Or will fans need to wait until next offseason for some jerseys worth buying?

Will that be the time when the Dolphins add more healthy dashes of flash?

Or can this group surprise like the 2000 squad which, despite a striking absence of electrifying "skill players," actually won more games than any of Dan Marino's last seven teams?

That group benefited from a veteran defense. This time around, that needs major rebuilding, too.

So the Dolphins got to that. They started, however, with the draft's premier offensive tackle. That looked prescient when seven other offensive linemen were taken by the 26th pick, six spots before the Dolphins' next shot. Only a No. 1 overall pick is more scrutinized than a quarterback, when they are not the same person. So Jake Long's success will largely determine the success of this weekend.

Will Long succeed? Who can know?

For comfort, you could cite the second-round selection of another former Michigan tackle, Jumbo Elliott, by Parcells and George Young with the Giants. But that was 20 years ago. More recently, Parcells produced a mixed record when drafting offensive linemen in Dallas, lowlighted by 2004 second-round bust Jacob Rogers, who didn't start a game.

Toughness won't be Jake Long's issue. Athleticism may determine whether he becomes a fixture. If he does, savvy fans won't mind that other teams selected "skill guys" later, or that the Dolphins might need to fortify in 2009. No more than the Rams and Seahawks regretted taking Orlando Pace and Walter Jones in the top 6 in 1997, rather than "skill guys" Warrick Dunn and Tony Gonzalez.

Taking grunt guys is a skill, too. Maybe the most important front office skill of all.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

I said this in another thread, but if Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller had been doing the drafting on day 2, fans would be storming the Bastille known as Dolphin Headquarters in Davie.

[StL FinFan]

We need everything, so we gotta start in the trenches and build from there.

[MaineDolFan]

It's comical.  Go left and fans and media say "should have gone right."  Go right and everyone says it should have been left.

Last year we draft a WR and RB's that we didn't need and everyone bitched about that.  This year everyone is bitching that we DIDN'T sign a WR?

No matter what was done - everyone else knows better.  I agree with Stl.  We needed to start somewhere.  I thought it was a very good draft.

[Sunstroke]

I'm with Maine...this was a very solid first draft for the new regime.  Sure, I'm a little surprised that we didn't grab a WR in a class that appeared so deep, but Parcells/Ireland apparently see the guys we have as being "good enough for now," and focused on the teams' other needs.

[Dphins4me]

I said this in another thread, but if Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller had been doing the drafting on day 2, fans would be storming the Bastille known as Dolphin Headquarters in Davie.

We agree.  While I think they did good on drafting.  They went overboard IMO on lineman & makes me wonder did they look outside the three positions in this draft.

[Sunstroke]

We agree.  While I think they did good on drafting.  They went overboard IMO on lineman & makes me wonder did they look outside the three positions in this draft.

I don't see overboard on OL here...I see a solid response to our being understaffed and grossly undertalented at the OG and OT slots.

I also see a couple of posts talking about us drafting two RBs. We didn't draft two RBs...we drafted one RB and one FB.

[Dphins4me]

I don't see overboard on OL here...I see a solid response to our being understaffed and grossly undertalented at the OG and OT slots.

I really have a hard time seeing Miami enter into the season with 3 rookie OLman.    They might, but its is against the odds.  Plus you have the hold overs to deal with. 

[DolFan619]

  Miami didn't draft a WR, but they ended up signing Davone Bess out of Hawaii.  Bess immediately upgrades this WR corps.  You might think I'm crazy for saying that, but this dude can play.  Anyways, I thought it was a solid prototypical Bill Parcells draft.  This team needed to address the OL and DL, and the Dolphins did just that.

[formerfinsfan]

Miami's first three picks could all be starters this season. It's a start.

[Sunstroke]

I really have a hard time seeing Miami enter into the season with 3 rookie OLman.    They might, but its is against the odds. 

I think the odds you're referring to might not apply to bare foundation rebuilding efforts.  We WILL have 3 rookie OL, minimum, going into the season. I'm not saying that all will be starting, because they won't...but 1-2 will for sure (Long-Murphy), and the third (Thomas) will be one of the primary OL subs.

[KC]

I said this in another thread, but if Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller had been doing the drafting on day 2, fans would be storming the Bastille known as Dolphin Headquarters in Davie.

They would be but the reason would be that those clowns would have screwed the whole thing up.  As it stands this draft is a big improvement over what we've seen out of anyone lately.  You gotta wonder about some stuff but people are forgetting that it takes several rocks to get one good gem, we're going to need several drafts to get competitive again, and the primary need was and is the line and if you're going to fix something first might as well go all out to get it done before you worry too much about the "flash."

[JVides]

I was perfectly OK with this draft.  Parcells went out and got some beef up front, just as I'd hoped he would.  Now, drafting 2 RBs and no WRs?  Yeah, a bit surprising given the team's depth at the former and lack of same at the latter.  I'm just glad the team now has young options among the OL & DL, for once.