Would you rather overspend on Smith, Flynn or draft pick?

[suck for luck]

I will be pissed if we take Tannehill. We've totally effed up the whole qb situation at this point. Don't waste a pick on some loser that we'll be off-loading in 2 years.

[Phishfan]

Who? Assume that Luck, RGIII, and Blackmon are gone at #8. Who do you pick?

Same question Phish.  Who's there at #8 that knocks your socks off?

Yeah I realize that #8 is too high for Tannehill, but I don't really see anybody else that makes sense. I'm going to vomit if they take another offensive lineman in the first round. And I'm not saying start him this year. I'm saying start Moore and have Garrard back him up or vice versa, but pick Tannehill and start grooming him. If in a year you're not convinced he has what it takes then you start this whole process again next year.

I'd rather take another lineman than Tannehill at 8.

[Sunstroke]

None of the above.

Alex Smith sucks

Matt Flynn = Kevin Kolb

Not ok with reaching in the draft.

My preference is to roll with Moore and re-visit again next year.

This would be my choice for Miami as well... Load up for a run at Barkley next year.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Anybody second-guessing Miami passing on Ryan Mallett and drafting Thomas instead? -EK

What exactly has Mallet done since the draft to change anyone's mind either way.  Can't call him a bust, can't call him great. He has mastered the craft of holding a clipboard on the sidelines.  I am hoping not too see what he can do as a QB. 

[EKnight]

This is where the general bitching of the fans just irks me. You can't win. You can't satisfy some people no matter what. I still read reports and blogs from fans about passing up on Aaron Rodgers and taking Ronnie Brown in '05. Guess what? 20 other teams passed on him, too. Before that Miami goes out and gets Culpepper. 6'4" 260 pounds and only a year remived from 5000+ total yards, 39/11 TD/INT. What are people saying about that? "Shoulda got Brees!" How was nayone supposed to know Culpepper was going to suck? So now, after not having actually drafted a QB in the first round in twenty years, some people think Miami should NOT go after Tannehill. What's the big issue there? The reality is that this team won 6- count them 6- games last year. If they draft Tannehill, and he sucks, go back to Moore. ANYTHING is better than being so tenative and being afraid to make a commitment on this. And another O lineman? We drafted Pouncy and Long in the first round in the past few years and still gave up 52 sacks last year, so maybe we need someone in the pocket who can get rid of the ball rather than stand there like the statue of liberty getting killed. Clearly, the "drafting O linemen" strategy hasn't worked lately.

Hoodie- I see what you mean about Mallett. If I was in your shoes. I'd day the same thing. But being a Phins fan, I wish we would have taken him. With the games missed for injury by Thomas, and the fact that they picked up Slaton, had Hillard, and even found playing time for Johnson last year while Thomas was hurt, I don't think Miami drafting Mallett would have been bad. If he sucked, he sucked. Couldn't have been worse than what they were playing with most of the year. -EK

[Phishfan]

So now, after not having actually drafted a QB in the first round in twenty years, some people think Miami should NOT go after Tannehill. What's the big issue there?

The issue is that no one thinks Tannehill is a first round talent much less worthy of pick #8 except people saying take him in desperation.

[EKnight]

No one said Brady was a first round talent. 20+ teams didn't believe Rodgers was either. EVERYONE just knew Leaf was. The more I read from the guys "in the know," the more I think they could just use a monkey with a dartboard. "Let's see what round John Smith should be drafted in." (Monkey throws dart, lands on 1). "Oh, he's a first round talent." At least this way, if he sucks, they can say, "hey, what do you expect? Our draft guy is a chimp!" Point being that if you believ that QB is the biggest position of need for an upgrade, and you're pissed that Manning, Flynn, or anyone else went somewhere else, why not take a gamble on Tannehill? If he's better than what Miami has, I don't understand why it matters if they draft him at 8 or 38 if you really feel Miami needs a QB that badly. If you pass on him at 8, and he's gone by 20, then what? If he turns out to be another Rodgers, then I have to listen to the talking heads going on and on about how Miami passed on him. -EK

[Phishfan]

^^^I don't think he would be any better than Moore. I think Moore is our best QB option at this stage.

I would put money on it that no one will be saying we missed out on Tannehill in years to come.

[Pappy13]

The issue is that no one thinks Tannehill is a first round talent much less worthy of pick #8 except people saying take him in desperation.

I disagree. I think they don't believe he's a top 10 talent and there might be a few that don't think he's a 1st round guy, but I think anywhere from about 15 on down most think Tannehill is a fine pick as a guy you bring in to groom. He's only played QB for a couple of years, he's got plenty of room to grow into the position. He's shown enough throwing the ball to think he might someday be a pretty good QB. His arm strength is fine. He's big enough for the position. He's a terrific athlete and is used to throwing on the run so you don't have to keep him in the pocket, you can move him around a bit to keep defenses honest. If they try to blitz him he's mobile enough to escape the pressure and use his feet to get first down's etc.  He's not a classic pocket passer, but he's no Tim Tebow either. And maybe most importantly he's already played for your offensive coordinator so he knows what he can and can't do and what he needs to work on.  I think the pick makes a TON of sense, IF and it's a big IF, but IF Mike Sherman likes the kid. If that's the case, take him.

Here's an interesting point made in an article from February. "If the Dolphins only sign a second-tier player at quarterback, perhaps Sherman has convinced the organization that Tannehill is ready to lead an organization."

[EKnight]

^^This. -EK

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

Might as well sit and wait until next year......

[MikeO]

Drafting Tannehill to have him be your 3rd string QB for a year behind Garard and Moore teaches him nothing. Over-drafting him  by taking him much higher than he should go to have him buried 3rd on the depth chart is silly in my opinion. He will take no snaps in practices or games. What is he learning?

If you draft him and he is the back-up....OK. I can live with that, at least as a back-up he has to prepare each week for the game and he will get work in practice and you can place him games where you are UP a lot or DOWN a lot. As a back-up you can give him a series or two a game even. As a 3rd stringer that isn't possible!

Signing Gararrd, a 34 year old coming off an injury and letting him compete for the starters job is a "win-now" move. Any way you slice it. Re-signing Paul Soliai when you have a deep d-line is a "win-now" move. Either Miami is rebuilding which makes those 2 moves dumb and means they shouldn't draft Tannehill. OR they should start rebuilding, draft Tannehill.

Not to mention if next year goes as bad as everyone in the football breathing world thinks it will go, Miami will be back in the TOp 10 or Top 5 of the draft. Shots at Barkley, Jones, or the next RGII type to splash on the scene. Having taking Tannehill at #8 and paying a high first round draft pick QB PREVENTS you from drafting one.

Ireland has to decide...."win-now" or "rebuild"

The defense is set up for WIN NOW. Two experienced QB's atop your depth chart (even if they stink or aren't great) is WIN NOW mode. Drafting Tannehill at #8 goes against EVERYTHING they have done in free agency and what team they have.

Want to take a QB in Rd 2 or 3, fine. But taking one at #8 now is just silly and counter productive!

[Pappy13]

Signing Gararrd, a 34 year old coming off an injury and letting him compete for the starters job is a "win-now" move.

What? It's a 1 year contract. It's not even guaranteed he'll make the first cut. You need 3 QB's heading into pre-season just to have enough QB's to throw to the WR's. You need 2 during the season and you're assuming that Moore is going to be one, but injuries often change that. How often do teams have to replace their starter during the year and make their 3rd string QB the backup? How often does the 3rd stringer end up starting? If Tannehill comes in and does well, then you can jettison Garrard at anytime. He's ONLY an insurance policy in case something happens to Moore and Tannehill isn't ready to step in.

Any way you slice it. Re-signing Paul Soliai when you have a deep d-line is a "win-now" move. Either Miami is rebuilding which makes those 2 moves dumb and means they shouldn't draft Tannehill. OR they should start rebuilding, draft Tannehill.

Again what? Soliai is 28. I'm sure that Miami hopes he's here for a while. Plenty of time for him to still be a Dolphin 2 or 3 years down the road when a guy like Tannehill is now your starter. They lost one of their defensive lineman, losing 2 would have made your deep d-line pretty thin. Everyone was thinking they wouldn't be able to keep Soliai, this was actually a very nice surprise.

Not to mention if next year goes as bad as everyone in the football breathing world thinks it will go, Miami will be back in the TOp 10 or Top 5 of the draft. Shots at Barkley, Jones, or the next RGII type to splash on the scene. Having taking Tannehill at #8 and paying a high first round draft pick QB PREVENTS you from drafting one.

While that's certainly possible you don't PLAN on that happening. You deal with that next year if it happens. You can't plan this year based on what you think MIGHT happen next year. Way too much time between then and now to do that.

Ireland has to decide...."win-now" or "rebuild"

Peyton Manning decided for them, so they switched gears. That's what good management does, it has a fall back plan.

The defense is set up for WIN NOW.

LOL. I've heard that before, oh yeah it was right before the season started last year and then they came out of the gates flat and NE torched them. Remember everyone bitching about how out of shape they were after game 1? I believe you were in that boat as well. You have a VERY short memory. The truth is the defense has potential, but they have yet to convert that potential into an honest to goodness WIN NOW defense.

It's real simple MikeO, get Peyton Manning and maybe you have a shot at making something of this year like contending for the AFC East. Don't get him and no matter who you get, unless something really unexpected happens like the next Tom Brady falls into your lap, you aren't gonna be contending for the AFC East next year. You can either realize that and plan accordingly or you can ignore the facts and be surprised when it happens.

[tepop84]

Anybody second-guessing Miami passing on Ryan Mallett and drafting Thomas instead? -EK

considering how terrible thomas is, anybody else would have been a good pick.

[MikeO]

Now David Garrard isn't going to make the first cut? Yet he is competing for the starting QB job. The logic you are using is as confusing as Ireland's.