The Dolphins should take a WR in the 1st round of the draft.

[EKnight]

Grain of salt folks. Those are ESPN's ratings. Fox Sports and CBS Sports (if I recall- I may be wrong) had quite different values, and graded RT much lower, making Pappy's claim of a reach at #8 pretty accurate. -EK

[Spider-Dan]

Feel free to post numbers to back that up.

Pretty easy to sit on the sideline and snipe at my fact-digging with broad, unsupported "I think other people had him rated lower" claims.

[Pappy13]

Let's not get too far off track here about whether or not Tannehill was a reach at #8, that's another thread. You know *I* didn't think he was a reach, I was just saying there was the talk of it being a reach and Miami pulled the trigger anyway, that's what's important here.

If you don't like the idea of taking a WR in the first round, then here's my alternative to getting a WR in free agency. Bundle your #1 pick maybe along with a #3 or something and TRADE for a TRUE #1 WR, not somebody's leftovers on the FA market. I don't have a problem with getting a veteran WR as long as it's a TRUE #1 and that he's still in his prime, not past his prime. I want someone that Tannehill is gonna be able to throw to not for 1 or 2 years, but for 8 or 10. I know someone is going to say that you can get that on the FA market, well the reality is that maybe some teams *might* be able to get that, but Miami ain't. Nobody WANTS to come to Miami, so if you are counting on nabbing Mike Wallace as a FA, I think you are fooling yourself. He's gonna go to someone with a shot at a SB or with a shit ton of money to throw at him, neither of which Miami has.

[Spider-Dan]

Mike Wallace is a 26-year-old coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Greg Jennings is a 29-year-old coming off two consecutive Pro Bowls.
I don't know what else you want in a "true" #1.

For purposes of comparison, Andre Johnson is 31, Larry Fitzgerald is 29, Megatron is 27.

Miami is not going to trade for an All-Pro WR because that would make the (first) Brandon Marshall trade look like chump change.  This is as good as it gets when it comes to the FA WR market.

edit: As far as wanting to play for a winner, both Wallace and Jennings have rings already.  If they just wanted to play for a winner, they'd stay put.  They want to get paid.

[Pappy13]

Mike Wallace is a 26-year-old coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Greg Jennings is a 29-year-old coming off two consecutive Pro Bowls.
I don't know what else you want in a "true" #1.

For purposes of comparison, Andre Johnson is 31, Larry Fitzgerald is 29, Megatron is 27.

Miami is not going to trade for an All-Pro WR because that would make the (first) Brandon Marshall trade look like chump change.  This is as good as it gets when it comes to the FA WR market.

I'd take Wallace, but Wallace ain't coming to Miami. You've seen Ireland's track record. Whomever gets Wallace is gonna have to back up the brinks truck and Ireland's not gonna do it for him.

[Brian Fein]

I'm not sold on Mike Wallace and Greg Jennings is an injury problem every year.  Of the two I'd rather have Wallace.

Who else is out there?

I would also agree that trading for a WR would be a huge mistake.

[Spider-Dan]

I'd take Wallace, but Wallace ain't coming to Miami. You've seen Ireland's track record. Whomever gets Wallace is gonna have to back up the brinks truck and Ireland's not gonna do it for him.

Ireland did it for Marshall, did he not?

[Brian Fein]

^^ and after 2 seasons, realized the mistake and cut his losses.  I don't know if he would be so quick to repeat the same mistake.

[Pappy13]

Ireland did it for Marshall, did he not?

He traded for Marshall, he didn't sign him as a FA.

[Spider-Dan]

He traded for Marshall and immediately signed him to a huge extension, which negates the "Ireland won't pay a WR big bux" argument.

I have to ask:  what's the point of freeing up all this salary cap space if you won't spend it on a quality player at a position of glaring need?  Is it so we can sign 10 Anthony Fasanos and Kevin Burnetts in free agency?

[MikeO]

edit: As far as wanting to play for a winner, both Wallace and Jennings have rings already.  If they just wanted to play for a winner, they'd stay put.  They want to get paid.

Nail on the head with that statement

[MikeO]

I'm not sold on Mike Wallace and Greg Jennings is an injury problem every year.  Of the two I'd rather have Wallace.

Who else is out there?

I would also agree that trading for a WR would be a huge mistake.

Dwayne Bowe. But Bowe has baggage and after Marshall and Ocho not sure if Miami will take a guy with baggage. I have no problem with Bowe has his baggage is nowhere near what Marshall's was or what Ocho did. So if they signed him I support that move.

[Pappy13]

He traded for Marshall and immediately signed him to a huge extension, which negates the "Ireland won't pay a WR big bux" argument.

And I'll bet he regrets signing him to that huge extension. I just don't see it happening. If they get Wallace in FA, then all bets are off for the draft, but I'll believe that when I see it. Right now from everything I read, Miami isn't even in the running for Wallace.

I have to ask:  what's the point of freeing up all this salary cap space if you won't spend it on a quality player at a position of glaring need?

They still have to resign their own FA's. I don't think there's going to be nearly as much money for Miami to spend in FA as some think unless they part ways with several Dolphins FA's, but if they do that, then they have more to replace then just WR.

[EKnight]

Feel free to post numbers to back that up.

Pretty easy to sit on the sideline and snipe at my fact-digging with broad, unsupported "I think other people had him rated lower" claims.

I posted them several times in the post draft threads because you kept going on and on about the ESPN pre-draft rating- which, btw, no other sources agreed with. Will dig them up if I can.

Edit- here's the NFL.com grade on him: 87, with Mayock's comment, "Mayock's take: "I have him rated as the 19th best player in the draft, which tells you I don't think he's ready to be a heavy contributor this year. I watched every throw he made on tape this year. All the out-breaking routes are phenomenal. Where he gets in trouble are the in-breaking routes where he stares the receiver down, pats the ball and throws interceptions."

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/ryan-tannehill?id=2532956

By comparison, they gave Luck a 97.0, RG3 a 95.0, and Weeden an 83.7. To me, an 87.0 with the #8 pick says stretch, as Pappy noted. -EK

[Brian Fein]

^^ It doesn't matter.  They were picking at 8 and that's the guy they wanted.  So they took him.  They weren't picking 19.  There was no choice.