The 2009 NFL Draft - Miami Drafts Needs... Well, sort of.

Pat White is the Cat's Claws. Or something like that. Watch the video. He moves like a video game avatar.

I obviously would not have guessed that the draft would have played out like it did. It all started when Al Davis shit the bed once again, passing up Crabtree for Heyward-Bey. The jets moved up to draft Dirty Sanchez (I have already forgotten his real name). I'm sure he'll join the proud tradition of bonehead moves made by the jets.

Let me address three things I think we learned from this draft.

1) Cameron Wake might just be the real deal. The CFL phenom was signed to a three year deal. The Dolphins were believed to be coveting a pass-rushing bookend for J-Peezy and were going to take one in the draft. They did not even draft a developmental project.

I believe that Parcells and company believe Wake might be that good.

2) Or, there might now be room for a return of Jason Taylor. The Phins said publicly that a JT return would hinge upon the outcome of the draft. I can't see who they drafted that would be hurt by a JT return.

I don't see how a JT at a bargain rate would hurt. Let Wake learn from two of the best while slowly working his way into the starting role, perhaps even by midseason.

3) These guys don't leave it up to chance. They needed a CB and so they drafted three, each of them incredibly versatile. They needed a possession receiver and so two were brought in. Including Teddy Ginn's old teammate Brian Hartline. They want someone to step out as a solid possession receiver and so they increased the odds of this happening.

It's murder by numbers people.

But anyway, ignoring the solid moves by the Patriots and Eagles (my, my, Andy Reid does know how to draft a need) let's get to the Dolphins.

DOLPHINS DRAFT CHOICES

First Round

VONTAE DAVIS
CB - Illinois


Second Round

2a
PAT WHITE
QB/WR - West Virginia


2b
SEAN SMITH
CB - Utah

Third Round

PATRICK TURNER
WR - Southern California


Fourth Round

BRIAN HARTLINE
WR - Ohio State

Fifth Round

5a
JOHN NALBONE
TE - Monmouth

5b
CHRIS CLEMONS
S - Clemson

Sixth Round

ANDREW GARDNER
OT - Georgia Tech

Seventh Round

J.D. FOLSOM
LB - Weber State

Two Today

Well, this draft was certainly not a diverse one. The Dolphins Triumvirate decided that the team had two clear needs and that these needed areas required a lot of help. The defensive backfield. The receiving corps.

Over the next few days I will look at individual selections. But first let me start with the top two. Vontae Davis and Pat White.

A Needed Man

With Will Allen being the only viable starter at CB left on the roster, the Dolphins were looking grimly at the return of the Tom Brady/Randy Moss show. Add Terrell Owens to the Bills and a big move by the jets to draft a QB and well... Joey Porter had better eat his wheaties.

Vontae Davis was one of the three players I liked most for the Dolphins at pick #25. Kenny Britt was the one I thought fit best and Larry English the one I liked most. Vontae is a physical specimen. At 5'11" and 208 lbs he is a powerfully built CB who actually put up 25 reps with 225 at the combine. He also had the best 40 time, coming in at 4.45.

The thing is that he translates all of this on film. He runs with anyone and has enough speed and agility to recover from most any mistake. His size makes him a thumper who is not scared to shed blocks and lay the wood on running backs. I love the pick. In a division with Tom Brady, Randy Moss and now Terrell Owens, drafting a fast, physical corner makes a ton of sense. Need filled.

The knock of course, as there is a reason a guy as talented as Vontae slipped to the latter half of the first round, is that he has "character" issues. No one seems to put a finger on them and instead question things like his work ethic. The other knock is that he is a bit arrogant. In his first interview he slid into the third person. Nice.

Vontae also scored a 33 on his Wonderlic aptitude test. One of the highest in the draft. All in all, Vontae Davis is a remarkably valuable pick at 25.

Nice piece on Vontae at nfl.com.

Now to the second round. Pat White. Pat White... Pat White?

The Cat's Claws

On the top end of the second round, the Miami Dolphins (who have selected a QB in the second round for two and now three years straight) select one of the draft's most interesting prospects. Another QB. A clear second rounder on a practically all draft boards, West Virginia's Pat White just didn't seem to make sense for the Dolphins.

With Conner Barwin still on the board the Phins ignored the raw but gifted DE/OLB tweener and went with the versatility of Pat White. Or did they go with the arm of Pat White?

Just over 6' is not enough to play the quarterback position in the NFL. But a 4.49 forty time and insane marks on the cone drills is pretty great stats for a wideout. Then there is the odd fact that White out threw every prospect in QB drills at the combine. Including distance. At the Senior Bowl he was one of the best looking players. So...

So somewhere Glen "Pop" Warner is grinning ear to ear. I still think this pick is curious, even risky, but the fact is that Pat White will make the team and even be on the field for the first game. In college he played QB, RB, and WR. In the NFL I believe it will be the same.

Here's a scenario for you. Pat White at QB. Ted Ginn and Ronnie Brown at WR. Ricky Williams in the slot comes down in motion. The ball is snapped...

Is it Williams who gets the ball with a full head of steam, ready to slam like a Acme Brand spring-loaded boxing glove into the first available linebacker? Or does White keep it and run the play like a traditional shotgun pass play? Perhaps he keeps it and runs a bootleg that OOPS! is really a reverse to Ronnie Brown who in turn throws the ball to a now wide open Ted Ginn, Jr.

I scratch(ed) my head when the Phins selected Pat White. But now it seems to me that he is a value pick. He can run the Single Wing like Jim Thorpe. He can return punts. He can develop into a wonderful slot receiver. He is a football player. Bottom line.

Even if this one doesn't work out, I will still understand why they did it. Too much upside to leave on the board

Methinks it will be a fun season.

BTW: John Beck just got released. Clint, try not to cry too much.

The Phinisher's 7 Round Mock Draft: Version 1.0

The Mock Draft

I've been dragging my feet to arrive here... at my first full mock draft. This year is infinitely more difficult to project or understand, as the Phins' front office has already made some intriguing moves.

I would have said that our biggest need is to find a run-stuffing, get after the QB compliment to J-Peezy. We still need that.

I would have and still say that we need to add depth to the guard position. With Smiley and Thomas coming off bad injuries and Indukwe & being underwhelming (I'm feeling nice today) we could use depth/starter caliber guards.

I would have also said that we need a cornerback to replace Andre Goodman (you just knew they wouldn't signed him).

I would have told you two months ago that we needed a more ferocious safety to pair with Yeremiah Bell. Well, we got that and more in Gibril Wilson. Resigning Channing Crowder, Vernon Carey, Yeremiah Bell and then pulling in Wilson really solidified both sides of the ball (especially defense - that's some serious lumber).

We also need a big receiver. Not the "True #1" that so many old-school Dolphins fans want year in and out, but a literally I mean a big-bodied possession guy who can catch crossing patterns and jump balls in the endzone.

So with no further ado, here's my first mock draft. Feel free to post comments - in fact please do. It's so quiet around here. Makes me nervous.

First Round

25th Selection: Kenny Britt, WR Rutgers



Why: 6'3" and 218 lbs. Britt is a big and agile target, and though lacking world-class speed he yet can stretch the field because of his height and jumping ability. Ernest Wilford will be traded (mark my words) for some late round pick. The Phins need a big body to throw to, regardless of who's playing quarterback.

Plus the guy can thump as a blocker, which is essential in Miami's run first offense.

Why not someone else? It's true, Britt is a reach here at 25. But I think this is a value pick based on the production the team will get from him. It's a kind of combination pick of value and need. That's why they reach here.

I'm a big fan of Larry English. He's a prototypical pass rushing outside linebacker in the mold of our own J-Peezy or Pittsburgh's James Harrison. The thing is though, can he play in coverage? We have a stud pass rusher in Joey, and a interesting project in Cameron Wake to replace him. What we need is a guy who can both rush the passer and play in space, you know, run with a tight end. So the Phins still need a OLB to compete with Wake and Roth. I'll get to that soon enough.

Oh, and Sintim will be gone. With all the teams switching to a 3-4 defense a guy with his experience and plug-and-play readiness will be gone. English might be gone too.

Don't get me wrong: Larry English, Clint Sintim or Vontae Davis would all be superb picks. A dream scenario could play out with Davis, Barwin and Hakeem Nicks (WR) being our first three picks.

Second Round

2a - 44th Selection (from Washington for JT): Connor Barwin, OLB Cincinnati

Ironic, isn't it? The very pick we got for Jason Taylor will be used to draft... Jason Taylor. Well, that's the hope at least.

At 6'4" and 256 lbs Connor Barwin has the size to play outside linebacker. His 4.66 forty time and outstanding athleticism (how does a 40.5" vertical leap sound?) make him seem like an ideal tight end. That's exactly the story.

Barwin converted from tight end to defensive end his senior year... and tore it up. How does 15.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and 7 pass defenses sound? My thoughts exactly.

The Miami Dolphins run a 2-gap read and react 3-4 defense with a typically designated pass rusher. The need is for smart players that can react quickly and overpower blockers. Barwin is ideal. He is a honor student with a high capacity for learning and his freakish athleticism makes him a perfect project for a outside linebacker that can play in space as well as get after the QB.

If his stock continues to rise, the Phins may have to look at packaging a 6th rounder with the 44th to leapfrog some of the other teams looking to go to a 3-4. Some of these other teams might shy away from such a project, but with Paul Pasqualoni on hand and J-Peezy to look after him this might be the slam dunk of the draft.





2b - Sherrod Martin, FS/CB Troy

The 6'1 and 198 lbs Martin had a tremendous combine and just blew the lid off his ascending stock with a very solid pro day down in Alabama (or up there for you lucky ones in Florida). 4.43 forty time and showed incredible ball skills while doing CB cover drills.

What he'll give the Phins is a sure thing. A top flight special teamer if nothing else (bust factor is tiny with Martin) and a starting Pro Bowl caliber corner at best. Versatility is key here again, as Martin could play FS in a pinch if he had to.

With his measurable skills (speed, size and agility) I think he could be a starting corner in short order. If nothing else he could instantly be an ideal form of dime corner.

Demarcus Ware hailed from Troy. As did Leodis McKelvin. Gee, Demarcus Ware. Who drafted him?

DAY 2
Third Round

87th Selection: Kraig Urbik, Guard, Wisconsin

6'5" and 328lbs of corn-fed fury. Urbik failed to do anything at the combine to crack the first day but has first day size. He supposedly is a decently developed player with a solid explosion off the ball and his long arms and solid footwork make him able to easily deal with physical defenders. Apparently the knock is that he has trouble with his footwork in space against speedier defenders. He isn't our left tackle, though, so I'm not worried.

This guy has "Parcells" written all over him. He will compete with Donald Thomas and Justin Smiley.

Fourth Round

122nd Selection: Terrence Taylor, DT Michigan

At 6' and 306lbs Terrence Taylor is a similar player as current NT Jason Ferguson. Taylor, like Ferguson, is described as deceptively stout and powerful. He eats up blockers and gets a solid push into the backfield. Had the top bench at the combine, slapping up 37 reps with 225.

His weakness is perhaps in pass situations and needs some help with technique. Ferguson and Sparano are great teachers.

NFL.com described Taylor as a "Fire Hydrant run stopper..." That sounds good to me. The big sell with him is that he might be able to play either end or NT. That's the versatility the Phins need, especially since Vonnie's gone. Surprisingly, I don't think the Phins will go with another DT in the draft. Word is they like what they've seen from last year's 6th rounder, Lionel Dotson.

If Taylor's gone the Phins might roll the dice on the talented but off-the-field troubled Chris Baker, whose 6'2" and 326 frame (and very fast timed speed) give him big potential on the inside.

Fifth Round

153rd Selection: DeAngelo Smith, CB Cinncinati

Parcells & Co won't be scared to go to the well twice here. Barwin first and then later on the second day Smith. At 5'11 and 194 lbs smith is a intriguing late round pick, whose biggest knock is lack of elite straight line speed.

Still he has explosiveness and good technique and the Phins could use another CB to groom. These free agent ones they've brought in this off season are fallback plans. Nothing else.

Sixth Round

184th Selection: Traded to Dallas in 2008 for NT Jason Ferguson. Good trade, eh?

Seventh Round - The Who The "F" Knows Round

The Dolphins have three selections in the 7th round. I guarantee some of these will be packaged up for a jump at sometime in the draft. It's Parcells style.


7a - 196th Selection: Ray Feinga, G BYU

6'4" 326 lbs guard/tackle prospect. A developmental guy with solid measurables.


7b - 215th Selection: Kory Sheets (or best available running back)

The 5'11" 206 lbs Sheets will probably be gone by this point, and perhaps even to someone like the Phins in the 6th (maybe even 5th - I don't know how his pro day went). He is a place holder her, for the RB the Phins will take at some point in the day. Sheets is a solid back that can do it all, though Parcells would ideally like someone with another five to ten lbs on their frame. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown are in the last year of their contracts. Ricky and the offseason is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.


7c - 220th Selection: Brian Toal, FB/OLB Boston College

6' 230 lbs guy who is coming off a slight injury. A potential special teams guru. Toal loves to run with wreckless abandon.

* Trade Note *

I believe the Phins will package some of the OLB depth (namely Quentin Moses or Charlie Anderson) with a 7th rounder to try and get into the 4th or 5th round to grab a running back. Don't be surprised if Matt Roth gets traded either. For something at least resembling an early 4th. Roth is good and would be a big contributor to one of these teams switching to a 3-4.

Resigning Brown is no sure thing and Ricky is hard to gauge. They will not however, pass up on a potential lineman in order to do this. If the bargain's there they'll go for it. The Phins might even shock everyone with a bluer (purplish color) chip selection.

Meet Kenny Britt: The Guy You'll Like A Lot

Kenny Britt is the big-bodied possession receiver the Dolphins haven't had since... Orande Gadson? Don't worry. This kid has wheels.

The Phinisher's first choice for the 24th pick would be Larry English. I think that kid is going to be a phenomenal outside linebacker (if he's drafted by a team with decent coaches).

Since the Vrabel trade went down in New England, the Patsies are going to be looking for an OLB. Larry English may not reach us.

Barring their going for an inside linebacker, or a more complete OLB (can play in pass coverage, make reads) like Clint Sintim OR their trading for Julius Peppers (which is a strong rumor right now) the Patsies will draft English.

So he won't be there when we pick. And even if he is, it's a solid argument that we might want to go with this guy anyway.

Kenny Britt, WR Rutgers. 6'3" 218 lbs.



4.52 40-yard dash.
23 reps with 225 lbs.
37" vertical jump.
10'4" Broad jump.

So he is big but not real fast. The thing with Britt is that he runs great routes and has quick feet in his breaks. He is a YAC machine, tossing shoulders and stiff arms left and right, not to mention getting up field after the catch.

Britt's size makes him a remarkable target in the red zone and a solid blocker. The nice thing about Britt is the fact that he is a long term solution as well as a short term. By that I'm referring to the two Chads.

He matches Pennington's game perfectly. Crisp route running. Can play in the slot or out wide. Has the size and explosive jumping ability to catch the ball deep. That size is key when having to stop and come back for a ball thrown too short.

Then, when Henne takes over, Britt's huge frame will be deadly on deep crossing routes. There is somewhat of a knock on Britt that he catches too much with his body, and with a powerful armed QB like Henne that problem would be amplified. Though I'm confident that he will be successfully coached out of that tendency.

He fits in too, with what we've got. Kenny Britt would be the #1 as a big bodied possession receiver who wuold gobble up yards after catch. Ted Ginn, stretching the field as a speedy #2. Davone Bess or Greg Camarillo in the slot or third spot. Brandon London (who could push any one of these guys) as depth and special teams (the guy is a total ace at gunner).

Plus there's this.



Love to see that go down on Darrelle Revis.

T.O. A Bill and Two Other Stories (One of them important)

The rumor mill is saying the Mcfadden may be in Miami's plans.

Okay. So the Phins need to figure out who's playing for the departed Andre Goodman. T.O. is a team-killer and an ass. Through and through. But despite his age and dropsy hands he can still kill teams that lack elite corners.

Enter Bryant Mcfadden. Mcfadden is a free-agent escapee from the Steel Curtain's defense. He's the black and gold's best up and comer and probably the best corner left on the market. At 6' tall and 190 lbs he has the build to make plays against the running game as well as passing. This might be a "necessary" signing considering the inconsistency of corners coming out of the draft (plus corners aren't a bright spot on Parcells resume). Will Allen would still be the #1 (unless we draft a stud) and Mcfadden would make a solid #2 corner.

Lastly there is this: Jason Taylor showing Tom Brady love. Disgusting. Some (Patriot's Insider) are speculating New England might be the perfect place for Taylor to spend his final year.

More disgusting.

The Jake Grove Thing

Why did the Dolphins sign ex-Raiders center Jake Grove for so much money?

Okay. I don't like it. We'll start there and now I'll tell you what I think it means.

29.5 million (14 million guaranteed) for an injury prone underachiever who played for the Raiders.

I'll say it again. I don't like it. But there may be a strategy here (well, of course there is dummy).

Let me present my hypothesis in numerical statements. Remember, these are all hypothetical and I'm not trying to back anything up. I'm just riffing, if you will.

1. Samson Satelle has been found wanting by Sparano & Company: Satelle is undersized and with the increased role of the 3-4 in the league (big nosetackles are the key to a 3-4) and with guys like Vince Wilfork and Kris Jenkins playing in the division a Miami Dolphins center will have to hold his own.

2. Sparano & Company want an upgrade at center: Since the above issue exists, the regime has made it a point to get a bigger center for 2009.

3. Draft: No. The regime feels that either A) There is no center worth drafting, B) That center is not a position worth using a first round or early second round pick on and the ones worth drafting will not be available late on the first day, C) The Dolphins have better opportunities at other positions with their first five picks, and finally, D) There are no real immediate (not needing too much development) options in the second day.

4. Free Agency: Yes. They set a budget for free agency and sought out the best center available. Jason Brown went just above the budget limit in his contract with the Rams and so the Phins went to plan B. This was Grove. The Raiders wanted him back badly and so the monies got a little higher than what most would be comfortable with and yet the Phins need their center. So they ponied up and kept it within their cap budget.

5. Draft: Yes. Their may in fact be a center that the Phins are looking at in the draft. They know it will take developmental time and so they will sign Grove, let him play as long as his injury prone body will allow and then they'll work their guy in. This of course would make Satelle trade bait or a potential release.

6. Free Agency: Yes. Maybe Sparano & Company see something in Grove. Supposedly he played very tough in the game against Miami last year. He has a reputation of being a hard worker and a cerebral player. To be honest, Satelle never seems to be a rocket scientist in interviews.

7. Free Agency & Draft: Yes. Maybe Thomas or Smiley's recovery isn't looking good (I know the information is positive on both, but to be honest, Smiley's injury was a bad one). Maybe they want to convert Grove to guard, or at least get him familiar with the position and then they'll take a center in the draft. I know... Weird.

That's it. Just some ideas about why the hell the Dolphins would sign this guy.

Do The Dolphins Need A True #1 Receiver?

Is Greg Camarillo the Dolphins best wide receiver? Is that a problem?

There seems to be a general consensus that the Dolphins have a dire need for a true big play receiver. Someone over six-feet tall, who can stretch the field and has the size to bully cornerbacks.

I'm here to officially stir the pot.

We don't need one now, but in a year or two we will.

Chad Pennington can't throw to a Larry Fitzgerald. Sure, a big receiver is still wonderful to have when throwing underneath, but the true application of a No. 1 receiver is to stretch the field and create the big play.

I love CP, but he just can't get the ball down field with any relevance. He's a game manager and can only take shots down field when its wide open. Even then it's not a pretty sight. Anyone watch the second Baltimore game last year?

As of right now we have an almost ideal set of receivers for Chad Pennington's game.

Davone Bess is as perfect as they come. He runs perfect routes, particularly shallow comebacks and has an unbelievable cat-quick ability to get up field as soon as the ball is in. He catches anything and was one of the many tremendous finds in last year's draft class (he was undrafted, but you know what I mean). Bess will be with this team for years to come. A paragon of slot receiving (has that ever been said before?).

Greg Camarillo is a wonderful second receiver. At 6'1" and 190 lbs he has decent size and has shown a lot of ability in blocking. His 55 catches in 11 games (torn ACL) was truly a breakout for the now third year receiver. Like Bess, Camarillo runs picture perfect routes and gets up field after the catch, though Camarillo does it in longer, more angle oriented routes. Few people have Bess' quickness to turn those little comebacks into 7 yards a pop. If Camarillo didn't go down in week 11, we'd have been talking about how he got robbed of a Pro Bowl. As of right now, Camarillo is the most complete receiver on the team. If he can fully return from his ACL injury, then I don't see him slowing down any.

Teddy Ginn. The guy's hot or cold but to be honest, the last five weeks of last year Ted Ginn began to emerge as a legitimate (if not world-beating) number one receiver. Ginn has the speed. He lacks in size but with some space and a little steam he can break tackles with the best of them. I don't think we'll see the totality of Ginn's game until Chad Henne arrives under center.

The reality is that for now, we don't need the big receiver. We already have a logjam at the no. 2 spot, so bumping Ginn to no. 2 would just muddle things more. In all honesty, who would you rather have: Ted Ginn, Jr. or Greg Camarillo?

Or if you get a big receiver, who would you rather have in slot: Greg Camarillo or Davone Bess?

See, logjam. Barring a trade (Ginn or Bess) I don't see the need to invest in a WR too highly in the draft. Let's focus on solidifying our defense and improving our offensive line. Our passing game is already the no. 1 reason we won games last year. Let's make it our running game this time.

Dolphins Cut Vonnie Holliday, 11-Year Veteran, Team Captain

For the last few seasons Vonnie has been a big contributor on and off the field.

This isn't a total surprise. Holliday was going to count over 5 million against the cap and with his release they gain over 3 million this year.

The trouble here is the precedence it sets. Holliday was the class of the team last year, and despite Porter's breakout season he continued to be the vocal leader.

I wonder if this is a bad lesson for the youngsters coming up. Holliday was a model citizen and a leader in the community. He was also not worth the money on his contract.

In any case, Phillip Merling looked impressive at times (just ask Brett Favre) and he and Randy Starks will battle it out opposite Kendall Langford.

2008 6th rounder Lionel Dotson apparently has the coaches' respect as well, and to tell the truth, he looked pretty explosive in preseason last year.

In any case, Holiday still has gas in the tank and some team needing a starter will get a classy guy. I understand this move. I also don't entirely like it.