MDD Staff Writer: Chad Pullen
With free agency set to begin next Tuesday and a few of the free agent dominoes already having fallen, we take a quick look at how the first round of the draft could shake up before teams start to address their biggest needs in free agency. We will follow with more mock ups as the free agent pieces fall and adjust each teams draft boards leading up to the draft. (more…)
The Miami Dolphins have one major question at offensive tackle: do they keep Jake Long or let him walk? Right now, I think they are (and should be) leaning towards letting him go. Unless he has made tremendous strides with his health and would be willing to take a big hometown discount, I think the risk completely outweighs the reward of keeping Long.
So if Long is out, what move should the Dolphins make to fill this huge void?
The height of draft season is just around the corner, with players working out to prepare for their pro days and the NFL Scouting Combine. A lot will change in the coming weeks as NFL teams’ needs begin to change around free agency, but it’s worth predicting how things might turn out.
For now, there’s a pretty heavy emphasis on defense in the first round of my latest mock draft, and three quarterbacks being selected. A lot of the talent in this draft is in the trenches, and that’s well-reflected here.
Cameron Wake causes opposing quarterbacks, and offensive tackles alike to lose sleep the night before a game against the Dolphins. The offensive tackle that is lined up without Cameron Wake facing him is all smiles however as the Dolphins have lacked a second pass rusher for a very long time. The last time the Dolphins were perennial playoff contenders, Jason Taylor had Trace Armstrong lined up down the line from him. Wake has yet to find that partner.
Jared Odrick and Olivier Vernon have been drafted in recent years to provide that, but Odrick has proven more of a run stopper and Vernon will need a little more time to develop his skills as a pass rusher. The Dolphins have an immediate need while Cam Wake is still in his prime so let’s check a few options the Dolphins have to upgrade a key need, one that can not only help the pass rush, but also helps the secondary not get exposed having to cover shorter amounts of time each snap. (more…)
With the NFL Combine coming up, it’s important to know before the “main event” which prospects the Dolphins could be targeting. An updated, “Dolphins Only” Big Board is exactly what that shows, especially focusing on OT, DE, CB, S, and of course, WR. (more…)
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