Hi everyone,

let me start with a disclaimer: this is my first post and I am well aware that mmy knowledge, compared to some other posters, is in the single digits, in a scale from zero to 100.

However, I happen to be rather tired of reading things like: "this FO (or Ireland, or Parcells) is a joke, they cannot draft squat." let me be clear: I am not an apologist, I am just a fan that wants to know whether he can trust this FO to bring his team to win anything. I've been poondering this post for a while, until I read this entry: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2011/02/there-was-a-depressing-statistic-dolphins-people-once-used-to-explain-the-troubled-state-of-the-franchise-during-the-makeove.html

That's when I turned my attention to the 2008-2010 drafts. For the ease of use, I used my own draft grading system, where I rate players into factual categories:

S: starter, 'nuff said;

C: contributor, ie: back up, part-time starter, once starter, specialt teamer, role-player;

W: wasted, uselss pick;

I: incomplete, injuried or else.

Obivously, categories and categorisations are indeed debatable, but, before ripping me, just notice that categories are based on facts: whether a player is a starter, a contributor or has not done anything for the Phins.

Here is how I rated the past three drafts:

2008 - Draft Picks

1. Long - S

2a. Merling - C

2b. Henne - S

3- Langford - S

4. Murphy - W

6a. Parmele - W

6b. Hilliard - C

6c. Thomas - C

7. Dotson - W

2008 - Undrafted FA

Bess - S

Carpenter - S

Haynos - C

Garner - C

2008 - Trades for picks

Fasano - S

Ayodele - C

Thigpen - C

Total 2008 Draft: 6 starters, 8 contributors, 2 wasted picks.

2009 - Draft picks

1. Davis - S

2a. White - W

2b. Smith - S

3. Turner - W

4. Hartline - C

5. Clemons - S

6. Gardner - W

7. Folsom - W

2009 UFA

Baker - C

2009 acquired for picks

McDaniels - C

Totals 2009 draft: 3 starters, 3 contributors, 4 wasted picks.

2010 Draft Picks

1. Odrick - I

2. Misi - S

3. Jerry - C

4. Edds - I

5a. Carrol - C

5b. Jones - C

7a. Mccoy - W

7b. Spitler - C

2010 UFA

Wallace - I

Moore - I

2010 Acquired for picks

Marshall - S

Dobbins - C

totals 2010 Draft: 2 starters, 5 contributors, 1 wasted pick, 4 incompletes.

Totals 2008-2010: 11 starters, 16 contributors, 7 wasted picks, 4 incompletes.

I hope I would get a pass for any mistakes I incurred in.

Don't know what you think but. for me, these are great results. I can now rationalise better why Steve Ross wanted to replace the coach but not the GM. Here I can see a WHOPPING 27 roster spots filled in through 3 drafts. And the argument that it was easy because the team had a very low talent level from years before does not hold any ground. the FO was paid to restock the team and they did just that. You can see how it was increasingly difficult to find starters as time went by, 6 new starters via 2008 draft, 3 via the 2009, only 1 in 2010 (but they may become more ... or even less).

MY overall (personal) assessment is that this FO did a great job using their draft picks and can really pick players from college ranks. And that even without the plethora of picks that the Patriots usually pile up. One may argue that they have been less effective in FA, which is possible, but I'll leave it to another post.

the one remark I have got, so far: this FO has not been able to select and develop an upper-tier QB; and that might very well be the one thing that holds the team back. To wit: the only year that the team got high-level QB play (2008) the Phins won the division.

Now, think how they acquired that QB: a lucky stroke. Then think how the Pats acquired Tom Brady: can you say lucky stroke?

This anlysis surprised myself too and what I'm going to type may surprised everyone else: might it be that the Dolphins are just one QB away?