Fin's Finest: Guide to the Dolphins Offseason

This will be the only post you'll see from me giving my opinion on how I'd like the offseason to go.  I will continue to comment on ideas of course because, well, I have a hard time staying quiet.  Under this scenario, I will be forecasting that a new CBA will not be signed prior to the NFL Draft, thus no free agent signings or trades will take place before the draft.

Here is an ideal situation for the NFL Draft.  I'm not as high on a lot of players as some people are at the Phinsider so I'm sure I'll receive a lot of negative feedback.

Round 1: Trading down would be my ideal solution here.  In this instance, I choose the Bears for the best value in getting a fair deal as far as draft picks. On top of value, I think this could be a good situation for Chicago because it allows them to jump up in the middle of the round and get at the front of the line for 1st round OTs like Castonzo, Carimi, and Solder.  In this scenario, I have the Dolphins giving up their 1st (#15) for Chicago's 1st (#29) and their 2nd (#62).

Round 1 (#29 overall):Mark Ingram, RB.  RB is definitely high on Miami's list because of Brown andWilliams, but not many are thrilled about getting a RB in the 1st round. Ingram is definitely worth the pick at this point.  Only the Patriots and Saints would be viable options to take Ingram in the 20s, but there are other players such as OG Orlando Franklin and TE Kyle Rudolph Miami can take if Ingram is picked.  At this point, I think Ingram brings the best value to Miami.

Round 2 (#62 overall): Christian Ponder, QB.  Yes, I do think Ponder will be available at this point.  He may not be the most gifted QB, but he's a smart one that Miami is high on.  He will bring much needed competition to Miami's QB position andwill help flood the position with players as you will see later in the post.

Round 3 (#74 overall):John Moffitt, OG.  Wait, where did this pick come from?  Well, in this scenario I have the Patriots doing what they do best and that is trading this pick to acquire a higher pick in 2012.  In this scenario, I have Miami surrendering a 5th round pick in 2011 and a 2nd round pick in 2012.  Moffitt would be a great fit in Miami because he is athletic enough to play LG, but he is also versatile enough to play center.

Round 3 (#79 overall): DJ Williams, TE.  A pick many Dolphin fans wanted.  Williams will bring more speed to the TE formation and will help Miami run more 2-TE sets.  Williams may not immediately replace Fasano as the #1 TE, but he will have a lot of opportunities to make an impact.

Round 4 (#110 overall): Jarvis Jenkins, NT. He will provide much needed depth at the NT position.  He weighs 309 lbs, but he has room to add more weight. I credit Jenkins with helping Bowers be so dominant.  He is very explosive for a NT and I think the Dolphins will love that out of him.

Round 5 (#143 overall): Traded to New England.  If there is no trade, here is my pick: Marcus Gilbert, OT.  He is an interesting prospect at RT.  He has a lot of natural talent, but his technique could use some work.  He's also versatile enough to play OG.

Round 6 (#174 overall): Jeremy Beal, OLB.  He has great technique and is very smart on the field.  The Dolphins will love him being that he was a great leader at OU.  He does lack great speed for an OLB, but he will still provide good depth at the position.

Round 7 (#205 overall): Ryan Bartholomew, C.  Strictly a project at this point, he will help push Joe Berger for a roster spot.  Kristofer O'Dowd is a better project at center, but I don't think he'll be available here.

Round 7 (#206 overall): Greg Little, WR.  He is a little bit of an unknown out of college.  He converted to WR in 2009 after playing as a RB.  He was suspended for 2010 so his skills are a bit of a mystery.  He has good height (6'3) and weight (231) for a WR. With great speed, vision, and return capabilities, I think Miami would like to take a chance at this point.  He could be used in some trick package Miami may like to run.  He does have a lot of character problems.  He's been reported to be "less than honest" in team interviews so his stock is likely in a free fall.  Still, if he is able to turn it around, he does have the skill to make it in the NFL.  Being that the pick is so late in the draft, I would be willing to take the chance on a problem child such as Little.

Now, here are some free agency projections.

Offensive Line: Sorry, but Carl Nicks, Logan Mankins, Davin Joseph, or even Justin Blalock will not be playing LG for Miami in 2011.  All of the players received RFA tenders and I am thinking the 6-year RFA rule will stick in 2011.  Instead, I expect Miami to make small moves on the interior such as resigning Nate Garner.  There just aren't any upgrades Miami can make on the free agent market on the line.

Other signings and deals:

Sam Hurd, WR: He is an interesting player at WR. He has a lot of talent, but he comes from a roster where he always had problems climbing up the crowded depth chart. He comes from the Cowboys so Ireland is familiar with him.

Carson Palmer, QB:He can probably be had for a conditional 4th rounder in 2012.  Sparano and Ireland may not like giving up 2 draft picks in 2012, but with their jobs on the line in 2011, they will probably be willing to take more risks.  He would be amentor for both Henne and Ponder while serving a few seasons as a starter. This would leave the Dolphins QB position crowded with Henne, Ponder, Palmer, and Thigpen.  This is exactly what the front office would like though.

Ronnie Brown, RB: I don't think he'll have much of a market outside Miami so I think there is a pretty good chance he comes back to tandem up with someone like Ingram.

There are of course other moves to be made, but these are ones I think could be the most notable. The Dolphins can fill a lot of needs with these type of moves andjust as importantly, build depth at other positions.  Now have at it and tear up my opinions!