I hope everyone had a great weekend. And I hope those who celebrate Easter also had a great holiday.
Below is just some Dolphin nuggets that you may have missed over the weekend while you were busy enjoying whatever it is you did.
FINS TO RUN A 3-4
Interesting nugget in a Yahoo! Sports article about our Dolphins and their plans for the defense:
That seems to rule out DT Glenn Dorsey, who isn't considered healthy enough or strong enough to occupy two bodies at the nose in the 3-4. Virginia's DE Chris Long is believed to be the frontrunner for Miami's top choice, not only because he's used to Parcells' methods via Cavaliers coach Al Groh--a Tuna disciple--but he has the smarts and measurables to play in any system. He would be the perfect successor on and off the field to Jason Taylor, who is believed to be on the trading block despite Parcells' denials.
It's not really surprising considering Bill Parcells' preference for the 3-4 defense. And it's especially not surprising following the acquisitions of NT Jason Ferguson and DT Randy Starks. And while I don't think this necessarily means the Dolphins will indeed take Chris Long, though I'd bet he's one of the 3 players this team is considering, I do think that the above piece of info basically rules out Glenn Dorsey (and Sedrick Ellis, though I don't think he was even really a candidate) as Miami's pick. Neither of those 2 really fit a 3-4 defense. But, again, it's entirely possible that the Dolphins will pass on Chris Long in favor of Jake Long. After all, this team still lacks 40% of its starting offensive line.
But getting back to the defensive side of the ball, I was asked a few days ago who I thought would be starting along the front 7 as of today. And I think I have a pretty good idea. It would likely be Vonnie Holliday, Jason Ferguson, and Randy Starks up front with Jason Taylor and Joey Porter lined up as outside linebackers and Channing Crowder and Reggie Torbor on the inside. And while some fans still really like Matt Roth, I just don't think he's an ideal fit for a 3-4, as we saw last season. Randy Starks, on the other hand, really intrigues me. The more I read about him, the more I seem to like. He's got the size needed to play as a DE in a 3-4 or a DT when the team uses 4 down lineman. He could even move to NT if needed, though he is just slightly underzied for that. But Starks also possesses the ability to drop back into coverage if needed, which brings a different aspect to this defense. His versatility really excites me, to be honest.
MORE ON MATT RYAN'S PRO DAY
That same Yahoo! Sports article also talks a little bit about Matt Ryan and his pro-day workout. Here's what it says:
While the 6-foot-4 Ryan came away with most of the nation's quarterback awards in his senior season, including the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm trophy, he didn't earn too many standing ovations from the 42 scouts and NFL reps on hand at his Pro Day.
That group included Dolphins quarterbacks coach David Lee and director of college scouting Chris Grier. The cone of silence is still in place at Dolphins headquarters, so don't expect any reaction to the workout from any team officials.
It's believed that the Dolphins are feigning interest in Ryan in an effort to entice some trade suitors.
Alright. So I'm known now as a guy who isn't very excited as the prospects of the Dolphins drafting Matt Ryan. But, can you blame me? Why is it that, outside of a handful of "talking heads" on ESPN and NFL Netowrk, I can't seem to find many people who are really sold on him? The article above says that Ryan "didn't earn too many standing ovations." Maybe I'm just too cynical, but how could the Dolphins even think about taking Ryan first overall when he clearly doesn't have elite physical tools?
Anyways, the article also talks about Miami's supposed interest in Michigan QB Chad Henne. But that's something I'll touch on later in the week.
WONDERLIC SCORES CREEP OUT
The Chicago Tribune gives us a preview of some of the Wonderlic scores of this year's top prospects. For those that don't know, the Wonderlic test is a test given out at the Combine that help gauge a player's intelligence. However, it's relevance to the NFL is debatable.
The way it works is that you get 12 minutes to answer 50 questions. A person of "Average intelligence" is believed to score a 20.
Matt Ryan and Brian Brohm tested well, with each scoring a 32. Joe Flacco scored a 27 and Chad Henne scored a 22.
As for the top tackles in the draft, Chris Williams led the way with a score of 32. Jeff Otah scored a 28. Jake Long got a 26 and Gosder Cherilus was right behind with a 25. The only top tackle to disappoint was Ryan Clady, scoring a 13.
Oh, and for those that are curious of last year's scores, the top 10 and bottom 10 can be found right here. Our very own John Beck came in at #10 last year, scoring a 34.
But, again, these scores really don't mean anything and certainly are not valid predictors of NFL success. After all, Dan Marino scored just a 16 and Brett Favre just a 22. Meanwhile, Brian Griese scored a 39.
So take these scores for what they're worth...not much.
Note: I've reset the main poll in the right sidebar to see if the opinions on who you all want the Dolphins to take have changed. We had 1,600 voters on the first one, so let's see if we can get close to that number on this one and then we'll compare and see how our opinions have changed since February.