Phin Phanatic

Shane Ford is the draft specialist for PhinPhanatic.com. Shane has been working with the site as a contributing draft writer for a year now and posts all of the PhinPhanatic.com Mock Drafts.

Positions: LB, NT, FS, CB, OL, WR

At best most people thought Miami would end 2008 with a 5 to 6 win season and be looking at a top 10 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Enter Bill Parcels. Enter Jeff Ireland. Enter Tony Sporano. The Trifecta restored hope in South Florida by bringing in football players and instilling discipline. This translated to an 11-5 record and the AFC East crown. The challenge will be to keep the momentum going and while from the outside it may look that all is well in Miami, a tougher schedule will surely test the Dolphins in 2009.

Vernon Carey holds the key to Miami’s draft. The free agent market will not be great this year if Miami is looking to replace Carey at RT. Dolphins have said the resigning Carey is a priority. If Carey is resigned that will give Miami the opportunity to look for a project at RT for a mid to late round pick, by combing the waiver wire or simply wait until the 2010 draft. If Miami can’t resign Carey then look for Miami to target a RT on day one of the draft that can be a plug and play type player. A couple of names to look at could be Phil Laodholt, Eben Britton and Alex Boone.

For the purpose of this article we will assume that Carey will be resigned by Miami and hold down the RT spot for at least another 2 years. We will focus our attention to the offensive side of the ball first. To be the smash mouth football team that the Trifecta wants Miami has to be able to run the ball effectively between the tackles without running the Wildcat formation. They will look to upgrade the center position first and foremost. Satele had a very nice rookie season, but regressed when Miami went to a less finesse offense. To his credit he played most of the season with a torn labrum, and it’s been reported that Miami has asked Sampson to add 10 to 15 pounds of upper body muscle in the off-season. The lackluster guard play could be corrected by the returns of Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas. If the Trifecta is not happy with the progression of Satele they might be in a position to draft one of the top 4 center/guards with their first round pick. Pay close attention once free agency starts and see if Jason Brown hits the market and if Miami takes a run at him, this could tip their hat in the draft and Miami could target players like Alex Mack, Eric Wood, Max Unger and Jonathan Luigs who can all play either guard position as well.

Sticking with the offensive side of the ball many feel Miami lacks a true #1 receiver. I have never been caught up in the numbers game for receivers, but more looking at what they can do. Teams need a receiver with solid hands that runs excellent routes and will go over the middle, enter Camarillo. They need a solid slot receiver that can create space with quick feet and excellent hands, enter Bess. They need a receiver that can be a big red zone target, enter London. They also need a receiver that can stretch the field, enter Ginn (for now, but that’s another article). Then they will need a young receiver that may be a bit of a project, but is a playmaker, enter Pat White. The Dolphins have been rumored to show some interest in White’s playmaking abilities as a WR and lining up running the Wildcat adding a new wrinkle to the formation. I do not look for Miami to go WR early in the draft, and would be surprised if they took a WR before round 4. Players to keep your eye on would be Brooks Foster, Ramses Barden, Patrick Turner, Marko Mitchell and DJ Boldin, yes the other Boldin.

I also look for Miami to take a project QB in a late round pick or as an undrafted free agent, because I think they will move Beck before the draft. A few guys that could fall into that category could be Hunter Cantwell, Tom Branstater and Todd Boeckman.

Now let’s focus our efforts on the defensive side of the ball. This is where I feel at least two of Miami’s fist three picks will be spent. The needs on defense wont change with the signing or not signing of key free agents like Bell, Hill, Goodman and Crowder (who I believe is as good as gone).

This writer believes Miami’s biggest off-season need is in the line backing corps. They mat have addressed the pass rush by going up to Canada and signing the two time defensive player of the year in Cameron Wake. Miami sorely misses a play making ILB and knowing Parcells’s history the Vegas odds should be on him to look to improve that with the #25 pick. With the signing of Wake the need for an outside line backer that can get pressure on the QB is not what it once was, and they may look at a late round or undrafted free agent to groom behind Porter. Many mock drafts have Miami taking USC linebacker Brian Cushing with the 25th pick. Cushing is a very talented athlete, and has the ability to play inside or out, but I like the other linebacker from USC who has been shooting up the charts. Clay Mathews Jr. seems like the perfect fit for a BP run team. He is tough as nails, non-stop motor, and comes from a NFL family so he knows what it takes. Like Cushing Mathews played outside linebacker, but seems to have the ability and size to move inside and he be an attacking ILB. Another name I like as a day two pick that could be a one to two year project is Antonio Appleby out of Virginia. He is a very solid ILB and while he may never turn into a Pro-Bowl type player he could be a very solid starter.

Miami will also look to address the NT spot either in free agency or in the draft. I don’t feel this is as big of a need as most because I felt Soliai started coming on towards the end of the season and seemed like the light finally came on for him. With that being said we’ll still take a look. I have been preaching BJ Raji all season, and it finally looks like the rest of the country caught on and Raji may have moved himself up to a top 10 pick. So we won’t look at Raji anymore, who I think will be better in a 4-3 base defense than a 3-4. His teammate Ron Brace on the other hand I feel is the perfect NT for a 3-4 scheme. Unlike Raji, Brace won’t get the pressure on the QB, but he may be a bit stouter against the run than Raji, and that is what a 3-4 scheme needs. If Miami likes Brace they will more than likely have to take him with their first pick in round two in not their round one pick. Some other players to look at in round three or later would be, Dorell Scott, Terrance Taylor, Sammie Lee Hill, Terrance Knight and Miami’s own Antonio Dixon. I think this spot is very deep in the draft and don’t think Miami will address until later or in free agency.

I am going to group the defensive backs together. Three of Miami’s fours starting DB’s are unrestricted free agents. There is a very good chance that all three will be back, but won’t hide the fact that all fours starting DB’s are 30 years old or older. I think Miami will address this area often in the draft. If Miami does not spend the number 25 pick on a DB like DJ Moore, Alphonso Smith, Sean Smith or William Moore, look for rounds two three and four to be spent on at least 2 players for the secondary. Miami currently has two pick in round two and Jeff Ireland has said he would like to gain a third. I believe he would like that because there are some good players that will be available throughout round two. Corners like Darius Butler, Jairus Byrd, Coye Francis Victor Harris, Mike Mickens and a guy I like in Domonique Johnson should all be there in rounds two and three. Corners that could be around on day two and could be nice picks to learn the game for a year or two would be Cary Harris, Keenan Lewis, Sherrod Martin, Kebin Barnes and Morgan Trent. This group is very deep and will be quality players available on day two.

Sean Smith (corner/safety) may be the only safety to go in round one. With Taylor Mayes deciding to stay in school and falling stock of William Moore and Patrick Chung, Miami will be able to wait till the second round or later to get a safety that can learn for a year or two. Players like Louis Delmas, Derek Peques, David Burton, and Brandon Underwood will be free safeties that will be available. If Miami would like to look for an understudy for Bell they may look at players like Michael Hamlin (who I like a lot and can play both SS and FS), Kevin Ellison, who like Hamlin can play both safety spots.

Ok, there you have it. These needs will definitely change between now and the last weekend in April because Miami will be very active in free agency once again, and may find a few diamonds in the rough.

The critics say that trading two draft choices doesn’t equal the value of a player that likely has only two years left ahead of him. I completely disagree.

Every NFL team has the mentality that they have to win now, because today’s NFL is a dog eat dog world where you are here today and gone tomorrow. The Redskins are trying to put a contender on the field in a division where a team has been to four NFC Championship games since 2000, the team that had homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, and the team that won the Super Bowl last season.

Regardless what people say there’s no doubting whether or not Jason Taylor is one of the better defensive players in the entire NFL. I’m not saying he is going to be as impressive as he was in Miami during his short time in Washington but why not give it a shot? Draft picks aren’t a sure thing, but you know exactly what a great player like Taylor brings to the table.

Meanwhile in an incredible turn of events the Miami Dolphins no longer have arguably their three best players. Chris Chambers was traded to San Diego, and both Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor are now playing in the NFC East. All three have either been traded or lost in free agency in less than a year.

I’m not sure how anyone can say that any division in football is harder than the NFC East.  This year it should be very fun to watch, and you could argue it is the only division in the entire NFL where four experts could realistically see four different teams making the playoffs.

Taylor being traded to Washington just makes this argument even easier. I guess in the next two years we will find out whether or not it was a good deal, but right now I like it for Washington. Why not? They made the playoffs but didn’t make it past the first round last season. It’s time to improve.

And they have with Jason Taylor on the defensive line.

I also broke another rule of mine when I put the defending Super Bowl champions at #7. Usually I put the defending world champs #1 in my initial power rankings but after reviewing the NFL’s crazy offseason I decided that Michael Strahan’s retirement, as well as everyone else getting better will probably be too much for New York to repeat.

And since I just said that, they probably will repeat.

Anyways, I’ve now composed my second edition of power rankings. Check it out:

WANT TO ASK DANIEL A QUESTION? SEND IT INTO HIS ALL FOOTBALL MAILBAG

#	+/-		Team	Comment
1	–		Indianapolis Colts	Peyton Manning is the NFL’s best player, and I know this because I’ve even ranked him such. I just feel like Marvin Harrison will be back, and paired with Reggie Wayne they will return as one of the NFL’s top receiving duos. My early pick to win the Super Bowl.
2	–		New England Patriots	Alright trivia time. Is it worse to have a player who threw a record breaking 50 touchdowns as the NFL’s second best QB or having a team that went 18-1 and lost in the Super Bowl as the second best team in the league?
3	–		Dallas Cowboys	Terry Glenn’s contract situation is starting to cause a very uncomfortable stir in Big D. Just remember Cowboys fans, Dallas went 13-3 without Glenn in the regular season last year.
4	–		San Diego Chargers	In case anyone noticed the Chargers were the only NFL team with three players in my top 20 rankings.
5	+2		New York Giants	Michael Strahan’s retirement hurts the defensive line somewhat but as the veteran said in his final speech, it’s time for the other guys to show what they can do.
6	–		Jacksonville Jaguars	The Jaguars are just absolutely loaded with talent. It will be fun to see if Fred Taylor can have another great season at his age. I believe watching Maurice Jones Drew run the ball has refueled some of his fire.
7	-2		Pittsburgh Steelers	This is a team that has won the Super Bowl and knows how to handle adversity. Remember last season when Cleveland proved to be some unexpected competition in the AFC North? Pittsburgh won the division anyways.
8	+4		Green Bay Packers	The Packers could be anywhere from 8-14 on this list in my opinion but how much will Brett Favre’s retirement really hurt them? I have no idea but does anyone really know?
9	–		Philadelphia Eagles	Philadelphia has been very consistent for the last five years or so. Last season was a disappointment but they have too much talent to miss the playoffs again. Expect the Eagles to be as strong as ever in 2008.
10	+3		Cleveland Browns	The Browns have cracked my top ten. Wow. If you had told me this after the draft last year I would’ve told you it would be a few years. Let’s see if they can keep it up and become a consistent top NFL franchise.
11	-1		Seattle Seahawks	Does anyone else feel that by losing Shaun Alexander to free agency the Seahawks actually improved? It means they will rely less on Alexander, and Julius Jones should be at least a little of an upgrade.
12	+2		Tennessee Titans	I love their defense, but Vince Young has really got to start developing into more of a passer. He still relies on his legs entirely too much in a league where one hit can put you out for a year in the snap of your fingers.
13	-5		New Orleans Saints	I admit that New Orleans was probably ranked too high in my initial power rankings, but I love their offense and I see a big bounce back year coming for the Saints this year.
14	-3		Washington Redskins	All four NFC East teams are ranked in my top 14. Jason Campbell continues to develop and Clinton Portis is among the NFL’s best 10 running backs. The defense has a lot of talent. This team is going to help make the NFC East as competitve as ever.
15	+4		Minnesota Vikings	Adrian Peterson has already become one of the best running backs in the league. The offense needs to continue to grow under Tavaris Jackson.
16	–		Arizona Cardinals	Arizona is in the top half of my power rankings, and that means I probably just lost a lot of readers. Every year a team comes from nowhere to win a NFL dvision. The Cardinals are slowly building something in Arizona and I am picking them to win the NFC West.
17	+1		Houston Texans	Want to know how tough the AFC South is? Their four teams are all ranked in the top 17. Houston is very tough, and I expect them to challenge for a playoff spot again.
18	-3		Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Before Tampa Bay can really compete for a playoff spot they have to figure out who their QB is. That along with Carnell Williams returning healthy from his ACL injury would make the Buccaneers an instant NFC contender.
19	-2		Denver Broncos	Everyone in the AFC West, including Denver, is trying to find a way to catch up to San Diego in the divsion. Jay Cutler has a lot of work to do to prove he can be successful in this league.
20	–		Cincinnati Bengals	Carson Pamer is ranked #8 in Pete Prisco’s Top 50 list (Sportsline.com). He’s a great QB but #8? I love Palmer but I don’t think he’s quite that good. If Cincy can find any defense then they will be playing for a chance to win the AFC North late in the season.
21	–		Chicago Bears	It’s a make or break year for the Bears.  The Rex Grossman/Kyle Orton experiement will either finally fail completely causing Chicago to draft a QB in 2009, or the Bears will work themselves back into the mix in the NFC.
22	+1		Buffalo Bills	I really think Buffalo is an up and coming team in the AFC but the conference is loaded with talent already, meaning there isn’t much room for a young team like the Bills. In a few years we might be talking about how great a duo Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch are. Both looked great in year one (for rookies) to me.
23	+1		Carolina Panthers	Carolina is better than people think they are. Remember this same offense, led by Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith, played for the Super Bowl just a few years back. There’s no reason to believe they can’t find that magic again. It’s unlikely but not impossible.
24	-2		Detroit Lions	Jon Kitna will wear out his welcome in the Motor City quickly if he continues to come up short of his 10 win guarantee.
25	+5		Kansas City Chiefs	I think I had Kansas City a little too low in my initial rankings. I’m no Brodie Croyle fan, but Larry Johnson is still one a premiere running back. KC should contend for a playoff spot.
26	-1		St. Louis Rams	Last year was just embarrasing for a team I thought could be very successful in 2007. Instead I watched them start poorly and struggle the entire year. I don’t expect that to happen again, and neither do Rams fans.
27	–		Baltimore Ravens	I’ve read reports that Troy Smith is looking nice in Baltimore right now, and will probably start on opening day. If he plays well then the Ravens might be in a position like Cleveland is now with Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Joe Flacco or Troy Smith? I’m sure this is a problem the Ravens hope develops.
28	-2		San Francisco 49ers	This is probably Alex Smith’s last chance to impress anyone on the West Coast. He is very inconsistent and is really hurting the reputation of future NFL players like Tim Tebow, since both ran Urban Meyer’s college system.
29	–		New York Jets	The Jets had a very disappointing year after making the playoffs in 2006. Eric Mangini impressed during his first season but another bad year might mean a very hot season in the Big Apple.
30	-2		Oakland Raiders	I like the direction that Oakland is going. If both JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden develop into stars then the Raiders will be back in hurry. It’s just a big IF.
31	–		Miami Dolphins	Early reports make it look like Josh McCown will probably be starting for Miami on opening day. If the Jason Taylor situation works out then the Dolphins D-line will be as strong as ever.
32	–		Atlanta Falcons	Matt Ryan is going to need lots of time to develop in Atlanta but before they can truly be competitve they need to surround their young QB with many weapons.

1) All we need is your vote below! Just vote and check back the next day for the next team. The plan is to change the team drafting every day about noon (CT)!

2) Tell your friends! We want lots of votes so that this is a true fan mock draft.

3) AND…..I had to make a few changes to your draft order. First you can’t have two NFC teams 31 and 32 (you guys selected the Saints and Cowboys), so I took the highest AFC team (Colts) and put them #31. I also realized that your 12 playoff teams were 9 NFC teams and 3 AFC teams, so I had to correct this also. I removed the bottom three NFC teams in the final 12 spots and replaced them with the top 3 AFC teams not in the final 12 spots (which are suppose to be represented by playoff teams).

4) Remember the Panthers have already traded their pick to the Philadelphia Eagles.

5) If you have any questions, PLEASE feel free to email me at dantheman4250@aol.com

#		Pick	Pos	School
1		Michael Crabtree	WR	Texas Tech
2		Michael Oher	OT	Ole Miss
3		James Laurinatis	LB	Ohio St
4		Matthew Stafford	QB	Georgia
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- Brian Miller, Lead Blogger for Phin Phanatic

The Tuna wasn’t at Matt Ryan’s personal workouts and he loves drafting defensive playmakers. Chris Long is the most proven defensive talent in this draft.

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