by
Chris Shashaty, Phins.com Columnist
Click Here To Contact Chris
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Raise your hand
if
you thought the Miami Dolphins would pass on drafting Brady Quinn with
their 9th
overall selection.
Anyone?
Didn’t
think so.
As I wrote last
week,
predicting the draft is like predicting the weather.
Or spitting
into the
wind.
I
don’t know if John
Beck will be a better a quarterback than Brady Quinn.
Neither do you.
But these
truths are
evident:
- GM Randy
Mueller and head coach Cam Cameron are as good as it gets in terms of
evaluating QB talent. No one in the business has a better reputation in
this
regard. No one. That includes Mel Kiper, Scouts Inc., you, me, and
anyone else
you can name.
- The Dolphins
had as solid an understanding of Quinn as they could possibly get. In
fact,
quarterbacks coach Terry Shea personally worked with Quinn for months
leading
up to the draft.
- After all the
analysis and discussion, the Dolphins reportedly had Beck rated higher
than
Quinn on their board…a HUGE surprise to everyone, including
yours truly.
- Paying
quarterbacks
with question marks, like Quinn, top 10 money has been a notoriously
bad bet
over the years. Clearly, the Dolphins didn’t feel good enough
about Quinn to
make that bet at #9.
- The Dolphins had to do something about the lack of a
playmaker at #1 WR. They haven’t had a difference-maker at WR
since O.J.
McDuffie was in his prime. In fact, they haven’t had a true gamechanger at WR since the Marks
Brothers. Ted Ginn Jr. has the talent to be that kind of player.
- The Dolphins
had perhaps the best insight on Ginn as any club interested in the
speedy Ohio
State
receiver, dating back to Cameron’s relationship with
Ginn’s family when Ginn
was just 13.
- According to
Mueller and Cameron, Beck’s accuracy is what set him apart
from other QB
prospects. Translation: they were concerned that Quinn’s
penchant for
inaccuracy was going to be an issue down the road. Said Cameron,
“You kind of
teach guys that are accurate to be even more accurate. Can you teach
somebody
that isn't accurate to be accurate? I haven't had any luck doing that."
- Ginn helps the
Dolphins win now. Quinn might have helped the Dolphins in a year or
three. Or
never.
Add it all up,
and it
is harder to disagree with the decision to take Ginn and go with Beck
as the
future QB.
Let’s
also give
Mueller and Cameron credit for sticking to their convictions in the
face of
popular public opinion. Good leaders do what they believe is right, not
what is
popular. Yes, they might have been able to trade down a few spots and
still get
Ginn. But the Dolphins didn’t feel the compensation was worth
the risk. In
fact, the general overall lack of trades in the upper half of the draft
is a
testament as to how risk adverse teams in general have become.
If there is one
thing
that stands out about Ginn, aside from his extreme speed, it is his
reputation
for being a huge playmaker for three years versus major competition.
Ginn helps the
Dolphins address several urgent
needs:
- An
explosive playmaker at #1 WR
- A
talented speed receiver to deter
defenses from playing eight man fronts to stop the run.
- A
quality third WR. Ginn’s presence allows the Dolphins to move
Chris Chambers into the slot, where he belongs.
- An
upgrade at PR/KR, someone who can change a game with one play (Cameron
called Ginn a “fifth down” player).
Yes, there are
real
questions about Ginn. Will he heal completely from his foot injury? Is
he
durable enough to withstand the rigors of the NFL? We shall see.
As for Beck, he
probably won’t see a lot of action in 2007. But there are
three things about the
BYU quarterback that immediately catch the eye:
- Maturity
and
poise: This will help him develop faster, a good thing considering the
Dolphins
badly need him and that he’s 26 years old.
- Accuracy: The
Dolphins are right. Beck had the second highest QB rating in college 1A
ball
last year (169.06) and the third highest completion percentage (69.3%).
He was
also fifth in passing yardage.
- Hard to sack:
Beck only took 15 sacks last season, second lowest among QBs attempting
400 or
more passes.
As expected,
the
Dolphins addressed their dearth of quality offensive lineman by
drafting Hawaii’s
Samson Satele
with the second rounder they got from the Patriots via the Wes Welker
trade.
Satele played
center
last year but is almost certain to see most of his snaps at guard while
backing
up Rex Hadnot at center. Coming from a run-and-shoot scheme (Hawaii),
his pass pro skills should be
pretty good for a rookie. He certainly has the size, frame, and mean
streak to
be a good interior run blocker. As such it wouldn’t be too
surprising to see
Satele earn a starting job by the end of training camp.
In the third
round
the Dolphins tapped FSU RB Lorenzo Booker. Booker is a very talented
player but
underachieved in college. Some believe that he was not properly
utilized by
former offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden. It is interesting that Jets
RB Leon
Washington, Booker’s former teammate, has really blossomed as
a pro. The
Dolphins are hoping for the same with Booker.
Booker does his
best
work in space and would appear to be a good fit for Cameron’s
offense. However,
Booker has a bad habit of dancing between the tackles. He will have to
be much more
decisive to be effective as a pro.
Booker does
have
experience as a kick returner and is likely to get a chance to
contribute in
that regard, or in some other capacity on special teams. His impact on
Ricky
Williams’ expected role is not clear; we’ll know
more once Ricky is reinstated.
Some general
observations about the Day Two picks:
- Round 4: DT
Paul Soliai is a massive Keith Traylor-sized prospect (6-4, 344). If
not for some character issues (team rules violations) he might have
been a Day One pick. He’s very active inside against the run
and can occupy multiple blockers. The Dolphins will toss him into the
young DT mix of Fred Evans, Kevin Vickerson, Rod Wright, Steve Fifita,
Manny Wright, and others.
- Round 6a:
Reagan Mauia is a huge FB (6-0,
270) that came from a passing
offense (Hawaii).
Go figure. While he has the mass to be a solid lead blocker, he can
also catch the ball (a surprising 10.9 yards per reception), and did
earn a 5.0 per carry rushing average on 31 attempts. Mauia will compete
with Kyle Eckel for the back-up job behind starter Cory Schlesinger.
- Round 6b: At
6-3, 299, C/G Drew Mormino will have to add some weight and strength if
he is to have a shot at keeping a job in the NFL. As with Satele, he is
a versatile player that can be used at multiple positions on the line.
Mormino is a project that will do well to earn a practice squad job
this season.
- Round 7a: ILB
Kelvin Smith’s pedigree is quite impressive (Keith Bulluck is
his uncle and Seth Joyner is his godfather). He was very productive as
a four year starter at Syracuse. Given
the veteran depth ahead of him (Zach Thomas, Channing Crowder, Derrick
Pope), his best bet of making the team will be on coverage teams.
- Round 7b:
Punter Brandon Fields is a Reggie Roby-sized punter (6-4, 239) who
could be the heir apparent to the departed Donnie Jones. A former first
team All-American, Fields reportedly has excellent leg strength but
needs work on his accuracy and technique.
- Round 7c:
DE/OLB Abraham Wright is a tweener (the Dolphins list him at 6-3, 245).
He was very effective in college as a pass rusher, earning first team
Big 12 honors with 11.5 sacks last season. Given the lack of depth at
DE, Wright has a decent shot of making the team if he can impress. His
college resume suggests he is a fit for the Dolphins’ 3-4
scheme, though his lack of bulk would suggest he is a liability against
the run.
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