Poll

What is our biggest need in the off season?

Only registered users are allowed to vote for this poll.
21 votes were received.

CB	2		10%
WR	14		67%
FS	0		0%
DE	1		5%
RB	0		0%
TE	1		5%
OL	3		13%

---

We may end up picking around the 12th spot in the 2013 draft.

We have 50 million to spend on free agents (including some of our own).

There are only 4 players that have earned a new deal and a pay raise. They are IMO Thigpen, Hartline, Devlin (ERFA) and Starks. These are the key players I would re-sign first.

These players can stay if they accept a lower deal....

Jake Long: Is he wearing out physically? Must take a pay cut to stay assuming he can get stronger and rebound in the off season. Was often bull rushed into RT.

Sean Smith: Mediocre year at best. Didn't step up when given the chance to be the number 1 corner. I would like to keep him. He can be a decent number 2 CB if we have a shut down guy opposite him and a better FS.

Reggie Bush: Flashes of brilliance and then too much dancing behind the line. We need a decisive, one cut runner for this scheme although, he may do better with a better O-line.

Anthony Fasano: Serviceable but never great. Should be a number 2 TE and paid like one as well.

Chris Clemons: Not bad but does not make plays. He's replaceable by a mid round rookie or FA.

Likely departures...

Matt Moore: He will go to a team that offers him a fair chance to start.
Tony McDaniel: cost of doing business in a numbers game.

The only safe spots on the team right now are...

Offense: Tannehill, Martin, Pouncey, Lane, Hartline, Bess
Defense: Starks, Solia, Wake, Burnett, Dansby, Misi, Jones

That is our core.

We need new players or competition at LT, LG, RG, TE, RB, WR::::RDE, FS, CB, CB.

Jonathon Martin needs to get stronger and is a possibility at LT in 2013.

I find myself agreeing with "TheTruth" in that we may be better off signing a FA WR than only relying on a drafted player to start immediately.

My number one target likely would be Mike Wallace to pair with Brain Hartline as the starters. I would still draft a WR or seam threat TE in the early rounds if at all possible.

In a perfect world scenario I keep Bush and Smith on decent contracts and give them better support on the line and in the secondary.

Number one pick #12 goes for DeMarcus Milliner, CB, Alabama.

Number 2a & 2b goes for a Tackle if we don't re-sign Long and a FS or a WR.
3a & 3b for a WR or FS and a LG or TE.

What are the priorities in your opinions? DFK...just skip the we need a QB talk cause it aint happening.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

I think u summed it up nicely eesti.

One other move I'd add to the list also: Ireland.

If we are going to even consider going in another direction at GM over the next year or two it has to be this year. There are just too many draft picks and to much free agent money to be spent to allow him to make the calls if Ross is anything less than 100% committed to him for the long term. He nneds to be fired or extended at the end of the regular season.

As for player prefrences, I agree that CB is a HUGE need. Probably our top need, but I'm not going there early in this draft.

Offense wins in this league. It takes longer for offensive players to develop and for them to build chemistry.

I'd focus this entire draft on oline, WR and TE and I'd only grab a cb if one fell like Lamar miller did at RB last year.

I think long is gone. So I take that money and go get a big time weapon for Tannehill like Wallace, Jennings or Welker. I sign a vet ot and draft on in the first two rounds.

I'd have no issues if our first 5 picks were two olineman, a WR a TE and a pass rusher.

double post.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2012 07:19AM by eesti.

My vote for the first 5 picks would be....CB and then the rest on offense. maybe sign a FS in FA. Ed Reed coming home to Miami to end his career? Except you know he wants a big contract and he's getting old.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

For DolphinKing's sake you should have put QB as an option

We have GOT to get a speed burner WIDE RECEIVER and we have GOT TO USE A FIRST ROUND TO GET HIM. Yeah, you can talk about all the great ones coming from later rounds but we are in a difficult position.

We got Ryan Tannehill last year and picked him at no.8 when many said he was a second or third rounder at best. Funny how things turn out. He was worth every bit of the pick BUT HE DESPERATELY NEEDS A SPEED BURNER TO COMPLIMENT HIS SKILLS.

What happened to Andrew Luck yesterday shows that folks like DolfanKing are wrong when they ASSUME that a quarterback can do it all himself without blocking and decent receiving. Yeah, DolfanKing points out that Tannehill made mental mistakes under pressure BUT SO DID ANDREW LUCK.

A SPEED BURNER WIDE RECEIVER won't relieve pressure on you but it can negate it somewhat if he breaks free early.

Having invested in Tannehill high in 2012 and having gotten lucky, in 2013, we have to finish the job and give him his SPEED BURNER.

LB was left off the list and I think we need a playmaking MLB. Dansby is one of the most overpaid players in the league.

Misi is a bust too.

So LB and speed at wr.

If you notice closely we have a need for everything that was mentioned on the first post. But to me WR......is the most important of all.

And if i could vote twice my second vote would go to Tend.

Big, Fast receiver followed by a freakin' TE that can separate and catch!! Speaking of TE, how does NE find a new one seemingly every couple of years and we haven't had a decent one in over a decade?!?!?

The OL puzzles me. They looked good, even very good early on against mostly blitzes then suddenly poof! They are being driven into the QB in 2 seconds against straight up 4 man rushes??? Better competition some would say but I'm not buying it, I mean the Titans and Bills?? REALLY! This needs addressed but not with high round draft picks. As many have stated OL is about chemistry, teamwork and execution NOT mad individual skills and big money contracts.

Until we can put pressure on the opposing QB, hotshots like Brady and Luck are going to shred our defense for big chunks of yards. We have many needs to address in the off season but if we don't get the defense solved then we'll just be spinning our wheels like all those years with Marino. If the poll asked whether offense or defense should be addressed first how could you chose anything besides defense?

Ben Coates, Ben Watson, Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski.

If we add two upgrades on the defense (assuming we re-sign S.Smith), we are good to go...CB and FS. We can be competitive.

Vernon may turn into that full time player next year and surplant Odrick who has been a disappointment this year as far as play making goes. I wouldn't mind a trade that would move Odrick.

We have many needs on offense as nothing is working right now.

The chances that we draft a WR in the first and he is able to come in his rookie year and have an AJ green type impact is pretty slim.

Having a quality CB, on the other hand will make our pass rush better.

The only way we are better next year is if we add a stud WR & CB as well as a T and G who are athletic enough to open some holes and give RT some time.

It's sort of like the weakest link on a chain for our line. If one guy is playing badly (Long) then that's one more guy that has to overcompensate for him. We used to be left-side dominant in the running game. Not this year. The problem is our LT is playing bad and so is our RT.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

But eesti, like a franchise QB, you have GOT to get your speed demon breakaway BALL CATCHING wide receiver in the first round.

Trying to get on the rebound the Brandon Marshall's, Chad Ochos, Brandon Llyods, just doesn't work out. If another team lets them go, there has to be a problem.

When are we EVER going to stop shopping in the BASEMENT for bargains.

We've got to own up and do what was done with Justin Blackmon and draft one in the first round, otherwise we will always be shopping at Goodwill's.

ChyrenB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But eesti, like a franchise QB, you have GOT to
> get your speed demon breakaway BALL CATCHING wide
> receiver in the first round.
>
> Trying to get on the rebound the Brandon
> Marshall's, Chad Ochos, Brandon Llyods, just
> doesn't work out. If another team lets them go,
> there has to be a problem.
>
> When are we EVER going to stop shopping in the
> BASEMENT for bargains.
>
> We've got to own up and do what was done with
> Justin Blackmon and draft one in the first round,
> otherwise we will always be shopping at
> Goodwill's.

Blackmon may not be the example you want to use since he is just another head case but I see what your saying. DUI in college and another in the pros. He blew a .24 in college.

My idea is not to sign a troubled or erratic player. You just have to get the right one. Easier said than done but I would target consistent, young, gifted guys. That's why I like Wallace. His only drawback for the Steelers is that he wants to get paid. They just don't like to pay. They let the players walk.

In a perfect world you draft a stud like AJ Green or Calvin Johnson but those guys always seem to go higher than we pick. Green was the 4th pick. CJ the 2nd and Blackmon the 5th (reach).

We will be picking around 12th possibly.

Last year Michael Floyd was taken 13th but what has he done his first year? 225 yards so far?

Michael Crabtree was 10th and he took several years. Ted Ginn 9th?

Hartline and Wallace and Bess....That's a good receiving corps. Two outside guys and a slot.

We've got 50 mil to spend so spen it on a guy who is going to help your franchise QB get better.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

colonel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We have GOT to get a speed burner WIDE RECEIVER
> and we have GOT TO USE A FIRST ROUND TO GET HIM.
>
> I couldn't agree with this more. We definitely
> need to draft a top college WR, a top 10 pick in
> the draft. If we don't roll the dice, we will be
> talking about this next year--again.
>
> The first round pick must be able to start in his
> rookie year.

At best you've got a 50-50 shot that a 1st round WR will be ready to start day one.

You've got a 100% chance that a top free agent WR like Wallace or Jennings starts immediately.

It's probably better if we sign one and draft one.

I wouldn't say Misi is a 'bust'...but he certainly hasn't played up to his 2nd round status.

That being said....if we had an impact MLB.....how would that impact Misi's role and play?

I agree though...we need an impact MLB.

I would prefer we draft a WR 1st overall...but if at our pick...by some miracle...Manti Te'o is available...I would totally be cool if they took him.

If this is in reference to Mike Wallace, I think you have to look at Pit's history with WR's and letting them go. I just posted on another thread how they already pulled Wallace's contract offer and gave it to Antonio Brown. Over 8 mil a year and it's a lot more than that to franchise Wallace...around 10 mil or more.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

I think our biggest needs are, in this order.

1. WR...beyond Hartline, Bess, and Gaffney we have no one. We have to add two PLAYMAKERS.
2. TE...Fasano and Clay are not good enough in the passing game and Egnew is a complete mystery. We have to add a dynamic and dominating pass catcher. This player would greatly help RT improve.
3. CB...enough said.
4. LB...we must add PLAYMAKERS that can also pass cover.
OL...we need quality depth.

eesti Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If this is in reference to Mike Wallace, I think
> you have to look at Pit's history with WR's and
> letting them go. I just posted on another thread
> how they already pulled Wallace's contract offer
> and gave it to Antonio Brown. Over 8 mil a year
> and it's a lot more than that to franchise
> Wallace...around 10 mil or more.

No it wasn't any reference to any specific player. Your statement of a team simply being a "tightwad" team who certainly provide an exception to my rule.

However, the Steelers must be a helluva good drafting team to remain so good over the years and let those good draft choices go simply because they don't want to pay.

Fasano is one of the best blocking TE's in the game.. He also leads the team in TD receptions.. Sherman and Philbin both rave about how well Fasano is playing... Egnew was a third rd pick, who's game is suppose to be recieving being a converted WR.. I would be surprised if we invested a early pick on a TE, unless a stud recieving TE fell into our lap... CB, linebacker, and WR I see as our early rd needs.. As well as pick up a WR in FA..

-----------------------------------------------------------------
All things are subject to interpretation whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.
Nietzsche



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2012 12:18PM by Crowder52.

Crowder52--
I like the Fasano, the NJ kid who played for Notre Dame; however, he's not as productive as some others in the receiving game a la Gronkowski in NE for example.

Fasano is above average, not a pro bowler, and certainly not a superb HOF TE like fellow Golden Domer Dave Casper.

I appreciate what Fasano does, but I like to see him do far more. The TE position is under utilized by the Dolphins, perhaps because we need a body who is superb athletic to make it so. I'd sure like to see that position become a real third down and TD threat. (Maybe Tyler Eifert at 6'6" 250 might be an upgrade and available in the next draft....just a thought.)

colonel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Crowder52--
> I like the Fasano, the NJ kid who played for Notre
> Dame; however, he's not as productive as some
> others in the receiving game a la Gronkowski in NE
> for example.
>
Gronkowski is a freak of nature. Not exactly a fair comparison.

I like Jared Cook from Tennessee. He had over 750 yards last year and not doing to bad this year. He has done well with an up and down QB situation.

Fasano makes 4.4 mil against the cap. Too much for the production. He is a good player but should be the number 2 TE. He's not a threat.

I can guarantee Ireland is aware that his career depends on the success of Tannehill so he will be more inclined to get some talent around him. That means a WR and a TE/security blanket.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

One of the choices should have been "all of the above".

I voted o-line as most important to fix/upgrade first. Of course, I don't mean using top draft picks; just that it's a major concern that needs to be addressed. A speedy WR won't get the ball if Tannehill doesn't have time to find him.

I say upgrade the offense first, and if possible use a pick or two on the secondary. For as bad as the secondary has been, by some miracle the defense gives up a lot of yards but not a lot of points. But, the offense is anemic and possibly allergic to TDs, so fixing that would be my first order of business. I'm not sold on Sherman as OC.