The Big Gamble
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This is a moderated phorum for the CIVILIZED discussion of the Miami Dolphins. In this phorum, there are rules and moderators to make sure you abide by the rules. The moderators for this phorum are JC and Colonel.
Here are a few of my thoughts concerning our draft. I will not talk about any of the players selected nor be too opinionated about our new GM. What I need to address is the huge gamble recruiting from small colleges.
Arguably the best conference in college football is the SEC. The recruiting by colleges in that conference is very competitive. They seek great high school players from all around the nation. Once they are landed, those players must compete with other top players just like them, to play on Saturday.
At smaller less heralded college programs, football is competitive, but not at the same level like we see in the SEC (AAC etc). The smaller college programs generally attract less skilled players. There will always be the rare small college football player who is absolutely top-tier. You know the guy that could have played at Bama, USC, Michigan, Penn St, Ohio etc and been on the highlight reel every week.
With our recent draft--we drafted players that excelled at the small school level and I have to wonder, as many of us do, whether the gamble was contrary to building a play off team.
We, can only hope that our draft found rare gems--top small college stands out that could have succeeded at the best college programs in the nation. I also hope that this drafting class proves that young guys who didn't go to the best college programs are worthy of tremendous NFL opportunities too.
Finally, good luck to all of them. Make us proud, make us stand up and applaud your skills on the field, your big plays, and your solid leadership on the field and in the locker room.
We truly did uncover every rock. I saw Dennis Hicky, iPad in hand, at a local community college watching an intramural flag football game. A day later he was at the same school watching a powderpuff game.
We got a bunch of bums. I bet we only have one maybe two of these guys start for us and when they start think Misi. Just a average player. This is how I feel. I prey that I am wrong but something tells me I am right .
> Arguably the best conference in college football
> is the SEC.
And it's hard to even argue that. The SEC has been an absolute force even before they expanded the conference.
>
> At smaller less heralded college programs,
> football is competitive, but not at the same level
> like we see in the SEC (AAC etc). The smaller
> college programs generally attract less skilled
> players.
Generally , yes you're right. But scouting has become so sophisticated lately that I'm confident any school that suits up has eyes on them.
And our first rounder is from the SEC yet most everyone here seems to be crapping all over that pick. So who knows.
I remember the story about Doug Swift, whom Shula and his scouts found at Amherst College in 1070. Not UMASS-Amherst...but Amherst COLLEGE. I wouldn't have even known they had a football team, but he was a very important player on our championship teams and very smart (went on to be a successful surgeon).
Mark Duper comes from a tiny college in Lousiana..in my eyes he's the best small-college Dolphins success story from the 80s.
JC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> colonel Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Arguably the best conference in college
> football
> > is the SEC.
>
> And it's hard to even argue that. The SEC has
> been an absolute force even before they expanded
> the conference.
>
> >
> > At smaller less heralded college programs,
> > football is competitive, but not at the same
> level
> > like we see in the SEC (AAC etc). The smaller
> > college programs generally attract less skilled
> > players.
>
> Generally , yes you're right. But scouting has
> become so sophisticated lately that I'm confident
> any school that suits up has eyes on them.
>
> And our first rounder is from the SEC yet most
> everyone here seems to be crapping all over that
> pick. So who knows.
>
> I remember the story about Doug Swift, whom Shula
> and his scouts found at Amherst College in 1070.
> Not UMASS-Amherst...but Amherst COLLEGE. I
> wouldn't have even known they had a football team,
> but he was a very important player on our
> championship teams and very smart (went on to be a
> successful surgeon).
>
> Mark Duper comes from a tiny college in
> Lousiana..in my eyes he's the best small-college
> Dolphins success story from the 80s.
>
> There have been many others, I'm sure.
All Finfans can only hope that Hickey made the right choices.
I am sure when posters here are talking about the small schools, they are talking about a small school player here-and-there, not four or five in one draft, on one team. The odds are against that many, on one team, surviving. The big schools have a better chance in that they have played against (mostly) top notch talent.
There were still quite a few "names" that were not drafted, and one begs to question "why?"
As I mentioned in an earlier post, our 7th rounder was a "who?" and there were still other, more talented, bigger school players available.
Because Hickey drafted him instead of Sam, it is "guessed" that he was higher on Hickey's board than Sam. Really? An SEC Defensive Player of the Year vs a no name? And this guy is better?
I don't give a crap about the gay stuff and the controversy and circus that it could bring to Miami. Sam is a better player than this guy; he has a better shot at making the team. I think Hickey wimped out on this one.
I wonder if Sam when in his stance farts a lot more because of well and that affects the O-lineman and that's why he was a good DE. Or more likely he just knows how to really go after men. Hehe
The More I read about these players the more I like. Hickey seems to have given it is all and that's all you can ask. See what happens.
JC You make a good point about Michael Sam, but I just don't think he would be worth the circus and distraction especially after last years Bullygate. Dolphins need some time out of the limelight. That's why they jumped all over Don Jones. Squash it all now so no one has any more bright Ideas.
I think the list of small school hall of famers would disput this theory pretty easy, hell on our own team you got Zach and Jason that comes to mind as small school stars, if a guy can play a guy can play.
berkeley223 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Texas tech isn't a "small school"
No, but for the premise of his post, it's definately not a major "football" powerhouse either. Good/great players come from all types of schools, to exclude any because they're not from a powerhouse team or conference would be silly.
One of my boys graduated from a small highly respected top tier private university. It has a incidental football program. That is what I'm referring to in my original post.
Texas Tech is a big university (30,000 undergrads) and their football program isn't incidental to it. Marist on the other hand is a small
college (4000 undergrads).