Miami Dolphins Offseason

Here's what I would like to see the Dolphins do this offseason, keep in mind This is "win now" mentality:

I think the dolphins have around 15 million this free agency (who knows what they'll do to free up more space)

FREE AGENCY

1.) Sign Manning

2.) Sign Carl Nicks; it'll probably have to be a lot of guranteed mney and a backloaded contract (best guard in the game)

3.) Re-sign Carey (hopefully for a hometown discount) and move him back to RT (anyones an upgrade over columbo)

Now Our O-line is stacked. (Long, Incognito, Pouncey, Nicks, Carey) Remember we need our O-line to keep Manning on his feet.


DRAFT

1.) If possible move down to the middle first round and try to acquire some more picks. With their first pick the Dolphins have to select a DE to put opposite of Wake for the 4-3. Quinton Colpes, Melvin Ingram, or Courtney Upshaw. If any one of those player are there the Dolphins have to take them.

2.) Second round Dolphins take Coby Fleener TE (Watched him at Stanford, huge target, great receiving ability) I think Fasano is a free agent so Dolphins let him walk. Not that I dont like Fasano but his ceiling is limited and we could use the upgrade)

3.) 3rd Round Markelle Martin FS (Big hitting Free safety with good ball skills)



___________________________________
_________

Now for the future I think we wait until next year to select our Post-Manning QB. Landry Jones and Matt Barkely will be coming out along with a slew of others. I'm not opposed to trading up for RG3 this year but it's going to be a hefty price (probably 2-3 1st rounders, 2 2nds, and a 3). If we do that the Dolphins will not be contenders in the near future. RG3 will need to get acclimated and it'll take some time. Our team is ready to compete now! we have everything in place to make a huge splash! Only thing holding us back is a ready to play QB!!!!

I'm in favor of signing Nicks.  But as to Manning I'm totally against it. 

If we put our eggs in his basket, how long will we have to wait to see if he can contribute anything to this coming season?  If he can't be something resembling the 'Old' Peyton Manning then we are left with Matt Moore, which I think would not be a bad thing.

However, I agree with you or any body else that the accumulation of draft picks is essential to building a quality team.  I am also of the mind that if Coples is not available at 8 or 9 then we go all in on Ingram of So. Carolina.  We have to go with one of the two best pass rushers in the entire draft.

I have no idea how this all will play out but the signing of Flynn, if he is deemed to have the talent, is much more to our advantage.  When, or if, Flynn signs then we, before the draft, place Moore out there for a team looking for a QB.  Moore only has one year left on his Dolphins contract and if we have Flynn we don't need Moore.  There are a bunch of adequate FA QBs that could fill the backup role.  Moore should bring a 2nd rounder back to us.

As far as Carey is concerned I suspect he has to many miles on a body that hasn't been kept in the best of condition.  With Nicks under contract we can get Jerry or Murtha to be more than adequate.  One of them may very well flourish.  After all Jerry did play an average to good LT last year after Long went down and Murtha, prior to his injury was penciled in as our RT last year.

I don't look at Fleener as on upgrade to Fansano.  And I would bet that they wouldn't take a safety in the draft until Coyle has a chance to work with what we currently have.  He is either very lucky or a good coach to has shown an aptitude for coaching up safties.

I have to agree. We're back and forth on the whole Manning saga, will he be ready, will he be healthy??? BIG IF. Flynn might have to be our best option and if he pans out well we just bought 7-8 years of no worries at the QB position.


As for Carl Nicks well thats no brainer and what team wouldn't want him on their roster so Miami's chances of landing him are really slim.


I like the idea of getting a DE oppose of Wake but our Defense isn't the weak link at the moment its our O-line. We need a RT no questions asked. So eighter Kalil or Reiff no doubt in my mind. As for a new guard? I say we get a Center instead. This is the way we should line these guys up.
Long-Pouncey-New Center-Carey-Reiff. Pouncey is a better place blocker then a Center. So having this new O-line placed this way we would create so many holes for Bush and Thomas and especialy the more important protect our QB in the pocket.


I have to agree with Miami Heat guy there on the TE position. In todays NFL all high flight teams have solid TE, Patriots, Saints, Packers, 49ers, etc...We need a guy that can do both block and catch and run the ball. I aint a hater of Fasano cause he dont suck but hes mediocre and thats why we need a upgrade. Finley would be ideal but hes gonna get the tag by GB.


As for Safety yes we need a huge upgrade cause Bell is getting older and Jones well needs huge improvement since hes real young. I say we also need a guy to compete with Sean Smith cause I was never sold on that guy. Maybe we get Finnegan at a low cost to compete for a roster spot with Smith.


As for the draft the way I see it unfold considering we do get Flynn, I see 2 things happening with our 1st pick Reiff or trade down to get an additional 2nd. If we were to ignore the trades and just going with our draft position it would go like this:


1st- Riley Reiff RT Iowa
2nd-Andre Branch DE Clemson
3rd-Orson Charles  TE Georgia
4th-Tommy Streeter  WR Miami
5th-Terrell Manning OLB North Carolina
6th-Jaymes Brooks OG Virginia Tech
7th- David Molk C- Michigan       

Lets not forget all the undrafted rookies that we will also try and find for talent. Lots of undrafted stars dont get drafted so you never know what youll find. Lots of rocks to turn over to find them but they are always out there.  Also lets not forget last year we had a lockout. This year is different we have no lockout so we will have FA in place. With that being said we could get lots of good players come free agency and it will all start at QB.          

Lots of rocks to turn over to find them but they are always out there.

Sorry man, they are acorns, not rocks. 

An OT would not hurt us but we have far more glaring problems.  We need impact players and a DE with all around skills with a heavy talent for pass rushing should be our 1st priority.  We are positioned, without trading up and not being able to trade down, to secure one of the two best pass rushing DEs in the draft.  If Coples would fall to us great.  If its Ingram equally as great.  We can't trade down and get one of these players.  We may be able to trade down and get Upshaw but he's an OLB suited for a 3-4.  But the trade down can't be more than 4-5 spots.  Which would get us only a 3rd round choice and take us out of our ability to secure Coples or Ingram.  Neither will slip.

The opportunity to get a potential rush/sacker that would give us a high degree of probability of double digit sacks, can't be overlooked.

I would love to get additional choices but the opportunity to get what we need the most doesn't happen all that often.

If it's Flynn then Moore goes for probably a 2nd rounder.  If it turns out to be a 3rd, then we at least have the option of bundling our 2 3rds to move up in the later stages of the 2nd round if we see someone that's appealing.

Let me say I enjoy your insight. All of you on this page. It gives me something else to think about. Another angle if you will. Personally I am of the mind to get Manning and draft a guy this year like Tannehill. Listen if we do as well as we are expected even with a new coaching staff, then no chance in hell do we have at getting Barkley or another elite QB for 2013. Which means we are right back in the same position again. If we draft Manning and sign Tannehill (did you catch it) we have a present teacher and a Pupil to learn from the greatest. Not to mention he is open to tutoring the next dude. This is what championship caliber teams do. They get a talent QB to train their future. Look at when Chad was mentoring CHad. He actually made decent decisions. When Pennington left so did Henne decision making. WHat do you think?

 I also agree 1st rd DE preferably the one with the most upside (Coples) I am not that good at the draft and year in and out I have watched the Dophins destroy the draft in the name of the O line. Let's hope for the best.

One more point before we start thinking about making NUTELLA and searching for acorns, how's about we get some meat and potatoes first! Big boys with big bodies and big talent! Frickin ACORNS is the problem, always lookin for a discount even with the rookie pay scale. STUDS!!!

Free Agency: Nicks and Finley if not franchised. Would lose my mind if we got VJ as well (another Vincent Jackson pipe dream).

I think that some of us are pretty convinced that you don't build a team through the free agency pool.  We currently have 15 million to spend.  We must earmark 5 million for the draft.  Leaving us 10 mil.  We could improve that figure with the odd cut (Y.Bell) or the restructuring of a couple of contracts (Y. Bell).  Incidentally Bell will count 6.2 mil against the cap in 2012.  For a 34 year older a bit steep.

So if we sign Nicks (a very expensive get) then we would have only enough to get Flynn or Manning (and we would have to do some serious restructuring to get that done).  If that's what the FO is thinking.  As far as Manning is concerned a what point will we know if he will even play next year.  He's throwing,at best, 50% at this time.  How long do we wait for Manning until something of a concrete nature is known?  Do we wait until we can no longer get Flynn?  If he is under conserious consideration.  Flynn will be gone by the end of March or early April.  Where will Mannings' shoulder, neck and bicep be in a state where he can be even considered?  Believe me, it wouldn't be March or April!  It's possible it could be as long as September and the prognosis is?

You can't sign him as is.  How many quality players will we miss out on in our wait for the 36 year old?

Oh PhinSen......Branch DE Clemson won't last to the 41st pick.  Granted stranger things have happened but this isn't one of them.

If you are signing Flynn, or Manning I believe it is wise to do so as soon as possible. If you take Manning, you must also draft a QB in the event he does not recover. So, the real question is (Or should be) do they like Flynn more then a potential rookie? (Leave Manning out of the discussion, because if you sign him you are doing so with the gamble he may not play so if he does it is a bonus)

because if you sign him you are doing so with the gamble he may not play so if he does it is a bonus)

It's quite common around the league to sign a player, with the expectation that he will play.

It's quite common around the league to sign a player, with the expectation that he will play.

Really? I mean, are you serious? Wow, I had no idea.

People (sport writers) keep saying that Manning is Ross' first choice.  If true, then I would hope he has learned enough in the past couple of years and will let his football people make the decisions. 

I can't believe that a 'football man' would bet so much on the come!!  If they were to do this they would need a backup plan.  Flynn wouln't be that backup plan due to cost.  Additionally Flynn wouldn't sign if he thought he wouldn't be the starter.  A draft prospect wouldn't be the answer as he wouldn't be ready.  (I'm not even going to suggest getting Griffin, if you think of costs that might be the ultimate.)  Sorta leaves Matt Moore but I think Ross is smitten with the thought of making a big splash.  And MM isn't that splash.

If Flynn isn't deemed the man, what does that leave us with?  If that leaves Manning I really hope the contract is highly incentive laden.  So, with that in mind I think, if I was Ross/Ireland, that $100.00 up front would be my max.

"With all this talk of Manning I truly believe that Flynn will ultimately be our man.  The only drawback may be money but I think Ross is prepared to spend for him.  That leaves Moore as trade bait.  The system will be very familiar to Flynn.

We hear talk of a 'system' QB and how when they go somewhere different they aren't the same quality as before.  We have what might be considered the alignment of the stars.  We have the same, exact system that Flynn is familiar with.  I can't remember when I last saw that.

Just my opinion, and to me it's just common sense, but it's Flynn not Manning. 

We have the same, exact system that Flynn is familiar with.  I can't remember when I last saw that.

Familiar is the key word there.  I'm sure there will be familiar terminology and familiar concepts, but as Philbin himself said, it's not like he's going to throw down the Green Bay Playbook in Miami and say this is what we're running.

No doubt Flynn would be ahead of the curve, but it will still be a difficult transition.  Some of the offense is sure to be new, and it will be new players (he won't have the GB team to help prop him up).........and maybe the most difficult thing is the pressure and expectation that comes from getting such a contract and becoming a starter.  You never know how someone is going to react to that until they have that kind of pressure............to be fair that's also a primary concern I have with Moore (and really the whole team) ending the season strong did show character, but at 0-7 with literally no expectations it could free you from pressure and actually allow you to perform better. 
What happens when it's 0-0 again, it's September and all the pressure is back?

Only Philbin knows if Flynn can be the guy. I havn't seen anything from him that gives me a good feeling giving him the keys to our team and a boat load of money. In philbin we trust.

There's no question that talent in the Canadian Football League is non-comparable to the likes of the National Football League, but the CFL's top running back appears to be on the verge of signing with the Miami Dolphins.

Jerome Messam of the Edmonton Eskimos was voted the CFL's best player this past season and will reportedly be taking his talents to South Beach to test the waters at the NFL level. However, a report came out late Sunday morning that Messam is still "mulling over" Miami's proposal. 

The 26-year-old Messam grew up in Ontario and attended Graceland University, but did not enter the NFL Draft; instead Messam went undrafted in the 2008 CFL Draft.s. Hamilton. Jerome Messam is No. 23.

Messam spent his first season with the BC Lions, receiving limited playing time, but he was then traded to Edmonton, where he ran for an incredible 1,057 yards and six touchdowns on 195 carries this past season. 

Messam stands at 6'3" and weighs a whopping 245 lbs., which makes him an ideal inside power runner at the NFL level—he would certainly complement Reggie Bush's elusiveness to the outside. 

The major concern with Messam is his character, as he's had some off-the-field issues and even cracked his own teammate's jaw. However, if Messam's talent can be utilized with the Miami Dolphins, then he'll be one remarkable signing. 

^
Thanks for posting that......that's the first I heard about that guy.

After seeing Wake's performance I'm not going to question the validity of signing a CFL guy they like.
I clicked on one of those links and I did see he's coming off a season ending knee surgery........even though it wasn't a major surgery (like an ACL) it could be problematic since he is a big back, and that step up in competition could be hard enough on it's own, much less coming off any sort of injury.

Wonder if this means the team is totally down on Thomas?
It's tough to tell without seeing the contract they are offering this guy........I'm not sure if it's a shot in the dark (why not) kind of deal, or if it's money that says they expect him to come in and contribute. 
I do agree they really need a guy that can pount the ball and complement Bush.......be that Thomas, this guy, or someone not yet on the radar.

http://www.cfl.ca/video/index/id/18
633

I took this off Irelands computer. It was his research into this back.