Miami Dolphins Post Draft Commentary

The Miami Dolphins were one of the surprise teams in 2008. Tony Sparano guided the biggest one year turn around in NFL history by taking the 1-15 Dolphins to the division crown and playoff berth. The team was subsequently handed an early exit by the Baltimore Ravens, but the franchise has seen its fortunes change for the better. The success of the 2008 season may have overshadowed some of the weaknesses of the team, which were still somewhat numerous coming into the 2009 off season.

The Dolphins did not have anyone outside of Joey Porter providing consistent pressure on the quarterback. Porter had 17.5 of the team’s 40 sack total with the second highest total on the team being 5. Porter’s total was by far his career high as his previous total was 10.5 which he reached twice whilst with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming into the off season many figure that a pass rusher and at least one corner would have to be drafted by the Dolphins in order to remain competitive in 2009. The team did sign Cameron Wake; a former CFL standout to help provide some increased production outside of Porter, but chose to ignore the position completely after this solitary signing. I personally do not like this strategy as it leaves a great deal of pressure on Porter; a player who has achieved a double digit sack total 3 times in his career. Chances are Porter will have 10 sacks or even lower given his career average, and if Wake proves to be a bit underwhelming the team does not have many alternatives to the need. There are players the team likes, but none have any real NFL experience and are projects at best at this stage.

The Dolphins also released Vonnie Holliday, a much underrated contributor to the defense as a whole. The team did get good play out of both Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling, but outside of Randy Starks the team will be relying on Lionel Dotson; who only appeared for a few snaps all season and Tony McDaniel as the primary backups. Outside of Starks, there is not experienced player that can handle the defensive end spot. Nose tackle also needed to be addressed, as Jason Ferguson is 34 and will not play forever. Ferguson has a history of injuries and Paul Soliai has not played well or often enough to warrant succeeding the former Georgia standout. Again, both positions were left without an influx of talent via the draft, and again it is concerning.

The team did decide to address its issues at the skill positions though as it drafted two corners and two wide receivers. Both sets of players are big players at 5′11” being the shortest amongst the four. The team did not have a competent player to pair with Will Allen after the departure of Andre Goodman, and with every other team in the division – aside from the New York Jets – boasting a stellar wide receiver corp, there was a clear need. Vontae Davis and Sean Smith were selected within the first 56 players, meaning the team has high hopes for both players to come in and produce early in their careers. At the end of the 2008 season the Dolphins were lacking competent wide receivers to run their offense, at one stage there were only 4 active players at the position. Again, there was a blatant need, although using back to back selections on the position does not sit well with me given the needs along the defensive front 7 as well. Hopefully either player can provide a better red zone target than the Free Agent bust that was Ernest Wilford did in 2008.

The Dolphins did allocate a great deal of resources to filling their needs at the skill positions, although I would have liked to have seen the defensive front 7 addressed. Andrew Gardner could be a nice swing tackle if he can regain his form prior to being injured, and John Nalbone may blossom into a pass catching threat; which the team will need as David Martin currently occupies that slot and may not be around past this season. The Dolphins did fill in some holes, but may very well have a worse record in 2009 despite being a better team overall as two other teams in the AFC East have also significantly improved.

Pre Draft Needs: WR, CB, LB, DL, OL