The Dolphins Could've Been...
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by Letstalknfl
The Miami Dolphins have done a terrible job in the NFL draft over the past five or six years. Really, they've drafted poorly for longer than that, including notable first round busts Yatil Green and John Avery, but the last five or six years are the root because of why the team is so bad now. Wannstedt and Saban both preferred to trade their picks away for veterans in an effort to try to keep the team competitive, and the team got old as a result. Those valuable lost (and poor) draft picks over that time span should be the backbone of the team right now. However, they are instead represented by misses and retirees, not to mention a certain traded second round draft pick that was cut after only one injury-ridden season (Daunte Culpepper).
I also thought it would be interesting to see what the Dolphins could have been. Going back to 2001, I will be re-drafting for the Dolphins to see where they could've been had they drafted wisely, and not traded away so many picks. I won't re-draft every pick since then, but I will redo the questionable calls they've made throughout the years. Let's start with the first two picks of 2001. Ignoring WR and QB (two big needs at the time) Miami took risky DB Jamar Fletcher at pick 26 in the first round. Fletcher was a questionable call at the time, and many experts felt they had made an error. Fletcher was a backup for a little while, and has since bounced around other teams, never making a significant impact. Four picks later, the Colts drafted the player the Dolphins should've drafted: a talented young WR out of Miami by the name of Reggie Wayne.
So, re-doing history, with the 26th pick in the 2001 draft, the Dolphins draft WR Reggie Wayne. In the second round, they still needed to pick a WR, so they took Chris Chambers who has been fine, but not exceptional. This was an adequate second round pick. However, with Wayne coming to them in the first round, this pick has to be changed. With needed depth along the DL, OL, and the underwhelming Jay Fiedler at QB, these positions deserved the most attention. So, with the 52nd selection in the 2001 draft, the Dolphins select DT Shaun Rogers in order to groom a replacement for the aging Daryl Gardner and Tim Bowens.
On to 2002. Ricky Williams was an outstanding back, but few players are worth two first round picks. The Dolphins should've used a little research to see the personality issues Williams has, and should've known to never give up two number ones for any player short of Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. So in my re-drafting, the Dolphins offered a first round pick and were rejected. For added fun, Williams went to the Patriots instead and single-handedly kept them from winning any more Super Bowls, ever. So, with the Dolphins first round pick in 2002, they select Cornerback Lito Sheppard, to improve an aging secondary and to groom behind veterans Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain. In the 3rd round in 2002, Miami selected Seth McKinney, who was questionable at the time. They ignored a player due to obtaining Ricky Williams, who I believe they would've taken had they not done that trade. Therefore, with the 90th selection in the 2002 draft, the Dolphins select RB Brian Westbrook out of Villanova. Westbrook would've been everything that Travis Minor never showed he could be, and it's realistic to assume that had there been a talent evaluator with the Dolphins during that time, and had Ricky Williams not been a part of the team, Westbrook would've been the pick.
In 2003, the Dolphins didn't have their first round pick, again due to the Ricky Williams fiasco. Also, without taking Seth McKinney, the Dolphins don't have a center to build on. So with the Dolphins 1st round pick in 2003, they select the most polished offensive lineman available, Jeff Faine out of Notre Dame to provide some steady play in the middle of their shaky OL. In the second round of the 2003 draft, the Dolphins made a questionable call on LB Eddie Moore. This call was questionable from the get-go, therefore, it will be re-drafted. With the 49th overall selection in 2003, the Dolphins select physical WR Anquan Boldin to put opposite stellar Reggie Wayne in their increasingly potent offense.
In 2004, the Dolphins took Vernon Carey in the first round. He hasn't been the force that he should've been yet, but he was the right pick at the time and still is. However, the rest of this draft was a trading mess! They traded pick after pick for other picks and wound up without a pick again until the fourth round. This was a mistake. It was viewed as one then, and it's viewed as one now. In the re-draft, the Dolphins did the right thing and just kept the picks they had. So in the second round, they took RB Greg Jones, a bruiser who can carry the ball at the goal line, and in the third round, they took Matt Schaub, a talented developmental QB out of Virginia. In the fourth round, the gambled when they shouldn't have on CB Will Poole. He was a questionable call at the time and has battled injuries ever since. I remember liking a guy out of Texas much better during that time than Poole, so I'm changing this pick. Had I been in charge, I would've made sure that the Miami Dolphins used their 4th round pick on CB Nathan Vasher.
The development of Vasher and Sheppard has made Patrick Surtain expendable, so now it is acceptable for them to trade him to KC in 2005. It is not acceptable for them to trade Adewale Ogunleye for Marty Booker and a 3rd round pick, or for them to trade away their 2005 draft picks. Therefore, we are left with Miami having an extra 2nd and 3rd rounder in the 2005 draft, and otherwise all of their other picks, which were priorly used to get a bunch of garbage running backs after the Ricky Williams retirement debacle. So with the Dolphins first round pick in the 2005 draft, no longer needing RB Ronnie Brown and probably not having the second overall selection now that they have a better team than they did, they select OT Jamaal Brown to anchor the left side of the line. With their two second round selections, they still select Matt Roth, who was a good fit at the time, but they also now get MLB Lofa Tatupu to pair along with Zach Thomas in their 3-4 scheme. In the third round, they still select OLB Channing Crowder to give the LB position a complete overhaul.
In 2006, Nick Saban made a huge blunder in selecting Safety Jason Allen with the Dolphins first round pick. While he may still turn into a decent pick, Allen was a huge reach at the time causing Miami fans to scratch their heads. Instead, the Dolphins select OG Davin Joseph to further help with the OL. They also traded their second round pick for Daunte Culpepper, which is not the case with Matt Schaub in place. Instead they use that pick to draft CB Devin Hester to help in the return game and to provide depth in the secondary.
In 2007, new Head Coach Cam Cameron and GM Randy Mueller stunned the football world by selecting Ted Ginn Jr. and John Beck in the first two rounds. Prior to the draft, the Texans are looking for a QB and would like Matt Schaub. His value is higher and the Dolphins get an extra first round pick out of the deal. Jeff Garcia is a free agent, so the Dolphins are quick to sign him and draft with the pick gained from the Texans, QB Brady Quinn out of Notre Dame. This is what should've happened to begin with. The other first round choice is used on safety Reggie Nelson out of Florida. Then the second round pick that was originally used on Beck, is now used on DE Ikaika Alama-Francis out of Hawaii to develop behind Jason Taylor, Vonnie Holliday, and Matt Roth.
So here's the Dolphins depth chart, as it could've been in the 2007 season:
QBs: Jeff Garcia, Brady Quinn
RBs: Brian Westbrook, Lorenzo Booker
FB: Greg Jones
WRs: Reggie Wayne, Anquan Boldin, Derek Hagan
TEs: Randy McMichael, Justin Peelle
OTs: Jamaal Brown, Vernon Carey, L.J. Shelton
OGs: Davin Joseph, Samson Satele, Rex Hadnot
C: Jeff Faine
K: Jay Feely
DEs: Jason Taylor, Matt Roth, Ikaika Alama-Francis
DTs: Shaun Rogers, Vonnie Holliday, Rodrique Wright
OLBs: Channing Crowder, Joey Porter, Derek Pope
MLBs: Zach Thomas, Lofa Tatupu
CBs: Lito Sheppard, Nathan Vasher, Sam Madison, Travis Daniels
FSs: Reggie Nelson, Yeremiah Bell
SSs: Travares Tillman
KR/PRs: Devin Hester
Oh, what could've been...
