Well, here we are again. After taking on a team that was supposed to be one of the worst in the NFL just two years ago, Brian Flores’ career record now stands at an impressive 15-17. In addition, in a few months’ time, the Miami Dolphins will likely be the youngest team in the NFL, and the already impressive collection of young talent on the list will have been substantially updated. For me, there are some parallels with the young Dallas Cowboys teams from the late 80s and early 90s; I think we would all be ecstatic if this team could come, even remotely, close to accomplishing what these teams did.
As the regular season ended a few days ago, I had to go back and check the 2021 draft order in the first round, just to make sure I’m not dreaming that we really have the rights to the third overall choice. Guys, I have news for you: this is an unexpected big win for this franchise. On Sunday night, I was sure Tennessee would ruin everything and allow Houston to come back and beat them at the end of the season, which would have fallen our first choice for, I believe, seventh or eighth. Choosing the third, we are essentially in a scenario in which we cannot lose. Let’s look at the various possibilities. If we stay in three, there will be one, and only one player that I believe Chris Grier will choose: Oregon tackle Penei Sewell. This boy is too good and, with Lawrence’s death, no one else is good enough to justify taking him there. Unlike most years, however, I believe that this time, the most likely outcome for this choice is that we trade with a needy quarterback team for a bonanza of choices, which could prepare us to add even more talent year and year. next. Ideally, the team I would like to negotiate with would be Atlanta, which currently chooses fourth place. If we move down one position, thus giving Falcons the guaranteed chance of any defender they like, it will still allow us to defeat Sewell in four. However, with quarterbacks playing longer these days, Atlanta can be stubborn and accept a player in another position, as Detroit did last year, or just wait and see who is still at the table at four. Although I think it is unlikely, even the two-year-old Jets can also be stubborn and refuse to do a QB, which would almost certainly result in Sewell before us. Of course, if that happened, the value of the third choice would also increase substantially, at least for other teams that need a quarterback.
One thing that I am absolutely sure will not happen is a scenario where the Dolphins stay at three and catch Jamarr Chase. This is too high to receive any receiver in the past twenty years other than Calvin Johnson. I could definitely see them going down a few points and then catching Chase, or Devonta Smith, etc., but not in three. I made some pretty bitter enemies on this site pointing out the craziness of spending a large number of high-draft choices on receivers, but don’t believe me, believe in successful NFL franchises, which rarely get recipients up. In 21 consecutive seasons with the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick used a first-round pick on a receiver only twice. In one case, he traded the 32nd and final choice of the first round to New Orleans for Brandin Cooks. Two years later, he again used the final choice of the first round, this time to select N’Keal Harry, who has been a failure so far. Year after year, there are literally dozens of receivers coming out of college who can play top-notch football; this is one of the reasons why Buffalo Bills chose to use their first round last year on an established player, rather than rolling the dice on an unproven newbie in the receiver position. This does not mean that I do not think that the Dolphins need to add several offensive owners, both in the receiver and in the running back, only that I think these owners will come later in the first round and in the following rounds. One guy I had heard a lot of good things about was the tight end, Pat Freiermuth. So I checked his highlights and he looked slower than molasses in January. He looks strong as hell, though.
Another player Miami may aim for in the first half of the first round is fellow Lion of Nittany, Micah Parsons, the consensus linebacker who comes out this year. For the type of defense that Flores wants to perform, you will never have enough linebackers, and Parsons would be the inner stud that neither Raekwon McMillan nor Jerome Baker proved to be. This has been the guy I wanted so badly for the past few months, before Houston climbed high enough to be within Sewell’s reach. Dolphins can also try to add Alabama LB Dylan Moses at the end of the first round or at the beginning of the second round.
With regard to the free agency, I think a lot depends on who is available and what their contract demands are. One guy I’m not crazy about is Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson. He’s already signed a lucrative free agent contract, so we don’t really know how hungry he’ll be right now. That said, at least he’s been able to stay on the pitch most of the time. Still, I would probably prefer Kenny Golladay of Detroit, if the team comes to terms with his agent.
All in all, this promises to be another exciting off-season for the Dolphins and their fans. I don’t believe for a moment that they are going to fall back in the 7-9 win range, assuming they are able to have a real training ground this time around. I am interested in hearing what our readers think the team can do in the draft and in the free agency.