Another Wasted 2nd Round Pick?
By Brian Miller
Are you still reeling from the abrupt turnaround by safety Ryan Clark? The same guy who said that Miami was the fit and then turned around and headed back to Pittsburgh saying that he “didn’t want to play here (Miami)”. Yeah, a lot of people are, so don’t feel bad. Now news is circulating that the Dolphins will use Tyler Thigpen as their number 2 QB. Is this a ploy to facilitate a trade or just another waste of a 2nd round pick?
Let’s face it, the Miami Dolphins are notorious for wasting 2nd round picks. Daunte Culpepper, AJ Feeley, Samson Satele, John Beck, Matt Roth, and now Pat White?
O.k. so many fans believe that Pat White was a mistake the instant his name was read aloud at the draft. But after last years no completion season and one helluva knock-out on the sidelines, is it any surprise that the Dolphins are dropping him to 4th on the depth chart?
The story goes like this, Miami signs Chad Pennington to a 1 year deal and tells him that he will be the E3 (emergency 3) QB. He will be behind Chad Henne and Tyler Thigpen on the depth chart. Tyler Thigpen? I thought he was going to somehow get traded? O.k. guess not.
So are we to expect the Dolphins to carry 4 QB’s this season? White as the 4th? Three things were apparent after last season.
1: With Chad Henne’s arm, we don’t need the Wild Cat…which means that we don’t need Pat White coming in and lining up in that spot.
2: Unable to complete one single pass all year, Pat White is not a QB
3: After taking the shot in the Pittsburgh game, Pat White doesn’t have the physical stamina to line up as a slot WR and go over the middle.
So, where does that leave the Dolphins? Simple, with another busted 2nd round pick that was wasted. So the next logical question is why are the Dolphins so steadfast in not trading a 2nd round pick for a proven player? Let’s face it, the last time they didn’t waste a pick was on Chad Henne…yet.
The Phins have a slew of holes. WR, S, OLB, and of course NT and they won’t find sure hits in the draft. Dan Williams is a good bet for the 12 slot in round 1 and WR Brandon Lafelle may be an option in round 2. But that still leaves two gaping holes.
Why gaping? Well, right now the Dolphins have no starting Safety and no starting OLB. Both left empty with the releases of Gibril Wilson and Joey Porter. Suddenly, WR becomes a luxury that the Phins may not be able to afford, yet it’s the one piece on offense that is sorely lacking.
It gets worse when you start looking at free agency and wondering where the team may find someone. Most players that are still left who can come in and not only start but make even a modicum of an impact are restricted free agents. Which means the Phins will have to surrender some sort of draft pick compensation to the team who owns them. Which then leaves Miami without that pick. In most cases, that’s a 2nd rounder. Which again asks the question, what else would the Phins do with it?
Blow it? Likely given their history with 2nd rounders. And let’s not forget this isn’t just a Bill Parcells and Co. problem. It dates way back to Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt and I’m sure back to Don Shula as well.
With a trade comes a new contract as well, something that really puts the brakes on any deal. It’s the way it is in the NFL. A structure in place to allow teams to build their team without being poached every year. For the Dolphins, poor drafting in rounds 2 and even in round 3 have left them with no future stars or for that matter starters.
Perhaps maybe the answer lies with Ronnie Brown. The Dolphins are asking for a 1st by virtue of their tender offer. Maybe a 2nd would get the deal done. One thing is for certain, the Dolphins can win without Brown and there are plenty of veteran runners who can be short term answers while the Phins address something else.
Trade Ronnie for a 2nd, trade the second for a WR, NT, OLB, or Safety, use your first, second, and 3rd to address the other 3 and hope you hit. Either way, the team needs to do something because these are not cases of depth, these are cases of starting positions with plenty of vacancy.
Free agency is a week old so no need to get overly concerned, but the Phins do have holes to fill and right now, the choices out there are rather slim. As the old adage goes, “only time will tell”.