The Miami Dolphins are hosting a kids summer camp and are now enrolling.  This is a once in a lifetime, o.k. it’s an annual event, but you get the idea.  The Miami Dolphins are one of the most active teams in the community in the entire NFL and this is yet another way they are reaching out to our youth.

Here is a link to more information with a video that you can watch with your son or daughter and below is more information such as date and times, locations, and hours straight from the Miami Dolphins.

If you sign up through our site you will receive $25.00 off if you use the “Promotional Code“ FanClub2012.  Also make sure that you tell them you heard about this from PhinPhanatic.com.

Miami Dolphins To Host Summer Kids Camp, Enrolling Now - Phin Phanatic - Phin Phanatic - A Miami Dolphins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Jan. 21, 2012; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland talks with the media during a press conference to announce Joe Philbin as the new head coach at the Dolphins training facility. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

So, it seemed obvious to many that Jeff Ireland would use a high draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft on a WR.  What seemed obvious did not happen.  Instead, Ireland used a 6th and a 7th round pick to select two WRs.  So, what about the Dolphins’ 2012 Draft Picks at Wide Receiver?  And, what about the two undrafted free agent rookies (UFARs) at WR that were acquired by the Dolphins immediately subsequent to the draft?  Could they possibly fill the void?

As the 2012 NFL Draft unfolded, I personally thought that after selecting a QB (1st round), an OT (2nd round), and then a DE (3rd round), Ireland would select a WR with the Dolphins’ additional 3rd round pick received as compensation for Marshall.  Mohammed Sanu (WR – Rutgers) and T.Y. Hilton (WR – Florida Atlantic) were available at the time.  Instead, Ireland selected Michael Egnew (6’6″ and 245 pound TE – Missouri) with the 15th pick of the third round (78th selection overall).

Then, in the 5th round, I thought for sure Ireland would select a WR with Marvin Jones (WR – California) and Juron Criner (WR – Arizona) still available at the time.  Instead, Ireland selected Josh Kaddu (6’3″ and 235 pound LB – Oregon) with the 20th pick of the fifth round (155th selection overall).

Ireland wound up selecting B.J. Cunningham (WR – Michigan State) with the 13th pick of the 6th round (183rd selection overall).  He also selected Rashid Marshall (WR – Nevada) with the 20th pick of the 7th round (227th selection overall).  Then, Ireland added Jeff Fuller (WR – Texas A&M) and Derek Moye (WR – Penn State) as UFA rookies.

So, I wondered what did the Dolphins get selecting these four new rookie WRs?  I also wondered how did they stack up against the four aforementioned WRs that Ireland passed up in the 2012 NFL Draft (two in the third round and two in the fifth round)?

Let’s go inside the numbers and take a look at these eight (8) wide receivers.  The table below denotes each player and his 2011 school along with providing some of his 2012 NFL Combine measurables.  The table also shows the prospect’s number of college starts along with any college honors plus his number of receptions, total receiving yards, TDs, and yards per reception.  Finally, I included the prospect’s projected draft round selection (according to NFLDraftScout.com) and the prospect’s scouting grades (according to The NFL Football Post and NFL.com).  Please note that the Post’s scouting grade was assessed on or about the time of the 2012 NFL Combine, whereas the NFL.com scouting grade was assessed closer to the actual draft.  You can click on this table to enlarge.

Based on Combine measureables, it is interesting that the four WRs selected by the Dolphins have relatively the same speed and quickness.  They ran the 40 yard dash within a tenth of a second of each other (4.52 – 4.62 seconds) and ran the 3 cone drill within two-tenths of a second of each other (6.88 – 7.10 seconds).  Matthews stands out with his overall strength — he lifted 20 reps in the bench press and vertically leaped 36″.  Fuller and Moye stand out with their height at 6’3″ and 6’4″ — whereas, Cunningham and Matthews are 6’1″ and 6’0″.  Of the four WRs, B.J. Cunningham has the most deficits based on Combine measureables — particularly, he has really small hands at 8.125″.

Based on their final year in college, Rishard Marshall stands out with his 91 receptions — he also had a total of 1,364 yards (15 yards per reception) and 8 TDs.  B.J. Cunningham stands out with his 12 TD receptions — he also had 79 catches for 1,306 yards (impressive 16.5 yards per reception).  Being at the receiving end of Ryan Tannehill passes at Texas A&M, Jeff Fuller had 70 receptions for 828 yards (only 11.8 yards per reception) and 6 TDs.  However, Fuller had a more productive junior season (2010) with 72 receptions for 1,066 yards (14.8 yards per reception) and 12 TDs.  Derek Moye had a very modest senior season with only 40 receptions for 654 yards (impressive 16.4 yards per reception) and only 3 TDs in the rush happy offense at Penn State.

If you look at the draft projections and scouting grades, they seem to be all over the map.  However, it seems that Mohammed Sanu would have been a value pick for the Dolphins in the third round.  At one time, Sanu was thought to be a first rounder, but his stock dropped after the Combine.  I am not sure exactly why Ireland found more value in TE Agnew over WR Sanu.

It seems that Juron Criner would have been a real steal in the fifth round.  He has good size at 6’2″ along with huge hands at 10.5″ (more than 25% larger than Cunningham) and an impressive vertical leap of 38″.  Criner looks to be a potentially good redzone receiver, but has only modest speed and quickness.  Ireland might have shied away from Criner because of his known character issues.

In order to better understand Ireland’s drafting approach at WR, I took at the overall historical success rate of drafting WRs.  There is a very good article on this subject at draftmetrics.com.  Analyst Tony Villiotti took a look at the period from 1991 thru 2010 and whether a drafted WR became a 5 year starter.  Villiotti found that next to RBs, WRs are the riskiest position to draft.  WRs are least likely to start as rookies.  And, a team will have a very low success rate, if selecting a WR in the middle of the 4th round or later.  For example, WRs selected in the top half of the first round have a 65.4% success rate of being a 5 year starter.  That success rate drops to about 18%, if a WR is selected from the middle of the second round to the middle of the fourth round.  And, the success rate drops further to less than 4%, if a WR is selected after the middle of the fourth round.

So, the fact that historically selecting a TE in the NFL Draft with 78th pick has a 24% success rate versus a WR has only 18% success rate may be the reason why Ireland chose Egnew over Sanu.  The fact that historically selecting a LB with the 155th pick has a 12% success rate versus a WR has only a 3% success rate may be the reason why Ireland chose Kaddu over Criner.

But, I personally have concluded that taking a WR anytime after the middle of the second round is a real crap shoot.  So, I think Ireland was wise to try to beat the odds with numbers — drafting two WRs late in the 2012 NFL Draft and then adding two more UFARs.  Hopefully, one of them will become the next taller and stronger version of Davonne Bess, who succeeded as an UFAR.  My bet, it will be Jeff Fuller.  He looks awfully good with the combination of size, speed, strength, and quickness.  He has the added advantage of having started in the Mike Sherman offense for two years at Texas A&M.  But, he has to stay healthy.  I also like Rashid Marshall with his strength and quickness to run the slant routes in the West Coast Offense.

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What do you think?  Do you like Ireland’s drafting approach at WR?  What would you have done differently?  Which one of the four WRs do you think will make a difference for the Dolphins?

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Dolphins’ 2012 Draft Picks at Wide Receiver - Phin Phanatic - Phin Phanatic - A Miami Dolphins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Nov. 18, 2010; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker (91) Cameron Wake enters the field prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Sun Life Stadium. The Bears defeated the Dolphins 16-0. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

There’s no secret about what the Miami Dolphin’s number one strength is, D-E-F-E-N-S-E! With the off-season currently in full throttle, Miami will look to build upon it’s strength and improve after a sub-par 2011-2012 season.

After the loss of “mastermind” defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan (Now in Atlanta), Miami brought in Kevin Coyle to fill the void after Nolan’s departure. Coyle had previously been in Cincinnati for the past eleven years, coaching the defensive backs (excellent!!!!). Coyle has turned former Miami Dolphins, Chris Crocker and Gibril Wilson, along with former Florida Gator, Reggie Nelson, into very serviceable starters. With Coyle’s new 4-3 hybrid, the pressure placed upon safeties in Nolan’s 3-4 defense, is now non-existent.

With Kevin Coyle now taking the reins of Miami’s strong point, let’s dive into a deeper look at the 2012-2013 Miami Dolphins Defense!

Defensive Tackle: Miami brought NT Paul Soliai back on a two-year, twelve million dollar contract which seemed to be a puzzling move with Miami’s transition to a 4-3 defense. Soliai possesses the versatility to play both nose tackle and defensive tackle, therefore this move deserves an A+. Pairing Soliai with Randy Starks will allow Miami’s linebackers to roam free and rack up tackles. Starks seems more comfortable inside at defensive tackle. He is strong at the point of attack and is quicker off the ball than most Offensive Guards. With Tony McDaniel and Jared Odrick shifting inside on passing downs to spell both Starks and Soliai, Miami has one of the more versatile defensive tackle corps in the NFL.

November 6, 2011; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) is brought down by Miami Dolphins nose tackle Paul Soliai (96) and defensive end Jared Odrick (98) and defensive end Randy Starks (94) during the second quarter at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-US PRESSWIRE

Defensive End: Wait a minute, Jared Odrick is a defensive tackle, right? Wrong. In Miami’s new 4-3 hybrid defense, I expect Odrick to start on the strong side, with Cameron Wake on the weak side. Odrick has the strength, speed, and quickness to start at defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. In Odrick’s second full season, I see Odrick completely breaking out (I’m expecting AT LEAST 8 sacks). With Odrick occupying the strong side, expect Wake to finally have a spectacular season. Wake has all of the qualities to be the best pass rusher in the NFL, not to mention Pro Football Focus rated Cameron Wake as the best Outside Linebacker in the NFL last season. Wake is in line for a more expanded pass rushing role this year. Expect Odrick, as I stated above in the Defensive Tackle category, to shift inside to defensive tackle on passing downs for Paul Soliai (Who is nearly in effective as a pass rusher). Who will fill in for Odrick at defensive end? Two guys to watch for, Jamaal Westerman and Miami’s third round selection, Olivier Vernon. Both are similar in size, speed, and strength. Westerman should get the call early on in the season, but expect Vernon’s role to increase as the season picks up.

Nov 20, 2011; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive end Jared Odrick (98) tackles Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson (22) during their game at Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins won 35-8. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Linebacker: Miami has a very good one-two punch at linebacker with Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett. Both should be in line for a bigger role this season with the shift to a 4-3 scheme. Early expectations were that Dansby would play the Mike role, but I think Burnett has a more natural fit at the Mike spot. Burnett plays more downhill and has better vision than Dansby. Dansby should play at the Sam position covering tight ends and backs coming out of the back field. Koa Misi is the wild card of the bunch, who is a more natural fit at the Will spot, but has the body for the Mike spot. Misi could be in line for a make or break year, especially after Miami signed former Patriot, Gary Guyton during the free agency period. Also, do not sleep on Miami’s fifth round selection, Josh Kaddu, who could end up being the Dime package linebacker and a special teams ace. With all of that being said, Dansby is probably the fastest of the three starters, but all three seem to be interchangeable. As I said before, expect Miami’s linebackers to fly around like mad men this season with the beefed up defensive line in front of them.

October 2, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Mike Tolbert (35) fumbles the ball while being tackled by Miami Dolphins linebacker Karlos Dansby (58) and linebacker Kevin Burnett (56) during the second quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

Corners: Vontae Davis finally began producing after an incident during the beginning of the season last year. Davis proved to be a shut down corner after a promising rookie and sophomore season, but never really producing. Sean Smith is in a contract year, which should help him play at a high level. But with Smith, “The only thing that’s sure about Sean Smith, is that nothing is for sure…” Smith has all of the tools to be a lock down corner and team with Davis to be one of the better corner tandems in the NFL. BUT, Smith seems to have a great game and then a horrible game. Consistency is needed, which is why Miami brought in Richard Marshall to compete with Smith for the spot opposite Davis. Marshall is a versatile player who can lock down a receiver at corner or at safety. Davis, Marshall, and Smith could end up working out for Miami, or it could end up imploding, reminiscent of what happened in Philadelphia last year.

Nov 24, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith (24) intercepts a pass against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving day at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Safety: Safety is an area of concern for Miami. After releasing fan favorite, Yeremiah Bell, Miami has little to no experience at safety. Reshad Jones, who played well at times last season but has the same consistency issues that Sean Smith has, is almost guaranteed a starting job (Jones has the most experience and highest ceiling). Jones should make the transition to Strong Safety, after playing Free Safety last year, and fill the void left by Bell. The most interesting battle will be at Free Safety. Options include Chris Clemons, former Viking, Tyrell Johnson, and converted corner, Jimmy Wilson. All are viable options for Miami at free safety. Clemons had promising rookie and sophomore campaigns, but took a step backwards last season due to lingering injuries. Johnson shined at moments in Minnesota, but also looked like a junior high player half of the time. Wilson is the wild card. Wilson had a very good rookie season for a late round pick, but also suffered through rookie mistakes. With a full off-season under his belt, Wilson just may be able to beat out his competition to earn a starting role. The safety battle is definitely worth watching this off-season.

Nov. 18, 2010; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins safety (20) Reshad Jones and safety (37) Yeremiah Bell against the Chicago Bears at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Bottom Line: Miami’s defense has been the glue for this franchise for as long as I can remember. With a spectacular run defense and an improving pass defense, look for Miami to be a top the league leaders in all defensive categories. Have faith in your Dolphins fans! Keep your ‘phins up, and as Clyde Gates says, “BIM” (Believe in Miami)!

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Miami Dolphins Defense: A Closer Look - Phin Phanatic - Phin Phanatic - A Miami Dolphins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.