Daniel Thomas: “Wild” Pick?

When the Miami Dolphins moved up to the second round giving up the 3 to 1 pick ratio most fans thought that Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas would have his name called out.  That wasn’t the case as the Dolphins moved up to draft Kansas State RB Daniel Thomas. A bruising north and south runner who has size, power, and grit.  He also has an arm.

Thomas has been compared in some circles as a Ronnie Brown type of running back.  While more upfield and less dancing, the biggest question seems to surround Thomas’ ability to throw the ball where Ronnie Brown simply couldn’t with any consistency.  So the question obviously becomes, is Daniel Thomas going to resurrect the “Wild Cat” package?

Let me be the first to say, “In the name of the football Gods, please no!”.

I have had enough of the “Wild Cat”.  I’ve had enough of failures and the successes of it.  It was a gimmick in year one, it’s a gimmick now.  It has no place in a struggling offense and does nothing for the maturation of a QB who is trying to define his future with this team or the coaches who’s jobs hinge on a successful offense.  The “Wild Cat” is not an offense.  It’s misguided concept that teams have figured out regardless of whether Tony Sparano and Brian Daboll find a way to throw out of it.

If Daniel Thomas was drafted over any other RB in last weekends draft simply because he can throw the football better, then the Dolphins wasted draft picks, wasted time, and are wasting Stephen Ross’ money.  Build an offense.  Not a concept of something that hasn’t worked in two years.

The Dolphins were sold on the WC two years ago, so much so that Bill Parcells just had to have that “ace” who could throw the ball down-field out of that formation.  So he drafted Pat White.  In round 2.  Failure.  This year, the Dolphins needed a RB in a big way but instead of taking Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram in round 1, they opted instead to trade back into round 2 to draft a runner who has had issues with fumbling the ball.  But can throw it.  So again, was his arm strength a consideration for his drafting or was it simply the right fitting player into an offensive system that is being built to be more exciting and lateral than back-field dancing and Chad Henne being pulled off the field?

I have nothing against Daniel Thomas and honestly I loved listening to his post-draft comments about how he envisions himself as a Miami Dolphins.  He sees himself as a Larry Johnson or Steven Jackson type.  The Dolphins can only hope.  Following the selection, I received an Email from this networks owner, Zach Best, congratulating me on selecting “his boy from K. State”.   He loved the pick.  He thinks that Thomas is going to be a great addition to the Dolphins offense.

I hope so, I just hope that it’s not for the purpose of resurrecting a dead formation that serves no purpose outside of keeping the offense out of sync and a QB from gaining confidence.

I will say this.  I support Tony Sparano.  I like him as a coach.  But if the Dolphins offense slants once again to that waste of a formation, successfully or not, Stephen Ross needs to find a new HC, new OC, and a new GM.  We need an offense, not a gimmick.