What Could Be Up Miami’s Sleeve?
With puzzling moves throughout this past week, many fans have been wondering just what is going on in South Beach. The Miami Dolphin’s front office has been showing fans lately that the team is in a rebuilding mode, which most fans are concerned with. Fans are consistently asking themselves, “What could be up Miami’s sleeve?” Many believe that Miami’s defense is just too talented to waste through a rebuilding period, so what is going on?
The answer: Miami wants to build a strong future through the draft. Take a look at some of the best teams in the NFL. The Patriots, Steelers, and Packers have two common themes; they build through the draft and they rarely ever shell out money to big name free agents. These teams consist of players that fit their system and contribute in limited roles. Plain and simple, the front office in South Beach is “taking a page out of their playbook” and drafting a strong nucleus.
What exactly should we expect? Moore of the same, pun intended. Fans write off Matt Moore like he is a horrible quarterback, which he is not. Moore can be good, if he is surrounded with great talent. In Dallas and Carolina he had little to no talent around him. In Miami, he has untapped talent. Sure, Miami may have taken a step back at receiver by trading Brandon Marshall, but he did not fit Philbin’s system. With Bush, Long, Bess, and a promising tandem of Thomas and Pouncey, Miami’s offense has a strong core. With this said, still expect Miami to draft a few receivers, and focus on solidifying the right side of the offensive line. Miami’s draft should be based primarily on offense, while also getting a pass rusher to compliment Cameron Wake.
Although Matt Moore could shine in Miami if given the reigns, I fully expect Miami to go hard after a quarterback in the 2013 draft. Matt Barkley and Landry Jones were both thought to be targeted by Miami, that is until both opted to return for their senior seasons. Both Barkley and Jones are intriguing options, but with the powerful defense Miami boasts, they may be just out of reach. Unless Miami decides to trade up, expect them to look towards Tyler Wilson of Arkansas, who seems to be the third best quarterback of next year’s crop, at this time.
Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves. What if the front office does not believe in Matt Moore (clearly they are skeptical) and newly signed David Garrard? Miami could take a shot in the second or third round with a few prospects. I do not expect Miami to reach for Ryan Tannehill with their first round pick (Michael Flloyd would look good in a Phins jersey, right?). Brock Osweiler is a very intriguing prospect. At 6’7” and 242 pounds, he possesses the ideal size for a west coast style quarterback. Although Osweiler only has one year of collegiate football under his belt, he preformed very well in the system provided for him at Arizona State (which was a pro-style, west coast offense). Another guy who is under-rated, Kirk Cousins of Michigan State. He possesses ideal size at 6’3” and 214 pounds. He possesses fairly well pocket presence and although most claim him to be the “game manager” type of quarterback, what is the issue with that? He possesses a fairly strong arm with above average accuracy. Let’s not forget, Alex Smith preformed pretty well in that same role this past season for San Francisco.
To sum it all up, the Miami Dolphins front office has a plan in place for the future. They know what they are doing, and how they want to do it. Sure, it seems that they are not delivering, but the best plans take time. Miami want’s to build through the draft for a strong future. Without a strong nucleus no team can be successful. Miami has the promising stars to produce on offense, they just need to find the orchestrator for the orchestra. Once Philbin and the front office can find their guy, Miami will once again return to glory.