Miami Dolphins Have Many Draft Hopes, But Few Options

The Miami Dolphins' new regime has let it be known that they'll entertain offers for their first overall selection in April's draft. However, dealing that pick is much easier said than done.

It has almost become a rite of passage this time of year, up there with broken New Year's resolutions and the changing of retail store holiday displays from Christmas season to Valentine's Day.

The announcement by the NFL general manager lucky - or unlucky - enough to hold the first overall pick in the upcoming draft that his team will consider trade offers for the selection.

And it happened again this week, at the Senior Bowl, when new Miami GM Jeff Ireland stated that the Dolphins would entertain bids for the No. 1 pick.

Most times the trade never happens, but making the belief known is perceived as sound business. Franchises believe it keeps the team holding the second overall pick guessing. If they have a player whom they covet, they might be enticed into trading up lest someone like Jerry Jones or Al Davis slides in and steals the show. Also, you never know when someone will go for broke in trading up for a player they want. Mike Ditka once traded away his entire draft pool, as well as two additional first-day picks in the next year's draft, just to get one player—Ricky Williams. No matter your opinion of Williams—and do not get most Dolphin fans started on that topic—he was not worth that type of deal.

Chances are that a team holding the first overall selection has a variety of holes to fill. The Dolphins, who are coming off a 1-15 campaign, have an aging defense and a dearth of skill-position talent on offense, certainly fit that description.

Increasingly, however, the reason why teams try desperately to get out of that top draft spot has to do with salary-cap economics. Investing significant cap space into an unproven player is a major risk. The 49ers hired reputed offensive genius Mike Martz this offseason for many reasons, but one of them had to be that they're worried their quarterback, 2005 first overall selection Alex Smith, is slowly turning into a bust. Smith's numbers after three seasons aren't nearly those of a Pro Bowler (54.4 passer rating, 19 TDs to 31 INTs). However, in the middle of a $49.5-million deal -- with $24 million of it guaranteed -- San Francisco will try anything to turn Smith into at least an above-average pro signalcaller. It's either that, or wait until his cap figure is off the books. That's three long years from now.

However, the chances of the Dolphins finding a suitor are slim. There isn't a once-in-a-lifetime talent of Peyton Manning's ilk heading up this year's draft. Without that off-the-chart player available for anyone to bid on, it'll be hard to trade down.

In the likely event that the Dolphins keep the pick, intrigue as to whom they select will remain. Some Dolphin fans are pining for Darren McFadden, the Arkansas running back who has been compared favorably to rookie wunderkind Adrian Peterson. However, if Ireland truly is a disciple of executive Bill Parcells, the Dolphins will look for running back help later, if at all. In past years, Parcells has found outstanding rushers in later rounds - taking Curtis Martin in the third and Marion Barber in the fourth. Barber's going to the Pro Bowl this year, along with Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook, a one-time third round choice.

Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey of LSU is another option, and he would fill a Miami need considering the age of some of its linemen. However, pro offensive linemen aren't college offensive linemen and the double teams Dorsey gained while playing in the SEC - which allowed his teammates to work one-on-one - may not come so easily on Sundays.