Dolphins Draft: Cameron Gets Behind Tedd Ginn, John Beck

What is it about the NFL Draft that sets fans into a loathsome rage?

 

Less than five minutes after the Miami Dolphins chose Ohio State burner Ted Ginn Jr. over the much-coveted Brady Quinn, the angst-ridden Dolphins base was ready to throw tomatoes at new coach Cam Cameron.

 

The mood on the messages boards hinted at a lynch mob...but the rowdies failed to take stock of the big picture. Even as they whined like porpoises in lamentation for Quinn, the Dolphins faithful would have done well to remember the holes Miami needed to fill.

 

The only true bright spot for the Dolphins in 2006 came from receiver and kick returner Wes Welker, who led the team in receptions and excelled on special teams. With Welker departed for New England, Ginn will fill a gaping hole in the Dolphins game plan.

Obviously, Cameron saw a need and decided to fill it—even though he knew the choice wouldn't be popular.

You have to at least credit the Dolphins brass for their audacity. After passing on Quinn, they took BYU quarterback John Beck in the second round. Beck struggled as a sophomore and a junior but blossomed as a senior, tossing 32 TDs against eight interceptions in an 11-win season.

NFL Draft analyst Mike Mayock and Monday Night Football commentator Ron Jaworski both had Beck as a sleeper pick—not too far behind Quinn and JaMarcus Russell. Is it a stretch to think that Cameron knew exactly what he was doing when he waited to take a QB?

Personally, I commend the Dolphins for their bold moves. Cameron obviously knew he had to rebuild Nick Saban's torpid offense. In the draft, Miami picked up a versatile receiver and a strong-armed quarterback. They also got better in the trenches with Hawaii's Samson Sataele and Central Michigan's Drew Mormino. Sataele was Mike Mayock's #2 center, and started 53 games at both center and guard in college. Mormino comes from a program known for producing successful NFL linemen.

And Cameron had one card up his sleeve: Running behind the Dolphins's revamped O-line will be Florida State's Lorenzo Booker, who should be able to fill the void left by fellow 'Nole Travis Minor as backup to Ronnie Brown.

If you were going to slap a grade on Cameron's draft-day performance, it would have to be an incomplete. The Dolphins gambled on the futures of men who've yet to prove themselves at the professional level, and only only time will tell if Ginn and Co. turn into stars. If they don't, you can bet Dolphins fans will be just as hard on the team in September as they were on Cameron this weekend.

Cameron has now made a name for himself as a risk-taker. It remains to be seen whether he can establish himself as a winner.