Free Agent or Draft: How Should the Miami Dolphins Fill Their Biggest Holes?
Seek it out in free agency, or take a chance in the draft?
That's the conundrum the Miami Dolphins face when deciding how to plug up their biggest holes.
How they approach the draft has a lot to do with what they plan on doing in free agency and if they sign the players they are targeting.
But for each position, which way is the best way to fill said hole? Let's take a look.
Cornerbacks: Free Agency
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Let's compare the talent in the draft with the talent in free agency.
I'm not a fan of the players coming out of college this year, at least not big enough of a fan to draft one in the first or second round where the Dolphins could find a decent starter.
That's what they will need this season at cornerback: a starter.
With that in mind, the Dolphins should look to free agency to find a second starting cornerback.
The best option to me is Chris Culliver, however, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald said the Dolphins have had internal discussions about signing either Kareem Jackson of the Houston Texans or Brandon Flowers of the San Diego Chargers.
Both cornerbacks would be solid options, however, I'd go with Jackson seeing as he's two years younger and, as Pro Football Focus shows, improved as the season went on in 2014 compared to Flowers, who started off well but saw his play decline as the season went on.
Guard: Draft
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This is a good, but expensive, free-agent pass for guards.
I'd like Mike Iupati, I'd like Orlando Franklin and I'd like Clint Boling.
That's it, though, and I don't see the Dolphins signing either of those players with the big plans they seem to have at other positions (which we will discuss later in the slideshow).
I'd rather the Dolphins stick to those big plans, than draft a guard.
There are plenty for the taking between the second and sixth rounds of the draft, and the Dolphins could find a starter as late as the fourth round of the draft.
Do that, then use free agency to catch the big fish.
Inside Linebacker: Draft
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Some positions are very top-heavy, some are deep but not elite.
The inside linebacker position is the second one, and it's a position where the Dolphins can find a starter in the second or third round.
There are three linebackers that would fit Miami's scheme that will likely be available between Rounds 2 and 4: Denzel Perryman from Miami, Benardrick McKinney from Mississippi State and TCU's Paul Dawson.
The sentimental pick for me is Perryman, but McKinney is the slightly better (and larger) pick for the Dolphins.
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Wide Receiver: Draft
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If Mike Wallace gets released, he vaults to the very top of that list. Think about that for a second.
Now take a look at the wide receivers entering the draft this year.
I'll take the first-round wide receivers of 2015 over the free-agent wide receivers, with only one exception.
As John McClain of The Houston Chronicle reports, Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has been given permission to seek a trade, and he will be released if a trade isn't made.
I'd approve of the Dolphins signing Andre Johnson and drafting a wide receiver, assuming Mike Wallace is released.
If Wallace isn't released, I'd still draft a receiver. The one's I'd consider if I were the Dolphins are Kevin White, Amari Cooper (but I would not trade up for him) or Dorial Green-Beckham.
Running Back: Free Agency
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I'm usually in favor of drafting a running back, and that might not be a bad idea for the Dolphins even if they sign one in free agency.
I'm suggesting the Dolphins sign one in free agency because this is the best free-agent running back class I've seen.
The top of my list is C.J. Spiller, who the Bills have deemed expendable thanks to their impending acquisition of LeSean McCoy from the Philadelphia Eagles, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Per Spiller on an appearance on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access", the Bills "thanked him for his services" prior to the trade.
Then this tweet came on my timeline:
"Spiller is eligible to become a UFA. I'm told potential suitors considering interest include the Cards, Jets, Dolphins & 49ers at this time.
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 4, 2015"
Spiller would be a great fit for the Dolphins as a complement to Lamar Miller, and he would be valued the most catching passes out of the backfield. This is a signing the Dolphins should make.
Defensive Tackle: Free Agency
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This rumor seems too good to be true, and it's one that I'd be in heavy favor of if it came to fruition.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins are making a "serious attempt" to sign Ndamukong Suh.
While that seems improbable, Mark Dominik of ESPN (a close friend and former co-worker of Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey) claims that the Dolphins have a "real shot" at signing Suh (h/t Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post).
It would take up a lot of cap space, however, this is something the Dolphins should do if they have the chance.
How would they do it? They could load most of the guaranteed money into 2016 and 2017, when Suh will be 29 and 30, and when the Dolphins will have plenty of salary cap space.
This would force the Dolphins to fill most of their holes through the draft in 2015 and 2016, but they should do that anyways. In fact, unless they can pull off the miracle of signing both Suh and Jared Odrick, defensive tackle would still be a need in the draft.
How would Suh help the Dolphins? He'd strengthen their run defense, give the pass-rushers more lanes up the middle and give more time to the cornerbacks.
He'd change the complexion of the Dolphins defense overnight. Whatever you pay Suh, you're not overpaying him in that situation.
Statistics provided by Pro-football-reference.com. Advance statistics provided by Pro Football Focus.
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