2011 NFL Draft: Reading Between the Lines for the Miami Dolphins Version One

Even coming off a disappointing 7-9 campaign, interest in how the Miami Dolphins can improve is still pretty high if you poll Dolfans. That's pretty easy to determine, but what is much harder is getting consensus from fans on what Miami should do to improve.

Heavens knows, I have my opinions for the whopping nickel that they are probably worth. But what is the Dolphins brain trust thinking? After all, their opinion is all that matters during this offseason.

So, I will be working on a regular segment which will analyze the whispers, rumors, and rhetoric coming out of South Florida to try to tell you what it actually means.

Here we go.

1. Miami probably won't be drafting in the #15 spot in the 2011 draft.

Yes, the Dolphins are currently slotted for that spot, but consider that Miami doesn't have a second-round pick in 2011 due to last year's acquisition of Brandon Marshall. The Dolphins didn't initially have a second round pick last year due to the same Marshall trade, but they regrouped it by moving down 16 spots in the first round in a trade with San Diego.

General Manager Jeff Ireland clearly wants to repeat last-year's deal. “You don’t have it right now (a second-round pick), but like you’ve seen in the past, there’s ways to get it back,” Ireland said courtesy of Omar Kelly of the Florida Sun-Sentinel. “We’re always looking to try to do that. As of right now we don’t have one, but who knows, on game day, draft day we’ll have one.”

Further simplifying the scenario of trading down in the first round is that without a new collective bargaining agreement, no NFL team can trade players for draft picks.

This renders the incessant talk of who Miami might be slotted for at 15 moot and pointless. It's far more likely that Miami drafts in the late 20's right now, which leads us to the next point.

2. The Dolphins have interest in quarterbacks but not necessarily the ones fans are familiar with or want.

In a previous article, I stated that it was unlikely that Miami would draft a quarterback at #15 if they stuck with Tony Sparano as head coach and Ireland as the GM.

The argument being that these two men have a year to turn this franchise around which doesn't leave time to develop a young quarterback, especially when the team could get an instant impact from drafting another position in the first round. I still firmly believe that, but the possibility of getting a signal-caller improves dramatically if Miami moves down in round one and picks up a second-round pick.

On Wednesday, Tony Pauline of TFYDraft.com and SI.com, tweeted that Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been drawing big-time attention from the Minnesota Vikings and the Dolphins. He added that both teams see Kaepernick as a possible second-round selection. I have been a big fan of Kaepernick, especially when I thought he would go much lower in the draft. His physical measurables are outstanding and his pass-run threat fits Miami perfectly.

More importantly, the possibility of not having to use a first round pick on a quarterback might keep the likes of him, Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton and Ricky Stanzi in play for the Dolphins.

Locker, initially thought to be a high first rounder, will likely fall in the first round (due to persistent accuracy concerns) and maybe off the stage of Radio City Music Hall entirely on that Thursday night in April.

3. The Dolphins have a need, a need for speed.

Ireland, who was unusually chatty this past week, declared that Miami might have a chance of re-signing either Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams but not both. Ireland also admitted that improving team speed is a priority.

Translation: Miami probably won't bring either one back because they simply lack the speed and explosiveness that the Dolphins realize they need. Check that. They realize they MUST have more speed and explosiveness at several positions going forward.

There aren't a ton of speedy options in this year's draft at tailback, although one should watch West Virginia's Noel Devine carefully.

Devine is tiny and probably doesn't rate more than 8 to 10 touches in a game, but he would be a player that could go the distance on any given snap. Oregon State's Jaquizz Rodgers might be another small dynamo that has pro potential. Most of the other backs aren't necessarily plodders but they aren't speed merchants either.

The options for speed at wide receiver aren't much more promising. Troy's Jerrel Jernigan and Boise State's Titus Young are the two deep threats worth monitoring, but both are slight in stature and will have to be put in positions to avoid the jam off the line of scrimmage. Neither player figures as a first round talent anyhow, which brings us to the final conclusion for today.

4. Miami's first round pick is more likely to be a "boring" lineman than an "exciting" playmaker.

If we have learned anything from the Senior Bowl this week, and that might be debatable in trying to separate rumor from truth, it's that a trio of "grunts" look ready to step in and contribute to an NFL team. Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi and John Moffit had very good practices during the week as did Boston College's Anthony Castonzo.

Miami head coach Tony Sparano is an offensive line coach by trade and clearly loves the blue-collar linemen if his three-years in South Florida are any indication (See Jake Long, Richie Incognitio, Jake Grove, Joe Berger, Nate Garner, Pat Mcquistan, etc.). Carimi, Moffit, and Castonzo all fit this mold and both Wisconsin men showed far more athleticism than anyone thought this week in Mobile, Alabama.

I could easily see any of these players being Miami's first round picks, especially Moffit and Castonzo if the Dolphins move down in the draft, as I presume they will.

Well, that's all for now. Tune in for another edition of "reading between the lines", as soon as there is more news to report or translate.