NFL Draft 2011: Miami Dolphins Day 2 Review, Day 3 Preview

I'm so confused. Very, very confused with the Miami Dolphins. I'll get to that in a moment.  

First, there was a run at Colin Kaepernick, my overall favorite quarterback is a 49er. The Raiders wanted him.

He went extremely early in the second round. Kaepernick is in a good place with QB guru Jim Harbaugh. I really wish him all the best.

The Patriots have either validated my perspective on the 2011 draft or they will fail miserably with their rookies this season. I loved Nate Solder, Shane Vereen, and (yes) Ryan Mallett. The Patriots thought so highly of their rookies that they continued to trade their picks to get more value from the draft.

It was easy to tell when the Patriots were satisfied and done. 

Meanwhile, I have no idea if the Dolphins got their guy in Daniel Thomas. I have no idea why they had to trade up to get him. They really couldn't afford it.

I hope the hamstring injury (which kept him from running at the combine) or character concerns (according to the Sun Sentinel, he needed to enroll at two junior colleges before he was able to attend Kansas St.) keep him from competing. Thomas sure looks a lot like Ronnie Brown. Why not just re-sign Brown? 

Oh, Thomas is an upgrade for the Wildcat. Apparently he has a great arm. He is a former quarterback who ran the Wildcat at Kansas St. 

Cool. 

How is it that this may be the second draft where the Dolphins allow the Wildcat to impact another second-round pick?

Am I really understanding this correctly? Does this front office never learn!? 

I'm not say that Ryan Mallett should've been the pick. But I'm fairly positive that Daniel Thomas would've been on the board in the third round. I've yet to hear anything different. There must be a good explanation for this move.

The Dolphins needed another quarterback, offensive lineman, and special teams. Oh, and remember all the talk about adding speed? Meet Daniel Thomas. 

I expected more out of Jeff Ireland. These moves are more of the same: three yards and a cloud of dust. Now that Daboll is the offensive coordinator is he looking for another Peyton Hillis?I hope not. But it seems that way. 

I'm not enjoying this draft like I was hoping. I was hoping to see the Dolphins draft like the Patriots. In fact, my mock draft for the Dolphins fit perfectly with the Patriots strategy (athletic, multidimensional athletes).

I was hoping the Dolphins wanted more creativity and athleticism on offense. Instead, it looks more like the same offensive strategy from prior years.

The final day of the draft holds four picks for the Dolphins. I'm still believing that Jacquizz Rodgers and Casey Matthews have a legitimate chance to become Miami Dolphins. However, it is easy to see that the Dolphins are extremely dedicated to a run first/Wildcat philosophy.

If that's true, why trade for Brandon Marshall? He was expensive! The receivers who fit best into a run first offense are the Wes Welker and Davone Bess receivers. Brandon Marshall is a big time play maker. 

I hope this final day will be about shoring up one of the worst special team units in the NFL. The Dolphins need a kick returner/running back/receiver. They need an H-back or tight end. 

Let's hope for an interesting final day of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Dolphins must hear the rumblings of the fan base, grumbling with questions that need answers.