Dolphins draft 2008:  The wrap-up

By Joe Mayes  |   Wednesday, April 30, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

Miami Dolphins
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Entering last weekend’s NFL draft, every team in the league had a laundry list of needs to address. With a 1-15 finish in 2007, the Dolphins’ list was probably longer than most and, combined with the fact that the team’s new front office and coaching staff were looking to bring players in to fit their system, last weekend promised to see a whole lot of new faces coming to Miami.

Of the nine previously identified needs, the Dolphins successfully addressed seven of them in the draft, the only exceptions being tight end and wide receiver. After the draft, however, the team signed eight unpicked free agents, including tight end Matt Muligan from the University of Maine and former Hawaii wide receiver Davone Bess. Of course, it’s a long shot for these undrafted free agents to make the 53-man roster, but two of last year’s crop of post-draft acquisitions -- safety Courtney Bryan (12 games) and linebacker Edmond Miles (16 games) -- made the team, while safety Tuff Harris was forced into the lineup for the season finale.

Top choice Jake Long was no surprise and the Dolphins stayed true to their checklist of needs. As expected, the team built a foundation on the lines, with three offensive (Long, guard Shawn Murphy, and guard Donald Thomas) and three defensive (ends Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford, plus tackle Lionel Dotson) linemen selected. The decision to choose quarterback Chad Henne with their second Round 2 pick caused some eyebrows to raise, but the ex-Michigan standout will give the Dolphins depth and competition at a minimum, with the possibility of having their quarterback of the future in the fold.

Perhaps the only real surprise of the draft was the sixth-round selections of running backs Jalen Parmele from Toledo and Lex Hilliard from Montana. With Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams already on the roster and needs at other positions, it was interesting to see Bill Parcells and company use these picks on ball carriers. While there has been speculation that the move indicates a lack of confidence in Brown, Williams, or both, it more likely simply represents a desire to add depth at the running back position.

Parcells has a history of searching for running backs late in the draft, often looking to schools not traditionally known as factories for the position. During his 20 seasons as head coach or general manager, Parcells has selected 14 running backs in the fourth round or later. Unfortunately, most didn’t last long in the NFL, but notable exceptions such as Marion Barber (fourth round from Minnesota, Lewis Tillman (fourth round out of Jackson State), and Dave Meggett (fifth round from Towson State) give Dolphin fans hope that Parmele and/or Hilliard may lend the team depth at the position and won’t represent wasted opportunities.

Of course, the story/non-story of the weekend was the Jason Taylor trade watch. Despite reports from Jacksonville, Tampa, and even Green Bay that the announcement of a Taylor trade was “imminent,” the news never came. Team owner Wayne Huizenga stated that he is all for trading Taylor to a Super Bowl contender and general manager Jeff Ireland acknowledged (albeit reluctantly) that there were trade discussions involving Taylor.

Publicly, Taylor has said little other than he plans on returning for the 2008 season, but rumors have been swirling for weeks that he wants out of Miami and has requested the team trade him. There were reports out of Miami this week that Taylor was put off when he showed up at Dolphin facilities and was barely acknowledged by Parcells during the visit. Every day brings new reports, stories, and rumors about Taylor and his future in Miami.

With all the drama surrounding Taylor this offseason (not to mention the fact he's indicated an interest in Hollywood after football), perhaps rather than choosing a Tiki Barber-like road, he’d be better off following the lead of former Redskins and Broncos guard Mark Schlereth and seek a role in daytime dramatic television.

After all, the past four months with the Dolphins have been one long soap opera for Taylor.

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About Joe Mayes

Joe Mayes is an award-winning writer with credits ranging from national sports columns to local newspapers and commercial and technical writing. Joe is the host of "The Morning Wrap," a morning drive-time sports talk radio show on WTKE-FM in Northwest Florida.
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CommentsComments: 5  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
jgranger		10:02 AM
04/30/2008
Perhaps the selection of Hilliard indicates the dissatisfaction with Reagan Mauia. Ireland said he could play fullback, and with...
No.2
JimmyD		01:54 PM
04/30/2008
Who cares what Taylor wants to do after football. He has been a solid player for the Dolphins and has always been there through...
No.3
lilman1023		02:24 PM
04/30/2008
I'm so sick of hearing about the Taylor/Parcells quandry......These two are both football guys....Do I Really think that Jason...
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