Cameron, Mueller hope to reverse dreadful draft trend

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, June 19, 2007  |  Comments( 16 )

Miami Dolphins
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The backlash that was created by the Miami Dolphins' somewhat radical draft selections has yet to subside. Both fans and media alike are still murmuring about the alleged "one that got away" (Brady Quinn), the "question mark" (Ted Ginn Jr.), and the "no name" (John Beck).

Granted, Beck's down-to-earth persona is now beginning to be embraced, and Ginn's speed in minicamp has quelled some of misgivings surrounding him. Moreover, Quinn's early struggles in Cleveland have led to a reversal of judgment for some of the South Florida faithful.

Still, nobody can really blame fans or media for their outcry, especially when you consider the sordid draft history that the Dolphins have built up over the past decade or so. Astute football minds will tell you that head coach Cam Cameron and General Manager Randy Mueller should not be crucified for the sins of their predecessors, but when the rap sheet is as long as Miami's is, it's hard not to let that lingering worry creep in.

Interestingly enough, many mistakenly believe that Miami's draft troubles began when Jimmy Johnson blazed a trail toward the Florida Keys and handed the reins over to Dave Wannstedt back in 2000. That is simply not the case.

Johnson's tenure is littered with draft fiascos. For starters, two of his three first-round selections -- Yatil Green and John Avery -- failed to even reach true starting status, much less contribute in any significant way. And while it's true that you can't necessarily blame Johnson for Green's unfortunate injury issues (although, truth be told, he showed injury proneness in college), Avery's selection is arguably the worst first-round choice Miami has ever made, especially when you consider that the Dolphins essentially passed on Randy Moss in that same draft.

Johnson's lone first-round success story was defensive tackle Daryl Gardener, who turned in five fairly solid seasons before wearing out his welcome with the franchise.

Still, Johnson has been, by far, the best evaluator of talent that the Dolphins have had in the post-Don Shula era. He selected two Pro Bowl corners -- Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain -- and two potential Hall of Famers -- Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor -- in the span of just three years. Madison and Surtain were both second-rounders; Taylor was a third-rounder; and Thomas was a fifth-round selection.

Now let's turn our attention to Johnson's aforementioned successor, Wannstedt.

After being handpicked by Johnson, Wannstedt and his G.M. - Rick Spielman - gradually earned a reputation for being among the worst personnel evaluators in recent NFL history. However, it should be noted that the duo did hit on a few draft selections.

Todd Wade, a second-round pick in 2000, has been an above-average offensive tackle throughout his career.

Chris Chambers, though inconsistent, is a solid receiver and has a Pro Bowl trip on his resume.

Travis Minor has been a solid third-down back and special teams ace.

Morlon Greenwood has been a serviceable yet unspectacular pro starter.

Randy McMichael is just a notch below the elite echelon of NFL tight ends.

Yeremiah Bell, a sixth-round selection in 2003, is now a starter.

And perhaps most impressively, Wannstedt and Spielman drafted two starting offensive linemen in 2004 -- first-rounder Vernon Carey and sixth-rounder Rex Hadnot.

But, as the young kids say these days, let's not get it twisted. Wannstedt and Spielman had a lot more misses than hits, and the tandem's insistence on drafting defense in the early rounds, at the expense of the quarterback position, has severely handicapped Miami's offense.

Jamar Fletcher is now a serviceable cornerback, but the former first-rounder was a complete bust for the Dolphins.

Worse yet, second-round pick Eddie Moore's career was cut short by injury as well as his lack of toughness and athleticism, as evidenced by his getting knocked out in a bar fight early in his career, made him a shoo-in for the "bust" label.

Wannstedt and Spielman also had a pair of third-round offensive line busts -- Seth McKinney in 2002 and Wade Smith in 2003.

Sadly, what would could have been the pair's most impressive personnel move during their tenure proved to be their ultimate undoing. Miami gave up two first-rounders in exchange for Ricky Williams, and the tradeoff seemed to be well worth it when he led the league in rushing during his first season with the team. Unfortunately, lingering issues with drug suspensions and lack of overall motivation rendered him useless and rendered the franchise devoid of first-round picks for years to come.

The team was also left sans second-round picks thanks to the duo's ill-advised investment in career backup QB A.J. Feeley, which brings us to the end of the Wannstedt and Spielman era and the start of the Nick Saban regime.

Saban came off as a draft guru when three members of his inaugural class (Ronnie Brown, Channing Crowder and Travis Daniels) earned starting duties and a fourth (Matt Roth) regularly contributed. More importantly, it seemed as if Saban would adhere to the philosophy that a team should be built through the draft as opposed to mortgaging away future picks for veteran players.

But that philosophy quickly dissipated in Year 2. Saban traded away a second-round pick for a severely injured Daunte Culpepper when he could have signed another injured quarterback, Drew Brees, for about the same amount of money but no draft pick. Sure enough, Culpepper failed to return to form while Brees went on to put up MVP numbers for the New Orleans Saints. Add to that the questionable selection of safety Jason Allen in the first round, and Saban's status as a draft guru quickly lost its validity.

Saban definitely made some solid choices in his first year, and several players from the 2006 class, like Derek Hagan and Fred Evans, are showing signs of promise. However, the Culpepper debacle and arguably premature selection of Allen serve to taint the current University of Alabama coach's draft legacy.

And this brings us all the way back to Cameron and Mueller. Already, some of their selections seem to be panning out in a big way, like center Sam Satele, who is currently slated to start immediately. Unfortunately for Miami, there are still many question marks surrounding this initial draft class, and if Quinn turns into an All-Pro down the line, Cameron and Mueller will likely never live it down.

Fortunately, though, it's still mid-June and there is still plenty of time for guys like Ginn, Beck, Lorenzo Booker and Co. to prove that this newest regime will finally turn around Miami's rather ugly draft history.

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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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CommentsComments: 16  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Bobgrush		09:32 AM
06/19/2007
I think nick did a pretty good job of drafting and as time goes by this may be proved more and more. DC in time may prove he has...
No.2
Sam		09:33 AM
06/19/2007
I'm starting to think that neither Quinn nor Beck are prime cuts. Quinn was just so hyped and we wanted a QB so bad that we just...
No.3
Rob H		11:08 AM
06/19/2007
I am a Miami Dolphins football fan again because of this draft and this new regime. It's the first time I've liked a Miami...
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