2008 Draft Revisited - the poor Miami Dolphins.....

[g-dawg]

2008 NFL Draft Order:
1) Miami Dolphins - Jake Long, OT-Michigan
2) St. Louis Rams - Chris Long, DE-Virginia
3) Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan, QB-Boston College


I remember this draft like it was yesterday. The Dolphins were taken over by NFL legend Bill Parcells (who had spurned Arthur Blank) and Parcells hired Tony Sparano. Dolphins needed a QB and a LT but deemed Jake Long superior to Matt Ryan and spurned taking the Boston College QB. Drafted Chad Henne in 2nd round.

Now three years later, Jake Long is a good LT but not a great one. The towel has almost been thrown in on Chad Henne who has not produced and has been benched and now on IR. Henne was given a pro-bowl WR this year in Brandon Marshall and did nothing with him.

Tony Sparano had a very good rookie coaching season but was 1-7 at home this year and is thought to be on the verge of being fired......

Drafts matter..............how much different would the Dolphins look right now if they had Matt Ryan? Thomas Dimitroff has pretty much said he would have drafted Glen Dorsey and Chad Henne..........whew!!!! that was a close one - very scary!!!

Rams looked ghastly at first as Chris Long did virtually nothing his first two years but has come on this year and Rams got another shot at franchise QB in Sam Bradford this year and he is the real deal - their franchise is on the way up!

[TonyGraziani]

It's not thought about as much at the top of the draft because all those players are "supposed" to be good, but I wonder how much Matt is in a "right place, right time" scenario? Joe Montana and Tom Brady probably wouldn't be JOE MONTANA and TOM BRADY if Joe was drafted by the Pats and Tom by the 49ers. Would Matt be MATT if he was in Miami or St. Louis? Or would he be more "human"? Hmmmm....

Thank God we will never know

[g-dawg]

(12-27-2010 05:06 PM)TonyGraziani Wrote:  It's not thought about as much at the top of the draft because all those players are "supposed" to be good, but I wonder how much Matt is in a "right place, right time" scenario? Joe Montana and Tom Brady probably wouldn't be JOE MONTANA and TOM BRADY if Joe was drafted by the Pats and Tom by the 49ers. Would Matt be MATT if he was in Miami or St. Louis? Or would he be more "human"? Hmmmm....

Thank God we will never know

great players find a way to be great whereever they are at. I truly believe that. Sure being on the "right team" helps regarding SuperBowls, etc. but I think those players you named would have found a way to rise to the top in any situation.

[cnasty]

(12-27-2010 04:59 PM)g-dawg Wrote:   2008 NFL Draft Order:

Thomas Dimitroff has pretty much said he would have drafted Glen Dorsey

Even though we wouldn't have Mr. Ryan, could you imagine Dorsey and Babs on the front? UGH. That'd be just nasty. Dorsey has been "coming into his own" best he can up there in KC. I think down here he could've done some damage. Granted I prefer Matthew 10000000 times over, I just think it would have been one hell of a DLine with Dorsey and Babs up front doing work.

[BrockSamson]

(12-27-2010 06:12 PM)cnasty Wrote:  Even though we wouldn't have Mr. Ryan, could you imagine Dorsey and Babs on the front? UGH. That'd be just nasty. Dorsey has been "coming into his own" best he can up there in KC. I think down here he could've done some damage. Granted I prefer Matthew 10000000 times over, I just think it would have been one hell of a DLine with Dorsey and Babs up front doing work.

I also think Henne would have been better in Mularkey's system than the Dolphin's.

Still...thank Pan we got Ryan.

[monoxide]

Jake Long is "good" but not "great"? By "good" I hope you mean a top 3 offensive tackle in the NFL and a pass blocking machine. Both teams did good in the first round that year, if I was the Dolphins I would have taken Long over Ryan again. The Dolphins offensive line was historically bad, and if they would have drafted Ryan, he would have been forced to start with top receivers such as Ted Ginn, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo. Matt Ryan is awesome for us and I love him to death (no homo), but he would have been nowhere near as productive in Miami. And as for Henne doing nothing with Marshall, Marshall is quietly having a productive season.

[BC32]

(12-27-2010 06:26 PM)monoxide Wrote:  (no homo)

Ahhaaha. I laugh even time I see or hear this being used because of the boondocks.

[g-dawg]

(12-27-2010 06:26 PM)monoxide Wrote:  Jake Long is "good" but not "great"? By "good" I hope you mean a top 3 offensive tackle in the NFL and a pass blocking machine. Both teams did good in the first round that year, if I was the Dolphins I would have taken Long over Ryan again. The Dolphins offensive line was historically bad, and if they would have drafted Ryan, he would have been forced to start with top receivers such as Ted Ginn, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo. Matt Ryan is awesome for us and I love him to death (no homo), but he would have been nowhere near as productive in Miami. And as for Henne doing nothing with Marshall, Marshall is quietly having a productive season.

I don't think your analysis of Jake Long as "top 3 OT" in NFL is right? Not even close.....Do you want me to name left tackles better than Jake Long? just let me know if you want me to....I think I can get up to 8 or 9 before I would have to spew out Jake Long's name.....maybe double digits.

[Joenate]

I remember an analyst brought forth this debate on NFLN but I forget. Another analyst argued that OL issues protecting Ryan and Ryan having a competent and willing OC that he has here for similar success (considering he got drafted by Miami)

[Radical]

(12-27-2010 05:10 PM)g-dawg Wrote:  great players find a way to be great whereever they are at. I truly believe that. Sure being on the "right team" helps regarding SuperBowls, etc. but I think those players you named would have found a way to rise to the top in any situation.

Steve Young SUCKED something fierce in Tampa Bay.