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Editor’s note: As part of PFW’s wall-to-wall draft coverage, we will provide in-depth analysis on each of the top 10 picks, starting with the Dolphins' selection of Jake Long. Commentaries on picks 2-10 will be posted on Saturday shortly after the selections are made.
Size matters. Car companies get rich on putting the biggest, baddest SUVs on the road, guys make the gals giddy by putting the biggest, shiniest diamonds on their fingers, and we’re constantly bombarded with e-mails about “enhancement” options for giving men the biggest … well, you get the point.
Dolphins executive VP of football operations Bill Parcells has an affinity for big football players. Considering his nickname, “The Tuna,” represents an item paid for by the pound, perhaps that’s not surprising. On Tuesday, Parcells put his preference to use, making Michigan OT Jake Long — all 6-7, 313 pounds of him — the No. 1 pick of the 2008 draft.
With every prospect available, is Long the best choice for the Dolphins? Let’s put it this way: If I were making the call, Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston would have gotten the nod. Then again, I think there’s still place in the NFL for the single wing, so maybe it’s a good thing I’m not running the show.
That being said, I think the selection of Long was the most appropriate pick the Dolphins could have made because it fits the blueprint that the new regime laid out. The decision-making trio of Parcells, GM Jeff Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano (Miami Thrice, as I like to call them) arrived in South Florida with a definitive plan on how to rebuild a storied franchise that has fallen on hard times. The plan is multi-pronged and somewhat malleable, but it nevertheless is rooted in a philosophy of minimizing risk with long-term stability being the ultimate goal.
The first part calls for dumping those players past their prime, especially those with bloated contracts. Goodbye Trent Green, Marty Booker, L.J. Shelton, Keith Traylor and Zach Thomas.
The second part calls for bringing in guys whose best years are ahead of them and don’t come attached with “yeah, buts” — which includes performance, injury and character issues. Hello Josh McCown, Randy Starks, Reggie Torbor, Justin Smiley and Ernest Wilford.
The third part, which is really an extension of the second, is avoiding the seductive appeal of name-brand free agents whose high price tags are grounded more in potential than production. Hence, opting against outbidding the Jets for Calvin Pace.
As with any rule, the Dolphins allowed themselves a few exceptions. After all, recently acquired Jason Ferguson is on the wrong side of 30 years of age and was limited to just a single game last year with a biceps tear, and Jason Taylor, 33, remains a Dolphin despite a hefty salary — although I do firmly believe he’ll be dealt sometime before the trading deadline.
The fact that every draft prospect is in his early 20s eliminates age from the equation for the No 1 pick, but the notion that Long was the “safest” of all the top prospects is perhaps the biggest reason he can now call Miami home.
Although his talent level is considerably higher than the veterans Miami brought in, he’s similar in the sense that the Fins are highly confident they’re getting a quality contributor. Such a confidence simply isn’t as great with the other top prospects, given their respective question marks. Gholston too often disappeared in games. Chris Long’s middling burst raises concerns about his ability to wreak havoc in the fast-paced NFL. Glenn Dorsey doesn’t have experience playing defensive end, which he’d be doing in the Dolphins' 3-4 scheme. Matt Ryan throws too many interceptions and doesn’t have a cannon arm. Darren McFadden carries more baggage than a Hyatt bellhop.
What are Jake Long’s red flags? None. Not that he’s the perfect prospect, but you can’t find fault with the most dominant offensive lineman in the college game the past two seasons who has impeccable character. When doling such incredible amounts of money for the top pick, “safety” matters. As Parcells said, and many other team officials have echoed leading up to the draft, the enormity of contracts for the top draftees has a debilitating effect on the club should the player fail to pan out.
While offensive tackle was without a doubt Miami’s No. 1 need, I’m hesitant to put too much stock into the notion that Long was taken to fill a void. The Dolphins won’t be making a playoff push this season regardless of their draft crop, so the fact that Long will pay bigger immediate dividends than any other potential draftee is merely an added bonus to the overriding factor that he’s the surest long-term cog. I’m also hesitant to think that Sparano’s O-line pedigree drove the pick, even though it likely played a small part.
Contrary to popular belief, building a strong offensive line isn’t the mandatory starting point to a rebuilding club. Neither is running back, linebacker or cornerback. Reality is, good teams need good players across the board, as every unit’s effectiveness is determined in large part by how well other units perform. If anything, a stellar quarterback is the one position player that gives a franchise the best chance of long-term success. There have been countless quarterbacks that have reversed the fortunes of downtrodden clubs, while few, if any, offensive linemen can say the same. Maybe Orlando Pace in St. Louis, but few would argue that Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk were not more crucial to “The Greatest Show on Turf” than Pace.
If Parcells was sold on Ryan as an elite prospect, chances are he’d be the pick. But he wasn’t. The Dolphins followed their blueprint, and the blueprint pointed to Long. A big addition, indeed.
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