The Dolphins Have Tuna... Now What?

With a new Vice President in Bill Parcells and the first pick overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, what is next for the Miami Dolphins? The team has no real building blocks, unless you consider injured running back Ronnie Brown or shakey rookies John Beck (QB) and Ted Ginn (WR). Having the first pick overall leaves the Dolphins in a great situation to either trade the pick for multiple picks, or use the pick and grab a marquee franchise player.

Keep the pick
Jake Long, OT, Michigan
Long makes the most sense to people evaluating this team. Often compared to Joe Thomas of the Browns, Long could solidify this line immediately and give the Dolphins one of the most important blocks to building a team.

Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
If Miami continues to run their 3-4 defense, they need to add to the heart of their defensive line. Dorsey is a strong, fast penetrator that will be able to disrupt the pocket and back field of the offense.

Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Quite simply, he is the best player in the draft. McFadden compares to Pro Bowl starter and Rookie of the Year Adrian Peterson and could immediately give the Dolphins a legitimate running game. But with Ronnie Brown and others already on the roster, this pick is more of a luxury.

Chris Long, DE, Virginia
The defensive line badly needs a tough, three-down player that can stop the run and rush the passer. Long is ideal for the 3-4 defense and actually played under former Parcells assistant Al Groh at Virginia in this defense. He makes the most sense from a coaching standpoint and with Parcells known to draft player's he is connected to, this makes a lot of sense to us.

Trade the Pick
By trading the first pick overall, the Dolphins not only save money towards the salary cap, but they also pick up many needed extra picks. A team with so many holes and weaknesses needs as many picks as possible in the draft, especially in the first four rounds. Trading the pick would offer Miami the chance to grab another first round pick, maybe two if Dallas gets involved, and at least an extra second or third-round pick. The Dolphins already have an extra second round pick from the San Diego Chargers via the Chris Chambers trade, but gave up their 5th round pick to Kansas City for Trent Green.

Hypothetically speaking, the Dolphins could expect to receive a first, second and future draft pick if they were to move this pick. That is the minimum they will receive in return. This would give them:
1st round- 1 pick
2nd round- 3 picks
3rd round- 2 picks

This is six new players, all in the top 100 best college football players, entering the team an infusing them with talent at much needed positions.

What are their needs?
Some argue that the Dolphins need a quarterback, while others say it's time to give John Beck a real chance or let Cleo Lemon play an entire season. At running back the team has Brown, Jesse Chatman and Lorenzo Booker. Wide receiver is a bit of a need, with only Ted Ginn's future promising. The offensive line, including tight end, is a mess.

On defense, the Dolphins must decide on a scheme and stick with it. It's likely that Parcells and defensive coordinator Dom Capers (ht, Luke Chandler) will agree on the 3-4 defensive scheme already in place. This means adding a nose tackle, at least one defensive end and youth at linebacker. The Miami secondary has the talented Jason Allen, but not much more to build around.