By Paul Smythe 

There is nothing like a nationally televised football game, unless of course, it is a nationally televised Miami Dolphins game. 

This game will be Chad Henne’s first game of the season that will be viewed by the entire country, and I expect him to show up in a big way Sunday night.

This is the game that proves to everyone that Chad Henne is a top quarterback in the NFL, and it could not have come at a better time.

The New York Jets are the perfect team for him to beat.

Practically anyone who follows football in the slightest knows about the self-proclaimed “Super Bowl Champions-to be” New York Jets. The casual fan will probably also know about the New York Jets very good defense because of how much they were talked about so much during the offseason.

Chad Henne, on the other hand, is someone that most casual fans do not know much(if at all) about. Henne has been good so far in just under a full year at the helm of the Miami Dolphins, but he has not been good enough to become a household name. He is no Peyton Manning, and not many people know much about him. Most fans have probably heard of him, but they do not pay much attention to him or consider him to be a really good quarterback.

That will change Sunday night.

Chad Henne is going to have a great game through the air, and people will recognize what he is able to do because of the defense he is playing.

If you walk up to a casual fan and ask him/her what team has the best defense in the NFL (without bias), chances are he/she would say the New York Jets, which is why when Henne shreds their defense Sunday night people will take notice. It won’t even matter that Darrelle Revis is out with an injury because regular fans do not pay attention to names on defense. They just look at how the defense does as a whole.

The Miami Dolphins have not shown much of a passing offense in the previous two weeks, but I have reason to believe that will change. I think the Dolphins have been waiting to unveil their real passing offense until a big division matchup like this one.

This game is more important than either game that the Dolphins have won so far, which is why Miami will throw the ball more. They will need to put up points to assure a win, which would be huge for the AFC East division standings. A 3-0 start would be great for Miami, but it is especially important because it puts the Jets at 1-2.

The biggest impact would be on the mentality of the Jets, though. They came into this season thinking that the Super Bowl was all but theirs, but a loss to a team in their division would be crushing and hard to recover from.

It is a key game, and I don’t see how the Dolphins could do anything but throw the ball to get ahead. Our defense will take care of Mark Sanchez. All we have to do is score.

Henne is capable of being successful. The play-calling has been what has hindered him to this point. The play-calling has to start to favor Chad Henne more if the Miami Dolphins want to continue winning this season.

http://www.dolphinshout.com

 

The Chiefs improved from 4-12 in 2009 to 10-6 in 2010. But did they actually get any better? That can be tough to tell because of how easy Kansas City’s schedule was last season. In 2010, Kansas City played 4 games against teams with better than a .500 record (including playoffs). They went 1-3 in those games with a point differential of minus 55.

Their one win was a 7 point week 1 home victory over the early season version of the San Diego Chargers. They won that game despite the fact that Matt Cassel threw for 62 yards. Their 3 scores came on a punt return, a pick six, and a long run. San Diego avenged that loss later with a 31-0 beat down in San Diego. In those 4 games, Cassel was 35 for 69 for 294 yards, 1 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.

If we include 3 games against teams that went .500 or better, meaning including 3 games against 8-8 teams, they were 2-5. Those two wins were, of course that fluke win against San Diego, and a 42-20 win over Jacksonville who was starting their 3^rd string quarterback. In we include those 3 games, Cassel was 79 for 155 for 818 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. As of a sudden, Cassel doesn’t look like a Pro Bowl quarterback and this team doesn’t look like a legitimate playoff team.

As further part of their easy schedule, 12 of their 17 games (including playoffs) were against teams that ranked 17^th through 32^nd against the run. Why is this important? Well, this is a run based offense. Running back Jamaal Charles is the offense’s best player and the Chiefs led the league in rushing attempts.

Compare last year’s schedule to this year’s. They play 8 games against teams with better than .500 records from 2010 and 10 games against teams with .500 or better records from 2010. They also play Detroit, a young up and comer in the NFL. They have a brutal late season stretch in which they play New England, Pittsburgh, Chicago, the Jets, and Green Bay. In 5 weeks, they play all 4 teams that made the Conference Championships last year, and 3 of the 4 teams who had first round byes last year.

Fortunately, they did add talent in the offseason. Le’Ron McClain has been added to the backfield to block for Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, their two headed rushing attack. Charles is much, much better than Jones, but Todd Haley insists on giving Jones more carries than Charles. Charles had 1467 yards on 230 carries last year, while Jones had 896 yards on 245 carries. Charles had 571 more rushing yards or 15 fewer carries. On top of that, Charles also caught 45 passes for 468 yards, while Jones caught just 14 passes for 122 yards.

The Chiefs added a real wild card in Jared Gaither up front. Gaither, once of the best tackles in the league in 2010, has a potential career threatening back injury. It scared Baltimore off from resigning him, Oakland and Buffalo off from signing him, but Kansas City took a chance on him. If he can stay healthy, he’d stabilize either the left or the right tackle position, both of which are weaknesses on this team.

Branden Albert allowed 11 sacks, making him one of the worst left tackles in the league. On the right side, Barry Richardson allowed 5 sacks and 32 quarterback pressures, all while committing 11 penalties. He has been moved to 2^nd string for this season in favor of Ryan O’Callaghan, who barely played last year. Those stats were even with an easy schedule that allowed them to get a lead, play from ahead, and run the ball frequently. Imagine how bad they would have been if they were playing from behind more often. If Gaither can stabilize either of those positions, that would obviously be great, but don’t get your hopes up.

Rounding out the offensive line, they have Jon Asamoah at left guard, a 2010 3^rd round pick who takes over after long time Chief Brian Waters was cut this offseason after 11 years in town. At center, 38 year old Casey Wiegmann is still as reliable as they come. If he struggles or gets hurt, 2^nd round pick rookie Rodney Hudson will step into the lineup. The Chiefs, however, would prefer Hudson be eased into the action as Wiegmann heads towards the end of his career. At the other guard spot is Ryan Lilja who surprisingly had a very good season in his first year in Kansas City last year, after a few nondescript years in Indianapolis.

At wide receiver, they added much needed talent. Chris Chambers had the 2^nd most catches by a wide receiver on the team last season. He had 22 catches. That’s bad. The Chiefs added Jonathan Baldwin through the draft and Steve Breaston through free agency. Baldwin will start opposite Dwayne Bowe while Breaston will line up in the slot where he thrived in Arizona when Todd Haley was the coordinator there.

However, this is not the same Steve Breaston who had 1000 yards out of the slot with Haley in 2008. He has major knee problems now. Meanwhile, Baldwin is a talented player, but rookie receivers tend to struggle and a lockout shortened offseason doesn’t help. Still, both of these players will be a major upgrade over what they had last year at receiver after Bowe. Their #2 and #3 ranked receivers from 2010 were rookie tight end Tony Moeaki and Jamaal Charles respectively.

Overall, they did add talent to their offense this offseason, but I think Matt Cassel is still a very overrated quarterback. He’s good at game managing a run heavy offense, but the Chiefs won’t be able to run as well as they did last year, with a tougher schedule. The tougher schedule works against them two fold. They’ll have fewer leads, which means they won’t be able to run as much, and they won’t face 12 teams ranked in the bottom half of the league against the run again. It doesn’t help that Cassel is protected by two mediocre at best tackles and an offensive line that is banking on Jared Gaither’s bad back to be good.

 

Defensively, things are a little brighter. They have two former top 5 picks at defensive end in Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, neither of whom have lived up to their billing. However, both still have upside and neither is terrible. They’re solid starters. In the middle at nose tackle, the marginal Ron Edwards is gone. They’ve replaced him with Kelly Gregg, an underrated player formerly of the Ravens. Gregg will be a stopgap until rookie 6^th round pick Jerrell Powe takes over.

At rush linebacker, they have a player in Tamba Hali who might be the best pass rusher in the game. He led the league with 64 quarterback pressures and he also had 14.5 sacks. He was recently rewarded with a 60 million dollar deal over 5 years, a deal he was well worth. Opposite him, however, it is a different story.

Mike Vrabel retired, not like he had anything left. Andy Studebaker, a mediocre player, is penciled in as the starter, but the Chiefs are hoping rookie 3^rd round pick Justin Houston can beat him out at some point. Houston was a 1^st round talent who dropped to the 3^rd because he failed a drug test for marijuana at The Combine, which I feel is a non-issue.

Inside at linebacker, Derrick Williams is one of the best middle linebackers in the game. Promising young player Jovan Belcher, who played very well down the stretch in 2010 will be the other starter. They also brought in Brandon Siler to provide depth at the position. Siler was the 3^rd stringer in San Diego and he will play that same role in Kansas City this season unless Belcher regresses.

Their secondary is also a strength. Everyone knows about Brandon Flowers, one of the best cornerbacks in the game. However, Brandon Carr, their #2 cornerback, is very talented and very underrated. He allowed a completion percentage of just 45.5% last year and he had a league leading 19 pass deflections, though he did allow 5 touchdowns to just one interception.

Another well known player, Eric Berry, is their strong safety. Berry was the 5^th overall pick in 2010. He did not deserve to go to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, because he allowed 7 touchdowns and missed 11 tackles, but he’s not a bad player anything and he played much better in the 2^nd half of his rookie season, as is to be expected. He should continue to improve into his 2^nd season in the league.

The free safety position, however, is a bit of a liability. Jon McGraw is 32 years old and a marginal player. The Chiefs hope 2^nd year player Kendrick Lewis can beat him out in camp. Lewis played the majority of the snaps at free safety in 2010, with moderate success, but the veteran McGraw is listed atop the depth chart, something that could definitely change.

They have a lot of talent on defense, but I still don’t think they have a very good quarterback. Cassel is very overrated. He struggled in 2009 and he struggled against quality opponents in 2010. He won’t be able to lean on his running game as much this season, he’s poorly protected, and he plays a brutal schedule. I don’t think they’ll be as bad as they were in 4-12 because I think they have more talent than they did that year. I also don’t think they are quite as bad as what my projected record says they are. It’s just they have such a brutal schedule. This is probably about a 7, maybe 8 win team with a normal schedule.

Quarterback: C

Running backs: A-

Receiving corps: C+

Offensive line: C-

Run defense: B-

Pass rush: B-

Pass coverage: B+

Coaching: C-

Projection: 5-11 2^nd in AFC West

 

 

 

CB Dwight Bentley (LA-Lafayette)

3-4 DE Michael Brockers (LSU)

G Brandon Brooks (Miami-OH)

3-4 DE Matt Conrath (Virginia)

3-4 DE Tyrone Crawford (Boise State)

RLB Tim Fugger (Vanderbilt)

G Gino Gradkowski (Delaware)

RB Cyrus Gray (Texas A&M)

CB Chris Greenwood (Albion)

WR TY Hilton (Florida International)

CB Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama)

S Trumaine Johnson (Montana)

OT Brian Kelly (Purdue)

QB Andrew Luck (Stanford)

TE Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati)

P Brian Stahovich (San Diego State)

CB Keith Tandy (West Virginia)

S Tavon Wilson (Illinois)

 

 

The Cowboys set their sights on becoming the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, so their 6-10 finish was not what they had in mind. At one point it was worse. This team was 1-7 before they fired Wade Phillips and missing quarterback Tony Romo for likely the rest of the season with injury. Interim coach Jason Garrett brought this team some much needed discipline, doing things such as making players bring notebooks to film study (what a novel concept), and led them to a 5-3 record even with backup quarterback Jon Kitna.

With Jason Garrett getting the interim tag removed and simply becoming their Head Coach for the 2011 season, and with Tony Romo coming back, they do have a lot of promise for 2011. Garrett’s offensive genius turned Jon Kitna into a 66% passer with a 7.4 YPA in the 2^nd half of the season so it’ll be interesting to see if he can take Romo to the next level. If he can, look out. Romo’s got the weapons (Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Roy Williams, Jason Witten, Tashard Choice, Felix Jones) to make this one of the top offenses in the league.

Unfortunately, offense is only half the battle. Dallas’ pass defense fell from 13^th in 2009 to 29^th in 2010. Their run defense fell from 9^th to 18^th. their total yards allowed fell from 9^th to 23th. Their points per game allowed rose a whopping 11.7 points per game. Most importantly, none of those things got all that much better under Jason Garrett.

I don’t know what happened to this defense, but they are no longer an elite unit. In fact, they’re far from it, even with DeMarcus Ware leading the league in sacks with 15.5. the Cowboys will almost certainly use their 9^th overall pick on some sort of defensive player. They should have high hopes going into 2011, but I think they need to rediscover their talent on defense to be considered a true Super Bowl contender.

 

 

 

QB RB WR TE OT G C NT DT 3-4 DE DE RLB OLB MLB CB S K P

Updated 4/17/10 

100 Once in a decade prospect 

95-99 Elite talent 

90-95 Solid top 10 pick 

85-90 Solid first round pick 

80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd 

75-80 Solid 2nd round pick 

70-75 Solid 3rd round pick 

65-70 3rd-4th round pick 

60-65 4th-5th round pick 

55-60 5th round pick 

50-55 6th round pick 

45-50 7th round pick 

40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp 

30-40 Career practice squader 

20-30 No NFL future 

0-20 No football future 

 

1. Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech) 91

Great combination of size and speed, and more important an excellent motor and initial explosiveness. He had 12 sacks this year and was also strong against the run at 275 pounds. The only thing stopping him from being a top ten pick lock is the fact that he won’t transition well to a 3-4 scheme, though I wouldn’t be surprised if a team tried to convert him to a 3-4 rush linebacker, though that’d be a mistake. He still has a good shot of going in the top ten and I think he has top ten talent at a position of huge value in the NFL.

2. Brandon Graham (Michigan) 87                     

3/1/10: Graham wasn’t expected to run well but a 4.69 40 at 6-1 268 showing some surprisingly athleticism. He also put up 31 reps of 225 pounds.

1/30/10: Graham had a huge Senior Bowl week. It started out bad when he measured up at just over 6 feet and with the shortest arms of any defensive lineman, but he really impressed in practice and even more so in the game. He won Senior Bowl MVP with 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, a tackle for a loss, and 5 tackles. He was disruptive on almost every play and had more signature plays than any other player. He really hustled and earned a lot of praise from the commentators. He chased down Jarrett Brown, the fastest quarterback on either roster, from behind, something that will only show up on the stat sheet as a tackle. He’s a former linebacker, with an excellent motor and an excellent pass rushing repertoire, but he’s also extremely stout and disruptive against the run. He can play both 4-3 left end and 4-3 right end, in addition to rush linebacker. The commentators compared him to LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers and I think that compar

ison is dead on. I think he cemented himself as a 1st round pick. 

1/27/10: Measuring in at just over 6 feet at his weigh in isn’t good, but he’s making scouts forget about his lack of height, with his play at practice this week. He has a very solid base and looks like a legitimate defensive line player in the NFL. His form against the run needs to be improved, but he has shown great speed rushing moves in addition to being one of the best young bull rushers at the Senior Bowl. If he can impress in coverage, he could be a 1^st round pick as either a defensive end or rush linebacker.

With 29 sacks in the last 3 years against Big 10 competition, Graham is a pass rushing machine, but despite his size, he isn’t great against the run. He’s best fit as a rush linebacker at the next level and I can’t see him fitting all schemes. His 40 time isn’t great either so he’ll be viewed as a bit of a tweener by the scouts and that could drop him down in the 3^rd round. He has first round upside as a rush linebacker though despite his lack of height and timed speed, assuming he can transition to a new position well and hold up in pass coverage.

3. Everson Griffen (USC) 85

3/1/10: Griffen put on about 10 pounds this season bulking up to 273 and there were some concerns about how he would carry the weight. After he ran a 4.64 40 today, those concerns should be gone. He also put up 32 reps of 225 pounds.

It’ll be interesting to see what he runs at the combine. He’s rumored to be able to run a 4.5 40, but he also put on 10 pounds of muscle this season so I’m not sure he can still run that fast. If he can, his stock could soar even though he never really did anything of note at USC in 3 seasons. 7 sacks this year after 9 combined in his first two years show good improvement and his run blocking form got a lot better this season with the added weight, but if his 40 time suffers, he may only be looked at as a left end, rather than a right end or rush linebacker. He’s still a major project either way.

4. Jerry Hughes (TCU) 83

26 sacks in the last 2 years for TCU for a guy just learning the defensive end position, after playing running back for most of his football career, is amazing, but he may be maxed out bulk wise at 257 pounds and he doesn’t have ideal height at 6-2. He’s a better fit as a rush linebacker, but he can play on the line some, though he’d be a liability against the run. He has a great motor and has shown plasticity and ability to learn new positions in the past. He also has good hands because he’s played on the offensive side of the ball before, but I’m not sure about his ability in pass coverage.

5. Carlos Dunlap (Florida) 80

A freakish athlete at 6-6 290 with 4.7 timed speed, we’ll see if he lives up to that at the combine, but he doesn’t seem to try on the field on every play. He makes a lot of big plays, but not nearly enough of the little things. Its like he only wants to fill his stat sheet and not win. He was also suspended late in the season after a DUI. He came back for the Sugar Bowl and had a nice game with 2 sacks, to give him 9 on the season, but 5 of those game in 2 games. He has huge upside, but major character red flags. If he’s this lazy now, imagine how lazy he’ll get if he signs a major NFL contract. Slipping to the 2^nd round could be good for him as he’d have to work to get a major NFL contract, but unfortunately, his upside is so huge that I doubt he actually does slip to the 2^nd round. He could even go as high as 8 to the Raiders.

6. Jason Pierre Paul (South Florida) 79                         

2/27/10: Weighing in at 6-5 270, JPP looked like an absolute physical freak. I can’t wait until his 40 yard dash. He hasn’t performed on a high level yet, but the upside is certainly there.

He’s a junior college legend, but didn’t impress in his first season in Division I with only 6.5 sacks. He’s a really fluid athlete who is comfortable dropping into coverage and he did get into the backfield a lot, though his sacks total was low, so I think he has a good future as a rush linebacker and he does have huge upside, but if he can’t dominate Division I, how can we expect him to the dominate the NFL. He can also play as a 4-3 defensive end, but I think he’s a better fit at rush linebacker.

7. Jermaine Cunningham (Florida) 77                        

2/27/10: As if he wasn’t already my favorite mid round sleeper, Cunningham measured in at 266 pounds today showing that he has the ability to play in the trenches in any 4-3 scheme. This defensive end class gets thin in the mid rounds so Cunningham could be looking at early 3^rd late 2^nd now.

He doesn’t have amazing athleticism, but he has an amazing motor and that’s really half of the battle. He would fit very well as a rush linebacker or a cover 2 defensive end. I think a lot higher of him than most places do and he’ll probably be drafted in the 4^th round at the highest, but he has borderline 2^nd round skills. His fundamentals are very sound.

 

8. Greg Hardy (Mississippi) 73           

3/23/10: I think he saved his stock and may have put himself back into day two consideration at his Pro Day. He lost about 8 pounds (now at 277) and ran 4.79, .8 seconds faster. He’s still talented and some teams may take this improvement and the lost weight as a sign of improvement. I still have my doubts, but this helps.          

3/1/10: First Hardy came to the combine at about 20 pounds heavier than expected and he did not carry that weight well running a 4.87 40. He also put up 21 reps of 225 pounds. He already has the injury prone label and if enough teams give him the lazy label, he won’t go before the 3^rd round.

2/27/10: He looked out of shape weighing in at 281 pounds, 20 more than expected. The injuries issues were already there in large part. The last thing he needed was concerns about his work ethic and character.

If he can put injuries behind him, he could be a very good player at the next level. He has 24 sacks over the last 3 years despite injuries and had 5.5 this year in 8 games and he has the skills to be a top ten pick, but he always seems to hurt something. He’ll probably be a 2^nd round pick which could actually be good for him, teach him not to be complacent as so many defensive lineman who sign big deals become.

9. Alex Carrington (Arkansas State) 70

1/27/10: He has carried his late season momentum into his Senior Bowl week and has stepped up as one of the most dominant defensive line prospects at the Senior Bowl, which is a bit of a surprise because he’s not used to top notch competition. He also has excellent size and athleticism.

A very strong prospect of a small school kid with 10 sacks in 2008 at 6-5 285, but he struggled some in 2009. He did end up with 9 sacks, but 6 of then were in his last 3 games, including an amazing 4 sack showing in the season finale. He is still a nice mid round prospect with similar measurables to Tyson Jackson who went #3 overall last year. He can play 4-3 left end and 3-4 defensive end and maybe some 4-3 defensive tackle in nickel packages, but his best fit is as a 3-4 defensive end where I think he’s a future starter. The level of competition is an issue for him though.

10. Corey Wootton (Northwestern) 70

A very fluid athlete with good size at 6-7 280 and can play both 4-3 left end and 3-4 defensive end. After 10 sacks last season, he could have been a 2^nd round pick, but he had knee surgery this offseason and only bounced back with 3.5 sacks this season, so I don’t think he’s much but upside here, but there’s definitely upside for him if he can put his injuries behind him. He could have gone in the 1^st round with a strong season this season, but I think he’s a 3^rd round pick at best right now, but someone could snatch him up in the 2^nd round if they love his upside and are convinced his knee is fine.

11. Austin Lane (Murray State) 66

1/27/10: First he showed up looking great at his weigh in, weighing in at 265 pounds at 6-6, adding a necessary 8-10 pounds to his frame, and to back that up, he’s looked great ob the field in practice showing that this small school kid can hang with the big boys. He has the athleticism to play rush linebacker in addition to defensive end.

The level of competition is an issue for him, but he certainly looks the part of an NFL pass rusher. He has a good refined repertoire of passing moves, but he lacks elite size and doesn’t have very fluid hips. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not he projects as a rush linebacker at the next level because he’s a little small for the trenches in the NFL.  

12. Willie Young (NC State) 66

He had eight sacks this season and has good long arms and athleticism, but at his size, 250 pounds, he’s probably only a nickel rusher in 4-3 systems, so he’ll have to try to convert to rush linebacker and I’m not yet convinced he can. He’s poor against the run, even for his size and his 40 time (4.68-4.72) isn’t going to blow anyone out of the water. 

13. CJ Wilson (East Carolina) 63                            

3/1/10: A very underrated left end prospect, but a 4.75 40 at 290 will get him noticed, as will 32 reps on the bench press. He could be looking at the 4^th round after some slow defensive end times today.

A very athletic left end, with 15 sacks over the last two years and the size to play on the line in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 scheme. He’s a bit of a project, but I love his upside with his athleticism and I think he can be a starting left end in the NFL in a few years.

14. Koa Misi (Utah) 63

1/27/10: Believe it or not, Misi played defensive end at Utah. You wouldn’t know it from looking at him play linebacker this week in Mobile. He has shown great fluidity in pass coverage and looked like a natural linebacker. He’s also making a lot of nice hits. That definitely helps his stock as he doesn’t have the size to play in the trenches in the NFL.

He’s an undersized defensive end with a strong motor to make up for it, but he looked like a natural outside linebacker playing that position in the Senior Bowl. He’s a risk because he has to play rush linebacker, a position he didn’t play in college, but I love his motor and I think he could be a solid rush linebacker in the future.

15. Daniel Te’o-Nesheim (Washington) 58

An unknown pass rusher with an unpronounceable name, who has quietly put up 18 sacks over the last 2 years against some good Pac 10 competition. He was a little small before the combine, but bulked up and still managed to shave some time off of his projected time. The elite natural athleticism is not there, but he has the work ethic and the on the field motor to make up for it. He should have a future in the NFL as either a defensive end or a rush linebacker.

16. Lindsey Witten (Connecticut) 56

Started off 2009, with a bang, but ended quietly. He lacks the size to be an every down trench rusher at the next level and the tape is really inconsistent on him. There is some upside here, but not a ton.

17. Brandon Lang (Troy) 55

He undersized pass rusher who ran in the 4.9s at the Combine so he may have trouble getting drafted in the first 4 rounds as a future starting type defensive end. He could be a decent nickel rusher in the future, because his 17.5 sacks in the last 2 years are fairly impressive, but the lack of speed and weaker competition makes that less likely. I think it’s safe to say that he won’t be as good as Troy’s last elite pass rusher, DeMarcus Ware.

18. Alex Daniels (Cincinnati) 54

He has the measurables you look for out of a future starting end, sub 4.7 speed, 4.55, and over 260 pounds, 265, but that 40 time was at his Pro Day and it just seemed like everyone was running faster than usual at Cincinnati’s Pro Day that day. He also has one year wonder written all over him. Before this year, in which he had 8 sacks, he only had 1 in his college career. He may even be a one game wonder. 4 of his 8 sacks this year came in one game. He’s not strong against the run, so if he’s not an elite pass rusher, I don’t think he’ll be very valuable in the NFL, though some teams are going to take a chance on him in the 6^th as they look for valuable defensive end depth.

19. Brandon Sharpe (Texas Tech) 53

20. Antonio Coleman (Auburn) 53

21. George Selvie (South Florida) 52

22. Cameron Sheffield (Troy) 52

23. Kevin Basped (Nevada) 47

24. John Fletcher (Wyoming) 46

25. Chris McCoy (Middle Tennessee State) 45

26. Jeffery Fitzgerald (Kansas State) 42

27. Greg Middleton (Indiana) 42                        

28. George Johnson (Rutgers) 41

By Paul Smythe 

When the Miami Dolphins play in their home opener this weekend their main concern should be on stopping one person: 

Mark Sanchez.

I know that the New York Jets running game is supposed to be really great, but I am here to tell you that the running game should not be our main concern. The most important thing the Dolphins can do Sunday night is to get in Mark Sanchez’s head by pressuring him all night.

You Might As Well Replace The 6 With A Target

Look at last week’s game against the Vikings, for example. Adrian Peterson ran everywhere on the Dolphins, but they still couldn’t win because Miami shut down Brett Favre and forced him to make mistakes.

They should do the same with Sanchez.

Sanchez is a young player, and when he is pressured he is definitely more likely to make a mistake than a more experienced player.

Mark Sanchez is the Miami Dolphins primary concern for two reasons. I have already mentioned the first reason, which is that he is young and inexperienced and Miami should be able to capitalize on his mistakes with turnovers. The other reason is that a potent passing offense is much more dangerous than a potent rushing offense.

We don’t want Mark Sanchez airing it out all night because that would mean the Jets will put up a lot of points on the board. I am not yet sure if the Dolphins are capable of winning a high-scoring shootout just yet. I would rather a ground battle between the two that could be decided by turnovers.

Running the ball is less efficient than passing and does not give the offense a better chance to score. When you run the ball you have to depend on consistent yardage practically every play so you can earn a first down. All it takes is one loss of yards and you are at risk of having to punt the ball.

New York needs to lose confidence in Sanchez throwing against the Dolphins defense. That way they will have to run the ball, which is better because when a team is passing the ball they will usually get a first down after a single completion. That means they have room for a few incompletions and can still be successful. We don’t want the Jets to have that option. We want them to be forced to run through the fear that Sanchez will throw a pick.

The NFL has already transformed into a passing league. You’ve heard it a million times before, and it is true. Teams have started to realize that the best way to win is to throw the ball, which is why we need to shut down Mark Sanchez.

http://www.dolphinshout.com/

Spotlight #1: Virginia CB Chase Minnifield

Spotlight #2: Duke S Matt Daniels 

1^st quarter

11:36: Minnifield good use of hands in press, strong.

11:26: Matt Daniels with a tackle, but also unnecessary roughness, good effort to play through whistley, but needs to be smarter about things like this.

10:44: Daniels helps bring a guy down after a sizeable again.

8:54: Minnifield with a good open field tackle after the ball carrier breaks a couple closer to the line.

5:36: Minnifield gives up inside position on a slant on the goal line, catchable ball, could have been a touchdown but physical play by Minnifield helps contribute to eventual drop.

3:00: Daniels misses a tackle, tough play, good explosive to even take a shot at it.

1:58: Daniels overpursues to the inside on a run play, good instincts to come and play ball, but poor angle.

2^nd quarter

14:05: Donovan Varner breaks a 64 yard touchdown on a crossing route over the middle.

9:22: Minnifield thrown on in the end zone with a fade route, incomplete, could have been ruled holding or pass interference.

9:12: Minnifield stays away from sticking his nose in on a goal line run, Cam Johnson with the clutch tackle.

8:25: Daniels shoots up and makes a great open field tackle, doesn’t get juked out.

3:38: Daniels has one on one coverage deep, thrown on, not the best coverage, but overthrown and incomplete.

3:34: Daniels makes a nice play to take the ball carrier down for a gain of a yard or two.

2:25: Daniels blown past downfield, could have been a long downfield, but overthrown.

1:36: Cam Johnson with a sack.

 

3^rd quarter

14:40: Cam Johnson deflects a short one, still complete, good motor to go back and get in on the tackle after a gain of a few.

13:56: Minnifield with the tackle on an end around by Varner for a few.

13:06: Cam Johnson hits the quarterback as he throws, faces an ill advised throw, Minnifield jumps it, pick six.

11:54: Connor Vernon beats Chase Minnifield for a big gain, tackle by Minnifield from behind to prevent touchdown, 51 yards.

11:29: Minnifield soft on a goal line run.

8:49: Matt Daniels makes a stop short of the sticks on a run, fundamental open field tackle on 2^nd down.

5:37: Minnifield blocked well on a screen for a first, can’t disengage.

1:05: Cam Johnson with a tackle for loss.

4^th quarter

11:57: Minnifield gets another interception, nullified by pass interference.

11:46: Minnifield in on a tackle after another man allows a short catch.

11:15: Varner just overthrown over the middle for a long gain that could have gone for a touchdown, just can’t quite make the tough catch in stride.

8:46: Virginia goes deep on Daniels again, should have been caught, very catchable ball, dropped.

7:54: Varner just drops one over the middle, this time actually in the end zone. Tough catch, but catchable.

7:48: Minnifield allows a reception on a slant over the middle short to convert, Minnifield had his hands on it, Vernon just rips it out of his hands.

5:54: Johnson hits the quarterback as he throws, having a dominant half since Duke’s left tackle got hurt. Varner drops another tough catch, but catchable ball on this one.

4:01: Minnifield one of two in the area on a short throw, leads with his helmet forcing the drop, not called, incomplete. Pro scouts won’t like to see that.

2:31: Daniels blocked off the play in a 9 man box on a run play.

1:02: Daniels on a 3^rd down tackle right after the sticks, game over.

0:00: Duke has two talented wide receivers, junior Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner. Virginia has a talented potential first round pick at cornerback and chose to put him on Vernon rather than Varner, which makes sense as Vernon is Duke’s leading receiver and Varner normally lines up in the slot. Vernon missed a few snaps with injury, but for the most part he played most of the game and Minnifield was on him all game. Vernon had just 3 catches for 64 yards.

One catch he beat Minnifield over the middle for 51 yards one on one. He got separation and Minnifield needed to tackle him from behind to prevent the touchdown. His 2^nd catch was wide open in space on a screen, but Minnifield couldn’t get off a block to make the tackle, which someone else had to do after a gain of few. His 3^rd catch could have been an interception, but Vernon simply outmuscled him and ripped the ball out of his hands for a completion on a slant.

Other than that though, Minnifield limited a talented receiver well. The athletic 6-1 195 pounder is a physical player who plays with great technique and is a student of the game. He sends his game tape every week to his dad Frank Minnifield, a former Pro Bowl cornerback, and goes over it with him. He’s had a bit of an inconsistent senior year, but solid stats, 50 tackles, 7 for loss, 8 deflections, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 3 interceptions, including one in this game which was his first pick six of his career and his 13^th interception of his career, including 6 in a fantastic junior year.

He hasn’t great lived up to his junior season this year, but still figures to get drafted in either the 2^nd round or even the late 1^st round. He could have had a couple more interceptions in this game, but he had one ripped out of his hands, and another one nullified by pass interference. There was also another play in the end zone which should have been pass interference. He also should have been whistled for leading with his helmet. He was generally solid against the run, but struggled to get off a couple blocks and missed a tackle, finishing with, 5 tackles in the game. He’s a long, lanky player who needs to get stronger and become more physical against the run. He’s already physical in pass coverage and would be best in a man press scheme. In my book, he’s a 2^nd rounder.

With Vernon kept in check for most of the game by Minnifield, Duke threw to Varner instead. Varner was a frequent target and caught 7 passes for 132 yards and a score, but could have had more. He dropped 3 tough, but catchable balls, including two which could have been touchdowns. They were all tough, but I would have liked to have seen him catch at least 1 or two. He still did have a good game and showed himself again to be a good route runner and possession receiver at 5-9 175. His stats aren’t great with 61 catches for 713 yards and 3 scores on the season, but he’s had a good career and he has a talented Vernon takes catches away from him on already an average at best passing offense. He could still end up as a depth receiver at the next level, but it’ll probably have to be as an undrafted free agent.

Another talented defensive player on the Virginia side is defensive end Cam Johnson. He had a huge game with 2 tackles for loss, a sack, a deflection, a couple of quarterback hits and generally consistent pressure. One of those quarterback hits occurred on the Minnifield interception and the hit definitely forced the bad throw that was jumped by Minnifield. I’m torn on where to stand on him.

I’ve seen a couple of Virginia games, this one and one against Miami, and he’s been awesome in each, but generally his numbers haven’t been that great this season as he has just 30 tackles, 11 for loss, and 4 sacks, but 4 of those tackles for loss and 2 sacks have been in games I’ve seen him. The 6-4 275 pound defensive end is generally regarded as a mid rounder, but the tape I’ve seen on him suggests a 2^nd round or even a 1^st rounder. It’s worth noting that Virginia had the most success in this game against Duke’s backup left tackle.

Duke’s best defensive player is safety Matt Daniels. The safety has 126 tackles on the season and is a 3 year starter, but needed to prove he was more than a box safety because at 6-1 210 he’s a little small to be just a box safety at the next level. He didn’t do that and really struggled in coverage. He was consistent beat deep and looked really stiff in coverage, but luckily for him Virginia’s quarterback was inaccurate on all 3 plays he was beaten deep on because he could have surrendered 3 huge gains. He had another solid game in run support with 9 tackles. He’s a fundamentally sound player who has a nose for the ball and takes good routes to the ball, though he tends to be a little overly aggressive. He looks like a mid to late day 3 prospect.

 

 

Offensive Tackle

Remember when the Falcons had a great offensive line? Yeah, well not any more. Sam Baker made 6 starts and surrendered 4 sacks. He then lost his job and resurfaced at right guard for a game, where he surrendered 2 more sacks and then that was the end of him. His replacement, Will Svitek, wasn’t much better. They need a new left tackle, but unfortunately this is a weak offensive tackle class and the Falcons don’t have a first round pick.

Defensive End

Remember when the Falcons couldn’t get to the opposing quarterback? Oh, wait they still can’t do that. They gave Ray Edwards a ton of money, but he didn’t produce, managing just 3.5 sacks on the season. Overall, the Falcons managed just 33 sacks on the season. John Abraham led the way with 9.5, but the soon to be 34 year old is no sure thing going forward. They could use a young defensive end to groom behind Abraham and possibly take over for Edwards if he continues to struggle and ends up a cap casualty.

Cornerback

The Falcons starting cornerbacks, Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes, weren’t bad, it was just their complete lack of depth at the position. Now Grimes is a free agent and is not expected back. They don’t have anyone to fill into the starting lineup for him if he leaves and even if he returns, depth is still needed.

Guard

Back to the offensive line, the Falcons lost Harvey Dahl in the offseason. Both Garrett Reynolds and Joe Hawley tried unsuccessfully to fill in for him. However, they have other more pressing needs and no first round pick so Hawley may have to do again in 2012.

 

Center

Todd McClure is a 35 year old free agent. He considered retirement, but it appears he’ll return. However, a future successor is needed. Joe Hawley played some center this year when McClure was hurt and he was awful.

Tight End

Tony Gonzalez says 2012 will be the last year of his great career, though he’s said this before. However, a future replacement for the soon to be 36 year old tight end is still definitely needed. With other needs, this may be put off until 2013.

Running Back

Michael Turner is 30 and has gone over 300 carries in 3 of the last 4 seasons so I don’t know how much longer he can be counted on. Jason Snelling is his backup, but he’s a free agent and not expected back. Jacquizz Rodgers was their 5^th round pick in 2011, but he’s too small to carry the load long term. Like tight end, this need could be put off until 2013 and for the same reasons.

Middle Linebacker

Curtis Lofton is one of the best young middle linebackers in the league and will obviously need to be resigned.

Safety

Thomas DeCoud is another talented young player who will need to be resigned.

 

 

1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50

11. G Logan Mankins (New England)- resigned 6 years, 51 million, 30 million guaranteed

Mankins was thrown right into the action midseason after finally signing his tender and he still looked like one of the best interior linemen in the game. He’ll get paid somewhere eventually.

12. MLB David Harris (NY Jets)- resigned 4 years 36 million 29.5 million guaranteed

Harris is one of the better inside linebackers in the game. In 4 years with the Jets he has 428 tackles and 14.5 sacks.

13. CB Jonathan Joseph (Cincinnati)- signed with Houston 5 years 48.75 million 23.5 million guaranteed

Joseph is one of the most underrated shutdown corners in the league when healthy and could be a #1 guy in a lot of places, but he had trouble staying healthy last year. He also indicated he wanted a longterm extension in Cincinnati.

14. C Ryan Kalil (Carolina)- resigned 6 years 49 million 28 million guaranteed

This is the best center in the game. Hands down.

15. DE Charles Johnson (Carolina)- resigned 6 years 72 million 30 million guaranteed

Johnson, a 2007 3^rd round pick, finally lived up to his potential in 2010 after Julius Peppers left, with 11.5 sacks. Just in time to leave Carolina. That sound you just heard was a bunch of Panthers fans jumping off a bridge.

 

16. OLB Chad Greenway (Minnesota)- Franchised

Greenway was all over the place last year with 144 tackles, good for 4^th most in the league. He has 463 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 4 seasons.

17. OT/G Willie Colon (Pittsburgh)- resigned with Pittsburgh 5 years 29 million

He was hurt all season in 2010, but this is the best pure run blocking right tackle in the league when healthy.

18. 3-4 DE/DT Shaun Ellis (NY Jets)- signed with New England 1 year 4 million

Ellis turned in another fine season in 2010 and dominated New England’s line in their AFC Divisional win, but he’s 34 in June and the Jets have other free agent needs.

19. WR Vincent Jackson (San Diego)- Franchised

He has character and attitude issues, but he had 1000+ yard seasons in 2008 and 2009 and was dominant in short bursts this season, in between injuries and contract disputes.

20. MLB Stephen Tulloch (Tennessee)- Signed with Detroit 1 year 3.35 million 1.8 million guaranteed

Tulloch broke out in 2009 and has 280 tackles in the last 2 tackles. He was 2^nd in the league with 159 this year. He struggles in coverage occasionally, but I’m nitpicking.

 

 

32. OT Derek Sherrod B

I had a 2^nd round grade on Derek Sherrod, but the 32^nd pick is almost the 2^nd round, so that doesn’t hurt this grade too much. There were better players available, but with Sherrod and Bulaga, they have their bookend tackles for the future. Aaron Rodgers is happy.

64. WR Randall Cobb B

Believe it or not, wide receiver was actually a need. Donald Driver is getting up there in age and James Jones could be a free agent depending on the new CBA rules. Wide receiver depth is a huge part of the reason why they won the Super Bowl. They need to keep it that way. Cobb also helps on special teams, something that they actually struggled with en route to a Super Bowl victory. I had Cobb as a late 3^rd round prospect though.

96. RB Alex Green D

Running back was a need, given James Starks’ and Ryan Grant’s injury problems, and they needed a pass catching back like Alex Green, with Brandon Jackson set to leave as a free agent. However, I have Alex Green as a reach by about 3 rounds.

131. CB Davon House A

Charles Woodson won’t last forever and their cornerback depth was pretty depleted thanks to injuries in the Super Bowl victory. The Packers don’t have a lot of needs and can afford to take a luxury pick like Davon House, a great value here.

141. TE DJ Williams A

Another value pick. The Packers are at the point where they have so much talent, as a result of scouting well and drafting BPA with every pick, that they have so few needs and can continue to take BPA. They couldn’t do much over the middle with Jermichael Finley injured last year and Williams can be used in two tight end sets. He’s undersized, but a great player and a great value. Mike McCarthy will find a use for him.

179. G Caleb Schlauderaff C+

Guard was a need, but I have Schlauderaff as a reach at this point in the draft.

186. MLB DJ Smith D

Middle linebacker depth might have been the one thing they didn’t need and DJ Smith is a reach at this point. He can play special teams though.

197. RLB Ricky Elmore A

I had a 3^rd round grade on Elmore and rush linebacker was one of their biggest needs. This is a fantastic pick.

218. TE Ryan Taylor D

Two tight ends? I don’t really understand this. Taylor was a reach as well, but they didn’t have a ton of other needs and he can play special teams.

233. 3-4 DE Lawrence Guy A

I had a 3^rd round grade on Guy and defensive end was one of their biggest needs. This is a fantastic pick.

Overall:

This draft left me disappointed, but that’s just because I’m used to giving them an A almost every year. Both Derek Sherrod and Patrick Cobb will help their offense, but I think they could have done better things with those picks. Alex Green in the 3^rd round was a flat out reach. I know he was ranked tops on their board because that’s how they operate, but he wasn’t even close to there on my board and since I’m the one grading this, that’s what matters. Neither DJ Smith nor Ryan Taylor made much sense and I wish they would have addressed rush linebacker or defensive end earlier, but with steals like Ricky Elmore and Lawrence Guy late, you can’t really blame them. I think both of those guys are future starters. I also like the selections of Davon House and DJ Williams. There was a mix of good and bad in this draft, but I do think they helped their football team out in the long term. This team is going to be a perennial contender.

Grade: B