We've been talking ourselves silly about who we were going to draft the last few months. Some of us even started last year after week 3. Anyway, the draft starts this Thursday so it's time for your Final Prediction. Winners will receive an all expense paid trip to next year's SuperBowl. If for some reason that is unavailable..........you'll get a smiley face with a thumbs up.

OK, I'll start. Considering the Phins willingness to trade a 2nd for Albert........I predict the Phins will forgo Albert and will trade up to get Lane Johnson. No doubt, It'll cost...........but tackle........either LT or RT remains our most glaring need.

The first two picks IMO will be Tyler Eifert and Johnathan Banks. If we do draft Eifert, I see us staying at pick # 12 due to the Jets slotted to pick at 13. It would be very unwise to trade down for Eifert now, stay clear and draft him at 12.

They'll trade for Albert, get Eifert at 12 then a CB in the 2nd round.

Trade back, add a 2nd, draft Eifert, trade a 3rd for Albert on draft day (make him play for a contract), and draft Carradine (DE), Banks (CB), and Hunter (WR) in the 2nd. Trade Bess for a 3rd. Draft Amerson (CB) and Schwenke (OL) in the 3rd. Draft Jones (OL) in the 4th. Draft Gillislee (RB) in the 5th. Draft Gholston (DE/DT) in the 5th. Draft a kicker in the 7th to prove a point to Carpenter.

I don't think there's anyone who is going to take Bess and give us a 3rd round pick for him. I love the guy, but I don't think he's going to command a price tag quite that high. Higher than a 7th, yes. A third, no.

Ok, a 4th, or future 4th if that doesn't work. The point I'm getting at is if we add somebody like Hunter, Williams, etc, we really don't need Bess. Between Wallace, Gibson, and Matthews we have plenty of receivers that can play the slot. Heck, I'd even be willing to bet Hartline could play the slot.

Trade back, take Eifert in the first, Jamar Taylor in the second, DaMontre Moore with the 2nd we got form Dallas for trading back, and trade our 54th pick to KC for Albert.

You expect to get a 2nd round pick for trading back a handful of spots?

They'd probably get a 4th at most.

I like the way you're thinking. I love the picks of Eifert and Moore. I like the idea of trading for Albert (only if he's willing to sign long term). Taylor is an interesting prospect. He's the only guy I'd change, but otherwise I'd be pretty happy if the first two rounds of the draft went that way.

If we could get Eifert, Taylor, Moore and Branden Albert I would call this the most successful draft we could possibly hope for.

With Eifert you love the potential to run two tightend sets with Keller, especially in the redzone. With Taylor, Trufant, Banks, whoever falls to the 2nd round you get someone to pair with Grimes. Moore gives you another passrusher capable of wreaking havoc across from Wake. Albert would protect Tannehill's blindside.

If we can accomplish those things, we're ready to go this year.

Stay where we are and.

12 - Draft Eiffert. The Jets will be looking very hard at him at 12, & it is a big need for both teams.

42 - CB/S/DE The best player available at either of these three spots. Poyner, Reid (doubtful he falls), Lemonier, Montgomery, wtc,

54 - The trade for Albert

1st 3rd rounder - The best CB/S/DE that we dont chose at 42.

the 2nd 3rd rounder - Ryan Swope or Stedman Bailey

Not even in Madden with you controlling the Dolphins and another team is this possible.

The CPU would slap you for trying to make such a ridiculously one-sided deal and ban you from ever playing the game again.

I think Eifert will be the pick.

In today's pass driven league and with tight ends becoming more prominent in the passing game, it only makes sense.

The only way Eifert is not the pick is if one of the top three OTs or Milliner fall to 12.

I just don't see the Dolphins drafting a Tight End that high. I would love for the pick to be Eifert, but to be realistic, I just don't see it happening.

Ultimately I think they're going to look to trade down if Milliner or one of the 3 tackles doesn't fall to us.

Frankly, with all the pass rush specialists that will be available at 12... if we can't trade down, I could definitely see Ireland pulling the trigger on one of the DE's.

So I'm gonna say either Ezekial Ansah, Sheldon Richardson or Kenny Vaccaro at 12.

OK, from 12 to 18 probably wouldn't get a 2nd, but the point was to get Eifert, a pass rusher, CB and Albert out of our 1st 4 picks.

I'm a little worried Cleveland will take Eifert because of Norv and Chuds love for the TE! if they don't I think he is ours at #12!

Madden is a video game. The last I remember of video games was Techmo Super Bowl where you could score a touchdown from Marino to Duper on every play. Aka, video games aren't indicative of real life.

I think Bess could be traded for a 3rd or 4th round pick (whether it be a 2013 or 2014 pick, it doesn't matter). It's not a ridiculous trade. The Dolphins traded Welker to the Patriots for a 2nd and a 7th in 2007, and his numbers were not as good as Bess' when we traded him. Bess is only 27 years old. I bet there would be a much better market for Bess than people think. He's a very good slot receiver who could be the final piece to somebody's receiver corps. If you get a 70 catch / 700 yard receiver for a 3rd round pick, that isn't one-sided to me. That sounds like a fair trade.

Well then I have no other explanation for how you come up with these scenarios in which the Dolphins make out like bandits and other teams are willing to facilitate this.



Anquan Boldin was traded for a 6th round pick. He is a superior player to Bess.



Apples to oranges. The Dolphins had given Welker a 2nd round tender and were about to lose him to the Patriots because they were going to sign him to an offer sheet.



You also think we could actually acquire a pick for a kicker, so yeah.

I rest my case.

The Dolphins didn't have to loose Welker, they chose to trade him. He signed a five year $18M deal with the Patriots. The Dolphins could have matched that if they wanted to. So your logic isn't sound on that one. Bottom line, the Dolphins were cheap and didn't want to play a good player.

Boldin is way older than Bess and has visibly lost a step. Not only that he'll command twice the salary as Bess would. There is a reason he was let go for so cheap. The Ravens didn't want to pay him so they dumped him, and his salary.

As far as the value of slot receivers. Bess is one of the better slot guys in the NFL. Not only that, but he's in the prime of his career. I think a 3rd or 4th is fair compensation for a player of his caliber.

Oh boy.... this has been discussed on these forums ad nauseam.

The Patriots were ready to put a poison pill in Welker's offer sheet. If the Dolphins had matched, it would have wrecked their cap.



http://www.boston.com/sports/football/p ... ?page=full

But thank you for the revisionist history...



Boldin is way older but Boldin is way better. And wouldn't the Dolphins be dumping Bess because of his $2.6 million cap hit on the last year of his deal?



Yeah, I keep hearing that Bess is one of the better slot guys in the NFL and then I see how many touchdowns he catches a season and fail to see how he can be one of the better slot guys.

A couple of years ago, I would have thought he was going to be, but he hasn't actually gotten there.

We'd be LUCKY to get a 5th.

I think the Dolphins find a way to draft LT Lane Johnson.

I initially thought WR Tavon Austin, but if the Dolphins could not utilize Reggie Bush then I don't think the Austin would be a great fit. Also, we've invested a lot in our wide receiver group, too.

If not Lane Johnson , the we'll grab the best cornerback available.

I have to agree. I get that he's a fan favorite... but he's far from "one of the best slot receivers in the NFL".

Lane Johnson, Hayden or Milliner.

Joining the bandwagon are we?

I agree. But people need to get over the idea that we can trade down and still get him.

If you want him, take him at 12. Period.

Yes, the more film I see of him jumping up for passes with a defender draped all over him or getting open behind linebackers, the more I buy into it.

Find me one play he didn't make in a jump ball/back shoulder situation. Seriously, he's absolutely ridiculous at high pointing the ball and getting it. He's 6'5 and plays like he's 6'11 and his hands are softer than NFL Junkie's after a Thursday night alone in his room.

You're winning me over. Take him at 12, best available corner & pass rusher in the 2nd. What's making me nervous is the reports that we will lose out on Albert to the Chargers and Winston to the Cowboys. If that plays out then we are under a lot more pressure to pick an OT early.

Well... it isn't as if you're going to find player lowlights on Youtube either...

Well I mean looking at his full game clips on youtube, I haven't seen a play he didn't make where he had a reasonable chance of making a play on the ball.

Those full games should contain all his targets, not just catches.

The play he makes here at 3:20 is exactly what you're talking about though, it's the reason I want him, and it's a play he makes consistently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZubB3r93 ... age#t=195s

Why in the hell would it be so hard to figure out how to use Tavon Austin? Yes, the kid has the versatility to play RB, and he can return punts and kickoffs. At the end of the day though, Tavon is a slot WR, and that is what he will be.

And besides Mike Wallace, the Dolphins have no one at the WR position that is close to his speed and explosiveness.

Not saying Tavon will be the pick because there certainly seems to be a buzz towards possibly Tyler Eifert, but I am tired of reading this lame excuse about how to use the kid.

I'm all in on Tyler Eifert. That should definitely be the pick at 12 IMO.

Did you not watch how this group utilized Reggie Bush last year?

Tyler Eifert would be a very nice pick. Mayock has the Browns drafting him at #6.

I most certainly did Dave, and I was one of the main one bitching about using Reggie in the passing game more.

That said, Tavon Austin is a WR, a slot WR. USE HIM IN THE PASSING GAME. How hard is that to figure out.

He's not just limited to the passing game though. He can be lined up in the backfield. Or, if something were to happen to Thigpen, he could potentially be used as a return man too

How good is he at blitz pick up?

That would be the concern about lining him up in the backfield or tight to the formation, does he have the build to be able to pick up the blitz?

I was just being fascetious with Tony.

Oh, I know, but I think it's a legitimate concern if you're looking at a guy that you're planning on moving around to all parts of the field. If he's going to be lined up in the backfield, he's probably going to be expected to do that, and I'm not sure he can. I don't remember seeing much film on him being asked to do that at West Virginia, and he is a very slight guy which is a concern.

No problem Rich. Chris, as I have said before, at the end of the day, Tavon is a wide receiver. Line him up in the slot, out wide, run screens for him, get him the ball in the flat, or just let him beat who ever is in front of him like Wes Welker has done for many years.

Biggest difference is when Tavon get's behind you, it 's 6 points. IT is not hard at all to figure out how to use Tavon. He is a wide receiver.