DAVIE
Several players admitted leadership was an issue inside the Dolphins' locker room during a 2009 season that was as tumultuous as it was disappointing.

So perhaps it should come as no surprise that Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland and his scouts seemed to place a huge premium on that trait in this year's NFL Draft.

Of the eight players the Dolphins selected in the draft, including five more as it wrapped up on Saturday, all but one (Georgia safety Reshad Jones) was voted a permanent captain by his teammates. And in Jones' case, the Bulldogs picked their captains week to week.

"It's something I evaluate pretty heavy," Ireland said of the leadership component. "I like having good guys on the team. They're easier to coach. You get more out of them. They develop faster than the guys that aren't good kids."

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"We're in the business of developing football players," Ireland said. "The faster they develop, the better team we are. Character has a lot to do with that. When a guy is a team captain and people are leaning on him to make decisions for their football team and making decisions to get those other guys going and motivate them, that's big for me. I like that aspect of finding guys like that."

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Rolle would have been a great pick up, but I'm really happy with Jones. This kid gets picks, which we need and can hit. Rolle can lay the lumber as well, but does not play the ball well. I think he had one career pick. So, I believe the Phins thought that Jones would make the transition to FS when Rolle will stay at SS. I think we are set at SS with Yeramiah Bell "beast"