OK, I am COMPLETELY sold on Henne. He showed me he can be a star QB in this league. So QB is handled. IMHO we need to address 3 areas in the offseason. WR, LB and SS. These areas KILLED us last year. I refuse to pile on Ginn, it's not his fault where that idiot Cam drafted him, and I still say he can be a very good WR in the NFL. We just need to use his speed more. I swear I can count on one hand the number of deep balls we threw. I always say you can't teach SPEED, but you can teach catching the ball with your hands, running crisp routes etc. Keep Ginn but get a TRUE #1 WR. It is time. We haven't had a real #1 since Chambers and before that probably OJ. My wish is for a BIG STRONG PHYSICAL type of WR. We have enough small guys. I was really excited about Turner when we drafted him, but obviously he wasn't ready. I say get a guy like Austin or Floyd. I didn't mention Marshall or Jackson, I don't think they will be available. In an uncapped year maybe nobody will be! If we can't get one of those guys I would be happy with Breaston or Avant. Those guys make sense since they already played with Henne. A sleeper choice would be Sam Aiken. He is big and fast! I really hope we address WR for once in free agency, I don't want to waste another high pick on a WR. I would rather see us draft defense, like Rolando McClain!

Thoughts?

I don't know if I would classify Avant, Breaston, or Malcolm Floyd true number ones. Those guys benifit greatly from the surrounding talent on their respective teams. Sam Aiken drops more passes than he catches. I'm from up here near Foxboro...believe me, pass on him.

Marshall will no doubt be available as Denver will likely cut his sorry butt after the latest incident where he apparently did not want to play even though he was healthy enough to do so. Pass on him though...I thought he had matured, but I guess not.

I am the biggest Rolando McClain fan you will find. I'd be willing to trade up to be honest. I think he is every bit as good as Patrick Willis was when he came out.

It is looking like in order to get a big time WR, we'll have 3 options. Miles Austin (who you know they will try and bring in), Anquan Boldin, and Dez Bryant.
If Quan is available for a 2nd round pick, I say go get him. If Austin becomes available, I would make a run at him too, although I do have my doubts of whether he is a number 1 or not. Dez Bryant is going to be something special for years to come, but I am not a fan of drafting him with the intention of him being 'the guy' from day 1. I'd love to have him in Miami, but we need to also acquire a veteran.

To me, early rounds in the draft should be devoted to LB, and FA should be devoted to getting the WR.

I don't know man, Breaston was the man Sunday, they didn't miss Boldin at all. Plus isn't Boldin 32 or 33?? I think Breaston is a stud in the making. I truly doubt the Cowboys will let Austin walk in an uncapped year.

I TOTALLY agree with you on McClain. We need to do whatever we have to and get him in Miami!

I don't want Bryant, I would much rather take McClain with our first rounder. Bryant will most likely be gone in the top 10 anyhow.

Boldin just turned 29. The only thing that makes me somewhat hesitant is that recurring hamstring/quad/groin injury.

Breaston might have been good, but so was Early Doucet....whenever you have Larry Fitzgerald playing opposite you, and Kurt Warner slinging it the way he was, you should be getting some good numbers. I do like the fact that he has history with Henne though.
I just think he is more of an asset than a go-to guy.

McClain is more likely to be taken top 10 than Bryant, Jim. Remember that Dez did not play football this past season, so not only is he a underclassman but the fact that he did get in trouble with the NCAA, plus the rust from not playing competitively for an extended period of time...I don't see him going top 10.

The mock drafts that I have seen all had Bryant going in the top 10. Most often to CLE lol. I say we do what we have to do to get McClain, if we have to trade up so be it.

If we are commited to running a 3-4 D then I think our primary concern should be NT,FS,LB's.

McClain makes a ton of sense but it is very uncertain if he will be there. This draft is very deep so I could see Miami trying to trade back if possible (if some team targets Bryant, Claussen or Bradford if available).

I'm just not sure there will be much available in FA to fix WR, unless Miami wants to pay Antonio Bryant. I can't see Miami giving up picks on an RFA or dealing picks for a player in such a deep draft. I was convinced they'd target Boldin, especially with his price tag lowered, but there might be too much competition to get him.

The one FA spot Parcells will clearly spend heavily on is on the line. If Wilfork can somehow slide into FA, which is a long shot, I think the brass breaks the bank to sign him. I think their first two picks are spent addressing LB and S (ILB or OLB, FS or SS), or maybe just LB.

Lots to get done.

My thoughts exactly. Ferg is old, soliai is so so, gibril is garbage, and our line backers are (insert pile of poo here)

I don't see miami trading up as they covet their drat picks, so I see us either trading down or taking the best player available at whatever position that may be

I am not high on terrance cody from Alabama, not a fan of his work ethic. If we do not get mcclain or bryant at 12, then i say we trade back and pick up LB Sean Lee from Penn State in the 2nd or 3rd. I say we look to the FA for DT if we can, wilfork would be AWESOME, also we should take a look at DT Aubrayo Franklin, San Francisco 49ers who is a free agent this year as well.

I think the strength of the 3-4 falls more towards the LB core than the NT. There are 4 LBs in the 3-4, you need good ones. They need go after 2 inside backers and 1 outside backer with 3 of the first 4 picks. The CB situation got taken care of last year by drafting that way (2 out of the first 3 picks) and the LB situation should be addressed the same way. I agree we need upgrades at NT and safety, but a nose tackle can be gotten via free agency or a lower draft choice. We need to get rid of Wilson as a failed free agent pick up. The Fins missed out on Dawkins and Sharper, who's suppose to be free agents this year at safety?

Those LBs are nothing without a NT that can take up at least two blockers on every play.



You can get away with mediocre physical talent at ILB in a 34 as long as they have instincts and smarts. You do need physical specimens at OLB, though.



I don't think they need to go after 2 ILBs. They definitely need to replace Ayodele, but I think if you significantly improve one ILB, then a guy like Crowder makes more plays. When Zach Thomas was playing ILB in the 34 alongside Crowder, he was putting up 100+ tackle seasons. Crowder is serviceable for at least one more year. Ayodele needs to go yesterday.



True about free agency. Not true about a lower draft choice. It usually takes several seasons for a NT to develop. Vince Wilfork is the exception to the rule. Sure, you would think that a position relying so much on physical strength and size wouldn't require so much development, but NTs need a lot of polish, balance, footwork and handwork to be effective run stuffers.

I want McClain ... but I wouldn't "do whatever it takes" to get him. There are several other players that could benefit this team from where we pick if McClain isn't there....

That being said, it'd be oh so sweet if McClain dropped to us.

McClain tops the list, but there are also several OLB options who have first round grades.

Absolutely. Great post. JFerg's injury/age are huge defensive question marks, and those aren't good to have when you're talking NT in a 3-4. (In the 'it'll never happen in a gazillion years' category, Vince Wilfork is a FA...I can dream, can't I?)
As to FS, Gibril Wilson's days as a Dolphin have never been spectacular, have often been mediocre and occasionally putrid. I know that he is actually a SS that we asked to switch, but I don't care. There are some excellent FS prospects coming into the NFL, and I want us to go get one of them.
LBs, especially ILBs. Was it just me or did Akin Ayodele look sloooooow in that last game? He seemed to degress as the season wore on. I know some will look to Porter's salary, Taylor's age, etc, but I think we are much weaker at ILB and need to upgrade considerably.

Brandon Spikes may do if McClain is already gone.

As a Gators fan, I'm down with that!!!

Dude is a beast, no doubt about that. Even as a BUCKEYE fan I can see that lol!

In a 3-4 the NT is just as important as the LB's, one can't work without the other. I agree that we need to move hell or highwater to grab McClain. Nick Satan already schooled him to the 3-4 for 3 years now and the kid is a leader. With the 2nd pick we grab a top 3 NT, preferbly Williams from UT but I will take Cody also. Then with the 3rd pick we look for another ILB or OLB. The first 3 rounds need to be about DEFENSE! Our offense is a FA TE and WR away from being good (not great) but good. Our D stinks and it needs a serious upgrade, so all you guys talking about drafting a WR in rounds 1 or 2 need to wake up. It starts with the D then we surround Henne with some talent, and YES I believe in HENNE is going to win the Super Bowl for us in the next 3 years (if he stays healthy of course)!

Truly I wouldn't be upset if our WHOLE draft was defense!

I would agree provided that Free Agency nets us at least one playmaking receiver.

I'd like to get a Tight End too.

They are hard to find these days... *ahem* nevermind.

Pervert.

You know me so well .....