The Miami Dolphins hold the #1 pick in this year's NFL Draft. The Dolphins could take a player at #1, but they need more than one quality player. Trading down would definitely help this team rebuild.
While there does not appear to be a clear cut #1 player in this year's draft, it only takes one team to fall in love with a player like LSU DT Glenn Dorsey, Arkansas RB Darren McFadden, or BC QB Matt Ryan, for the Dolphins to swing a deal.
Trade scenario #1:
Dallas offers R1 P22, R1 P28, and RB Marion Barber
One possibility floating around is that Dallas owner Jerry Jones will try to swing a deal for McFadden. The Cowboys have the 22nd and 28th picks in the first round of this year's draft. According the the NFL Draft value chart, those two picks are worth about 1500 points. The #1 pick is worth 3000. The Cowboys could sweeten the deal by throwing in RB Marion Barber. Barber is a restricted free agent, and teamed with current RB Ronnie Brown, would produce one of the most dynamic rushing duos in the NFL.
Trade scenario #2:
Oakland offers R1 P3*, R2 P37*, and 2009 2nd Round pick
If Dallas shows serious interest in trading up, that might spur Oakland to make an offer for McFadden. While the Raiders had a break-out season from Justin Fargas, it wouldn't surprise me if Al Davis goes for the sensational trade.
Trade scenario #3:
Baltimore offers R1 P8, R2 P38, and 2009 1st Round pick
The Ravens and new coach John Harbaugh may decide to start off their regime by drafting a "franchise" QB. Boston College's Matt Ryan appears to be the frontrunner for the franchise QB label in this draft.
Trade scenario #4:
Cincinnati offers R1 P9, R2 P46, R3 P77, and WR Chad Johnson
Chad Johnson has made it known that he wants to be traded. The Bengals just may comply if they feel a guy like Glenn Dorsey or Virginia DE Chris Long would provide an immediate lift to the team's defense. Coach Marvin Lewis is on the hot seat, and trading Johnson for the #1 pick may just rid him of a headache and provide a boost to the D. The Dolphins could use a #1 WR after trading Chris Chambers to San Diego during the season.
Trade scenario #5:
Cleveland offers R2 P56, R3 P87, and QB Derek Anderson
The Browns are open to trading restricted free agent QB Derek Anderson. Two questions that need to be answered for this trade to happen: Do the Dolphins really want Derek Anderson and do the Browns want to shell out the money required to sign the #1 pick?
Trade scenario #6:
Atlanta offers R1 P4*, R2 P35*, and R3 P66*
The Falcons could be in the market for a franchise LT. Michigan's Jake Long fits the bill.
The Dolphins could trade the #1 pick, and here's how
Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 9:46 AM Posted by Mike Register
Seven QBs to battle for top of '08 draft board
Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 10:32 AM Posted by Mike Register
The 2008 draft class is shaping up to be an interesting one. There are seven senior QBs in this class with distinguished college careers who are battling for the top of many teams' draft boards. Outside of the top seven, there are plenty of talented "projects," including Oregon's Dennis Dixon and Delaware's Joe Flacco.
Six of my top seven QB prospects all started at least 32 games in their college careers. USC's John David Booty only started 23. Games started, along with completion percentage, are believed to be the two best football stats to measure a QB. Michigan's Chad Henne, a starter since his freshman year, played in 46 games for the Wolverines.
Games Started
1. Chad Henne 46
2. Andre Woodson 37
Colt Brennan 37
Eric Ainge 37
5. Brian Brohm 33*
6. Matt Ryan 32
7. John David Booty 23
* Brohm received significant playing time in Louisville as a freshman, but never started a game.
All seven of these QBs also have a high career completion rate. Henne and Ryan's completion percentage was very close to 60%, while Brennan topped 70% in Hawaii's passing offense.
Completion Percentage
1. Colt Brennan 70.4%
2. Brian Brohm 65.8%
3. John David Booty 62.5%
4. Andre Woodson 61.9%
5. Eric Ainge 60.6%
6. Matt Ryan 59.9%
7. Chad Henne 59.7%
Its hard to see who the best of the seven are by looking at just these two criteria. All seven QBs performed well in these two categories. So, lets dig deeper with a little help from Scott Wright's Draft Countdown QB Rankings and my own player observations.
All seven of the QBs possess good height and size. Michigan's Henne is the shortest, at 6-2. Hawaii's Brennan could add some bulk to his 6-3, 190 lb frame. None of the seven QBs possess outstanding athletic ability. They all are decent athletes, but none will be mistaken for Vince Young.
Andre Woodson, Chad Henne, and Brian Brohm are believed to have the strongest arms of the group. Booty of USC may have the weakest arm of the group, as their are concerns about his ability to throw the deep ball.
Passing accuracy is not really much of a concern for these guys. They all have displayed good accuracy and touch with their passes. Brohm, Booty, and Brennan are considered to be the most accurate of the bunch.
Brohm is also considered the most NFL-ready. Many believe Boston College's Matt Ryan has the intelligence to make it as an NFL QB.
A key element to being a successful NFL QB is the ability to stay healthy. Three QBs in this group, Brohm, Booty, and Tennessee's Eric Ainge, have missed significant playing time in their college careers due to injury. That will definitely be something NFL scouts take a long look at.
Even after taking a cursory glance at these QBs, it is still very hard to separate them. Brohm, Woodson, and Ryan rank in the top of most categories, and seem to be high on many early draft boards.
Personally, I think it is silly to draft a QB high in the first round, unless you are a good, talented team. I like Matt Ryan in the mid-to-late 1st round, Brian Brohm and Andre Woodson in the top of the 2nd round, and Chad Henne as a sleeper prospect (think Chris Simms and Matt Schaub) in the 3rd round.
