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1996 Season 8-8, 4th in AFC East 1997 Draft Choices Team Reporter Brian Corser Corsfam@aol.com Miami Dolphins 1996 was a season of come and go for the Miami Dolphins. Gone from the prior year were many fixtures of this proud franchise. Don Shula and most of his staff, 27 players from the 1995 roster, and the offensive playbook, considered by many to be the most complex in the NFL. Even the uniforms were revamped for a slightly more updated look. All of this change of course was brought on by the arrival of Jimmy Johnson and his staff. He brings a fresh attitude, new offensive and defensive philosophies, and most importantly, young, talented, and aggressive players. The off season has been quiet by comparison to the regular season. Each week during the 1996 season there was some kind of non injury related player movement almost until the last month of the regular season. Johnson was constantly tinkering with the roster. The biggest news was the re-signing of tight end Troy Drayton to a four-year contract just at the end of the regular season. The Dolphins are extremely high on Drayton and believe they have a future Pro Bowler in him. On the first day of waivers being activated for the 97 season, Johnson cut long time former starting cornerback J.B. Brown and outside linebacker Chris Singleton. These cuts just continue to underscore the move towards a younger more athletic group of players. This and the anticipated restructuring or outright waiving of other players such as tackle Steve Emtman, and receivers Charles Jordan and Scott Miller, will have the Dolphins any where between $6-7 million under the cap before free agency and the draft. It is expected that the Dolphins will take a conservative approach on free agency, signing only a few value players with the lone exception being linebacker where they may go after a big name player. The emphasis will be on the draft where the team will have 10 selections in the first 150. This as a product of prior trades and compensatory selections for net free agent losses. The draft will be very heavily weighted with defensive selections, as the front seven and the secondary all need 2-3 new impact players. The following is a position by position look at the Miami Dolphins and where they stand going into free agency and the 1997 NFL draft: Quarterback Dan Marino still reigns supreme in this town. There are those who contend that he should be traded now while he still has value. Jimmy Johnson has said time and time again he will do nothing of the sort because he realizes that if he is going to get to a Super Bowl any time in the near future he is going to need a great quarterback and Marino is just the man to do it. It is also worth noting that even though a trade of Marino would certainly yield a slew of player talent, Jimmy believes he can accomplish the same thing with what he currently is holding in this draft. Craig Erickson holds down the number two slot, while Bernie Kosar, unsigned and contemplating retirement will be invited back as the number three. It is unlikely that the Dolphins will use any of their draft choices on a QB this year. They believe they have their quarterback of the future in Erickson and if Kosar doesn’t return they will probably sign a journeyman FA as the number three. Look for Kosar to return for one more year though. Running Back This area of the team saw the largest influx of new talent last season. In Karim Abdul Jabbar, Johnson believes he has the star running back this team has tried and failed to have for so long. The former third round draft choice is joined in the backfield by fellow third rounder last year, Stanley Pritchett. He is great catching the ball out of the backfield and his blocking was a big reason that Jabbar was the first Dolphin since 1978 to gain 1,000 yards. Jerris Mcphail, who finished the season on IR is another future star. Most Dolphin observers think it is only a matter of time before he becomes a major weapon in the Miami offensive attack. He is a versatile player with tremendous speed and can line up in the slot as a receiver or at half back. His acceleration is frightening once he catches the ball and turns up field. The former fifth round selection last year is considered a major draft day steal by Johnson. Robert Wilson provides solid depth at FB. Irving Spikes and Bernie Parmalee are both unsigned and they should be back with the team although they will weigh their other options carefully. Late season pick up Brandon Bennett will provide insurance in case they lose either of the other two. He is also versatile and can catch the ball out of the backfield. This position is very strong and if they get Spikes and Parmalee back it is not expected to be an area of much draft activity. Wide Receiver One of three areas of modest need for the Miami Dolphins. Fred Barnett is the deep threat while underrated OJ McDuffie is the slot receiver. Both are quality players but after them there is little quality depth. There are some possibilities in Charles Jordan and Randal Hill, but look for the Dolphins to add one or two players in the draft here. Jimmy would like a prototypical size/speed player to stretch the defense and ease safety support for his running game. Last year the current players just could not consistently break down man coverage and get open. This has caused some speculation that McDuffie would be better suited coming off the bench where his possession skills could be best utilized on third down, which is where he gets most of his catches anyway. He is a great receiver and was the teams informal MVP last year but he does not have the speed to get deep and that has hurt the entire offense. With receiver being a fairly deep position in this draft Johnson should be able to land a couple of quality prospects in the early rounds. Miami fans salivate at the thought of Yatil Green or Rae Carruth in a Dolphin uniform but the needs on defense are far greater and will preclude any the top rated receivers being available to them by the time they will take one. Look for them to select a speedy receiver early in the third round. Tight End The re-signing of Troy Drayton was finally the closing of the revolving door saga that as taken place at this position for the last 10 years. Drayton should be the best and most complete tight end the team has had since the days of Bruce Hardy (receiving) and Marv Fleming (blocking). The list of players who have come and gone in recent years would fill an All-Pro, all underachieving team. Drayton will see an expanded role in 1997 that will include him being used more as a receiver and lined up in the slot much like New England uses Ben Coates. Frank Wainwright is an unsigned back-up who handles the long snapping duties very well. He does not offer much in the way of blocking or receiving skills. Brett Carolan meets the receiving requirement but offers nothing with his blocking ability. Look for the Dolphins to add a player or two in the middle to late rounds who can block first and develop their pass catching abilities in the mean time. They need tight ends who can block in their two and three TE sets on short yardage situations where they continue to struggle. Offensive Line This position has the most questions surrounding it going into this season. Is this a group of underachieving finesse blockers, or has the offensive scheme they have played for so many years taken away their aggressiveness? Where and how the area is upgraded is heavily debated. Richmond Webb and Keith Sims are both Pro Bowl caliber players who have not played consistently up to their potential in recent years. Both are physically gifted and capable of dominating at any time. Another training camp with new OL coach Larry Bechtol and a revised scheme with less audibles at the line of scrimmage, should restore their aggressiveness. The right side of the line is less talented and probably where a draft choice or two will be added. Jimmy Johnson likes road grading power blockers and he is sure to add a guard and a tackle to challenge the incumbents Chris Gray and James Brown. Jeff Buckey, last years #7 from Stanford is projected to challenge at any one of three spots LG, RG, and RT. Jimmy likes his toughness and agility. Chris Gray is the same kind of player, however neither are the bullish run blocking type Jimmy typically covets. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out because he has some quality players he really likes but do not necessarily suit the style he wants to incorporate. Tim Ruddy is the center and the former second round pick from Notre Dame who signed a contract extension last year will be a fixture there for a long time. He is the strongest player on the team and is a savvy and intelligent signal caller. Depth will come from the fallout in the starting right side challenge with Buckey and Gray because both can play multiple positions. Currently there are only two pure tackles on the roster, Webb and Brown. The Dolphins will definitely draft a tackle in the early middle rounds and probably do the same with guard. There is a possibility of some type of trade here based on the talent not suiting the style Johnson wants to play. This position is very interesting and less clear cut than most. Defensive Line The number one priority for Jimmy Johnson and the Dolphins will be upgrading the speed of the defensive front seven. It will all start here. The defensive line is currently the second most complete area of the team behind running back, however it is lacking one key ingredient to complete the package, a speedy end who can turn the corner quickly. Jimmy has a great group of lineman to use in his rotational system he so favors but currently there is no player on the roster at DL or LB to provide the consistent quick pressure so vital to a quality defense. The Dolphins are in great shape at tackle with soon to be Pro Bowler Tim Bowens anchoring the middle and last years #1 Daryl Gardener continuing to improve and develop next to him. They average 315 pounds and are unusually athletic and quick for men of their size. Once they gel together, they will be the strength of this team. The problems are at DE where Trace Armstrong and Danny Stubbs have provided excellent pressure at time but do not do it consistently. Armstrong finished with a team leading 10 sacks and is a solid at LE in the rotation. Stubbs, who is unsigned does the same at the RE spot. He is 32 and the Dolphins would like him back at the right price. The age of the current ends and their lack of speed, the lack of depth, and lack of consistency make a prime time DE the number one need for this team. Expect Jimmy to draft at least two defensive ends who fit the criteria. Adding speed rushers to the mix of the current rotation will make this group quite formidable and easily the deepest area of the team. Rounding out the rotation are Shane Burton a 5th rounder last year who will probably be moved back inside with the addition of new defensive ends, Steve Emtman, who has played solid but is not worth the 2.5M he is scheduled to make this year and will be waived if he does not agree to restructure his contract, and Norman Hand a 330 pounder who has been developing the last two years and will either have to pay dividends this year or be gone. Second year end Oscar Sturgis was signed in the off season and has the speed Jimmy likes. Expect the first selection for the Dolphins to be defensive end and it may not come at the 15th selection. Jimmy may trade up to get Peter Boulware if he happens to slip a bit, which at this point seems unlikely. If he decides to trade down which seems more likely because of the many needs, he might take Kenny Holmes or Kennard Lang from Miami in the early second round. Both players are terrors off the corner and have the frames to develop into full time starters eventually. Linebacker The other big priority for Jimmy Johnson is finding linebackers who can run sideline to sideline. With the release of Chris Singleton this need became even greater. No position on the team has fewer players currently on the roster and this is the teams weakest area. Last year Jimmy wanted to draft John Mobley the OLB from Kutztown, but the Broncos nabbed him with their selection right before the Dolphins and Johnson was visibly disappointed. He will try again this year. Zach Thomas, last years rookie of the year candidate, will bulk up a little this off season and be back in the middle after a phenomenal rookie year. After Thomas there is little to get excited about. Dwight Hollier is a free agent and the Dolphins would like him back because of his solid play and ability to play all three spots. The former starter at OLB will likely get other offers from other teams, but given the weakness of the position the Dolphins are likely to structure a deal to keep him. They do not really project him as a starter though and would only resort to overpaying to keep him if their attempt in free agency to land a more athletic player for the outside does not happen. Michael Barrow of Houston and Darrin Smith of Dallas have been rumored the most likely candidates, but Jimmy will not get into a bidding war for either of them. Both are Miami natives who played for Johnson at UM and Dallas respectively and the fit for either of them seems like a natural. Most think that OLB or SS will be the few areas Johnson does target for larger free agent dollars. In addition expect to see two high draft choices here. He may go after a linebacker with his first or second choice depending on who is available at DE at the time. Either way DE and LB will be the top two choices. Larry Izzo, OJ Brigance, and Anthony Harris are all situational or special teams players. Izzo and Harris show the ability to develop further but are limited in one way or another. Izzo is the teams best special teams player. Johnson inserted Harris into the starting lineup for the last five games of the year but while he is quick, he is not strong enough at the point of attack and seems to lack the instincts to locate the football at certain times. Defensive Backs The secondary is an area that also needs significant upgrading. It is expected that there could be as many as three DB selections early in the draft for the Dolphins. Johnson tried this last year with three relatively high choices, but of the three only starting free safety Shawn Wooden from Notre Dame stuck. Jimmy will load up on DB’s in this draft in order to give his nickel and dime packages young, fast, and aggressive players. Unlike linebacker where there are very few young up and coming players, the secondary has a few players who have some potential to develop into nickel and dime contributors. Jerry Wilson, acquired from Tampa Bay and Calvin Jackson, last years starting CB will probably move into the top two slots off the bench. Jackson will probably be supplanted in the starting lineup by either a veteran FA or a very high draft choice. He is a decent cover guy but at 5'9" is a little on the short side to go against some of the bigger, more physical receivers in the league. The other corner Terrell Buckley greatly benefitted under Johnson’s aggressive man coverage schemes and had his best year as a pro. He finally displayed the coverage ability that made him a former first round draft choice. Shawn Wooden will be asked to get stronger this off season and really showed the potential to be very good last year. He is smart, tough, and all over the football field. Louis Oliver lost his starting job at the end of the season and is unsigned. The Dolphins would like him back for his experience. He still has good speed and can make plays however he had an up and down year. A starter at strong safety will come from the draft or free agency. Dallas safety Brock Marion was interested in playing for Miami last year and it his possible he could be reunited with his former Dallas coach. This is the other area that there may be some significant free agent activity. Nevertheless, there will be multiple draft choices at DB. Sean Hill, Robert Bailey, and Tim Jacobs are decent players but none are of starting caliber. Special Teams John Kidd almost made the Pro Bowl last year, his net punting average was at the top of the AFC. He is like fine wine. Joe Nedney beat out Pete Stoyonovich in the preseason largely because of his ability to kick the ball off so deeply. His field goal kicking was very erratic and there were times in the year when he seemed to lose confidence. Jimmy will give him one more training camp but will probably have a few kickers on the preseason roster just in case he decides to make a change. Draft Summary The needs of the Dolphins are many. DE, OLB, CB, and WR are all primary needs. They also need to a guard, offensive tackle, strong safety, and blocking tight ends, but all with a lower priority. Jimmy Johnson’s second draft with the Dolphins could be the most important in franchise history if Dan Marino is to realize his dream of winning a Super Bowl before he retires. As always expect Johnson to move up and down in the draft frequently. He is armed with a total of 11 picks, this before he has made any draft day trades. Last year he started with 7 picks and ended up with 10 selections as a product of draft day wheeling and dealing. Jimmy is the master at getting the most out of what he is given. His draft will be very defensive oriented and with the draft depth at defensive back and defensive line, Jimmy should really be able to load up at those positions. Written February 13, 1997 Draft Talk | Draft Trivia | Profiles