National Football League
Offseason review: Miami Dolphins
National Football League

Offseason review: Miami Dolphins

Published May. 9, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

Pre-draft needs

RB, WR (speed), G, C, OLB (depth), TE (athleticism), QB (veteran depth)

Draft class

Round 1: Mike Pouncey, G/C
Round 2: Daniel Thomas, RB
Round 4: Edmond Gates, WR
Round 6: Charles Clay, FB/TE
Round 7: Frank Kearse, DT
Round 7: Jimmy Wilson, CB

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Potential free agents of note

Tyler Thigpen, QB
Chad Pennington, QB
Patrick Cobbs, RB
Ricky Williams, RB
Ronnie Brown, RB
Nate Garner, G
Corey Procter, C
Tony McDaniel, DL

 

Post-draft needs

RB (depth), G (depth), OLB (depth), QB (veteran depth)

 

Analysis

The Dolphins made only six selections in this year’s draft, but they addressed four needs on offense with the first four picks.

If you want to look at why the Dolphins’ running game struggled so badly last season, look no further than the interior of the offensive line.

And with the addition of guard/center Mike Pouncey, the hope is that his selection will help alleviate that issue. It has been assumed by many that he’ll play center this season, but considering he was a guard in college and he might not get much practice time leading up to training camp because of the uncertain labor situation, the move to center might not be the best one right away.

Daniel Thomas, at this point, looks like he’ll be the starting running back, but the team will need to add depth to the position since veterans Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown are unsigned. Thomas, based on his size and skill set, is a good fit for Miami’s power rushing attack.

Rookie wide receiver Edmond Gates will provide badly needed speed at the position. But the rookie is a bit raw, so it will be interesting to see how many plays he can handle this season. And fullback/tight end Charles Clay will add athleticism at tight end. The Dolphins clearly indentified the speed and athleticism needs before the draft and did a nice job of addressing each area.

While many team observers were surprised that the Dolphins didn’t wind up selecting a quarterback considering starter Chad Henne is on the final year of his rookie deal, the team is still expected to sign a veteran to provide competition and depth to the position.

An improved running game should help Henne get off to a better start against the opponent each week so he doesn’t continue to force passes, which was a major problem for him last season.

Should quarterback Tyler Thigpen not return for his third season with the team, the right-handed passer could find a decent amount of interest in free agency because of his athleticism and intelligence. Thigpen was fairly successful in a starting role with the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2008.

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