Dolphins' front office at work

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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-flspdolphins16sbmar16,0,2632177.story

Dolphins' front office at work

By Omar Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

March 16, 2008

Unlike the Dolphins' previous front office, the team's new decision-makers won't deny that this once-proud franchise is in a rebuilding phase.

A 1-15 record, which prompted a purge of upper management, the coaching staff and much of last season's roster, made that reality clear. That's why Bill Parcells, the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations, and his staff aren't making decisions that would merely patch together a roster.

So far, their moves have been aimed at long-term growth.

Older veterans with pricey salaries — quarterback Trent Green, receiver Marty Booker, defensive tackle Keith Traylor and linebacker Zach Thomas — were cut. Replacing them are more than a dozen affordable 20-somethings.

The Dolphins, who entered free agency $39.4 million under the salary cap, have spent conservatively the past two weeks, fortifying the defensive front, which was the team's Achilles' heel in 2007, and building the framework to run the 3-4 defense that Parcells prefers.

Lately the Dolphins have been adding special teams stalwarts, trying to strengthen what many considered last year's poorest performing unit.

The Dolphins still have roughly $18 million to spend, with about $7 million of that going toward draft picks. The biggest message the Dolphins' thrifty spending has sent is that Parcells and company plan to retool the roster through the draft.

"The draft is where you get the bang for your buck," said Scot McCloughan, the 49ers' general manager. "If you draft guys in the third and fourth round and get them locked in for three- and four-year deals, the amount of money you spend on them is less than you do picking up a guy in free agency because in free agency you always overspend."

The one thing the Dolphins haven't done this offseason is trade away draft picks. Coincidentally, they also haven't been aggressive in shopping veterans to acquire them.

Parcells ended a prolonged silence earlier this month to let the nation know perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor wasn't on the trading block and will either play for the Dolphins next season or retire.

"Quarterback play and pass rushers have always been at a premium in this league. When you've got a good one you better keep him," Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome said. "You can never have too many pass rushers."

A team also needs talented offensive linemen to slow those pass rushers down. Yet the Dolphins have been quiet on that front. There are only three potential starters — tackle Vernon Carey, center Samson Satele and newly acquired right guard Justin Smiley — on the roster.

The Dolphins haven't inquired about many unrestricted free agent offensive linemen, and their patience could be an indicator Parcells plans to make fortifying the line a priority in next month's draft. According to most talent evaluators, this year's class of tackles is the best in more than a decade.

Most analysts believe eight offensive linemen — Michigan's Jake Long, Boise State's Ryan Clady, Pittsburgh's Jeff Otah, Boston College's Gosder Cherilus, Southern California's Sam Baker, Vanderbilt's Chris Williams, Kansas' Anthony Collins and Virginia's Branden Albert — will be among the draft's top 63 selections if injuries and character concerns don't tarnish their value.

The Dolphins will have an opportunity to take one, if not two, of the top-shelf offensive linemen with their first three picks in the first two rounds, unless there's a run on them.

McCloughan said he believes at least six offensive linemen will be selected in the first round. So waiting until the second round to select an offensive lineman could be risky for the Dolphins, which might mean Long, the elite tackle of this class, is a strong possibility to become the No. 1 overall pick.

"[Tackles] have been unique players for a long time because, let's face it, they're probably blocking the best rusher," said Colts President Bill Polian, who used the Giants' success pressuring Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the Super Bowl to illustrate his point. "It's always been a marquee position. It's always been hard to find."

But finding one could provide the Dolphins another brick for the foundation Parcells is building.