Mark Ingram - NFL Combine Today

[Sunstroke]

I watched every drill that they televised for Ingram, and the dude looked plenty quick to me. Like I mentioned earlier, his ten yard split (read: burst through the line) was "really" fast.

[Pappy13]

But how long has the media and/or Sparano and Ireland been complaining that Ricky and Ronnie lack the necessary speed to break a long TD run?  Getting through the hole and into the secondary is great and yes that's extremely important, but the Dolphins have had that for years, what they have lacked is a guy that when he breaks into the open can outrun DB's and get into the endzone.  Big play guys.  Doesn't seem like Mark Ingram is that guy. I'm not saying it's the most important thing, but it is something to think about. 

I'm sensing a lot of you are leaning toward taking Ingram at 15 now.  I'm not convinced. Ingram might be the best offensive player available at #15, but this draft is defensive heavy in most people's opinion and there are going to be better defensive players on the board at #15.  Seems like we are settling for Ingram because he's an offensive player rather than looking for the best player.  I don't want to pick a defensive player, so I would rather try to trade down, but if we can't do that, I think we should take the best available player regardless of what position he plays, even if that's on the defensive side of the ball.

[Sunstroke]

Getting through the hole and into the secondary is great and yes that's extremely important, but the Dolphins have had that for years...

Disagree with this completely. Neither RB we have on the roster is above average at exploding through the line of scrimmage. Hell, Ronnie does a 2 minute tap dance in the backfield every time he gets handed the ball.

[Brian Fein]

^^^ agree with this.  Ronnie can never commit to a hole.  If it closes, he falls down.  Ricky bounces outside and runs 20 yards for a 1 yard gain.  Besides, its likely both of those guys won't be back.

We have positions of need.  You can get a stud at 15.  Interior o-line and RB are the biggest glaring holes (aside from QB). 

I don't see any other options.  Everyone always wants to trade down, but its easier said than done (unless you're Bill Belichick).

[Pappy13]

Disagree with this completely. Neither RB we have on the roster is above average at exploding through the line of scrimmage. Hell, Ronnie does a 2 minute tap dance in the backfield every time he gets handed the ball.

Ronnie dances but Ricky doesn't and Ricky has better than average speed.  He is quite good at hitting the hole and getting through it quickly.  Now Ricky is getting older and is not quite as explosive as he once was, but he has plenty of speed to hit the hole.

And while Ronnie certainly does dance a lot, he's still pretty darn good at finding a hole and getting through it.  That's essentially what he was asked to do when he ran the wildcat.

I just get the feeling that we are talking ourselves into Mark Ingram rather than letting Mark Ingram convince us.  His 40 yard dash time is a red flag in my opinion especially when going into the draft everyone was saying we needed more big play guys.  Mark Ingram is probably a safe bet, but is he the right choice?

[Doc-phin]

Its gonna be something to watch when the Dolphins fans at the draft go nutts when they pick an offensive guard or tackle with the first pick.

Learn from history folks.  This front office is conservative in the first round. 

Personally, I am praying that we manage a trade to pick up a second rounder because I really don't want to spend a #15 pick on another lineman. 

[Phishfan]

^^^I'm hoping for a lineman, provided he has the talent.

[StL FinFan]

I don't think the Dolphins will take Ingram because the "experts" are saying that they will.  Draft projections are rarely correct after the first few picks.

[MikeO]

I don't see guys who learned under the hand of Parcells taking  a RB in round 1. There is no value there unless its one of those once in a lifetime guys like A.P.

Draft a guard or a center and I will be happy. Give me a speed WR and I will be happy. Hell roll the dice on a QB even, fine, I can live with that. Just do not take a RB at 15.

[DZA]

taking a RB that high when our team has so many holes and voids to fill would be insane on every level. It didn't work when we took Ronnie Brown at #2 it won't work now!

Ok are you on crack, How did Ronnie Brown did not work.  I want you to fill the void i been missing.

[MikeO]

Ok are you on crack, How did Ronnie Brown did not work.  I want you to fill the void i been missing.

How did it not work? ha ha...He isn't all that good and was/is always injured. And if you take a guy #2 overall, you hope to have him on your team more than 5 years. You hope to get a constant pro bowl player if not a future hall of fame player with the #2 overall pick of the draft. We drafted a guy who needs to play in a time-share at RB with an old, pot smoking RB.  How did it not work out, you can't seroiusly ask that with a straight face!

[Spider-Dan]

never mind with the #2 pick in the draft that year, and a black hole at the quarterback position, the dolphins could've drafted probably the greatest qb of his generation... nah, better to draft running backs high. better value...

With the 167th pick in the 2000 draft, we could have drafted the QB with the highest win % of all time.  Therefore, it is folly to draft QBs before the sixth round.

I mean, since we are using one-off examples based on nothing but hindsight.

edit: By the way, not to let facts get in the way or anything, but at the time, this was your evaluation of the 2005 draft:

i like the way saban is managing this draft... noticable difference from pornstache and schlepman. nictator isn't taking any "project" players, no need to waste picks. take the guys you can plug in tomorrow to play. the fins need all the help they can get.

"i like the way saban is managing this draft" sure doesn't look like "why did saban pass up the best quarterback of his generation?!?" to me.

[Brian Fein]

The year the Dolphins have the #2 overall pick, Ronnie Brown was the best option.  Would you rather have had Alex "Fumble" Smith?  Cadillac "career ending knee injury" Williams?  Braylon "Ted Ginn" Edwards?

I don't get why you bash Ronnie.  They played the cards they were dealt and I think got the best success out of what they could.  I agree he's not Chris Johnson, but for that draft class, he's the best you could have gotten.

However, even if he played 1 game and broke both of his legs and never played again, that still doesn't mean jack when evaluating future first-round talent.  I can't see the correlation here.

[fyo]

Yeah, the Ronnie Brown bashing here is ridiculous... He wound up being the best guy in the top 10 (IMHO, anyway)... Had we drafted anyone else, people would have been screaming "reach".

This kind hind-sight'ing is ridiculous. Ronnie Brown, while not great, has been a VERY good running back and clearly the best "pick" the front office could realistically have taken at #2.

[Alwaysdullfan]

I dunno who they should take, the Fins do need a RB, I just dont know if #15 would be a waste or not. The only thing that concerns me about Ingram is that he only averaged about 14 carries/game, which is very low, I wonder how he'd do in the NFL carryin the ball 20+ game after game