ajk23az
Through Pain Comes Clarity
- Messages
- 7,953
- Reaction score
- 422
Dolphins GM hints at top pick, or does he?
By EDGAR THOMPSON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 17, 2008
DAVIE — A slip of the tongue or a smoke screen?
It might not be either.
But General Manager Jeff Ireland will let everyone try to figure that out between now and the time the Dolphins make the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft on April 26.
Discussing the draft with the media earlier today, Ireland inadvertently might have revealed the Dolphins' hand when asked about the kind of player the team plans to select with the top pick.
"You hope he's a pillar of your defense for a long time," Ireland said.
When he realized what he had said, Ireland corrected himself, "Pillar of your defense, your offense, your team. ... That's a Freudian slip."
This comes a little more than week after the Dolphins entered into negotiations with Michigan left tackle Jake Long and agent Tom Condon.
But with an aging defense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL in 2007, the Dolphins also have been expected to look seriously at Virginia defensive end Chris Long and Ohio State defensive end and linebacker Vernon Gholston.
Ireland wouldn't say, declining to discuss specific players or draft strategy.
But having cut his teeth as an NFL executive under Bill Parcells, Ireland is well-versed in the pre-draft posturing on the horizon.
"You set some smokescreens," Ireland said. "I certainly set some. Bill set some in his career. Everybody has set some smoke screens."
Ireland said plenty could change in the coming week, including the Dolphins' position at the top of the draft.
Ireland said the team has fielded a few phone calls about trading the No. 1 pick, but he expects interest to increase.
"Usually they do heat up a little bit next week," Ireland said. "I think people are always interested in the first pick, but there's a lot of things that play into that."
The high price tag, including as much as $30 million in guaranteed money, is a major reason the Dolphins likely will have a tough decision.
Defense or offense?
But Ireland, whose highest pick when he worked with the Cowboys was No. 11, wouldn't have it any other way.
"I'm actually excited about being in this position because I feel like we're going to pick a good players," Ireland said
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphi.../17/0417fins.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=46
