SB Nation User Blog: Little Nicky 21

John Beck Myths

Little Nicky 21 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:12:35 -0000

Just to settle some of the arguments made supposedly "proving" why John Beck shouldn't start, or why he sucks, or anything people come up with to say he's no good. These are points that various people have made about Beck that simply are not true. I'm not one of those blind political supporters that think Beck should start even if someone is clearly better, but I think he deserves his shot, and I think he'll prove he CAN be a starter. On to the Myths

Myth - "John Beck has small hands."

Fact - Beck has a bigger hand size than 3 of the top QB's in this year's draft, including our 2nd round pick, Chad Henne. Beck's hand size is 9 3/4 in. Compared to Matt Ryan's 9 5/8, Flacco's 9 1/2, and Henne's 9 3/8, Beck will not have a problem fumbling the ball because of "small hands." His fumbling problem will disappear with better protection, because he won't be getting killed every time he drops back.

Myth - "John Beck doesn't have the arm strength to be an NFL QB."

Fact - Beck's velocity at the '07 combine was higher than every drafted QB except for Russell and Quinn, who didn't throw. He threw it 61 mph, 3-5 mph better than Troy Smith, Drew Stanton, and Trent Edwards.

Myth - "Beck is not a good decision-maker, and Henne is more accurate."

Fact - At BYU, Beck's career completion percentage was 62.4, including his senior year in which he completed 69.3% of his passes. In comparison, Henne never completed more than 61.9% of his passes. Beck also had 32 TD's compared to only 8 INT's his senior year, compared to Henne's 17 and 9. This isn't to say that Beck will definitely be better than Henne, but it also doesn't bode well for people saying Henne is CLEARLY the better player.

Myth - "John Beck is not tough."

Fact - Beck is plenty tough enough to be an NFL QB. In '04 he separated his throwing shoulder, only to play anyway the next week. He played most of 2006 on two sprained ankles, and reinjured his right ankle during the season. All he did that season was finish with the highest completion%, TD's, and yards of his college career.

Bottom Line is, let's just stop with the misinformed arguments against Beck. You can say you don't think he's a good QB, or you don't think he deserves a chance to start, but at least give a good reason why you feel that way. More than likely, Beck will be our starter come Week 1, and I think he'll perform well enough to keep the job throughout the year.

What's the status on Cameron Maybin?

Little Nicky 21 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:55:12 -0000

I haven't heard much about this kid since we got him, and I think he'd fit in pretty well with the guys we have right now. We don't have a true leadoff hitter, or a true #2 hitter, so could he fill one of those roles? Maybe a lineup of 1) Maybin 2) Cantu 3) Ramirez 4) Jacobs 5) Uggla 6) Ross 7) Willingham/Hermida/Gonzo 8) Treanor 9) Pitcher... Or keep Hanley at leadoff and bat Maybin 2nd? And in the outfield, playing Ross in left, Maybin in center, and Willingham/Hermida switching up with Gonzo in right? It would get Amezega out of center and give us a trade piece in the outfield for some starting pitching after the all-star break.

So... does anybody if the kid is ready for the bigs?

New Member

Little Nicky 21 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:52:01 -0000

Hey all just signed up wanted to say how much I enjoy reading here the past few weeks... I just decided to sign up and join the fun! And that Ichto- Ichytom- however u spell it sounds like a lotta fun...

About me.. Im 21, big Marlin fan since they were created. Favorite all-time Marlin was Renteria because of '97, now its Uggla cuz he's a beast. I live in Broward and try to go to games as much as possible..

Possible Deal with Dallas?

Little Nicky 21 — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:55:37 -0000

Just read this on PFT, Greg Ellis is unhappy with his situation in Dallas right now, and feels like he's being pushed out the door.

Soooo, would anyone be on board with a trade of JT for Ellis and a 2nd day pick? Say, a conditional 4th or 5th that can turn into a 3 depending on Taylor's performance? I think it would benefit both player's, and both organizations as well.

1) Taylor would be out of Miami, reunited with Zach, and playing for a true Super Bowl contender.
2) Ellis would be out of Dallas, reunited with his old Dallas coaches, most notably DC Paul Pasqualoni.
3) Miami would end the circus that this has become, maintain a veteran presence at the OLB position, and add what could become a 3rd round pick.
4) Dallas adds yet another defensive playmaker, solidifying them as a Super Bowl contender/favorite, and allows Spencer (07 draft pick) to learn behind one of the best.

I would definitely want the pick to be conditional, because I'm almost positive that JT will exceed whatever numbers would be needed to up that pick to the 3rd round. We would end up with a nice little draft pick, plus there wouldn't be a HUGE dropoff at that position, because Ellis is a good player (pro bowler last season when Briggs dropped out of it) and would probably be a good leader on a young team (comeback player of the year as well).
So what do you guys think?

Dolphins Minicamp

Little Nicky 21 — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:02:43 -0000

[Editors Note by Matty I] This was originally posted by Little Nicky. I just edited it for front-page posting. Also, here's the link to some more info on each player. [end note]

I'm disappointed that the rookie minicamps aren't open to the public. I'm not sure how they've done it in years past, but I would definitely attend this year's if they allowed it. My question is, how can we get Matty a media credential? lol. Any ideas? I want a first hand account of how the rookies look instead of getting a recap on the radio from a clueless Joe Rose or a drunk Jim Mandich.

Anyway.. Here's the final list of signings and tryouts for the rookie minicamp this weekend. The team officially announced 14 signings and 4 tryouts through UDFA.

Signings

Davone Bess WR (Hawaii)
Titus Brown LB (Miss. St.)
Mike Byrne OL (Delaware)
Dan Carpenter K (Montana)
Jayson Foster QB/WR (Georgia Southern)
Dan Gore OL (Boise St.)
Daren Heerspink OL (Portland St.)
Aaron Lane CB (Purdue)
Selwyn Lymon WR (Purdue)
Matt Mulligan TE (Maine)
Kelly Poppinga LB (BYU)
Kory Robertson DT (VA Tech)
Marcel Reese WR (Washington)
Justin Wynn WR (Grand Rapids Comm. College)

Tryouts

Willie Copeland QB (Valdosta St.)
Kris Kasparek TE (Akron)
Rolly Lumbala FB (Idaho)
Scorpio Babers CB (Sam Houston St.)

Andy Cohen Post-Draft Column

Little Nicky 21 — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:06:16 -0000

Andy Cohen Post-Draft Column

Andy Cohen from miamidolphins.com offers his take on the draft

Undrafted Free Agents

Little Nicky 21 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:08:00 -0000

I figured since its tough to find news reports on UDFA's, I would start a fanpost for anybody to post news on some guys we've signed. I hope we grab some guys at wideout, OLB, and in the secondary...

According to resman at the end of the Day 2 Overflow Thread, we already signed Davone Bess WR from Hawaii. He posted a link to the story in a Hawaii paper here. So thats one guy a few of us were looking at with a draft pick.

I'll update if I find anything, and I encourage everybody to post a comment here if they see a signing.

IBWT - In Bill We Trust.

~~UPDATE~~

The Dolphins will have 14 signed UDFA's and 4 unsigned rookie free agents at rookie minicamp this weekend. The team officially announced 14 signings and 4 tryouts..

Signings

Davone Bess WR (Hawaii)
Titus Brown LB (Miss. St.)
Mike Byrne OL (Delaware)
Dan Carpenter K (Montana)
Jayson Foster QB/WR (Georgia Southern)
Dan Gore OL (Boise St.)
Daren Heerspink OL (Portland St.)
Aaron Lane CB (Purdue)
Selwyn Lymon WR (Purdue)
Matt Mulligan TE (Maine)
Kelly Poppinga LB (BYU)
Kory Robertson DT (VA Tech)
Marcel Reese WR (Washington)
Justin Wynn WR (Grand Rapids Comm. College)

Tryouts

Willie Copeland QB (Valdosta St.)
Kris Kasparek TE (Akron)
Rolly Lumbala FB (Idaho)
Scorpio Babers CB (Sam Houston St.)

Dolphin's Draft most anticipated ever? And new depth chart

Little Nicky 21 — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:57:45 -0000

2821 Comments total in the live chats this weekend.. Phin Fans were definitely excited about this draft.

So with all the focus on the draft itself over, which picks did you guys like the best? Who do you see that can start right away? And which players that are now Undrafted Free Agents do you think can help the Dolphins?

Updated Depth Chart

QB (1) Beck (2) McCown (3) Henne

obviously this can change depending on the upcoming camp battle with Henne and Beck, but I do believe Beck will start the season while Henne learns.

RB (1) Brown (2) Williams (3) Cobbs (4) Parmele

solid at this position as long as Brown and Ricky stay healthy.

FB (1) Mauia (2) Grigsby (3) Hilliard

Mauia may get released, so this may change.

WR (1) Wilford (2) Ginn (3) Perry (4) Hagan (5) Camarillo

if Ginn can make some strides and become a legitimate threat, he will compliment Wilford nicely. I do think we could use a slot upgrade and a little more size.

TE (1) Fasano (2) Ryan (3) Martin (4) Peelle

the trade for Fasano gives us a solid receiving TE and Ryan is blocker, decent depth with both last years starters still on the team as well.

OL (starters) LT-Long LG-Murphy C-Satele RG-Smiley RT-Carey

just a guess at the LG spot with Murphy, Donald Thomas, and Mormino all having a shot at the position, but it looks damn good.

OL (backups) OT - Wilson OG - Thomas, Mormino, Darilek C - Mormino

NT (1) Ferguson (2) Starks (3) Dotson

Ferguson is the vet, and Starks will most likely see snaps at all 3 DL positions. Dotson is a wild card as he does need to bulk up a little to be a good nose.

DE (1) Merling (2) Starks (3) Langford (4) Holliday (5) R. Wright

Merling and Langford were good picks and they'll both see PT this season on the DL. Holliday is a seasoned vet and I think will still get some snaps.

OLB (1) Taylor (2) Porter (3) Moses (4) A. Wright

a little long in the tooth at this position, but the fact that we didn't get anybody at this spot in the draft leads me to believe Taylor will be a Dolphin this year. We do need some youth at this spot for the future.

ILB (1) Crowder (2) Ayodele (3) Torbor (4) Anderson

the trade for Ayodele intrigues me because I'm not sure if he's here for the long haul or for a couple years until a replacement comes. Torbor obviously adds some depth, and I wasn't sure where to stick Charlie Anderson, he seems like he'll do most of his contributing on ST.

CB (1) W. Allen (2) Lehan (3) Goodman (4) N. Jones

Will Allen is pretty ok, but he's suited more as a #2 CB, and Lehan is probably better as a nickel. Not a strong position for us, but the Giants showed everyone that it doesn't necessarily need to be. I still think it could be upgraded.

S (1) J. Allen (2) Bell (3) Daniels (4) Davis (5) Crocker (6) Hill

if Allen can finally realize his potential, he can be a very good safety. Bell is coming off an injury, but was having a good year before it last season. We'll see how the move from CB affects Daniels. I'd like to see us add a true SS in the John Lynch mold to complete the secondary.

What do ya'll think? Where can we improve?

Truth to the Deadline Rumors?

Little Nicky 21 — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:51:51 -0000

Parcells had set internal deadline on Jake Long deal

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Link to the Chris Mortensen story that Parcells had set the deadline for Jake's deal for yesterday, when he ultimately signed the deal. He also says in the story that Chris Long would've been the second choice. I know it doesn't matter now, but it's interesting to hear.

Also in the story, Mortensen explains the potholes in getting the contract signed, and he says the $30 mil signing bonus will be advanced over the first 3 years of the deal. Not sure what that means cap wise, I do think the bonus will still be prorated over the full 5 years, but if not, he's going to be damn expensive for the next three years.

Take a look at the story and let me know what you think. I don't know if this really affects us much but it's still news, especially the contract part.

Schefter's Top 3 Picks

Little Nicky 21 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:55:35 -0000

Just found this surfing the NFL.com page Adam Schefter talks about who he thinks will be the top 3 selections Saturday. His report on the Dolphins is interesting.

Schefter: "1. Miami Dolphins: Negotiations for Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long kicked off two weeks ago - and have not commenced with anyone else, not Virginia defensive end Chris Long, not Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, not LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, not Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston. The next player on the Dolphins draft board would be Gholston and Miami would face the same problem with him that it has with Jake Long; Gholston and Long are represented by the same agency, Tom Condon and CAA Football. So it almost has to be Long, whom Browns general manager Phil Savage called "a lock to be a Pro Bowler at right tackle."

Miami's football poobah, Bill Parcells, has gone straight at Long as if no other prospects mattered. Parcells wants Long to be his No. 1 pick, and Long would like to go to Miami. Now the two sides must produce an agreement on which they have made some progress. But a deal, as of Monday, was not exactly close. Parcells wants Long to give the Dolphins a discount over the six-year, $61 million deal that last year's No. 1 pick, JaMarcus Russell, signed with Oakland. Long is unwilling to sign for less. But there are creative ways that each side is looking into to get an agreement done before Saturday's draft.

Even if there is no agreement, Parcells has made it clear for two weeks that Long is his guy; it is not a ruse nor a smokescreen. The Dolphins, to steal part of an expression from Miami general manager Jeff Ireland, have found "a pillar" for their offense.
Pick: Jake Long.

Here's the link to the rest of the article as well.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story;jsessionid=BCB3C5D8C475C32FCD7006350FD01BE5?id=09000d5d807e4a59&t emplate=with-video&confirm=true

I know Schefter is one of the smarter guys in the media as far as NFL coverage, so what does everybody think of this report?