FinsWeekend Kicks Off Tonight In Aventura

One last look back at the 2009 season for the Miami Dolphins will take place tonight at The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club in Aventura.

The FinsWeekend Kickoff Pairings Party and Team Awards Ceremony Presented by Sun Life Financial marks the beginning of three days of fun and sun, all for the good causes supported by the Miami Dolphins Foundation. It's a chance to honor three players from last season, and the orgnaization also will make a special alumni announcement.

All three awards bear the names of legendary Miami Dolphins, starting with the Don Shula Leadership Award, which will be presented to the player who best exemplified all of the leadership qualities necessary to succeed on the field and in the locker room.

The Dan Marino Most Valuable Player Award, which was shared last year by quarterback Chad Pennington and linebacker Joey Porter after the 2008 season, is rather self-explanatory.

Finally, there is the Nat Moore Community Service Award, which goes to the player or players that contributed the most to the team's community relations efforts during the season and throughout the offseason.

The other part of tonight's program deals with the pairings for tomorrow's Miami Dolphins Foundation Golf Tournament Presented by Hublot, which will tee off early in the morning at The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club.

After the conclusion of the golf tournament, the action shifts down to the Miami Beach Marina for the Miami Dolphins Foundation Hook & Tackle Captain's Party inside a tent set up near Monty's Restaurant. A silent auction designed to raise more money for the foundation also will take place inside the tent tomorrow night.

Finally, the weekend concludes Saturday with the Miami Dolphins Foundation Fishing Tournament Presented by eDiets.com, also at the Miami Beach Marina. More than 40 Miami Dolphins players, coaches and alumni are scheduled to join other participants for a day of offshore fishing, with lines going in the water bright and early, and then they will return to the marina for the official weigh-in to see which boat did the best.

Keep your computers logged in to MiamiDolphins.com for comprehensive coverage over all three days, and I will be live blogging from tonight's dinner and awards ceremony capturing the reactions of the award winners.

AK

Thank You For Playing

Everything is shut down here at Dolphins headquarters and so is my brain.

So I will leave you with this: http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/defense-theme-day-3-dolphins-lb-edds-and-cb-carroll

My story wrapping up Day 3 and the entire draft.

Thank you all for coming to MiamiDolphins.com for your draft coverage.

AK

Miami's Final Piece Is Another LB, OSU's Spittler

Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline will be reunited with one of his best friends from Ohio State as the Dolphins took Buckeyes ILB Austin Spittler with their final pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was the 252nd overall pick and backed up James Laurinaitis.

Spittler actually visited Miami and met the coaching staff, getting a good feel for the organization. He is looking forward to joining the Dolphins and making a contribution right away.

The 6-3, 234-pounder embraced the competition in the Big Ten and between himsel and Laurenaitis and makes it seven defensive players taken with their eight picks, including three linebackers today.

"I'm going to be a tenacious player who makes few errors, a physical guy, smart player that's really just ready to get it done," Spittler said on his conference call with the South Florida media.

Now all that's left for us down here in Davie is to here from General Manager Jeff Ireland on today's picks and his summary of the entire draft.

Stay tuned,

AK

It's Compensatory Time

We are getting closer to finding out who Mr. Irrelevant for 2010 is going to be as we have officially entered the compensatory round.

Miami has the 252nd overall selection, which it cannot trade, so one more player will be taken. And then after the 258th and final pick is made, we can all stop staring at our laptops and television screens and get to the task of analyzing how all 32 teams did.

More importantly, the Dolphins can get to the task of drawing up their depth charts and practice plans for next week's rookie mini-camp, the OTAs, the mandatory mini-camp and ultimately training camp.

Kepp checking back for all of the updates.

AK

Dolphins Doing Well Early in Day Three

I think the thing that stands out to me is that we filled every question mark we had coming in. I mean, we needed a pass rusher, we got it, We needed help on the defensive line, we got it. We needed competition at safety, we got somebody that's coming in to compete.

Even the John Jerry pick, you know, we needed. There was a little bit of a question mark on the offensive line with the guard position, took care of that. I think it's very clear that these guys had a plan coming into the draft, they stuck to it, and I think they delivered on every question mark.

DK

Dolphins Following The Plan

I think the Dolphins stuck to their plan. I think they had a good plan going in and had some needs that they assessed and they were able to fill those needs. Whether those guys are going to project to be on the field in September is a different story, but I think they'll have depth at those positions and that they will be a better team this September than last September.

JC

Dolphins Take Another OLB In Chris McCoy

With the 212th overall pick in the seventh round the Dolphins added more depth to the linebacker position by taking Chris McCoy out of Middle Tennessee State.

And now they have one pick remaining, the 252nd overall and that'sa compensatory pick so they cannot trade it.

McCoy played in a 4-3 scheme in college and considers himself an explosive player off the ball who is good with his hands. He has been told by Miami that he will play weak side linebacker and at 6-4, 250 pounds. He was ecsatic to take the call as he was surrounded by his family and his girlfriend and expects to arrive in South Florida on Thursday.

He had seven sacks as a senior for the Blue Raiders.

The Doctor Is In Music City

Florida State safety Myron Rolle will get to show off his football skills in Nashville as the Tennessee Titans took him with the 207th overall pick as the 38th and last compensatory pick of the sixth round.

The Rhodes Scholar spent all of last year overseas at Oxford University studying medicine and then proudly answered questions at the Combine about how committed he could be to football while also pursuing his dream of being a doctor.

Speed is the biggest question mark surrounding Rolle and how fresh he will be having been away from football or a year. He did play rugby at Oxord and trained hard to get ready for the Combine and his Pro Day. One thing is for sure, nobody question Rolle's intelligence or his character as a person.

AK

Dolphins Day Two: Edds & Carroll

I think it's no surprise that we've seen the defensive side of the ball addressed here on the third day. I mean, you get some guys to come in here and compete for the starting spots that are available. A.J. Edds, the linebacker out of Iowa, I think is going to bring a pass rusher guy that can get off the quarterback, add some depth there.

And now you've got a young defensive back with cornerback Nolan Carroll from Maryland. You know, when you're talking about defensive backs, it looks like he might have some skills in the return game as well. It's all about providing versatile athletes that can come in here and do a number of different things. I think that's a common theme that we're seeing with all these draft picks.

DK

Let's Make A Deal For A Bulldog

And just as I finished typing the last blog it was announced that the Dolphins traded up from 174 to grab Washington's pick at 163 so that they could grab Georgia safety Reshad Jones. In addition they gave up one of their three seventh-round picks (219th overall).

Miami has now taken five defensive players with their first six picks as they continue to fill holes on that side of the ball after having released free safety Gibril Wilson.

Jones will compete with Tyrone Culver and last year's fifth-round pick, Chris Clemons, for that starting free safety position.

And now the Dolphins have two picks left in the seventh round. We are nearing the end.




AK

These Are The Lightning Rounds

We are now a little over three hours into the third and final day of the 2010 NFL Draft and as expected there has been a flurry of action in the form of trades and intriguing selections.

Starting with your Miami Dolphins, they worked out a trade with the Dallas Cowboys to move up seven spots in the fourth round from 126th overall to 119th, giving up a sixth-rounder (179th overall) so that they could take Iowa linebacker A.J. Edds. This is another kid the Miami coaching staff got to see at the Senior Bowl and who fits their mold for an inside linebacker -- big (6-4, 246), high motor and solid character (team captain and National Foundation Scholar-Athlete in high school back in Indiana.

Then midway through the fifth round the Dolphins used the 145th overall pick they got last week in the Ted Ginn trade to San Francisco to add another cornerback to the fold in Maryland' Nolan Carroll. The Jacksonville area native broke his fibula and tibula in the second game of his senior season last year and is eager to prove that he has made it all the way back.

So now Miami has one sixth-round pick left and three in the seventh round, and it's in those later rounds where this regime has found some "acorns" like guard Donald Thomas and running back Lex Hilliard.

Meanwhile, it's been interesting to see some of the other moves that have been made today, specifically the movement of two established running backs in LenDale White and Leon Washington. White was traded from Tennessee to Seattle earlier in the day and then the Seahawks also picked up Washington.

AK

The Best Remaining Prospects

Now that the third round is over, here is a quick look at the top prospects still available:

Everson Griffen, DE/OLB, USC

Bruce Campbell, T, Maryland

Dominique Franks, CB, Oklahoma

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, DB, Indiana (Pa.)

Cam Thomas, DT, North Carolina

Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern

Thaddeus Gibson, DE/OLB, Ohio State

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech

Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida

Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina

Anthony McCoy, TE, USC

Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati

Ricky Sapp, OLB, Clemson

Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma State

Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson

Walter Thurmond, CB, Oregon

Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida

Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi

Quick Take on McCoy

I think the only reason McCoy fell is because it was his throwing shoulder that got injured. If it was his other shoulder or maybe not in the last game of the season which was the National Championship he would have been fine, but it was all too close to the Draft. I would have still taken him, but if it would have happened in the last game of the regular season he would have been fine because he could have had more time to convince scouts and to throw at the Combine.




KB

Breaking down the East

You have to be very conscious of other teams in the division right now, to have a good regular season you need to have a good offseason. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to make a bunch of moves like the Jets, the Dolphins have stayed pat for the most part though, they’ve added Brandon Marshall, while losing Jason Taylor and Joey Porter and traded Ted Ginn so it’s to be determined. But for sure you have to give the early edge to the Jets for best offseason, and don’t forget the Pats who have been somewhat in the middle watching the two.

The question now is, have the Jets done too much by bringing in Tomlinson, Cromartie, Holmes, Taylor and on and on. But for them to finish in the AFC Championship game, and still make moves it shows they aren’t resting on their laurels they want to take the next step. The Dolphins missed the playoffs and they want tot get their so it’s becoming a very interesting offseason. It’s going to be an even better summer of competition and we all can’t wait til September for that whistle to blow




KB

Welcome To Miami John Jerry

He played with big Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher and now John Jerry of Ole Miss is a Miami Dolphin, going in the third round with the 73rd overall pick.



He is the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Peria Jerry, who also played at Ole Miss. Jerry played at the Senior Bowl for the South team, which is where Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano and his staff got a close look at him and he projects as a guard in the NFL.



At 6-5, 328, Jerry is very big for a guard and will be hard to move

Potential Dolphins Third-Round Targets

The Dolphins have the ninth pick in the third round and here are a few players who may be of interest to them:

Cam Thomas, NT, North Carolina

Morgan Burnett, S, Georgia Tech

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, DB, Indiana (Pa.)

Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon

Damian Williams, WR, USC

Ravens Defense

The Ravens defense has definitely gotten better as crazy as it sounds. I think with Kindle if he doesn’t have the health issues and can play you added a huge interior guy, and you already have Ray Lewis there blitzing. I think the Cody pick comes from what happened to them in the playoffs last year. He is the perfect fit for this defense, when you plug in two huge defensive tackles you free up the ends and linebackers because those two clog up all 5 offensive linemen! They got a huge value in both players; if Kindle is healthy and can pan out this will be a defense that they look back on such as when they took Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.




KS

Sitting Around For Now

Picks are flying by in the remainder of the second round and the Dolphins don't select again until the third round with the 73rd overall pick.

Meanwhile, a couple of familiar names that had been linked to the Dolphins -- Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody and Texas OLB Sergio Kindle -- both went to the Baltimore Ravens.

We are nearing the end of the second round as the pace is really picking up now.

AK

Cody Keeps Sliding

It's bad enough that Terrance Cody has yet to be picked now that we've reached the halfway point of the second round, but now he won't even be the second nose tackle taken after Tennessee's Dan Williams.

That distinction will belong to Torrell Troup of Central Florida, who went to Buffalo at No. 41. What this tells us is that NFL teams are really concerned about Cody's ability to keep his weight under control.

Remember, he showed up at the Senior Bowl weighing 370 pounds before dropping down to 354 later in the spring.

The bottom line with Cody, though, is that he's a tremendous run stopper and every 3-4 defense needs a great run stopper.

When it comes to the Dolphins, though, keep in mind that Jason Ferguson and Jay Ratliff, who was drafted by Bill Parcells in Dallas, both were taken in the seventh round.

So don't be surprised to see the Dolphins wait a while before going for a nose tackle. A couple of names to keep in mind include Travis Ivey from Maryland, Al Woods from LSU or Ekom Udofia from Stanford.

AP

A QB's take on the QBs

I think a lot of the hype surrounding Jimmy Clausen was by his agent and his people. When you see that you feel bad for the player because obviously the scouts and the front office guys don’t see it the same way. When I looked at all the QBs this year, Bradford, Tebow, McCoy and I don’t think any of them were worth a top 15 pick including Bradford, I just don’t see the talent physically there to be a franchise type QB that you will invest $40-50 million in, so where Clausen went is the most accurate.

In the end Carolina is getting a great value with him and with Matt Moore at QB and with him not being an established starter, Clausen will have a shot to go in and start early.




DK

Bang for the Bucs

It's still very early in the 2010 draft, but you've got to love what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done.

The Bucs followed up the no-brainer selection of Gerald McCoy in the first round with two good picks early in the second round. First, they further solidified their defensive interior by taking UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price, who many had projected as a first-round pick. The Bucs then added Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn, a physical prospect with major upside.

Tampa Bay's run defense was porous last season, but that should change dramatically in 2010 with the additions of McCoy and Price.

Being realistic, the Bucs still probably won't be able to contend in the NFC South, but they're clearly headed in the right direction.

AP

Say Hello to Koa Misi

The Dolphins have gone ahead and selected Utah linebacker Koa Misi with their 2nd round pick. With Kindle still on the board it may have surprised some people but lets take a look at what Misi can bring to the table:




BR

Lets look at the big guys

I think the Dolphins are very lucky right now in how the 1st round has fallen. We still have some major needs, we still have a need at nose tackle so Mount Cody would be nice, we still have a need at safety and they still need an outside linebacker. I would say that Id like them to get Kindle from Texas if he is still there, he’s that pass rusher with Jason Taylor and Joey Porter gone it’s certainly a need. But any guy at those three positions, outside linebacker number 1, safety and as a big guy Mount Cody at nose tackle would work for the team.

Fans shouldn’t be concerned with Kindle dropping though; people stress the 1st round way too much. I went back and looked at the Dolphins draft history from the past 20 years and we have a lot of great players that were 2nd round picks, Pro Bowlers like Jason Taylor who was a 3rd round pick. So this is where you make your team the splash is your 1st round pick because everybody remember those busts, but this is where you make your team.

KS

Day 2 Starts Big

The Rams have started off Day 2 by selecting Offensive Linemen Rodger Saffold out of Indiana, check him out at the combine:




BR

No Multi-Tasking For This Hack

All right, so maybe I can't walk and chew gum at the same time. So stay tuned after we go off the air for more in-depth blogging by me.

Since the draft is starting soon, more info to flow.

AK

Do I Have A Face For Radio?

T-minus two minutes until I go on set alongside Barry Buetel on MiamiDolphins.com or a special 2-hour live Webcast of Fins On The Clock. This is a real professional so all my imperfections will be magnified.

I will try to blog while we are on the air, which is sort of like juggling tennis balls on a unicycle.

Well, I gotta run.

AK

Quick Love for the Garnet and Gold

It feels great to see Patrick Robinson get picked up. I saw him last year while covering 1 of his games. He is the type of guy that can make game changing plays, he creates turnovers and has great anticipation of where a QB will throw the ball. For me personally as a former Seminole its good to see a 1st rounder because its been a while but hopefully a sign of things to come.

Patrick Robinson college highlights below ...

DK

Are You Ready For Day 2? We Are

I sure hope everyone caught up on their sleep after a late first night of the 2010 NFL Draft because we're in for another long one tonight.

But why wait until 6 p.m. to get things rolling? Here at MiamiDolphins.com we never sleep, and all you need to do is check out what's been going on since the clock struck midnight Thursday for verification:

1. Okay, technically the first version of this story posted 13 minutes before midnight at 11:47 p.m., but my comprehensive write-up on Jared Odrick complete with quotes from the player himself and from General Manager Jeff Ireland went up a little after 1 a.m. So those of you out on the West Coast had plenty of time fill your noggin with everything Odrick. Click here in case you missed it: http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/dolphins-take-penn-state-dt-odrick-28th-pick

2. Dolphin Digest editor Andy Cohen weighed in on yesterday's action down in Davie -- and up in New York City -- with another one of his insightful columns that went up earlier this morning: http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/andy-cohen-moving-daydolphins-accomplish-lot

3. Anyone who did not make it down to Sun Life Stadium for the memorable Draft Party, or to the other two locations in West Palm Beach and Bonita Springs can read all about it and about the money that was raised as my story went up about an hour after AC's column.: http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/dolphins-draft-day-experience-hit-all-way-around

4. All of you draftnicks who are eager to learn the ins and outs of how last night's trade went down and what the thought process was inside the War Room, go to our site now to read all about it in my detailed analysis supported by Jeff Ireland quotes.: http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/analysis-shrewd-draft-day-trade-marshall-dynamic-addition

5. Throughout the Fins On The Clock draft event, we'll be asking Dol-Fans to vote on a variety of questions about the Miami Dolphins, the NFL draft and general NFL topics. We want your opinions! All you have to do is text in the key word below to 36500 on your mobile device and you will receive back the current poll question. Just respond with your answer (A, B, C, D, or E) via text message. It's that simple! Don't forget, message and data rates may apply. Thanks Dol-Fans and GO DOLPHINS! Here is the current question:

Who will be the first pick of the second round?

A) Jimmy Clausen
B) Golden Tate
C) Sergio Kindle
D) Colt McCoy
E) Other

Text FIRST to 36500 or go here: http://www.miamidolphins.com/content/dolphins-draft-text-poll

7. From 5-7 p.m. you can join Barry Buetel and myself for a two-hour live webcast from the Davie facility just steps away from the War Room as we will flood you with more information, analysis and opinion than you can handle.

8. Join football and draft expert Larry Bluestein for a live chat from 7-10 p.m. tonight. Last night's chat with Draft Digest Editor Alain Poupart was a resounding success. Follow this link: http://www.miamidolphins.com/content/ask-experts

9. Of course stay tuned to this page, Miami Dolphins Blog Squad, for constant updates from all of our contributors.

10. And finally, I will have yet another comprehensive story introducing you to whoever our two draft picks in the second and third round end up being tonight.

Not enough for you? Well then you truly are a football geek, which is a good thing, because we have plenty more for you on MD.com, including the ability to win Dolphins tickets, meet the picks, go inside the War Room via pictures and video, read up on the extensive draft preview written by yours truly and also watch video analysis of each position by Alain Poupart, Barry Buetel and myself, plus much, much more.

So enjoy and dig in folks. Let's go drafting.

AK

All In A Day's Work

Thanks to the new draft format we are done for the night in terms of anymore news. We will be speaking to Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland at some point here to discuss the pick of Jared Odrick and how everything went down with the trade.

In the meantime, stay tuned to MiamiDolphins.com for more blogging, the still ongoing live chat with Draft Digest editor Alain Poupart, live coverage from the Draft Party at Sun Life Stadium and my first-day story.

AK

Jared Odrick Is A Miami Dolphin

The speculating is over as the Dolphins picked Penn State DT Jared Odrick, a 6-5, 303-pound beast at the line who is quick enough to rush the passer and stout against the run.

Jon Gruden spoke highly of Odrick as a nice addition to any defense. We should be talking with Mr. Odrick soon and he got a good look at the Senior Bowl by the Miami coaching staff. In a 3-4 defense he projects as a defensive end.

The New York Jets are up next. It's been an AFC triple play.

AK

Dolphins Back On The Clock

Now that New England has gone with Rutgers DB Devin McCourty the Miami Dolphins are back on the clock at No. 28.

Any moment now the mystery will be solved.

And then four more picks and we will be finished for the night.

I'll be back after the pick is made and we talk with the player for updates.

AK

A Noles Take on Tebow

I’m very surprised at where Tim Tebow went, I think the Broncos absolutely made a stretch with this pick, and they could have waited and gotten him lower. But when you look at the overall situation maybe he can wait behind Kyle Orton, give him a year or two to develop they can use him in that short yardage goal line situation. But in my mind I think its way too much of a stretch in the 1st round.



DK

Patriotic Moment In NYC

Members of the Armed Forces were honored on the stage at Radio City Music Hall after the Dallas Cowboys took Oklahoma State WR Des Bryant at No. 24, having traded up from No. 27 with new England.

It turned out to be a dramatic pause as the Denver Broncos moved up from No. 43 in the second round to take Florida's Tim Tebow at No. 25 overall. He is the second QB taken after Bradford.

Arizona is now on the clock, followed by the Patriots and then the Dolphins. Should be an interesting AFC East battle shortly.

AK

Help for the Taking

At 28, I’m looking at Terrance Cody to maybe fall into the lap of the Dolphins. You have to look at Sergio Kindle but he may go soon, have to look at both of them though. I liked Dan Williams but I’m not sure if he will stay much longer until 28. There are a number of guys out there that can give a pass rush, Jerry Hughes another one of those guys but with 4 picks left there will be somebody that can help the Dolphins.
KB

Mad Dog picks #28

I think a couple things come to mind concerning 28, there was nobody in that draft room that really had strong opinions about anybody. If anybody was jumping up and down on the table about Derrick Morgan or Sergio Kindle they would have gone in that direction. I think they have a pool of about 6 guys that they like and they are confident one of them will be available 28. I will just generally say that with Brandon Marshall you improved your offense and the next move is to improve your defense.


JM

Hunger Pains In The War Room

Working the draft makes everyone hungry, us in the media work room and esepcially the people working the War Room making the draft decisions. So right on cue, pizza was delivered both to the War Room and to us scribes typing away back here.

And while another piece of pepperoni drops, the Broncos worked out another trade, moving up from No. 24 to No. 22, where New England was, to take Georgia Tech WR Demaryius Thomas.

So yes, Dez Bryant, Dan Williams, Taylor Mays, Sergio Kindle, Jerry Hughes and Terrence Cody are all still on the board.

AK

Don't Forget About Tebow

Sam Bradford is still the only quarterback to be taken so far in the first round, and rumors are floating around that the Denver Broncos have been moving back via trades so that they can take the Heisman Trophy winner: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/22/rumors-fly-that-broncos-are-getting-into-position-to-pick-tebow/

Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen also are still on the board.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins are 10 picks away from making their first-round pick.

And in a pat-mysef-on-the-back gesture, Jason Pierre-Paul out of US was the first DE taken when the New York Giants took him at No. 15. I had him rated as my top DE in my draft just ahead of Georgia Tech's Derrick Morgan, who went to Tennessee with the very next pick.

I promise that'll be the last piece of boasting I will do tonight.

Also, in a nice moment, Pittsburgh's selection was announced by a kid from the Pittsburgh area's Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Steelers took center Maurkice Pouncey from the Florida Gators.

AK

Mad Dog's Take on the Trade

I think this is a real good deal for the Miami Dolphins. They found a very needy partner; I think the price that the Chargers paid to move up was the max to move up 16 spots. They gave the Dolphins their own 1st round, their 2nd round pick (40th)and a 4th rounder. I like this notion, that the Dolphins gave up their 2nd round pick (42nd) to Denver, they get the 40th pick to move up two spots and now they have Brandon Marshall and an additional pick.

All in all I think it’s a good move for the Dolphins. As for the fan base I know they came here looking for some meat and a face to put to that #1 pick but as far as I'm concerned so far a good job and the 1st round played out nicely for the Miami Dolphins.

JM

Roller Coaster Ride Picks Up Speed

All of a sudden after the first 10 draft picks went without incident as far as any trades, everything picked up speed beginning with the Broncos swapping with San Francisco and moving down from No. 11 to No. 13.

Then the Dolphins traded down 16 spots to No. 28 with the San Diego Chargers but got San Diego's second-round pick (40th overall), 4th-round pick (126th overall ) and LB Tim Dobbins in return as they like to stockpile draft picks.

Denver then traded again with Philadelphia, who moved up from No. 24 to take Michigan LB Brandon Graham.

Seattle stayed pat at No. 14 to take Texas safety Earl Thomas and the New York Giants are now on the clock. This is when it gets fun for the fans as they get to see just how much of a domino effect one pick can have on the rest of the draft.

AK

Sit Tight Dol-Fans As The 12th Pick Has Been Traded

Well, now I feel like I'm in an old Heinz Catsup commercial -- "Anticipation." As by virtue of Miami's trade with San Diego the Dolphins won't pick until No. 28.

But the Dolphins did get back the second-round pick they gave up to Denver for WR Brandon Marshall and actually it's a higher pick, 40th overall. They also got the Chargers' 4th-round pick (126th overall). Potential players are piling up in traffic on the board so it'll be interesting what Miami does at No. 28.

AK

Tyson Who?

Every year there is at least one head scratcher of a pick and the Jacksonville Jaguars just made it with the 10th overall pick as they selected California DT Tyson Alualu. Georgia Tech OLB Derrick Morgan and Tennessee NT Dan Williams, along with Texas S Earl Thomas are all still on the board.

The Denver Broncos just traded down to No. 13 overall and swapped with San Francisco. Now things are heating up.

AK

See ya C.J.

I know a lot Dolphins fans with the selections of C.J. Spiller are very upset and it’s rightfully so. He is probably one of the most explosive players in this draft. I covered a couple of his games last year with Clemson and he had over 3 plays just in those two games of over 70 yards in each games. But at the same time we have to remember that our offense is looking pretty good right now and our biggest needs are on the defensive side of the ball, so don’t be too upset. I think this makes the decisions easier for the guys picking at number 12.


DK

Haden The First Gator Taken

In a move that surely messed up many a mock draft, the Cleveland Browns snatched up Florida Gators cornerback Joe Haden with the seventh overall pick. Haden came under scrutiny after running a slow 40-yard dash at the Combine in Indianapolis.

Many people thought the Browns would take a quarterback, either Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy from Texas, but they went with defense.

The Oakland Raiders did not need their 10 minutes to decide on Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain. So after being shut out of the first seven picks, the SEC went back-to-back.

And the Buffalo Bills wasted no time in picking Clemson RB C.J. Spiller, which means they don't expect Marshawn Lynch to be around anymore. And as an AFC East foe, the Bills have cleared the picture for the Dolphins, who are two picks away.

AK

Fast Pace To Start The Evening

Even though each team is allotted 10 minutes on the clock to make their selection, the first four picks have zipped on by as the Rams, Lions, Bucs, Redskins and Chiefs didn't need much deliberation inside their war rooms.

After Suh, the Bucs took Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy and then the 'Skins took his teammate, offensive tackle Trent Williams and then the Chiefs grabbed Tennessee safety Eric Berry..

That means three of the first four picks were all Sooners and all five picks came out of the Big 12. Considering that conventional wisdom labeled the SEC as the toughest conference in football and the Pac-10 was not too far behind, that speaks well for the Big 12.

The Seattle Seahawks are on the clock with the Cleveland Browns on deck.

Meanwhile, back on the rumor front, Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Tennessee Titans are chasing their former defensive tackle, Albert Haynesworth, who is making big money for the Washington Redskins.: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/22/report-titans-chasing-haynesworth-too/

AK

Interesting Mix In Top 10 All-Time Draft Picks

As I scrolled through the list of the top 10 draft picks of all-time I found it interesting that only one defensive player made the list and that was Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants. He was taken second overall back in 1981.

Five of the 10 were quarterbacks -- Marino, Montana, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. There were three running backs -- Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders and Walter Payton and Jerry Rice was the lone wide receiver.

There were seven first-round picks, a second (Favre), a third (Montana) and a sixth (Brady).

AK

So Excited!

From my days this is just unbelievable, the fan fare and just the fact that fans have a draft party. To sit here and be concerned that the Rams haven’t even started discussions with the 1st pick, well in our day you couldn’t start discussions. Its almost likes its old school in a sense from the way the team is operating but to see all these people out here, to see the die hard Dolphin fans come out and celebrate and cheer as the team brings in the 12th pick is mind boggling.

I’m excited, the fact that so many are so involved in just the draft, to me that means a lot of positive and great things for the season. If they are this excited right now depending on who we pick and with the signings and trades in the offseason all of a sudden you have a group of gung-ho group fans at the stadium and all of a sudden when fans get behind you and start to get loud, you start to accomplish things.

NM

Lions Get Their Defensive Anchor

It was a coin flip for many on who the best defensive tackle was in this draft class -- Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh or Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy and in the end the Detroit Lions chose Suh with the No. 2 overall pick.

So now the Tampa Bay Bucs are on the clock -- and McCoy is on the phone smiling.

AK

Surprise, Surprise. Bradford Is A Ram

Shortly after Commissioner Goodell started the proceedings a tight shot of Sam Bradford smiling while on his cell phone gave a clear hint as to what the St. Louis Rams decided to do with the first overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Goodell just stepped to the podium to announce that, "With the first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Sam Bradford, quarterback from Oklahoma."

Bradford received hugs from his friends and family and then made his way to the stage at Radio City Music Hall with a No. 1 Rams jersey in hand and a ballcap on his head to be officially introduced to the crowd. He is the 10th QB in the last 13 years to be taken No. 1 overall.

And now the Detroit Lions are on the clock, and I will go grab my shovel again and keep digging through the rumor mills.

AK

Marino Walks The Red Carpet

Well, let's keep the quarterback theme going and talk about the greatest quarterback ever to wear the aqua and orange, Dan Marino. He arrived by limousine with Bradford at Radio City Music Hall and the two entered via the red carpet as part of the extravagant primetime show.

Marino was introduced along with the nine other players considered to be the 10 best draft picks in the 75-year history of the NFL Draft. He was joined by the likes of Barry Sanders, Lawrence Taylor and Joe Montana.

Then the top prospects on hand were introduced on the stage and now NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is on stage getting the show on the road.

AK

My Pick for 12

Right now I think my pick has to go for a defensive lineman. At any point between 1 and 11 it could be anybody but it is so deep at defensive linemen in this draft. We could go with Suh, McCoy there are a lot of guys. Definitely going defensive linemen though.

We need help this year, whoever we pick they need to come in and play this year because we are losing Ferguson for the 1st 8 games. When you talk about us getting to a certain point, you look at the schedule we have a lot of AFC East games early on and that is something we have to capitalize on. We have to win those games so we can get to where we want to be.


SM

Damage Control By The Rams

Obviously, once the airwaves and Internet lit up with talk of the Cleveland Browns trading away their entire draft to the St. Louis Rams for the No. 1 overall pick so they could take Oklahoma Sooners QB Sam Bradford, it begged for some sort of comment out of St. Louis.

Take this for what it's worth, but a Rams source told Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that, "There will be no surprises." Of course, that source didn't flat out say Bradford was still in the Rams' sights, but it was an interesting tidbit on PFT: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/22/rams-there-will-be-no-surprises/

And speaking of quarterbacks, it was widely believed that the Minnesota Vikings would go after one in the first round regardless of whether or not Brett Favre decides to come back, but a series of tweets by Steve Wyche of NFL.com and Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune suggest that the Vikings will go in a different direction and not go after Texas QB Colt McCoy: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/22/report-vikings-wont-take-qb-at-no-30/

AK

And Now Holmgren Is An Open Book?

This is without a first in all of my years covering the NFL Draft, but Cleveland Browns team president Mike Holmgren is sharing with ESPN the details of a blockbuster draftday trade he is trying to get done: http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/12212/holmgren-plans-one-last-push-for-bradford

Never before have I seen or heard of a front office person, much less the top dog in charge of making the final decision, come out of the war room and literally minutes later admit that he is trying to trade all of his team's picks in this year's draft and some picks in 2011 to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick so they can take Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford.

In the same breath Holmgren said the Rams shouldn't do it because they need a quarterback badly, but that's a very tempting offer. The last time a team was willing to give up that many picks for one player was in 1999 when the New Orleans Saints under Mike Ditka traded away all of their picks and two in the 2000 draft to the Washington Redskins for Ricky Williams.

If you are the Rams, how do you turn down that offer? It'll be interesting to see if Holmgren indeed does make that phone call or if this was yet another smoke screen.

AK

What to do at 12

I think everything changed when they went out and made the trade for Brandon Marshall. It certainly opened up the door for them to go in different directions, more so leaning towards defensive side of the football. I think there are a lot of opportunities out there, nose tackle, pass rusher, safety, and guys that can fill those needs. At 12 I think they are at an enviable position not a hard position, it gives them an opportunity to get a very good player. I know a lot of people are talking about trading out but I say you take the best player you can. At 12 you can get a better player you trade down and your chances at making a mistake increase so there’s an issue. I like exactly where they are at, I like the fact that there are a few options and a few guys that can fit into those options to be very good players with this football team. I’m just looking forward to seeing what happens when number 12 rolls around.


KB

Rams should keep it simple

There's been a lot of speculation today about the St. Louis Rams possibly dealing the first overall pick, but the Rams are going to regret it if they decide to make a move.

In the last two years, the Rams passed up the opportunity to draft Matt Ryan and then Mark Sanchez. Instead, the Rams drafted Chris Long and Jason Smith, neither of whom has yet to justify being a second overall pick.

The Rams cannot in good conscience pass up another franchise quarterback ... unless they get a package deal that includes something like three first-round picks.

Since we don't see that happening, the Rams should just make the sound, smart choice and take Bradford.

My Advice to Draft Prospects

The one thing when you're sitting there, is to know that the sky is the limit. You don't know where you're going to go or what's going to happen. This is definitely going to change your life. Its going to change your family life, there is going to be a lot of pressure built up on you. So I think the one thing as a player that is happening and going on is that you want to stay calm but you can't really stay calm. At any time you can go from 1st round to the 7th round, you just have to keep focused and who ever selects you just go in with the mindset that I'm going on the football field and going to do what I do best and that's going out there to perform extremely well.

SM

Cleveland Keeping Everyone Guessing

Mike Holmgren and the crew inside the Browns' war room are keeping everybody guessing about what they plan to do with the seventh overall pick, and that's the name of the game.

Whenever a PFT post on the Rumor Mill contains five separate links it's clear that someone has done a very good job confusing everybody out there: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/22/mixed-signals-rampant-on-browns-pick/

Are they going to take a quarterback, a defensive end, a safety or become dance partners in a trade to acquire more picks? With barely over two hours left before thing gets going, and with that pick coming about an hour into the first round, there is still plenty of maneuvering that will surely take place.

In the meantime, those Clevelanders still in baseball mode had something to cheer about as their Indians knocked off the Minnesota Twins at the Twins' shiny new ballpark in Minneapolis, Target Field, 6-1.

All right, let's see what other dirt I can dig up. The shovel is getting heavy.

AK

It's Tebow Time

What would draft day be like without any Tim Tebow talk? Well, that's an impossible question to answer because Tim Tebow will be talked about beyond today and this weekend simply because of the legacy he left behind at Florida and the polarizing effect he's had on draft experts.

Now that we are less than four hours away from the start of the first round, Tebow's agent, Jimmy Sexton, is making sure that nobody forgets about his prized client in the midst of all of this Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen talk. And that's a very smart business move.

A little over an hour ago, Sexton told ESPN.com that he knows where Tebow is going to be picked and that it's going to make his father's bold prediction of last month (somewhere in the top 15) look pretty good. This is what you call the art of the tease, and PFT was all over it: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/22/tebows-agent-says-we-pretty-much-know-where-hes-going/

And now I am coming to you live from the Dolphins' practice facility in Davie watching Mel Kiper and Todd McShay duke it out verbally to see who's mock draft will be the most accurate.

Stay tuned for more rumor mongering right here on MiamiDolphins.com.

AK

Safety In Numbers In NFC East?

Everyone knows how deep this year's draft is at the safety position, and everybody knows the two most coveted safeties are Tennessee's Eric Berry and Texas' Earl Thomas.

What everybody is finding out in these last few hours leading up to the draft is that there could be a bloody battle between two NFC East rivals for one of those two top-tier DBs.

SI.com's Peter King and Don Banks both have the Philadelphia Eagles trading up to acquire Miami's 12th overall pick so that they can grab either Berry or Thomas, and that's what King theorized yesterday right here: http://pwr.com/2A2, even though in his own mock draft he had the Eagles taking Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan.

But now Pro Football Talk is citing reports by the Washington Post and ESPN pointing to the Washington Redskins targeting Berry over offensive tackle Trent Williams with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round. PFT's ever evolving rumor mill had this as it's top story about 40 minutes ago but it has since been moved down to No. 3: http://pwr.com/2A3

Yes, I have graduated from entering real long URL's as links to these smaller ones in order to make it easier on your eyes.

Suffice it to say, we will see a lot of strategic chess and poker maneuvers taking place between now and the end of this draft, after which I will help each and every one of you feel just as lost as I am when it's all said and done.

AK

Twitter Me This, Twitter Me That

As if there wasn't going to be enough rampant speculation about which player was going to be taken by which team in which round of the draft, the enormous growth in popularity of Twitter over the last year is already upsetting the apple cart.

Now don't ask me why, but for some odd reason the agent for Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody, Alvin Keels, retweeted a fan's tweet claiming that the New York Jets either should take or are planning to take Cody in the first round. This is currently the top story on Pro Football Talk's Rumor Mill and you can read it right here: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/22/agent-tweets-on-jets-taking-cody-says-he-has-no-inside-information/

So of course, being as this retweet appeared on Keels' Twitter account, alarm bells went off around the sports media landscape, leading to reports appearing on legitimate news gathering web sites like NFL.com. You know the old adage, "Where there's smoke, there's fire."

Well, being a relative newbie myself when it comes to Twitter, I can see how it can be easy to overlook the "RT" that appears just before the post. Keels eventually jumped back into the fray to "clear the air" and point out that he had no inside information. Well then, perhaps it might have been smarter to leave that fan's tweet alone and let someone else retweet it, don'tcha think? But that's just me, you're run-of-the-mill twit when it comes to the social media.

Anyway, back to trying to decipher "legitimate" rumors.

AK

J-Lo Talks Dolphins On Tonight Show

If there were still any cynics out there who planned on taking shots at any of the Miami Dolphins' celebrity partners, the beautiful and talented Jennifer Lopez put them in their place last night.

Appearing as a guest with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show, Lopez first revealed that her husband, singer/songwriter Marc Anthony, is very much into his role with the team and is passionate about the Dolphins.

Leno then tried to catch her off guard by asking her about tonight's first round of the NFL Draft and if she is prepared for it. Without blinking an eye J-Lo responded with an answer that would have put draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. to shame as she identified the defensive side of the ball, specifically the nose tackle, as an area of need.

"I'm leaning towards Tennessee nose tackle Dan Williams because he's explosive off the line, can beat double teams and finishes plays," she said.

Clearly Ms. Lopez ... er ... Mrs. Anthony ... has been doing her homework. Ironically, her new movie is called "The Backup Plan," so I'm sure she is aware that Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano have a few of those in place depending on how the draft shakes out ahead of their 12th overall pick.

And just think, we only have a little over six hours left to continue speculating about all 32 teams and what they will do in tonight's first round.

Keep your mouse clicked right here on the Miami Dolphins Blog Squad as I will sift through the rumor mill all night long and decipher every move or possible move. And you can get more insight from the rest of the Blog Squad.

AK