Pretty decent draft, but there is no way Miami Picks a QB, they need a DT, they really are not as bad on Defense as you proved this year, if not for all those injuries, they are yet again among the top on Defense (After all, it was only a season ago that pretty much this same defense (healthier) shutout the Patriots, and beat pretty badly a Superbowl headed Bear team). With a top D-linemen in the 1st, a Corner & LBer in with two of the next three picks in the 2nd and 3rd, and this Defense is good again. Nice try though, but kind of missed badly there.

First, thank you for the email, I have been meaning to Blog my Matt Ryan as first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft for a few weeks.

So first, yes, I am being a bit of a contrarian. Everybody has Glenn Dorsey as the number one pick, and while he is my number one rated player, and rumors are coming out of Miami the Big Tuna likes Chris Long. What if he doesn’t go number one? The Draft will look very different. The Rams top need is O-Tackle and D-Tackle. They looked poised to take Jake Long. But, what if Dorsey is there and they pass on Long. How low does he go?   

Second, why do you think the Dolphins as “Open for business”? Because they know they have to pick up a QB here and now. And of course, with Brohm and Ryan on the board they could trade down, pick up an extra pick or two, pay less, and still pick up there new franchise QB. Parcels said, “The most important position on the field is D-Tackle, except for Quarterback of course.” Miami must get a QB if they are going to become a legit Franchise again. This is not the NFL of ten years ago, all the rules of the game have been changed to benefit the QB. WRs cannot be touched. QBs cannot be touched. And, O-Linemen can now tackle D-Linemen and not get called for holding, especially the Colts O-Linemen! When we played them this season every time one of our D-Linemen got to side of one of their O-Linemen, they just tackled him. On almost every pass play a Colts O-Linemen tackled a Pats D-Linemen, not that it has anything to do with Bill Po-lyin’ dominating the Competition Committee that rates, grades, hires, and fires NFL Referees. Since the 1960’s the QB has been the most important player on the field. Every decade the position became more and more important. And now-a-days it is the single most important aspect on the field at any given time.

So is Matt Ryan the best player in the Draft? no. I have him rated as the fourth best player, and all Draftnics have him or Brohm going fourth to Atlanta. Is the fourth rated player a viable choice for the top pick at the most over-important position on the field? Yes. Do you remember a player called Troy Aikman?  In the 1989 Draft Troy Aikman was the Fifth rated player in the draft. Most people rated Tony Mandarich, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Derrick Thomas above him. Everybody had at least three of the four rated above him. But, every Draftnic had Aikman going number one to Dallas, because QB is such an important position and the Dallas QBs were so pathetic. And this was before the rules were changed and teams could actually play defense when their opponents were passing the ball. Miami must take a QB this year if they want to develop into a Play Off team. Brohm, Woodson, or Ryan, I don’t care. Trade down, just get the QB you think is the best. In my completely unhumble opinion, that is Matt Ryan.

The QB position has changed dramatically since Aikman was drafted in 1989. Now-a-days intelligence, preparation, and quick thinking are the three most important characteristics of a successful QB. Look at Brady, his number one asset is that nobody is better prepared on Sunday then him. Offenses, and Defenses, have become so overly complicated now-a-days, that QBs have to decipher a foreign language before they even reach the line of scrimmage. Then they have to know and understand what all other 10 players are Suppose to be doing on the next play, and he has to understand what the tendencies and differences each player brings to what they are Suppose to be doing on any particular play. Then he has to try and figure out what the defense is doing, and decide if he needs to audible and change everything he just figured out and start all over again. Then he can snap the ball, and the real hard part begins. I could not do this. Most QBs can’t do this. The 7 Heavenly Intangibles of playing QB in the NFL are: intellectual quickness, retention, a ridiculous work ethic, leadership, toughness, and resilience. They are The, number one prerequisites to playing QB in the NFL. In my opinion, Matt Ryan is more advanced in the 7 Heavenly Intangibles then the other 2 QBs;-)