Dolphins talk with Adam Schefter

I had the pleasure of doing a little Q&A session with my friend Adam Schefter. Schefter as everyone knows is the ESPN’s top insider and quite frankly the best in the bizz.

 Q1) What have you been hearing around the Dolphins stadium upgrade project?

Schefter: The NFL is very use to getting what it wants, it generally finds whatever solution it has to but they do not take no as an answer very often. The Dolphins will make the best viable business decision for the franchise, if that means moving the team to Palm Beach then so be it but if they feel that decision is best for the organization they will find a solution. I believe the Dolphins will find a way to get what they want in the end.

 Q2) Will Jonathan Martin be the week 1 starter at LT?

Schefter: I think that is the plan right but it might be a mistake to put it in ink. The thing is with Martin is that you don’t know if he will succeed at the position or not. Does he have pro bowl potential sure but he also has bust potential.

 From people around the league there are several people that believe Martin can play LT in this league and well however there also have been enough people who think the opposite which leaves me unsure. 

 The Dolphins wanted Jake Long back make no mistake, they went full force in their pursuit after him and I believe he was the team’s first option most likely because they didn’t trust Martin at LT. Long was the only real player the Dolphins really wanted and didn’t land. We will see if their plan B works out.

 Q3) One of the players the Dolphins didn’t land this offseason was Jared Cook, why did they lose out?

Schefter: I think the Dolphins had their price with Cook and didn’t want to spend a more then a certain amount. Cook was a player they wanted but didn’t feel they needed to have. I think they had a solid backup plan in Dustin Keller. Personally I don’t see a huge drop off from Keller to Cook so I think the Dolphins did well here.  

Q4) Do you think the Dolphins overspent this season?

 Schefter: Yes I do believe they did however it doesn’t really matter if they make the playoffs. The Dolphins paid a premium for the players they wanted and they made sure they got them however price really won’t matter if these players work out and the team can take the next step and makes the playoffs.

 Q5) What type of buzz have you heard in terms of the Dolphins draft?

 Schefter: Well, I am a fan of their 2^nd round pick, I think Taylor the CB from Boise will be a good player and that was a good pick. The draft however comes down to Dion Jordan vs. Lane Johnson. It might be unfair but that is going to be the metric of this draft. Most people thought they would go with the LT but instead they went with the pass rusher, some people are a fan of the moves others aren’t. If Jordan becomes the player the Dolphins think he will be then the draft will be a home run. The Dolphins basically envision Cam Wake and Jordan being similar to what Denver had in Miller and Dumervile.

 Q6) What is your overall take on the Dolphins and this offseason?

Schefter: It comes down to the QB, a lot of jobs ride on the potential of Ryan Tannehill. Many people around the league believe he has the tools but who knows, I am still undecided if Tannehill can take the steps to become a great QB.