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Reports Indicate that Dolphins are Negotiating with Jake Long

With the first overall selection in the 2008 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select ... Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long?

According to several reports out of South Florida, the Dolphins, who own the first overall selection in the draft, have begun contract negotiations with Long.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is also reporting that the team is talking contract with Vernon Gholston. However, a source told ESPN that Miami was not negotiating with the Ohio State defensive end.

Long, a 6-foot-7, 313-pound senior who moved to left tackle in 2006 and started his final 26 games, was an All-America selection and Big Ten lineman of the year in each of his last two seasons.

The Dolphins would be delighted to prevent a holdout by reaching an agreement on a contract with their top pick before the draft begins April 26. Last year's top pick, JaMarcus Russell, missed all of training camp before signing a $61 million contract with the Oakland Raiders.

Offensive line is considered the biggest need for the Dolphins, who went 1-15 last year. But Bill Parcells has been reluctant to use high picks on offensive linemen in the past.

Long and Gholston might be two of several players whom the Dolphins negotiate with before the draft.

Virginia defensive end Chris Long and LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey are other players who have been linked to the Dolphins as their potential selection at No. 1.

Source: ESPN

This years draft is wide open...Depending on how long its projected before the Dolphins are expected to be relevant again, I don't think they'll try and fix everything in one day...My guess is that they'll get the best player available, and then do some damage in the free agent market...

Dolphins Agree to Deal to Make Jake Long #1 Pick

The Miami Dolphins have reached a contract agreement with Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long and will select him with the No. 1 overall pick in Saturday's draft, sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

The announcement will come at a 1:45 p.m. ET news conference.

Despite speculation that Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells really had planned to select Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston or Virginia defensive end Chris Long, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith that since the Dolphins opened negotiations with Jake Long they were talking to him exclusively.

Long, a 6-foot-7, 313-pound senior who moved to left tackle in 2006 and started his final 26 games, was an All-America selection and Big Ten lineman of the year in each of his last two seasons.

Offensive line is considered the biggest need for the Dolphins, who went 1-15 last year.

Source: ESPN

What are people's thoughts about the draft? Biggest steal? Biggest reach?

I think the biggest steal was Marcus Howard, DE going to the Colts in the 5th round. He ran a 4.4 in the Combine and recorded 10 sacks last year. This kid is flat out explosive!

The biggest reach was Derrick Harvey, DE going #8 overall to the Jags. This guy should have been a low 1st round pick, but the Jags traded up from 23 giving up 2 3rd round picks. Too much of a reach.

I think the Steeler's drafted well, but then again, what else is new...

I think the biggest question mark is the Raider's drafting, but then again, what else is new, lol...

Ironically, I think the biggest reach may be Matt Ryan in the ATL...Not that I don't think the kid got skills, but he may have unfairly been caught up in Tom Brady mania...I saw dude play and thought he rocks, but Brady..? I didn't see it...Though, I do hope I'm wrong cause I'm a fan of the Falcons...

Well Ryan's ok. Saw alot of him since BC is force fed us every weekend here in Boston but just don't know if he's the answer for Atlanta. Just seems more of an average talent but I guess with QB talent in college being so dismal this is the best it'll get. I think Gholsten was the biggest reach, not sure about the biggest steal. :?:

I'm curious about what the Packers were thinking. They drafted Brian Brohm in the 2nd round and Matt Flynn in the 7th round, and they also have Aaron Rodgers as their starter. That's 3 young QB's with talks of them also trying to sign Daunte Culpepper as a veteran backup. Why do they need that many QB's?

Ask Tampa. Didn't they go into camp last year with about 12 QB's under contract with Plummer, Garcia, Simms, the Polish kid and about 8 other non-descript types. I guess it's a way to cover your bases if Rogers sucks. Plus it's never bad to develop a good young QB or two for perhaps some trade bait a year or two down the line.

I may just be holding Tom's jock still, but again, I think Brady mania kicks in...You draft a gritty kid in the late rounds and hopes he can blossom into a player...

As far as the pack goes, if there's smoke there's fire man...Drafting one QB is OK, drafting 2 and then talking to another means that something is definitely up...Shit, the Bears didn't make that many QB moves, and lord knows they're in as bad a shape or worse than the Pack is...And the only thing w/Rogers that I can tell is that he's not Brett Favre...The games I've seen him in, he looked good...Not great, but good...

I think he's going to surprise a lot of people about how well he'll do. He spent 3 years learning under one of the greatest QB's of this era. I think he'll do really well.

dl1, you may be right about using them as trade bait. As Uber pointed out, the Bears need a QB so maybe the Packs will trade one of them for Urlacher maybe? He's unhappy in Chicago and the Packers could use a tough-nosed defender to help the young players.