(David Blake) Of all the moves that Bill Parcells has made with the Dolphins he will always be judged for taking LT Jake Long over QB Matt Ryan at the overall #1 draft position in 2008 NFL Draft. Most analysts thought Long was the safe pick but not the correct pick as you just do not pass up on a franchise quarterback if you lack one. The Dolphins had not had a franchise quarterback since Dan the Man, but an argument could be made for Jay Fiedler’s leadership and smarts. Parcells hoped to balance that out by drafting QB Chad Henne in the 2nd round.

Honestly, I am an avid observer of the ACC as I work at NCSU getting free passes to the games, so, I was not sold on whether Ryan would be worth the overall #1 pick in the draft. The reason? I have always admired BC’s offensive coordinator Steve Logan, and he installed a very quarterback friendly system at BC. That, mixed with “Matty Ice” ’s talent, I expected Ryan to find the end zone … and he did 31 times. He also scored a 32 on the over-rated Wonderlic which was the highest for any quarterback entering the draft in 2008. Most teams will not draft a quarterback who gets less than 21 on the Wonderlic. You will all remember that Dan Marino scored a 13 on his.

I think what bothered me the most about Ryan was his 19 interceptions that he threw as a senior at Boston College. He had a very good offensive line, and he seemed to make rash decisions at times. What would he do at the NFL level?  Well, I am the first to admit that Ryan has played better than I expected and is deserving of a first round selection in that draft. #3 overall? I am still not so sure about that, but he has deserved the nickname “Matty Ice”.

In a comparison between Matt Ryan and Chad Henne’s 2009 performances, Pro Football Focus rates them as good quarterbacks, but not elite quarterbacks. Keep in mind that Ryan was only in his 2nd year as a starter and looked even better than he did in 2008 showing improvement everywhere, and that Henne was starting his first season.

So, what about Jake Long? Was he the right choice? If you are Bill Parcells then you made the right choice. Look at everywhere that he has coached. All of his teams win for several years after he has left them. They are all known for having mauling offensive lines. Why does no one else seem to get it?

ESPN’s KC Joyner is one of those analysts who thinks the Left Tackle is over-rated. He calls himself “The Football Scientist” and points out that “of the past nine Super Bowl winners, only one featured a first-round pick at left tackle”.  Also, “overall, four of the last nine Super Bowl winners had a left tackle who was drafted in the third round or later”.

I like to look back at the great Don Shula, the holder of the most wins in NFL history. His offensive lines always were one of the best in the league, and he invested highly for elite left tackles and offensive linemen … the same formula that Parcells uses. If you ever want to win consistently in the NFL then you need to have an offensive line that protects your quarterback’s blind side and an offensive line that opens up gaping holes for your running backs. Look no further than the 72 Dolphins. People remember FB Larry Csonka dragging linebackers and cornerbacks down the field, but he also had some nice holes to run through.

Now, Jake Long has been everything the Dolphins expected from him … maybe more. He has been in the league for 2 years and made the Pro Bowl both years. By making the Pro Bowl in his rookie season he kicked in some nice incentives that were written into his contract that makes him very highly paid for his position. Parcells considers him to be worth it.

CBS Sportsline’s Pete Prisco rated his top 50 players in the NFL. Jake Long made his list:

29. Jake Long, T, Miami Dolphins: He’s a rock on the left side of the Miami line. He’s improved greatly as a run blocker, and he excels in pass protection. He had one bad game — the opener against the Falcons — and then played at a high level in 2009.

I think this year should define whether taking Jake Long over Matt Ryan was the right choice as we will see whether Chad Henne is indeed the answer at quarterback. Most analysts are saying that Henne will make a major move forward in his development this year and most are saying that he is our franchise quarterback. Personally, I think Jake Long’s play has all ready answered that question.

One thing to think about is that a lot was made of the fact that Parcells drafted team leaders this year. Well, both Henne and Long were team leaders themselves of their college teams. I like that formula as well.

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I’ll breathe a sigh of relief once the out clause period has expired. Yes, Parcells is saying all the right things. He is at the Senior Bowl doing his job. He’s scouting players, signing potential “diamonds in the rough” like Cameron Wake, and wearing Dolphins gear while doing it.

But it doesn’t mean diddly until he is still working for the Dolphins 24 days from now.

So while many in Dolphinsland might feel relieved at the signals Parcells is sending, I’m not yet fully convinced.
Within those words of reassurance, there are also words that, for me at least, raise eyebrows.

“I think we will have ample time to figure each other out”, said Parcells. “I’m very optimistic. I’ve had two or three meetings with Steve Ross and he seems to be a guy who wants to do things the right way. There will be a period of adjustment. He’s got to find out about the business. We are going to try and make things work.”

There will be a period of adjustment? We are going to try and make things work?

Obviously Parcells is not yet 100% sure about incoming owner Stephen Ross. Mr. Ross would be smart to show Parcells early and often that he does not intend to interfere with Parcells and his football operation. Mr. Ross should make it clear that he is giving Parcells carte blanche to run the football side of the Dolphins as he sees fit.

My worry is that owners, who are rich guys, sometimes tend to have egos. I’ve read some things about Mr. Ross which indicate he has an ego. Hopefully it is not a Jerry Jones type of ego.

There have been mumblings that Parcells is not a “Ross guy”. There was the Carl Peterson story a few weeks ago. You hear the stories about how Ross wants to immediately leave his mark on the franchise. Granted those seem to be geared more towards the business side. Let’s hope it stays that way, for the good of the Dolphins and for the good of Mr. Ross as a new owner. Otherwise he might face a bigger backlash than even Huizenga did when he “fired” Don Shula.

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“Parcells To Stay…. Right?”

By Rich Rodriguez