Void at free safety? Dolphins to look at Thomas

Gibril Wilson was a bust so he's gone. Antrel Rolle and Ryan Clark didn't feel enough love from Miami's bank vault. Restricted free agency hasn't been an answer for Miami's free safety issues and neither Tyrone Culver nor Chris Clemons are probably the answer, either.

No wonder the Dolphins have scheduled a visit with Texas free safety Earl Thomas for the first week of April.

Thomas, considered by some scouts to be the second-best safety prospect behind Tennessee's Eric Berry, should be available when the Dolphins are scheduled to pick at No. 12 but won't be around for their second-round selection. So the Dolphins are obviously impressed enough with this playmaker to consider him as a first-round selection.

This does not mean Thomas will be Miami's first-round selection. The club will meet with nearly three dozen players between now and the draft.

But Miami's obvious need at free safety combined with Thomas' resume suggests the pairing could work.

NFL.com draft analyst Mike Mayock has called Thomas "the most instinctive" defensive back in this draft. The knock on Thomas is that he's perhaps smallish and that he is, after all, coming out after his sophomore season so he is a puppy.

All that is well and fine as I'm trying to paint the full picture of the positives and negatives on the player, But consider Thomas is 5-10 1/2 and weighed in at 208 pounds at the combine so he's gained about 10 pounds since the season ended. And if you think that weight gain was done by eating Whoppers, you're wrong. Thomas ran a 4.45 at the combine. As for not being strong, he benched 225 pounds 21 times -- which was two more than top safety prospect Eric Berry.

"I'm physical, versatile, and like I said, I played corner and safety," Thomas said during the Indianapolis Combine last month. "[I'm a] hard- worker. I'm not looking to come in and just sit back and watch. I'm looking to make an impact right now as soon as I get there."

Thomas made an impact at Texas, recording 10 interceptions in 26 career starts. He returned two of those interceptions for touchdowns.

One thing the Dolphins would love about this kid is he's a fine player but also a fine person. He was on the honor roll in high school and is an active member of the Christian church in which his grandfather was the pastor. 
 

Comments

[Bootang25]

Been on this bandwagon for a long time now. Earl Thomas at 12!!!

[AnimalStructure]

So the Deon Grant thing is BS?

[NJ PHIN FAN]

All i have to say is i told you so about Thoams and THIS >>>> :)

[NJ PHIN FAN]

THOMAS ***. right allen ??

[GetterDone Phins!]

Dolphins already have their eye on one safety in particular, Georgia’s Reshad Jones.
Scout.com has learned that the Dolphins will take Jones out to dinner on Monday, March 15th, the night before his Pro Day (March 16th), and will host him in Miami for a two-day visit on March 29th and 30th. Jones will not work out for the team during his visit, he will just meet with team personnel.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

They go on to say that with the depth at safety in this draft that Miami could get him in the 3rd with the 73pick. At 6′1 214, he is a big guy with 4.54 speed and a 39.5 vertical.

Now if Thomas is still on the board in the 1st does someone become a trade partner or do we take him? Possible.

Remember Culver flashed some talent last year, and Clemons has mad speed, so 1 of those 2 young players could be up n coming as well.

Is the interest on Jones legit? Looks like it.

Is a deal on the now thin FA safety’s possibly brewing somewhere? OJ Atogwe Eh, probably not. I see more like a roster trim pick up later.

Either way we all know that Miami is going to draft a safety regardless of how the rest of FA shakes out..IMO.

[NJ PHIN FAN]

You already posted this cut and paste already.

[Bootang25]

It is pretty much agreed on this blog that the 3 biggest needs are NT, OLB, FS, in no particular order. Let me ask you guys a question. How much difference is there between the best OLB prospect, and the 8th best?? Not a huge dropoff, IMO. Same thing holds true with the NT position. But when talking FS, after Thomas and Berry, the dropoff is gigantic, and that is not just my opinion. These guys represent what the S position is going to look like in 5 years. The rest of the S in the draft are good players, but are not impact players. Many cry for playmakers, well Berry and Thomas make plays, and a lot of them.

[GetterDone Phins!]

NJ, yeppers I sure did, but I added a few more thoughts and wanted to see if Armando has some thoughts or news about Jones being in to have dinner with Dolphins staff.
But thanks for playing blog police :)

[comfortablynumb]

As much as I would love to see Thomas in a Phins uniform, I think this draft is to deep at the saftey position to draft one in the first round....

Still think we take Dan Williams in the first...

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Getterdone. " the club will meet with nearly three dozen players between now and the draft " armando salguero . I'M sure jones might be one of them But didn't the dolphins say they were talking to Incognito last night ??.

[NJ PHIN FAN]

:)

[GetterDone Phins!]

Yep of course they will visit players.
Anywho, yes Phins said they was talking to Richie I, the Bengels want to talk to him also. Will see what tmrw brings there, he should make a decision soon.

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Incogonito already visited the bengals yesterday. He will take a physical and then workout for the dolphins in the morning. He will be a Dolphin by tommorrow afternoon. Note Phin fans !

[NJ PHIN FAN]

good night !

[GetterDone Phins!]

Ok awesome! Good Night!

[Derek4Dolphins]

Kid has got wicked fast closing speed, that kinda speed get interceptions. ComfyNumb... I am also a Dan William fan... But I did watch a you Tube on Williams against Alabama where he was blow up and out of position a bunch of times, he also made plays, it wasn't all bad... Here is the you tube link I'm talking about...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMwtmHooJo&feature=related

Bottom line he is still likely the best NT out there. But just like there is Depth at safety there is also depth at NT. I suppose ya gotta decide where you need to trust the lower pick most?...

[Derek4Dolphins]

Bootang25 your statement...

"But when talking FS, after Thomas and Berry, the drop-off is gigantic"

I think that is what I was trying to say to Comfynumb, NT is VERY deep all the way through the 5th round... These two safety's are pretty much the shiznit of the draft class....

Thanks for making it what I was trying to get at a bit more clear...

[carlito from golfito]

Hello people. I wouldn't mind Earl Thomas at 12.

[Derek4Dolphins]

Gotta be one of the three major needs ... NT,S,OL ... right, Carlito?

This kid definitely has speed and a sense of where the ball is going. INTs...man... we need INT's on our defensive unit.... last year was miserable for interceptions.

[Rob in OC]

Bootang,

I agree with comfortablynumb I think there are some nice safeties to be had later.

S E. Thomas had 72 tackles in 2008, 79 in 2009. and Redshirted his 2007. He had 149 career tackles and had 10 INTs in his career at Texas. He would have to be taken with the #12 overall pick. He is 5'10 1/4 Tall and 208lbs and ran a 4.49 40 at the combine.

S M. Burnett had a 3 year career with GT. He had 93 tackles in 2008 and 85 tackles in 2009. Had 178 total tackles in the same 2 years Bennett played. He had 11 INTs in that same period as well. He's a single 1/8th inch from being 3 inches taller at 6'1 3/8. His body should be able to add weight better and maintain speed and he is already heavier @ 209lbs. He ran a 4.55 40 which is a touch slower so Thomas has that advantage.

Where the true benefit lies is that Burnett probably carries a 3rd round grade so the Fins could have this safety and still have their 1st and second round picks.

My hope is that Thomas is there as well as mcClain and anyone else that is highly rated so the trade offers might roll in.

Cheers,

[allen]

I like earl but a FS at 12 is too risky to me---its a very hard position to play---

Jason Allen still giving me nightmares--

however if tuna and nolan arent sold on JPP or Morgan---

And the pick is between dan williams and Earl---i would go earl----Dan williams will be a player but any DT in thier first 2 years will most likely struggle---and all i need to read is every1 playing monday mourning QB---sayin he is a bust---DT is a man position---and any DT at age 23 or younger is still a kid.

[Rob in OC]

Derek,

Did you mean OLB in your top 3 needs? That's not OL is it?

Cheers,

[t bone LA213]

deon grant released?? If so will dolphins look into signing him?

[Rob in OC]

t bone,

They may but I think the Fins are kind of circling the waters to see what others get cut.

You could make a case for kicking the tires on Grant unless they are trying to still formulate an offer for Otogwe or Sharper.

Because they brought Clark and Rolle in quickly I think they will probably keep shopping hard for an additional player to put in the mix at safety.

Cheers,

[t bone LA213]

football gods please bring us e.berry..or any safety that can make plays & not allow big plays!!!!

[Rob in OC]

Good prayer t bone... I hope so too.

[Dishpan]

Go Dolphins?

[Rob in OC]

allen,

Good point about J. Allen. Saban thought he was good enough to take in the 1st round and has never been much besides a decent special teamer.

Whatever players the Fins get I just freakin hope there is at least 1 stud...we are kind of due for an Adrian Peterson/Marino type guy to fall in our laps.

Cheers,

[comfortablynumb]

Rob,

I agree..

Burnett would be a steal in the third...

Been watching some tape on the kid, and he looks good...

I only wonder if he will drop to the third...

Think not working out at the combine hurt him enough to drop to the third?

[Rob in OC]

Just pondering...

I wonder if there is any way, since it is their stadium that holds the combine that they could have listening devices hidden in the suites, under chairs etc to listen to other teams draft plans and player likes / dislikes.

Can you imagine what an advantage that would be in setting a draft board to have a great idea whet 8-12 teams were gonna do?

It's a little James Bond but the owners have big dollars and the covert ops guys and spies have that type technology.

The scandal fallout from something of that magnitude would make the Camera Gate incident the Pats had look like they had helped a little old lady across the street and jay walked while they did it.

I would like to believe that the owners would have more morality as a group to let anything like that ever come up. It is an ultra competitive league though.

Here endeth the wacky hypothesis.

Cheers,

Is the draft here yet?

[t bone LA213]

does sharper have another good year in him?? A bad year from sharper would still be an upgrade over last years fs play.did otogwe get hurt or carry a tender?? Rob the Dolphins have many needs but imo they need a fs that can prevent big plays 1st&foremost..can w.allen make or want 2make the switch?what do you think they need or should do with pick 12?? With pick 12 if possible I hope we trade down & get more picks. Unless berry mccoy or suh is there.&we know that aint happening.

[Bootang25]

Rob,

Morgan Burnett could not line up as a CB play after play against good WRs on the other team. Nor can Nate Allen, Taylor Mays, Rashad Jones, any of the other guys. Berry and Thomas could be moved to CB and be Pro Bowlers. INTs are great, but you are posting a stat. The way the game is changing you really need 4 CBs in the secondary. There are very good S in this draft, but those other guys are just not close to Thomas and Berry as far as man coverage goes. That is what sets the 2 of them apart.

[GetterDone Phins!]

LOL...good one Rob.
But seems like a loose lip somewhere would sink that ship fast....and speaking of loose lips, that is where I'm sure most info gets passed around from team to team during this draft process, that and the yellow envelop in a back alley.
So hence the high amount of bluffs, smoke screens, and poker faces.

[comfortablynumb]

T Bone,

Atogwe suffered a shoulder injury at the end of last season...

Didn't think it was to serious...

Not quite sure why we are not persuing him.. Rams put a low tender on him. Don't even have to give up any comp picks to get him...

[Mike]

Good player, but his size has to be a concern at the next level. Too risky a pick for me at 12.

[T~Bone LA213]

would the phins trade a pick this year & next 4 b.marshall..i agree with z.thomas..get the guy..but for pick 12..i hope not!!

[Rob in OC]

comfortablynumb,

That's always one of the toughest calls to make. I am sure he did on some teams board. The thing I here again and again is that the teams mostly set their draft boards before they head to the combine and use the actual hard core data 40 times/bench/interviews/cone drills to allow them to recheck facts if a guy ran faster or jumped higher or lower than expected.

If they think the reasoning was weak that a player did not work out they may put an asterick down as to the player not wanting to compete.

In the end I am getting more and more of a sense that the guys go into the combine at a certain rank and unless they really mess it up they don't get changed.

Haden the corner ran a very slow 4.58 40 but not one person / website / expert changed his #1 ranking that I saw. They just said his next run he will have to get it down some, then went on explaining what a stud he was on tape.

McClain was found to have Crohns disease but that didn't seem to change his status even an iota from what I could see/hear/read. He is still consenus #1 ILB everywhere I have seen.

The only one I have heard that could have changed his grade some was OT Tony Washington from Abilene Christian. He had a sexual incident in his past that caused him to be a registered sex offender.

Now I don't know anything about the incident he had but I know some of those things can be really bad and some are like letter of the law things that became infractions. Like having a girlfriend that was 17 when he was 19 and the parents don't like it so they report it...even if the girl doesn't want anything to happen or something like that. Again, I did zero research on his case as OT is not where the Fins go imo.

Cheers,

[Bootang25]

There is legitimate talk of teams looking at Berry and Thomas as CBs because of how good those guys are in man coverage.

[Rob in OC]

GetterDone,

No doubt, there is bound to be a few scouts trying to get paid extra by handing over secrets. If it happens in the world at the National defense level for spies to be double agents then some teams staff has to do it too.

I hope the Fins guys are super loyal so the smokescreens go off as planned. ;)

Cheers,

[Rob in OC]

Bootang,

That and their sizes... ;)

[T~Bone LA213]

so do most agree FS is phins #1 need? I H8 that I can't wait for the draft every year..i long for many years where I can sit back, relax & enjoy a super bowl victory knowing my team is set!!

[Bootang25]

Rob,

I agree their sizes are not what you normally would associate with a S. But I remember I named you like 5 guys of similar stature, Ed Reed included, who are great Safeties. Heck, everyone is clamoring for Atogwe, he's the same size. I also would say that these guys compliment Y Bell, and allow him to do what he does best. The game changes, and it is very close-minded to assume a guy will fail because they aren't clean prospects, or dont fit the traditional mold of a position. I guess we never should have looked at Zach Thomas. If the only thing you can legitimately say about a guy who did it on the field, has done it in the offseason leading up to the draft is that he's 10 pounds too light, I would say that sounds like a great player to me.

[Rob in OC]

Bootang I would just reserve the right to let it all play out.

As you know I am not real high on going off lists or taking others word for gospel. I compare stats and try to watch as much content as I can on the players I feel should be / are on the Fins radar and then judge myself if they can play.

No hear me... I do think Berry has the more talent of the two but E. Thomas has some really great ball skills. He had the most passes defensed of every safety so he has a nose for the ball, no denying that.

I just think any draft has to be looked at like a hole and if you get E. Thomas at #12 what would be your next two picks?

#1 E Thomas S
#2 ?????
#3 ?????

Please fill in those blanks because that is the true comparison.

Me personally I think something like...

#1 Brandon Graham DE/OLB S Weatherspoon ILB/OLB
#2 D. Thomas WR or J. Best RB
#3 M. Burnett S, or Jamar Chaney ILB/OLB

That would be very solid and cover a lot of our current deficiencies pretty well.

What would be your other players?

Cheers,

[Bootang25]

T-bone,

I am not sure, as the Fins haven't won the Super Bowl, but I think I would be even worse, because I would want to repeat. Lol

[Rob in OC]

T~Bone,

Yeah, gonna have to stay the course and just enjoy the journey. I really feel like the team is headed in the right direction... just matter how things pan out on player decisions.

How good would things have been if G Wilson was a tackling machine like he was the year before for Oakland?

How about if Pat Whites arm showed exactly like it did in college? He would have been able to torture defenders with the old I'm rolling out are you gonna stop me from running or do I feather it in right behind you to a RB/WR or TE?

If he develops in his second year he could add a lot of demension to the Wildcat formation.

Lets see how Dansby looks as a Fin...I can't wait!!!

Cheers,

[Bootang25]

Rob,

Of the 3 positions of need, we are lucky they all are deep positions. There are a good 10-12 hybrid pass rush type guys in this draft. And 4-5 NT guys as well. I would be happy with E Thomas, then Cam Thomas, then a guy like Thaddeus Gibson. We could all plug in different names and have similar results. I just ask you this. How many Ed Reed's are there? A lot of good S in the league, but this guy is insane. Ask Pennington. Heck, he picked Manning twice in 6 passes. I am not saying these 2 are going to be the same, but you would have to admit they very well could be.

[Bootang25]

12 is arguably too high for Earl Thomas, Sean Weatherspoon, Brandon Graham, and Dan Williams. None are probably in the top 15 of the draft. However they fit a need very well, and need to be considered.

[Bootang25]

Guys I am out, it has been fun. I will catch all of you at another time.

[Rob in OC]

Bootang,

I am not knocking E. Thomas or Berry. I think both are outstanding players and wouldn't mind if the brass signs off on either.

That said, for the draft to go anything like I want or think we need E. Thomas there to first.

Then that could: #1 Incite trade down talks. I know some teams must really like the guy so a trade down for extra picks would be my favorite and best move. The 2-4 rounds will be chuck full of starters this year at numerous positions so having extra picks in those rounds would be best.

#2 If the Fins like Thomas enough they will take him. I am trying to help the the secondary out by getting more pressure on opposing QBs. Since the refs are gonna play ticky tack with the fouls down field I think one sure fire way will be to give all teams you face as little time to throw as possible and be under duress the whole time they try any pass. I think ther reason we have done so well historically vs NE is that Taylor would get into Brady's head and he would throw before he was ready. Taylor always brings his hard hat and hunts Brady.

I like Thomas and Berry..no worries there. Just different ways to skin the cat.

Cheers,

[Rob in OC]

Bootang,

Actually I hear way more talk of Dan Williams and Earl Thomas going at #12 than either Weatherspoon or Brandon Graham. I would say I am reaching more than you if I took BG and your took E.T. LOL... E.T Go HOME! ;)

It only takes 1 team to fall in love with any draft pick... raiders did it 2 X last year Darius Heyward Bey WR at #7?? Wow... they then followed it up with a Safety Michael Mitchell from Ohio and not "THE" OSU. He was suppose to be a 4nd rounder or later. I subsequently heard whispers that the Raiders loved the guy and heard the Pats and a few other teams were interested so they took him early to make sure they would get him. You never know if post draft or pre draft whispers are true or not. Maybe the raiders spread em to cover for fallout?

cheers,

[carlito from golfito]

Its late and I am tired of talking about the same names over and over again... I am ready for the draft

[Rob in OC]

I second that motion carlito!

[Rob in OC]

Have a good one carlito.

I'm out.

[Manuel]

There's no way the Big Tune will use a 1st rounder on an undersized safety

[Julie]

He is not very good at stopping the run.

[payuengsnwings]

Looks like another long season for us phin fans unless something else is done.Maybe I'll get the soccer network.Miami have a team?

[BlazzinAce]

He can get better against the run and he will get bigger his young, only a sophmore. FS is our biggest need we have nobody Nd our young corners need someone talented backing them up and for a FS I'd love nothing more than a ball hawk! That being said I'd hope we trade down a bit because I'm sure he'll be there late teens, and as many have said this is a deep draft and we have many needs. I just hope we fill atleast 1 of them before draft day!

[beerphin]

He is tooooooooooooooooooooo SMALL!

[TAlberding]

Boring!!

[BlazzinAce]

He is tooooooooooooooooooooo SMALL!
beerphin commented on 'Void at free safety? Dolphins to look at Thomas'
2010-03-16 03:31:55 -0400
That's what she said!