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If the Collective Bargaining
Agreement (CBA) is not resolved in time for the April 28 NFL Draft, the ability
of teams to move up and down the draft board will be constrained. For the
Dolphins, their means of moving up the draft board to take a quarterback would
be limited to current and future draft picks. Other options, such as leveraging
the considerable depth they have on the defensive line in a trade, would not be
possible.
While there is still plenty
of time for the parties to reach an agreement, one must admit that things look
considerably more grim today than they did a month or two ago. The players and
the owners are more polarized now than ever, and that usually leads to long and
protracted negotiations.
Those who read my stuff know
that I believe that the Dolphins will use their first rounder (15th
overall), directly or indirectly, in a move to draft a QB. That belief remains
unchanged, regardless of the CBA status on April 28.
Again, even with the
potential constraints, there are ways the Dolphins can get to their man. One
approach I’d like to focus on here is a trade down to re-gain a second round
pick.
Recall that GM Jeff Ireland
expressed an interest in doing just that, a move I find completely plausible.
While such a play would probably remove the top two QB talents from
consideration, it would bring others into the picture. One man in particular
who I find intriguing in this scenario is
Time now for full
disclosure: I’m an FSU alumnus, and I’ve personally watched most of the games
that Ponder has played in. While I’m not a talent scout by any stretch of the
imagination, there are certain facts in Ponder’s case to become a Miami Dolphin
that I find compelling.
Start with Dolphin GM Jeff Ireland,
who is a known admirer of the Nick Saban coaching tree. Coaches that come from
this tree tend to gain his attention and respect for the way they develop their
players. FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher is a member of that tree, having worked
for Saban at LSU as his offensive coordinator before leaving for FSU as heir
apparent to Bobby Bowden in 2007.
Fisher’s methods, especially
in terms of the mental aspect of the game, are something that
This is why I think
The stats would tend to
support Ponder’s case in this regard: 49 TDs, 30 INTs, and almost 7,000 yards
passing with a 62% completion rate. Off the field, his scholastic accomplishments
are exemplary: winner of the 2010 James Tatum award (nation's top
student-athlete), graduating in two and one half years with a degree in finance
and a 3.73 GPA.
In short, Ponder is a guy
who would not require as much time as most rookie QBs to be ready to play. And
with superior weapons like Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess to help him, I can
easily see how he would do well in Brian Daboll’s system.
Physically, Ponder can make
every throw at the NFL level. His solid workout at the combine reinforced what I’d
seen of him over the past four seasons. He has very good mobility and
escapability, with good pocket presence and a fine sense of the pass rush. He
is plenty good enough to run the Wildcat if called upon, as Fisher used him
extensively on option plays.
As for the intangibles, such
as toughness, character, and leadership, Ponder scores well. He is an
outstanding leader, the type of man who could LEAD the Dolphin offense. He’s a
person of fine character, strongly devoted to community service, which aligns
very well to owner Stephen Ross’s organizational philosophy; a “face of the
franchise”, if you will. And though Ponder has suffered through his share of
injuries (more on this in a moment), he isn’t afraid of contact; he often played
hurt and played well.
So that’s the good news.
The two areas of concern to
be weighed with Ponder, in my opinion, are as follows.
The first is his durability.
Ponder was injured his last two seasons, with shoulder and elbow problems that
caused him to miss games. You never like to see a QB with a history of arm
problems. Now perhaps this can be alleviated with added bulk, but the injuries
themselves might have been avoided had he protected himself better and not been
as reckless. Nevertheless, this is certainly a red flag on
The second is his penchant
for aggressive decision-making. Ponder sometimes forced passes and tried to
make plays that just weren’t there. Perhaps this is something that can be tamed
in the pros, or perhaps this is a quality that the Dolphin offense has been
missing. Whatever the case, my sense is that it needs to be tamed just a bit,
because Ponder is closer to Brett Favre in this regard rather than Dan Marino.
In closing, I think Ponder
is someone worth watching, especially if