*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Apr 16, 1998: -- Dolphins Front Runner in McGlockton Chase --
ESPN is reporting this afternoon that the Dolphins are the
front runners in the Chester McGlockton sweepstakes, which will end
tonight at midnight.
The Dolphins are reportedly close to signing McGlockton to an
offer sheet in the range of $5 million dollars per year. It they do
sign McGlockton to the offer sheet today, Oakland will have 24 hours
in which to match the offer. If Oakland doesn't match the offer,
McGlockton will be a Dolphin by the time the draft starts on
Saturday.
If McGlockton signs with the Dolphins before midnight tonight,
the Raiders will get the Dolphins' second round pick in the draft and
a compensatory first round pick from the NFL. This extra pick with be
the 31st pick in the draft.
The deadline of midnight tonight is important because if
McGlockton signs the offer sheet after midnight, the Raiders will get
a first and a third round pick from the team that signs McGlockton,
but those picks will be in the next year's draft.
My Comments:
Has anyone else noticed that things seem to move a lot faster
since JJ took over the Dolphins? I don't think it has anything to do
with that, really, but the fact that JJ makes up his mind in a hurry
and the fact that free agency has really opened up the market for
players in the NFL makes everything seem to happen much faster.
If McGlockton does sign with the Dolphins today, that will
change the whole draft picture. The Dolphins will still have their
#19 pick in the first round, but given that the defensive line has now
been improved, taking a defensive lineman early in the draft won't be
as important.
When I first heard the news yesterday that the Dolphins were
going to bid on McGlockton, I didn't get too excited about it
because deals this year have had a way of vanishing. However, it now
appears that this deal may get done after all.
And it makes sense. The Dolphins want McGlockton and
McGlockton wants out of Oakland. Also, McGlockton's agent is Marvin
Demoff, who is also Dan Marino's agent. He already has a strong
working relationship with the Dolphins' front office and he will know
how to work with Bob Ackles and Eddie Jones to get the deal done.
Of course, adding McGlockton does add a fine defensive tackle
to the team, but what does it do for Tim Bowens? Does he stay and
pair with McGlockton? Do they move Darryl Gardener to end or does he
stay at tackle? In his rookie year, Gardener was tried at defensive
end but didn't last long.
It doesn't seem likely to me that the Dolphins will just add
McGlockton to the defensive tackle rotation and that will be the end
of that. They could, of course, but there are other areas of need on
the team that could be addressed with a trade for someone like
Bowens.
According to the Sun-Sentinel this morning, JJ has assured Tim
Bowens' agent that the Dolphins want Bowens back with the team,
regardless of what happens with McGlockton. How much that actually
means is unclear, though.
After all, it will be harder to trade him if he's unsigned...
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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