NFL changes Draft for 2008

Being that the Dolphins are 0-7 and are heading for more losses, its not too soon to look forward to the 2008 draft especially since it looks highly probably that the Dolphins will have their best 1st round pick in franchise history and two second round picks since sending Chris Chambers to San Diego in exchange for their second round pick. The Dolphins will in all likelihood select 2 players in the first 20 picks and 3 players within the first 50 picks on day one.

My personal opinion is that John Beck be inserted into the starting lineup with at least 6 games to play this season so the coaching staff can accurately assess his value as an NFL starting quarterback before the 08 draft. The Dolphins will most likely be on the clock and have the ability to draft the best available QB in the 08 draft and they better have a strong inclination of what Becks NFL ability actually is before draft day. The way this team has managed its personnel over the last decade however, I would not be surprised to see Beck rot on the bench all year unless Lemon gets hurt.

Ronnie Brown was having a career year, and I am upset as anyone for his season ending injury, but I wonder if RB Booker would have ever been activated without Brown being hurt. Its unfortunate that this is what it took to get Booker some playing time but at least we can now see what type of RB he will be on the NFL level.

Offense is not the problem for the Dolphins however. It could be argued that this is the offenses best year thru seven games simce Marinos departure. The 4th ranked defense fror a year ago has dropped to one of the worst in the league primarily driven by age, injuries, and lack of depth. The upcoming draft will enable the Dolphins first 4 picks(Round 1, 2 in Round 2, Round 3) to pick up 4 playmakers out of the best 95 prospects available. IF they draft well, we may begin to see some positive growth as early as next year(providing we dont continue to give away our best remaining players). Below is an article from the AP regarding the 2008 NFL Draft changes...

The NFL announced several revisions to its annual college draft on Tuesday, including cutting the time between picks in the first round of selections.
The time allocated for each club to make selections in the first round of the draft has been reduced from 15 minutes to 10 after a 2007 record round of 6 hours and 8 minutes. The NFL also moved the starting time of the draft from noon EDT to 3 p.m. and limited the first day to two rounds instead of three.
"We believe this will make for a more streamlined and efficient draft," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement issued during the league owners meetings in Philadelphia.
The changes also apply to the second round, which will go from 10 minutes to seven between choices for next year's draft, which will be held April 26-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
In recent years, teams have often used most of the 15 minutes in the first round, entertaining trade offers or making them.
The time between picks will stay at five minutes for the last five rounds, which will take place on Sunday. The second day of the draft will now start at 10 a.m. instead of 11.
Both draft days will be televised by ESPN and the NFL Network.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press