Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said Tuesday one of his primary goals for the off-season is acquiring playmakers on both sides of the ball, and he said the Dolphins have put themselves in position to accomplish that goal.
"We've got to find guys that are scoring touchdowns and getting into the end zone," Ireland said while sitting in the stands after the North team practice at the Senior Bowl.
"We've got to find guys that are disrupting the passer on defense and disrupting the receiver getting into the route as well. So we're not looking going into this draft at one primary area, we're looking to upgrade in a lot of different areas."
The Dolphins have nine draft picks headlined by one in the first round, two in the second round and two in the third round and approximately $46 million to spend in free agency.
"I think the decisions made up to this point in terms of our cap space, in terms of our draft picks, that's all by design," Ireland said, "and we've got a clear vision of how we're going to help this football team moving forward."
Miami, which finished 7-9 for its fourth consecutive losing season, was 27th in overall offense and 27th in scoring (18.0 points per game). Defensively, the Dolphins were minus-10 in turnover margin and their 16 takeaways were tied for 29th in the 32-team league.
Among the biggest needs are wide receiver, cornerback, tight end and a pass-rusher to play opposite defensive end Cam Wake. Ireland is confident the Dolphins can get quality help in the draft.
"You feel you're positioned well with draft picks," he said." You have an opportunity to really do some good for the future of the franchise and I'm looking forward to it. We have five picks in the top three rounds and that's important. It's going to be a big day for us, a big weekend."
Source: Sun-Sentinel
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January 22, 2013
