Dolphins Sign Jake Long - make him #1 overall

[jarrod2323]

The Miami Dolphins have signed Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long to a multiyear contract and will select him with the No. 1 overall pick in Saturday's draft.

The contract is for five years and $57.75 million, with $30 million guaranteed.

The Dolphins were interested in trading the top pick, but no suitors surfaced -- so they decided to sign Long and avoid a possible holdout. Last year's top pick, JaMarcus Russell, missed all of training camp before signing a $61 million contract with the Oakland Raiders.

Despite speculation that Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells really had planned to select Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston or Virginia defensive end Chris Long, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith that since the Dolphins opened negotiations with Jake Long they were talking to him exclusively.

Long, a 6-foot-7, 313-pound senior who moved to left tackle in 2006 and started his final 26 games, was an All-America selection and Big Ten lineman of the year in each of his past two seasons.



The intrigue for the No. 1 selection is gone now but there is plenty of it left for the high picks that follow, Mike Sando writes. Hashmarks
• Sando: Long to start at left tackle

The new Miami regime led by Parcells began negotiations last week with Long's agent, Tom Condon. Offensive line is considered the biggest need for the Dolphins, who went 1-15 last year, and new Miami coach Tony Sparano coached the offensive line with the Dallas Cowboys.

Miami made Long the first offensive lineman taken No. 1 in more than a decade and the fifth in league history. The St. Louis Rams took Ohio State tackle Orlando Pace first overall in 1997.

"We had him at the top of our board for a long time," Miami general manager Jeff Ireland said at a news conference in Davie, Fla.

 

[DJT]

Well, saw them picking him...now its a lock. He should do very well for them. A big help to their O-Line.

 

[eLeMeNOhPe]

a lot of people might think they are crazy for taking a OL first, but i think he is the safest player in the draft. he will make Beck better, he will make Brown better, it just make sense.

did you all know, he only allowed 1 sack in 4 years at michigan (Gholston this year) he only took 2 penalties aswell, only 1 holding. thats amazing, the guy is good.

 

[RipCity32]

Reppin' Michigan baby =]

Congrats to my man Jake.

 

[VC3]

Ya he is the "safe pick". As was Robert Gallery. LOL

 

[eLeMeNOhPe]

Ya he is the "safe pick". As was Robert Gallery. LOL

you can say that about every position thats has ever been taken

 

[SaintFan25]

Good pick but I still feel Matt Ryan would have been a better pick.They think they got something good in Beck though so I guess it was a good decision if they really feel that way.Good pick either way, he will help out a lot with all the problems for them on the o-line.

 

[AirForceFlash_3]

Ya he is the "safe pick". As was Robert Gallery. LOL

Huge difference between Gallery and Long. Long has always been a LT, Gallery started off as a TE and the occasional RT. Gallery is fat, Jake Long has a 6-pack. Jake Long does nothing but work out and train, Gallery is a lazy bum. Huge difference.

Anyways, I love this pick, I've wanted it for a while. Jake Long fills the biggest hole of all, even more than Jake Long (too small for a 3-4 DE, too big for a 3-4 OLB) and Vernon Gholston (might not be worth the #1, workout freak, plus, we have Jason Taylor for now.) Now, we can move Vernon Carey to his rightful position, RT. Now our O-Line is a lot more solid, looking like:

LT-Jake Long
LG-Justin Smiley
C-Samson Satele
RG-Drew Mormino (6th round pick for us, played C and OG next to Joe Staley at Central Michigan)
RT-Vernon Carey

Not amazing, but very solid. Now, we need to concentrate on CB, ILB, TE, and maybe WR with our 2 2nd rounders, our 3rd rounder, and our 4th.

 

[jarrod2323]

I don't think Matt Ryan was the best pick -- this is actually a draft with no upper tier QBs.. so, why take him #1 overall

like ESPN said, if they really want, they can pick up a quality 2nd tier QB later in draft.. not only that, they have more pressing needs at CB & DL

 

[vikesfan]

Definately a great pick, I'm just curious why they didn't keep this hush hush til Saturday. You'd think they wouldn't want to give the rams anymore then the 10 minutes to decide what they are going to do with the 2nd pick.

 

[MapleLeaf]

omg maybe the Chiefs will get the other long.

2- Dorsey to Rams
3- Ryan to Falcons
4- DMC to Raiders
5- Long to Chiefs

<3

 

[kdogg]

The funny thing is that they probably are still going to take forever to announce at the Draft lol. And to eLeMeNOhPe he allowed 2 sacks in his career lol, The sack from Gholston was the only one this season though.

 

[.snowy]

I dont really follow the NFL Draft, but how the hell do you sign someone before you have the draft rights to him?

 

[jarrod2323]

they have the #1 overall pick. so they're the only team that CAN do that cuz no one else can pick before them.. like I said the Texans did the same thing with David Carr & Mario Williams