Posted on Fri, Apr. 15, 2005
DOLPHINS
Saban ready to deal at No. 2
Dolphins coach Nick Saban has decided QB Alex Smith is the best pick at No. 2. But Saban is willing to trade down, sources say, and the Bucs are interested.
BY ARMANDO SALGUERO AND JASON COLE
asalguero@herald.com
The Dolphins are focused on drafting Utah quarterback Alex Smith with the second overall pick, but Miami also is in discussions with at least one team about trading that selection.
One source said Thursday that coach Nick Saban has decided Smith -- not any of the likely available running backs such as Auburn's Ronnie Brown -- would be the best pick for Miami at No. 2, assuming California quarterback Aaron Rodgers is drafted by San Francisco.
But two league sources also confirmed the Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have discussed a possible trade involving both teams' first-round selections and other considerations.
The Bucs, who pick fifth overall, are apparently equally enamored with the idea of selecting Smith at No. 2. Tampa Bay's brain trust decided last weekend Smith is a better prospect than Rodgers.
The Bucs' interest became more serious Thursday after it seemed likely the 49ers will take Rodgers, leaving Smith available. The 49ers had contract discussions with Mike Sullivan, who represents Rodgers, on Wednesday, and the discussions reportedly laid a positive foundation for a deal.
Tom Condon, who represents Smith, was scheduled to fly to San Francisco on Thursday to try to lay a similar foundation for his client, but the league sources say that session doesn't offer the same prospect for success as the one with Rodgers' agent.
Assuming that scenario holds, the Bucs want to move up. But the price, as with all such trades, would be the subject of intense negotiations.
A FAIR EXCHANGE
The Dolphins, like all other NFL teams, have a trade-value chart that outlines the price for trading draft picks.
Saban said two weeks ago he would ''absolutely'' go by that chart in deciding the value of a trade.
And according to most such charts, Tampa Bay would have to give up its first, second and third-round picks this year to move up three slots to Miami's spot.
The teams also might discuss exchanging draft picks next year should the Bucs balk at making the three-for-one deal now.
The Dolphins also are going to try to involve other teams in the bidding process to drive up the price of a trade, although it is unclear whether any other team has stepped forward.
So what if that all fails?
Smith, who visited with Saban and other team staffers Wednesday and Thursday, according to Condon, is the apparent choice.
QB OR NOT QB?
Saban has said the quarterback is the most valued player on any team.
''That guy handles the ball every time, he makes a decision on every play,'' he said during the NFL owners' meetings last month. ``So it's a critical position in terms of not just stability but knowledge, experience, judgment, making good decisions and that type of thing.
``We feel we have some talented people on our team right now, but everybody has to prove they can play with consistency.''
That doesn't mean Smith is a can't-miss prospect. He played in a college offense that rarely used anything other than a shotgun spread formation. And Saban has bemoaned the odds of taking a quarterback with such an early pick.
''The history of drafting [successful] quarterbacks in the first round is a 30-percent hit,'' Saban said. ``I don't know what the odds are on a craps table in Vegas, but I know about that one.''
Saban ready to deal at No. 2
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