Our Presence at the Miami Herald Chat

Our array of contributors got in 6 questions at the Miami Herald's Dolphins chat. We'll leave it to you to decide whether they were of appropriate caliber:

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from West Palm Beach, FL
Q: In light of Jeff Ireland's now-famous "Freudian Slip," do you think the Dolphins can spin it to their advantage? You can't create a better smokescreen than that.
Answered 04/18/08 13:01:14 by Greg Cote
A: The Dolphins won't spin it. They'll allow the media to spin it for them. But I have to tell you, it was a pretty obvious mistake.

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from West Palm Beach, FL
Q: Darren McFadden has been practically ruled out by analysts and experts nationwide, yet HE is arguably the best athlete in the draft. I know he doesn't fit their needs, but do you see any chance at all of the Dolphins turning to him at the last second?
Answered 04/18/08 13:06:25 by Greg Cote
A: No. It would be dumb given all the other needs. With Ronnie Brown healthy and the eighth or ninth life of Ricky Williams, there are far greater needs.
(Note: Armando had a different take later, so the question wasn't so dumb: Q: Armando. Money aside, who would you pick for the Dolphins as the number one pick in the upcoming draft? Why?
Answered 04/18/08 14:03:32 by Armando Salguero
A: Darren McFadden. He's the most explosive player at the top of the draft. He runs a 4.3. He dominated in the SEC. And even though there are questions about him, there are questions about all the other guys at the top of the draft also.)

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from West Palm Beach, FL
Q: Thanks for answering our questions! When you look back on the history of defensive linemen in the draft, a lot of early picks haven't turned out well. Courtney Brown comes specifically to mind. I remember Mel Kiper et. al assuring that he'd be a superstar for the Browns. When you look at guys like Orlando Pace, for instance, doesn't Jake Long seem the safer Long?
Answered 04/18/08 13:13:59 by Armando Salguero
A: Well, plenty of high-pick OL busts too (Tony Mandarich), but i agree jake Long probably is the "safest" pick.

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Q: The Rams have speculated that they're prepared for the Dolphins to actually PASS on their pick. Forgetting all the negative PR, etc. and assuming they couldn't trade the pick, wouldn't the move make sense for salary cap reasons? Why not take Chris/Jake Long/Gholston at #3 instead for less money? (This is just a hypothetical)
Answered 04/18/08 13:21:18 by Greg Cote
A: The Dolphins will not pass. I asked Jeff Ireland this specifically on Thursday and he said it would absolutely not happen.

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from Boca Raton, FLQ: We've been leading a very active campaign in Miami to try and help Save the Sonics. We were wondering what your thoughts were on the whole thing, especially as we've been through stadium-relocation nightmares with the Marlins for years?
Answered 04/18/08 13:58:09 by Greg Cote
A: A save the Sonics campaign in Miami is a great idea. Can you start a save the heat-dolphins-marlins-panthers campaign in Seattle?

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from Boca Raton, FL
Q: Thanks for the support, Cote. The only people who can really help Seattle are those from other NBA cities. I've been personally told that if you write anything in their favor, Save Our Sonics will augment you to hero status.
Answered 04/18/08 14:04:08 by Armando Salguero
A: Don't get me wrong. I feel for longtime Sonics fans in that area. But I have enough parochial concerns and interests to limit my inclination to delve into the woes of other markets.