Dolphins Negotiating With Jake Long

Many of you have probably seen the Herald story regarding the Dolphins opening up negotiations with Jake Long. This could be a sign of many things.

It could mean the first thing that comes to mind: that the Dolphins like Jake Long and plan on making him their #1 pick. The chatter around the NFL has been that Jake is the newest frontrunner for the selection if Miami cannot trade down. That's fine. We need a LT badly and it would solidify our line with Smiley, Satele and Carey for years to come. The Michigan LT would probably be the best fit for the team right now.

However, it doesn't necessarily mean he is the target. He could just happen to be the first player the Dolphins have contacted. Maybe it's a ploy to drive down someone else's price, namely the guy we are really after. At this point, it's supposedly down to the two Long's and Matt Ryan.

Salguero says Ryan is not an option, and I believe him. Ryan is not a top selection. All the buzz surrounding him and the #1 pick is ridiculous. That means that the negotiations between the Dolphins and Jake Long are the beginning of a bidding war between Jake and Chris Long. Glenn Dorsey has reportedly not been contacted much recently, so that seems out as an option.

Chris is a safe pick, but I don't know about his upside. I wouldn't have any problem with drafting any of the Longs, but I definitely would prefer Jake at this point. I am eager to have a solid offensive line for once and Jake could be the final piece in the puzzle. Chris is a great player and would be a nice addition on the defense, so you can't really go wrong at this point. Just don't take Matt Ryan.