Yarkbarkers

1. Pre-draft NFL power rankings

   The 2018 NFL Draft is just hours away when all 32 teams will attempt to better their rosters by adding some of last season’s top college talents. But before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces the first team up on the clock, we thought it only appropriate to get into some NFL power rankings.Obviously, some franchises are in much better shape than others. Taking all of the 2018 free agency action into consideration as well as each team’s current roster of players, all 32 franchises are ranked from worst to best. Be prepared for a few surprises starting with the team that currently sits dead last in our book.32. Miami DolphinsMidway through free agency, the Dolphins did the unthinkable and signed the much-maligned quarterback Brock Osweiler. That right there reveals the team’s current state of mind. Ahead of the draft, the Dolphins have already said that Ryan Tannehill will start. News flash — he has not played since December of 2016. A rookie quarterback could be in the cards, but assuming they go elsewhe

2. DeVante Parker fifth-year option picked up by Dolphins

   The Miami Dolphins have exercised the fifth-year option on wide receiver DeVante Parker. The move locks Parker into an additional year on his original four-year rookie contract, paying him $9.4 million for the season. The deal is guaranteed against injury. Parker accounts for a $3.5 million hit to the Dolphins’ salary cap this year. Parker was the 14th overall pick in 2015, joining the Dolphins with the expectations that he would become the team’s “number one” receiver. He has struggled with consistency throughout his career, catching just 139 passes in three seasons for 1,908 yards with eight touchdown. He has shown the flashes that made the Dolphins want to select him with their first-round choice, but injuries have prevented him from becoming a great receiver for the team. The fifth-year option is a part of the 2011 collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. It is only available for a team on a first-round draft choice, and has to be exercised prior to the fourth ye

3. Analysis: Hindsight isn’t kind to the Miami Dolphins when grading recent drafts

   Ja’Wuan James has something to prove at right tackle in 2018. (Allen Eyestone/The Post) The 2018 NFL Draft is almost upon us, and with it, you’ll see oodles of instant grades issued for all 32 teams, even though most draftees haven’t even set foot in their new cities. Hey, that’s the nature of this instant-gratification world we’re in. A better indicator, naturally, is hindsight, which brings us to our second annual review of recent Dolphins drafts: 2014 Top pick: T Ja’Wuan James Notable pick: WR Jarvis Landry (2) Notable whiffs: Five of seven selections were from small schools. Woulda, coulda: The Dolphins were correct in picking a guard named Turner in the third round. Too bad they went with North Dakota State’s Billy, not Trai Turner of LSU, who has made three Pro Bowls and could have solved a need at guard dating back to FDR’s administration. Comment: For a draft that wasn’t that long ago, it’s startling that the Dolphins teetered on entering this summer with zero draft picks from 2014. Amid much specu

4. Dolphins to pick up DeVante Parker’s option

   The Dolphins are picking up Devante Parker’s fifth year option for 2019, a league source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). The additional year on the wide receiver’s deal is guaranteed for injury only.  [RELATED: PFR’s 2019 Fifth-Year Option Tracker]Parker has been held back by foot, hamstring, and ankle injuries during his three-year NFL career, so this is not exactly a no-risk proposition for the Dolphins. Parker has yet to break out in the way Miami hoped he would when he was drafted No. 14 overall in 2015, but they believe that he still has serious potential.At one point in time, the Dolphins were concerned about their ability to lock both Parker and Jarvis Landry up in the long-term. Much has changed. Landry has since been sent to the Browns in a sign-and-trade and Parker is not a candidate for a big money extension at this time.Last season, Parker missed three games and totaled just 670 yards and one touchdown off of 57 catches. His 2016 season was his best showing to date as he had

5. A look back at the Miami Dolphins late draft successes. Part four, the 90’s

   Each season there’s so much focus trying to determine who the Dolphins will select in the first round, but my contention is the rest of the draft is probably more important to the future of the team. In the fourth part of a decade by decade look through the Dolphins drafts, we’ll continue to mention […] A look back at the Miami Dolphins late draft successes. Part four, the 90’s - Phin Phanatic - Phin Phanatic - A Miami Dolphins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.