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Miami Dolphin GM Jeff Ireland wants to have a ‘mix’ of rookies and free agents to find more playmakers on offense

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MOBILE, Ala. — Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland confirmed Tuesday what most fans and NFL insiders already know after the Dolphins finished the 2012 season with a 7-9 record and 27th in scoring offense (18.0 points per game):

They need to improve the weapons around Ryan Tannehill.

“We’re looking for playmakers on offense,” Ireland said at the Senior Bowl, where he is beginning preparations for the 2013 draft in April. “Look, we had two guys with over 60 catches (Brian Hartline, Davone Bess), but we’ve got to find guys that are scoring touchdowns.”

But Ireland threw a bit of a curveball in his 30-minute media session, the first time he has spoken publicly since the start of the 2012 season. While owner Stephen Ross and coach Joe Philbin previously indicated that the Dolphins plan to build their roster through the draft, Ireland said Tuesday that he plans on investigating free agency and trades thoroughly and wants his roster to have a “mix” of veteran and young players.

The Dolphins have nine draft picks in April’s draft – five in the first three rounds – and also between $40-50 million in salary cap space, although some of that will be used to re-sign their own free agents. Ireland said “the bulk of our team is going to be built through the draft,” but admitted the team feels pressure to win in 2013 after four straight seasons without the playoffs.

“This is the year that you got to do something,” Ireland said. “We’re in a very good position to utilize some of our cap space to bring in some veteran players on our football team, and we’re in a very good position to bring in some young players from a draft standpoint.”

“It’s got to be a good mix, and we plan to mix it. … We look forward to make some exciting moves before too long.”

Free agency or a trade may be the Dolphins’ best option to find Tannehill a No. 1 receiver. Most experts agree that this year’s draft class is short on elite receiver talent, but three or four could become available in free agency – Green Bay’s Greg Jennings, Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe, Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace and New England’s Wes Welker.

“We’re looking for playmakers on offense, (but) the players have to be available,” Ireland said. “They’ve got to be available to you in free agency and in trade situations and certainly the draft. All those avenues are going to be available to us, from a cap standpoint and a draft pick standpoint.”

Other notes from his media session:

* Ireland wouldn’t comment on the status of his contract negotiations with the team’s core free agents: Jake Long, Reggie Bush, Sean Smith, Brian Hartline, Anthony Fasano, Randy Starks, Matt Moore, Chris Clemons and others. “I’m not gonna get into any of my plans and … say who I’m bringing back and who I’m not bringing back,” he said. “We’ve got some tough decisions to make moving forward. They’re not easy.”

* The most difficult decision is with Long, who has suffered several injuries and whose play has diminished in recent years, but is still a quality tackle who will likely receive big-money offers in free agency. “It’s a very, very difficult decision,” Ireland said. “It’s a very complicated negotiation, so we’ll have to see where things go.”

* Ireland said he is still in the early stages of compiling his draft board, but he’s not doing it alone. Philbin is the only member of the coaching staff who made the trip, and is spending a lot of time scouting and building a plan with Ireland. “We’re spending a lot of time together, talking about players, we’re watching free agents together, and that’s important,” Ireland said. “The more time we get a chance to be with each other and talk football, the better off we’re going to be.”

* Ireland on the prospects of trading up from the 12th pick: “we’re obviously open to anything. You always have to have a contingency plan to move up or move back, so it will be good to have picks to be able to do that.”

* Ireland said he expects the coaching staff to remain mostly intact for next season. He said the Dolphins might have one or two minor changes, but only if young coaches get promotions from other teams. He doesn’t expect to fire any of the coaches at this point.


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