Drafting first overall not such a priviledge anymore

Tim Couch is out of football. David Carr might as well be. Drafting number one these days is not only a risk, it's also a headache. The amount of guaranteed money teams are forwarding to the top pick is ludicrous considering these players have never played a snap in the NFL.

There's no exact science to guarantee that the first pick will be a success in the league. Sometimes they are an instant success, sometimes it takes time. For players like Couch and Carr, it's somewhat unfair considering they were thrust under center for poor teams from the get-go. For players like defensive end Courtney Brown, they simply never have the impact at the pro level that they did in college. For players like running back Ki-jana Carter, they simply can't stay healthy enough to be a factor.

If you are the Miami Dolphins, you have some options at number one. But trading the pick will be tough because no one wants to take on the process of negotiating a fat contract for an unproven player. In a draft with no clear-cut top pick, Bill Parcells is in a tough spot.

Jake Long, Matt Ryan, Darren McFadden. There are some big-time prospects with big-time question marks. They will demand money, and almost certainly get it. If they don't, they simply will holdout, because it's what almost everyone does these days. Then when they do play, they have a mountain of expectations to live up to. Generally it takes a special type of player to live up to that hype. For a franchise like Miami, they are hoping to hit the jackpot.

It would making picking first well worth their while.