The past week provides great insight into the anxiety that permeates the Miami Dolphins' every decision these days.

Or, to put it another way, think of Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland as a latter-day Nathan Thurm, that deliciously over-the-top character created by comedian Martin Short. Like Thurm, people close to Ireland say he is seemingly ready to jump out of his skin whenever he is questioned.

[Jason Cole: Andrew Luck, RG3, Ryan Tannehill prove Texas a hotbed of QBs]

"Under pressure?" a source close to Ireland said recently, repeating the gist of the question for rhetorical effect. "Well, considering his entire future is wrapped up in how he handles this draft, yeah, I would say he's under pressure and you can see it.

"He has an owner telling him to get a quarterback and [an] angry, dwindling fan base telling him to get a quarterback."

Ryan Tannehill has been the chic mock pick of the Dolphins for a few weeks. (AP)Yes, the stories about owner Stephen Ross telling Ireland and the front office to get a quarterback are true. But Ross isn't

Read More »from Even if it's not Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins need a QB in the NFL draft

In an interesting twist of fate, the seeds of a Texas quarterback factory were planted at a Holiday Inn less than four miles from Andrew Luck's high school in Houston.

Coach Dick Olin, now the offensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin University, set up a meeting in 1996 for all high school coaches from the city to discuss starting a seven-on-seven passing league to be run in the spring and early summer. The meeting was held in a conference room at the hotel.

[ Les Carpenter: Robert Griffin III was destined to 'change the world of sports' ]

"We had maybe 15 or 20 coaches show up," Olin said. "It's like anything new that you're trying, people are resistant at first. They needed to be convinced."

On Thursday, the NFL will provide proof positive that Olin and his first group of coaches were on the right track. The top three quarterbacks expected to be selected in this year's NFL draft, including the top two overall selections, will all have deep roots in Texas.

Andrew Luck is headed to the Indianapolis Colts. (AP)

Read More »from Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin, Ryan Tannehill prove Texas is suddenly the hotbed of quarterbacking

WELLINGTON, Fla. – Once a week, cornerback Janoris Jenkins stands in the bathroom of U.S. Army sergeant Sandy Cornelio's two-bedroom apartment and urinates into a cup with a door open as Cornelio makes sure "no funny business" happens. Jenkins then hands over the sample for Cornelio to test for drugs.

This is the deal Jenkins, the biggest question mark of this week's NFL draft, agreed to approximately a year ago just to stay here with Cornelio, his wife, Diana, and their two children. He chose to accept these conditions by Cornelio, a recruiter he's known since high school, rather than live in his hometown of Pahokee, roughly 30 miles down Highway 98.

"This is just a lot better for me," said Jenkins, a cornerback prospect from the University of North Alabama who is trying to escape the desperation that defines Pahokee.

He's going to get that chance.

[ Mock drafts: 2012's 'Ultimate' selections | Shutdown Corner's 1-16 | 17-32 ]

Of 18 NFL personnel men (coaches,

Read More »from CB prospect Janoris Jenkins' personal life still causes concerns with NFL teams

Robert Griffin III (US Presswire)If you want proof the NFL's "slotting" system for rookie contracts is already having an effect on trades, look no farther than Bruce Allen.

Allen's Washington Redskins have already traded up to the No. 2 spot in the draft and are expected to take quarterback Robert Griffin III. That deal is the first time since 2004 that one of the top four picks has been traded.

Washington paid a king's ransom to the St. Louis Rams: the No. 6 overall pick and a second-rounder this year (No. 39 overall) and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014.

Allen, Washington's general manager, smiled recently when asked about the deal.

"Sometimes the things you want are expensive," he said.

Funny how times and rules change attitudes. Only five years ago, Allen was preaching restraint. Allen, then GM of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could have paid much less in picks to the Detroit Lions for a chance to move from No. 4 to No. 2 weeks prior to the 2007 draft.

[ 2012 NFL Ultimate Mock Draft: Aaron

Read More »from Trades for high NFL draft picks discussed more than previous years

It appears that just about anybody who plays running back is the new Mr. Irrelevant of the NFL draft.

Even someone as good as Trent Richardson of Alabama.

"I love Trent Richardson, everything about him," a personnel executive with an NFC team said in March. "Great football player, loves the game. Great kid, very mature, a leader. Physically, he reminds me of George Rogers and I mean the good George Rogers …"

Trent Richardson cradles the national championship trophy after Alabama beat LSU. (US Presswire) That's high praise considering that Rogers was the No. 1 pick of the 1981 draft, was the 1980 Heisman Trophy winner and later helped the Washington Redskins win Super Bowl XXII.

Of course, all of that was build-up to the eventual, "But …"

"If you're asking me if I'd take him in the top 10 picks, the answer is no. Not the way the game is played today," said the executive, who is also a former NFL player. "It kind of hurts me to say it, but that's just reality. Look around the league: It's not a running back league anymore."

The 2012 NFL draft figures to

Read More »from RB Trent Richardson exception to the rule as positional value keeps sliding

In an odd twist believed to be driven by a poor relationship between the organizations' respective leaders, the NFL Players Association has filed a lawsuit against the NFL Coaches Association seeking more than $650,000. Forced to pay such an amount could cripple the fledgling NFLCA, an organization that less than a year ago showed support for the players' union during the lockout by NFL owners. The NFLCA has $308,509.69 in the bank, according to the lawsuit.

"I really can't believe that the players would sue the coaches this way," a source familiar with the lawsuit said. "This is really destructive to the relationship between the sides. This is not good for either side."

In addition, NFLCA executive director David Cornwell said his authority has been challenged in a letter from the NFLPA. Cornwell, hired by the NFLCA in February, said the NFLPA has suggested that its executive director, DeMaurice Smith, also has power over the coaches' association.

"I do not know which is

Read More »from NFL Players Association files lawsuit against coaches' union seeking $650K

Best games

Peyton Manning spent his first 14 seasons with the Colts1. Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos (Sunday, Sept. 9): It's fair to say that all eyes will be on this one as quarterback Peyton Manning is expected to make his return to the NFL. An injury cost him all of the 2011 season and forced a departure from Indianapolis as the Colts decided to rebuild. The question now is whether the Colts were a little hasty in their decision as Manning tries to show he's healthy again after four reported neck surgeries, including a procedure to fuse two vertebrae. Meanwhile, the Steelers open the new season at the same site of last year's playoff debacle against the then Tim Tebow-led Broncos.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday, Nov. 18): As a point of reference, there aren't a lot of division games mentioned in this spot for a specific reason: You could fill the entire "best" section with divisional battles, be it this one or Green Bay-Chicago or New England-New York Jets or whatever other traditional rivalry you

Read More »from Best and worst NFL games of 2012 season

OFFSEASON WINNERS

1. Denver Broncos: The dual move of a playoff team gaining a future Hall of Fame quarterback (Peyton Manning) and ridding itself of a giant question mark (Tim Tebow) was brilliant on its own. However, getting cornerback Tracy Porter, tight end Jacob Tamme, defensive tackle Justin Bannan and wide receiver Andre Caldwell solidify an impressive offseason of work. There have been a couple of losses, such as Brodrick Bunkley and Andre' Goodman, but those are tolerable.

[ Related: Tim Tebow booed at Yankees game ]

Vincent Jackson had 1,106 receiving yards last season. (US Presswire)2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: If you're going to spend in free agency, buy good players. The Bucs did that by getting guard Carl Nicks and wide receiver Vincent Jackson; they were the best offensive lineman and receiver, respectively, on the market. Cornerback Eric Wright isn't in their league, but was a nice pickup, particularly if the team also gets LSU's Morris Claiborne in the draft.

3. Buffalo Bills: They made the biggest non-Manning splash in free

Read More »from NFL offseason winners/losers: Peyton Manning boosts Broncos; defections hurt Colts