POSTED 4-22-08

There are rotisserie heroes and fantasy goats. But some performances are so ugly, egregious or plain perplexing they demand a closer look. Here is Update's seriously twisted moment this week.

Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins are on the clock. The NFL Draft is nearly here and there still is no consensus of who the Fish will select with the first overall pick — if they pick at all.

After months of speculation, we are no closer to knowing Miami's draft day plans than we were after they locked up the um, honor, by virtue of a 1-15 season.

That's right, when Commissioner Roger Goodell walks to the podium and declares this draft open come Saturday in Midtown Manhattan, what follows next is anyone's guess.

There are holes everywhere along the Miami depth chart, exactly what you'd expect from a team coming off its worst season in franchise history.

Will the Fins trade down? Take a franchise quarterback? Select a rush end? Pick an anchor at offensive tackle? Or maybe a wall of a defensive lineman? Who knows?

But everyone has a stake in the outcome. What Miami does will have an obvious trickle down effect on the entire draft.

After months of hinting at taking one of the Longs (Virginia's Chris or Michigan's Jake) — either choice filling a glaring need and considered a safe return on the investment — The Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote this week called on the Fish to show some courage and take the player who could help turn around the Dolphins most dramatically.

Namely, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. And I agree. Miami has never had the luxury of picking first. This is no time for conservative play calling. Go out and grab a guy who could answer the one question that has lingered hauntingly over the franchise since the 2000 season.

Who will replace Dan Marino? Who indeed.

Ryan is no sure thing. But he's already considered better than Miami's penciled in starter John Beck (a second round pick in 2007) or free agent pickup Josh McCown (a journeyman at best).

The last regime in Miami lasted one season. And their biggest perceived gaffe was passing on another franchise quarterback in Notre Dame gunslinger Brady Quinn at No. 9.

Don't make the same mistake twice, Big Tuna.

This franchise and its fans need a leader and posterboy, someone to hang Super Bowl hopes upon. And no lineman, no matter how dominant, can deliver on this promise the way a highly-touted quarterback can.

That makes Matt Ryan the only choice on draft day.