We're talking about a gossip column looking to make news during a dead time in the off season. I think it'd be far more useful to go back and review Thomas' film at OG from 2014. We're nearing 100 posts in this thread, has anyone even mentioned the games he played at OG? You make a good point about OG in Miami over the last several years, though more context is needed. I think you'd find similar track records on most of the leagues teams. Not only is guard not an important position in terms of winning, fans don't buy tickets or tune in to see them and 99% of fans probably don't pay them any attention at all unless they're holding, false starting, getting beaten or otherwise screwing up. Would you rather have the leagues best OG tandem w average guys at kicker and punter, or average OGs and the leagues best kicker and punter? Imo that question pretty much sums it up.
It's Barry Jackson. He's the literal gold standard as far as inside information goes in the local media. It's a very safe assumption it's true. I'm also working under the assumption that it's pretty uncontroversial that Dallas Thomas' play last year was awful at Guard. He was a disaster-level starter there. I don't agree at all. Guard isn't a primary position but you start bad ones at your own peril.
This doesn't make sense. At all. If Team A is investing more in their backups than Team B, then it would have to be that Team A hasn't invested as much in their starters as Team B, and I would expect Team B to do better.
All you need to do, is look at the numbers to determine the incompetence. Trying it out is one thing. Sticking with it after it was apparent the experiment was a train wreck is another. James was decent/good on the right side. Albert goes down and you see if James can handle the left side. He couldn't. But you stick with that decision to destroy both tackle positions.
IMO I would expect the opposite, particularly on the OL. I think a team would be better off spreading their investments across the five starters and primary backups, rather than paying a couple of guys huge money, and relying on 3rd-4th rounders to pan out. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
Thats an understatement. Safety isn't primary, nor is OLB or RB. Guard OTOH is arguably the least important position on the field. Guards simply don't move the needle, the difference between average and great is negligible when it comes to winning games. Colledge manned LG last year, Incognito and Garner before him. The last good LG in Miami was Justin Smiley, a big FA acquisition who most would say wasn't really worth the expenditure. Your last statement is correct. It is widely accepted that Thomas was bad at LG last year, mainly bc most people have never bothered to watch and see. Turn on the Buffalo, KC, Oakland, Jax tape. Otherwise you're blindly following the narrative.
Yes, I have mentioned Thomas' game at LG. It is serviceable...several times we have had OL here in Miami that were either played out of position or did not get an honest chance to make the squad..guys like Wade Smith and Evan Mathes, Donald Thomas and several others, so before we go jettisoning anyone out of town, let's put guys at their natural position and get the starting five together to start gelling together so they can be a cohesive unit that plays off each other, that keeps each other's mind in the game, and they work together to give us a pretty good line this year. I do not understand those that complain that we waited all the way to the 3rd and fourth rounds to draft linemen. What, so where do those that feel this way think most teams get their starting five? Most linemen in the league are from later rounds....usually except for LT. Now, again, we have 3....count them.....3 1st round picks on our line and all 3 are at the most important positions which is LT,C,RT and we have at the moment 2 3rd rounders and a fourth rounder vying for the starting job at the Guard positions. I feel strongly that we will have a pretty decent OL this year because hopefully they all will play in position and our guards will have help from our veterans if needed. I want to watch this kid Dionte Savage, the guard from Oklahoma that is 6'4" 343 lbs....I want to see if he has any quickness at all. If he does not get to play this year I am hoping that we develop him...He could be an Rhinoceros on the line giving Dareus,and Williams x 2 as well as snacks, Wilkerson,Richardson,Williams also fits with the aggressiveness of our line. Faith, Gentlemen and Optimism.
Pate, WADR, Thomas' play at LG was not that bad..He gave up no sacks when playing his natural position last year.
I have watched them, and I would say that your standards are inappropriate both in what you consider to be adequate performances, and that the idea of him having a couple(two? three?) OK games at Guard while having at best an equal number of absolutely atrocious ones is OK. Dallas Thomas as a starter at Guard is a serious detriment to your game-plan week in and week out even if he's giving you **** games half as often as he did last year. It's a bad measure. The worst guard in the league can have a two or three game stretch without giving up a sack pretty easily.
If he has to play LG, we will be OK but I think that Jamil will win the LG job..hopefully no one complains about this kid before he gets the chance to play.
I'm surely not gonna make any predictions until 3rd preseason game..Douglas needs to strap it up in the NFL.
I would rather have above average, not great, players who are attracted to the team by the other above avg players who have a coach who is above avg that they respect and come to win a championship. Because they are above avg they understand that getting a 6/7 yr contract for 100+ million is virtually impossible. They understand that to get that fat ring this is how it is done and buy into the philosophy http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000499554/nfl-coach-power-rankings Not the AFC East championship mind you but - I am talking about the super-bowl. Nothing special. Just above average across the board. Above avg 2nd coaches, above avg trainers, above avg freaking water boy for all that matters - I 'd settle for that -------------------------------oh wait that's the New England Patriots
You should just wish for the a topless Tooth Fairy to to appear in your pool while riding the Loch Ness Monster who is eating a Yeti, because what you want doesn't exist either.
If it's not too much trouble would you mind sharing with us which games you thought Thomas was atrocious at OG in?
You know what? Everyone keeps talking about how Dallas invested heavily on OL and how it all paid off last season, this might be the homer in me talking, but maybe the OL will surprise us and actually play on pretty a high level. We already have 3 1st round picks as starters plus two 3rd rounders and one 4th rounder fighting for two of the remaining spots. That's a lot of resources to spend on an OL, and it just might pay off this season, much like it did for the Cowboys. If Albert comes back 100% healthy and everyone sticks to a position, no shuffling of players and the OL gels throughout training camp, we might have a heck of an OL when it's all said and done.
