Jake Long can't handle speed rushers in this league. We see it every week. He has to cheat on them and still gets burned. Easy to see. If I'm wrong I would love to see proof. He has no control. Speed is an issue with his hips and feet. No brainer.
Right, but I'm not trying to pin the play on Long. I'm saying either he misunderstood his assignment which would be on him or someone made a terrible line call which wouldn't be his fault at all. My only point is that it's ridiculous to have Jake doubling a DT on a pass play because there is no blitzer while DT tries to block Freeney. The whole play was a disaster. That entire play aside I still wouldnt resign Jake if he wants a mega deal. The position just doesn't warrant it IMO.
My thoughts exactly. We can pay someone $ 4-5 million a year for the same production he is giving and then wanting $ 10 million + a year. If Ireland resigns him to some ridiculous amount look for people to start calling for his head once again.
It's literally his job. He plays against speed rushers every week. You're fundamentally saying Jake Long is not a good player. Not that he's overrated, not that he's not playing up to his full level. There's been basically 3-4 games in Jake Long's career that he's "lost" a battle against an opposing player. This week, vs. John Abraham in 2009, and Julius Peppers in 2010. If you can name more, feel free. What exactly do you want me to back it up with? Did you know Pro Football Focus right now(Without this game, of course) has Jake Long as their 4th best tackle this year in Pass Blocking efficiency? That he's got a well above average grade? That they've got him as giving up 2 sacks, 3 hits, and 3 pressures on the entire year? There have been multiple tackles in the NFL this year who have done that in a single games. Jake Long isn't playing up to his standards. But there's no justification for the idea he is playing poorly.
People are going to post dumb **** about Jeff Ireland pretty much no matter what. Even if Jake Long ends up falling off a cliff and giving up 10 sacks this year, franchising him is still likely a good decision. The Dolphins aren't going to spend big money on outside free agents. Philbin's said it, and Ireland did it this off-season. They're going to re-sign their own guys, and you don't let a player like Jake Long walk for a single "pretty good" year if you're in a position to further evaluate him.
Long has not looked like himself since being injured and playing through it under Sparano. He's not dominant at this point. That said, he's still an above avg. LT without question and the least of the issues on the OL. They may very well look at outside possibilities to replace him but it's not going to be a no brainer decision like some seem to be insinuating it should be. Even at the level he's playing at now I don't think it's simple to find that level of play out there in FA.
True but if he wants to be paid as the top LT in the league as reported even after this season....I'm sorry but I'll accept average play for an average contract to replace him.
Well, they need to have that conversation with him no doubt. If he balks then were having a different discussion.
He had a rough start to 2011, but he was playing at his normal form about 1/3rd of the way through I think.
But this is the quandry Ireland will be in and has to make this call. Is this a trend with Long or is he really on the way down ? It's a call that could cost Ireland his job. He cannot afford to make a mistake with a contract of the the size Long will try to command. If Ireland does, then it cripples this team for at least one or two more years.
Sorry, but I'm not paying $15-17 million next season for what I'm seeing this season. Misallocation of funds IMHO. - sent from my Android device via Tapatalk -
Yes, There are players giving that up, they are not being paid his kind of money, what LT is being paid that kind of money and being paid for that performance? None
Why wouldn't he be playing up to his standard?, he's a free agent at the end of the year, maybe he doesn't Want to play the rest of his career here, idk.
The idea that Jake Long is a failed draft pick is absurd. We have got fantastic production from that pick. Injuries have taken a toll on him as of late, but to get multiple years of him being the best at his position is very much a successful pick.
I don't think that's realistically what Long would end up being paid next season, and probably not at any point during his deal. He's making 11.2 million this year, and it's the highest cap hit this year for an offensive tackle and in line with I think the final years of all the other big recent signings as far as I know. Franchising Jake Long next year I believe will be cheaper than his contract this year, last year, or the year before. It's a pretty easy choice as far as I'm concerned.
This was by far the worst game of his career. If he Is still banged up, goin on 2 seasons banged up, he needs to get himself well or it won't be worth competing with a Bills or Redskins in resigning him.
My argument is that Long isn't the same dominant player he was earlier in his career. I have no problem with the Dolphins signing him to another contract if he is willing to sign for a reasonable salary. I just don't think his play over the past two years warrants them paying him the money he would make as their franchise player or as one of the top LT's now in the game. I also disagree that Long has been better than an average pass blocker this season. It certainly seems to me that he has allowed more sacks and QB pressures this season than he did earlier in his career. I like Long and would love to see him step up his play over the next eight games and show that he is still one of the top LT's in the NFL. I am merely stating what I have seen from his play so far this season. I understand you disagree and I certainly respect your opinion.
Ah yeah, so it's 120% of his contract the previous year, I forgot about it. I still think it's a pretty easy decision to make.
For once we agree. It's a very easy decision to not give a regressing player a $13 million dollar contract.
No, you actually put in the effort to make sure he's regressing, rather than getting riled up over a single game. You don't let Jake Long walk based on the evidence you think you have, much less what you actually have. The cost isn't all that relevant. We're probably not going to be spending that elsewhere.
Don't have to make the decision today... we have until the beginning of March next year. 8 games left. and maybe more after that.
Do you honestly think this was just a one game regression on his part. From my observation, Long really hasn't been a pro bowl level LT since he was injured a few years ago. Paying him thirteen million dollars next year would be absolutely ridiculous. He is worth maybe four or five million dollars but, there are so many other needs that can be filled with the extra eight or nine million dollars, if they don't franchise him. The Colts LT outplayed Long today and I don't even know who he is. I just know that he didn't allow the sacks or the pressure that Long did on Tannehill.
Yes. He hasn't been elite this year, but he's still been pretty good up until this game. I don't think your timeline makes a lot of sense either. He was first injured in 2010. That was probably his best career season. He had a rough September in 2011, but he played up to his standards after that. I think you're barking up the wrong tree with the idea that not signing Jake Long means they will spend money on another outside free agent.
Not even remotely true and you know it. Though you're probably being sarcastic and I'm too stupid to have figured that out. Jake Long has been terrible for 2 years now. He's suffered several injuries. I'd say those injuries have a lot to do with it. There's just no reason to give him a big contract. He's injury prone, and quite frankly, just not very good anymore. Money is better spent elsewhere unless he takes a serious paycut.
Smith always plays well against poor QB's. It comes as no surprise that literally every time we've played a good QB, he along with the rest of the secondary gets absolutely roasted. Not to mention the several hundred dropped picks from Smith. Our secondary padding stats vs bad QB's is a common theme for several years now. Good riddance to Sean Smith is he asks for top 10 CB money. Even top 15 CB money is pushing it.
Not that I'm advocating it, but if they did, I think the only one worth that would be Mike Wallace. I still think Long gets franchised.
Sean Smith just about single handedly killed us today. He was often out of position, was slow to make decisions , missed several key tackles, played way to far off of Indy's receivers and should have had a pick on the touchdown to Wayne. He was totally out of position and had coverage over the top. Was an easy pick, but this is the Miami Dolphins we are talking about. Things like that just seem to happen. Next week he will play decent and we will all once again forget. Jake Long was also horrible today.
Especially for not being a dominant difference maker and not really showing signs to expect that to change , imho.
More to do with Tannehill than Long I would say. Its a different offense for Long, I would wait to see what he does the last 8 games before I jump of the Long train, but he has not been stellar at all so far.
Typical post loss stuff..... lets get rid of one of our best players, and who cares about the void we'd create, or who would replace him. Yup. Losing sucks. Just like Dansby, Misi, Jerry,Clemons,Jones, Thomas..... They all supposedly should have been cut at some point or other.
so this is The official do not re-sign Jake Long thread. I just want to make sure before i post in here that this is in fact the official one. Don't want to post in the cheap knockoff Do not re-sign Jake long thread
This thread was actually made about half way through the game when the result was still in doubt, so you're 100% wrong. I'm assuming you didn't read it or you wouldn't have made such a misguided post. If Long wants to sign for a salary more in line with his level of play over the past season and a half then I'm open to re-signing him. But I don't feel that he or his agent will take less money to stay in Miami when some team out there will certainly give him the $10 million a year contract he's looking for. We're looking at the prospect of him taking up ~11% of our salary cap next year if franchised and ~9% if signed to a long term contract. He's simply not worth that based on his level of play. So tell me how it's better to give a huge contract to a guy who's salary demands will undoubtedly out weigh his level of play (a practice that has been plaguing us for years and keeping us in the bottom half of the league) than it is to part ways with someone who's underperforming relative to their pay grade.
Honestly, Smith has shown some ability while Long has continuously been beaten this year. As was said before, the decision doesnt have to be now but if we pass on Long we could resign everyone else and make a splash for a playmaker. Right now the only way Long should get resigned is if he takes a pay cut.
I still haven't decided where I stand on this issue. It's certainly worth discussing, however. Assuming Jake Long asks for around what Thomas got. Let's say even less: 7 years 80 million. Is this worth it? Looking around the roster, the Miami Dolphins don't really have too many players overpaid for their respective play. Karlos Dansby may be overpaid for his production. Maybe Reggie Bush this season has not produced his 5 million per year as a RB Soliai plays up to his contract. I'd even say Burnett does as well. Cam Wake, OTOH out produces his contract. So does Randy Starks, Tannehill, Bess, Hartline. Will Jake Long ever be a guy that we say out produces his contract? Or will he always be on the list of guys that doesn't produce up to what he is paid? Having too many bad contracts and players that don't produce up to what they are paid get you a Buffalo Bills or New York Jets roster. Ireland has done a good job in this respect.
As I said in the game thread, while its a good thing were not going to have to pay 15 million a year to resign Long, the bad news is were not getting the Jake Long that's worth 15 mil either. I'm not against picking him up next year like OP but there's no way he's played at a franchise tag level.