I imagine he'll start at LG ahead of Incognito in what might amount to just getting a cheaper player with a higher ceiling, he played there his senior year very well and i can't see them throwing him to the wolves at LT as a rookie. People are underestimating Lance Louis; for me he's our starting RG at the moment, he was the only positive on the Bears line last season and they were sad to see him go. That leaves our line from left to right as Martin, Thomas, Pouncey, Louis, Jerry. With maybe Albert or Winston too add i don't see it as being that horrible.
Not sure he will play guard, we already have both starters from last year, the backup, and sign the bears best lineman who is also a guard. Remember, green bay likes playing those tweener haired at tackle.
Some folks will say that of the UM Canes too. Regarding Thomas I think we should be gratified that he held his own against All World DE Clowney .I am not looking at stats but I believe he did not allow any sacks when playing against him.
I wonder if Miami's going to have a litany of June 1st cuts to help save cap space. Guys with relatively high cap numbers are: Davone Bess, Richie Incognito, Richard Marshall, Dmitri Patterson, and Dan Carpenter. Coincidentally, Miami has already traded Bess, drafted a LG, and two CBs, and we know they have expressed interest in kickers Caleb Sturgis and Dustin Hopkins. Just some food for thought. I'd keep Richie Incognito around as a "just in case" starter at RG. I think Lance Louis fits what Miami wants to do better, but you have to remember he's coming off an ACL tear. I think one of the two between Marshall and Patterson is a goner.
Expect to have some discomfort as the team drafts players who are other than sure things, develops them, and then puts them in the roles they were intended for and expects them to produce. They can't have a sure thing at every position.
Thomas looks VERY good at guard. He's a very good puller and gets to the next level to seal off blocks really well. He looked shaky at his time at tackle this year, when he played it a few snaps each game, this could be because he's not really practiced it and was just put there every now and again. Really like the pick though, very athletic lineman.
Left tackle isn't a position to be playing someone who isn't a sure thing. Not if you want to make the playoffs, anyway.
I guess the fact Philbin has stated that Thomas will start out at LT tells us all we need to know in regards to Martin being a LT in the NFL. It appears obvious that Martin is not viewed by this coaching staff as the long term answer at the LT position. With his very mediocre play at RT in 2012, you have to wonder how long it will be before he is replaced at that position. I don't see Martin as a long term answer at any position on this offensive line.
Ritchie is in the final year of his deal, John Jerry might be traded off during pre-season to a man blocking scheme and is not ideal at RG in this offense and Lance Louis is coming off an ACL and they are only counting on him to be depth right now. Honestly if I am Ireland I am on the phone trying to trade a pick in this draft and next year and land us Eugene Monroe. However, it is NOT the end of the world if Martin starts at LT. Martin's sacks/Qb hits were right in the MIDDLE of tackles. What did happen though is his lack of strength allowed him to be pushed back quicker which meant loads of hurries. If he gets stronger (and word is he's already looking stronger) and cuts down on those hurries in half....he'll be fine. But all this talk of Martin getting Tanny killed is pure myth and watching the Aldon Smith sack far too many times. I would like Eugene though because that would be getting ourselves a guaranteed top 8 LT who is just starting to hit his prime and then Martin plays RT and we would be Monroe/Thomas/Pouncey/Incognito/Martin. That'd be awesome to me.
Depends, a lot goes into that like learning far more complex NFL blocking schemes And he'll have Wake and Vernon lining up over him for reps in practice so we'll know pretty quickly what he has in tank.
To be fair, Dallas Thomas started 25 games at LT while at UT, then in 2012 started 12 games at LG. Starting at LG in college didn't prevent Albert from being a good LT for the Chiefs (Albert started his career at LT until Eugene Monroe arrived at VT, then Albert kicked inside).
All Philbin said was "we'll try him out at the left side". That coud be tackle or guard, we dont know.
As a rookie??? Thomas is going to start ahead of a Pro Bowl guard as a rookie? That is insane to even suggest.
Incognito is overrated to me, he's a decent pass blocking guard but he's nothing spectacular. This added to his relatively high cap number makes him an easy target for replacement, the new guy is younger, cheaper and can really play plus he has a higher ceiling than Richie who i think went to the pro bowl as an injury replacement.
Love this pick. Dude was tested his whole career in the sec and played pretty well. I think he can come in and start at guard immediately. J Martin really did beef up and i will withhold my opinion of him playing LT till i see the kid in preseason workouts. Everybody is worried about our oline but to be honest this is the most depth at the position we've had in a while.
don't think the FO is likely to Cogs .... they want to win this year. I expect Thomas to be a backup this year and take over in '14 when Cogs walks. now, if Thomas shows he's all world immediately -- then anything is possible, but seriously doubt that that is the plan. as far as 'talk' goes .... i'm sure they are going to say anything they can to 'motivate' Martin and get him to play at the level he is capable of - which I think he will this year. I am not worried about RT today, because there are multiple options (both long and short term) to address the shortfall -- and assume that IF we are looking, it is for a short term (no more than 2 years).
In that case, I will be fine with Dallas Thomas at left tackle, as long as you can arrange for Andrew Luck to be our starting QB.
I love this pick. A lot of people wanted Lane Johnson or Chance Warmack in the first round. I hated that idea. Everyone said this draft was deep in OL so I saw no reason to pick one in the 1st round. I love this. The Dolphins shored up their pass defense first and then got tackle with real potential in the 3rd round. Really stellar draft.
Dallas Thomas working out at the Left Tackle position today, but take it with a grain of salt, he can play both tackle and guard.
Here's just from one game, in pass pro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AhNmkkhLiU&feature=player_detailpage#t=46s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AhNmkkhLiU&feature=player_detailpage#t=156s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AhNmkkhLiU&feature=player_detailpage#t=199s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AhNmkkhLiU&feature=player_detailpage#t=309s And before anyone says anything, no I'm not showing the instances when he did adequately well in pass pro. Why? Because in the NFL guards are expected to do their job in pass pro literally about 97% of the time, on average. So the instances of getting beat are a lot more apropos than the instances of doing his job. Here's from the Missouri game... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO8Dud1hioM&feature=player_detailpage#t=6s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO8Dud1hioM&feature=player_detailpage#t=120s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO8Dud1hioM&feature=player_detailpage#t=151s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO8Dud1hioM&feature=player_detailpage#t=194s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO8Dud1hioM&feature=player_detailpage#t=395s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO8Dud1hioM&feature=player_detailpage#t=584s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO8Dud1hioM&feature=player_detailpage#t=595s
CB Derrick Thomas, Marshall (senior) RB De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon (junior) Virtually guaranteed one of them is a Dolphin in 2014
Actually what's funny about that is you could totally imagine them liking De'Anthony Thomas for many of the reasons they loved Tavon Austin.
Haha! Relax CK, I don't think the plan is to start him there, think they're just examining him. He's barely even practicing.
Who has decided he cannot play LG very well? I thought I read he allowed no sacks the past two seasons. Was that not true? As a junior at LT, he pitched a shutout against Ingram and Clowney in the sack dept.
I keep trying to find things wrong with him and all I keep doing is coming away with is that he is fundamentally sound..
Sounds like some professionals disagree with you: Summary: There is some debate about the position that Thomas should play in the NFL. Some view him as a potential tackle while others view him as a guard. Thomas played well as both a tackle and guard at Tennessee, which just fuels the debate. Unfortunately, Thomas had to leave the Senior Bowl early so no answers were provided in Mobile. Thomas was the left tackle protecting Tyler Bray's blind side during the 2011 season. The Volunteers allowed just 18 sacks (1.5 per game), the third lowest total in the SEC. Overall, Thomas played well on the edge. Tennessee moved Thomas to left guard for 2012, and he was even better as a senior. His pass protection for Bray was rock solid while being an effective ground blocker. Thomas played well against Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi State. He had some good battles against Georgia and massive defensive tackle John Jenkins. Thomas best skill for the NFL is his pass protection. He is very agile to handle speed-rushers yet has the strength to anchor against big bull-rushers. Thomas will appeal to a lot of teams in the passing-obsessed NFL that are looking for an interior lineman who can maintain a clean pocket. Thomas is also a reliable blocker in the ground game who consistently wins at the point of attack. He is very good at pulling and getting to the second level. His' quickness and athleticism should have a real appeal to zone-blocking teams. Thomas could use another 10-15 pounds of bulk for the next level to move linemen in the ground game. He has the frame to add the weight, and it shouldn't be a problem after he gets in a NFL strength and conditioning program. After watching Tennessee in a number of games, left guard looks like Thomas' best position for the NFL given his body type. He doesn't really have the arm length or height to be a left tackle at the next level. However, Thomas experience at left tackle could be valuable on game day if an injury takes down the starting left tackle. He looks like a quick starter at guard in the NFL. Thomas looks like a secure second-round pick, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility that he could get late first-round consideration.