http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-dophins-0218-20140217,0,7464151.story If Hickey manages to give the Dolphins a competent starting O-Line for the first time since the days of Richmond Webb/Kieth Sims, with that act alone he will buy himself years of goodwill from fans.
Exciting. I'm watching NFL Live right now and I'm getting kind of giddy for the combine, FA, the draft. I would love for us to get a solid LT locked up before the draft even if it costs a bit; rather have a proven commodity than trust the draft.
I like the RB we had that year, too. You didn't like Long-Smiley-Grove-Thomas-Carey? I'd say they were "competent".
I know. I really liked Long, Smiley, Satele, Thomas, & Carey. Long, Smiley, Grove, Thomas, & Carey in 2009 wasn't bad either. I think Andy Alleman got some snaps in 2008 at G/C too. Really wish we hadn't let Evan Mathis go the previous year.
I had the same recollection, but looking back it doesn't stand up so well. Ricky was brilliant and Fielder was tough and had good pocket presence, as bad as his arm and decision making. Look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ej-51fHvhE There's a lot of blown blocks that Ricky avoids, and even in a small amount of non-screen pass plays Fiedler takes some massive hits.
You can easily spend $30 million rebuilding 4 out of 5 of your OL positions, considering you need to keep about $6 million of that $30 million in your back pocket for the draft and for in-season emergencies. The Dolphins can and probably will structure the contracts to where the immediate cap figures are lower I'm sure...so they can make that $30 million go far at the expense of future cap space. But that's dicey. Personally I like to take the longer view and look at the average compensation of the contract, and then stay within those lines. It's a more sound long term strategy.
I thought from the second half of 2008 through 2009 the Dolphins had a good offensive line. That was the best I can remember feeling about the Dolphins offensive line.
And fit they style that the Coaching staff wanted to implement. That's the key IMO. We don't need a bunch of high priced Olinemen, we just need guys who fit what Philbin & co are trying to do.
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/07/greg-bedard-weekend-notes-dennis-hickey-miami-dolphins/ In Tampa, Hickey and Dominik worked hard to get the team on a pay-as-you-go salary cap system, meaning the team gives big base salaries instead of large signing bonuses. That gives the team freedom to cut players who don’t work out without being subjected to the accelerated cap hits that come with signing bonuses. The Dolphins’ salary cap, managed by executive vice president Dawn Aponte, is a mixture of both approaches and has left Hickey with more than $30 million in cap room as he builds the team for 2014. “Just sitting down and talking to her about the short and long term, I’m excited where we are,” Hickey said. “We have a lot of flexibility to make the decisions.” Something from the mmqb about Hickey/Dominick cap philosophy.
Question, will Deangelo Hall's new 4 year deal ( he is also 30) give an idea what Grimes is going to cost, w/o having to franchise him?
I am sorry .Our OL has been so bad that even our mediocre ones look good in comparison.The 2002 bunch was decent and got Ricky the rushing title but IMO we have not had a good OL since the Marino days.
As far as left tackle goes, I think Eugene Monroe has to be the first call you make, right? If not him I'd go with Anthony Collins. At the very least he's been a RT in the past and beats the pants off Nate Garner as a swing tackle, even if you're overpaying for one. But I think he could get the job done at left tackle.
The 2009 line was pretty well dominant. Pretty much everyone but the Right Guard was playing at a high level, including guys like Fasano and Polite. Not only that, but they didn't miss a whole hell of a lot even when Smiley and Grove both went down, Garner and Berger played almost up to the same level. Stuff like the Panthers(?) game when they had to teach Nate Garner how to snap because they were out of Centers, and were very close to putting a defensive linemen out there was also real impressive.
Can't really comment further on Monroe than the games he played against Cincinnati last year; he held Michael Johnson at bay from what I remember. Collins has been a bit of a project for Cincinnati. He's been their swing tackle for the last few years. I do recall him playing RT quite a bit in 2011 when Andre Smith was out. I think he may have played there some in 2012 for a game or two as well. He's not a powerful run-blocker, more finesse for sure. At the end of last year Clint Boling, the Bengals regular LG got hurt and they didn't have much depth as Mike Pollak was already filling in for Kevin Zeitler, their RG who was injured at the time. So, they bumped Whitworth inside and stuck Anthony Collins at LT. I think that may have been a week or two before Miami and Cincinnati played. Collins didn't relinquish the LT spot the rest of the season except for one game when he had a minor injury (week 17, I think...). Pretty good mirror-and-slide pass protector who is somewhat athletic. I think he'd be closer to what Joe Philbin has in mind than both Jonathan Martin and Bryant McKinnie were last year.
Agreed. I think people have way overrated other lines. Never liked Ruddy (he often was blown up). Carey has often been over-rated by fans (many debates about him). He was soft. And, while the line play was decent in 2009/10 - it was anything but dominant. Dominant lines were Denver in 97-98; Baltimore in 2000; the Steelers off and on until around 2010; the Giants of the late 80's and early 90's. Cowboys of the early 90's. Miami, frankly has not had a dominant O-line since the 70's. I really loved Webb and Sims and had we not lost Dwight Stephenson to a terrible play by Marty Lyons, we might have had another 7-8 years of great center play with those guys. But, our run-blocking was suspect in those days - esp. on the right side. A great or "dominant "OL is one that can say to just about any defense, "Here's what's coming boys, see if you can stop us." Have to go back to the Kooch/Langer/Little days for that.
Don Thomas played only one game in 2008. Mathis was signed and later let go in 2008, not the previous year.
I think it's exciting, Pouncey was the only guy I trusted movement wise anyways.. Get rid of them all, cut some players and restructure some others, also, if anyone isn't committed to the cause and wants to leave, thepn look for a trade or release of those players, if I was Ross I would call in all players to the office and ask questions. Basically a start over in that sense...clear as much cap as possible..get as many draft picks as possible.
Even the Marino OL had it's weaknesses and was mostly a pass blocking OL. The reason I liked 2002 was that there was particularly no brutal weaknesses. It was a blue collar lunch bucket OL that didn't do anything amazingly well (except Nails run blocking)...but they didn't suck in any category. Oh and Jamie Nails had perhaps the finest season at guard that we have seen in decades. A 350lb'er making blocks 35 yards down field for Williams.
Without looking up PFF or anything like that, I'd imagine his run-blocking is probably average/below average. I'd wager it's better than what Jonathan Martin or Bryant McKinnie gave Miami last year. He's a pass-blocker.
No doubt.We have to go back to the glory days 71 to 74 to find the most balanced and most complete OL.
Not really. Hall's contract is said to be worth 5 mill a season. That was the prove it contract that Grimes signed last year. Now that he's reclaimed his status a top corner in this league, I'm thinking 8-9 million a season is where he wants to go.
PFF rated Collins at -2.3 run blocking which was still better than any of our 3 main OTs last season.
well that's typical for you. You were "Mediocre Jeffy's" mouthpiece for years. You would be satisfied with "competent" instead of GREAT and DOMINATING.
Missed this the first time. Nope was never a fan. The injuries ruin it. Thomas was gone one game into 2008. Grove only ever started 10 games for us in 2009 and never played again and Smiley also only started 12 games each season spent one final year in Jacksonville and got finished there. That lineup barely ever played together. Only guys to pass 1000 snaps that season was our tackles Vernon Carey and Jake Long (original draftees...hmmm. Says something about FA). To put that in perspective 36 tackles, 29 guards and 22 centers achieved that this past season.
So sad. So good. I remember a SI article about a stud DL who was taken early in the draft. I think out of OU; Cassillas or something? He was up against some old vet in training camp, decided to take it easy on him. Of course the vet owned him. What stood out was he told the rookie to get used to it and that Dwight would snap the ball and have his hands on him before he got out of his stance. Awesome.
