Dolphins guard Brandon Frye making most of opportunity

Perhaps this year's diamond in the rough?
We will have to see.

Would be really refreshing to be in a position where Donald Thomas had to come in and actually earn his starting role back

 

All we know now is someone will win this competition. I hope it's for being really good as opposed to less bad than the rest....

It does appear that he is distancing himself from the pack, and he comes off well in his interviews, so I think he's a smart kid. Kind of a Kurt Warner start here: One day not really on the team, next day he's battling for a starting spot due to an injury, and making the most of it. I hope he keeps it going.

 

i think we can afford to put him at G, because Gardner is going to end up as the #1 T back-up .... and send Carey packing next year (hopefully, bringing us a 2nd rd pick in the process -- depending on his play this year)

i see Gardner and Long as our Ts for a good long time ...

 

Why do we want to send Carey packing next year? We just locked him down for the next 5 years. For a FO who so highly values OL I don't see them looking to trade Carey.
Myself I see Long and Carey as our tackles for the next several years.

 

Uh What?

Do you know what we just agreed to pay this man, and now you wish to trade him? He had the opportunity to become a free agent, and signed a deal.

 

It's difficult to say much based on OTA's, Frye looks like the guy now, once the pads come on he'll have to remain the guy.

 

lot of talent on the bench:
Murphy, Joe Berger, Ndukwwe, Quinn, Alleman, Garner & Frye (all potential replacements)
and Donald Thomas (according to a recent statement by Ireland) is expected to return by the beginning of training camp
what's not to like?
the Orca-5 (however they wind up) will eat defense alive
I guarantee it!

 

I hope they all play well and as good as we all hope. It will give us the most offensive line depth we have had in a long, long time. Remember when we dumped all, or most of the offensive line twice?

 

we signed vernon because he is still relatively young - and he came reasonably cheap. all in all - it was, and remains a good deal. i don't dislike him - i just have a belief that Gardner is going to be very good -- and he is cheap, and you could trade Vernon and get something respectable back for him.

if you think that if he plays at the same level he played at last year - he will still be here next year ... i think that wrong.

IF he plays really well ... then, of course, he'll still be here. i just don't think he'll be all that much better than last year - unless there is some hidden explanation, such as he was hurt. the weak RG play is not an excuse for him.

 

I would really rather not trade Carey. Stability on the line is very important. I like the idea of Carey and Long playing together another year. If we can shore up the interior we'll have an awesome running game this year. I read somewhere that both Carey and Long were ranked in the top 12 of tackles, giving miami the only team with 2 tackles in the top ranking. Let's not mess that up.

 

Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this.
IMO Vernon Carey played very well last year. Especially considering he was readjusting to RT and adjusting to a different line blocking scheme. Additionally I do think it's fair to say his play was affected by problems with the interior OL.
IMO he'll be here unless his play falls off significantly from last year.
As to Gardner, I agree; I think he can be really good. But why would we get rid of Carey just because Gardner turns into a good OT? We need quality starters as well as quality back ups, don't we? If neither is a salary cap burden I would think it would be prudent to keep both.
On the other hand, if Gardner progresses and starts to shine as an OT, why not trade him instead? If he starts to get noticed as a guy who can start at LT, trading him would present the better value. We drafted him in the 6th round. But quality LTs are a premium and could get us a first day pick. That to me is value.

 

Long-Smiley-Grove-Thomas-Carey
the Orca-5 will eat defense alive

I believe by the end of the 2009 season our Offensive Line will be recognized as one of the best in the NFL & is destined to enter the books with the likes of the RedSkin's infamous Hogs because:

1) we have the best set of BookEnds in the NFL: Long & Carey
2) we acquired a top-tier NFL veteran Center during the off season upgrading signifigantly the position
3) we have two outstanding guards & excellent back-up depth for 2009
4) Coaching & development:

(A) Bill Parcells is the power House of the trenches. wherever he has established a team, he has assembled powerful Offensive & Defensive Lines.

(B) Our Head Coach is an Offensive Line Coach. He made his bones @ both the university level & in the NFL as a premier Offensive Lines Coach. Tony knows the Offensive line.

(C) The firing of Maser & hiring of Guglielmo. Coach G. was the Assistant Lines Coach for what is arguably the top Offensive Line in the NFL, the NYGiants. They will be coached up exceeding all expectation.

(D) there exists a template to build upon: 1. size & strength 2. character (they like leaders, especially team captains) 3. history: they trace them from their HS days playing football. 4. Consistency, love of game, team players that buy into a system & a willingness to work hard & through injuries.

(E) the front line has been assembled after diligent research. the home work was done. the Orca-5 have earned the stamp of approval of the Trifecta. Both Ireland & Sparano talk with great enthusiasm about what the Orca-5 will present to the league in 2009. With the obvious support of the Silent One behind it all.


Where's the problem?

 

Quick question, if Thomas was a rookie last year and he was hurt first game, how do we know he is really good? Im not saying he isn't I just don't know much about him and really he's only played in 1 game right?

This is an honest question, not trying to say Thomas is a bad player. Just trying to get more information on him, maybe you guys could share some.

 

maybe Thomas is not the starting Right Guard
I think he's a fit, but he's got to be fit first
things can only be resolved on the playing field
however
what I am sure about are the other four ProvenBulls & the depth of the offensive line
coupled with premier coaching talent will give us the front we need to dominate defenses


according to a statement made by Ireland recently in an interview: he expects Thomas to return to the team by training camp.

 

No its a good question. All we really can go by is what the coaches and other players said about Thomas. Plus what little we were able to see in pre season. Coach Sparano and co. all raved about him. The defensive players talked about how he played "heavy"; as in good center of gravity and hard to push around.

 

you are correct, the jury on Thomas is still 'hung' as it were ... as the body of work is minimal at best. all we have to go on is the impression he made during camp last year.

regardless, if Frye starts off the year and Thomas heals -- the worst thing it does is shore up solid depth at the G position.

personally, i hold Thomas in as high a regard as i do Gardner at T ... i think we have 3 very talented young OL in Long, Thomas, and Gardner ... and if Frye can add his name to the mix -- that much the better !

back to the Gardner question, he won't be able to truly push Vernon until next year ... so he won't have any 'starts' to justify getting any value in trading him ... Vernon will have been a starter since drafting him and will have played both L and RT - so his value would be much better on the market next year ... and we could save $$$$ against the CAP by trading him ... again - much speculation, as we have barely seen Gardner play -- and time will tell, as it always does .....

 

The whole Gardner thing is moot at this point, he needs at least a year to build up his body & strength to NFL levels, then we see what he does in competition in 2010 TC, so really it is way too early to even speculate. especially when we've just resigned Carey for 5 years.

we need stability on the OL, I really want to see Frye or Thomas step up and solidify the RG position in TC. Then the whole OL needs to stay healthy next season so they get 19 games of playing together. (that's right, 19 or even 20? I'm thinking BIG, like SB )

 

and that is exactly what will happen, Friend PhinRock:
Long-Smiley-Grove-Thomas/Frye-Carey
the Orca-5 will eat defense alive