Can we keep Hillard on our roster? I liked what I saw in the second pre-season game. Can he do more to make it on the roster, or could we possibly sneak him on the practice squad? I don't think he can make it to the practice squad again after what he has shown in pre-season. Looking for thoughts as to what we may do with him.
Sure hope so. I like Cobbs, but I think Lex is a stronger runner, and he showed some real promise. If either Ronnie or Ricky were to leave next year, I think Lex would be a better #2 than Cobbs. PC is the swiss army knife back there, does it all, but as a pure runner, I like Lex.
I think if he is on our PS he is as good as gone. I also think that we may find room at maybe the WR spot or CB spot.. especially since we seem to have a plethora of them and not nearly as many are coming up as FA (i know ronnie is.. isn't ricky?)
I would like to find some way to keep him. We play some very good teams this year, and you can never have enough good backs to wear down a defense.
i personally think as mentioned before ernest will be gone before lex, same with london and armstrong/williams, I like williams but if they want ginn to stay wr and not return punts/kicks they should keep williams, if they ditch williams they should let ginn return punts/kicks, bess or nobody else we have cuts it, ginn is a top return guy, what they are doing with ginn looks much the same as hester, such a waste, if it's not broke, don't fix it. Ginn is a weapon we dont use that we have, makes no sense.
QB: Pennington, Henne, White RB: Brown, Ricky, Cobbs, Lex FB: Polite WR: Ginn, Bess, Camarillo, Turner, Hartline, London TE: Fasano, Martin, Nalbone OL: Long Gardner, Smiley Alleman, Grove Berger, Thomas Murphy, Carey DE: Langford, Mcdaniel DE: Starks, Merling, Dotson DT: Ferguson, Soliai OLB: JT, Anderson, MLB: Crowder,Akin, Torbor OLB: Porter, Wake, Moses CB: Allen, Smith, Davis, Jones, Allen FS: Wilson, Clemons SS: Bell, Culver K: Carpenter P: Fields LS: John Denney Roth goes PUP or IR or London gets Axed Think he sticks, Check out my roster and tell me what you think?
Pate's right, 5 OBs is something we have done before and not all that uncommon around the league. I say keep just 5 WRs and 8 OL. Alleman isn't anything special. Keep 8 DL like we did last year. Wright is more valuable than the 9th OL. Keep one more LB too since they are usually heavily used on special teams. IF we do keep 9 OL, IMO Garner, Ndukwe and Frye are more likely than Alleman. 2 interior reserves, Berger and Murphy, are plenty. The 9th guy you want someone who can play T or G. We never activate more than 8 OL on game day. We could carry 2-3 OL prospects on the PS, like Lewis and perhaps Garner.
Its really interesting being in this position again with this team. We are all so used to having to hang onto every talent that we can because our roster was so dry of young talent. I think it makes it so much harder for the lot of us to be like well that guy is a good runningback, but were going to have to put him on the PS or let him go. Its nice having so much talent that you have to let some go, but then again, its hard doing that when 2 years ago you went 1-15
One thing is for sure, teams will be more likely to keep an eye on Miami's PS than they have in years past. They will also be watching the Dolphin's cuts closely. Success makes it difficult to hide or stash promising players, so you better be willing and ready to lose whatever players you try to hide.
I agree. Cobbs is in his perfect role. Hilliard really has impressed me, but I still think Ricky is better right now, and yes I am thinking Super Bowl. I think we have to make room for Hilliard.... but don't know how. I'd consider playing him at FB this year if we had to since our FB's are unimpressive IMO and we really don't use the I formation all that much. We could use a TE to do all the same things our FB's do blocking.
It's been explained several times how to keep Hilliard. 5 OBs isn't anything uncommon around the league. We keep 8 OL, 5 WR, 3 TE and it is taken care of.
Exactly. Carrying five running backs / fullbacks is not uncommon. Here are the numbers you typically see on a team running a 34 defense. 3 QB 4-5 RB/FB (usually 5) 5 WR 3 TE 8-9 OL 2 NT 4-6 DE (usually 5) 4-5 ILB 4-5 OLB 5 CB 4 S 3 Special Teams (kicker, punter, and long snapper) Here's another way to look at it. You've got 11 starters on offense and 11 starters on defense. That's 22 total. Then you need backups for all of your defensive starters. That brings you to 33. Then you've got your 3 special teams players. That brings you to 36. Every team carries a backup QB, RB, TE, and two backup wideouts. Those 5 players bring you to 41. Throw in the third QB, RB, and TE that every team carries and you've got 44. Add the fifth cornerback and wideout that every team carries and now you've got 46. That leaves 7 spots. Here's where it gets tricky. You don't necessarily carry a backup for all 5 offensive linemen. At most you'll carry 4 and often only 3. Carry 3 backup offensive linemen and that leaves 4 spots: Backup FB 1 or 2 extra linebackers 1 or 2 extra defensive ends Carry 4 backup offensive linemen and that leaves 3 spots: Backup FB Extra LB Extra DE You don't necessarily carry a backup fullback either. Why? I don't know. Its the only position on the whole team that doesn't always get backed up. Even on the offensive line you're going to have at least a backup tackle, guard and center which would account for all the positions if not all the players. So you're often comparing apples to oranges when it comes down to those last 3-4 spots. Do you keep the promising young RB/FB or the veteran defensive end who hasn't fulfilled their potential yet? Do you keep extra depth at LB, DE, or OL? Often special teams will help make this decision for you but not always. In our case it will be something like this: Lex Hilliard or Rod Wright? Charlie Anderson or Nate Garner? Erik Walden or Brandon Frye? J.D. Folsom or Mark Lewis?
Another less long-winded way of saying all that is there are always 3 or 4 positions (not players) on the bubble. In my experience talent always wins out.
Miami knows who will be able to make it to the PS. If not they will be on the phones making trades like today.
Thanks, very helpful explanation. Re your question, I know FB is the worst-paid position in football -- so maybe the least important. Maybe that's why teams often carry just one?
We must find a way to keep T-Lex on the 53 man roster. JMHO but he is way too talented and huge upside. Gotta keep T-Lex!
The long snapper is in for extra points, field goals, and punts. Do you really want JT covering punts? Plus Denney is a very good special teams player. He covers kickoffs as well. Any roster spot you would free up would be for a special teams player.
Absolutely awful idea. He has not long snapped regularly ever in the NFL, and now 13 yrs out of college, he is going to just magically become a viable and competent NFL quality long snapper?? You got hold of some good ganja for yourself I guess and took to some regular bong hits after watching Jungle Julia in Death Proof?