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At What Point Do We Try Some Other O-Linemen?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by ExplosionsInDaSky, Oct 2, 2013.

  1. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

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    First off I am all for benching John Jerry at this point, he is simply not getting it done.
    Jonathan Martin is getting beat like a dog every other play as well.
    Tyson Clabo is struggling with power rushers, and his run blocking has been suspect at best.

    Mike Pouncey and Richie I are the only ones really playing like Bulldogs right now. I single them out as the only guys playing with any balls on that O-line. I think the main problem is the offensive line right and we really need to try and get this fixed as best as we can. Obviously the draft/offseason is where most of this will be fixed but if there is a band aid on this roster right now we need to apply it.

    Will Yeatman- What are the thoughts on him? Is he ready or deserving of an opportunity? Jonathan Martin is getting killed right now on every play. During the second frame of the Monday night game the entire US watched him get beat so bad on one play (Tannehill sack) that all Dolphin fans collectively cringed on the replay.

    Danny Watkins- We signed him...When is he going to be ready? Is he or can he be an upgrade from John "Potatoe Wedge" Jerry?

    Nate Garner- I have been rooting for him ever since he got here! He's got crazy size 6'7 320 and he was probably the best lineman on that Arkansas team that featured backs like Felix Jones, Darren McFadden, and Payton Hillis.

    Dallas Thomas- He's simply not ready from what i've read and he's basically Incognito's backup and understudy right now, so I left him off.

    Out of Yeatman, Watkins, and Garner are any of them an upgrade over the guys ahead of them?
     
  2. Finrunner

    Finrunner Season Ticket Holder

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    I kind of think if you replaced any of the starters with one of the back-ups, you're just making things worse. There's a reason the guys we have are starters.
     
  3. Ohio Fanatic

    Ohio Fanatic Twuaddle or bust Club Member

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    exactly. It's not like our coaches don't realize the struggles we are having with Jerry and Clabo. I think Martin is doing better overall then people are claiming on this board. If they thought one of these backups would be an improvement, they are probably considering a swap-out. The only one I can see pulling the trigger on is maybe Garner for Jerry. other than that, I think we're better off waiting to see if these guys can at least develop some cohesion around Pouncey and Cogs.
     
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  4. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    They see the guys everyday in practice, so if they don't rebound and play their best game against the ravens, you have a bye week after that and you can get some new blood in there and see if there's a fit.
     
  5. vt_dolfan

    vt_dolfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    I brought this up in another thread.. But I think we have some issues with the OL personnel and our scheme. In the first half when we were balanced... We ran a zone blocking scheme. In the second half we had to go to a man blocking scheme.. A man blocking scheme will give a QB more time to let receivers get down field.. But if one player looses the battle.. It crashes in a hurry. I don't think we have interchangeable parts to do this.. So.. Right now if we get down to far.. We are in trouble because of our oline. I'm not sold on this zone blocking scheme.. It seems like it really limits you.

    Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
     
  6. brandon27

    brandon27 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    We should have been looking to try others in training camp to be honest. Jerry's never been good. Martin struggled all last year, and in preseason. The signs were alread there that this OL wasn't going to be great. I'm a bit surprised in Clabo's struggles, I wonder if any of it is related to Jerry, but I doubt that, he seems to be loosing his one on one battles quite easily all by himself.

    Our backups, are our backups for a reason. Which quite frankly scares me if they are worse than the starters. I think the only other linemen we can try at this point, are on other teams, and going to cost us something. I don't see us exploring those options however.

    I think we're stuck with what we have here. Maybe we need to start switching over to more 12 personel. Get an extra TE/blocker on the field, keep Clay out there too if you must. Hurts our passing game by limiting our options again, but if Hartline Wallace and Clay can get open, and the extra TE can help with some blocking, then maybe we're ok. Or if we're going to stay in 11 alot, which by my charting of the games shows we love to do, then maybe the TE needs to stay in and do more blocking instead. Again, limiting the passing game, but our WR's should be able to get open.

    We've got to do something to help out the OL, As i said, I don't see us acquiring anyone, so help is going to have to come from within, using a TE to block is a starting point...

    As I type this, I get a message on my phone that the Steelers are finalizing a trade with the Cardinals for OT Levi Brown. We know Monroe was moved too.
     
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  7. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I wasn't one who was excited about the Clabo signing, watched all lot of his reps from last year and he looked like he was being completely overrated from my POV compared to what I was hearing, jmo, but I question how dedicated he has been over his career as it relates to his body..he looks to be spiraling downward at a pretty young age relatively speaking. If you have devoted yourself to the strength and conditioning part of the craft and you have been somewhat major injury free, then at 31 you shouldn't be trending down this quickly.
     
  8. jw3102

    jw3102 season ticket holder

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    Unfortunate as it is, the Dolphins really don't have anything better to replace the present starters on the offensive line. We are once again stuck with a below average starting offensive line and Tannehill is the player who will suffer the most for Ireland's inability to find reliable talent on the OL.

    Jerry has not been a quality RG since he has been in the NFL, yet he is still the starting RG for the Dolphins. Clabo has regressed greatly from his pro bowl years with the Falcons and it is no wonder why the Falcons released him after the 2012 season. Martin just isn't a quality NFL LT, but there is absolutely no one on the roster who could step in and do a better job at this time.

    For six years as the teams GM, Ireland has signed free agent offensive linemen and drafted other offensive linemen. Of all those players signed or drafted, only three have been decent as offensive linemen for the Dolphins. Jake Long was great during his first three years, but injuries reduced him to a mediocre player his last two years with the Dolphins. Pouncey has been the best of the rest and Incognito has been the only free agent offensive lineman who has had any success with the Dolphins.

    The offensive line has been a major weakness for this team ever since Ireland came to the Dolphins and it hasn't gotten any better in the past six years. In fact this years OL just might be the worst offensive line in the Ireland era. The reality is that if the coaches think the starting five are really the best, that clearly shows how bad the backups must be.
     
  9. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    When we have better ones available?
     
  10. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

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    Fair enough, but wasn't Danny Watkins a solid starter before? Is there any word on him and if he's ready to go?
     
  11. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    Not that I know of. I'm pretty sure he'd be in there if the coaches thought it would improve the line.

    Honestly I'm not as down on the line as most. IMO there's a lot of scapegoating going on..
     
  12. Zeke0123

    Zeke0123 message board ******* Club Member

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    I could do without watching jerry getting walked back nearly every play I hope they try Watkins or Garner fairly soon.
     
  13. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Unfortunately the Dolphins didn't really jump into the Eugene Monroe trade.

    Outside of him though I'm not sure what else they could do. Levi Brown was not a worthy get, in my opinion. There's no indication that Branden Albert has been made available again and I would think the Chiefs being 4-0 would mean they don't want to do anything that would upset the apple cart. They have a good thing going and should focus on keeping it going.

    I suppose they could flip a pick to the Eagles for backup left tackle Matt Tobin but Jason Peters has been so injury prone (I believe he's dealing with a hand injury even now) that they may price Tobin above his station simply because he's a valuable piece of the puzzle to them.

    At guard they do have Danny Watkins but he really wasn't any good in Philadelphia and we don't know yet what we have in him in our system in Miami. Perhaps it's time to start getting him some reps which would let John Jerry know that he's in perform-or-be-benched territory.

    There's not much to do about Tyson Clabo either although I guess they could insert Nate Garner. In my opinion, he was no better at right tackle last year than Clabo. On the other hand, PFF seems to disagree with that as they gave Garner a cumulative +0.0 for his five games at right tackle, whereas Clabo has a significant negative grade through four games.
     
  14. cuchulainn

    cuchulainn Táin Bó Cúailnge Club Member

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    Nate Garner... kicking *** and ta... er, ah... wait...

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Canad-phin

    Canad-phin Active Member

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    Why not try Jerry at RT, he has alway had good feet. I actually think he'd be better out there as he just doesn't handle the strenth of DTs well. Put Watkins at RG and see what we have there. Clabo is killing us in lots of ways maybe this would spark the Oline. I don't love Jerry but I feel he's better suited outside using his feet and reach against DEs.
     
  16. mcdave21

    mcdave21 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Fwiw, The Oline Was Not The Problem Monday Night Until We Got Into A Position In The 2Nd Half Where we Had To Pass Every Down. Which Spelled Our Doom. Also, Tannehills Pocket Presence Was Not The Issue Either. He Was Moving Around And Stepping Up When Needed Until Again We Had To Pass Every Down. He Just Needs To Take Better Care Of The Football. These Things Will Improve. Gallette Is Full Of Crap. He Didn't Sniff The Qb Until They Were Ahead 2+ Scores. If Tannehill Doesn't Throw That First Pick, It's A Different Game. Oh Well. Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda.
     
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  17. LBsFinest

    LBsFinest Banned

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    I for one am I shocked the OL sucks, after FinD told me the line has 3 pro bowlers I was expecting this unit to dominate!
     
  18. cuchulainn

    cuchulainn Táin Bó Cúailnge Club Member

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    Well since you always listen to FinD you should follow his other advise to you and go away... :shifty:
     
  19. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    What's a good class without a class clown?
     
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  20. PhinGeneral

    PhinGeneral PC Texas A&M, Bro Club Member

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    If he was a solid starter he'd still be in Philadelphia. He was a major disappointment. Doesn't mean the light switch can't go on and he couldn't become a solid player, but I'm not sure I'd go wagering on it.
     
  21. Den54

    Den54 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    AMERICA!
    Or a village for that matter.
     
  22. 77FinFan

    77FinFan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I feel the same way. Once they smelled blood in the water it got ugly.
     
  23. Claymore95

    Claymore95 Working on it... Club Member

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    First sign from the Saints game is that we've got a promising reclamation project in Marvin Austin, it's probably too much to hope that we could go 2-for-2 on retreads with Watkins.
     
  24. miamiron

    miamiron There's always next year

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    Some pretty interesting run blocking/rushing stats from Football outsiders

    They have Martin rated as #31 out of 32 left tackles with a 1.70 yards gain per run behind him
    They group mid/guards together rated #23 out of 32 at 3.58 yards per rush
    They have right tackle rated at 6th out of 32 at 4.67 yards per rush
    They have right end rated at 6th out of 32 at 4.72 yards per rush
    They have left end rated at 12th out of 32 at 4.46 yards per rush

    we were 28th in the NFL with only 69 runs

    46% up the middle
    17% behind left tackle
    16% right tackle
    14% left end
    6% right end

    To early to get anything but nevertheless interesting
     

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