http://espn760.com/blogs/dolphins.php?action=blog&post_id=3229
Alright, more then likely not a household name among Dolphins fans but he is generally a straight shooter, sometimes infected with the immaturity that marks Dolphins writers, but for a radio host (ESPN 760) he does have a good eye for this stuff.
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Guest
Just to burst you and Todd's bubble and down your chubbies, Lex Hilliard played exclusively against the second and third team defense. I think mostly third.
MrClean likes this. -
It's disgusting how badly we seem to neglect the TE spot. Instead of John Jerry we could have Jimmy Graham.
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MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
I agree, it is too early to anoint Lex as the next Norm Bulaich, or even Don Nottingham. Tony seems to have a lot of faith in him, so let's hope he is right.
As for LaVicka, I'd listen to him as an unbiased source over Mando or Omar.ToddsPhins and like this. -
If anything I prefer a team to have blocking TEs and one specialty guy like a Clay in order to feature our quality WRs.
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Reggie Bush can run away from 95% of the linebackers in the NFL and creates mismatches?
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Thing with Lex, as mentioned before, he just runs too damn high. He is a solid dude, if he dropped his shoulders on regular basis, he got truck some fools, but he runs almost standing straight up. When I was at practice, I made sure I watched him....I can't understand why does he do it? Im sure coaches have said something to him about it.
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Again with the Fasano disrespect. Seemed to get enough action the prior practices. Just goes to show that folks are all wrapped up in stats over actual team production. Especially after watching people drool for a guy who got $17 million guaranteed for 100 more receiving yards then Fasano, dropped more passes and is half the blocker Fasano is.
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Perhaps the most noteworthy observation
Why would the coaches have JT working ahead of Misi? Possibilities include....- Misi has underwhelmed.
- Taylor is just better.
- Misi already knows the system and they want to get Taylor the work.
Armando also chimed in a bit follow today's festivities.
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MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
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http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/5557/benjamin-watson -
I know he takes heat for the poor overall finish for the Browns offense, but the reality is they had very little to work with in the skill positions. -
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Jimmy Graham solves what, exactly?
The Center position? :)
MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
Lex is about as physical of a runner as they come. That being said, he's not quite the solution, helpful though.
Tight ends, quarterbacks who needs em? Gotta build the trenches! /sarcasm
That's an imperative why? Jimmy Graham isn't as good as our 3 WR set and probably never will be.
Whether that's true or not, we run a lot of 2 TE sets. I don't expect that to change much. That's a lot of pressure to put on Clay. I like what I have heard from him thus far, but there's no doubt that I wish we had done more to solidify the position in years past.
They ran a lot of 2-TE sets in 2008 and 2009, but not a whole lot last season. Our non-Fasano tight ends saw a little over 300 snaps, but more than 50 was with Fasano out week 17, which means it was like 20% of our snaps, and then even then it was probably less given just short-yardage situations in which you can just as likely substitute a Tackle eligible or what have you.
I'd still call that a fair amount. But what caused the drop? Was it by design or was it because we had somehow downgraded from Joey Haynos? All I know is 250 snaps is about 250 snaps more than Mastrud or Shuler should have been on the field last year.
It was probably because they didn't have the player for it. Haynos gets a lot of **** for not producing as a receiver, but he's a pretty good blocker unlike those other two. They might like to use two-TE sets, but they're probably better off using 3-WR base formations given their talent right now.
Frayser likes this.
IMO a receiving TE is one of those mismatch players that gives defenses fits, much like having a Reggie Bush type. Martin filled that role for the Dolphins in '08 and I feel he was one of the reasons that our offense was so much more productive (along with a consistent running game and deep threat WR). Having a seam threatening TE is part of stretching the holes in the defense. You can use a third WR (and should) since running out of a 3-WR set is effective. But against many teams set up to stop the pass you can really punish them by being in a 2-TE set and either running at the them when they expect a pass or beating them with your receiving TE if they load up against the run. Also passes to the TE tend to be easier for the QB since they're generally a bigger target.
Frayser likes this.
I think it's a little bit overblown. I don't think many of the seam-threatening tight ends in the league are really revolutionizing passing games out there. I mean, what exactly is Kellen Winslow, Vernon Davis, Ben Watson, Zach Miller, and for years in San Diego, Antonio Gates doing to lift up the offense beyond their own contributions? Pretty much sweet **** all, for the most part it seems.
I disagree. I think football offense in general has always been about stretching the spaces in the defense and attacking them. The college game and below has also been about mismatches and the NFL is increasingly becoming the same way. TEs are mismatch players. Teams like NE and GB recognize that.
I think the problem is Rafi, Running Backs are no longer used in that role, why that is I could not even guess, but I can recall Faulk and Herschel Walker and Dorsett running seam routes and creating big plays, that has ended and now pining for a Te is en vogue.
It's a real head-scratcher why this regime won't invest more in the TE position. To explain their value seems perplexing to me (I'm looking at you, Disgustipate).
Yes, but to what effect? People are citing this supposed phenomena that a good receiving tight end provides, and I've not seen a whole lot other than mysticism. They can provide mismatches, but so can every other offensive position. If you've got a guy who can't really block with a damn, and even if he's putting up a 1,000 yard reason as a receiving tight end, is that intrinsically more valuable than the 20 or so wide receivers who do that same thing every year?
But not down the seam, the last Dolphins Rb who I can recall running that route was Pat Cobbs as for NFL wide to me, it seems rare, what the reality of that is I do not know, in fact I can recall a Rb lining up at Wr not being rare, now I seem to recall seeing it only rarely, and even then they rarely see the ball.
And I mean the "running back" not the "cop running back".
Saddly there isnt a Keith Jackson or Bruse Hardy lurking in the shadows . I wished we had Hunter Goodiwin that man could block
or we should have went after Zach Miller.
MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
Because if Fasano gets hurt, we are screwed blue and tattooed if we have to start Schuler or Mastrud at TE. I do not understand the aversion to quality depth at the TE spot.
Pandarilla likes this.
I agree with you about 1 player not really being able to lift up the offense beyond his own contributions, but at the same time I disagree with the impact a great TE can have.
Vernon Davis was well known for his blocking ability before his passing skills really took off, and he's an integral part of that offense. Gore has stated how valuable Vernon is to his rushing success.
Gates is a big reason why Rivers was still able to have an outstanding year despite missing Jackson & Ryan Matthews and no more LT. Antonio is the 2nd most important person on that offense and is a big reason why Rivers has so much success downfield to Floyd, Jackson, or whomever else is on the field. Outside of the QB position, I'd argue that Gates is one of the more important offensive players in the league (along with Vernon Davis).
The Raiders didn't struggle with their offense (6th in scoring) and #2 ranked ground game (155 YPG, 4.9 avg, 19 TDs) despite mediocre QB play and not much to worry about at WR outside of Jacoby Ford; IMO Miller was a big reason for this success....... and he, Ford, and McFadden complimented each other extremely well.
Maybe TEs don't carry their teams per se like an elite Marino'esque QB, but then again----- what other position does?
The best running back in the game doesn't lift up his offense beyond his own contributions when the rest of the Vikings' team isn't playing well.
DeMarcus Ware led the league in sacks and his Boys finished 6-10.
The Steelers' D wouldn't be the Steelers' D if all it had were Polamalu.
Baltimore wouldn't have won a SB if Ray Lewis had no one around him.
IMO if you have a solid team, a great TE (who has to be accounted for in the passing game) can be an extremely beneficial piece of the puzzle and worth his weight in gold.
Look at Peyton Manning 2010--- When Clark went down, Peyton went 2-4 with 13 INTs over the next 6 games. I find that more than coincidental.
Pittsburgh has been to 3 SBs with Heath Miller, one of the best TEs in the game.
Shannon Sharpe was a big part of the Ravens' SB offense despite 2 different QBs splitting starts.
Shannon also won 2 SBs with Elway........ and Elway seemed like a different QB before and after Sharpe arrived.
During the 9 seasons before Sharpe burst on the scene, Elway had only 1 season of 20+ TDs and only 1 season with an 80+ QBR. After Shannon, he threw for 22+ TDs 5 times with QBRs of 93, 86, 86, 89, 88, 93. Before Sharpe, Elway had 1 season with a completion percentage over 57%. After Shannon took off, John had 1 season under 57% (with 3 seasons over 61%). And Elway's best season came before Terrell Davis arrived.
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