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O-LINE 3 YEARS and COUNTING ?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Abbi Normal, Aug 14, 2011.

  1. Abbi Normal

    Abbi Normal Banned

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    Note: For those unwilling or not wanting to deal with hearing anything outside of all's well in Dolphinland please just consider not wasting your time here..............it will be appreciated by many who do not fear the act of questioning, who see the positive in confronting negative areas in order to expose, educate, and hopefully help fix potential problems by bringing them out in the open.
    (not saying my views are right, I think some will be but only time will tell)




    I know it's only the first preseason game and not to be negative and cause anyone in here additional pain and exhaustion in exposing possible weak area .....but

    Don't ya think that going into the fourth year and having the O-line basically the #1 concern and especially considering its Coach Sparano forte and with all the players brought in the last 3 years that by now, maybe, just possibly maybe, we should see a little more cohesiveness, strength and ability even regularity, then what we have.

    Out side of our two #1 picks the surrounding players all seem to be the older, injury prone, X- Dallas or friends, bargain variety that haven't panned out to be reliably penciled in to a position with any consistency. Seems like outside the draft, with the FA, they feel luckier in numbers then spending money on a few. They are so keyed on a good O line which is completely justifiable yet seem to gamble on fill ins and veer away from known quality, I mean you think by now our OL should be somewhat stabler and consistent..... and not the unstable musical chairs sydrome we see year after year with aging players on their last horraw

    Who's responsible coaching ? GM ? Nobody ?

    Just a thought......don't kill me.......

    hey at least were not talking about QB..........
     
  2. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    The OL has not been in any sense the #1 concern for the fourth year. Give me a ****ing break with that ****, last year was the first year it was problematic, the run blocking wasn't very good, and that was a bit of a surprise.

    They've been less tolerant of bad play than most teams, and they've gambled and lost in the context of what should have been long term starters in Grove and Smiley. That's the fundamental issue, not moving players around or whatever else.
     
  3. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    This is valid.

    When you hire a man who specializes in coaching OL and 4 years later its still a peiced together mess I say that man isnt doing his job very well.

    In my opinion Tony Sparano just sucks.
     
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  4. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    Both of those players had plenty of red flags due to injury history when we signed them. That IMO was the biggest gamble with both. Smiley was damaged goods the day we signed him. It's being brought up recently, that Smiley told friends back at the time, that he never fully recovered from the 2007 shoulder injury and surgery. I wonder how close we checked him out before signing him, since his agreement was announced like 5 minutes after free agency opened in 2008.
    Grove only played a full season once in 5 years before we signed him. This durability concern did not sway us from giving him a big contract.
    No one can deny both are/were very good linemen when healthy. Personally I took an optimistic point of view right after we signed them. Trusting that our FO researched both players well enough to give them a clean bill of health. I wanted to believe!
    In retrospect, the health and durability risks surrounding both should have been red flags for the people who were privy to a good deal more inside info that we fans were.

    Nothing wrong with giving big contracts to good OL, but seems like some with a good durability history would have been safer investments.
    Most of we fans, before free agency in 2009 were clamoring for Jason Brown. He signed for a bigger contract than Grove, and I guess we don't really know how much if any interest our FO showed in him. He played in all 48 games the 3 seasons before St Louis signed him and played all 32 games since then. Why couldn't we have spent a little more and tried to sign Brown?
    The other big name guard in 2008 was Alan Faneca. He'd have cost more money, but he had an impeccable history of durability and since then he has played in all 48 games.
    Creative capologists could have probably found ways to sign one or both, but instead Miami gambled on somewhat cheaper cost players with significant injury histories. Looking back, this was not the best approach.

    JMO....YMMV.
     
  5. Southbeach

    Southbeach Banned

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    Our OL was #8 last year, #3 pass protect, and #15 run block, although with a negative grade. It seems most teams have trouble in run blocking but most had RB's who could still run.
     
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  6. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    Tony is the one entrusted to cook the meal, but he is not the one buying the groceries. We can all guess or speculate how much if any input he has in free agency or the draft, but the truth is none of us truly know.
     
  7. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    There certainly are areas you can criticize Sparano, but that's ridiculous. A head coach cannot micromanage individual areas, and there are frequently ELITE coaches who have had much worse performances in their individual areas than Sparano has had on the OL. And was mentioned, he doesn't pick the players.

    There's absolutely no way you can take the past three years of OL play and claim that it's at worst anything but above average.

    That's true, but I don't think you could have reasonably assumed them to have had career-ending injuries, either.

    The Dolphins have had better performances with who they went with then both of those players. Jason Brown has widely been considered a disappointment with the Rams and gets pushed around to a surprising degree in the run game for a 330 pound Center.

    Alan Faneca would have been by far and away the most disastrous pick-up of this front office. He hadn't been good for a couple years when he was on the market in 2008, and he was awful with the Jets and the Cardinals.

    They should have went for Matt Birk over Jake Grove, that's really the one stand-out move.
     
  8. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    What I'am trying to figure out is who is gonna pull on the line..Carey and Richie..Relatively speaking with the addition of Pouncey one could say were a bit more athletic in the interior, however Cogs and Carey just don't instill to much inspiration in that regard...

    One thing I do hope for is that Murtha has matured, and can bring that athletic ability to the position of right tackle...here is some film on him, there are some encouraging reports, the question remains does he have the power to run block..He has a great looking body..

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78pPxXjDlrY..

    My bud BK sent me details on how to embedd a video, but I get anxiety just looking at the instructions..lol.

    We need this kid..[video=youtube;78pPxXjDlrY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78pPxXjDlrY..[/video]
     
  9. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    Well I certainly do not agree with that. How could who we went with be better than Brown or Faneca when our guys were missing so much time? Being even average if that was all they were, is better than not playing at all.

    I thought Faneca was fine in 2008, but dropped off in 2009 and 2010. Still, just the fact that he'd have lined up every game and at least been a middle of the road guard amongst the league's 64 starters, is better than not playing at all, like Smiley often did.

    Birk would have been a good choice too and had a good record of durability while playing at a high level. So our lack of interest there was puzzling too.
     
  10. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    There ya go young man!

    I like Cecil and Sigmund's draftguys.com videos. Wish they still did them.
     
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  11. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    You cant tell me sparano doesnt have any input on who we acquire along the OL, either way he is supposed to be able to coach up his talent and he hasn't.
     
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  12. Southbeach

    Southbeach Banned

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    In 09, our OL was #1 in pass protect, and #3 in run blocking, along with #8 last year. How is that not coaching up his talent?
     
  13. firedan

    firedan Well-Known Member

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    I think DJ is right in the sence that Murtha is gonna be a pivotal player with how the line will perform.
     
  14. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Because their backups played better too. Joe Berger has played better than Jason Brown has in St. Louis. Nate Garner and Richie Incognito and whomever else have played better than Alan Faneca post 2008. I'm not even talking relative to costs... Jason Brown and Faneca were both huge FA busts.
     
  15. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    We do not share the same opinion, ok? Simple as that.
     
  16. finsincebirth

    finsincebirth Well-Known Member

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    In his senior year Pouncey was a pulling center, so I guess he could if needed. However I always wondered how much that attributed to his snapping problems, because he always seemed to be pulling even before he snapped the ball.
     
  17. Onehondo

    Onehondo Senior Member Club Member

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    Nobody has mentioned Columbo and the effect he will have on the OL? I think he is a real concern, especially if they plan to stick with him even if he struggles.
     
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  18. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    I've mentioned him in other threads. There are several covering the OL on the first page now.
     
  19. VanDolPhan

    VanDolPhan Club member Club Member

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    Our OL has not been horrible......it's more of the fact that Sparano is never happy with his starting 5.
     
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  20. CrunchTime

    CrunchTime Administrator Retired Administrator

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    DJ just paste the youtube link in the insert video icon ...it looks like a couple of frames of celluloid film..I did it for you on this occasion
     
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  21. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    Im not big on statistics, anyone who watches football knows we had FAR from the 8th best OL last season. Fact is we are about to open the season with 4 former 1st RD picks of the 5 starters. I dont think Sparano has done anything at all noteworthy besides stand on the sideline fistpumping and clapping saying "lets go"....

    Point being our OL should be much better than we have advertised lately, if not it will be another LONG season for Thomas and Bush.
     
  22. Bpk

    Bpk Premium Member Luxury Box

    You did it!

    Yeah, I'm concerned about having two slow guards. I mean, Reggie Bush is best used out on screens and little flares, draws, etc and we have two guards who are not great at getting out into space. The OL seems to still be building a Dan Henning offense O-line, for power running... yet the philosophy of the offense seems to have shifted to being more open, mobile, and versatile. Not sure wtf is up with that.

    I guess Pouncey can pull, but it ain't ideal to have two lumbering guards.
     
  23. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Sh%4 Crunch, I can't find the insert video Icon, I see where you can click ''share'' and it says embedd, but that didn't do it? just posted the link..I'am sorry man, Iam ******ed.
     
  24. Jaj

    Jaj Registered

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    The biggest problem they have other than their stupid use of Pouncey-Incognito in the wrong positions is that they're not at all cohesive. With Murtha there I think we'll be fine in pass protection. So much money spent so little results. They have three good linemen out of all that effort? Two of those guys aren't even at their best positions, it's ridiculous.
     
  25. CrunchTime

    CrunchTime Administrator Retired Administrator

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    You will find it at the top when you click on Edit Post at the bottom of your post
     
  26. Jaj

    Jaj Registered

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    That's the difference though in that in 2009 the team's OL was LT- Long (excellent), LG- Smiley (not great push, but overall a good guard especially in pulling), C- Grove (all around C), RG- Thomas (decent mauler), RT- Carey in better shape and healthy

    It's balanced, this current Dolphin team is not. Similar to the early success Miami had in 2010 on the OL they'll need to really focus on being proficient in pass protection, spreading out teams so that the line simply overpowers undersized defenders. It's an ugly approach, but it can work.
     
  27. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    "please just consider not wasting your time here"??? Look at this gal talking down to people like she owns the joint. We can consider wasting our time where ever we please, but we appreciate the arrogance. :wink2:

    Maybe you should start your own forum----- Everything'sWrongInDolphinLand.Com, where negativity is the only acceptable form of discussion, and anyone who disagrees with you is banished forever.


    Here's something to ponder when you're not busy criticizing something: Most of us here are actual fans. Being a fan is supposed to be a fun, enjoyable experience. Football is a fun experience. I look forward to this time of year more than anything else. I'd rather watch & root for a losing team than have no team at all. You know what strangles some of that fun? I'll tell ya-----> it's cancerous, whiny, endlessly complaining doom & gloom attitudes trying to vacuum those around them into their own miserable existence.


    Now, you wanna talk football and be respected, then talk football rather than using an opening post as an avenue to condescendingly criticize half a message board b/c you wanna be heard.
     
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  28. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    When you have the block open to type in a new post here in the forum, across the top is a row of symbols. You can see a B, an I a U, the word Font, then Size, then an A etc. Do you see all those? The second symbol from the right is the media symbol. To insert media, click on it, wait for a box to open, then paste your media url in the box. If you place your mouse arrow over each symbol, a message indicating what the symbol is for, will appear. If you go to "advanced" to write your post, then you will see 3 rows of symbols. The media symbol is then in the middle row, the 5th one from the right.
     
  29. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    You know what though BK, Daboll's offense did look pretty sweet just for a preseason game, and with what he did with Hillis and Vickers relative to what kind of skillsets we have, who know what this offense will look like.
     
  30. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    [video=youtube;78pPxXjDlrY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78pPxXjDlrY[/video]
     
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  31. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    HEYYYYY, i did it...I would like to take this time to thank all my buds here who have helped me thru this difficult time, lol..pheww, that was stressful, I didn't know the line you all were talking about was where I write a post..lol.

    Listen, this has no bearing on ones intellectual level, so lets just keep this between ourselves, k..
     
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  32. Abbi Normal

    Abbi Normal Banned

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    Todd relax dear your going to give yourself an ulcer............:up:
     
  33. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    I'm pleased to be the one who finally explained it in layman's terms that you could understand. I just know that if I can figure it out anyone can, if explained right.
    Speaking only for myself, I won't tell anyone DJ. Watch out for Padre though, that dude is a real chatterbox. ;)
     
  34. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    If you are a midget, or, heck, even just very petite, perhaps you and Todd could go on a date, you know, like dinner and movie? You may just end up becoming best of friends. :yes:
     
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  35. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    Hah! The habitual doom & gloom complainer telling the rational optimist to relax. :lol:



    I'm just gonna say this once. Generally speaking, if I want to hear incessant, overwhelming (and sometimes exaggerated) complaining by the same individuals, I'll go to work or something...... or join a %#!&#%@ work related forum where people can complain how $%#tty their day was b/c their boss is a jack#$% or Sally stole her diet @%#$@&# coke from the fridge again. I come here b/c football SHOULD be a getaway from all that crap. That doesn't mean I think we need to be in Happy $%#&@$% Land all the time, contrary to your ridiculous comment. Some people come up with every reason to not be happy or to delay happiness, as if for some reason it needs to be earned..... and then they get made b/c they're not happy. lol

    There are rational ways to talk about problematic areas of the team, and there are irrational ways. Just b/c some of us don't agree with your irrational ways or refuse to see it through your pessimistic, sky is falling outlook, it doesn't make us a part of some rah rah club. There are plenty of members who are completely rational about their concerns and questions, and as such are respected for it.
     
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  36. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    a complaining midget is still a complainer. Just b/c they're short doesn't mean I cant hear them. lol.
     
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  37. Abbi Normal

    Abbi Normal Banned

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    Honey I'd rather stick pins in my eyes..........
     
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  38. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    That makes 2 of us. (your eyes that is)


    I find that highly insulting & offensive to little people----- that you'd rather go blind than be one of them. :pity:
     
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  39. Abbi Normal

    Abbi Normal Banned

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    Todd with all due respect you need to Chill. Try not to take things so seriously..... stop fighting talk football.....
     
  40. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    fair enough midget hater. lol.
     
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