the best teams have the best offensive lines.. DRAFT/SIGN O LINEMEN!!

watching the chargers right now. they have very good offensive and defensive lines

drafting/signing o-lineman and having good o-lineman are two mutually exclusive things

You need an Oline and a Dline

"MelbournePhin wrote:

watching the chargers right now. they have very good offensive and defensive lines

and we are way off from where they are right now.

"mmikel30 wrote:

and we are way off from where they are right now.

seriously.

if AJ smith ever gets fired, i woudl be first person asking to sign him

it shouldn't be hard to fix. Get a T in the 2nd, get a G in FA ala Lilja from Indy, get Dorsey/long/Gholston and another with the other 2nd pick as we spend $ on one of the top 3 CBs in FA.

"Reminisce wrote:

everyone knows if you cant win the battle in the trenches you not gonna do much... all i can do is envision cleo lemon with 3+ seconds in the pocket to smoothly drop back and deliver the ball. tired of us drafting all these QB/WR/RB and our blocking is always suspect, we need studs on the line.

very nice. doesn't matter if you have Brady, Manning, or Marino back there with our team. We'd still suck!

none of those qb's would be who they are today with .5 seconds in the pocket every play behind miami's oline

Is signing a top o-lineman feasible? I remember Wanny trying hard to do it but getting turned down time and time again. Do good players want to come here? I suppose if we throw enough money at them, but I bet they would go for a contender who can pay similarly if that is an option.

"1334 wrote:

very nice. doesn't matter if you have Brady, Manning, or Marino back there with our team. We'd still suck!

The best new thread in a loooooong while.

I have been on this rant for a few years now, and absolutely agree. It would not have bothered me a bit if we had spent EVERY pick on the O L last year, with the exception of 1 or 2 picks for the D line. Satele seems to be a very good start, and I think Mauai (?) helps some too, but we need AT LEAST 3 more OL to be good. Right now, on a good day, we are average at best.

"ATLFINFAN wrote:

The best new thread in a loooooong while.

I have been on this rant for a few years now, and absolutely agree. It would not have bothered me a bit if we had spent EVERY pick on the O L last year, with the exception of 1 or 2 picks for the D line. Satele seems to be a very good start, and I think Mauai (?) helps some too, but we need AT LEAST 3 more OL to be good. Right now, on a good day, we are average at best.

OL is very important. I dont think you need five Pro Bowlers. You can always hide one average starter. I would say we need to add at least one to be good and two would give us a very good line. 3 more and we would be sick

"Aqua4Ever04 wrote:

Probably why the Browns went with Joe Thomas over Adrian Peterson. The jury is still out on if it was the smart pick because Thomas and Peterson have both been awesome, but a great left tackle is far more valuable then a great running back.

I like the idea of building your team from the inside out. Great offensive and defensive lines can take mediocre skill players to the playoffs. (See Tennessee Titans.) The Titans have the worst starting QB in the NFL, the worst starting receivers in the NFL and are still in position to make the post-season. Of course, this is mostly because of their defense but that's in large part to Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch up front.

I agree. Left tackle is either the 2nd most important position or third, Defensive End being the other choice. The way I see it champoinship teams need

1) QB
2) Pass rushing DE
3) Left Tackle

After that it becomes debatable what the most important positions are, probably has more to do with philosophy. Me personally, I prefer defense and I would make a shutdown corner #4. But if you prefer cover 2 then that position becomes diminished

"Aqua4Ever04 wrote:

I agree with that. Those are the 3 positions in the top tier of importance and in the next wave I would go, defensive tackle, middle linebacker and shut down corner.

Here's my list.

1.) Quarterback
2.) Left tackle
3.) Pass rushing defensive end

4.) Run stuffing defensive tackle
5.) Shutdown corner
6.) Interior offensive line
7.) Linebacker (that locates the ball carrier)

8.) Running back
9.) Pass Catchers (WRs/TEs)
10. Safeties

That's pretty interchangeable at some parts but that's the basis I would build my football team around.
8.)

I have the same groupings as you with slight changes within those groupings

"Aqua4Ever04 wrote:

Probably why the Browns went with Joe Thomas over Adrian Peterson. The jury is still out on if it was the smart pick because Thomas and Peterson have both been awesome, but a great left tackle is far more valuable then a great running back.

I like the idea of building your team from the inside out. Great offensive and defensive lines can take mediocre skill players to the playoffs. (See Tennessee Titans.) The Titans have the worst starting QB in the NFL, the worst starting receivers in the NFL and are still in position to make the post-season. Of course, this is mostly because of their defense but that's in large part to Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch up front.

IMO Thomas was the right pick, and last time I checked, he had not given up a sack all year and probably should've been a pro bowler.

As for the Titans 0-line, 3 of their starters were drafted in the last 4 years, and I believe they also drafted Benji Olsen. So of their starters only 1 was not drafted by the team (Mawuai).

their d-line isn't great, but KVB and Haynesworth have been 2 of the most dominant linemen this year. When Haynesworth was out, the team went on a losing streak, and the defense was bleh. So that helps the case for drafting Dorsey.

Side Note: After KVB's less than solid start to his career with Arizona, I said we should sign him for depth and everybody on the forum said it would be a stupid signing. he's gone to 2 pro bowls in his 3 years with the Titans

"Aqua4Ever04 wrote:

I agree with that. Those are the 3 positions in the top tier of importance and in the next wave I would go, defensive tackle, middle linebacker and shut down corner.

Here's my list.

1.) Quarterback
2.) Left tackle
3.) Pass rushing defensive end

4.) Run stuffing defensive tackle
5.) Shutdown corner
6.) Interior offensive line
7.) Linebacker (that locates the ball carrier)

8.) Running back
9.) Pass Catchers (WRs/TEs)
10. Safeties

That's pretty interchangeable at some parts but that's the basis I would build my football team around.
8.)

i think in today's NFL the safety is much more important

right behind DE and DT

"Reminisce wrote:

everyone knows if you cant win the battle in the trenches you not gonna do much... all i can do is envision cleo lemon with 3+ seconds in the pocket to smoothly drop back and deliver the ball. tired of us drafting all these QB/WR/RB and our blocking is always suspect, we need studs on the line.

The Cowboys didnt draft O Lineman they picked em up... What u do is you just wait for O lineman in the free agency you dont just draft them and think they are gunna be great.... D-Lineman are better than O-lineman in the draft... You better not be thinking about using a 1st round pick on a O Lineman.... Pick them up in free agency...

"black_child wrote:

The Cowboys didnt draft O Lineman they picked em up... What u do is you just wait for O lineman in the free agency you dont just draft them and think they are gunna be great.... D-Lineman are better than O-lineman in the draft... You better not be thinking about using a 1st round pick on a O Lineman.... Pick them up in free agency...

let's look at the Patriots,Packers,Colts, Seahawks, Bucs,Chargers, and the Steelers.

1 or 2 FA signings if that.

"big0mar wrote:

i think in today's NFL the safety is much more important

right behind DE and DT

With the proliferation of spread formations and the gradual infusion of the Mouse Davis philosophy yeah its getting more important but it depends on the defensiove scheme you employ

I like the following:

1. LT/DT
2a. DT/LT/TE
2b. TE/ILB
3. ILB/S
5. WR/S
6. RB
7. BPA based on need

If we draft a QB, we need to wait until day 2. Lemon, Beck, and Rookie should be the QBs next year.

I agree, our 72 Dolphins had a great O-Line as the strongest part of the team and they got a perfect season:

Miami's offensive line in 1972 included future Hall of Famers Jim Langer and Larry Little and Pro Bowl guard Bob Kuechenberg. Little is considered the best pulling guard of all-time, and Langer one of the best centers. Right tackle Norm Evans made the Pro Powl in '72 and was an All-Pro selection the following two seasons.

Source: NFL.com

ALan fanca could be someone that we bring in

"#1dolphinsfan wrote:

ALan fanca could be someone that we bring in

I'm really hopping for that move to happen!

This threat is the starting and ending point to Miami's furstrations. It's very simply and very direct to the heart of our problem...the trenches. When we had def. HC's, the DL was built at the expense of the OL, this year, the OL was paid some attention to, but at the expense of the DL, you have to have both in orderr to win in this league. Other than QB, our draft should rain is Lineman, if we don't pick up a couple of vet's in the mid 20's during the offseason prior to the draft. The other area of this year's free agents is the WR spot, we need talented guys there as well. Our OL is the reason we don't see the bomb to Ted Ginn,Jr, the qb doesn't have the time to get him the ball, we have a WC OL using a vertical passing game.

agree 100%...weve had so many opportunities to sign guys and it never happens...like kevin mawae and kris dielman...the line has never gotten the attention that it needs