Miami Dolphins: Stop worrying about the guards | Page 2 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Miami Dolphins: Stop worrying about the guards

( I use four letter words) off Armando. Seriously, shut the ( I use four letter words) up.

Not clicking on that garbage. It's not wise to undermine and demean those who decide your relevance and revenue.
Fins Up Cool Kid!
 
Ted Larsen has to be one of the most overlooked/underrated player in Fins history - not because he's that good, but because everyone thinks he's HORRIBLE. Not expecting him to go to the Pro Bowl, but I still think most of the board doesn't even expect him to be starting. The dude is gonna be a lock to start all season and will give us a solid performance without missing time or putting the line in flux.

Apparently Bushrod was good? I don't know... but if Asiata is as good as everyone is expecting/making him out to be, then we will have a good competition and seemingly someone ready when Pouncey gets put on IR in ~week 5.
 
I love that Armando is palpably more jaded and skeptical than ever in his latest banal narrative, passive hate phuck piece...He's due for an epic Gary Oldham-esque meltdown somewhere in between these don't shoot the messenger articles.
 
Honestly Bushrod did not stop the offensive progress, that's exactly what we were getting before was guard play so bad its stopped our offense.
They are hoping he looks better in the second year if not he is a GREAT guy to have in the locker room so I get the deal.
Personally I think the Rookie and Bishrod start and Larsen is here as Pouncey insurance
 
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Great point. The Chargers went against the grain somewhat in putting together an offensive draft. Looks like they got the two best guards in addition to Williams at wide receiver in R1. Also ended up with Desmond King. Very impressive draft and will be interesting to see if they can challenge in a very tough division.

And they also have Orlando Franklin, who could end up a casualty with a 4.8M cap hit. Played for Gase in Denver. He was someone many fans wanted a few years back.
 
I'll stop worrying about the guards (and the line as a whole), when Ryan gets longer than 3 seconds to throw the ball. Or when the RB's actually get a hole to run through rather than making their yards on whatever they can find. We got one draft pick who may be really good this or next year. Switching our RT to LT (which he probably can do fine, but not without a learning curve). A center who's a question mark on his health right now (and on-going). The others are questionable at best. To say we are following the "Patriots" way of putting low cost no-names and it turning into gold sounds great, but why then does it only seem to work for them and nobody else? Let's just say, while hoping for the best, I'm worried about what the worst may look like.
 
Great point. The Chargers went against the grain somewhat in putting together an offensive draft. Looks like they got the two best guards in addition to Williams at wide receiver in R1. Also ended up with Desmond King. Very impressive draft and will be interesting to see if they can challenge in a very tough division.
All the more important that we beat them Wk.2 before they have a chance to jell. That was a good draft for them.
 
Does this "stop worrying" include counting on a healthy, strong, in-shape Pouncey in the middle of the OL? Mr. Unicorn Pouncey that spends the off-season working out (instead of rehabbing a degenerating hip), getting strong in base, powerful in core, and then starts the bulk of the games year in and year out? Cause if we're counting on Pouncey -- the mythical four years ago Pouncey form -- and if we're counting on a rookie OG with enough serious issues to drop him to the 5th round -- and if we're counting on a journeyman castoff OG signed in FA -- and another journeyman OL signed last year who played mediocre at best in the middle -- doesn't this sound like another year of the same thing? Minus Thomas and Turner, thank goodness. So perhaps that means not the bottom ten percent in protection. Maybe we'll be in bottom twenty percent... which is an improvement. Maybe that's what they mean by "stop worrying." Seriously.

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Could have traded down with ATL and gotten a 3rd+ and still drafted Lamp. 3 picks in rounds 2 & 3 to address defense. Could have Lamp + Asiata and then 1 DE, 1 LB, 1 CB in the 2nd and 3rd. That said, if the FO is super sold on Harris as a stud pass rusher, its always an important position to have elite talent at. Wake's abilities will, i presume, someday diminish (idk, he could be superman). Gotta sack Brady to ever win the AFC.

Tunsil
Asiata
Pouncey
Lamp
James

would have been a nice young line, and we would have had an extra 3rd and likely 5th.
 
Everyone is freaking out about protection for Ryan, and ignoring that the core of this group allowed a career low in sacks last season for Ryan. 30 sacks allowed, and the bulk was the first 5 games when we were unsettled on the line and Thomas and Turner were playing. I don't see us being worse than last year in pass protection. We had an undrafted free agent playing center for 12 games, and two guys starting at G who had never taken snaps at G in their career.

Where this group fell short was run blocking. I don't have a lot a hope this group will emerge as a the best run blocking team, but there should be an improvement. Larsen is a natural guard, and Bushrod should be more fluid in his 2nd season. Its going to come down to how many games Pouncey plays. I also am not counting on Asiata, but run blocking is where he excelled, so if we struggle hopefully he can add a charge.
 
Pouncy must have some elite ability that we just don't understand, the O-line was dominant when he was there. Communication, intelligence, grit - I don't know what but he put it together in the muck. Bushrod, maybe he's one of those guys Gase has to be careful what button's he pushes with him.
 
Everyone is freaking out about protection for Ryan, and ignoring that the core of this group allowed a career low in sacks last season for Ryan. 30 sacks allowed, and the bulk was the first 5 games when we were unsettled on the line and Thomas and Turner were playing. I don't see us being worse than last year in pass protection. We had an undrafted free agent playing center for 12 games, and two guys starting at G who had never taken snaps at G in their career.

Where this group fell short was run blocking. I don't have a lot a hope this group will emerge as a the best run blocking team, but there should be an improvement. Larsen is a natural guard, and Bushrod should be more fluid in his 2nd season. Its going to come down to how many games Pouncey plays. I also am not counting on Asiata, but run blocking is where he excelled, so if we struggle hopefully he can add a charge.
I am counting on Asiata. IMHO, he is the best guard we have on our roster now that he's signed. Is he perfect? No. But he is going to be a solid pass protector and _by far_ our best run blocking OL.

I wouldn't say I'm happy about our pass protection, but you're right, after those first 5 games where the team needed to learn the system, we did get OK pass protection, and went on a massive winning streak in large part because the offense came together. But, we saw a totally dominant team when we could run the ball. IMHO, that's the key to the Dolphins going from a mid-range team with a chance for the playoffs to a strong team that expects the playoffs every year.

Also, we have far too many good players and high paychecks for this defense to be anything but good. I expect a major improvement this year or a major re-alignment of our defense.

We may or may not win 10 games again ... but this team will be improved. Our defense was upgraded at every level (Harris and some depth along the DL, McMillan, Timmons at LB, and McDonald, Tankersley and health of Jones, Maxwell and Howard). Our offense looked good after the initial learning of the system, and I expect to pick up where we left off last year.

The OL is the only thing holding this offense back from making the jump from decent to dominant. After correctly addressing the defense in the draft this year, I'm expecting the OL to be addressed next year. James, who to this point has underperformed, will either get a big contract or be replaced. Bushrod, who has filled in admirably, but is old and a liability in the run game, will need to be replaced. Pouncey, who has missed far too many games because of injury, is reaching that prove-it time as well. That's 3 starters along an OL that should realistically feature an anchor LT (Tunsil) and a solid LG (Asiata) who are both young. I'd call this a transition year for our OL, because I'm expecting a lot of big decisions to be made about our OL next offseason.
 
And they also have Orlando Franklin, who could end up a casualty with a 4.8M cap hit. Played for Gase in Denver. He was someone many fans wanted a few years back.

At this point I'd rather have Clifford Franklin.

(Not really. I just can't see that name without thinking of Clifford Franklin, who was played by Orlando Jones.)
 
I am counting on Asiata. IMHO, he is the best guard we have on our roster now that he's signed. Is he perfect? No. But he is going to be a solid pass protector and _by far_ our best run blocking OL.

I wouldn't say I'm happy about our pass protection, but you're right, after those first 5 games where the team needed to learn the system, we did get OK pass protection, and went on a massive winning streak in large part because the offense came together. But, we saw a totally dominant team when we could run the ball. IMHO, that's the key to the Dolphins going from a mid-range team with a chance for the playoffs to a strong team that expects the playoffs every year..

It was much better than ok. We gave up 13 sacks in the last 11 games. 17 sacks in the first 5 games. Even both together 17 qbs were sacked more than Ryan. If we look at the last 11 games our o line was elite in pass protection.

We have no idea what Isaac is going to be. Playing for Utah is no indication of what he will be. Hopefully he is lights out and topples Larsen or Bushrod, but you can't count on it.
 
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