This kind of feels like beating a dead horse at this point, but NFL Films executive producer Greg Cosell has a great column out today about the most valuable positions in today’s NFL.Cosell writes that quarterback, pass rusher and cornerback are the three most important positions, and that a good quarterback can mask the inefficiencies of his offensive line. The Dolphins, of course, took Long over Ryan, and while Long has been named to four straight Pro Bowls, the Dolphins are just 31-33 in his four seasons with only one playoff berth. Ryan, meanwhile, has led the Falcons to the playoffs in three of his four seasons.As Cosell writes:Think about this: the past four Super Bowl-winning left tackles were David Diehl (a former fifth-round pick at guard), Chad Clifton (second round), Jermon Bushrod (fourth round) and Max Starks (third round). The quarterbacks on those championship teams were Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger, each likely on anyone’s short list of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.We can debate how well those tackles played in those given seasons, but there’s a larger context. Is there a correlation between the quarterback position and the left tackle position? Can the argument be made that left tackle decreases in relative importance the better the quarterback, and is therefore less of a priority? Last season, Marshall Newhouse, a fifth-round pick in 2010, started 10 games at left tackle for the Packers. He struggled individually much of the season. It had little impact on Rodgers’ efficiency, or the overall performance of Green Bay’s offense.The elite quarterbacks camouflage and compensate for offensive line deficiencies in many ways. They do it before the snap of the ball with their understanding of defensive pressure schemes and the pass protection adjustments that must then result. They do it after the snap with their decision making, their advanced sense of timing and anticipation, and their ability to move in the pocket to minimize and negate the pass rushhttp://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thedailydolphin/2012/04/12/miami-dolphins-notebook-cameron-wake-continues-to-sit-out-while-dolphins-check-out-small-school-players/