Schefter: Dolphins Will Rebuild Lines In 2019; Are Eyeing A Top Ten Pick And New Qb In 2020 Draft | Page 9 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Schefter: Dolphins Will Rebuild Lines In 2019; Are Eyeing A Top Ten Pick And New Qb In 2020 Draft

In terms of the 2020 qb class you watch that Justin Herbert tape there’s some unevenness to it. Wow you one play leave you wanting more the next.

Ball explodes out of his arm. Somewhat of a 3/4 delivery but at that height I don’t think it matters.

Not sure he’s got it between the ears though. Which makes it eegads dicey

Big big 2019 for him.

Yea, I wanna he him light it up at least give me Mariota type of production.
 
I agree with this. Building a team piece by piece is the stale conventional wisdom approach. It does not fit the current NFL. The league now rewards scoring and does not offer many ways to prevent scoring.

Playoff level is not meaningful level. We are mostly kidding ourselves if we feel great about fortifying the offensive line, etc. Those wild card round teams are still Crowd teams and essentially not much different than fellow Crowd teams that went 6-10. The only way to separate is to find that freakish quarterback who enables legit potential for a first round bye. Kansas City in many ways is a weaker team than pre Mahomes. But who cares?

You take the cards you’re dealt. If you don’t feel there’s that QB in this draft, you take this year to build the lines who will be waiting for the QB you eventually want, and there appear to be a lot of them next year. And remember a good O-line can make an average QB like Prescott look good. A bad one makes an offense that has OBJ and Saquon Barkley look pedestrian. Or a bad one gets the crap knocked out of a promising QB early in his career that’s not so easy to recover from.

So far as playoff success, the GM’s job should be to build a team that in the long run can win as many games as possible. You can’t plan around beating specific teams or clutchness.
 
I agree with rebuilding the lines what I dont agree with is betting that some future QB in the 20 draft is going to be the savior.

Suck for Luck kinda worked out for the colts as a overall pick but they still have only gotten to the playoffs at best.

There are other options other than tanking a franchise if you have the right leaders at the top of the organization.

With what picks were Mahone, Brees, Brady and the Rams QB taken is a point of reference to think about.
 
The saddest thing about this “news” is that it’s probably true. We have to be the dumbest franchise in professional sports. We have the 13th pick, but let’s tell everyone we have no interest in drafting a QB in 2019.

I wonder why some fans are still fans of a particular team when they never have anything positive to say.
 
I wonder why some fans are still fans of a particular team when they never have anything positive to say.

If true, he’s not wrong. You just don’t say you have no interest drafting a QB this year, unless, you really do.
 
I wonder why some fans are still fans of a particular team when they never have anything positive to say.

I wonder why some fans always have to be critical of other fans. Is saying something positive the main qualification of being a fan?

I guess it’s just easier to criticize fans, rather than actually giving any thought to the state of the team and the people running it.
 
First time I've heard any common sense in years around Miami. Build the trenches. Stop ignoring the interior OL. Anyone see how NE's OL dominated the LOS vs SD?

We have too many holes to fill in one off-season so both lines will not be able to be completely fixed. The only two to build on right now are Godchaux/Taylor on DL and they are not high level. Still need an upgrade. Probably edge rusher in round 1 though.

Offense has more holes depending on what they do with James. Need a C and 2 guards long term.

Key hires will be OL coach as well as DL coach. Might be able to retain Kocurek.

But we've been trying to fix the Oline for years if not decades as far as I can remember. Its not as if we've only been drafting high pick QBs and WRs all this time.

From the Jake Longs, Albert Wilson, Pouncey, Tunsil, Jawan James, Incognito & Martin, Vernon Careys we've attempted to address this issue with little success in my opinion both via the draft & free agency.

For whatever reason its not worked out for us which leads me to think trying once again to build a perfect oline is a definition of madness in this day and age. Don't get me wrong it does all begin in the trenches but it is not the be all and end all when the game has evolved & there are other aspects of the game where we really should refocus on.

I would say the more important key points for a successful & more importantly sustainable future for the Dolphins are talented & hungry coaching staff on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, our divisional rivals Pats have shown the league if you have a talented & successful coaching staff with a football identity then you don't need to always have high draft pick players to become a good football team as long as the players you do recruit buy into the coaching schemes presented to them and execute and most importantly create a winning culture.

Finally, as mentioned earlier the game is evolving and I agree most teams nowadays are giving up on building/finding that perfect oline with a traditional pocket passer like Manning who can run an effective offense. That takes time & money in an NFL world that has an increasingly high staff/player turnover. I would say now finding an elite athelete especially at the QB position who can paper over an Oline deficiency by extending plays, but more importantly has the brains to lead an offense and read complex defensive schemes can make a team more successful & get a franchise to this milestone quicker than the traditional former route.
 
I agree with rebuilding the lines what I dont agree with is betting that some future QB in the 20 draft is going to be the savior.

Suck for Luck kinda worked out for the colts as a overall pick but they still have only gotten to the playoffs at best.

There are other options other than tanking a franchise if you have the right leaders at the top of the organization.

With what picks were Mahone, Brees, Brady and the Rams QB taken is a point of reference to think about.

Well Brees was at the end of the 2nd round, we all know about Brady and that is not the model to follow draft wise, Mahomes was the 10th pick, and Goff went 1st overall.... so your post is kind of all over the place
 
I wonder why some fans always have to be critical of other fans. Is saying something positive the main qualification of being a fan?

I guess it’s just easier to criticize fans, rather than actually giving any thought to the state of the team and the people running it.

You realize that you just did exactly what you were mocking, right?

I think the point is that being "realistic" is one thing...going into every thread and giving it a negative slant is something entirely different.
 
No team makes it to the playoffs with poor OL play.

It's basic and fundamental. It all starts on the LOS.

The teams that solve the OL riddle and have a good QB can win.

The teams that solve the OL riddle and have a great QB + a solid D (or better) contend for championships.

Historic fact is simple. Great teams have great OLs.

We've blown high value draft capital on dudes like Parker, Harris and Gesicki at the expense of the LOS.

We've pretty much ignored the QB position and seriously neglected the LOS.

Simple recipe to be a loser IMO.
 
But we've been trying to fix the Oline for years if not decades as far as I can remember. Its not as if we've only been drafting high pick QBs and WRs all this time.

From the Jake Longs, Albert Wilson, Pouncey, Tunsil, Jawan James, Incognito & Martin, Vernon Careys we've attempted to address this issue with little success in my opinion both via the draft & free agency.

For whatever reason its not worked out for us which leads me to think trying once again to build a perfect oline is a definition of madness in this day and age. Don't get me wrong it does all begin in the trenches but it is not the be all and end all when the game has evolved & there are other aspects of the game where we really should refocus on.

I would say the more important key points for a successful & more importantly sustainable future for the Dolphins are talented & hungry coaching staff on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, our divisional rivals Pats have shown the league if you have a talented & successful coaching staff with a football identity then you don't need to always have high draft pick players to become a good football team as long as the players you do recruit buy into the coaching schemes presented to them and execute and most importantly create a winning culture.

Finally, as mentioned earlier the game is evolving and I agree most teams nowadays are giving up on building/finding that perfect oline with a traditional pocket passer like Manning who can run an effective offense. That takes time & money in an NFL world that has an increasingly high staff/player turnover. I would say now finding an elite athelete especially at the QB position who can paper over an Oline deficiency by extending plays, but more importantly has the brains to lead an offense and read complex defensive schemes can make a team more successful & get a franchise to this milestone quicker than the traditional former route.

I don't disagree about finding the QB as that is probably the most important piece but it doesn't do much good if he's getting tackled 2 seconds after the snap.

The history of the front office bad fortune at OL should not discount the idea that it still needs to get done. I don't think you give up just because past regimes have failed. They just need to get it right for once.

At least they brought in some fresh eyes this year. Hopefully the new assistant GM can help in this regard. I've read that there is going to be more changes in the front office going forward. These changes could be the thing that stops us from "the madness". Drafting OL is not the problem. Missing on them is....bring in old, injury prone players is....

I also think this is the time to do it (trenches) after looking at this QB class. If you don't see a guy worth trading up for then don't force it. Take a blue chip DL and go after one next year. I am not enamored with any of these QB's and quite possibly, neither is the FO. Certainly not enough to give up draft picks in a better class.
 
You don't tank tactically, but you can tank strategically and structurally, which is basically saying you tank in the off the field (sign cheaper, less talented (at the time) players, don't sign other players, build your drafts according to a longer plan than the immediate needs scenario, etc.

This is the only way to build a consistent winner. Building a young, dominant offensive line, that goes three deep across the board so the 1st string can grow and develop a cohesive unit - to the point where they can finish each-other's sentences - and then putting a Franchise talent at QB once that Oline has had a year to start that growth seems like the best way to move forward. Remember, you've already got Laremy Tunsil in place and playing at an elite level at LT. That's a BIG hurdle in the rebuild plan. You can build around Laremy and it may cut some time off of the Oline rebuild. It usually takes a few years for the LT to develop.

You can add good players at RB and WR, in year two and maybe add the new prototype TE that the best NFL offenses have (Kelcie, Gronkowski, Ertz) - too big for a db to cover, too fast for a LB/S to cover and too strong for the DE to be able to shed easily in the running game - in year three or four. Remember, we already have some good young players at this spot - Drake and Ballage at RB and Stills, Wilson and Grant at WR. Might be nice to add an eventual tall #1 receiver (to fill the role Parker was supposed to play).

Once the offense is built, you can add smaller pieces, and your running game will be able to help your young and learning defense. At this point you can take the same approach now with your defense. Year three in the draft is when you start stocking your team with Defensive linemen. The new direction for defenses now is to find interior pass rushers. So you take the same approach that you took when building your offensive line only they don't need to finish each-other's sentences. Unlike the offensive line, you just need disruptors. If you have four disruptors up front, that is enough. Then you get an instinctive, run-to-the-football ILB to captain the defense. One that not only is instinctive, but who understands the purpose of the particular defensive scheme you're running, and is unafraid/no hesitation acting on that instinct.

We've already drafted the next three components of the plan - A shut down corner (Xavien Howard), a versatile, intelligent, top athlete (best on team) Free Safety (Minkah Fitzpatrick) and a strong run stopping strong safety who works well with your FS (Reshad Jones). You might say we're in year 2 of a full rebuild.

So in year 4, you can focus on finishing out that defense by getting a couple of cornerbacks who each specialize in a particular type of coverage. One or two that are adequate man on man defenders, and two that are adequate zone defenders. The key being the ability of your two safeties to operate in either coverage type efficiently and on a play-to-play basis. Their ability to have the defensive backs all on the same page on every snap and having everyone in place in those key situations where the defense calls a special play (blitz or coverage switch - m2m to zone and vice versa) before the snap, will determine how effective the defense can be.

Then last but not least, your OLBs (really it's the two OLBs and the weak side ILB). As for the OLBs, you one should be a natural pass rusher, the other should excel in coverage. The weak side ILB should be a run stuffing machine that you can replace on third down with one of those CBs mentioned above.

By year four, your team should be loaded. Draftwise, you're rinsing and repeating each of the processes again. Now you're filling holes that come about as a result of age - especially with that offensive line who has been working together in the trenches for four years now. You're going to have injuries and the occasional defection for more money. You're probably going to have to give your Franchise QB a lucrative extension and your stud CB, FS and ILB on defense are ready for new deals as well.

Add to all of this, a dynamic head coach who commands the respect of his players, and is not so stubborn that he can't adapt to changes that occur strategically and philosophically and coordinators who are hyper sensitive to little things that can doom a team before the ball is snapped. On offense it's things like play tipping (linemen set up in a different stance for run vs. pass), lining up EVERY play with 20 seconds to spare on the play clock (how many times did we see RT get the offense to the line with 4 seconds or less to go - this prevented him from scanning the defense to see what they are doing and it completely nullifies the offense's advantage of surprise because they know the ball is going to be snapped before 0 or it's a penalty so there's no downside to flying off the ball at the zero - how many times were the defensive line in our backfield at the snap? Same thing with the defensive coordinator. It's coaching, noticing those little things the opponent is doing (like consistently snapping the ball at zero etc.) and using that to your advantage.

So if the plan moving forward is something like this, I'm all for it. It means structurally, we'll probably be a poor team - say 3, 4 or 5 wins next year, but in excellent position to be good in 2020 and stay consistently in the 11 - 14 win area thereafter.
 
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You realize that you just did exactly what you were mocking, right?

I think the point is that being "realistic" is one thing...going into every thread and giving it a negative slant is something entirely different.

I wasn’t actually “mocking” anything. It was a question, followed by an attempt to answer the question.
 
I wasn’t actually “mocking” anything. It was a question, followed by an attempt to answer the question.


Fair enough. It just cracked me up that you said "I guess it's easier to criticize fans"...while you were criticizing a fan. But then, I'm easily amused.
 
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