3 Yards Per Carry - Draft Recap | Page 5 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

3 Yards Per Carry - Draft Recap

If you guys could just add the Alf from TV into the mix...

alf.jpg

Boomer said:
I'm speaking English, not Mandarin!!

Maybe I should do an entire show in an American accent and see if people enjoy it more?!
Click to expand...

Awww sheizen! Finally, I know who the infamous Boomer is. Hey man, sorry I gave you any flak on the other site. Truly outstanding podcast! You and Carmen Cygni get lifetime passes from here on out.
 
Just finished listening to the outstanding podcast (was getting a little burnt out listening to the Golden State Killer crime blogs, LOL).

I've been banging the drum for some time now that given the rare clean pocket, Tannehill had the 4th best QBR and, even having to contend with what he did, overall was 2nd or 3rd in 20yd plus deep passing... accompanied by the wistful comment that he had something like the sub-par low 20s ranked OL in '16, a definite improvement over the #32 and #31 the prev 2 years, so imagine what he can do with an average or better OL.

You guys directly and indirectly hit on the reality that Gase and the FO realized that too. I didn't realize that Sutton had the best ever PFF pass protection rating but did know that Kilgore's strength was pass protection as you pointed out. When you add Ballage who one of you pointed out in '16 was among the best at that in the conference and Smythe (who knew that's pronounced "Smith"), Tannehill, if healthy should be able to replicate some of that '16 success.... hopefully at least. Thanks :thumbsup
 
From board discussios to draft chats to web site (forgot the name lol) to Twitter and now this awesome podcast!
I've been plugged in for a while. Always great insight!
 
Vaark said:
Just finished listening to the outstanding podcast (was getting a little burnt out listening to the Golden State Killer crime blogs, LOL).

I've been banging the drum for some time now that given the rare clean pocket, Tannehill had the 4th best QBR and, even having to contend with what he did, overall was 2nd or 3rd in 20yd plus deep passing... accompanied by the wistful comment that he had something like the sub-par low 20s ranked OL in '16, a definite improvement over the #32 and #31 the prev 2 years, so imagine what he can do with an average or better OL.

You guys directly and indirectly hit on the reality that Gase and the FO realized that too. I didn't realize that Sutton had the best ever PFF pass protection rating but did know that Kilgore's strength was pass protection as you pointed out. When you add Ballage who one of you pointed out in '16 was among the best at that in the conference and Smythe (who knew that's pronounced "Smith"), Tannehill, if healthy should be able to replicate some of that '16 success.... hopefully at least. Thanks :thumbsup
Click to expand...

"Protecting Tannehill" was a theme that we detected IMMEDIATELY at the start of free agency, so it's been a thing we've talked about from the start. They're protecting him three ways.

1. There's the actual blocking. Their approach to improving the blocking itself has been COMPREHENSIVE:

1A. They set aside over $9 million for one year of service from their right tackle. Nowhere had that been considered to be anywhere in the cards for Miami this off season, until suddenly word got out that they're going to pay James that fifth year option salary and keep him.

1B. They swapped out Mike Pouncey for Kilgore. How does this help? After all, it is true that Pouncey was a good pass protector in 2017. He fell off in the run game but not in pass pro. And though Kilgore is a decent pass protector, I wouldn't exactly say his pass pro should be much better than Pouncey's was in 2017. But the swap helps in two ways. Despite the MIRACLE of Pouncey having made it through 16 games in 2017, there's no way you expect him to repeat that feat going forward with those hips. And when your center misses games, it's really disruptive to the pass protection. So in Kilgore they got a guy they have more reason to suspect will play all 16 games and give them stability. The second way the swap helps pass protection is, I had been hearing from inside the facility that they needed to do away with Pouncey because of the simple fact that their "16 games" regimen for Pouncey was taking its toll on the REST of the offensive unit. Pouncey didn't practice! Or he hardly ever did. A bunch of his reps had to go to backups, so that on game day their white glove delivery service could unzip Mike from his hermetically sealed casing and hope those octogenarian hips of his somehow hold up for 60 minutes. The lack of consistency from practice to games detracted from the unit's cohesion in pass protection. They needed normalcy, and in Kilgore that's what they're hoping for. He's always been a particularly CEREBRAL type. He's the first guy to digest a new offense and teach it around.

1C. As mentioned, Josh Sitton is pretty much Pro Football Focus's best graded pass protecting guard...EVER. And even if you don't like the PFF grading system, simple fact of the matter is when I popped on the tape of the guy, though I had to question how much mobility he has left for the run game, his pass pro is still pristine. Talk about anchor, awareness, and technique,. Inserting him at left guard (where he played for most of his career, the position he loves the most) not only stabilizes the pass pro at that particular position, it's also aimed at stabilizing Laremy Tunsil, who was a problem in 2017. He now has Josh Sitton protecting his inside post leg, and communicating with him on what they're seeing. It could be a big deal. Two-for-one special!

1D. They added Frank Gore, who is about as experienced and successful a pass protector as you get at the position. And then they added Kalen Ballage, who has the great length, strength, and willingness it takes to be a good blocker at the position in the NFL. He'll learn from Gore, too. He was already a good pass protector coming out of college, and now he will be even better. Getting those two players in particular...was a decision. And it fits the theme perfectly.

1E. You have to account for the fact they didn't just stop at a Mike Gesicki (which, let's be honest, would've been a negative for the blocking), but that they went one further and got Durham Smythe. Very well experienced, very SMART blocker at Notre Dame. He's tricky. He was coached well. He loves it. This is yet more evidence of their commitment to this theme.

2. Here's the second way that they're protecting Ryan Tannehill: by acquiring not one, not even two replacement options for Jarvis Landry in the QUICK passing game, but actually acquiring FIVE quick game and outlet specialists. It wasn't just Danny Amendola. It was Danny Amendola (very proven player, if not always a healthy one), Albert Wilson (literally one of the best slot receivers in the NFL in 2017), Mike Gesicki (a tight end who gets open like he does is always a QB's best friend), Frank Gore (one of the most experienced pass catchers out of the backfield you can find), and Kalen Ballage (second only to Saquon Barkley as a pass catcher out of the backfield). Notice I didn't toss in Durham Smythe. That's because I don't want to cheapen the point. Smythe is an unproven pass catcher out of Notre Dame. The above guys are legitimately upper echelon options for addressing this. And those guys will team up with proven quick game specialists Jakeem Grant (screens) and Kenyan Drake (who is a proven pass catcher both at Alabama and Miami) to give the Dolphins tons of options that have a tendency to de-fang a defensive front focused on murdering your quarterback. Tannehill isn't just among the best in the NFL when he's got a clean pocket. You had that right but I'll do you one further. He's also among the best in the NFL when he's getting the football out of his hands in under 2.5 seconds, and those things actually overlap quite a bit on the Venn diagram. The Dolphins made sure they've got an enormous number of bullets in the clip for figuring out ways to get the ball out of Ryan's hands quickly.

3. The third way they're protecting Tannehill is with the thing that has always been Ryan Tannehill's very best friend since he was at Texas A&M...and that is a GROUND GAME. Again, I don't want to cheapen the point. Every quarterback loves a ground game. Every quarterback is better in the presence of an effective one. But Tannehill historically has been MORE sensitive to the presence or lack of ground game than most other quarterbacks. It's just part of who he is. I also won't cheapen the point by pretending Kilgore will be a great run game specialist. But he's not a downgrade there from what Pouncey was in 2017 at this stage of his career with those hips. Despite Josh Sitton's lack of mobility (not sure he was ever really mobile, so it might not be an age thing), he has a tendency to be a very effective run game blocker. More so than we were getting from Jermon Bushrod. Sitton is mostly an upgrade in pass pro, but is also a discrete upgrade in run blocking versus his predecessors. Setting aside the $9 million for Ja'Wuan isn't just about pass pro, either. It also keeps the run blocking savvy, because he's a heck of a run blocker on that right side. And they're keeping a space open for a Jesse Davis to work next to him at right guard, which again is a boon for the run blocking. Laremy Tunsil is still the left tackle. He's a boon for the run blocking. Grabbing Durham Smythe is a boon for the run blocking. But mostly this is about taking to the field with a backfield consisted of Kenyan Drake, Frank Gore, AND Kalen Ballage. That's a big deal, making sure you've got that depth. Drake has never been a particularly durable player and Gore is aged. Ballage really fills a key role making sure the ground unit has a good chance at staying frosty all season long, and that we don't run through stretches where we can't count on it and everything is back on Tannehill's shoulders. The ground unit should also continue to benefit from the SPEED they have at wide receiver with Kenny Stills, Jakeem Grant, and now Albert Wilson (do people know he was initially a perimeter WR with the Chiefs and a pretty good one at that?), to go with Mr. Deep Post (the lengthy leaper, DeVante Parker). But now they've also added a Mike Gesicki, who believe it or not was a key piece that Penn State used from a misdirection standpoint to keep defenses from keying up so strongly on Saquon Barkley. They just have a really great balance here, a chance to get this ground game going and keep it going, to weather storms, etc.

This off season was really about "all in on Ryan Tannehill".

They showed it by not going out of their way to sign anyone big or expensive (e.g. Teddy Bridgewater or A.J. McCarron). They showed it by allowing Josh Rosen to go one pick before them without bothering to try and trade up for him (with Adam Beasley reporting that they would've passed even if he made it to 11), they showed it by not even drafting another QB, and they still haven't even signed on a fourth camp arm as an undrafted free agent.

But most of all, they showed it with their thematic investments at OL, TE, RB, and WR.
 
Last edited:
Not going to lie, I never thought about it the way you guys brought up the point that Ohio State doesn't protect their LBs unlike Bama and Georgia..

Miami doesn't protect their linebackers, at all. McMillian and Baker are prefect backers for that type of defense. I don't see a reason that Baker doesn't start getting play time day one, I also see him supplanting Kiko as a starter by next season at the latest.
 
Good post.

Agree.

Beyond that -- I think the formula you're describing is relative to the majority of N F L QBs -- and doesn't expect the QB to be Mr. Hero all by himself week in and week out.

If Gase is gonna get it done - it's about implementing a highly efficient / effective sustainable approach to the offense -- and most importantly -- find a way to generate TDs consistently...

Sure helps the entire process when you're playing with a lead as opposed to trying to catch up all the time.

I think the O will continue to be inconsistent until we start playing effectively/ efficiently (scoring points) in the first possession or two.

Bottom line -- we gotta get off to a good start...
 
Perhaps this is mostly anecdotal but I always perceived Jarvis Landry as a guy that was part of the late start/fast finish phenomenon.

We talked about it on I believe Episode 1.1. Here's Jarvis Landry's career split into 1st half/2nd half:

1ST HALVES
2014: 40 of 52 for 343 yards, 0 TD
2015: 49 of 73 for 478 yards, 2 TD
2016: 37 of 52 for 351 yards, 1 TD
2017: 55 of 74 for 401 yards, 3 TD
Total: 181 of 251 for 1,573 yards, 6 TDs...8.7 yards per catch, 6.3 yards per target, 2.39% TD rate

2ND HALVES
2014: 44 of 60 for 415 yards, 5 TD
2015: 62 of 93 for 681 yards, 2 TD
2016: 56 of 77 for 753 yards, 3 TD
2017: 58 of 88 for 586 yards, 6 TD
Total: 220 of 318 for 2,435 yards, 16 TDs...11.1 yards per catch, 7.7 yards per target, 5.03% TD rate

It's absolutely ridiculous.

The guy took over games in the second halves, but was really a BAD wide receiver in the first half of games.

I don't know what else you'd call a receiver who over two full seasons worth of games averages 90 catches for 787 yards and 3 TDs on 126 targets. That's not a good wide receiver. That is absolutely a reason you get off to slow starts as an offense.

But in the second half, after the defense has sort of given you a clue as to what they're doing to defend you, and after the player can get his head into the game a bit more, we're talking 110 catches for 1,218 yards and 8 TDs on 159 targets. It's Jarvis Landry at his best.

I think just letting Jarvis Landry go off to a new team you're going to see an immediate change in the way Miami gets off to slow starts and then tries to play catch-up.
 
ckparrothead said:
Perhaps this is mostly anecdotal but I always perceived Jarvis Landry as a guy that was part of the late start/fast finish phenomenon.

We talked about it on I believe Episode 1.1. Here's Jarvis Landry's career split into 1st half/2nd half:

1ST HALVES
2014: 40 of 52 for 343 yards, 0 TD
2015: 49 of 73 for 478 yards, 2 TD
2016: 37 of 52 for 351 yards, 1 TD
2017: 55 of 74 for 401 yards, 3 TD
Total: 181 of 251 for 1,573 yards, 6 TDs...8.7 yards per catch, 6.3 yards per target, 2.39% TD rate

2ND HALVES
2014: 44 of 60 for 415 yards, 5 TD
2015: 62 of 93 for 681 yards, 2 TD
2016: 56 of 77 for 753 yards, 3 TD
2017: 58 of 88 for 586 yards, 6 TD
Total: 220 of 318 for 2,435 yards, 16 TDs...11.1 yards per catch, 7.7 yards per target, 5.03% TD rate

It's absolutely ridiculous.

The guy took over games in the second halves, but was really a BAD wide receiver in the first half of games.

I don't know what else you'd call a receiver who over two full seasons worth of games averages 90 catches for 787 yards and 3 TDs on 126 targets. That's not a good wide receiver. That is absolutely a reason you get off to slow starts as an offense.

But in the second half, after the defense has sort of given you a clue as to what they're doing to defend you, and after the player can get his head into the game a bit more, we're talking 110 catches for 1,218 yards and 8 TDs on 159 targets. It's Jarvis Landry at his best.

I think just letting Jarvis Landry go off to a new team you're going to see an immediate change in the way Miami gets off to slow starts and then tries to play catch-up.
Click to expand...

Just..wow, never seen splits like that and it’s telling.

What’s been Miami’s issue for a few years? Slow starts. Let’s hope those go away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom