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
"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.