To build a successful football team, it’s paramount to have a good mix of veterans and young talent. A good football team starts in the trenches, a place where that perfect mixture should be evident.That’s exactly what you have on the Miami Dolphins offensive line. On one side, Pro Bowler Branden Albert and
Daryn Colledge have 209 starts and loads of experience. On the other side, two young agile and athletic players in rookie
Ja’Wuan James and newly minted full-time starter
Shelley Smith. And smack dab in the middle, a 99-game starter
Samson Satele anchoring the center position until the return of Pro Bowler
Mike Pouncey.
In a recent interview with The Finsiders, Albert talked about the makeup of the Miami offensive line, and
how it contributed to their Week One success.
“We work as a unit, said Albert. ““The guys played pretty well. A lot of people have been questioning the guards and whatnot but those guys have been working real hard. I think we have two pretty good guards, and we all work together.”
While much of the publicity during the preseason was focused on the tackles, with the major free acquisition of Albert and
the drafting of Ja’Wuan James, but it’s the other guys in Albert’s estimation that are so key to successful o-line play. Setting the edge at the line of scrimmage is crucial, but holding down the center of the field is just as important.
“I think with Daryn (Colledge) and Samson (Satele), those guys have been around the block so many times and Shelley, with his run blocking ability, we were able to stay within our framework,” said Albert. “We didn’t get into a lot of third and longs, we didn’t put ourselves in bad situations in the second half. Even with the three turnovers we stayed in the framework of what we’re best at:
ground and pound, protect the quarterback, though we could be better at that, but for the most part, it worked to our advantage.”
