Barry Jackson notes from Day 1 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Barry Jackson notes from Day 1

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Daytona Fin

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If the Dolphins open the season with the same starting offensive line that took the field for the first day of practice on Friday, they will be using a center (Shelley Smith) who has never played a single snap at that position in an NFL game, a left guard (Daryn Colledge) that wasn’t even on the team a month ago and a right guard (Dallas Thomas) who played three offensive snaps last season.

That group, bookmarked by new tackles Branden Albert and Ja’Wuan James, gave up many of the more than half-dozen sacks relinquished by the offensive line on Friday. Cameron Wake beat James at least twice for sacks. Randy Starks, Wake and Jason Trusnik collected sacks during a four-play sequence late in practice.

“Today wasn’t the practice we wanted to have,” Ryan Tannehill said. “Balls on the ground and sacks.”

Joe Philbin said “we had the ball on the ground way too much” and that stemmed from at least three poor center-to-quarterback snaps, two involving Smith and Tannehill.

Smith, who expected to be the starting right guard, instead has been shifted to center in the absence of Mike Pouncey, who is expected to miss potentially seven games after hip surgery.

Smith took snaps at center during the offseason program but his center experience during games is limited to a few snaps at ColoradoState and in high school. He never has started a game at center at any level.

Smith said he wasn’t informed of the position switch until Thursday but wasn’t surprised.

He said “we don’t know yet” whether his move to center will continue until Pouncey’s return, but that’s Miami’s preference if Smith proves he can handle it.

“It will be a new challenge for me,” Smith said. “I’m looking forward to it. The biggest adjustment, especially in this offense, is getting guys in the right position to be successful. Guys are ready to step up and fill in until [Pouncey] is back or if he’s not back, fill in the whole year.” (Nobody expects Pouncey to miss the season, but I found it curious that Smith said that.)

Philbin opted for Smith as the starting center instead of Sam Brenner, who took second-team snaps there.

### With Smith shifting to center, the Dolphins inserted Colledge at left guard, the position he has played primarily in his career. The Dolphins passed on Colledge during the first phase of free agency but signed him in late June after Pouncey’s injury.

“I’ve taken 9000 reps at left guard and 500 reps at probably every other position,” said Colledge, who has started 124 of 128 NFL games, including every game for Arizona last season. “But I will swing over if that’s what’s needed.

“The guys behind me are actually ahead of me in the system and physically. I haven’t played football since [late December]. I have some rust to knock off. Hopefully, my vet savviness will eventually catch back up.”
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“There were times last year when I could have made plays on the ball--jumped over a couple guys,” Wallace said. “That’s my main thing: coming back to the ball. Knowing that not every ball is going to come far. Some are going to drop short. When the ball is not perfect I’ve got to make plays on it.”

### Wallace, on his state of mind: “I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been. I feel really comfortable. I know everything about the team. Last year, I felt kind of like a rookie in a new environment. I love the environment, love the coaches. I think the guys are a lot more comfortable understanding their roles, the whole team in general. Coach [Bill] Lazor coming in with some energy for us, a big shot of energy, a nice variety of plays. He brings a different type of excitement to the table. I love coach [Mike] Sherman but coach Lazor is a different type of guy so I’m excited about it.”

He also said: “I need to be more of a complete receiver instead of a one-dimensional guy.”

On pundits predicting the Dolphins won’t do much this year, Wallace said: “I don’t listen to that stuff. I don’t care. I know what we have on our team. They sleep on us. We’re going to wake their ass up.”

### Randy Starks, Jared Odrick and Earl Mitchell alternated with the first team at defensive tackle. Starks and Mitchell were on the field for the start of team drills, for what that’s worth.
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Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/spor...-of-dolphins-training-camp.html#storylink=cpy
 
### What did we see from Lazor’s offense today? Among other things: Bubble screens, quick passes, a read option play, Tannehill throwing on the move (some by design, some by necessity), spread formations, multiple sets (including one with tight ends Dion Sims and Michael Egnew both lined up as receivers), considerable use of tight ends in the passing game, play-action fakes and several passes to running backs (Lamar Miller made a particularly nice catch on one of them).
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I liked reading this. Variety is something we haven't had in a long time. But its only day 1...
 
Zounds said:
I liked reading this. Variety is something we haven't had in a long time. But its only day 1...
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We can all only hope that Lazor continues to implement these kinds of these things and have a fresh playbook. But like you said it's only day 1.
 
dlockz said:
not gonna judge the line until they get into pads fulltime but hard to think there will be much improvement without Pouncey
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Too many sacks pads or no pads...and Shelley with a possible tell on pouncey not returning this year...
 
Vernon beat Albert like 4 times in scrimmage a few weeks back. Try to tell me pads dont matter. ..
 
On pundits predicting the Dolphins won’t do much this year, Wallace said: “I don’t listen to that stuff. I don’t care. I know what we have on our team. They sleep on us. We’re going to wake their ass up.”

That last line is sick.
 
Hated reading about all the sacks and that we are exposing Tannehill with read option stuff. But loved every thing else about the Lazor offense. Tannehill hit Wallace once, which is something upon which to build.

Lazor using the TE's and backs in the pass game just like he did so well at UVa. He generates plays for a secondary to contend with big guys (TE's) and dangerous open field runners (RB's) instead of solely WR's.

Opposing LB's and DB's are going to hate lining up against Lazor's offense. It will expose mismatches, highlight defensive situational substitutions and lock them into those matchups using an uptempo attack.

No more running against stacked boxes or throwing into coverage all the time.
 
You guys take things too literally. Smith made a comment that he is prepared to man the center until Pouncey comes back, or for the year if needed. Calm down people.
 
The sacks are worrying. Especially the info that wake, Vernon, and someone else all had sacks on a four down drill. 3 out of 4 plays? that sounds very familiar. If our line is as bad as it was last year we are gon a be in for what will likely be the longest season I've experienced. Even more so than the 1-15 because this team is loaded with talent. To see it all go to waste because of dreadful protection up front would be beyond frustrating.

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