Dolphins confident they can find TWO starting guards | Page 2 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Dolphins confident they can find TWO starting guards

2015: Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner. And you wonder why this team was 6-10 while Ryan Tannehill was sacked 45 times?.

2016: Laremy Tunsil and Jermon Bushrod.


Don't forget that Thomas and Turner started 2016 because Tannenbaum is a complete idiot who can't do his job! Why were these guys still on the roster at all? They were two of the worst Guards in the entire league and Tannenbaum couldn't find ANYONE to take their place? The poor o-line play was a major reason why Miami started 1-4, and it was all Tannenbaum's fault for not fixing the o-line.
 
uk_dolfan said:
Two? Aside from accidently getting Tunsil they havent managed to find one good guard in living memory
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To be fair, we did have Richie Incognito and John Jerry at one time...Just were not patient or have good enough coaching to continue helping Jerry grow to be better, quicker, and...Well, Richie was just a thug...We could use a thug at Guard right now.
 
Kdawg954 said:
Stress levels are high because Dolfans (and Ryan Tannehill) have suffered from battered wife syndrome when it comes to the inability to find competency at the guard position.

But I agree fully with this approach because it shouldn't require a top 20 pick at every spot on the line to have success.

Hell Bushrod came in and performed at a level higher than any guard the last damn near decade. It shouldn't be too hard and Gase knows the type of player he needs there.
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Bushrod was terrible.
 
TheWalrus said:
Bushrod was terrible.
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I never said he was great, but in comparison to what we had at the position he was functional and performed better than highly invested draft picks we have wasted over the years.

Should give people more confidence that you don't need a top tier pick/FA to fill the guard void. A lot has to do with scheme and the coach knowing the type of player he covets.

At least I feel we have that here.
 
Albert Romano said:
It is not likely the Dolphins will spend extravagantly on two guards. The more likely course, according to those familiar with the team’s thinking, is addressing this issue by signing one free agent with starter potential and perhaps using a third- or fourth-round pick on a rookie.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/s...-salguero/article133977949.html#storylink=cpy

And they wonder why we have concerns? Basically that says were going to pick up a Guard with potential, not proven, and a draft pick..and thats what I truly expect they wont spend big in a guard.
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This makes me queasy
 
I'm more optimistic than I've been in years...

1) Gase seems like a legit Gamechanger at head coach with his ability to mold the culture and get the most out of offensive players
2) While I'm on the fence on the individuals in the FO, I'm convinced that they are collaborating tightly with the coaching staff on personnel. I believe this is as important, or actually more important, than individual brilliance
3) We have what looks like a core of good to great players in key positions - QB, DE, DT, LT, CB
4) I realize that you don't need a pro bowler at every position. A mix of solid guys who do their jobs with a core of very good/great guys can be very successful

Taking off my rose colored glasses, I'm VERY concerned with:

1. the gaping holes in the interior of the OLine...no starting caliber guards and a center (who I like a lot) who appears to have chronic hip issues on the roster. This issue could derail our promising running game and/or ruin our QBs productivity (at best) or get him killed (at worst)
2. a LB unit that fails to do LB things like get to the right hole, shed blocks, make tackles or cover RBs/TEs completely exposing our defense (again) by smart OCs with decent tools
3. a pass rush that is predicated on Cam Wake continuing to defy age and injury

In my view, these three things have to be addressed to at least a reasonable degree for us to have sustained success...including getting back to, and beyond the first round of, the playoffs. Hopefully these concerns are reasonable and would not befuddle the FO, since last year the only issue that would have been there that came off was that we did not have CBs that could do CB things like stay with the WRs and stop them from catching passes...still need some improvement there, but it's MUCH better.

Looking forward to seeing how the FO deals with these issues with FA and draft...
 
Albert Romano said:
It is not likely the Dolphins will spend extravagantly on two guards. The more likely course, according to those familiar with the team’s thinking, is addressing this issue by signing one free agent with starter potential and perhaps using a third- or fourth-round pick on a rookie.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/s...-salguero/article133977949.html#storylink=cpy

And they wonder why we have concerns? Basically that says were going to pick up a Guard with potential, not proven, and a draft pick..and thats what I truly expect they wont spend big in a guard.
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Yeah that's not good enough. They need to spend a few bucks on one of these guards. The cheap second tier route/draft never works out for us at that position.


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Considering Pouncey's hip issues, wouldn't he be better served moving to guard? I know he is a better C than a G, but at C you have to bend down much lower and much longer which must be a complication with persistent hip issues. A move to G might extend his career.

We need to get at least one G in FA and a C/G in the draft who can give some flexibility when Pouncey goes down.
 
tay0365 said:
To be fair, we did have Richie Incognito and John Jerry at one time...Just were not patient or have good enough coaching to continue helping Jerry grow to be better, quicker, and...Well, Richie was just a thug...We could use a thug at Guard right now.
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We also had Wade something or other (played for the Texans) plus the kid who starred for the Eagles on their line. Hell we have let a lot of talent go or be buried behind poor coaching until the player isn't worth a damn.

There's no reason we shouldn't be able to find a couple of young "veteran" OGs who are looking for a chance to start. Make the entire draft this year about defense and finding LBs and a DE.


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I don't mean to sound abrasive but I can't help but think that the Pouncey hip issue has more to do with actually playing the game and the struggles associated with moving these behemoths, rather than the starting position of a center in relation to the other linemen.


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tay0365 said:
To be fair, we did have Richie Incognito and John Jerry at one time...Just were not patient or have good enough coaching to continue helping Jerry grow to be better, quicker, and...Well, Richie was just a thug...We could use a thug at Guard right now.
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I'd still take him back.

Well, except for ...

richie-incognito-sr-quotes-7.jpg
 
i'd love to have Richie back, he's a Bill now though and playing very well.
 
BlueUndertow said:
Hahahhaha!!! I'll believe it when I see it. But yeah, this front office has yet to find even one competent starting Offensive Guard EVER! If it was so easy, why hasn't it happened yet?

The caveat is that there ARE guards out there. This front office has to make the right negotiations to land them. It would be quite a relief to be able to move onto another topic of conversation than the Dolphins' historically poor guard play/personnel.
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Last season was better than ... say the last decade. Tunsil and Bushrod were an above average pair. Tunsil is now our LT and Bushrod is a FA. I hope they can resign Bushrod and find another guard to compete for that spot. Steen is a candidate for one of the spots. But I would love to see them go and get a top guard like Leary or Zeitler. What scares me the most is the FO trying to draft a guard in the middle rounds ... that is a crap shoot for sure. Peterson from UNC could be a good pick and there are a few others that can work. Gase knows the type of player he needs so after this past season he has earned some trust from me.
 
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