Everybody seems to want the Alabama skill positions but not their OL | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Everybody seems to want the Alabama skill positions but not their OL

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phin1984!

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Everybody seems to want the top Alabama playmakers but not their OL. Ok maybe not exactly their OL but at least the best we can get. Part of the reason of their success was due to their OL.

Obviously we need a new WR and RB but we also need to upgrade the OL. It all starts in the trenches. Just because we drafted 3 last year doesn’t mean the investing has stopped. The chances are at 1 least one will fail and there’s 5 positions to fill so it needs more resources spent on it.

We can’t run the ball which means play action and RPOs are less effective. Which is Tua’s strength. Also he’s not a mobile QB as such so needs more protection.

There is room for improvement as there’s 3 rookies but the chances of them all improving enough to take the OL from one of the NFLs worst to best is next to nothing. They’ll need help where or who I don’t knows.

Our OL was extremely poor just look at rushing average, expert opinions like ESPN or PFF or the time each QB had to throw. We were just improved from last year which made them look better then they were to us.

It might not be exciting but it’s just as important. Don’t forget Hurns and Wilson might be back which will help Tua. All the talk last draft was the top 3 WRs but Jefferson and Claypool out performed them. Pick No3 should be BPA then OL at 18 imo
 
I doubt that we will ignore the o-line. We might even find a gem in FA. But, if not, Leatherwood, Creed Humphrey and some of the studs from the Senior Bowl will be available.
 
I'm in the same boat. Every year I see what looks like great prospects on OL and DL from Alabama, but they often underperform and/or are not durable. After a while, we need to conclude that their ratings are consistently too high. Call it overrated if you like, but I'm not dissing the talent. The fact is that the draft is all about value. Getting a star for a small contract for 4 years is value for your salary cap, which is why you see teams even more than before prioritizing QB's. It's why teams are willing to replace a solid QB with a better one--there is no more killer contracts anchoring teams to QB's. It's why teams prioritize running QB's, because they are faaaaaar more replaceable today, because QB's are CHEAP when you draft them today. College is preparing these guys well, and when they come in, they're usually ready to start!

But the trenches are less about instant stardom, and more about consistency. Guys who aren't durable are not consistent. Guys who play like a guy drafted one round lower are bad picks. If everyone else is willing to pay $10 a cup of coffee that is no better than the coffee across the street .... you cross the street and get the coffee that is just as good for less cost. That's where I am with most Alabama prospects. But, talent is talent, so if I see Barmore (DL) in round 2, I'm good with drafting him. But, I'm not considering him at #3 in the 1st round.
 
When it comes to the 1st round for OL the list is one name long.

If they don’t draft Sewell, it is all about playmakers or maybe a LB at 18.
 
I think our O-line will improve naturally as the rookies develop. I'm fine with Hunt and Jackson at tackle and they showed a lot of promise this year.

The position that needs an upgrade is center. I like Dickerson from Bama, Humphrey from Oklahoma, The D-3 kid from Wisconsin-Whitewater. We could also go after the center from the Packers in Free Agency.
 
Not true, I love Dickerson, if healthy he's easily #1 Center in my book and a target in round 2.

Bama's Line in 2019 was dreadful, one of the reasons why Tua took the hit he did however a lot of work was obviously put in to it for 2020 and it was easily the best in CFB last year, there's a lot of talent there.
 
Digital said:
I'm in the same boat. Every year I see what looks like great prospects on OL and DL from Alabama, but they often underperform and/or are not durable. After a while, we need to conclude that their ratings are consistently too high. Call it overrated if you like, but I'm not dissing the talent. The fact is that the draft is all about value. Getting a star for a small contract for 4 years is value for your salary cap, which is why you see teams even more than before prioritizing QB's. It's why teams are willing to replace a solid QB with a better one--there is no more killer contracts anchoring teams to QB's. It's why teams prioritize running QB's, because they are faaaaaar more replaceable today, because QB's are CHEAP when you draft them today. College is preparing these guys well, and when they come in, they're usually ready to start!

But the trenches are less about instant stardom, and more about consistency. Guys who aren't durable are not consistent. Guys who play like a guy drafted one round lower are bad picks. If everyone else is willing to pay $10 a cup of coffee that is no better than the coffee across the street .... you cross the street and get the coffee that is just as good for less cost. That's where I am with most Alabama prospects. But, talent is talent, so if I see Barmore (DL) in round 2, I'm good with drafting him. But, I'm not considering him at #3 in the 1st round.
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Alabama has such good line talent on both sides that I think the sum of the parts ends up being better than the individual pieces when they move on to the NFL. No one is really pushed to elevate his game when you and the guys next to you are so talented that you never have to overcompensate. You can take plays off and get away with it.
 
daryl said:
Alabama has such good line talent on both sides that I think the sum of the parts ends up being better than the individual pieces when they move on to the NFL. No one is really pushed to elevate his game when you and the guys next to you are so talented that you never have to overcompensate. You can take plays off and get away with it.
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Good point. Much of OL play is chemistry among the guys on the offensive line. Alabama takes great talent and coaches it up extremely well, and they do whatever is needed to get them on the field, so those guys are a bit worse for the wear by the time they're in the NFL, but the product at Alabama does look splendid.
 
Oline men can be had from other teams like Creed Humphrey, Dillon Radunz, and Quinn Meinerz who are all worthy of a pick in the 2nd IMO. Most of the bama OL looked slow and fat at the senior bowl, didn’t see anything special with most of them.
 
Would not mind drafting Leatherwood and moving him to RG. I do not trust his pass pro at all on Tua’s blindside. Dickerson is a great C prospect, but his injury history is tough to ignore. He a guy I would watch to see if he falls on draft day.
 
People continue to say that we can get good WR's later on in the draft but we can also get good O-line guys later on. Some people make it sound as if drafting O-line in the top 10 is the only way to go. I'd say Hunt was the best out of the 3 guys we drafted but we got Jackson before we got him. There's an argument that can fit any agenda. Most people know our O-line is not perfect but at least there's hope with having those 3 young guys going into their 2nd year. Our WR situation on the other hand is bad the way it is right now and it needs to be fixed.
 
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