Perfect72
It's Only Happened ONCE!
During an animated meeting in December the Miami Dolphins considered moving Kiko Alonso out of his middle linebacker spot and to an outside (weakside) position to address some of the flaws among the team’s linebacker corps.
The idea was to move Alonso outside and use second-year reserve Mike Hull as the team’s middle linebacker instead. And the argument for the change was that Alonso outside and Hull in the middle could be more productive than, say, Alonso in the middle and reserve Spencer Paysigner or someone else outside.
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Ultimately, the idea was rejected.
The Dolphins, sources say, didn’t want to “mess with Kiko’s head” three months into the season by asking him to move. The team also wasn’t certain moving Alonso to a position he had not played or practice much at the entire season would be an upgrade.
So nothing happened.
But this offseason ... the move will be revisited.
Why?
The Dolphins, who expect to address the linebacker position with the addition of perhaps two new starters out of the three positions, want flexibility in their search for upgrades. And with an Alonso move on the table, scouts don’t necessarily have to limit their search to weakside and strongside linebackers. They can search for a middle linebacker as well.
So, for example, if the best available linebacker is a middle linebacker, the team can go in that direction and move Alonso outside -- accomplishing what it set out to do, which is improve the entire unit.
“Really, these next few months are a two-fold evaluation of our roster, and trying to make that better, and then our scheme fit, and trying to make that better,” new defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “It kind of goes hand and hand. We’ll see what other type of players we bring in through free agency and the draft and where Kiko fits in.
“Obviously we see him as an important piece of the future. I had a great time working with him and helping him get to that point; but, we really haven’t even started to evaluate position moves, fits, schemes, all of that stuff. That’s going to be an ongoing process.”
More at LINK: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article126974889.html
Your thoughts?
The idea was to move Alonso outside and use second-year reserve Mike Hull as the team’s middle linebacker instead. And the argument for the change was that Alonso outside and Hull in the middle could be more productive than, say, Alonso in the middle and reserve Spencer Paysigner or someone else outside.
[FONT="][/FONT]
Ultimately, the idea was rejected.
The Dolphins, sources say, didn’t want to “mess with Kiko’s head” three months into the season by asking him to move. The team also wasn’t certain moving Alonso to a position he had not played or practice much at the entire season would be an upgrade.
So nothing happened.
But this offseason ... the move will be revisited.
Why?
The Dolphins, who expect to address the linebacker position with the addition of perhaps two new starters out of the three positions, want flexibility in their search for upgrades. And with an Alonso move on the table, scouts don’t necessarily have to limit their search to weakside and strongside linebackers. They can search for a middle linebacker as well.
So, for example, if the best available linebacker is a middle linebacker, the team can go in that direction and move Alonso outside -- accomplishing what it set out to do, which is improve the entire unit.
“Really, these next few months are a two-fold evaluation of our roster, and trying to make that better, and then our scheme fit, and trying to make that better,” new defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “It kind of goes hand and hand. We’ll see what other type of players we bring in through free agency and the draft and where Kiko fits in.
“Obviously we see him as an important piece of the future. I had a great time working with him and helping him get to that point; but, we really haven’t even started to evaluate position moves, fits, schemes, all of that stuff. That’s going to be an ongoing process.”
More at LINK: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article126974889.html
Your thoughts?
