Is our O-Line improved?
- Thread starter xSxPxHx
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This is how I see it as well. I don’t trust Ajax or Daniels to stay healthy.
OL9 played less than 70 snaps last year, and that's with Armstead and Jackson missing significant time. We can get by with Eich for 1.25 games in that role, but after re-watching the 49ers game, and seeing how important 1 more win would have been, I'd prefer to roll the dice with Wynn as the last backup.
WestLondonDolphin
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Is Borom Gryphonk’s anti-Graham Barton?
A guy you’ve got a ridiculously strong opinion about but have never actually seen play?
DANTODUPER
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They should be better. Very good is another thing. Paul looks like another player that will take a long time to develop. (Griers mark), Daniels is a very good Player when healthy, he can actually be our best OL IF healthy, but his health is a big gamble (Another Grier trait). Brewer is a solid center and was our best OL not named Armstead last year and by far. (The one thing Grier is good at is finding value on FAs that play way above expectations with us, like Brooks and Brewer). Jackson is just an average OT when healthy. But average is more than we had last year. Problem is he is another injury concern on the long list of injury concerns we have on our OL. Finally Savaiianea is an unkown, but if he stays healthy and plays average he will be way better than Suckenberg. I expect better than last year (which is easy to achieve) but not even close to top 10 on the league.
GatorFin73
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I don't know if it will be better, totally a guessing game given no one can predict the health or lack thereof we will have, I am though excited to have two young 2nd round picks on the line with PP and the rookie. If ultimately good players (no busts allowed, at least in this context), it's going to be fun to watch them get after it and then along with AJ we would have a couple anchors at key spots for years to come.
No, you're right that if they were 17, that is not a point for celebration, what I mean is if it happen to be the 17 best line, the offense might be more explosive then last year. Like I said, I hope for 7 if the line fell between 7-17.
I would not be jumping up for joy if that was the best they could achieve with finally looking as if they fixed the interior of the line.
Mello Yello
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People keep saying Daniels is coming off an ACL....that's wrong.
It's a torn Achilles. which happened in late-September last year.
A player rushing back after an Achilles leaves a ton of questions.
- When will James Daniels truly be ready to start less than 1-yr removed from his injury?
- How rough might his introduction be having had little to no full participation in physical practices?
- How much will his normal strength & conditioning be limited in '25 due to his having had to focus on rehab?
- Will there be lasting impacts on him as a player resulting from such a devastating injury?
What we saw from Jaelan Phillips in his return last year leads me to be very cautious with my expectations for James Daniels.
I wouldn't be surprised if it takes all year for James Daniels to get back to form and get comfortable in this new McDaniel system. He's a good player but he's not starting from a good place.
The fact he signed a 3-yr deal gives me hope that Miami's front office felt comfortable with his recovery but that doesn't make me think he's going to be 100% come September.
Mello Yello
Active Roster
Yeah, I could be a lot more negative...
...and quite frankly, it's my being polite that I don't lean into it because this is an area of the team that will have existential implications on this regime based on the very real impacts of the OL on the offense as a whole last year.
The Dolphins themselves have made very clear the need for improvement and hopes are riding on an OL that's being rebuilt without even a single elite piece. And of the 3 players not coming off serious surgeries this past offseason, 2 of those are essentially starting for the first time, 1 without any prior exposure to the NFL at all (let alone this offense and what it asks of its linemen).
To bury one's head in the sand with respect to the risks built within this group (not to mention the way this offense is directly affected by its OL) is absurdly naive.
Without getting into the limitations and/or risks associated with each constituent piece, we can all agree this OL needs to outperform its resume and that major consequences are very likely to result if it does not.
Golphindolphin
town drunk
Good sign that Daniels is participating in mini camp, hopefully he can ramp up to full by training camp.
"Guard James Daniels joined his teammates at practice after not being spotted during the two open OTAs. Daniels, the free agent acquisition, is recovering from a torn Achilles that cut short his 2024 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Daniels, who, not surprisingly, didn't do any 11-on-11 work, was wearing a Guardian cap — certainly an odd sight during the offseason."
https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/dolphins-minicamp-day-1-recap-01jxd6cwa92d
Gsmack_42
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Being the 17 best OL would be great, I’d be doing backflips. I did a google search about the last time the phins had a top 15 OL. The AI generated thing they have showed it being from 1982 to 1990. I think that might be a little to far back for pass blocking that would be the late 1990’s.
We are on the same page!
So you're saying Borom is good? All the objective data, rankings, stats, footage, etc are wrong?
That's awesome. Hope youre right.
We only had one first round pick to get 3 players to fix the lines and anything else we needed. I get it, but due to the past (I know) the OL is not where it needs to be. I think they went into last year with an idea to address it but the draft didn't fall right and McGoob believed his elite scheme could make the two orange cones we had a G playable. The glass is either ... I choose half full.