Isn't it scary that we are starting 2 rookies at left and right tackle? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Isn't it scary that we are starting 2 rookies at left and right tackle?

juniorseau55

juniorseau55

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Take a year away from Wade Smith and we will be starting two Rookie Tackles. Scary thought for a team that needs experience at offensive line badly. I dont want to think that our boat is going to sink down the stretch during the season and see our Runningback beat up, Our quarter back on its back half of the time. That's not half of the problem but we are going to be starting a center with short experience, our right guard spot will be fought by lineman who been in training camp in a while. In other words I am not getting the picture very well.
 
Why would you take a year away from Wade Smith? We're (probably) starting one rookie at right tackle and a second year starter at Left tackle.
 
Ok, look at it like this.

LT- Wade Smith(Has a full season of experience. Bulked up this offseason and increased his weight from around 295 to now 315. He will be a bigger stronger more experienced version of last year. He did a decent job last year and he will only be better.)

LG- Jeno James(He is an experienced veteran who was an absolute stud last year. He was one of the main reasons for Steven Davis's success last year. He is a huge upgrade over Nails)

C- Seth McKinney(While he doesn't have much experience at Center, he played as much if not more then center Tim Ruddy did last year at Guard. He will be fine to move over to center. He is better now then Tim Ruddy was last year)

RG- Greg Jerman(This is by far the weekest point on the line. Jerman is currently the starter, but it will be an open competition between Jerman, Whitley, St. Clair, Pape and Carey(doubt Carey though). Obviously the best of those players will start, and I believe a competition will bring out the best in those players. Still will be the week link on the unit this year, but one of those HAS to be better then Todd Perry)

RT- Vernon Carey(This guy will dominate. I expect him to be a little shaky in Pre-Season, but will be at full force come Opening day against the Titans. He is a bigger, stonger version of the new Wade Smith. Look at it this way, Smith did a decent job last year at the toughest spot on the line and he was a 3rd round pick, while Carey is a 1st round pick on the less tough side of the line)
 
take away many years from different players,

OH MY GOD, MIAMI IS STARTING ALL ROOKIES NEXT YEAR!!!
 
Nublar, I dissagree with your assesment of McKinney...He played better than Ruddy last year, there was no drop off when he was at center...He did have trouble with the line calls, but that should be something he will be fine with. He played guard last year, because of injuries. He did well a guard also.

Also, RG - Jerman is penciled in as the starter but the best 5 guys will start and I think we will see St. Clair in the RG spot, as he has more experience than Jerman or Whitley. Pape may surprise us a little, but will still take a year or two to develop.

So with Smith, James, McK, St. Clair, Carey....our weak link could very well be Carey. But unlike last year, Jerman played several games, Whitley will have more experience and if McIntosh comes back after being on the PUP, he would be a tremendous backup that could cover all four guard and tackle positions. I think our OL will meld this year and next year be a strength of the team....And this assumes that we don't get any help from Pape, Yates, Hadnot, Whitley, Jerman, Goodspeed, etc except as backup and practice squad.
 
I'm not neccesarrily scared, but I do think our offensive line is going to be an exploited weakness.
 
Pape isn't going to take a year or two to develop. He's a very polished offensive lineman that probably isn't going to get any better. His lack of true upside may be why he dropped. He is a what you see is what you get type of player. Tony will prove to be a very strong run blocker who lacks the athleticism to stay at tackle, but his size, strength, and technique will allow him to push for playing time at guard.

Don't count out Rex Hadnot at guard either.
 
This line will take a while to gel and will go through some growing pains but it was to be expected for all the failed draft picks over the last decade. Spielman's done a good job overhauling an entire line in one year with limited draft picks and $$$. This line could turn into a strength as the season wears on and they get used to each other.

This should be a nasty run blocking line. How well it pass protects is a whole other issue.
 
Dol-Fan Dupree said:
take away many years from different players,

OH MY GOD, MIAMI IS STARTING ALL ROOKIES NEXT YEAR!!!
Click to expand...

Example of Someone who doesn't read. I am looking to taking a year out of difference from Vernon Carey if you understood well. There is still a Vast inexperience combined, between our two starting tackles.
 
hopefully the o-line can open enough space for big rick so ricky can ave.4.5- 5.0 ypc. this will open up playaction and make pass blocking easier on the edges
 
I would say if Fiedler starts you have a legitimate concern. Feeley is a wee bit better on the run.
 
Junior,

You wrote a decent entry, but that title is perhaps the worst one I have seen in a month here. That's why you caught a little hell, and I imagine you might catch a little more. If you have the ability to edit the title, you may want to go with something more like, "Isn't it scary that we have two inexperienced guys starting at tackle?"

Now I feel like a goody goody for giving constructive criticism... ;)
 
There is no reason to believe that Vernon Carey should not perform AT LEAST as well as Todd Wade did his rookie year.
 
I have a friend who is a Rams fan, and I have heard a lot of complaints about John St. Clair. I've also watched a lot of games to warrant such complaints. But, most of the problems with St. Clair stemmed from him being moved to right tackle. So, hopefully, Vernon Carey will prove to be a great right tackle for us (which I believe will happen). But that leaves this question:

Do we line up McKinney at center and St. Clair at right guard? Or do we put St. Clair at center and let McKinney play guard?

I'll have to admit . . . I'm not familiar enough with the players or the positions to give an opinion. What does everybody think?
 
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