Lets Talk About The Defensive Line.. | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Lets Talk About The Defensive Line..

dolphan39

dolphan39

Maria & LauRen Aha!
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DL is looking thin

returning:
Jason Taylor
David Bowens
Jarmaine Haley
Ernest Grant
Henry Taylor ?

maybe
Daryl G needs to prove his back is OK
Tim Bo c/b gone via cut or Texans
Damian Gregory - Gregory is gone

FA's
Lo Bro
Mixon
 
Originally posted by Fiedler for MVP
hear me now, believe me later...bowens' run stopping big body will be sorely missed
Click to expand...
There's a decent chance TimBo will be back at a reduced price since Texans are not taking him. Our D scheme should make sure that TimBo and Daryl are reaking havoc with the other teams OL and Bates did not allow that to happen - preferring to be conservative and rely on the LBs to make the plays.
 
Hello To All... and especially my friend NYFCAT...who has joined me over here. NYF is a must read on this board...who will surely get everyone up to date on who's who in the upcoming draft. This was a great pickup..so to speak!
Ok..with that out of the way....Lets open up some freindly debate on the impending defensive line dillema. There has been a lot of talk about TIM BOWENS...and whether or not he is worth his 8 million dollar salary. We have talked about that...and the majority of the fans..DO NOT think that TIMBO is worth that cap figure for next season. The DOlphins have put TIMBO on the unprotected list for the TEXANS liking...but it all appears that the TEXANS will pass on BOWENS...as the risk of taking on BOWENS without any assurances of an agreeable re-structuring...is just not worth taking. And obviously...if the TEXANS were interested in BOWENS at this point..they would have had TIM in for a physical by now...all signs appear that BOWENS will be back on the what-to-do-with list...as WANN-SPIEL will have to make a decision on what cap value BIG TIM has with the team. BOWENS will not be franchised this season.
The big IF...is on the status of DARYL GARDENER. Can the DOlphins brass count on him..for an entire season? They have already approached GARDENER to re-structure his just recently signed contract. They are concerned that GARDENER can retire and leave them with a tremendous void..not only on the field...but also on the salary-cap side. The bottom line here...is when GARDENER is healthy....he is a major force in that defensive middle. The dropoff in the run defense..when GARDENER was missing...was indeed apparent to all. He had to pass the baton to the likes of HALEY, BROMELL, and even KENNY MIXON was moved inside...in his absence...but unfortuntately...they did not get the job done. GARDENER insists that he is coming back and will once again dominate the middle...but can we believe that aching back of his will allow him to? The BIG IF.....DARYL GARDENER. Can he hold up?
The loss of TRACE ARMSTRONG's 16 saks the year before..put the onus of pressure on both KENNY MIXON as well as LORENZO BROMELL. Both players were challenged by coaches to step it up and take accountability for the makeup and loss of ARMSTRONG's great pass rushing ability...but to everyone's chagrin...both players had mediocre seasons.
KENNY MIXON came to camp at 260 pounds because he wanted to show the coaches he could play on all downs. Well...he played on all downs alright...but the loss of bulk..really hurt him last season. MIXON was thrown down by much larger OT's...and was unseemingly out of position just too many times against the run--last season. He also did not make many quarterbacks nervous either..as his sack total was not anyhwere it should have been for a starting DE in the NFL. WIth MIXON being a UFA this off-season....what do you do?
ANd let us then segway into LORENZO BROMELL. He took the dumb penalty too many times last season. He just about lead the league in fines also. BROMELL was remembered more for his knockout hit to PEYTON MANNING's jaw last season...then just about anything else that he did...which quite frankly..was not much. BROMELL has seemingly had his chances now..for the past couple of years to show that he can fit in the mold of an everyday starting DL. But I ask you...is LORENZO BROMELL starting NFL material? I think not. I think he no doubt belongs in a rotation of lineman...but then again...can't the DOlphins just go ahead and get somebody else? The answer may be currently on the roster right now....in DAVID BOWENS...so the bottom line with BROMELL is this: Are the Dolphins brass sick of the dumb mistakes...and all the penalty yardage that goes with it? What are we going to do with FA...LORENZO BROMELL?
As you can see...besides the status of DL JASON TAYLOR...who we can indeed pencil in in his RDE spot...for all the rest of the DEFENSIVE LINE....please make sure you have some ALL PURPOSE LIQUID PAPER...

IN CONCLUSION: The Dolphins must make a huge decision on the cap value of TIM BOWENS and go from there. If they let TIM go...they better have a list of names in FA...to help fill the void..at a lower cost none the less. Then...assuming that GARDENER is re-structured and in the fold...make some shrewd decisions on the values of both MIXON and BROMELL. I personally would keep MIXON..and get him back at 280 pounds. I would drop BROMELL...and get somebody else from the FA crop. I like HALEY is a backup only...and I really like BOWENS...David that is. We need pass-rushing specialists...and I don't see them on this roster. We need to get a DL in free-agency...and we need to get one in the draft.

Your thoughts on what you would like the Dolphins to do with the current status of the DEFENSIVE LINE.....
Break it down...
DCH
 
d-line

1. start david bowens at de.

2. sign le'roy glover from f/a.

3. kiss and make up with damien gregory. than start him with glover.

4. restructure gardner. if he plays better than glover or gregory, than fine, puy him in. [see if his back holds up]

5. trade, release, boot, tim bowens. [it appears the finz don't have him and his fat salary in the future]

6. draft a dt or pass rushing de early, [depending on if we get a rb through trade]

DCH: i thought for sure i was gonna win the name game with the "toe-j mcduffie" thing. what happened?

glad to see you here!!
 
Hard to tell what will happen on Tim Bo other than he will either re-negotiate or be cut since he is not worth anything near 8 mil. Ideally, we will keep him for a cheap price since we have so many other needs, but I doubt he will come cheap. I expect Tim Bo to go the way of Webb and get an offer (after we cut him) we cannot afford to match even though he would like to stay. :(

With the cap/DL situation, we may need D Bowens to start, but that's a real stretch for him, so we better re-sign Mixons (ideally) to help out. I do not see why other teams would want to pay much for Mixons given his lack of pass rush skills, but he would compliment Bowens well. :cool:

Bye to Lo Bro - too many penalties, too 1-dimensional :p

We will need to get lucky and sign a cheap UFA late in camp to add some depth at either DT and/or DE. :)

Gregory is likely gone since he turned down the Fins request to play in NFL Europe. :fire:
 
I'd like to see TimBo restructured and DG playing next to him full time. The problem with that equation is, as mentioned already, DG's back. Now, after hearing DG talking like he was reborn last offseason with his fancy back excercises only to see him go down again, you have to believe that we won't be able to count on him and anything we do get will be a bonus. Since we can't gain anything by dropping him, all we can do is cross our fingers and sign some depth in free agency. Let Brommell AND Mixon go. LoBro has had his chances to step up and has stubbornly refused to do so, I have never been too impressed with Mixon and frankly, I think we can draft two defensive linemen who will give us as much as those two at a much more reasonable price. Hell, we may even have their replacements on the roster already with Henry Taylor and Adewale Ogunleye(w/out spellcheck!:D) Haley is a decent backup and David Bowens warrants further investigation.
I think the key here is that we can replace either DG or TimBo, but not both. Since DG is a giant question mark, restructuring Bowens should be given top priority. We WILL need ONE of those guys to anchor the line and show the newbies what they are supposed to play like.
 
inFin

we must keep DG or re-structure his contract since he is due loads of guaranteed money/was paid a huge signing bonus. So DG will be back, but for how long ?

I agree our DL problems would be best solved if Tim Bo stays for a lot less money, but I still expect someone to offer him a deal like Webb got last year :(
 
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