McIntosh and the O-line shakeup...

[VanDolPhan]

I still think this move is just temporary to send a message to McDougle.

The simple fact is that McIntosh wasn't getting nearly any first team snaps until now. Honestly I'm surprised they didn't try McIntosh at RT first.

Oh and RG is the least important position on the line.

 

[ckparrothead]

As for the rankings, I think LT is always the most important, RT is ALMOST ALWAYS the second most important, and from there actually I believe it really depends on your offensive system and your offensive blocking scheme. Right now, for instance, all we really need at center is a guy who isn't going to shoot the whole offense in the foot by making stupid mistakes and who will make the right blocking adjustments at the LOS. But we're not going to get much movement in the running game unless our guards start raising their level of play. So, I'd almost say guard is more important than Center for this offense.

 

[Jimmy James]

I have to guess that all of the following are true:

1) VC will make for a better RT than a LT
2) DM will make for a better LT than a RT
3) DM will make for a better LT than McDougal makes a RT
4) DM will make for a better LT than St.Clair makes a RT *or* St.Clair is more valuable for his versatility as a 6th man than he is at T
5) DM is more experienced at LT than VC is

It's really hard to say given what I know whether anybody thinks DM is better for LT than VC is. It really doesn't matter to me, either. I do think this move makes sense and should yield dividends for the team. I'm not sure whether that means DM is even on this team next year given the number of highly qualified LTs in the draft, though.

 

[Finsfan13]

I didn't hear about the shake up yet.... news to me - Thanks.

I keyed on Vernon on Saturday's game - He did pretty good. I thought real good. I was watching him staying in front of his guy - and he had quick feet.

I watched Hadnot get handled.... and although I'm not impressed with McKinney - he did okay.

Meanwhile - where the hell was McMichael's head that night??? Terrible missed blocks - and couldn't catch.... when McMichael or a RB misses a block it reflects on the play of the line.

Either way - the line does look better than last year.

Thanks Brett for sharing your thoughts-

 

[VanDolPhan]

If they keep Carey permanently at RT then that means they are going to do a massive shake up of the OL next year. It would definately mean our 1st rounder would be going to one of the premier crop of LT's. They would probably sign a FA center or draft another in the 3rd/4th (cause QB in the 2nd would be a safer bet) and then decide on Jeno whether he's worth the money and might go another route there.

I still don't think this is a permanent move. This is just an experiment.

 

[ckparrothead]

LOL HA HA HA HA HAHA

You can do the same with Left Tackle.

Yeah, not to mention it's a LITTLE strange that he dismisses right tackle because you can always just get the tight end to help him out, yet he totes center as the 2nd most important position on the OL even though the center's job is to double team with a guard on probably 2 out of 3 plays.

IMO MikeO, you're not thinking things through very well. In blocking schemes the tight end needs to be free to make blocks on linebackers. If he needs to double team with a RT to block out a defensive end, you've got problems on offense. Also if the TE constantly needs to stay back to help the RT in pass pro, that's like chopping off an appendage of the offense.

 

[Brett Tessler]

Well...If I remember correctly...Vernon looked like a better RT than LT when he played at the University of Miami. He was really drafted to play RT...I've read that RT was more of his "natural" position.

Now...I also thought that D-Mac was more "suitable" to play RT rather than LT...right?

When I first read about this o-line "shake-up" I thought that it would make more sense to move D-Mac to RT and leave Vernon at LT...or move St. Clair to RT.

Or maybe...Houck wants to put his best o-lineman on the field all at once regardless of what position they're more suitable to play.

Go Fins!!!

No, Damion has always played left tackle.

 

[VanDolPhan]

No, Damion has always played left tackle.

Except in this camp when they were working him as a swing tackle. Damion isn't long term here unless he can deal with his false start problems. Carey has made great strides at LT so the only thing that would keep him out at LT would be need this year combined with the coaches believing they are going to blow up the line next year during the year of the LT draft.

Just doesn't make sense. Carey was looking fairly good out there.

 

[ckparrothead]

1) VC will make for a better RT than a LT
2) DM will make for a better LT than a RT
3) DM will make for a better LT than McDougal makes a RT
4) DM will make for a better LT than St.Clair makes a RT *or* St.Clair is more valuable for his versatility as a 6th man than he is at T
5) DM is more experienced at LT than VC is

1. Not so sure about this one, if a guy can play as well at LT as he's shown so far through three preseason games, that's where he should be cuz its a supremely more important position.

2. I would agree with that, and it would certainly explain why they've never moved him to RT.

3. May or may not be true at this point. This could be a temporary shake-up.

4. I would agree with this.

5. This one is obvious, not even a judgement call. Carey is a 2nd year guy who hardly played as a rookie and when he did it was at RT.

 

[Sal Lisitano]

No, Damion has always played left tackle.

Hm...okay but I could have sworn that D-Mac has played RT before and actually played RT in San Diego...I thought we brought him in to play RT...than W. Smith looked horrible at LT and D-Mac moved to LT.

I know that D-Mac has played RT before...I'm pretty sure and I'll look this up.

Go Fins!!!

 

[Dol-Fan Dupree]

Yeah, not to mention it's a LITTLE strange that he dismisses right tackle because you can always just get the tight end to help him out, yet he totes center as the 2nd most important position on the OL even though the center's job is to double team with a guard on probably 2 out of 3 plays.

IMO MikeO, you're not thinking things through very well. In blocking schemes the tight end needs to be free to make blocks on linebackers. If he needs to double team with a RT to block out a defensive end, you've got problems on offense. Also if the TE constantly needs to stay back to help the RT in pass pro, that's like chopping off an appendage of the offense.

I have to agree. The tackles are the most important part. I would put a good run blocking guard as the next, because a good run blocking guard with a good runblocking tackle really helps an offense. Plus when I look at NFL lines, generally they are a good LT, a good RT, a good G, a decent C, then a decent G.

So I would put

LT
RT
Good runblocking G
C
Other G

 

[VanDolPhan]

Hm...okay but I could have sworn that D-Mac has played RT before and actually played RT in San Diego...I thought we brought him in to play RT...than W. Smith looked horrible at LT and D-Mac moved to LT.

I know that D-Mac has played RT before...I'm pretty sure and I'll look this up.

Go Fins!!!

D-Mac played at LT exclusively for San Diego I believe.

 

[ckparrothead]

No, Damion has always played left tackle.

Yes, but the previous coaching staff admitted that they intended for D-Mac to start and play the entire year at RT in place of Todd Wade back when they signed him prior to discovering that he was injured and unable to play most of the year.

 

[Agua]

Hm...okay but I could have sworn that D-Mac has played RT before and actually played RT in San Diego...I thought we brought him in to play RT...than W. Smith looked horrible at LT and D-Mac moved to LT.

I know that D-Mac has played RT before...I'm pretty sure and I'll look this up.

Go Fins!!!

He played LT in SD, but we DID bring him in to play RT - it was only because Wade Smith couldn't pan out that we put him at LT.

 

[Megatron]

He played LT in SD, but we DID bring him in to play RT - it was only because Wade Smith couldn't pan out that we put him at LT.

Yup it was desperation to use him at LT.