Mckinnney And Ruddy....center Of Attention This Upcoming Game.. | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Mckinnney And Ruddy....center Of Attention This Upcoming Game..

D

DIRTYCASHHOLDIN

Practice Squad
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
308
Reaction score
0
Let's now shift our attention away from T WADE SMITH this week....yes..we will see if he can perform well again this week against the FALCONS.....but keep your eyes on this Center position battle going on...between RUDDY and McKINNEY...its just that close. McKINNEY has improved, and has muscled up this off-season...and really has come on strong enough this camp---that his grades in film....have even been overall....just a notch above that of RUDDY's....and TIM...has had a real good camp...but make no mistake about it....MCKINNEY....as once again...WANNY has summoned him in there with the first team this week....is right there....and could be named the starting center...if he continues to come on....with RUDDY...backing up SETH at CENTER. Something to watch for...this battle....as SETH may not be only 1 year away...where this in all liklihood is RUDDY's last year in a fins uniform....
 
Man this scenario keeps changing, first Wanny kept saying that Ruddy was having his best camp since he's been there, then you see Seth getting starters sharing time. And now there's a competition again. What gives, first Seth was battling Todd Wade, then no lets let him concentrate on center, the guy is all over the place. If Ruddy's playing that good, he should start with all his experience, and Seth backup Ruddy and Todd. Yates should be the other BU Guard imo.
 
Wow. I would hope that we would keep our starting five from last year. I think McKinney will be good to go next year...I am pulling for Ruddy though. BTW, I hope this isn't Ruddy's last year in a Fins uni....hopefully he will re-structure or something.
 
I heard Kim Bokamper say today that he also feels that McKinney will end up sliding in there as the starter for Week 1. Just his feeling. Fact is, McKinney is very talented and they want to get him in there THIS YEAR. All of this movement surely lends credence to that assertion.
 
The herald had this to say...

RUDDY AT CENTER

Veteran Tim Ruddy has apparently nosed out second-year player Seth McKinney for the starting center job -- a position hotly contested throughout the preseason.

Ruddy has continued to practice with the first-team offense and was a first-teamer on the depth chart released Monday. He is expected to start Friday evening against Atlanta.

The Dolphins generally don't make lineup changes after the third preseason game unless there is an injury.
Click to expand...

It looks pretty much like I thought. The Center position looks to have already been settled, today when they released a depth chart. They don't make lineup changes after the third preseason game, cuz thats their game that they treat like a dress rehearsal, see how well these guys can digest a game plan and iron out any last minute kinks in the process that need to be ironed out by regular season.

BTW I don't think Wannstedt has been inconsistent. He opened up the center competition acknowledging that Ruddy was having his best camp yet...but he opened it because McKinney was looking really really good and deserved a fair crack at getting into the lineup and the most likely spot he was going to do that was at Center and that is why he gave McKinney some reps with the first unit against Jacksonville.
 
Lets face it. We are going with the veterans this year and then next year the line gets overhauled.

So this year it will be Wade/Perry/Ruddy/Nails/Dixon.

Next year possibly if we keep our big FA linemen Wade/Nails then we would probably have a line of Wade/?(Whitley will have to improve 200% to be anything more then a backup)/McKinney/Nails/Smith. Even with that I still think we spend 2 draft picks on linemen to secure that RG spot and provide depth to the guys who end up stepping up. Dixon will probably spend a year as a backup if that before retiring.

Next year is going to be interesting along the line. I'm thinking we should just spend the dough that we would on Wade + a few $$$'s and sign a FA LT and move Wade Smith over to RT. That RG is still a question though and I wouldn't be surprised if Perry somehow came out of that alive (albeit with a restructured contract).
 
I don't think Wade Smith would be a very good RT. Strength is too much of an issue. I think your strongest run blocker on the entire line should be at RT, and right now that is the monstrous 6'7" Todd Wade.
 
He was a RT before he was a LT. 2 years as a TE, 1 year as a RT then 1 year as a LT.

2001 Season
Named the team's Offensive Lineman of the Year … Started every game at right tackle despite playing most of season with a protective shield on his right hand (broken thumb) … Still managed to register 64 knockdowns for an offense that averaged 326.7 yards per game.
Click to expand...
 
IMO McKinnley should start this year. This will give him experience for next year. I don't want to see us have possibly three new OL next year.
 
RT is the spot where you put your powerful run blockers, which Smith isn't. As for the C position, the Herald says this morning that the job is Ruddy's.
 
RT in College is way different then the NFL VA. I doubt we spend too much on a RG in the draft, not with Yates, Jerman and Whitley in the mix.
 
Wade Smith will be our LT. why do people go against the grain of whats happening? what makes you think that suddenly wade smith becomes a RT? i dont get it. we drafted him to be a LT and he is showing something, why all of a sudden a RT? Ruddy will be gone for money purposes. Maybe Perry too but i think they are going to make these guys take a pay cut or cut them lose, which it will be cut them lose cus they wont take the cut. We will get another LT in the draft if at all possible with the 32 pick in the draft.:cool:

Next years line:

Smith/Nails/Mckinney/Newby/Wade
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom