Merged: The New Man In The Middle

[DKphin]

Miami Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard on fourth down during the fourth quarter of their game on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009 at Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville.

Starks understands full well the importance of the nose tackle position. Look around the league at all the successful 3-4 defenses, and you’ll usually find a nose tackle who’s a rock against the run.
The Dolphins have had those kind of players in recent years with Keith Traylor and Ferguson, and now it’s Starks’ turn.
“If your nose is not good, then your defense is not going to be good,” Starks said. “So that’s a lot of pressure on me also. So I’m going to do what I have to do, ask the coaches, ask Ferg because I know Ferg played a long time. Anything that can help me, I’m willing.”
Starks doesn’t have the — how shall we put this delicately? — bulk of most nose tackles, but the Dolphins are confident he’s more than strong enough to hold up against the many double teams he’ll be facing.

http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/new-man-middle

 

[ckparrothead]

The New Man in the Middle: NT Randy Starks

http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/new-man-middle

Randy Starks says he was "shocked" when the Dolphins first approached him with the idea of moving to nose tackle.

But there was another emotion he felt when the topic came up in the offseason.

“I felt honored that they had confidence in me not playing a nose in a 3-4 to think I could be successful and I could handle it,” Starks said. “It meant a lot.”

In reality, it was one of the most significant decisions the Dolphins made in the offseason. With veteran Jason Ferguson trying to come back from a season-ending quad injury and also facing an eight-game suspension, the Dolphins had a clear need at nose tackle.

It was assumed the Dolphins would focus on that position in the draft, which led to all the speculation that Tennessee’s Dan Williams would be the team’s first-round pick.

By that time, the Dolphins already had approached Starks about the move and GM Jeff Ireland confirmed it after the second night of the draft. The way Ireland explained it, the Dolphins had one of the best nose tackles available already on their roster.

There go the theories that the Dolphins were trying to pick up Dan Williams after they traded down but that Arizona "stole" him from us. By draft day, the Dolphins had already secretly told Randy Starks about his move.

 

[rob19]

I want a nose tackle named Malcolm.

 

[WISfinfan13]

Hes gunna be an absolute stud in the middle. I am very confident.

 

[Tunaphish429]

I'm talking bout the Man in the Middle oh yea..

 

[RobertHorry]

I love this move. Starks dominated Jason Brown in the Ravens game last year. And Brown is considered a top center .

Imagine him having a full off-season under his belt at NT.

 

[ckparrothead]

Since they announced that move I've never questioned whether he'd be good on the inside. A good player is a good player.

The thing I've talked about a lot is the hole it leaves at DE and whether or not Miami can fill it. But hey, they've spent two 1st round picks on that spot and have also spent a high 3rd on a guy that has started since Day 1, acquired another guy in trade, and they've been active in trying to find those diamond in the rough types (Lionel Dotson, Ryan Baker, Ikaika Alama-Francis, etc). If they don't have enough DEs to field a defense by now, obviously they're doing something wrong.

 

[RobertHorry]

Well they have been tinkering with Solai at NT and Starks back at DE in some packages.

 

[hoops]

pretty much says to me that odrick was the target in a trade down all along...if he was available

 

[Tunaphish429]

Yea I really like moving Straks to NT..was alot of naysayers on here..saying it would not be a good fit.. I think the front 3 has a chance to be dynamic..

I really wonder he is going to step up tho as far as pass rush is concerned...We lost of our so called best sack artists..and another is moving to a positon where the numbers are hard to get...

So who steps up? Gotta think its Oddrick and/or Merling as well..

I really liked the way Ryan Baker played last year as well...

 

[phintim]

We are loaded on the lines compared to most other positions on the team in terms of talent and depth. I was surprised at first that they resigned Ferg but now look at him as a cheap insurance policy in case things do not work out for some reason with Starks and Paul Soliai at NT. If you take into consideration Langford, Merling, Odrick and McDaniel that is one very deep line. Thats not to mention Baker, Dotson and Francis guys with some talent they have been developing the last couple of years. I was hoping we would sign Vince Oghobaase from Duke as a college FA but I assume there would probably not be enough snaps for him. I was looking at I beleive the Sporting News mock draft the other evening and they had us taking both Odrick 2nd round and John Jerry 3rd round. Makes you think that they had some inside slant on our draft.

 

[SabanHater]

hope he makes the transition with no set backs. I'm confident as well.
I can't wait to see this new defense.

 

[Valandui]

He should be able to pull it off. He's about the same size as Jay Ratliff.

 

[X-Pacolypse]

He should do well as a NT.

 

[ckparrothead]

Yea I really like moving Straks to NT..was alot of naysayers on here..saying it would not be a good fit.. I think the front 3 has a chance to be dynamic..

I really wonder he is going to step up tho as far as pass rush is concerned...We lost of our so called best sack artists..and another is moving to a positon where the numbers are hard to get...

So who steps up? Gotta think its Oddrick and/or Merling as well..

I really liked the way Ryan Baker played last year as well...

Personally I wonder if they were set on anything. I got the feeling that Odrick was a guy that they just didn't realize would fall to where they got him. They could have been thinking along the lines that they'll be fine at DE with Kendall Langford, Phil Merling, Tony McDaniel, and another draft pick but not necessarily Odrick in the 1st.