Nate Garner and Billy Turner get some work with Dolphins starters | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Nate Garner and Billy Turner get some work with Dolphins starters

DKphin

DKphin

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DAVIE - The Miami Dolphins ended Wednesday's practice with two new starters on the team's troublesome offensive line.

The Dolphins ended the team's fifth practice with Nate Garner taking first-team snaps as the starting center, replacing Shelley Smith, and rookie Billy Turner taking snaps as the starting right guard, replacing Dallas Thomas.
Garner, a six-year veteran who started two games at center last season, began training camp as a reserve tackle. But he's spent the past six seasons as the Dolphins' utility lineman, starting 19 games in five seasons at center, offensive guad and right tackle.
Smith, who began training camp as Mike Pouncey's replacement at center because of Pouncey's hip injury, has struggled with his snapping. Smith's final snap of Wednesday's practice was low and led to a fumble defensive tackle Issako Aaitui recovered, ending Matt Moore's two-minute drill 11-on-11 session.
Turner, a former North Dakota State standout the Dolphins selected in the third-round, is pushing Dallas Thomas for the vacant starting spot the Dolphins created by not re-signing John Jerry.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...th-dolphins-starters-20140730,0,5303446.story
 
Good! Garner is the only capable center on this team now! He needs to get the reps as a starter.. I mean does Philbin have a clue.. Pouncey, your starter is out, Garner, your best back-up center is just starting to play a back-up role? Starter, back-up, starter, back-up... Get it Philbin. Its not rocket science man!
 
I like Billy Turner's potential.

Garner is a solid pro.

I would sign Satele still...
 
They probably figured they'd try the other guys for the first few days of camp, to see how it goes.. Didn't turn out so well, so Garner is in..
 
I think they knew what they have in Garner based on his performance last year...a solid, veteran guy who didn't hurt the team in the least. I do think based on that knowledge, they wanted to see someone else step up and challenge Garner. Well, that didn't happen so plan B.

I fully support and hope they sign another vet for insurance purposes or possibly someone to start over Garner , Satele would be a nice security blanket.
 
Just plug in Garner at center until Pouncey returns, and sign a FA center to back him up. These guards that they are testing out have no shot at starting against New England and Vince Wilfork.
The tackle positions are set. We just need to settle on the guards and get the continuity going.
 
Dallas Thomas has been ok during camp, but has had some struggles. Turner looks promising, but he needs work. I think they need to realize that Smith is not working out at center and move him to RG. Sign Satele or someone else to back up Garner if Brenner will be out for a while. Get this Oline set so they can start to gel together. Right now, I think the best group is Albert at LT, Colledge at LG, Garner at C, Smith at RG and James at RT. Still need a backup LT, I don't think Fox is the guy to do it. Enough with the experiment, it's not working!
 
Good! Garner is the only capable center on this team now! He needs to get the reps as a starter.. I mean does Philbin have a clue.
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you mean does BENTON have a clue.

benton is no default, 1st time OL coach. he is a major veteran and considered one of the very top in his field.

so, that being said, head coaches HAVE TO LET THEIR COACHES COACH AND MAKE DECISIONS!! some of you guys think everytime there is some perceived fart in camp that PHILBIN should have squashed it before it was even a thought. . make NO MISTAKE! mr. BENTON is running this line and is making the decisions. the quickest way to lose veteran, repected, top coaches? immediately undermine and long distance manage them off the bat [see WANNY and legendary special teams coach MIKE WESTHOFF who had been with the dolphins since the ice age and bolted after the first week of wanny's meddling with and disrespecting him].

replacing a mike pouncy isnt a gimme move for ANY coach. there was some reason BENTON decided to experiment with shelly smith. i think he must not have over impressed the coaches in the previous mini camps at guard and were giving him a last gasp to make the signing worth while. as time grows shorter with this young line, you would think after getting the bench after 2 days of AWFUL snapping, they would have sent him right back to guard where he was touted to be a starter.

not looking that way. at least today.

whoever made the decision to STOP the experiment [probably benton] early [thank god] was a good move and one that hasnt cost us any games or SERIOUS time.

so all the "PHILBIN IS CLUELESS" talk every time something isnt perfect or a player stubs his toe is played out. its a broken record and has absolutely NO basis for it.

good coaches dont inter fear with assistants UNLESS something is VERY wrong and starting to cost the team games. bad coaches brow beat them and butt in on them every minute and it causes doubt to their credibility with their players. the quality and legendary coaches from shula to landry bill walsh, chuck noll, etc...., ALL say "you have to let your coaches coach!!! and philbin already alluded to that not long after being named coach of the dolphins.

and he is right.
 
I like Billy Turner's potential.
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me to hayden. a LOT!

anyone catch him in the camp report yesterday being first in to that fight with the defense? got the atta-boy back pats from his line mates.

#77 gettin' that cred!! respect! keep it up rookie. and he looks HUGE!! the nfl weight training has paid off for him right away.

he just has to be on this line. COME ON ROOK!!!
 
I have been saying ALL ALONG, Dallas Thomas is a stiff. I was never fooled for one second by his off season promotion to LG. Anydody in his right mind who saw this kid last pre-season had to know he can't play. Now I am reading and hearing that he has been demoted for Daryl College at LG and now by Billy Turner (who is a much better player BTW) at RG. it is a safe assumption that Shelly Smith will be back as the starting RG by the second pre-season game. Which means Dallas Thomas will not make the final 53 man Roster, thereby making him yet another wasted Draft Pick.
 
NRA said:


you mean does BENTON have a clue.

benton is no default, 1st time OL coach. he is a major veteran and considered one of the very top in his field.

so, that being said, head coaches HAVE TO LET THEIR COACHES COACH AND MAKE DECISIONS!! some of you guys think everytime there is some perceived fart in camp that PHILBIN should have squashed it before it was even a thought. . make NO MISTAKE! mr. BENTON is running this line and is making the decisions. the quickest way to lose veteran, repected, top coaches? immediately undermine and long distance manage them off the bat [see WANNY and legendary special teams coach MIKE WESTHOFF who had been with the dolphins since the ice age and bolted after the first week of wanny's meddling with and disrespecting him].

replacing a mike pouncy isnt a gimme move for ANY coach. there was some reason BENTON decided to experiment with shelly smith. i think he must not have over impressed the coaches in the previous mini camps at guard and were giving him a last gasp to make the signing worth while. as time grows shorter with this young line, you would think after getting the bench after 2 days of AWFUL snapping, they would have sent him right back to guard where he was touted to be a starter.

not looking that way. at least today.

whoever made the decision to STOP the experiment [probably benton] early [thank god] was a good move and one that hasnt cost us any games or SERIOUS time.

so all the "PHILBIN IS CLUELESS" talk every time something isnt perfect or a player stubs his toe is played out. its a broken record and has absolutely NO basis for it.

good coaches dont inter fear with assistants UNLESS something is VERY wrong and starting to cost the team games. bad coaches brow beat them and butt in on them every minute and it causes doubt to their credibility with their players. the quality and legendary coaches from shula to landry bill walsh, chuck noll, etc...., ALL say "you have to let your coaches coach!!! and philbin already alluded to that not long after being named coach of the dolphins.

and he is right.
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Philbin is responsibly for this team and also has OL background, so not really sure where your statement has basis for it.
Yes, Benton is also responsible, however as stated, its Philbins team.. Thats all.
 
phinking said:
I have been saying ALL ALONG, Dallas Thomas is a stiff. I was never fooled for one second by his off season promotion to LG. Anydody in his right mind who saw this kid last pre-season had to know he can't play. Now I am reading and hearing that he has been demoted for Daryl College at LG and now by Billy Turner (who is a much better player BTW) at RG. it is a safe assumption that Shelly Smith will be back as the starting RG by the second pre-season game. Which means Dallas Thomas will not make the final 53 man Roster, thereby making him yet another wasted Draft Pick.
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Read today that they tried Dallas Thomas at RT, and he did fairly well. I don't think they will cut him. I see him making the 53 for depth. We have a shaky starting OL, and we have no depth. If he can play RT, that would be big for him. We currently have nobody behind James.
 
Can this staff ID a position a young kid might play well at and let them develop there as opposed to tossing them around everywhere? So frustrating.
 
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