Whoever is carrying the ball can expect solid blocking up front. The former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long might just be the best left tackle in football. He’s not necessarily spectacular, but he’s solid as granite in pass protection and capable of clearing roads in the ground game. Inside, the second-year proMike Pouncey is on the verge of being an upper-echelon center. He offers phenomenal mobility as a run-blocker. The fact that he’s equally adept going left and right lends dimension and unpredictability to Miami’s rushing attack, as obviously Long is very good out in space and, presumably, so is the light-footed rookie right tackle Jonathan Martin. The second-rounder from Stanford figures to be a great fit in Philbin’s new zone-blocking approach.
The only semi-soft spot on this offensive line is at guard. Richie Incognitois nasty on the left side but also mistake-prone. He can pull in short areas but is not known for his mobility. On the right side, the journeyman Artis Hicks, a utility veteran signed in free agency, is set to start due in part, perhaps, to the zone-blocking experience he got in Washington. But a lowly veteran like Hicks starting tells you what the front office thinks of the 2010 third-round pick John Jerry. The fact that they signed the banged-up veteran Eric Steinbach also doesn’t bode well for him. Steinbach is worth a flyer, given that the only second-stringer with any experience other than Jerry is Nate Garner.
http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/07/miami-dolphins-2012-n-f-l-season-preview/
The only semi-soft spot on this offensive line is at guard. Richie Incognitois nasty on the left side but also mistake-prone. He can pull in short areas but is not known for his mobility. On the right side, the journeyman Artis Hicks, a utility veteran signed in free agency, is set to start due in part, perhaps, to the zone-blocking experience he got in Washington. But a lowly veteran like Hicks starting tells you what the front office thinks of the 2010 third-round pick John Jerry. The fact that they signed the banged-up veteran Eric Steinbach also doesn’t bode well for him. Steinbach is worth a flyer, given that the only second-stringer with any experience other than Jerry is Nate Garner.
http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/07/miami-dolphins-2012-n-f-l-season-preview/
