Offensive line | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Offensive line

D

Dolphins17-0

Pro Bowler
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
1,776
Reaction score
0
Age
42
I know it needs to be improved(just look at the ridiculous lines some of the playoff teams had), and everyone is calling for like 3-4 new starters, but for the most part this is the line that ricky ran for 1800 yards behind, just a couple years older... Nails should be recovered from injury, Wade Smith should be much improved, i know we have a lot of old or inadequate starters by most peoples standards and we have a lot of young unknowns backing them up(German, Yates, Whitley, McKinney).

We cant spend a ton of money on a bunch of olinemen in the offseason, not just because of our money situation, but because we need help elsewhere as well. Also, aside from the big two (gallery/andrews) the lineman in the draft should not be expected to be huge impacts their first year (maybe carey, but even that could be a stretch)

Furthermore, 3 totally new lineman would ruin our continuity, if you look at the teams left in the playoffs, not only are their lineman successful but most, if not the whole line, has been together for a decent amount of time. I think continuity of the line is underrated.

so whats the best option? Bring in one free agent lineman to play with nails, wade smith, mckinney, and the best of the rest we have.

bring in almost a whole new line short-term(we cant afford expensive long term deals for all of them), hope they gel fast, hold up the whole year, and their contracts dont hamper our ability to sign our draft picks/other free agents this year and for years to come.


what do you guys think is our best option and what do you think the new gm will do to address the OLine(Seems like QB is the top priority)?
 
Not sure what looks the best right now....could depend heavily on the draft, or it could not...

Either way....I'm sure Dan's gonna take care of the hands that take care of his QB :evil:


I know I know I know.......shaddup. :)
 
I disagree.

I think that O-line should be our biggest focus.

We cant just field the same group of losers again, stick our head in the group, and hope it works like it did in 2002. One single player is not the problem, and one single player will not fix it, unless it's someone like Jon Ogden. We're not going to end up with the best Offensive linemen in the NFL next season.

As for the Offensive line "geling"..Those lines that have been together for so long have been together because they are GOOD lines. The idea should be to not fix what isnt broke, not to ignore what is obviously broken and hope it gets better.
 
"i know we have a lot of old or inadequate starters by most peoples standards and we have a lot of young unknowns backing them up(German, Yates, Whitley, McKinney)."

When you have old inadequate starters with alot of young unknowns behind them you cut the old inadequate starters and you go with the young unknowns...

--Ross
 
Jerman, Yates, and McKinney outplayed the guys in front of them when they had a chance. Along with Whitley, Jerman and Yates should compete for guard spot. McKinney at C. A healthy Nails back at G. Sign Chad Clifton to protect Brunell's blinside.
 
I'm all for starting the youngsters, but i don't want any of the older guys back. Wanny puts so much stock into experience that they are lible to keep the spot because they are better at picking up blitz packages and such. They need to be gone if the young guys are to get the experience needed to turn this unit around...
 
i agree with the young guys, i think if we get them now we could have a good offensive line for a while... i like jajs scenario, not sure we can get clifton, but id settle for tait
 
I think they are the same price tag. Ya Clifton did play LT, but in reality Tait is also a LT ability wise.
 
We need 2 to 3 new offensive line starters. Smith & McKinney are set. I'm still on the fence about the other three. Nails, like you guys said, should be completely healed & play like he did in 2002. Perry was probably our most consistent olineman this year, & Wade played fairly well considering most of the help on blocks went to Smith's side. As long as Wade backs down from his ridiculous contract demands I wouldn't mind having him back. But at least two of those guys have to go. Free agency is pretty deep at the oline this year but very thin at WR, that's why I think our first pick should be a WR instead of an olineman.
 
Don Shula lost a couple of seasons waiting for guys who were supposed to be all healed and never quite made it.

Wade Smith is our LT, like it or not. He comes at the right price, is alrewady signed, and we have too many other holes on the line to simply upgrade a spot that is already swinging up.

Nails needs to have a full physical. If he is healed, fine, resign him and we are in good shape, otherwise.................

Ruddy takes a pay cut or is cut (perhaps cut anyway). McKinney will be asked to step up and we will see if his promise holds true.

Perry is likely gone. Age and price and diminishing ablity are a trifecta he is unlikely to recover from. This is the first place to look for an upgrade. Does Whitely have anything to justify his high draft status? Can Yates come out of no where? Can Jerman move inside? Is there a FA who can come in?

Can we re-sign Todd Wade without breaking the bank? I think that is the first priority on the offense. Can Jerman do the job at RT? I doubt it so back up the Brinks truck or at least tag him, maybe with a transition label.

If a QB is not there when our time on the clock happens, I say, as of now, we go for an OL and pray he is a Richmond Webb and not a Billy Milner!
 
Ruddy is pretty much cut. All we need to do is cut Fiedler, Griese, & Ruddy & we're less than a million over the cap. Seems like a pretty easy decision to me.
 
  • we need to re-sign Nails at a reasonable, near min. price
  • based on the past we will make a big push to re-sign Wanne's first draft pick as a Phin HC in T Wade, but he will not get the money he is asking for from us so that c/b a long process
  • I see Mckinney and Smith as starters, though we have counted out Ruddy enough to know that if he re-negotiated a cheap contract he c/b back
  • I consider the OL important enough that we s/also spend a high pick here OR sign another FA.

now that's lots of money to get this unit in order, but since to me it is our #1 priority along with QB it must get done somehow. That somehow means guys like Sam and JT re structuring and O Gun and the rest of the RFAs getting tenders w/o LT contracts
 
Originally posted by SMadison29
Ruddy is pretty much cut. All we need to do is cut Fiedler, Griese, & Ruddy & we're less than a million over the cap. Seems like a pretty easy decision to me.
Click to expand...

I agree. but i will say ruddy had a pretty good year this year considering. I think Perry/Wade had bad years as well as smith who is on the rook curve. Nails is cheap and i dont see many team vying for him after his injury, which to me spells Nails back for cheap again and as insurance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom