OL question

[Danny]

You wouldn't trade up for anyone though. You are the definition of "play it safe" from a risk adverse standpoint on these things. Not a shot brother, I just know your style.

I normally rather trade back for more picks but not this year....I think at this point we need quality more than quantity but when I look at the very good and deep TE class I see no need to trade up for one.....of course you have to see how the draft is going and if you see a run on the TE's then you might need to make a move and I'm all for that THIS year......I like to think that we're close and TE is the priority along with RT

 

[Fin-Loco]

I normally rather trade back for more picks but not this year....I think at this point we need quality more than quantity but when I look at the very good and deep TE class I see no need to trade up for one.....of course you have to see how the draft is going and if you see a run on the TE's then you might need to make a move and I'm all for that THIS year......I like to think that we're close and TE is the priority along with RT

Right. I think we still have a couple FA moves which will cause us in a couple weeks to re-jigger what we view as primary needs.

 

[Golphindolphin]

I think you can find a RT at any point but I was talking more as plug in as a starter from day one....that's very hard to do after the first round and we're gonna see 50 players come off the board before we make our first pick......also keep in mind that with a left handed QB, the RT spots is almost like a LT

At the end of the day the Dolphins are the only NFL team with a lefty starter, telling me that Miami is also the only NFL team that values the RT position so highly. I'm of the opinion that reduces the competition for elite RT prospects significantly. The stats in the article give me hope that a Day 1 starter can certainly be found at 51 or later. If you're looking for "guaranteed" plug and play, then you're talking first rounder, and unfortunately Steve Ross and his pal's Wile E. Coyote level antics screwed the Phins out of that option.

 

[So Be]

Drafting an OT at 51 is possible but I hope they don’t draft one just to draft one. It has to be value and chances are very hard to be a starting RT at 51........imo TE is the way to go at 51 and then you can draft an OT at 84 and let him sit and learn for a while but please, don’t miss out on a very good TE class this year when we all know we need one.

Agreed, this draft is not deep at OT and a pick at 51 would be a reach and would be a project for a team trying to make a 2 year run.

 

[Danny]

Right. I think we still have a couple FA moves which will cause us in a couple weeks to re-jigger what we view as primary needs.

I know you're hoping for that but again, I don’t expect anything like that to happen till after the draft......once we see who we got then like you said, we'll be able to see what the priority is at that point

 

[Fin-Loco]

I know you're hoping for that but again, I don’t expect anything like that to happen till after the draft......once we see who we got then like you said, we'll be able to see what the priority is at that point

Well if they don't occur, our priorities won't change.....

 

[So Be]

At the end of the day the Dolphins are the only NFL team with a lefty starter, telling me that Miami is also the only NFL team that values the RT position so highly. I'm of the opinion that reduces the competition for elite RT prospects significantly. The stats in the article give me hope that a Day 1 starter can certainly be found at 51 or later. If you're looking for "guaranteed" plug and play, then you're talking first rounder, and unfortunately Steve Ross and his pal's Wile E. Coyote level antics screwed the Phins out of that option.

I agree that they can be found at 2 or 3. I disagree that it will happen in this draft.

 

[Danny]

Well if they don't occur, our priorities won't change.....

but if we draft a good TE and a good RT then there might not be a need to do anything big though again, I think after the June cuts we'll bring in at least a couple of players that got cut by other teams

 

[Fin-Loco]

but if we draft a good TE and a good RT then there might not be a need to do anything big though again, I think after the June cuts we'll bring in at least a couple of players that got cut by other teams

I don't know how we can count on them both being "good" if drafted. I would expect whomever we get in round two to start. However, after round two, you need to start having an exponential amount of luck needing to show up. This is why I would want to address either RT or TE before the draft. TE is tougher as Schultz is the only starter still out there.

 

[Danny]

I don't know how we can count on them both being "good" if drafted. I would expect whomever we get in round two to start. However, after round two, you need to start having an exponential amount of luck needing to show up. This is why I would want to address either RT or TE before the draft. TE is tougher as Schultz is the only starter still out there.

Schultz is gone to the Texans.

 

[Golphindolphin]

I agree that they can be found at 2 or 3. I disagree that it will happen in this draft.

Haven't really studied the prospects that closely yet, sounds like you have So Be. Where do you see the sweet spot this year? Hopefully you're not saying the cupboard is bare , gotta be somebody better than the hope and pray strategy of the current roster construction, right?

 

[Fin-Loco]

Schultz is gone to the Texans.

So, even tougher....

 

[Stoobz]

True, but with limited draft picks, I wouldn't expect them to draft a plug and play right tackle.
I'd hate to see them draft a player who needs more time then put him in in place of Jackson, just to play worse.
Unless they're going to draft that RT with their round 2 pick, which I don't foresee.

I think Darnell Wright is suited to be a plug and play RT and since not many teams need a RT in the 1st or even the 2nd round, he may be there for us.

If he is and Grier doesn't pick him, well, it will further cement the fact he can't draft a perfectly good OL in a position of need.

 

[Danny]

I think Darnell Wright is suited to be a plug and play RT and since not many teams need a RT in the 1st or even the 2nd round, he may be there for us.

If he is and Grier doesn't pick him, well, it will further cement the fact he can't draft a perfectly good OL in a position of need.

a few weeks ago I thought he could be there at 51 but not anymore......he could go late first or early 2nd but I don’t think he'll make it to 51.

some of the OL guys that could/should be there at 51 are,

Matthew Bergeron
Cody Mauch
Jaelyn Duncan
Blake Freeland

they all played oT in college but Mauch is projecting to play inside

here's the tricky part......if you don’t take one of them at 51 then chances are none of them will be there at 84

 

[rafael]

I just read todays article on dolphins podcast. All talk about the OL.
They seem to feel the front office is satisfied with our current guys - better coaching for Liam and better coaching and health for Jackson.
The author did feel we might resign one of last years guys like Snell, Little, or Fischer.
I really do not have great confidence in this plan.

Listening to the Locked on Dolphins podcast as he went through the last 10 years of FA OL pick-ups confirmed for me that using big signings in free agency to shore up the OL is one of the least effective strategies. The teams that have used that strategy the most over the last 10 years that so many here advocate were the Jets, Chargers, Jags, Broncos and Miami.

A smarter strategy is to pick up mid to low end FA OL or be patient and wait for the June 1st cuts. This is the best quick fix strategy but you do have to endure a ton of posts saying, "the team doesn't care about the OL".

Another strategy that can work is using the draft, but it is only likely to work if you have continuity in your coaching and scheme. If you don't have that then you're unlikely to ever develop that continuity and have to endure all those, "we can't draft OL" posts.

IMO this year we should focus more on the FA market. Any OL draft pick will be a developmental guy that may help in year 2 or 3. I have been pushing for us to bring in Fleming as his price should be low and he has familiarity with the system. But who knows, a guy like Fluker might be able to make a comeback. And I expect that there will be some good OL candidates after June 1st. It's something that happens every year. Yet too many posters prefer to panic early.