The Curious Whirlwind That is the Dolphins O-line

[DolfanISS]

I still don't understand why Ireland and Sparano keep getting called out for this.

2008- after this season who was questioning the line? Very few if any were. This line was being raved as one of the better ones in the league.
2009? When did the line start weakening? Go figure, injuries to Grove and Smiley. I would expect when you have injuries to 40% of your starting line, it will tend to be less effective. Especially when it was a run oriented line.

Now at this point, Miami still has a great line. One of the better ones in the league. Looks like Ireland Sparano and Parcells did a good job. At this point, even with the injuries to Grove and Smiley the only thing you can blame the regime for was paying money for those 2 guys knowing their medical concerns. However, I stress again, before they got hurt they looked really good and this line looked great for a while

2010- If anyone seriously wants to blame Sparano and Ireland for this line, it is obviously agenda ridden. Let's just look at it.
Jake Long- Played half a season with only one arm. How is the injury to Long the fault of the FO? The problem will be in the future if by not benching him and letting him heal he winds up having a lingering career effect from the injury.
LG- Pretty much all season a backup was playing this position to my knowledge. At one point a backup to the backup was playing. Again, how do you fault the FO for an injury?
C- I seem to be noticing a trend here. Backup playing Center. Injuries caused this to happen. Is it the FO'S fault for this too?
RG- Do I really need to comment here?
RT- Carey was lazy, had bad work ethic and was not a team player. One could argue this was the FO'S fault for not benching him or doing whatever. But prior to last season how much of an issue was all that for Carey.

So we established that 60% of our line was decimated by injuries. We had backups to backups playing.
Then another 20% was playing half the season with 1 arm

The only healthy player was Carey in that lineup.

So I ask again, how is this the FO'S fault? Are we now blaming the FO for injuries, or will it now be depth issues on the line? Because, I thought part of the argument was how much money was spent on this line? So, did they want us to spend more for better backups?

We then go into this offseason with a bad situation. They take Carey and move him inside. good mover. They then go and draft the best interior lineman in the draft. Good move.

I just don't get how people really want to blame this FO. I am sure the majority of people in here were not questioning Sparano after 2008 with this O-line. The only time O-line became an issue was last season, which isn't surprising when 3rd stringers are starting

I agree with much of your thread except last years line analogy.

LT - Agree long wasn't 100% and his status for the begining of 2011 could be in jeopardy thanks to him playing hurt. Not sure who's fault that is but would have to think the coach has the last say. Jake should have been shut down, this point is emphasized if he misses one game in 2011.
LG - Cogs anchored this all but one game where we tried him at Center, not sure what backup to the backup you're talking about. Smiley was cut do to being too injury prone.
C - Berger suposedly beat Grove out. But he is a career backup so I see your point.
RG - Jerry was starter, got sick so we went with everyones favorite player (McQuistan) but even when healthly Jerry wasn't any better than McQuistan. Jerry was drafted by these guys and took every snap as the staringf RG in camp. Thomas the "God Send" drafted by these guys was deemed not good enough to try to develop anymore.
RT - Carey actually did shut it down, I think we slid McQuistan to RT and played Jerry at RG when Caery was hurt.

There really weren't backups to backups playing anywhere on the line. Berger was named the starter at C, McQuistan and Jerry were so close they both played RG at times and InCognito played LG all season long with the exception of one half or so where we tried him at Center. OH Sorry Proctor played Center for half of the Bears game was Berger was hurt, he went down and Cogs played Center for the rest of that game. That's the only backup to backup situation I can think of and it was for a half. Berger returned the next week.

 

[CMD]

Huh?...this crew inherited an OL first round pick (Vernon Carey), used two first rounders on OL (Long & Pouncey). Used big dollars on free agents Justin Smiley and Jake Grove, and another high pick on John Jerry (who they coached at the senior bowl and should have known what they were looking at).

Did you even read the entire article?

Justin Smily and Jake Grove were injury prone and never really stayed on the field, and I don't think we can criticize Sparano on Jake Long, hes the best OT in the league and while playing injured, he's a killer. It's Pouncey's first year so we'll see how he can do. I still think the jury is still out on John Jerry he was out for most of the season with some kind of flu or something. Carey had a bad season last year and apparently he's in great shape so we'll see how he does.

I agree he hasn't been the "Guru" he was set out to be but I still don't think he's had a lot to work with., and I think he's done good with what he's worked with. I mean It's not his fault he has to choose between Murtha and Colombo, he doesn't sign the free agents. I think Sparano knew how bad our Interior line was last season and decided he would rather fix the interior line and hopefully someone can contribute at RT.

 

[GRYPHONK]

I agree with much of your thread except last years line analogy.

LT - Agree long wasn't 100% and his status for the begining of 2011 could be in jeopardy thanks to him playing hurt. Not sure who's fault that is but would have to think the coach has the last say. Jake should have been shut down, this point is emphasized if he misses one game in 2011.
LG - Cogs anchored this all but one game where we tried him at Center, not sure what backup to the backup you're talking about. Smiley was cut do to being too injury prone.
C - Berger suposedly beat Grove out. But he is a career backup so I see your point.
RG - Jerry was starter, got sick so we went with everyones favorite player (McQuistan) but even when healthly Jerry wasn't any better than McQuistan. Jerry was drafted by these guys and took every snap as the staringf RG in camp. Thomas the "God Send" drafted by these guys was deemed not good enough to try to develop anymore.
RT - Carey actually did shut it down, I think we slid McQuistan to RT and played Jerry at RG when Caery was hurt.

There really weren't backups to backups playing anywhere on the line. Berger was named the starter at C, McQuistan and Jerry were so close they both played RG at times and InCognito played LG all season long with the exception of one half or so where we tried him at Center. OH Sorry Proctor played Center for half of the Bears game was Berger was hurt, he went down and Cogs played Center for the rest of that game. That's the only backup to backup situation I can think of and it was for a half. Berger returned the next week.

Oh sorry. I implied something wrong there.

I didn't mean we had 3rd stringers starting games, I was implying at various points in the seasons during games injuries took over and we had to keep shuffling people around the Bears game being the most notable.

I mean, don't get me wrong. The line still needs work. So I guess, in theory I understand why Sparano would take the fall.

I just feel it needs to be kept in perspective as to the situations Sparano had to deal with. He can only use the guys he has on the roster.

If anything, we should be happy that we have a HC who isn't gonna care how much money you make, or where you were drafted if you aren't cutting it on the line he will try someone else. But again, he can only work with what he has.

This is Ireland and Sparano's first full season with control. Let's see how the O-line is this season. I would expect it to be closer to the 2009 line where it was one of the better ones