Will Dolphins improve on picking up Short Yardage in 2016?

[Perfect72]

[h=2]This question of getting that short yardage down can open up a whole litany of options and speculations. So lets dive right in.


Not being able to pick up short yardage downs has been a lingering circumstance going all the way back to when the Dolphins last had a fullback. Lousaka Polite had an astonishing ratio for gaining that short yardage first down throughout his tenure on the team. Also there are the trending changes that the league has made moving away from integrating the fullback position.


As good as Lamar Miller was one of the hooks on him was that he suffered in this situation. Also whether he could hold up under a more bell cow like workload. We may see this part play out with him in his new role in Houston. The new running backs Jay Ajayi and Kenyan Drake are about the same size as Miller was although Miller was a few inches shorter and Drake being about 10 lbs lighter.

More at LINK:
http://phinphanatic.com/2016/05/15/will-short-yardage-downs-get-sorted/[/h]

I remember Lousaka Polite & all the 1st downs he had that one year. He was practically automatic...Haven't had that in a LONG time...

 

[Ruckus45]

Never understood why we didn't bring Polite back after that year. He missed what, one short yardage conversion? That alone has value to take up a roster spot. Hopefully these new RBs behind an actually well coached line will be able to extend more drives. I don't have faith for Thomas, but Ajayi seems to fit the part of a short yardage guy who will fight for the needed inches.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Honestly, that's my biggest question with this offense. The wide receiver unit should be top 10, the offensive line looks a lot better on paper with the addition of Tunsil and Tannehill should benefit from both a new scheme and more talent.

But, can the team run the ball when everyone in the stadium knows they have to put games away? I hope so.

 

[miami365]

The neglect of the QB sneak by the previous regime was criminal.

 

[royalshank]

We've been so bad at it that I'm going with "yes" I think it will be better - mainly because I find it improbable that it could be any worse.

 

[finbully]

Never understood why we didn't bring Polite back after that year. He missed what, one short yardage conversion? That alone has value to take up a roster spot. Hopefully these new RBs behind an actually well coached line will be able to extend more drives. I don't have faith for Thomas, but Ajayi seems to fit the part of a short yardage guy who will fight for the needed inches.

Was confused about this, too. Figured they wrote him off due to health concerns. Guy was punishing, but took a beating.

 

[fansinceGWilson]

Not consistently. If the backs get a series on field as Gase claims, I'm pessimistic about Drake. Need another big RB.

 

[BSQ]

Polite was Mr. Automatic in short yardage. In 08 he was 12 of 13 and in 09 he was am amazing 16 for 16! The FO was so stupid to let this guy go that it is unreal. I guess 28 for 29 time moving the sticks wasn't good enough. I hope that between a much improved o-line and some more power at RB provided by Ajayi we will again be a good short yardage team. To not let the athletic Tannehill run the QB sneak is beyond my understanding. Brady does it all the time for NE.

 

[ChambersWI]

Never understood why we didn't bring Polite back after that year. He missed what, one short yardage conversion? That alone has value to take up a roster spot. Hopefully these new RBs behind an actually well coached line will be able to extend more drives. I don't have faith for Thomas, but Ajayi seems to fit the part of a short yardage guy who will fight for the needed inches.

we did bring him back the next year but his blocking suffered the 2nd year even though he was effecting still in short yardages (only failing to convert once). But we also decided to go more passing based out of our FBs the year we released him. Remember that year was Charles Clay's rookie year and he was officially listed as a FB

 

[fishfanmiami]

I'd like to see them bring in another back. If Ajayi (who is still unproven) goes down Daniel Thomas would be our short yardage guy

 

[xXwarXx]

Can't be any worse than what we had with Lamar Miller and the rest of our running back unit. He basically tackled himself if he saw a defender standing in his way.

Philbin had no respect for the physical side of football, and the product showed that, as we were a soft team under his control.

Gase & Vance constantly saying words like aggressive and Alpha tell me they saw the same thing and want to change that.

 

[Digital]

Polite played when we had different guards who could maul. We no longer have any guards who can maul.

Will we improve? Yes. Will we reach the level we had when Polite was here? IMHO, no.

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[Sherif]

Never understood why we didn't bring Polite back after that year. He missed what, one short yardage conversion? That alone has value to take up a roster spot. Hopefully these new RBs behind an actually well coached line will be able to extend more drives. I don't have faith for Thomas, but Ajayi seems to fit the part of a short yardage guy who will fight for the needed inches.

Because Philbin didn't know what he was doing. Polite would have been more valuable. I felt Damian Williams was a liability last year.

 

[jim1]

Polite played when we had different guards who could maul. We no longer have any guards who can maul.

Will we improve? Yes. Will we reach the level we had when Polite was here? IMHO, no.

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I never liked moving Billy Turner to Guard, or drafting him over Trai Turner for that matter, but I'm hoping that he can get it in gear in year three. If not I'd rather move him to backup OT and be done with it. I'm still intrigued by Anthony Steen, curious to see how he'll perform in training camp.

 

[McGaniel]

Easily, we will be much better. The line improvements will be huge, plus our backs are much better lead blockers and have much better size, the whole team has gotten larger. We're going to have a good year.