Mr.Majestik
Practice Squad
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2006
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When the game of football is distilled to its essense, it's about one group of big men being able to knock over another group of big men. Every aspect of the game of football begins by controlling the lines of scrimmage. If your offensive line cannot pass block, you cannot pass, regardless of who your quarterback, or skill position players are. If your offensive line cannot run block, you can't run. If your defensive line cannot get consistent pressure, your secondary cannot stop the pass. Every great running back has had the aid of great linemen. You can go back decades and test this statement. Even the great Barry Sanders had guys like Lomas Brown, Bill Fralic, Jeff Hartings, and Kevin Glover blocking for him.
The Dolphins are old on the defensive line, and just bad on the offensive line. The two previous coaching staffs, enjoying autocratic control of personnel, seldom addressed either the offensive, or defensive lines with high draft picks, in nine-years of drafting under the Johnson/Wannstadt/Spielman regimes, we selected only 3 offensive, or defensive linemen with a first, or second-round pick, and the three players we selected never performed at an elite level, although the jury is still out on Vernon Carey.
Take the Steelers as an example, they have four first-round draft picks filling eight starting spots on the offensive and defensive lines. There are three first-rounders starting on the OL, one second-rounder, and one third-rounder. The primary backup is a third-rounder. The Steelers don't usually spend money in free agency, but six-years ago they spent lavishly to sign Jeff Hartings to play center.
In 2003, Priest Holmes scored 27 touchdowns, the Chiefs went 13-3, and put up nearly 500 points of offense, their offensive
line consisted of Willie Roaf, Brian Waters, Will Shields and John Tait!
The Cincinnati Bengals have two top-ten draft picks playing OT. The Seahawks would not have been in the Super Bowl last year, and Shaun Alexander would not have won the rushing title if the Seahawks had not invested heavily in offensive linemen by drafting, or acquiring via free agency Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck, etc. The Patriots have three first-round picks on the DL. They spend first-round draft picks on tight ends capable of blocking, every other year. The Jags have two first-round picks at DT. The Ravens have drafted six offensive, or defensive linemen in the last four drafts. The Jets' did the smart thing when they rebuffed calls to make a play for Reggie Bush, and instead selected two franchise offensive linemen with their first two picks in the draft, it's a move that will payoff for them in the future. There is a common denominator in play here, the most dominant teams tend to have a bunch of draft picks and money tied up in their lines.
The only player on the Dolphins' offensive line with any appreciable upside appears to be Vernon Carey, the rest are just waiting to be cut. The defensive line has more potential, but outside of Matt Roth, who is playing well in his limited minutes, there isn't another premium draft pick, or free agent in the bunch. It's not feasible for us to envision a future where the entire OL, or DL consists of All-Pros, that is unattainable, and unnecessary, two, or three premium players can substantially elevate the level of play of lesser talents. If you have DTs like John Henderson and Marcus Stroud, you can have an imposing defense regardless of who the DEs are. If Casey Hampton is your NT, you can have 7th round DEs making plays. Until we get that, we will struggle, and everyone can sit around blaming Culpepper, Mularkey, Chambers, Booker, the nonexistant linebackers, the porous secondary, etc, etc..
The Dolphins are old on the defensive line, and just bad on the offensive line. The two previous coaching staffs, enjoying autocratic control of personnel, seldom addressed either the offensive, or defensive lines with high draft picks, in nine-years of drafting under the Johnson/Wannstadt/Spielman regimes, we selected only 3 offensive, or defensive linemen with a first, or second-round pick, and the three players we selected never performed at an elite level, although the jury is still out on Vernon Carey.
Take the Steelers as an example, they have four first-round draft picks filling eight starting spots on the offensive and defensive lines. There are three first-rounders starting on the OL, one second-rounder, and one third-rounder. The primary backup is a third-rounder. The Steelers don't usually spend money in free agency, but six-years ago they spent lavishly to sign Jeff Hartings to play center.
In 2003, Priest Holmes scored 27 touchdowns, the Chiefs went 13-3, and put up nearly 500 points of offense, their offensive
line consisted of Willie Roaf, Brian Waters, Will Shields and John Tait!
The Cincinnati Bengals have two top-ten draft picks playing OT. The Seahawks would not have been in the Super Bowl last year, and Shaun Alexander would not have won the rushing title if the Seahawks had not invested heavily in offensive linemen by drafting, or acquiring via free agency Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck, etc. The Patriots have three first-round picks on the DL. They spend first-round draft picks on tight ends capable of blocking, every other year. The Jags have two first-round picks at DT. The Ravens have drafted six offensive, or defensive linemen in the last four drafts. The Jets' did the smart thing when they rebuffed calls to make a play for Reggie Bush, and instead selected two franchise offensive linemen with their first two picks in the draft, it's a move that will payoff for them in the future. There is a common denominator in play here, the most dominant teams tend to have a bunch of draft picks and money tied up in their lines.
The only player on the Dolphins' offensive line with any appreciable upside appears to be Vernon Carey, the rest are just waiting to be cut. The defensive line has more potential, but outside of Matt Roth, who is playing well in his limited minutes, there isn't another premium draft pick, or free agent in the bunch. It's not feasible for us to envision a future where the entire OL, or DL consists of All-Pros, that is unattainable, and unnecessary, two, or three premium players can substantially elevate the level of play of lesser talents. If you have DTs like John Henderson and Marcus Stroud, you can have an imposing defense regardless of who the DEs are. If Casey Hampton is your NT, you can have 7th round DEs making plays. Until we get that, we will struggle, and everyone can sit around blaming Culpepper, Mularkey, Chambers, Booker, the nonexistant linebackers, the porous secondary, etc, etc..
