Dolphins must make upgrading offensive line a priority in this draft

[CF DolFan]

I think the last line kind of summed it up. "Selecting a fifth offensive lineman in the draft's first two-rounds since 2007 certainly isn't sexy, but Tannehill might not get to visit playmaker paradise without it."

I for one have never been happy about it but I could certainly see why it would be important now.  I hope they are able to move up and get one. I would be less impressed if they went RG although Kiper had mentioned it as a possibility.

By Omar Kelly, Commentary
5:53 p.m. EDT, April 9, 2013

Close your eyes and follow me on this journey through the Dolphins playmakers paradise.

Pro Bowl receiver Mike Wallace is going deep, using his 4.3 speed to take a cornerback and safety with him downfield.

New Dolphins tight end Dustin Keller is running an option route down the right seam of the field, and uses his 4.4 speed to create separation from a linebacker.


Envision Davone Bess, Brandon Gibson, Armon Binns, or a draft pick of your choice, running a drag route across the middle of the field.

This fantasy should be an offensive utopia for Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins starting quarterback, and Mike Sherman, the team's offensive coordinator. However, it could turn into a nightmare quickly if the Dolphins don't approach the 2013 draft properly.

Open your eyes and pay attention to the defensive lineman about to level the Dolphins with a bone-crushing sack. Envision the pocket consistently collapsing. See what I see, which is now an offense filled with weapons, but one lacking a line that can adequately protect the quarterback.

Take a good look at the Dolphins' offensive line that finished last season as the starters, the players who remain the front runners to start again in 2013 if the unit isn't upgraded in the draft.

Jonathan Martin was one of the NFL's worst offensive tackles during his rookie season according to ProFootballFocus.com, which rated him 76th out of 80. And now he'll be protecting Tannehill's blindside fulltime.

On the right side is Nate Garner, who has been respectable in a fill-in role as a tackle or guard, but in four years hasn't proven he's reliable enough for a starting role. Garner allowed one sack and a season-high six hurries in the season's final loss to New England.

And then we've got everyone's favorite fat boy, John Jerry, who reported to training camp at 370-plus pounds last season. Jerry started all of last season at right guard, but describing his performance as "good" would be stretching the truth.

Coach Joe Philbin, who worked his way up the coaching ranks as an offensive line coach in college and the NFL, is the first to admit Miami's offensive line presently isn't athletic enough to maximize the team's zone blocking concepts. The big question is, what will the Dolphins do about it moving forward?

Fail to fortify the offensive line and everything General Manager Jeff Ireland has done this offseason to "provide Tannehill more toys" will be wasted because a quarterback can't thrown pretty passes without proper protection.

The Dolphins offensive line isn't deep. The unit lacks top end talent with the exception of Mike Pouncey and 2012 Pro Bowler Richie Incognito. And few players fit the team's preferred scheme, which requires more athletic 300-pounders and less bulldozers like Incognito and Jerry.

Still not concerned? Still prefer Miami select another playmaker in the first round? Fine, but answer this question.

What happens to the offense if Martin isn't capable of blocking the league's premier pass rushers? And where does Miami go if Martin suffers a season ending injury in August? Keep in mind Jerry is the player on the roster who has played the second-most snaps at left tackle in an NFL game?

That's right. A 350-pound underachiever is Miami's break-in-case of emergency blindside protector. And behind him is Will Yeatman, is a converted tight end.

That is why the Dolphins must seriously consider using its first-round pick on Central Michigan's Eric Fisher, Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel, Oklahoma's Lane Johnson and North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper. Those four offensive linemen, which all fit Miami's scheme, are universally viewed as the elites of the 2013 draft class.

It is likely that the Dolphins would need to trade away one of the team's two second-round picks to move ahead of fellow offensive line starved teams like Arizona (pick No. 7) and San Diego (pick No. 11) to take one of the three elite tackles. Waiting to take an offensive lineman in the second round could be a risky proposition considering there will likely be an early run on the offensive linemen.

Selecting a fifth offensive lineman in the draft's first two-rounds since 2007 certainly isn't sexy, but Tannehill might not get to visit playmaker paradise without it.

Copyright © 2013, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-omar-kelly-dolphins-0410-20130409,0,6609761.story

[Landshark]

I think the last line kind of summed it up. "Selecting a fifth offensive lineman in the draft's first two-rounds since 2007 certainly isn't sexy, but Tannehill might not get to visit playmaker paradise without it."

I for one have never been happy about it but I could certainly see why it would be important now.  I hope they are able to move up and get one. I would be less impressed if they went RG although Kiper had mentioned it as a possibility.

And what made it important now?  The previous regimes' failures.

[MikeO]

Offensive Tackle is the biggest need on this team right now. Don't care who we added at WR and TE  if we can't give our QB time this offense will be as bad as last year.

I would rather trade a 2nd round pick to KC for Albert, but if we don't do that then in Rd 1 we must trade UP to get one of the Top 3 tackles in this draft.

[Dave Gray]

I learned a long time ago that the trenches win games.  WRs, TEs, RBs....those players are sexy, but you can "find" yardage from average skill position players.  You can't cheat at the line.  No amount of blocking scheme is going to make up for having better players.  You have to put your resources to shore up the O-Line and D-Line is you want to win in this league.  Then, you find diamonds in the rough for those other positions.

[CF DolFan]

I would rather trade a 2nd round pick to KC for Albert, but if we don't do that then in Rd 1 we must trade UP to get one of the Top 3 tackles in this draft.

That would be the best option for us because then it wouldn't cost us two picks. That would be awesome!!

[el diablo]

I'm just amazed. They don't need to trade up to get a top 3 tackle. Albert is ready for a trade. If they don't want to do that. There is a tackle that will be there in the 2nd rd. His name is Terron Farmstead from Arkansas-Pine Bluff.  If you're not willing to pay a Pro Bowl tackle that was on your roster. If you're not willing to trade for a starting tackle. Then don't trade up and give up on other needs. Rhodes and Trufant are more valuable at 12, then one of those other tackles.

[Dave Gray]

I think that the unwillingness to sign Long came from his underachieving play, coupled with injury concerns.  They just didn't want to drop that much money on that kind of risk.  It wasn't necessarily an unwillingness to put big money towards that position.

I'm all for trading up, by the way.  Move up, get the guy you want.

[Cathal]

Just no...... You find play makers, you don't keep drafting OTs with your first pick. You find guys in the later rounds for that. CB, WR, and pass rushers should be the focus, not linemen.

Don't the Giants and Patriots have linemen that were drafted late or were moved from one position to another and they've been pretty good.

[Dave Gray]

Pats offensive line:
LT - Nate Solder - First round pick of the Pats
LG - Logan Mankins - First round pick of the Pats
C - Ryan Wendell - Undrafted Free Agent (back and forth between practice squad)
RG - Dan Connolly - Undrafted Free Agent (back and forth between practice squad)
RG - Sebastian Vollmer - Second round pick of the Pats

Giants Offensive Live:
LT - Will Beatty - Second round pick of the Giants
LG - Kevin Boothe - Sixth round pick of the Raiders
C - David Baas - Second round pick of 49ers
RG - Chris Snee - Second round pick of Giants
RT - David Diehl - Fifth roung pick of Giants

[Spider-Dan]

And what made it important now?  The previous regimes' failures.

Kind of hard to blame LT on "the previous regimes" when the current GM is the man who spent a #1 overall on a LT.

[Spider-Dan]

That would be the best option for us because then it wouldn't cost us two picks. That would be awesome!!

How much salary cap is one extra pick worth?

If MIA trades for Albert, he's going to cost a lot more (in salary) than a rookie would.

[Sunstroke]

As a 49ers fan...I know all about the value of a monster offensive line. I think a first round pick of Lane Johnson, Chance Warmack or Jonathan Cooper (in that order), while not sexy, would be the best thing this team could do to improve on offense and assist the development of their franchise QB. A good O-line makes "every" part of your offense better.

I left Eric Fisher off the list above only because I think he goes top-5, and I think it would be too expensive for Miami to trade up to get him.

[MikeO]

How much salary cap is one extra pick worth?

If MIA trades for Albert, he's going to cost a lot more (in salary) than a rookie would.

But you are paying for a proven commodity. Not taking a chance on a rookie

[Landshark]

Kyle Long (Howie Long's son/Chris Long's brother) would be a good fit for this zone blocking scheme and is athletic enough to play both guard and tackle.  And he can be had in the second round.

[Dolphin-UK]

but you can "find" yardage from average skill position players.  You can't cheat at the line.  No amount of blocking scheme is going to make up for having better players.  You have to put your resources to shore up the O-Line and D-Line is you want to win in this league.  Then, you find diamonds in the rough for those other positions.

This is a perfect explanation, if you can identify a weakness in OL you need to address it or all your other moves at skill positions are pointless. An O line upgrade offers a multiplier to those skill positions.