Philbin wants Leach deal done by week's end

I'm just thinking in terms of adding an extra dimension to the offense, plus the redzone stuff, specifically inside the 10 where Leach's blocking is a welcome presence to the run game. Plus it's more that defenses have to prepare for.

Those other guys will still get their snaps. If Clay were on par with Aaron Hernandez's production & ability then I'd say let's roll with our current players but I just don't feel he's shown us enough to say we shouldn't have a use for a thrice straight All Pro fullback. I'd figure you as a Leach advocate with your interest in providing Tannehill a supportive ground game. Also, it's not like Keller is a great blocking TE so running some pro set formations with an ominous fullback might help maintain better balance. We also didn't end up with Tavon Austin who would've stolen a lot more snaps from Clay, Gibson, Matthews, Egnew, and Sims. I also feel he's a nice one year insurance policy in case our depth either doesn't show up or gets injured b/c at least with Leach you know the 11th man is proven All Pro, and that's what I personally care about most- fielding the best 11 possible. It just might take a little time for Miller to develop chemistry with him.

Call me nuts but I think Leach's presence will do more to help out the passing game (indirectly of course) and improve the number of big plays than Clay or any of our backups. How many big plays did Baltimore have last year off playaction? Seemed like every time I turned around they had a receiver hauling in a deep ball.

 

Doesn't hurt to have the best deep ball QB in the NFL.

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Leach and Manning will make a great combo

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Good post

 

The more I think about it, the more I think signing Leach would more than offset the loss of Long.

 

I agree. Didn't mean to imply he'd pigeon hole the entire offense. He'd be a good pickup, I was only saying that whatever % of snaps he's in for it's going to be I formation, 2 backs 2 receivers, etc. whereas Clay/Keller give the play caller more formations to work with and more ways to create mismatches and attack the defense.

 

Sadly, this is the exact feeling I've been getting on this deal...

I'd love for him to be here...even if its just 1 year, I think he fits a ton of needs / niceities for us. You keep your young QB even more protected, improve his running game, make your red zone offense more potent, give us an even better 3rd and short ground game, etc. Just all HUGE things for a young and developing team. I'd feel a lot better going into this year with Leach on the roster. Its a rare moment where I'd trade experience for a young guy for the presence of a vet - its just that perfect storm of scenarios.

Fingers still crossed, but every day makes me suspect its less and less likely to happen.

 

It seems every time a writer says a player is a slam dunk in coming here, they go somewhere else. So I fully expect Leach to be a NY Giant.

 

All good points, though in light of recent events I hope Clay does not "produce" as much as Hernandez.

Not saying Leach wouldn't be a welcome addition, he certainly would be. People can finally stop saying we never replaced Vontae .

 

Other than both being from Balt, I don't see the connection. We never made an offer to McKinnie did we? We seem much more interested in Leach.

 

Until Mike Wallace happened.

 

Hey, I hope I wrong, not trying to be pessimistic to draw cute comments like yours, I'm just saying it seem the last couple years we have been through this ringer, sure there are exceptions and again I hope I am proven wrong.

 

I think if he would want to be here, he would have signed already. IMO, he's looking for the team he wants to join jump in on the race.

 

Judging by the reports of Joe Philbin's urgency about getting this done, and Vonta Leach's seeming non-urgency at least in terms of the language being put out by his camp...I'm starting to wonder if this gets done. Philbin and Ireland both strike me as people that would "move on" if something were dragging out longer than they preferred.

 

could also make a case for karlos dansby

 

lol It's not a cute comment, it's what happened. People just tend to remember the times things didn't work out more than when it does.

That and the media drastically misinterprets our interest a lot of the time.

 

For sure. Brent Grimes as well.

 

EXACTLY what I'm thinking, because I suspect our offer is probably the best one presented to him and it seems like he has an hesitation of coming for some reason.

 

And Burnett, and Ellerbee, and Wheeler, and Louis, and Gibson, and Keller, and Clabo

 

My gut doubts this deal gets done, but it's not based on anything logical or concrete. Leach may just be dragging his feet like many vets do to avoid the drudgeries of camp. That may not fit in with Philbin's time frame.

 

I'm talking about when a media person comes out and pretty much says "book it, he's coming to Miami" and then they go elsewhere. I recall people saying Grimes favorite to come here but I don't recall anyone going out on a limb and saying it was a sure thing.

 

If Leach doesn't end up a Dolphins, one fullback battle to keep an eye on may be Cincinnati's. They recently moved TE Orson Charles to fullback full time since they have Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert, Richard Quinn, and Alex Smith on the roster headed into camp.

Currently, the Bengals have John Conner, formerly the "Terminator" on the New York Jets, and Chris Pressley in camp, along with Charles. Conner is a local kid - he attended Cincinnati's Lakota West HS, which is now something of a pipeline to the south (Texas' Jordan Hicks was from there, and Alabama has 2-3 OL commits from there from last year and next year). Pressley got hurt in Week 14 and though his injury escapes me at the moment, I do know it ended his season. I'm not sure what his prognosis is or how serious it was, but he's been a fine blocker as a FB for the Bengals the past two seasons.

Judging by what the Bengals have done recently, I think they're likely to keep Gresham, Eifert, Charles, one other TE, and either Pressley or Conner, so one of those two true FBs should shake loose. Just a battle to keep an eye on.

 

Im just waiting to see "Leach Signed by Phins" post. Last piece in the jigsaw for me before training camp. wish NY Giants rumor would die a death but its who wants him most.

 

His agent is saying Miami is the "right place" for Leach. Don't know if that makes it any more likely, or if the agent is just trying to get the Giants to up their offer.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...eachs-agent-dolphins-right-place-for-fullback

 

I was just going to say that, he don't really want to come here, he wants either the Giants or Ravens to increase their offer or if this was really the "right place" he be here by now.

 

Off set language would be my guess.

 

He's said he doesn't want to make a lateral move. In other words, he wants more money than the Ravens were paying him. This is about money.

 

The NY Daily News seems to have given up on the Giants' signing Leach.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/2013/06/leachs-agent-thinks-it-will-be-dolphins-not-giants

 

I feel much better with Leach out there, he make some holes for Miller. Plus help out Martin on passing down, so I hope we add him soon.

 

Dude... WTF. Maybe he was waiting to see where Dwight Howard landed?

 

Update.

FWIW.

 

My thoughts are if he isn't signed by the time we got to camp on the 20 I say fu&$ him.

 

As a vet player, it's entirely possible he's stretching this out to miss a week or two of camp.

 

Fixed...