If you didn't start this thread, I'm sure a number of us would have. Gotta think we go OL with the #13 pick.
You would think that since they want an OL in round 1, they think he's the second best guy out there, and they're willing to risk that he'll survive until #13. If that's their thinking, and it works out, good on them. But that's a lot of assumptions strung together.
I ask myself that question and the thought makes me angry. Very angry. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There are still some free agent OG's out there who are viable. As long as the FO and coaching staff don't believe in Thomas as a starter I'm okay with him being allowed to compete. But, obviously, he's not very good and should lose out. But, Stanley won't be a guard (and odds are he'll go before #13. Several have him going as high as 6 to the Ravens). And, even if we did draft Stanley, he'd be an LT and there's no way to know whether shifting Albert to OG will work well. I would hope so if we did that but ... If we did draft an OL at 13 I think the ideal would be Jack Conklin. Conklin is a tackle with power who has played OG (in fact, on occasion even his senior year he was shifted inside). He can handle tackles and is a great player and athlete. We could put him at OG for a year or two and then as Albert is put out to pasture, Conklin could step into the LT position and we can draft or sign a replacement. But, I'd still like to go into the draft with two new veterans signed at OG. That we we are freed to draft the BPA.
I think that the FO thinks that Thomas may benefit from a different blocking scheme, he obviously struggled in zone, but he might be better in man.
Reports are saying that we have given him a strict weight lifting program to follow this off season. Sounds to me like they are planning on him being a part of the plan. Poor Ryan.
"The 31-year-old Bushrod will come in as cover for oft-injured left tackle Branden Albert and right tackle Ja’Wuan James, but the Dolphins may give him a shot to start at guard as well." http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/03/10/dolphins-add-veteran-tackle-jermon-bushrod/ So Bushrod is a Guard option and I think that we'll look at maybe 2 Guards in rds 2-5. Personally I like Garnett, Westerman, Glasgow and Jack Allen. I'd also like to see Bushrog at OG and Billy Turner back to OT, but regardless I think that Dallas Thomas is a goner. The team doesn't have any incentive to waive him yet, so why do it? If they can, as I suspect they are planning, pick up quality OG talent in the draft at reasonable prices, then cut Thomas loose. The team had a ton of work to do on the defense in free agency, now we've got the OG/CB/DE holes to fill in the draft, plus an upgrade over Jenkins at WLB I suspect. I have no problem with Bushrod at OG plus getting more OL in the draft, but imo regardless Thomas will be out the door. If we miss on Garnett and Westerman in the first wave, Jack Allen is a little undersized but strong at the point of attack and very mobile, maybe this year's Shaq Mason, and Graham Glasgow is a big head basher with pretty good athleticism. We'll get it done I think, and OG will be the need position that I think we may draft a player one round higher to get our guy. Man, it would have been nice to have had La'el Collins and Trai Turner at Guard already and not have to worry about the position...
I also read about the weight training. How many different people is Dallas Thomas gonna fool? The fact that we keep signing tackles that may or may not play guard is equally as frustrating. I like Stanley a lot, but I have serious doubts as to whether or not he will be available at 13. Seriously, since free agency has begun, I do not think that we have gotten better at a single position.
Thomas must have some compromising photos of Ross in order for this guy still still be considered a viable player for this team. I won't believe in any real turn around on this oline until he is gone. Litterly draft a 6th rounder to replace him.
It's a simple answer really. You just have to know what the Tbaum philosophy is and it's this.... Family first. He's doesn't want kids to go hungry. We have horrible (or no) depth at every position. So we bring in a guy like Maxwell and cut our best player in that position for him to replace. This leaves our depth the same and keeps the backups employed, which in turn keeps their kids fed. If we were to push our substandard starter down to backup, the backup would be on unemployment and their kids may not eat. It would be great if we kept Grimes (for example) and got rid of the worst CB we had. Then the best man starts and the former starter is now a great depth person. It's what the good teams do. But I suggest those GM's don't care about the scrubs kids as much as TBaum does. Most of our backups would not make another NFL squad, and could be on unemployment. This would be a huge burden for USA. At least if we cut our current starter when we replace someone, they may get a chance to be a backup in the NFL still so their kids still eat. Now for Dallas Thomas, we will cut him when we bring in an ageing veteran who may or may not be injury prone. We could keep him as a backup, but the guy who was his back up and couldn't even beat him out of the job would be unemployed and that would hurt his family and be a burden on the welfare system. Let's just hope for America's sake, Dallas Thomas gets stronger so when we do get an aging veteran guard to replace him, he will find a nice landing spot as a backup on another team like New England where their coaches make him a pro-bowler. It'll keep his philosophy of saving children, the unemployment line, and America better. I believe in him!
The Dolphins's definitive word on their guard situations - at least up to now - is, according to Armando: "The question Miami Dolphins fans have been asking over and over is, "What about the guards?"Well, the Dolphins just signed veteran offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod to a one-year deal this evening. And the team sees him as a strong possibility as a starting guard as well as a backup tackle. Bushrod, 31, played only 12 games last season because he suffered a shoulder injury. The Dolphins believe he will be 100 percent and ready to compete by the start of training camp in July and perhaps sooner. That is not all. The Dolphins expect to address the guard position again in the draft if the chips fall in the proper order. And if they don't ... The club is putting both Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner, starters a year ago, on a significant weight training program this offseason in hopes both can improve as players. That's it. That's the answer. Bushrod is a fig leaf to angry fans wanting upgrade and new people. Perhaps he can regain the form he showed during his days in New Orleans and then again in Chicago. If not, the team will move forward toward other possibilities."
Bushrod just suiting up is an improvement on last ranked guard play. We get even average guard play from him and it's a massive upgrade. Tannehill's pocket presence was a non-issue his first year with an average line though given the pounding he's taken he's probably hearing footsteps anyway.
