Per KFFL: We've literally rained dollars into our offensive line, to me the payoff could be huge if they can stay healthy, and I also think we receive no credit around the NFL for making this large an investment in that unit.
I 100% agree with Grove. There is no reasonable doubt that the Miami Dolphins have the best offensive line in the NFL. I don't know of a team with more talent @ that unit.
I think a shot at being the 'best OL in the NFL' is still a couple of years away. The pieces could very well already be in place, but they need to stay healthy and learn together as a unit. Donald Thomas is NOT a foregone conclusion as our answer at RG... at least not to me. I want to see the guy at work for a few weeks. I also want to see how Grove fits in. I like us at LT, LG, and RT. I appreciate Grove's optimism... but, with all due respect... I wanna see it on the field, bub. We've heard it before.
I agree. There's no reason for this line not to be one of the top in the league. Afterall, theres enough money poured into it that it better be.
Well, imho, I'd say anything less then top 5 is wasted potential for that unit, two #1's, two #2's, all in the primes of their careers, they should perform at a high level, they also should be expected to perform at that level. Donald Thomas does have to prove himself all over again, if one looks at his history though, a two year starter at UConn, a year being around the NFL for a season should help his maturity and his conditioning, last yr the knock on Thomas was he was to weak in the upper body.
Which is amazing considering the comments from members of the Phins, Jets (and Jags?) about how powerful he felt. 'Little Brian' could very well be the key to this OL becoming elite. That, and health.
It was his speed and punchouts, he just hit the other guy so fast they couldn't really make any counter moves. And little Brian? Who is that?
Brian Waters. Here's an audio clip from a conference call I did with Justin Smiley after the Patriots game. Audio clip
As our Line goes, so goes our season. Can you imagine if they can open holes inside and out for our backs and give Cp and PW time to throw consistently?! It will make our Wide receivers instantly improved.
I like Grove's confidence I really do but just because the OL group is working hard, is committed, and wants to win doesn't mean they will be the best in the NFL. Having that kind of commitment is a great start but we will have to wait and see how the chemistry plays out when the real contact begins. For this OL to be the best they will have to know exactly what each other is thinking at the same time. That is a very tall order considering only three of them have played together and only two of them for a full season on opposite ends of the line. I hope they all mesh well and I believe they will find that as long as we stay healthy but my guess is there will be quite an adjustment period when the real action starts. Gelling up front doesn't happen overnight. These things take time.
Well we certainly have the talent and coaching to have one of the best in the league. We have some good skill players and serious talent on the oline hopefully that will translate to wins. We do need that nasty attacking attitude on the oline and I think thats the kind of players we are getting in here.
I think the best part about this line is that, going into training camp, I think we really only have one question mark (RG). I can't remember a time that we could pretty much pen in our starters this early on. Long-Smiley-Grove-?-Carey. Any word on Smiley's recovery?
One thing we kind of overlook is that this staff will continue bringing in young talent and train them to be ready. I don't think Parcells and/or Ireland will ever take the offensive line for granted and will continue to try to get better no matter how good the starters are. Past staff took the offensive line for granted and were content with mediocre talent, feeling the offensive line wasn't a priority. IMO this staff will never accept mediocrity in any position.
Regarding his athleticism, I was looking through the numbers and according to NFL Drat Scout, Thomas recorded the 3rd fastest 40 time for an OG in the last 10 years. Only Eric Steinbach and Evan Mathis were faster. Wuite impressive.
I looked into Brian Water's background and was surprised how similar it is to Donald Thomas, both were Te's, both did not play offensive line for very long before breaking into the NFL and at least Waters was a fast success in the NFL. Waters had never played on the Oline until he wound up in KC's minicamp, and even then, he had to be talked into switching from Te to G. It would be a golden gate bridge sized stretch to say Donald Thomas is the next Brian Waters however it is a fair early in their career comparison, Waters washed out of Cowboys camp, Thomas was a 6th round pick who played one half of football for us.
until now they haven't proved it yet, on the field. we def have the talent and the coaching,, just gotta make it
Faith in the OL is being tossed around in huge proportions. I have concerns. First off Donald Thomas is starting all over. The major injury forced this. We really have no idea what we are going to get out of a guy who is basically a rookie again. Do we know that he is going to come back and be the guy the media made him out to be? I hope so and so does everyone else but that is a huge question mark. Justin Smiley is the next guy I wonder about. He was on IR in '07 with the 49ers and again put on IR during the '08 season. I'm banking somewhere in '09 he might miss time again. Depth is a big issue. On to Jake Grove, the guy is talking a big game by stepping out and saying this OL will be the best in the NFL. This is a new guy, a center putting a bunch of pressure on his back. He better be ready to step up and back up his words. I like the confidence and I hope it translates well but it seems a bit premature to me. Like I said before I worry about the interior OL with chemistry, the ability to stay healthy and depth if things go wrong with that starting five.
The Eagles OLine will give us a run for our money. Peters, Herremans, Jackson, Andrews, Andrews. eeeeek.
It's possible Grove's initial impressions of a first rate organization, operating with the systematic efficiency, demanded by the likes of Bill Parcells, and being his first venture, outside the sanctified walls, after five years in the anomalous institution of his former boss/overlord Al Davis, has left him a bit awed by his newfound surroundings, and consequently prone for some malformed hyperbole.
i like the way you think, and love the way you write... He sounds like a big happy boy with some new toys... This oline has much to prove, they havent played as a unit and i will not crown them like that until i see for once, in the past whatever decades, a punishing, cohesive run blocking unit.. lets see what they got..bring it.
YOur spot on to what I think about what Grove said Califin. Dude came in from the Raiders and saw a night and day situation on how a football team is run. I would be pretty amped up also if it were me.
The key to a great O-line is consistency and chemistry. Both will be hard to achieve with three interior starters who all have a history of missing lots of time with major injury problems.
Ahem, If I may... I met Smiley right before he had the surgery. He told me at the time that he was ahead of schedule. He also said he was "supposed to be on crutches" but was feeling well enough to walk with a brace. This was about 5 months ago, but still encouraging.
That's odd, because they report almost the exact opposite here: http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/donald-thomas?id=844
Now all they need is a mean nasty attitude, which will tell me they know their better than any d line out there.
Indeed it is odd, because Ferguson and Jenkins both said he played "heavy", meaning he landed solid contact and kept a good base and quickness.
That's an extremely bold statement. Especially coming from one of the most injury prone / inconsistent C's available this off-season... His mouth certainly doesn't impress me. At this stage, Grove should be focusing on making it through camp in one piece before anything else. How he could make that statement with any real / true conviction at this stage is laughable in my opinion... M~J
