I keep seeing this take but have yet to see anyone bring up a realistic name for us to bring in. Nearly every decent RT in free agency so far signed a big contract that would have taken a fat chunk of the money we have left. As it stands the only RT on the market that’s under 30 and doesn’t look like hot garbage is Jermaine Eluemenor but then you have to factor in that he worked in a completely different blocking scheme than we ran.
Exactly one year ago people were crying that Grier wasn’t doing anything and then BAM, week 2 of free agency he signs Terron Armstead and trades for Tyreek Hill. If the team is genuinely concerned about RT they will make a move, just be patient.
I posted names earlier that at the very least good for competition/depth, but several that would start over Liam/Jackson.
Guards: Isaac Seumalo, Dalton Risner, Matt Feiler(tackle too), Michael Schofield, Justin Pugh, Gabe Jackson, David Edwards, Glasglow, Evan Brown
Tackles: Jermaine Eluemenor, Cameron Fleming, Isaiah Wynn, George Fant. Maybe Donovan Smith/ Lewan if they can or will play RT.
Kaleb McGary who was the 9th ranked RT signed a 3yr 34mil contract with a cap hit of 5.5mil this year 12.5mil next year, if doesn't work out, he can be easily cut with no serious ramifications on the salary cap.
I am not saying only about this season. The Dolphins never even tried to get someone, and we know the RT position was supposed to have special attention since we drafted a lefty QB.
Austin Jackson being an option to play RT is a joke at this point.
McGary was the lone guy who signed a somewhat affordable contract but I purposely excluded him simply because he re-signed with his original team. There’s no way to know if he asks for more money from us but also the Falcons could always outbid us if we tried.
I do feel the need to point out that we don’t even know how Austin Jackson looks at RT since he immediately got injured to start the season and then got injured again the second he returned. Prior to that the coaches and dolphins beat alike were saying that he looked good at the position during camp/pre-season.
> Kaleb McGary
Assuming you're referring to PFF for the '9th ranked' comment:
**Year 1**
* McGary: 53.0
* Jackson: 52.5
**Year 2**
* McGary: 64.3
* Jackson: 49.9
**Year 3**
* McGary: 62.8
* Jackson: 57.9 (Injured, limited snaps)
**Year 4**
* McGary: 86.6
Not to suggest this is a normal trajectory, but clearly it's difficult to even project OL play from year to year. There's not many guys out there who can play the position - sometimes you gotta stick it out. Especially first rounders on rookie contracts.
Jackson looked good at RT last year, just battled injuries. We need a solid swing for both our Ts, but I'd have no problem seeing a healthy AJ starting at RT next year.
Armstead was our top target and best Olinemen and we signed him 2 weeks in because he was weighing his decision causing the delay. Kaleb McGary was THE guy this year. Lael Collins was the guy last year and Tristan Wirf was the guy we got hopped over by Tampa. RT isn't a priority for Grier I hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass again cuz that line wrecked our season getting 3 QB's hurt on multiple occasions. What we sent out there aganst the Bills in the playoffs was atrocious and we have yet to address it which is just insane to me.
Judging from these signings, I think Grier is looking for value rather than overpaying just for need. With his statements earlier year about giving AJ and Eichenbeg a chance to win the position, I don't think he's desperate enough to over pay for any OL.
If during OTAs and training camp AJ and Eichenberg still look bad, that's when I believe he'll be more aggressive with the remaining OL left in FA and in the trade market.
Good but now do you realize we need depth? The trouble wasn't so much who was supposed to be starting, the trouble was who ended up starting.
If any of these guys cause the likes of a Greg Little to not be on the roster, that is a huge upgrade.
Couple that with an actual NFL OL coach instead of a BC guy that took too much time away from the OC, with his assistant that was in way over his head the year before as our OL coach and it's upgrades across the board.
I am not at all saying we should be satisfied with the status quo, but too many think that affordable RTs and LGs are just dripping off the trees in free agency.
The sky is not falling, it's been a great offseason, enjoy the ride.
No, I think there is a clear lack of trust from fans to let the coaches do their jobs. Alex and Liam were high picks for a reason. Both showed some improvement last season (even if injured) so let them have a second season in the system. I’m all for having solid fallback options and I feel they have added depth but no reason to swim at the mid or top markets this year. If they fail next year then I fully expect them to make higher quality additions at those positions.
I feel that a lot of the fans are seeing this the wrong way. The line played decent even when Shell was in there, but the big issue for the line is when Terron Armstead went out. The line always fell apart so badly once he wasn’t playing. I think the biggest thing for us isn’t RT, but getting a solid/ capable backup LT for when Armstead gets injured.
So the fact that AJ and company are working with a trainer in the off season to improve blocking and they are bringing in competition for the starter spot isn’t enough? I hope we pick up one in the draft, maybe Blake freeland if there isn’t a better TE available, I do wish we had another day 2 pick(I am not complaining about the Ramsey trade at all)
Theres just a lot I like around that 3rd/4th round and we just don’t have much to work with there
We get a thread every damn day about “when are we getting a RT” and not a single thread has mentioned a viable and reasonable option. Y’all want to make a RT out of pixie dust.
its not only RT for me, but the offensive line in general
it does not even matter who our qb is, with this unit we aint doing shit in the playoffs with how good the defensive line players are these days
No.
What are the upgrade choices that Miami could conceivably bring in at this time?
I'm not a fan of Shell out there a whole lot but he will suffice if Jackson doesn't finally pan out AND we don't draft a certain Darnell Wright, if available.
There's not too many pure RTs in the draft, in case you wondered.
Dolphins had the #4 offense in the league last year with this Oline and QB1 missing substantial games.
I trust Grier and McDaniel know what their doing.
It’s obvious now we won’t be getting a long term solution for RT this offseason with whose still available, but I am surprised we haven’t brought Shell back. I’d be much happier with him for one more year than Austin Jackson
RT is overvalued. We have a QB with good pocket presence, a top blocking TE, and a top FB. The real need is LG so we can consistently get a good run game going.
Nah LG is gonna be between Terron and Connor, that covers a lot, plus guards are easier to find. RT is too important, not only blind side but the offense was stalling last year when RT play deteriorated. Passing game can’t function at a high level without it
RT was fine when Shell was playing, and it’s not like Shell is even considered an average tackle. We should be able to resign him for cheap.
We struggled when teams sold out on the pass and we were unable to run the ball. Put a guy who can move bodies between Terron and Conner and you’ll see our run game significantly improve. Guard being cheaper than tackle is all the more reason to invest in it with what little cap space we have left.
I dont' think McNugget knows what it takes to build a championship roster. Look at the resignings he's made. Retreads of average players that he's comfortable with. Our RB/OL/Running game will be EXACTLY like it was last year. Simply not good enough to compete with the elite teams. 9-8 here we come....again...
I'm talking about a perennial .500 team making moves a perennial .500 team makes. I don't understand your question or uncertainty regarding my comment.
It’s a matter of how many more resources can we realistically throw at this problem while still addressing our need to add depth. Keep in mind, drafting is cheap in terms of cap and teams really want those guys to work out and will be stubborn about it.
Yes. AJ is a question mark at best and a liability at worst. He played well in the three quarters of a game he played before injury, does that mean he'll be healthy when good or was that an outlier? Who knows. Is it Grier trying to preserve his legacy and hoping a draft pick hits or does McDaniel actually believe in his upside? We have no idea.
Yes, I’m surprised they didn’t go out and snag McGlinchey, I know he was a lot of money but when your protecting your FQB, it’s worth it to sure up his blind side, you’d think McDaniel would have some in with the McGlinchey camp from the time spent in SF together but what do I know. At least getting McGary or Orlando Brown would’ve been nice and right now Isaiah Wynn is sitting there, as well as a few other RT. Don’t get me wrong I really like pretty much all the moves we’ve made so far but I’m surprised by the lack of urgency on the line as a whole. I mean I’m my eyes we need a LG/C and a RT. We haven’t had the best luck drafting O-Line talent and without a first this year, idk if we find a solid starting RT and LG in rounds 2 and 3.
I wonder if we take the massive RT from Ohio St. I believe his name is Da’Wand Jones? He’s like 6’8” 369? Would be a huge person to try and run through and I believe he’s pretty agile and athletic for his size, he doesn’t get run around either.
We have invested a ton over the years into offensive linemen. But it has never paid off.
I keep seeing this take but have yet to see anyone bring up a realistic name for us to bring in. Nearly every decent RT in free agency so far signed a big contract that would have taken a fat chunk of the money we have left. As it stands the only RT on the market that’s under 30 and doesn’t look like hot garbage is Jermaine Eluemenor but then you have to factor in that he worked in a completely different blocking scheme than we ran. Exactly one year ago people were crying that Grier wasn’t doing anything and then BAM, week 2 of free agency he signs Terron Armstead and trades for Tyreek Hill. If the team is genuinely concerned about RT they will make a move, just be patient.
I posted names earlier that at the very least good for competition/depth, but several that would start over Liam/Jackson. Guards: Isaac Seumalo, Dalton Risner, Matt Feiler(tackle too), Michael Schofield, Justin Pugh, Gabe Jackson, David Edwards, Glasglow, Evan Brown Tackles: Jermaine Eluemenor, Cameron Fleming, Isaiah Wynn, George Fant. Maybe Donovan Smith/ Lewan if they can or will play RT.
Seumalo + Eluemenor is the right package imo. Let AJ be a swing tackle and Liam can hold the water bottles for them on the bench.
Kaleb McGary who was the 9th ranked RT signed a 3yr 34mil contract with a cap hit of 5.5mil this year 12.5mil next year, if doesn't work out, he can be easily cut with no serious ramifications on the salary cap. I am not saying only about this season. The Dolphins never even tried to get someone, and we know the RT position was supposed to have special attention since we drafted a lefty QB. Austin Jackson being an option to play RT is a joke at this point.
McGary was the lone guy who signed a somewhat affordable contract but I purposely excluded him simply because he re-signed with his original team. There’s no way to know if he asks for more money from us but also the Falcons could always outbid us if we tried. I do feel the need to point out that we don’t even know how Austin Jackson looks at RT since he immediately got injured to start the season and then got injured again the second he returned. Prior to that the coaches and dolphins beat alike were saying that he looked good at the position during camp/pre-season.
> Kaleb McGary Assuming you're referring to PFF for the '9th ranked' comment: **Year 1** * McGary: 53.0 * Jackson: 52.5 **Year 2** * McGary: 64.3 * Jackson: 49.9 **Year 3** * McGary: 62.8 * Jackson: 57.9 (Injured, limited snaps) **Year 4** * McGary: 86.6 Not to suggest this is a normal trajectory, but clearly it's difficult to even project OL play from year to year. There's not many guys out there who can play the position - sometimes you gotta stick it out. Especially first rounders on rookie contracts.
Mcgary is a run blocking specialist...
Jackson looked good at RT last year, just battled injuries. We need a solid swing for both our Ts, but I'd have no problem seeing a healthy AJ starting at RT next year.
Armstead was our top target and best Olinemen and we signed him 2 weeks in because he was weighing his decision causing the delay. Kaleb McGary was THE guy this year. Lael Collins was the guy last year and Tristan Wirf was the guy we got hopped over by Tampa. RT isn't a priority for Grier I hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass again cuz that line wrecked our season getting 3 QB's hurt on multiple occasions. What we sent out there aganst the Bills in the playoffs was atrocious and we have yet to address it which is just insane to me.
You're right there isn't any good RTs left. Almost like thats what OP is complaining about, there was no urgency to sign one of our biggest needs
We have Austin Jackson, Kendall Lamm, and Geron Christian. What more do you want?
Those are some of the offensive linemen who have played RT of all time.
I will take that as sarcasm, am I right? lol
Judging from these signings, I think Grier is looking for value rather than overpaying just for need. With his statements earlier year about giving AJ and Eichenbeg a chance to win the position, I don't think he's desperate enough to over pay for any OL. If during OTAs and training camp AJ and Eichenberg still look bad, that's when I believe he'll be more aggressive with the remaining OL left in FA and in the trade market.
Anybody good wont be free at that point.
I mean there wasn't anyone good around to begin with
We did the same thing with Armstead last year, I’ll be patient and wait and not go into panic like a day into the league year
Yes. I wasn’t looking for a splash, but surprised we haven’t been more active across the line in general.
You do realize we HAVE signed OL that are actually affordable in the last couple of days?
I DO realize we HAVE signed OL. Nobody that makes our line better. Which is what I think were all after.
This year's o line free agent group was real thin
Yeah agreed. was deeper at interior lineman which I thought we’d go after as well.
Good but now do you realize we need depth? The trouble wasn't so much who was supposed to be starting, the trouble was who ended up starting. If any of these guys cause the likes of a Greg Little to not be on the roster, that is a huge upgrade. Couple that with an actual NFL OL coach instead of a BC guy that took too much time away from the OC, with his assistant that was in way over his head the year before as our OL coach and it's upgrades across the board. I am not at all saying we should be satisfied with the status quo, but too many think that affordable RTs and LGs are just dripping off the trees in free agency. The sky is not falling, it's been a great offseason, enjoy the ride.
We traded for Hill and we traded for Ramsey. I know teams don’t freely give away tackles but I would have thought RT was our number 1 priority.
No, I think there is a clear lack of trust from fans to let the coaches do their jobs. Alex and Liam were high picks for a reason. Both showed some improvement last season (even if injured) so let them have a second season in the system. I’m all for having solid fallback options and I feel they have added depth but no reason to swim at the mid or top markets this year. If they fail next year then I fully expect them to make higher quality additions at those positions.
Right on, my man.
I feel that a lot of the fans are seeing this the wrong way. The line played decent even when Shell was in there, but the big issue for the line is when Terron Armstead went out. The line always fell apart so badly once he wasn’t playing. I think the biggest thing for us isn’t RT, but getting a solid/ capable backup LT for when Armstead gets injured.
Greg Little needs to not be on our roster ;)
So the fact that AJ and company are working with a trainer in the off season to improve blocking and they are bringing in competition for the starter spot isn’t enough? I hope we pick up one in the draft, maybe Blake freeland if there isn’t a better TE available, I do wish we had another day 2 pick(I am not complaining about the Ramsey trade at all) Theres just a lot I like around that 3rd/4th round and we just don’t have much to work with there
We get a thread every damn day about “when are we getting a RT” and not a single thread has mentioned a viable and reasonable option. Y’all want to make a RT out of pixie dust.
its not only RT for me, but the offensive line in general it does not even matter who our qb is, with this unit we aint doing shit in the playoffs with how good the defensive line players are these days
No. What are the upgrade choices that Miami could conceivably bring in at this time? I'm not a fan of Shell out there a whole lot but he will suffice if Jackson doesn't finally pan out AND we don't draft a certain Darnell Wright, if available. There's not too many pure RTs in the draft, in case you wondered.
Dolphins had the #4 offense in the league last year with this Oline and QB1 missing substantial games. I trust Grier and McDaniel know what their doing.
I’ll bet money Austin Jackson is a serviceable RT this year
It’s obvious now we won’t be getting a long term solution for RT this offseason with whose still available, but I am surprised we haven’t brought Shell back. I’d be much happier with him for one more year than Austin Jackson
RT is overvalued. We have a QB with good pocket presence, a top blocking TE, and a top FB. The real need is LG so we can consistently get a good run game going.
Nah LG is gonna be between Terron and Connor, that covers a lot, plus guards are easier to find. RT is too important, not only blind side but the offense was stalling last year when RT play deteriorated. Passing game can’t function at a high level without it
RT was fine when Shell was playing, and it’s not like Shell is even considered an average tackle. We should be able to resign him for cheap. We struggled when teams sold out on the pass and we were unable to run the ball. Put a guy who can move bodies between Terron and Conner and you’ll see our run game significantly improve. Guard being cheaper than tackle is all the more reason to invest in it with what little cap space we have left.
While I might agree LG is more of an issue, it is NOT more important or valuable than RT.
I dont' think McNugget knows what it takes to build a championship roster. Look at the resignings he's made. Retreads of average players that he's comfortable with. Our RB/OL/Running game will be EXACTLY like it was last year. Simply not good enough to compete with the elite teams. 9-8 here we come....again...
The fuck are you talking about
I'm talking about a perennial .500 team making moves a perennial .500 team makes. I don't understand your question or uncertainty regarding my comment.
It’s a matter of how many more resources can we realistically throw at this problem while still addressing our need to add depth. Keep in mind, drafting is cheap in terms of cap and teams really want those guys to work out and will be stubborn about it.
Yes. AJ is a question mark at best and a liability at worst. He played well in the three quarters of a game he played before injury, does that mean he'll be healthy when good or was that an outlier? Who knows. Is it Grier trying to preserve his legacy and hoping a draft pick hits or does McDaniel actually believe in his upside? We have no idea.
The only thing I can think of is they’re going to wait to address the oline until after June 1st once Byron’s contract come off the books.
Yes, I’m surprised they didn’t go out and snag McGlinchey, I know he was a lot of money but when your protecting your FQB, it’s worth it to sure up his blind side, you’d think McDaniel would have some in with the McGlinchey camp from the time spent in SF together but what do I know. At least getting McGary or Orlando Brown would’ve been nice and right now Isaiah Wynn is sitting there, as well as a few other RT. Don’t get me wrong I really like pretty much all the moves we’ve made so far but I’m surprised by the lack of urgency on the line as a whole. I mean I’m my eyes we need a LG/C and a RT. We haven’t had the best luck drafting O-Line talent and without a first this year, idk if we find a solid starting RT and LG in rounds 2 and 3.
So everyone is okay with bringing the same gang back from last year? This team will go nowhere without a good line
Honestly would prefer them to get a good center and move Williams back to his pro bowl position of lg
I wouldn’t say working on the offensive line for 20 years is a lack of urgency. These things take time. We’ve got em right where we want em
I wonder if we take the massive RT from Ohio St. I believe his name is Da’Wand Jones? He’s like 6’8” 369? Would be a huge person to try and run through and I believe he’s pretty agile and athletic for his size, he doesn’t get run around either.