Dolphins showcase subtle smarts with McKinney signing

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, May 19, 2008  |  Comments( 3 )

Miami Dolphins
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There was a time when Steve McKinney was considered an elite offensive lineman, but those days are long gone. It’s 2008, and McKinney is an 11-year NFL veteran who is hoping that his 32-year-old body and recently reconstructed knee will hold up long enough to earn him a spot on the Miami Dolphins’ 53-man roster.

Still, you have to hand it to Bill Parcells for this calculated signing that has little downside but could pay huge dividends if McKinney pans out.

Though he's played most of his career at center, McKinney has already intimated that playing guard would not be a problem, and that’s good news considering the dire lack of depth along the line's interior. Also, because McKinney was an unrestricted free agent who signed a bargain-basement deal, cutting him if he’s not up to snuff won’t result in a significant cap hit.

However, the real silver lining is McKinney’s potential to regain his old form and ascend to a starting role. General manager Jeff Ireland has intimated that rookie Shawn Murphy is currently projected to start at right guard, but if McKinney outshines the Utah State product, he will likely settle into that role nicely. That would give Miami a much-needed injection of veteran experience along an offensive line that is extremely talented but lacks experience.

Think about it for a moment.

Left tackle Jake Long was the first overall pick of the 2008 draft, but he’s also a 23-year-old with zero NFL experience. Left guard Justin Smiley is a former second-round pick with five years of NFL experience under his belt, but he’s also just 26 and will have to adjust to a new team and fresh offensive scheme. Samson Satele is a second-round pick who has "franchise center" written all over his game, but he’s also just 23 and has only one pro campaign under his belt. Vernon Carey has emerged as Pro Bowl-caliber tackle and should thrive now that he’s moving back to the right side, but even he is just 26.

While many fans are all for a youthful core along the offensive front, it’s hard to argue that the unit couldn’t benefit from having a grizzled vet like McKinney inserted on the left side. Meanwhile, the former Houston Texan could help mentor Murphy for the role the youngster might eventually occupy.

Most NFL followers are obsessed with big free-agent signings involving skill-position players, so this signing will likely be accompanied by little fanfare. Still, it’s just another shining example of the type of subtle and intelligent wheeling and dealing that Parcells was known for in his prior NFL stops.

Hopefully for the Dolphins, this move will pay similar dividends.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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