How Miami’s O-line could go from scrapheap to elite

By Adam Best  |   Friday, March 23, 2007  |  Comments( 26 )

Miami Dolphins
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Ever seen somebody put flashy rims, a bumpin' sound system and heavily tinted windows on a rusty 1990 Cadillac Brougham with an engine that barely runs? It looks ridiculous, doesn't it?

Nonetheless, both the media (hey, I'm guilty) and fans have recently done the exact same thing when discussing how to fix the anemic offense of the Miami Dolphins. Whether the solution is trading for quarterback Trent Green, drafting wide receiver Calvin Johnson, or bringing back troubled running back Ricky Williams and his yoga mat, we are all guilty.

Unfortunately, the real issue is being overlooked. No matter how much you pimp out your ride, a car is no better than what lies under the hood -- the engine. In football, the engine that sets every offense in motion is the offensive line. Therein lies the problem -- the Dolphins' offensive line is busted.

Starting guard Jeno James, part-time starting guard-center Kendyl Jacox, guard Bennie Anderson and interior lineman Seth McKinney were recently sent to the junkyard. Starting tackle Damion McIntosh and mammoth guard Toniu Fonoti have bolted for other teams. Center Rex Hadnot never fired on all cylinders last season. That basically leaves tackle Vernon Carey and guard/tackle L.J Shelton as the lone offensive linemen who performed well last year.

So far, guard Chris Liwienski, a part-time starter for the Arizona Cardinals last season and an average player, has been the only free agent addition to the offensive line. The players left unmentioned are basically spare parts who won't even work as short-term fixes.

With this scrapheap line, the Dolphins' offense isn't going anywhere. Instead of daydreaming about head coach Cam Cameron equipping his new ride with custom skill players, let's look under the hood for once.

If I'm the mechanic who had the arduous job of patching up the Dolphins' offensive line, these are the steps I'd take to fix the unit:

Step One: Retain G L.J. Shelton.

Shelton struggled while playing the left tackle position early last season, but he rebounded fairly well when he was moved to right guard. He is not the answer at left tackle but should continue to flourish on the inside. Besides, Shelton's large contract makes him difficult to release.

Step Two: Make a run at unrestricted free agent and Pro Bowl G Ruben Brown.

Brown helped the Chicago Bears' rushing attack rumble all the way to the Super Bowl last season. However, the Bears do not seem desperate to keep him. Even though Brown is 35, the Dolphin's should snag him. He'd be a standout for at least two to three years and would also be a great mentor to the team's younger linemen.

Step Three: Sign UFA tight end Erron Kinney.

He's technically not an offensive lineman, but Kinney's size and blocking ability would practically give the line a third tackle at times. Plus, he is sure-handed and would help David Martin replace departed tight end Randy McMichael in the passing game.

Step Four: Trade up to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft and select future superstar tackle Joe Thomas.

Trading the ninth and 40th overall picks to the Detroit Lions, plus maybe a future third- or fourth-round selection, might get this done. Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. describes Thomas simply as "huge, quick and athletic with a long wingspan." Sounds like a franchise left tackle to me. Adding Thomas would be the equivalent of upgrading the current sputtering engine to a Hemi.

Step Five: Pick another offensive lineman in either the second or third round.

Thomas will help immensely, but adding another quality O-line prospect would finish this repair job. The candidates: C Ryan Kalil (USC), G Ben Grubbs (Auburn) and T Joe Staley (Central Michigan) look like the best bets if one of them slips, but there will be other players available who have the potential to be perennial starters as well.

That's my assessment. Dolphins fans need to hope that the team's front office is brave enough to take a long look at the horror that lies under the hood and make some, if not all, of these improvements. If not, Cameron's ride (and his flashy set of offensive skill players) may crash and burn before the 2007 season really even gets rolling.

Get daily Miami Dolphins insight this offseason at RealFootball365.com
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CommentsComments: 26  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Chuck Garnsey		09:30 AM
03/23/2007
If we draft the PSU tackle at 9 and then Kalil with the second round pick, we have all the pieces in place. Thats assuming that...
No.2
jackson		09:40 AM
03/23/2007
All I know is that we'd better sign some more linemen soon. So now instead of stockpiling picks we should give up 3 first day...
No.3
Rick		09:52 AM
03/23/2007
Agree with the exception of trading up. I think that is a mistake. We need the picks. Go after Carr, either swapping firsts or...
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