Dolphins’ Cameron bringing fresh approach to O-line

By Hugo Guzman  |   Thursday, June 14, 2007  |  Comments( 16 )

Miami Dolphins
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Only the most optimistically ignorant of fans fails to realize that for years now, the Miami Dolphins have been trying to patch up a festering sore spot at the very core of their offense.

And no, it's not the quarterback position.

For the last decade or so, Miami's offensive line has ranged from mediocre to awful. Moreover, the lack of continuity from year to year has resulted in a critical lack of consistency and cohesion, and those shortcomings severely hindered production at virtually every skill position. The only exception to this underlying trend was the 2002 season, when the offensive line paved the way for Ricky Williams' 1,853 rushing yards and limited opposing defenses to just 25 sacks.

Mind you, that line had no Pro Bowl representation, although many would say that Jamie Nails' dominating performance at left guard was reminiscent of Hall of Famer Larry Little, but that's a discussion for another day.

Fast forward to 2007.

Head coach Cam Cameron has completely rearranged the offensive line. Two former starters -- Damion McIntosh and Jeno James -- are gone. The three other starters -- Vernon Carey, L.J. Shelton and Rex Hadnot -- are set to change position. And as if that wasn't enough, early indications are that a rookie, Samoan prodigy Sam Satele, will be the starting center when the regular season rolls around.

In addition, fellow rookie Drew Mormino, a sixth-round selection, has also taken snaps with the first team at left guard, and two other youngsters (Anthony Alibi and Joe Toledo) will be given a chance to contribute.

Some might look at all of this turnover and focus on the inevitable question marks and concerns that come along with it. In reality, this is the best thing that could have happened to the Miami's offense. The dismissal of two pedestrian free-agent acquisitions -- James and McIntosh -- along with a commitment to youthful players like Carey, Hadnot and Satele signals a true changing of the guard as far as the offensive line is concerned (pun intended).

When you consider that the oldest O-line starter, L.J. Shelton, is just 30 years old and the next, Vernon Carey, is only 25, the direction Cameron is taking with this unit becomes profoundly clear. Gone are the days of quick fixes and free-agent Band-Aids. Instead, Cameron seems to be intent on building a youthful and dynamic line capable of properly setting the table for skill players like Ronnie Brown and Chris Chambers -- two guys who have never had the luxury of high-end blocking.

In addition, if this young line comes together the way Cameron wants it to, rookies Ted Ginn, Lorenzo Booker and John Beck will immediately benefit from the pass protection and running lanes provided.

And perhaps most importantly, newly acquired QB Trent Green, who is literally one good hit away from retirement (and post-concussion syndrome), stands to gain the most from strong offensive line play. Then again, one of the main reasons that Cameron chose Green over lame-duck Daunte Culpepper was Green's ability to get rid of the ball quickly. The former Pro Bowler's strongest asset is his cerebral approach to the game and clinical approach to getting rid of the football, and that, more than anything, will help this relatively young O-line find its groove.

The reality is that, indeed, many questions and concerns remain.

Carey has been the unit's bright spot over the past two seasons, but he has yet to prove that he is capable of being a solid starter at left tackle.

Shelton was a pleasant surprise at right guard last year, but he must now prove that he can move back to his natural position and still produce.

Hadnot is a nice young player but has a long way to go in terms of proving that he is a solid NFL starter, be it at guard or center.

Rookies Satele and Mormino have yet to even suit up in pads, let along prove that they are pro-caliber players.

And guard Chris Liwienski, Cameron's only significant veteran free-agent pickup, must prove that he was worth the acquisition if pressed into service.

That being said, it has to be good for Miami's fans to know that the Dolphins seem to have turned the corner in terms of addressing the underlying mediocrity that has permeated the offensive line in recent years. Because until that problem is fixed, Miami will continue to be hampered by an ailing offense.

Get daily Miami Dolphins insights at RealFootball365.com, and coming soon, keep tabs on the NFL via the official RealFootbal365 podcast!
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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CommentsComments: 16  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
bc85		09:23 AM
06/14/2007
Does any one ever think about Mike Rosenthal as a potential starter? He has 8 or 9 years of starting time at LT I beleive- he is...
No.2
Jhary		09:34 AM
06/14/2007
I don't see it that way at all...Cam has made the exact same mistakes all the previous regimes have made: going cheap on the...
No.3
jax		09:35 AM
06/14/2007
As our window of opportunity on offense is opening...our window of opportunity on defense is closing. Maybe we can get somewhere...
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