Dolphins a tale of haves and Hadnots

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, January 08, 2008  |  Comments( 6 )

Miami Dolphins
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!
Rex Hadnot is the epitome of what plagues the Miami Dolphins. He's a feel-good story; the sixth-round pick was originally a dark-horse to make an NFL roster, but his smarts and flexibility have made him a fixture along the Dolphins' offensive front. And while I love guys who struggle to beat the odds, I also realize that one of the reasons Hadnot has been a full-time starter for the past three years has more to do with Miami's lack of overall talent than any special prowess he might possess.

That's not really a slight toward the four-year veteran, who would likely be a serviceable starter on more than a handful of NFL teams. Rather, it's an indictment of the franchise, which seems to always employ mostly run-of-the-mill talent.

Contenders don't tend to employ run-of-the-mill talent, especially along the offensive line.

Hadnot had occupied the starting center position for the past two years, only to be deposed by rookie Samson Satele. That's not exactly a commonplace occurrence in the NFL, and it suggests that Hadnot started at center by default instead of merit.

Statistically, Hadnot's career has been as pedestrian as it gets. Though fairly effective as a pass blocker, the University of Houston product struggled with penalties early in his career and has never been an overpowering run blocker. Though he has cut down on the flags, committing just one false start and two holding penalties this past season, he has steadily declined in terms of protecting the quarterback. His sacks allowed have risen from 1½ in 2005 to 2½ in 2006 to four in 2007.

Hadnot will always be valuable because he is capable of playing both center and guard, so there should be a place for him in under the Bill Parcells regime. He's also proven to be an extremely durable player, missing just two games because of injury in four seasons, which bodes well for the Lufkin, Texas, native. However, Parcells seems to have a penchant for very large guards, fielding a pair of behemoths in Dallas who measured 6-foot-5 and 6-6, respectively; so at 6-2, Hadnot might not fit that prototypical mold Parcells is looking for.

It really pains me as a columnist to criticize Hadnot because he is the embodiment of everything that's right and good with the NFL. He worked hard to find his niche. He's a team player who accepted a demotion for the sake of the greater good. He's a leader who stays out of trouble and out of the limelight, yet has earned the respect of his teammates in the huddle.

Still, if Miami wants to return to respectability, he's likely the kind of marginal talent Parcells & Co. will have to upgrade in order to have a fighting chance. I truly hope Hadnot proves me wrong, but I have a feeling that he will soon be little more than a reserve player or a member of a different franchise.
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (6)

About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report
CommentsComments: 6  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
jose		01:20 PM
01/08/2008
hi i agree that hadnot is not a bill parcells kind of player hes to small and lacks agility and runs about a 5.5 40 yard dash hes...
No.2
chris		01:07 PM
01/09/2008
I think the o-line was actually respectable this year. if Ronnie Brown didn't go down, who knows-we could have won 2 games....
No.3
james		03:10 PM
01/09/2008
The Dolphin O-Line did their job on the run side, but could not pass block to save their lives, even though if they did the...
Team News  |  View All Dolphins Content
Henne takes baby steps, Wake...
In a game filled with mental mistakes and execution errors, the Miami...
1 year, 3 months ago   |   Henne takes baby steps, Wake takes giant strides in Dolphins win over Packers ( 4 )
For Dolphins, it’s not how t...
Dolphins fans are fretting because of Miami's two-game slide, and with...
1 year, 4 months ago   |   For Dolphins, it’s not how they start, it’s how they finish ( 1 )
Wait until the Dolphins’ off...
As exciting as a second straight road win is for the Miami Dolphins, w...
1 year, 4 months ago   |   Wait until the Dolphins’ offense catches up with the defense ( 2 )
Random observations from Dol...
If there's one thing I've learned over the years it's that a win is a...
1 year, 5 months ago   |   Random observations from Dolphins’ Week 1 win at Buffalo ( 11 )
Dolphins Ginn in New York
Returning a kickoff for a touchdown is a very rare thing in the NFL. W...
2 years, 3 months ago   |   Dolphins Ginn in New York ( 1 )