Shelton should not be part of Dolphins’ future

By Hugo Guzman  |   Wednesday, January 09, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins are in the midst of a monumental transformation. Now that Bill Parcells is at the helm, most expect the roster to turn over like an insomniac on a cheap hotel bed. As far as yours truly is concerned, the first candidates for ouster should be relatively high-priced veterans who have proven to be marginal performers at best.

And one of the first names that comes to mind is offensive tackle L.J. Shelton.

It's kind of sad, actually, because when the Dolphins originally acquired Shelton in 2006, many were excited about his potential. After all, it's not often that a team can acquire a 6-foot-6, 345-pound former first-round pick via free agency.

In nine NFL seasons, Shelton has never lived up to the 21st overall pick that the Arizona Cardinals used to select him. The Eastern Michigan product has struggled with penalties his entire career, averaging almost three false starts and two holding calls per season. And though he has always been fairly solid as a run blocker, his biggest weakness has been as a pass protector. Shelton has averaged a rather depressing six sacks per season; and in 2007, he posted the second-worst mark of his career, allowing 7½ sacks in 16 games.

In hindsight, fans' initial excitement was really much ado about nothing.

At the same time, maybe tackle simply isn't Shelton's calling. After all, he's spent most of his career playing the part of a turnstile at the tackle position, but in his one season playing right guard, Shelton turned in arguably his best season as a pro, surrendering only two sacks and teaming up with Vernon Carey to pave gaping holes for Ronnie Brown. Furthermore, his mammoth physical dimensions fit the mold that Parcells seems to prefer for offensive guards.

So why not just shift Shelton back to guard and be done with it? Because Shelton is set to turn 32 in March and has nearly a decade's worth of so-so play under his belt, and though he could probably serve as an adequate starter at the guard position, Shelton would be little more than a stopgap whose best days are likely behind him.

Shelton has worked hard, stayed healthy and stayed out of trouble in his two-year tenure with the Dolphins, and that's definitely worth something; however, good health and solid behavior are not the ultimate measure of success in the NFL. In the end, Parcells will decide if Shelton still has a place in Miami, but it's likely the Dolphins will wisely continue their youth movement.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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CommentsComments: 4  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
rai		07:07 AM
01/09/2008
Hudson Houck is a highly respected O-Line coach, so he must have had rational reasons not to play Shelton at RG. Is Hadnot a...
No.2
Alex Guzman		09:02 AM
01/09/2008
...and then there's the issue of his pay. He definitely has not earned his loot. Why throw away more good money on a bad...
No.3
Dave		10:44 PM
01/09/2008
Brown did more for himself than any of the blocking he could have received from the O-line this year. These guys were terrible....
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