hate to break it to you but Left Tackles are as highly coveted as almost any position in the NFL.
There is a reason why they are taken so high every year, to protect the most valuable player on the field.
In the last 6 years there were more quarterbacks and offensive tackles taken in the top 10 than any other position. 11 quarterbacks and 10 tackles. GM's covet left tackles.

LOL, I think you're being ridiculous. If you don't think tackle is a premium position than I don't know what to tell you man. I don't play Madden football , where I guess you just roll out 5 Pro Bowl receivers to win every game..............The line isn't a priority then

Naaaaa!!!! This is flag football baby! Just yell hike and everybody run deep!

That actually doesn't work in flag football.

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Correct, but no need to waste a valuable pick moving up for a position that is not an impact position. Miami can find a successful tackle in Rd. 2 or at least wait till then to move up at a much lower cost.

It just ticks me off that Miami has made it a habit of not trading up or drafting play makers, instead trading away from them & then will spend quality picks moving up for non impact position. All this attention to the OL & its still been very avg.

Miami passed on a Qb for a LT & 5 yrs later that LT is gone & only played at a PB level for a couple of yrs & the QB is one of the prime QBs of the NFL. All because the OLman was the safer pick.

Has anyone said OL is not a priority? Its just some view it as Miami can find a tackle in Rd. 2 that can do the job, maybe not as well as one of the top 3, but well enough to do it to win.

Correct, but no need to waste a valuable pick moving up for a position that is not an impact position. Miami can find a successful tackle in Rd. 2 or at least wait till then to move up at a much lower cost.

This is my point as well. I think most of us on here want to address the tackle position, but most of us don't want to trade up for one.

It would seem more realistic if Lane Johnson is still available when Tennessee is picking and you simply want to leap frong San Diego. That wouldn't cost any premium picks.

I think the Dolphins have positioned themselves to definitely address offensive line in the first round. They've addressed receiver and tight end. They've addressed guard. They still need a tackle. They also still need a cornerback and a pass rusher.

That being said, I agree with jammer, I don't think the Dolphins are going to trade premium picks to move up for a tackle. They may be willing to trade a late round pick to move up a couple of spots, but they still have too many needs to give up 2nd or 3rd round picks.

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I think it is safe to say this is the one draft where I have no idea what Miami is going to do. The 2010 draft was a big surprise when they dropped way back and took yet another D-line guy, but at least a lot of us were debating Dez Bryant vs Earl Thomas.

You could make a case Miami moves up, moves down or is targeting the likes of Austin, Eifert, Rhodes, Trufant, Cooper and Johnson.

We still don't know their true comfort level with Martin at LT but my sense is that their willingness to re-sign Long hints they aren't convinced yet.

Let's just draft nothing but QB's and WR's this year. Because according to some of you that's all it takes to win a Super Bowl these days

I don't believe "we" think that at all. IMO, we NEED to address the tackle position, I just don;t want to trade quality picks to move up. Could Lane be a pro bowler? Sure. Can he be a bust? Sure. Draft two 2nd "tier" tackles instead. The draft is a gamble and there is no such thing as a sure thing.

If team 1 has a pro bowl LT and an average WR, and team 2 has an average LT and a pro bowl WR, everything else being equal, I am betting team 2 wins the game.


That average LT on team 2 can block well enough for the QB to get the ball to his pro bowl WR. But no matter how good the pro bowl LT is on team 1, that average WR just isn't getting open.

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Don't give up. Don't ever give up." - Jim Valvano

Rich I think we are going to part with a 3rd and a 5th to move a couple spots to get Johnson. And I would be fine with that. We really don't have that many needs anymore.

I wouldn't. Too much to give up to move up to draft a lineman.



We still need another starting corner, a competent slot corner, a free safety, a pass rusher, a defensive tackle to develop for the future, a tight end that can block and also eventually develop into a starter and I am also not completely comfortable with our guard position.

All that on top of the need for a tackle.

I wouldn't give up any of our top 5 picks to move up.

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I guess what I'm saying is LT can be filled later. Lets go after more critical talent.

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Don't give up. Don't ever give up." - Jim Valvano

I would argue that we don't need a pass rusher. With Odrick and Vernon still developing, I don't think there is a big need to add another player into the mix just yet. I think that would be something you do next year if we're not getting enough production out of the position. The two combined for 66 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles last year. I think we're doing just fine letting those two split time for now. Let's not forget, there is still a very good chance that both players improve on their production from last season. They're both young and both still developing, especially Vernon.

But I do agree that we 100% have put ourselves in a position where we need to add an offensive tackle. That is of course unless we manage to sign Eric Winston before the draft. Then we could perhaps even consider looking at one of the top guards in the draft (Warmack or Cooper).

I think it is pretty apparent that the Dolphins are going to give Jonathan Martin the chance to fill the OLT void. They could have easily traded for Branden Albert by now and gotten a proven commodity.

Miami invested a 2nd round pick in Martin and he is a very smart kid and fully realizes what he needs to address in his game. My hope is the kid is able to do what is need to be done, because it is not technique that he needs to address, but his strength and his ability to handle the bull rush, plain and simple.

Never say never, but I just don't see Ireland looking to trade up to take an ORT. Terron Armstead, Kyle Long and possibly Menelik Watson will all be there in the 2nd round. And please don't even try to tell me 2nd round picks can't make an impact.

Jeff has done a great job of bringing in young talent during free agency, but this was a 2 pronged attack for the Dolphins. This team was not 7-9 because they were flowing with talent. You need quality depth on a 53 man roster, and in some cases, you still need to add talent that can possibly start.

Ireland has done some moving around in the 2nd round and later, but I don't see him trading away many picks at all. I could even see him trading down, as the Dolphins have done that in the 1st round before.

Miami can go in MANY directions here, and that is what Jeff Ireland has wanted to be able to do.

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Very well put wkloiber13.........the O line was a major issue last year...........to your point it remains an area that we have not adequatley addressed in FA. We've added top FAs to the 3 other major areas of need........WR, TE and CB.

If you look at the team like a chain.......where the chain is only as strong as the weakest link.......then it seems obvious we need to draft a lineman, preferably tackle, to be a solid contribtor in '13. Lane Johnson seems to fit that role..........I'd be fine with trading our late 2nd to move up.

that must be why the most drafted positions in the top 10 are quarterbacks, offensive tackles, defensive tackles and linebackers. In the past 6 years not a single tight end was drafted top 10 and only 4 corners were taken in the top ten. 7 WR's and 5 DE's.

In contrast 11 QB's were taken top ten.....10 offensive tackles and 8 D-tackles and 8 Linebackers

I thought a lot of that was because of the huge contracts rookies used to get, so teams played it safer early in the draft?

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Don't give up. Don't ever give up." - Jim Valvano

I think if you check the past 2000-10 drafts you will find more DL bust than even productive players.

I believe what you are either not reading correctly or we are not explaining very well. Its do not take an OLman when a "Play maker" is available. No one is saying by-pass a top OLman for a late 2nd Rd. Wr. Just that if a player who puts TDs on the board is there, then take him over the OLman.

I'd trade Odrick/Misi for Dez Bryant any day.

Just that if a player who puts TDs on the board is there, then take him over the OLman.

Yep and the fact of the matter is that we have taken OL early in recent years and we haven't won squat. Let's change it up a bit.

Sounds ok until you consider the offensive system and qb getting the ball off...I've watched him....He is very average at best....Almost got Brady killed last preseason.

He did not live up to his draft status...Is there a stat for being able to tackle people and not get a holding call because you play for the Patsies.

People on here were screaming about Wake being on the sideline at the end of games...He needed air..And we needed another passrusher

I would argue that if you watch every defensive snap last season, you'll see a defense that despite the nice sack total, had too many instances in which QBs were standing in a clean pocket and not feeling pressured.

In today's pass happy NFL, you cannot have too many pass rushers. It is a premium position, an impact position and a position that can neutralize the best QBs in the NFL.

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The more I think about this draft and the Fins being at the #12 spot I tend to see Ireland trading down before he would trade up. I also don't believe Johnson is talented enough of an OT to be worth trading up for versus what it would cost the team in draft picks. Especially if their plan is to get a starting ORT in this draft?

The last time they were at #12 they traded back, way too far for my taste the last time but that is what I see happening. Unless a player they really like happens to fall then that is what I'm expecting to hear once they are on the clock. There are quite a few areas on the team that need help and I can see players taken in round 2 and 3 starting for the Fins this upcoming season. If trading down 5-8 spots can gain an additional 3rd or 4th rounder then go for it.

I can see a team wanting Rhodes willing to trade up in front of the Bucs, or a team wanting a DT moving in front of Carolina to get one. Then the Fins taking someone like Eifert, Allen, or Trufant later in the 1st.

People on here were screaming about Wake being on the sideline at the end of games...He needed air..And we needed another passrusher


Yep, we need a rotation, remember the Giants rotation when they took down the Pats in the SB? Strahan, Usi, Tuck, ETC.

The more I think about this draft and the Fins being at the #12 spot I tend to see Ireland trading down before he would trade up

I hope so. More picks, more chances of finding impact players.

I would argue that if you watch every defensive snap last season, you'll see a defense that despite the nice sack total, had too many instances in which QBs were standing in a clean pocket and not feeling pressured.

In today's pass happy NFL, you cannot have too many pass rushers. It is a premium position, an impact position and a position that can neutralize the best QBs in the NFL.

Agreed.

Interesting article about the Left Tackle position & its loss of importance.





Left behind

A bit of an exaggeration, however I can see where we could use help at 3 of 5 spots... Outside of Pouncey and Incognito I am not sold on anyone....

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Caution: Reply may contain sarcasm

Or a joke at the expense of someone who exaggerates what others are saying?

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This tells me Miami is failing somewhere. Whether it be at scouting or in the development of these players.

Disagree.

Most of those selections have been good players.

Jake Long, Mike Pouncey, Samson Satele... none of them are busts. Still waiting on Jonathan Martin.

Jake Long simply broke down physically... Pouncey is an arrow up player.

Satele is still in the league with the Colts. He was simply a victim of circumstance. He got drafted by one regime in 2007 that believed in zone blocking, but he was not a system fit in 2008 when they went to a power blocking scheme. He's not a worldbeater, but is a starting caliber player.

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Now we are back to changing OLman again. Constance change brings no change.

Has Satele been a good starting player is the question?

Disagree.

Most of those selections have been good players.

Jake Long, Mike Pouncey, Samson Satele... none of them are busts. Still waiting on Jonathan Martin.

Jake Long simply broke down physically... Pouncey is an arrow up player.

Satele is still in the league with the Colts. He was simply a victim of circumstance. He got drafted by one regime in 2007 that believed in zone blocking, but he was not a system fit in 2008 when they went to a power blocking scheme. He's not a worldbeater, but is a starting caliber player.


Yes they are "solid" players, but we haven't won a SB drafting that way. it's time to draft playmakers, not safe OL picks.

Exactly, every regime wants their players and every 2-3 years we have a new regime.

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That wasn't the point I was making, though.

I am in agreement with taking a playmaker.

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