Jon-Eric Sullivan has a template on the offensive line: BIG & Strong!
Phins fans have suffered through terrible GM after terrible GM for decades and Chris Grier was the worst of them all. Jon-Eric Sullivan has to prove himself, but you can feel something different. He shows confidence, personable intelligence, and a focus on physicality…especially on the offensive line.
The Dolphins were noted again and again… and again that they were soft. If Sullivan has anything to say about it–and he does– this soft label will die a quick death in South Florida.
Sullivan likes BIG Men
Below is a clip of an interview of Sullivan. The full clip can be found here and there’s a load of juicy nuggets. But in just this clip you clearly see what he deeply believes in and that’s a big, physical offensive line.
You can bet with the best pay per head that size and the ability to use it is central in his offensive philosophy. Likely this offensive line prototype is tied to his team philosophy as offensive physicality and running the football creates time of possession advantage and that means a rested defense.
The Dolphins under Grier and then Grier and McDaniel believed in speed and finesse. The offensive line and for the most part big offensive linemen were an afterthought. And that philosophy went over like a led balloon.
Running the Football with Tough Offensive Lines is the Current NFL Cycle
The rest of the league’s top teams went in a different direction with a polar opposite philosophy. And as they showed consistency and success, the Dolphins popped vs weak teams and flounder against tough ones, one the road, and in bad conditions. We relied on chunk runs to the edges and struggled running inside and in the redzone.
The NFL is won in the trenches and especially between the tackles. And the offensive cycle is clearly heading this way in a hurry to beat these small, pass focused defenses. The fact that the Phins are in the AFCE makes it more imperative with three teams that present tough road game that often come with bad weather.
We spent the last 50 years mostly as either a passing team or striving to be a passing team. Considering the only real success the Dolphins ever had was when they ran the football and had a physical and talented offensive line, it’s been a head scratcher that beyond the short Ricky era we’ve avoided it like the plague.
Maybe Sullivan will flip this script and bring a winner back to Miami?
Finger crossed.
Go Phins!!!