The Phins O-line was an eyesore in 2018… so Grier used dynamite on it
No other unit of the 2019 Miami Dolphins is more crucial or has been more neglected this offseason than the Phins O-Line.
None.
Most Phins fans want the Offensive Line rebuilt NOW!…
… through every means available.
Even using the first three picks in the draft wouldn’t be too excessive for some fans.
While using all our top picks on O-linemen is overdoing it from a practical standpoint, the desire to get this unit right is 100% on the nose.
The O-line is without a doubt the most important unit in the game: Bar none. If the Dolphins ever want to be relevant again, they must find a quality Quarterback AND Offensive Line.
Why the Offensive Line has the greatest team-wide impact
- Every skills player on offense depends on blocking.
- The quarterback is the most important position in the game and they live and die on protection.
- Time of Possession is generated mostly by the run game and rush yards are mostly generated by the O-line. TOP is crucial but the most important is that it keeps the defense rested.
- A rested defense plays better late in games and at the end of the season, suffer fewer injuries, and it also prolongs front seven defensive player careers.
The best teams in the league have the best Offensive Lines… without exception.
So the question is: What do we have now at Offensive Line and what will we have going into Week 1 of the 2019 Season?
Some will say garbage in and garbage out.
While I see this as a two-dimensional assessment… neither am I under the delusion that all is peachy-keen.
First, who is Pat Flaherty?
Let’s begin with the Phins Offensive Line Coordinator, Pat Flaherty.
Flaherty has a ton of experience in his near 20 years of NFL coaching. The bulk of his time coaching was spent with the Giants where he won two Super Bowls. Since 2015 he spent a year in San Fran and Chip Kelly and then two years in Jacksonville where he was recently fired.
Jacksonville had a host of injuries on a thin O-line unit, so his release seems more political than performance related. The Jags purge of assistant coaches is curious as these are the same coaches that helped the Jags make it to the AFC title game.
From Flaherty’s standpoint, the big FA acquisition OG Andrew Norwell under-performed, and LT Cam Robinson and C Brandon Linder went down for the season. Add in a terrible QB to go with these aforementioned issues, and it’s hard to see Flaherty as the primary culprit.
Still, there’s nothing to say Flaherty is elite. The baseline for his acumen seems to be solid with an exceptional level of experience. Results along the Offensive line will mostly depend on talent, scheme, and play calls.
Offensive Line players on the Dolphins roster
- Center, Connor Hillard, 6’4’’ 298 lbs, No PFF Grade, Age: 23, Exp: 1 year
- Center, Dan Kilgore, 6’3’’ 291lbs, PFF Grade 52.9, Age: 31, Exp: 9 years
- Tackle / Guard Jessie Davis, 6’6’’ 325lb, PFF Grade: 55.6, Age: 27, Exp: 3 year
- Guard, Chirs Reed, 6’5’’ 310 lbs PFF Grade 55.6, Age: 26, Exp: 4 years
- Guard, Isaac Asiata, 6’3’’ 345, No PFF Grade, Age: 26, Exp: 3 years
- Tackle, Zack Sterup, 6’9’’ 327lbs, PFF Grade: 45.4, Age: 26, Exp: 3 years
- Tackle, Laremy Tunsil, 6’5’’ 318lbs, PFF Grade: 70.4, Age 24, Exp: 4 years
Good coaching, right scheme, and play calling, along with talent, create effective Offensive Line production.
No, the current talent level doesn’t scream great…
… But, the same could be said last year of an Offensive Line composed of a 7th-Round Pick at Left Tackle, 3rd-Round Pick Left Guard, UDFA Center, 4th-Round Pick Right Guard, and 5th-Round Pick who started a grand total of 11 games in his first four years.
Yet, this O-Line led the Patriots to the Super Bowl and, as a unit, was one of the best in the NFL.
Miami will undoubtedly add to this talent pool throughout the draft, with undrafted players, and in the second round of Free Agency. But what will Grier and Co’s level of talent evaluation be? This is the great unknown… even for the pay per ds.
Also, no other unit suffers or benefits from a consistent line up as does the Offensive Line.
New England’s starters LT Trent Brown, LG Joe Thuney, C David Andrews, RG Shaq Mason, and RT Marcus Cannon started every game together but five. Cannon missed Weeks 2, 7, and 8 and Shaq missed Weeks 9 and10…
… The Dolphins OL was a turnstile.
Coach Flores must keep his linemen healthy. Chemistry is a large factor in the O-lines success.
And to add insult to injury, this ‘star-studded’ O-line cost the Patriots just $14,539,489 in Cap space! Or the equivalent of Andrew Norwell’s contract for a single season. Good talent evaluators and coaches can acquire quality linemen without using high-priced contracts and blue-chip picks.
Yes, Belichick is THE best in the business and so is OL coach Dante Scarnecchia. No, Flores isn’t Belichick and Flaherty isn’t ‘Scar’… but this shows quality O-line production is about more than just raw talent and pedigree.
A scheme can boost O-line performance
As much as I disdain to reference the Patriots we’ll reflect them… especially early.
The Patriots understand the Art of War well… Miami hasn’t in a long time.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Last year, the Pats moved to heavier personnel groupings (34%) as the season progressed. Belichick understood this style best served them because of Gronk being fragile, lacking a potent 2nd receiving Tight End, and it helped the O-line in protection by allowing them time to gel with and stress the talents of new LT Brown.
During the Regular Season, 12 Personnel Groupings (two tight ends) accounted for 5% of snaps and 20 Personnel Groupings (two HBs or HB & FB) 29%. But, in the Playoffs, these two Personnel Groupings became 63% of their offensive calls. The 11 personnel (1 RB and 1 TE) only accounted for 37 percent from 58% in the Regular Season.
This showed the Patriots flexibility to adjust to a style that best served the roster.
In contrast, despite issues on the O-line, Miami ran 11 Personnel 74%, 12 Personnel 12%, and 21 Personnel 4% for the season. Miami was the same team it started as it ended.
It’s never a good thing for an Offensive Line to let defenses get comfortable by being predictable.
If it wasn’t for a few trick plays, Miami would have been a 4-win team in 2019.
Concept choices can unsettle a defense and enhance an Offensive Line
“Hoss Y Juke,” was a primary play for the Patriots last year. Using vertical concepts, attacking the middle of the field, is one way to slow a pass rush by backing a defense off… or punishing them for bringing too many.
This play allows the QB to attack a Blitzer and forces Safeties to respect a deep attack. The Pats attack threatened all areas of the field: the horizontal with a screen game, short with the run game, and middle and deep with seam routes.
On the opposite side of the spectrum was the Dolphins. Perpetually attacking horizontally with Wide Receiver screens and runs crowded the Line of scrimmage with defenders adding to the Offensive Line issues.
Miami rarely used their Tight End or attacked the middle of the field. Over the last two years, defense expected a heavy dose of 3 Wides that attacked the perimeter deep and short. the initiative is THE key advantage of the Offense… Miami rarely had this edge.
One team schemed up their Offensive Line, and the other exasperated theirs.
Final Summation
As Patriots Guard Joe Andruzzi once said, “When you say (an offensive line is) a group of five, it’s not really a group of five. It’s at least eight. If you’re suited up on that sideline, you better be ready to go.”
Obviously, Miami must add to this group, but players like Kilgore, Davis, Tunsil, and Reed are part of the equation.
- Tunsil will take a step forward and be the Tackle we expected.
- As the film shows, Davis can play Right Tackle. He also slightly improved at Right Guard in 2018, so he fills an important role as a swingman or starter. Miami will look to find the best options though at both positions.
- Asiata isn’t a Left Guard. His weakness is agility, so Right Guard is a better fit for him. Maybe he can at least fill a backup role.
- Reed played decently at Center in his lone start in 2018. He is best suited there or as an interior backup.
- They could cut Kilgore or use him as a stopgap Center if Hilland and/or Reed doesn’t pan out.
- Sterup is a long shot to be useful. He is weak and his height is mostly a hindrance.
Miami needs 2-3 quality new linemen to stick when all is said and done… in addition to what they have now.
One addition must be a quality starting Left Guard that can pass block without help. This position is a huge void unless they perform a miracle on Reed.
They also need to bolster both spots on the right side.
At the very least, Davis is competent enough at both Right Guard and Right Tackle to keep the O-line semi-respectable for a season… if he doesn’t improve. This still forces Miami to find a backup Right Tackle and Right Guard and a starter to fill the spot Davis doesn’t man.
Due to lack of talent, inflexibility, or poor planning and evaluation, Adam Gase didn’t elevate the Offensive Line during his tenure. He brought it down.
Can this regime do what Gase couldn’t?
We must remember that success in the NFL comes from a series of correct decisions on top of talent. If this staff is semi-competent, and Grier can bring in two starters, the whole recipe will give Miami a solid Offensive Line in 2019 to build on in coming years.
At least that’s the hope. Go Phins!!!