Travis Swanson has been on the scrap heap of the Lions, Jets, and even the Phins
Travis Swanson has played much better than Daniel Kilgore
There hasn’t been much to cheer about as a fan of the Miami Dolphins over the last two weeks. Injuries have been one of the nightmare issues for the Phins. After the loss of Daniel Kilgore for the season, his absence would cripple the Offensive Line.
After a game and a half of tape and backed up by an excellent 2016 Season for the Lions, it appears that Travis Swanson is an upgrade from Kilgore.
The season might or might not tank… but this was an excellent find by Chris Grier and his staff.
Swanson’s journey to the Phins has been one of perpetual rejection for over a year.
After missing most of the second half of 2017 due to a concussion, the Lions new regime cut Swanson. Oddly, Swanson had said his concussion with the Lions was merely a reaction to a medicine prescribed by Lions staff. He was then picked up by the Jets, played the entire Preseason, and was cut again.
The Dolphins signed Swanson, only to immediately cut him to sign Branden Bolden.
Miami then picked him back up, and just in time, as Kilgore was injured that week. Swanson was moved into the starting role… and it was expected to be a step-down. This hasn’t been the case.
Swanson has stabilized the interior of the Offensive Line
Swanson isn’t an exceptional athlete, but his technique, effort, and intelligence are above average, bordering on good. Against the Bengals tough front, Miami averaged 5.8 YPC.
In his first full game, Swanson recorded the highest rating by PFF. His current rating is 69.8. But, this isn’t a one-hit wonder as in 2016, PFF graded Swanson 74.6., which is considered close to high quality.
Let’s take a look at the tape:
In the run game, Swanson isn’t a road grader, but he latches between the numbers, has good footwork, and give 100% effort. The one key quality over Kilgore that he’s displayed is the ability to handle the bull rush with power. Kilgore was on skates way too much and crippled plays with increasing frequency.
Also, at 6’5”, Swanson has good enough speed and agility to work the second level.
Swanson is always looking for someone to block. He’s smart and knows how to hold just long enough. Savvy chips and pulls without flags are critical at this level.
Swanson shows the ability to handle rushers one-on-one. This brings confidence to the Guards that they can peel off and help the Tackles. This wasn’t the case with Kilgore. Also, Larsen and Davis seem to have good chemistry with Swanson… especially considering their limited time together. The interior of the O-line handled several stunts without issue.
Now, you can bet with the pay per head sites like AcePerHead.com that Swanson isn’t Dwight Stephenson 2.0 or even pre-injury Mike Pouncey. But he has shown the ability to be more than capable. Considering his price, if he does pan out, he’ll be a nice feather in Miami’s cap.
I expect Miami’s run game to improve over its Week 2-4 incarnation. They may struggle against the best run defense in the NFL with the Bears, but this week’s run production should be viewed in the context of the opposition. This improved run game will stabilize the whole team… now if they can only not self-destruct there might be hope for the season. Go Phins!!!
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