Here’s the thing about the AFC East, the Dolphins were man-handled last season by every opponent except the NY Jets. Whether it was early in the season versus the Buffalo Bills at Miami coming off a bye or the disastrous 4th quarter that slipped away surrendering 6 sacks to the Patriots; the Dolphins are damaged goods without a shield around quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
In the AFC East it would behoove the Dolphins to shore up their current make-shift line experiment of high priced free agent Branden Albert, oft-injured Jason Fox (formerly of the Lions) at Guard, Mike Pouncey who has two season left in Miami, and Nate Garner and others to fill holes at guard and tackle. Sam Brenner anyone? In reality, the Dolphins offensive line, the greatest weakness on the offensive side of the ball needs to be upgraded further.
If that means splurging for Zack Martin and trading up, so be it. If he’s the best tackle on the board, it should seem like a no-brainer.
The Dolphins front office led by GM Dennis Hickey has had three to four months of lead time to put their plan into action and fortify the positions at the offensive line. For every draftnik, pundit, and expert that says the Dolphins should trade down for picks, consider this: unless the Dolphins know they are getting the value to add sure-fire starters to the roster, trading down for picks doesn’t get them closer to protecting their quarterback and keep their offense from stalling in the red zone due to an inopportune sack.
At this point, Dolphins fans can again point to the 58 sacks and blame every Mike Sherman of the world for the team’s inability to win two winnable games to get to the playoffs.
Despite the setbacks, the Dolphins must mirror the expectations they set forth for their own players: Be a smart, disciplined, and hardworking organization on draft day.
Good luck to our beloved Miami Dolphins today! May they draft the best players on the board that will make the Dolphins the best for years to come!
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