OL changes to blocking, training, and strength conditioning

[cuchulainn]

http://www.thephinsider.com/2016/3/26/11307242/status-quo-for-fins-blocking-scheme-dont-bet-on-it

''New Dolphins head coach Adam Gase is keenly aware of Miami's ongoing problems with its offensive line...

Gase sat down this past week with Barry Jackson, of the Miami Herald, to discuss his plans for the offensive line. What the coach had to say was telling: "[Getting] back to some old school [techniques] , let's lift, let's spend our two hours in the weight room, let's get these guys bigger, stronger and faster. So, that's been our big focus. I want to try to give [the trainer] as much time alotted as he's allowed to get these guys in position, where, when we do start, we can see a difference, we can see a difference physically, in our guys, as far as their strength and being able to come off the ball and move people."

... the league also banned the chop block, long regarded as a staple of the zone blocking system, further reinforcing our team's need for a return to a more basic 'line up and blow 'em off the line of scrimmage' philosophy this season. ''

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2016/03/when-new-miami-dolphins-head-coach-adam-gase-studied-the-dolphins-offensive-line-and-how-to-get-that-embattled-unit-better-t.html

''Gase literally wanted to get the players in the building stronger to strengthen the unit. So the manner in which those players train and come to training camp was studied. Gase looked at the time the team spent in the weight room last year and was not impressed. He saw that under former coach Joe Philbin, more time was spent in the classroom learning the playbook and game plans and such.

And less time was spent in the weight room getting strong, and fast and thick enough to, you know, actually execute on the field.

So last year, while it could be said the Dolphins were studious enough to win up front, they weren't strong enough to win up front. At least that's how Gase sees things.

So that changes this offseason. Dolphins offensive linemen have gotten the message through the grapevine that they better be working on becoming weight room beasts this offseason. And when the offseason strength and conditioning program begins next month, much of the time the team is allotted every day will be used to lifting weights and getting stronger.''

[cuchulainn]

Interestingly, the guys we've brought in during FA are all bigger than our previous guys... suspect we'll run both ZBS and Power.

Also no surprise that Philbin focused more on classroom work than strength and conditioning for these guys.

[DolphinsFreak]

Groundhog's Day.

When have we heard this before where the new head coach can work miracles with the current roster that has already proven to be failures.

I wonder if Belichick has his team spending more time in the weight room rather than the class room?

Gase's experiment will fail just like the others before him. You can't teach speed. Fact.

GO 2017 DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!

[AquaXI]

Philbin got what he deserved! When you hire family and friends to sorround yourself just so that your insecurities are satisfied then you end up with substandard coaching. I hope gase lights a fire under them big ugly asses!

[Wulf]

We've gone through this so many times in the past 12 years...
Gase will be our 9th HC in that period, and the 6th one to actually have an off-season to prepare their team, all we can do is HOPE that someone or something lights a fire under these guys! Win, Lose, or Draw, I want to see 100% effort from EVERY member of this organization!

[AquaXI]

True Wulf, we can only hope.

[cuchulainn]

__________

[DolphinsFreak]

AHA! Was that picture meant for me? If so, you got the response you may not have expected, a literal Laugh Out Loud!

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140626132214.htm

[DolphinsFreak]

How he is still on the roster baffles me.

[cuchulainn]

You kidding me? Have you seen his ''stance''? ~Joe Philbin.

[DolphinsFreak]

He also had the cleanest locker. (That is just a rumor though) .......or I just made it up just now.

[cuchulainn]

Hysterical...

[DolphinsFreak]

That is some funny stuff right there!

[cuchulainn]

''Odds of your Quarterback dying are 92%''... lmao...

[Driven_Phinsane!]

Pretty funny,, would've been even funnier if they would've put a group of the turnstiles together wearing Fins jersey's!

[cuchulainn]

Probably be more effective as well. Especially at LG and RT last season.

[AquaXI]

Since Turnstiles lock up the other way, maybe our line shoud play with ther butts facing the opponent hehe.

[cuchulainn]

Considering how often Thomas ends up going backwards at the snap, it'd have to be an improvement for him.

[cuchulainn]

Here's one that's not so funny... sheesh...

[cuchulainn]

Not sure how Dallas Thomas ended up with a worst grade than Jason Fox... wait, yes. It was his play...

[Idahomer]

I wonder what NFL QB would be successful with that kind of blocking. I'm thinking NONE!

[cuchulainn]

Indeed. Which was also crazy considering that Tannehill was always in the top 10 in pass attempts. Freaking ridiculous that he was forced to drop back that much behind such shatty pass protection.

[FTLDOLFAN]

Wow that chart is pathetic. So basically Pouncey is our only decent o-lineman and Albert and James are just good pass blockers.

[cuchulainn]

Yeah... that would be a fair assessment. lol...

Billy Turner was better than I thought he was. James isn't bad, but then he only played a handful of games, so that could go either way. Dallas Thomas and Jamil Douglas were the real problems.

[FTLDOLFAN]

According to that chart Pouncey's overall grade is only a little above average and he makes $10M a year, Albert's overall grade is a little below average and he also makes $10M a year and James's overall grade was also a little below average and he was a former first round pick.

So even when we invest a lot of money and first round draft picks all we get is either slightly above or slightly below average and when we invest mid round draft picks we get utterly pathetic returns. Thats really depressing.

[cuchulainn]

It's ok... now, they are lifting this season. lol...

The scheme should be changing as well and we should be running the ball more. I expect Dallas Thomas to be beaten out and to see better play from Douglas and Turner in their 2nd and 3rd seasons - and both stronger as well.

[Tarpon Guide]

I really don't think that anyone here is actually surprised by this chart. It just puts all that scattered o-line info in a single chart that's easy to read. The Dolphin's win record, and QB sacks for the last few years said the exact same thing. Ross and Tannenbaum have had a lot of trouble grasping this information, and keep sticking their heads in the sand. Paying $20 million a year for Albert and Pouncy (who are really only average players) is part of the overall problem.

[cuchulainn]

Albert is actually above average - when healthy. He was not the same player coming back off the ACL as was in previous seasons. This is why Bushrod getting healthy and being the swing tackle will be important if/when Albert goes down again.

[kelbail2.2]

With as big and fast as defensive linemen are these days, five step drop plays should be protected like the three step drop plays with fire out blocking and then hold your ground. With the way our O line retreated first, the defenders were right on top of our QB? by the time our blockers first engaged them. This is especially puzzling considering you, me and everybody else watching knew Tannehill wasn't coming off his spot to create something better (unless it was right knee collapse, left knee collapse, escape back and to the right giving ground and overthrowing anybody down field on a jumping ballerina pass.) Also that quick toss play? Only Usain Bolt could have pulled and got to the MLB in time to block him. I saw us get positive yards one time all season on that play. Love to see some man on man blocking. However, once again it's back to power blocking, no zone blocking, no power blocking, no zone blocking, now power blcking. Let's guess. We don't have the right O lineman for the system.

[cuchulainn]

With as big and fast as defensive linemen are these days, five step drop plays should be protected like the three step drop plays with fire out blocking and then hold your ground. With the way our O line retreated first, the defenders were right on top of our QB? by the time our blockers first engaged them. This is especially puzzling considering you, me and everybody else watching knew Tannehill wasn't coming off his spot to create something better (unless it was right knee collapse, left knee collapse, escape back and to the right giving ground and overthrowing anybody down field on a jumping ballerina pass.) Also that quick toss play? Only Usain Bolt could have pulled and got to the MLB in time to block him. I saw us get positive yards one time all season on that play. Love to see some man on man blocking. However, once again it's back to power blocking, no zone blocking, no power blocking, no zone blocking, now power blcking. Let's guess. We don't have the right O lineman for the system.

You mean like this play? Everyone but Dallas Thomas does their job. Even though Jerry Huges beats him off the snap, Dallas still managed to get called for holding. Watch the OL in the 1st second of the clip. Dallas is in pursuit immediately.

[Driven_Phinsane!]

Jesus, even with the hold, Hughes got by him just as fast as if there wasn't 320 pounds of wasted space between him & the QB..

[cuchulainn]

Exactly. Dallas just isn't good. He's slow to respond and just can't hold up on man blocking. The fat SOB can't even suck well. He negated a 9 yard play and put us in 2nd and 20... we picked up 14 yards and punted.

[DolphinsFreak]

I wish I saved all the games I had of the Dolphins on my DVR over the past four years. It would be the Miami Dolphins of the Three Stooges with Tannehill being........Curly? Larry? I don'tt know which Stooge he would be but the background music would be the Benny Hill theme with Tannehill making horrible throws, mistakes, not reading coverages, etc. It would make a funny video. I wish I would have saved all those games, back to all the Hartline horrible throws to present. Ah, well.........I have better things to do with my time.