Phillip Merling,

[hooshoops]

Originally Posted by Geforce

Merling wasn't able to workout because of the sports hernia that was discovered at the combine. You won't get any solid numbers on him because of this.

i know. am i the only one bothered by this??? i know he had a workout days b4 the draft which was less than stellar and he didn't run. i also know he was less than 100 percent.

but i don't think you draft a guy off game tape alone and ask him to switch positions in the pros. that's why i think he was drafted to play end.

i think lb involves a lot of unknowns with merling and 1-15 football team don't take risks with their precious top picks.

[ZachThomas76]

Well, I think TC will answer our questions. I too agree hes not an OLB in a 3-4, but we will find out. I think hes a player, and Parcells and Co will figure out how to get the most out of him.

[BobDole]

i agree with everything above - but that does not change the fact that the end position is either the least important or second least important position on the D in a 3-4. remember, i was asking about why we had so many DE's as compared to LB'ers. only argue if you think DE is more important than LBer. everything else is just arguing semantics.

ends are important. if they don't occupy blockers then the LBers can't do their job. duh. they are facilitating a far more important position. no argument here.

but back to it - why do we have so many DE's, and so little LBers, in a LBer dependent defense? that's the direction this was supposed to go. come on now.

[hooshoops]

Originally Posted by BobDole

i agree with everything above - but that does not change the fact that the end position is either the least important or second least important position on the D in a 3-4. remember, i was asking about why we had so many DE's as compared to LB'ers. only argue if you think DE is more important than LBer. everything else is just arguing semantics.

ends are important. if they don't occupy blockers then the LBers can't do their job. duh. they are facilitating a far more important position. no argument here.

but back to it - why do we have so many DE's, and so little LBers, in a LBer dependent defense? that's the direction this was supposed to go. come on now.

the only thing i can say is we're building from the lines out. sounds obvious but that's the way we drafted. entire draft pretty much on o and d line. playmakers still to come.

[Dfan06]

In my opinion, I really don't care who starts, I want to see a rotating 3-4 ENDS that are fresh throughout the game

[BobDole]

Originally Posted by Geforce

Occupying blockers isn't exactly the most important? If those defensive linemen do not occupy blockers, how do you think the linebackers will be able to make plays? Without those DEs taking care of their 2-gap responsibilities, the OLBs will not be able to make enough plays to be effective. The OLBs will spend too much time either taking on or avoiding offensive linemen thus nullifying what they do best. Just look at what happened to the defense last year without one of the best 3-4 DEs, Kevin Carter.

making plays or occupying blockers...... i'll go with making plays. just think of that in reverse. what good are occupying blockers if there are no play makers behind them?

[BobDole]

Originally Posted by hooshoops

the only thing i can say is we're building from the lines out. sounds obvious but that's the way we drafted. entire draft pretty much on o and d line. playmakers still to come.

again, no argument here. safe post.

i will try to phrase this differently. is everyone okay with having one playmaker (crowder might become one - but he isn't yet) at the linebacker position next year?

[Geforce]

Originally Posted by BobDole

making plays or occupying blockers...... i'll go with making plays. just think of that in reverse. what good are occupying blockers if there are no play makers behind them?

You can go with playmakers but those playmakers cannot make plays without others occupying blockers. If those playmakers are too busy avoiding or running around blockers, how are they going to make plays.

One cannot do their jobs without the others doing theirs.

You said we only have 2 proven LBs but are stacked at DE. Just because we have a lot of DEs don't mean they are proven. Outside of Vonnie Holliday, which DEs have proven themselves to be anything but serviceable? If you include Crowder, we still have three LBs who have atleast proven themselves when it mattered. Joey Porter and Reggie Torbor both started in the playoffs for Super Bowl winning teams.

[BobDole]

Originally Posted by Geforce

You can go with playmakers but those playmakers cannot make plays without others occupying blockers. If those playmakers are too busy avoiding or running around blockers, how are they going to make plays.

One cannot do their jobs without the others doing theirs.

You said we only have 2 proven LBs but are stacked at DE. Just because we have a lot of DEs don't mean they are proven. Outside of Vonnie Holliday, which DEs have proven themselves to be anything but serviceable? If you include Crowder, we still have three LBs who have atleast proven themselves when it mattered. Joey Porter and Reggie Torbor both started in the playoffs for Super Bowl winning teams.

dude - we agree. totally. i am just saying it is odd that we have so many players at a relatively weak position on the 3-4 D and a total lack thereof at the most important position?

leaving work now. tomorrow.

[Danny]

man I can't wait for the season to start already

Ozzy rules!!

[X-Pacolypse]

Originally Posted by napsndreds

here we go now witht his 09, 010 talk.. what kind of fan are you man? So you dont want to win this year?

C'mon now. Of course we would like too see the Dolphins win this year, but the rebuilding process doesn't always workout that way. This is a young team that will have some growing pains in 2008. It's good to be optimistic, but let's maintain some semblence of reality.

[napsndreds]

Originally Posted by X-Pacolypse

C'mon now. Of course we would like too see the Dolphins win this year, but the rebuilding process doesn't always workout that way. This is a young team that will have some growing pains in 2008. It's good to be optimistic, but let's maintain some semblence of reality.

reality is this... I have fun when my team wins..yes they will have growing pains, im not expecting them to play perfect, but I am expecting them to try and win no matter who is out there... I dont have fun when my team loses...reality is I know they wont go undefeated...reality is life is too short.. reality is 2009 is too long for me to wait ..then when 2009 comes some one is gonna be on here still talking about rebuilding..what exactly is this rebuilding concept anyway...we can only use 53 players ..so, are you saying in order for us to now be rebuilding we need a pro bowler at each position? if thats the case every team rebuilds, every year through the draft, the patriots re build and every other team. We are always gonna need something or want to re tool something..

[miami234ever]

Merling was the only pick I didn't quite like, especially after we had picked Kendall Langford. We have ten 3-4 Ends and two 3-4 OLBs. I really wanted Groves but the FO knows what they're doing, I guess...

[Canadianfishfan]

Originally Posted by napsndreds

reality is this... I have fun when my team wins..yes they will have growing pains, im not expecting them to play perfect, but I am expecting them to try and win no matter who is out there... I dont have fun when my team loses...reality is I know they wont go undefeated...reality is life is too short.. reality is 2009 is too long for me to wait ..then when 2009 comes some one is gonna be on here still talking about rebuilding..what exactly is this rebuilding concept anyway...we can only use 53 players ..so, are you saying in order for us to now be rebuilding we need a pro bowler at each position? if thats the case every team rebuilds, every year through the draft, the patriots re build and every other team. We are always gonna need something or want to re tool something..

We all want the Phins to win. Players expect to win.. why else play? I dont think you have to tell the die hards on this board how painful it is to watch our team lose. NONE of us enjoy it. But for the first time in recent memory, and maybe since Shula took over are we getting a true 'rebuiild'. I think this year there are realistic expectations. Merling doesn't have to be a probowler. But I think we'd like to see our picks show some improvement. Some true football grit.. Some real bravado.. like they belong in this league. Especially after that floozy Cam Cameron announcement last year about how much we'll love Ginn and his whole family. If you've been around this board long enough you'll see the love ins or hate ons people get with players. Don't let it get to you. Ultimately we all want the same things.

Parcells brings a blood and guts persona to this team. He also brings the environment where players know if they can't make it in this regime, they likely should be playing flag football for pints. We've seen alot of losing here. But then not nearly as much as some other franchises. I never, ever thought I'd see a Dolphin team go 1-15. It's humiliating. I can only imagine what it was like as a player. So now I don't expect the playoffs, i just expect to watch a team gel. Right from the GM to our head coach, to the our last 7th rd pick.. they are all learning on the job. In every way, i want to see it get better and better. As for better.. well thats relative.

[WaxOn WaxOff]

Have any of you nervous nellies actually seen Merling PLAY???? If you had, I don't think you'd be so worried about this pick. Chill guys, he will be fine. The Fins' current braintrust obviously liked him alot, i.e. better than Langford to pick him this high. I HAVE seen him play and I'm not worried. As for the comment about him playing at 265....That must have been when he was a freshman.