Expect to see a lot more posts like this. Former Dolphins guard/tackle L.J. Shelton is on his way to meet the Lions. Apparently he grew up in the area. However, according this article by The Detroit Free Press, depending on this how this visit goes LJ may be visiting Seattle, Jacksonville, and Buffalo.
I said in the Offseason Preview that the Hawks might be interested. He is, in essence, A Pork Chop clone who has managed to play in the majority of his games the last few years. He started all 16 games for the Dolphins last year. The gig in Det is likely a starting spot, I would assume the other teams, including the Hawks, are looking at him as a versatile back up.
If he can play RG better than Sims, Gray, or Willis --- I'd say it would be foolish not to take a look at him.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be broken hearted if we signed another guard to start. We all know Gray sucks, we all know Sims will improve from a terrible player to merely a bad player, and Willis is more suited for tackle.
So then maybe we try Lock at RG and Willis at RT?? That seems solid.. Lock doesn't make too much to stop him from moving inside.
ReplyDeleteLT Jones LG Wahle C Spencer RG Locklear RT Willis ?
Lock is not a G. Willis did ok in limited time at RG. Next year, if he stays healthy, he is my bet to win the starting RG spot. Gray is valuable because he is a knowledgeable backup, and he can play C, which none of the other OL can do except Spencer. This is especially important, as Chop wants to start, and so is likely to leave in Free Agency. If Chop comes back, he will compete for the RG spot as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd you never know, Sims cant possibly be as bad as he looked last year..he might surprise us all.
-leshthomas
It's already been clearly stated over and over that Lock will not move inside.e
ReplyDeleteSims is said to be better suited for RG.
ReplyDeleteI like the thought of Willis and Wahle both 6'6 as our Gs. That's two big dudes
And we are drafting Elgin Jabbar QB, Stilt-U in April, 8'2" tall, 107 lbs with a 19' wingspan and able to pass the ball in a hookshot over these 6'6" guards :)
ReplyDeleteGreat comment last anomynous.
ReplyDeleteI do not understand why people are in love with Willis. If he was better than Gray and Sims, he would have beat them out in training camp and when our O-line was open to change.
Rob Sims has game experience and has flashed capability of being a starter in the NFL. He is young, he will learn. Spencer will learn and put the guards in position to succeed. Remember the center controls the O-line. Gray was a weak link, forcing Chris Spencer move over and leaving Rob Sims on an island. Recipe for tranvestites in a KKK meeting aka disaster. I think Chris Gray lost his ability to push the pile and thus the ability to be a starter in the NFL. We will be just fine with Jones-Whale- Cspence-RSims-Lock.
Sims can't be as bad as he was last season, can he? Because he sucked big time.
ReplyDeleteNow he'll have an excuse to suck in 08, b/c he's moving from the left side to the right.
I'm not pleased with the idea of Sims as the starting RG. He digressed badly in 07 from 06. Why? Gray is not worth keeping solely because he has played center in the past, we can sign a FA backup center for not a lot of money. I agree completely about signing a new guard to start on the right side, but will the cap permit it?
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to place the blame for our O-line woes squarely on one lineman's shoulders. Spencer went from "high potential second year player" to "bust." in 07-08. Chris Gray looked like he was playing patty-cake with d-linemen. Rob Sims blew his blocking assignments so badly, when you saw look at replays, you thought that Walter Jones was crazy for letting DTs come through clean at the quarterback.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what the fix for our o-line is, but I hope that Solari can help. They were decent in pass-protection, though they did give up some embarrassing sacks. The real question is, will we have a running back that can contribute to a functional running game, regardless of the o-line.