FROM HARVEY FIALKOV OF THE SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL… A source told the Sun Sentinel that the Dolphins are definitely interested in re-signing free-agent tackle Vernon Carey. Free agency doesn’t start until Feb. 27, so negotiations will probably heat up during the week of the NFL Scouting Combine (Feb. 24). Carey, along with left guard Justin Smiley, were the most experienced players on a young offensive line that took a bad hit when promising rookie Donald Thomas was lost for the season in the first regular-season game. “The Dolphins want Carey back and they will continue to bolster their offensive line,” the source said. The same probably can’t be said for free-agent linebacker Channing Crowder, who was low balled by the team’s first offer.
There is no doubt in my mind that Carey will be back next year, and if he’s not signed before the deadline for a Franchise tag can be placed, the Dolphins will just tag him. One area of many that the Fins improved on in ‘08 was their offensive line. They became physical and proficient in pass protection. Carey is in the right spot playing right tackle and has become a solid player in the league.
The one thing a new staff must do when it comes to a team is get the players in the right positions. The Fins moved their offensive line around and found the right positions for the players to maximize their talents, and Carey clearly is a much better right tackle than left. Staffs like to tinker with moving players around, but the head coach must be very good at evaluations, and he must put his players in the right positions. Oftentimes, assistant coaches will take the path of least resistance, or make a player play a spot where he is not comfortable.
As for Crowder, he is a good player, but durability issues and concerns about his three-down play will keep the Fins from making him a huge offer. Crowder is a replaceable part. He’s a player you would want back, but the cost is just as important as getting the player back. I would rather overpay for a great player, like Haynesworth, than overpay for a replaceable part like Crowder. That’s how you kill your cap. There are more players available like Crowder but very few like Haynesworth and Carey. Teams must rely on their scouting departments to find young and cheap talent and must be willing to let a replaceable part leave. In fact, the year before a replaceable part type of player becomes a free agent, a team’s draft strategy should include finding his replacement. Teams must look ahead and draft for the next year’s free agent class.
