Rule out Vernon Carey moving to guard for Dolphins

Vernon Carey is being paid by the Miami Dolphins as if he’s an elite tackle, and that’s the position South Floridians should expect this hometown product to play in 2011.

It gets under my skin every time I hear, or see someone talking about drafting an offensive tackle and sliding Carey inside to guard because it’s the dumbest most unrealistic idea EVER.

Most of you proposing this slide have no idea how that whole process works, or what it takes to become the effective pulling guard the Dolphins desperately lack.

Just because Carey played the position for one season at the University of Miami (and hated it) and played a little guard in his rookie season with the Dolphins in 2004 doesn’t mean he can do it seven years later.

Carey’s older now, and his body doesn’t react or respond like it once did. He’s a drive-blocker, a bulldozer, not a pulling guard. That means he’s a tackle, not a guard.

Head coach Tony Sparano, an offensive line guru, has told us moving Carey inside is not an option on the table now.

I’ve repeatedly stressed it won’t happen for a number of reasons, starting with the FACT he’s a tackle, and wants to remain a tackle.
So can we please squash the Carey can move to guard talk? Dead it!

If the Dolphins opt to draft another tackle early, which I don’t think will be considered, this regime would likely release Carey, eating some of the initial investment they made re-signing him in 2009, and start over with an unproven player like Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo, Colorado’s Nate Solder or Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi

That approach would insert a question mark into a line that presently has concerns at three other spots: left guard, center and right guard. Would that be idea?

Of course Carey’s knee issues, and weight (around 340) should be a concern moving forward. But Carey has already begun working out with Jake Long and the boys at Nova. He spent a month training in Arizona with PTI (Richie Incognito was there with him) building an offseason program specially designed for him, helping to speed up his rehab.

Carey said he’s working out twice a day to get ready for the season, and that workout includes his usual spinning classes.

None of this means he’s going to be the starting tackle for the next five seasons. But what it does hint at is that the Dolphins should be set at right tackle for at least 2011.

Deuces.

Click here to order Vernon Carey’s proCane Rookie Card.



(Omar Kelly sun-sentinel.com)