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"What's that sound behind me?"

Is Jake Long the total answer in Miami?
By KC Joyner

Dolphins fans are full of hope again, and who can blame them? As they've no doubt heard a thousand times over the past year, a big key to any rebuilding offense is protecting the QB's blind side. Enter rookie left tackle Jake Long, widely considered the best pass-blocking lineman from his draft class. But here's the rub, Fins fans: Left tackles aren't the saviors you think they are.

In his book The Blind Side, Michael Lewis noted that before Lawrence Taylor blew up in the 1980s, teams saw each spot on the offensive line as being relatively equal in value. But LT was so dominating off the edge that teams started emphasizing elite athletic ability for its blindside blockers.

Of course, as I point out in my upcoming book Blindsided, the game has evolved since Taylor's days. Rather than simply sending their best rusher around the weak side, many D-coordinators now embrace the playcalling flexibility of the 3-4 zone blitz package.

This scheme allows defenses to single out any weakness on an offensive line and set up favorable mismatches to exploit it. As a result, offenses must now have watertight pass protection across the board. To illustrate this point, let's take a look at the 2007 Dolphins. Of the team's 42 sacks allowed last year, left tackle Vernon Carey gave up just three. This is telling, because most scouts say Carey is better suited to the right side. In other words, he was playing out of position yet teams weren't targeting him.

Why should they? There was no reason for defenses to go around Carey when there were more direct QB routes open for business. Note that Miami's right tackles gave up 5.5 sacks, its guards 8.5 and its tight ends/running backs 12. Also note that 13 of the team's sacks were coverage sacks, a result of its young QBs—John Beck and Cleo Lemon—holding the ball too long.

All of this is not to say that Long will be useless. In addition to holding down his own spot, he allows Carey to move to his right-side home. But the truth is, Beck is back under center, and the middle of the line looks as spotty as ever. So in the end, it doesn't really matter if it's Carey, Long or Orlando Pace at left tackle. The sacks will keep on coming.

Long Story Short

Ever hear of Shane Longest? Read this.

By Jeff Johnson

Shane Longest got the job and the girl all in one day. Now comes the tough part: making the team and planning the wedding.

Let's back up for just a second. Longest is a kicker (what else?) out of Saint Xavier University, a small NAIA school in Chicago. In his four years there, he impressed scouts with his leg (7-for-7 from 40 to 49 yards as a junior), versatility (he also punts) and productivity (he finished his college career as the team's all-time leading scorer, with 317 points, and had 65 touchbacks).

All this without the help of a coach. "At the NAIA level, it's hard to find a dedicated kicking coach," he says. "So I taught myself. I can't wait to get a coach who'll tell me right away what's wrong."

Now he has that opportunity. Although he went undrafted last month, Longest received a call from the Bears as the final round was wrapping up. The team offered a deal, and he immediately said yes. Two minutes later, he got down on his knees and proposed to his girlfriend, fellow Saint Xavier student Tara Cavazos. She said yes too. (Naturally, you can check out video of the big moment on YouTube. It's right here. )

Now in Bears camp, Longest is working with special-teams coach Dave Toub to refine his kicking mechanics. While the Bears have told the rookie they plan to play him in preseason games, he's still a long shot to make the roster; Chicago recently signed incumbent Robbie Gould to a five-year, $15.5 million deal. No worries. At the very least, Longest hopes to catch the eye of some team in need of a big leg.

As for the wedding? "Haven't set a date yet," he says. "We're gonna wait to see where I am and let Tara finish school."

We can already hear the toast: To longevity.

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