Phins trade a 7th for Panthers OT Greg Little

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/08/17/panthers-trade-offensive-tackle-greg-little-to-dolphins/

Little has been a bust for the Panthers so far, but he was drafted early in round 2 in 2019 and was considered a strong left tackle prospect at the time. He certainly won't fix the Dolphins' OL, but worth a look for sure. Always good to add young talent at the tackle position.

I'm a bit mystified by moves like this.

We have a limited number of roster spots, why fill them with guys that have little chance of panning out long-term?

I understand we need to focus on making the O-line a strength... I don't understand how trading for a guy who is disappointing the team that drafted him helps.

white1 wrote:I'm a bit mystified by moves like this.

We have a limited number of roster spots, why fill them with guys that have little chance of panning out long-term?

I understand we need to focus on making the O-line a strength... I don't understand how trading for a guy who is disappointing the team that drafted him helps.

Because it's August...you aren't going to get top-shelf OL help at this time of year. If a lineman is good, his team keeps him. What you get at this stage are projects. That's what Little is - a guy that was considered a top talent just a couple of years ago, but has struggled. Now, in a new system with a new coaching staff, he gets a second chance - and the Phins get to kick the tires on a young player with upside. I don't see a negative to this, at all.

For once White1 and I agree on something

Didn't Grier already make this exact same move? How'd that work out? I'm guessing this Greg Little guy lasts 2 weeks max.

DolFan 316 wrote: I'm guessing this Greg Little guy lasts 2 weeks max.

Maybe...or maybe he makes the team as a backup. We'll see. Costs the Phins nothing of note either way.

Maybe it's the camp notes I'm reading and our failure to convert from the 1 against CHI. I'm so tired of reading, year after year, how poor our offensive line looks.

I'm glad Grier has shown focus on it - he drafted Jackson, Hunt, Kindley, Eichenburg, Deiter. Also, he has brought in FA guys like Flowers, I don't remember how he got Davis, Skura, etc.

All those moves, and so far no appreciable change and now we see this trade - reinforcing the teams internal believe IT IS STILL NOT GOOD.

I mean, how many more players will we have to draft/sign/trade for to build a functional offensive line?

Just aggravating to watch.

white1 wrote:Maybe it's the camp notes I'm reading and our failure to convert from the 1 against CHI.  I'm so tired of reading, year after year, how poor our offensive line looks.

I'm glad Grier has shown focus on it - he drafted Jackson, Hunt, Kindley, Eichenburg, Deiter.  Also, he has brought in FA guys like Flowers, I don't remember how he got Davis, Skura, etc.

All those moves, and so far no appreciable change and now we see this trade - reinforcing the teams internal believe IT IS STILL NOT GOOD.

I mean, how many more players will we have to draft/sign/trade for to build a functional offensive line?

Just aggravating to watch.

It's the scouting department I'm telling you. It HAS to be, because everyone else involved has been replaced many times over. This team's scouting department cannot properly identify O-line talent to save their lives, and I'll bet some of them have been working for this team since at least the '90s. Until that problem is solved it won't matter how many new players are drafted or signed or traded for. And Flores doesn't have a clue about it either, we know this because he replaces O-line coaches more often then some guys buy new underwear. It's his one blind spot.

white1 wrote:Maybe it's the camp notes I'm reading and our failure to convert from the 1 against CHI.  I'm so tired of reading, year after year, how poor our offensive line looks.

I'm glad Grier has shown focus on it - he drafted Jackson, Hunt, Kindley, Eichenburg, Deiter.  Also, he has brought in FA guys like Flowers, I don't remember how he got Davis, Skura, etc.

All those moves, and so far no appreciable change and now we see this trade - reinforcing the teams internal believe IT IS STILL NOT GOOD.

I mean, how many more players will we have to draft/sign/trade for to build a functional offensive line?

Just aggravating to watch.

I think you are jumping to conclusions based on a meaningless preseason game where there was no gameplanning and not even 'real' playcalling.  But if you do want to focus on the game, the OL actually looked much improved in pass pro.

This trade does not in any way, shape or form indicate that the team thinks the line isn't good.  All they did was trade a 7th for a project.  If they were truly that worried about the line, they would have made a real trade for a starting-caliber lineman.  No one is viewing Little as a savior - he's simply a developmental prospect that will likely compete with rookie Larnell Coleman for a backup spot.

Fact is, we don't know how good this line can be, and won't until the regular season.  It's a young, developing line and there is clearly talent there - we'll see how it pans out, but by no means is it written in stone that this is a crappy line.

This is a bit different from Isaiah Wilson, who was discarded by the same staff that drafted him.

Greg Little was inherited by the current Panther staff and obviously doesn't fit what they are doing now. He may well be a total bust, but he's certainly worth a 7th rounder to try and develop.

Is from Allen, TX high school, just down the street from me.

Great point about the Carolina coaching staffs, Hal. That definitely plays a role - the new staff is not invested in Little, and they completely changed the scheme.

Seems to me that the Phins saw an opportunity to upgrade the last lineman on the roster. Last season that role went to Adam Pankey. This year, Pankey will compete with Coleman and now Little. That final lineman likely won't play much aside from maybe some special teams if they even make to the active gameday roster at all. So this move is really about upgrading the bottom of the roster...but at least Little has some upside to maybe one day play a larger role. I'd say the same about Coleman too.

Austin Jackson was owned vs the Bears. The higher ups gotta be shitting tweenkies knowing the play the Bills twice a year. We need a legit LT not a feel good bone marrow transplant story.

Jackson did have a bad game against the Bears. It happens. He showed promise as a rookie, and one game in preseason doesn't mean that he won't continue to improve as he gains experience.

And why would the Dolphins be extra worried about playing the Bills twice a year because of Jackson? Jackson didn't allow any sacks against the Bills last season. It's not like they have top DEs.

The problem with Buffalo is their damn offense. Allen looks legit, they have a pro bowl receiver in Diggs and a coach that loves to run the ball to provide balance. Our defense was totally outmatched in BOTH games last season.

I'm hoping with our improved front 7, we put more pressure on Allen and stop the run well enough to make them more one dimensional. Our secondary has the talent to take the ball away, if they get the help they need up front....

white1 wrote:The problem with Buffalo is their damn offense.  Allen looks legit, they have a pro bowl receiver in Diggs and a coach that loves to run the ball to provide balance.  Our defense was totally outmatched in BOTH games last season.

I'm hoping with our improved front 7, we put more pressure on Allen and stop the run well enough to make them more one dimensional.  Our secondary has the talent to take the ball away, if they get the help they need up front....

Yep, the Bills offense is the bigger worry for sure. We did almost beat them in week 2, but they still put up over 500 yards against our D. Turnovers are key - and slowing down Diggs.

Flores comments on Little:

Travis Wingfield

@WingfieldNFL

On the Greg Little acquisition: we have some familiarity with him from the draft a couple of years ago. Opportunity to get a young player to come in and compete.

Travis Wingfield

@WingfieldNFL

Little came in for a 30 visit pre-draft in 2019. There was good rapport there, per Coach Flores. Love for the game, passion about working and getting better stood out. Athletic, has size and is competitive on film.

I think W1 nailed it. The staff thinks Greg Little is better than the guys they have at the bottom of the roster. What I want is for some of the "projects" to turn out to be worth a dang!

And no miserable failures like Wilson should even be looked at. That dude ain't right in the head. The Titans know it. And now, so do the Phins.

I can remember in my mocks a couple years ago making sure I drafted Little in the 6th so some other team didn't get him.

I also agree with JMP: I ain't gonna panic about that miserable Bears game. But nobody needs to overlook it either. The Bears D Line without their BIG GUNS, made the Phins (mostly) starters look like untested rookies.

Did anybody see what the Bills did to the Bears in the 2nd preseason game?

The Phins got to get A LOT BETTER in a hurry IMO. If I had to rate it right now, they would be 3rd in the AFC East. I think the Pats are gonna be a beast running the ball.

As for the scouts being bad....  I agree they need to find someone with an eye for PROJECTING TALENT. Anybody can see if a guy plays good or not in college. But using that and projecting how he will fare in the NFL where the competition level ramps up exponentially takes a special talent. The Phins have not had THAT sort of talent in ages IMHO.

Heck, I do not know how many SEC guys I thought would be NFL HOFers fail to even make it in the NFL.

Besides, I think most teams use a scouting service to gather info, and then the scouts simply sort and analyze it.

It still comes down to Grier and Flores calling the shots though.

finfanatic wrote:If I had to rate it right now, they would be 3rd in the AFC East. I think the Pats are gonna be a beast running the ball.

I have the Phins #2 in the East at worst. I think they will be fighting for first with the Bills right down to the wire. The Miami defense should be upper-tier, and with all the weapons on offense I expect them to put up a ton of points.