OL injuries + Phins adding veteran OT Brandon Shell to practice squad

With Austin Jackson injured and Terron Armstead and Greg Little banged up, the Phins are signing veteran OT Brandon Shell to the practice squad.  Shell has played for the Jets and Seahawks, with 61 career starts over 6 seasons.  Big boy at 6'5", 325.  As far as I can tell he has only played Right Tackle.  Not a great player, but at least he's experienced and is probably plug-and-play once he's up to speed.  This time of year, you're not going to get much more than guys of this caliber.

If he's in shape, he could get bumped up to the regular roster this weekend, I suppose.  Hell, if Armstead is out he could even be the starting RT!  


Note: Little practiced today - Jackson and Armstead did not.  Barry Jackson suggests that if both are out Sunday, it would be Little at LT, Jones at RG and Hunt at RT.

For what it is worth, here are Shell's penalties and sacks allowed the last few years:

2021: 550 snaps, 1 penalty, 3 sacks
2020: 673 snaps, 4 penalties, 3 sacks
2019: 806 snaps, 5 penalties, 7 sacks
2018: 850 snaps, 6 penalties, 3 sacks

Not great, but not too bad.

This is a good move in as much as Larnel Coleman is the only other OT on the Practice Squad I think??

I would really hate to see Coleman playing OT against the Ravens! Or any other team for that matter!

Too bad Diesch got snagged, but if the Phins had to start him it would be too bad for the Offense, so...

finfanatic wrote:This is a good move in as much as Larnel Coleman is the only other OT on the Practice Squad I think??

I would really hate to see Coleman playing OT against the Ravens! Or any other team for that matter!

Too bad Diesch got snagged, but if the Phins had to start him it would be too bad for the Offense, so...

Well, if Armstead is in fact out on Sunday, we'll get a chance to see just good the new coaching staff is. I am intrigued by Greg Little at LT...I think (hope) he can hold his own if called upon.

Armstead back at practice today. That's certainly a good sign.

DF316, you were WRONG!! Zach Tom wasn't even good enough to crack the starting lineup for the Packers. and he's not even good enough to be the backup center. once Runyan got hurt at G, the Pack shifted guys around and Tom did come in at T.

hmm, hey wait a minute. with Jackson hurt - at RT. if Tom was a Phin, he'd be able to come in as the backup T.

DF316, you were RIGHT!! the Phins should've drafted Tom...but not for the reasons you thought.

One interesting thing about the Miami OL that I've been thinking about: this coaching staff really has tons of options if injuries do hit. Armstead is a left tackle only, and I think Shell is likely a right tackle only, but look at everyone else:

Eich - can play guard and tackle
Williams - can play center and guard
Hunt - can play guard and tackle
Little - can play LT and RT
Jackson - can play guard and tackle
Jones - can play guard and tackle
Dieter - can play center and guard

That's a lot of flexibility, and gives the coaches a lot of options in-game if there are injuries. We can argue about how good these guys actually are, but I think it's pretty important to have that versatility. We saw it in action on Sunday, where Armstead and Jackson both missed plays and the offense really didn't suffer as a result.

mercury22nathan wrote:DF316, you were WRONG!!  Zach Tom wasn't even good enough to crack the starting lineup for the Packers.  and he's not even good enough to be the backup center.  once Runyan got hurt at G, the Pack shifted guys around and Tom did come in at T.

hmm, hey wait a minute.  with Jackson hurt - at RT.  if Tom was a Phin, he'd be able to come in as the backup T.

DF316, you were RIGHT!! the Phins should've drafted Tom...but not for the reasons you thought.  

ACTUALLY...I did think he could play RT too after posting this video of him schooling the Jets' first rounder Jermaine Johnson. Just sayin'.

https://dolfancave.forumotion.com/t2632-what-can-miami-really-do

Zach Tom is a versatile linemen that can play all 5 positions. He would have been a good pick for the Phins. BUT...I think we're all going to be very happy with Erik Ezukanma long-term.

JMP wrote:Zach Tom is a versatile linemen that can play all 5 positions.  He would have been a good pick for the Phins.  BUT...I think we're all going to be very happy with Erik Ezukanma long-term.

As soon as he becomes active for games, that is.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:Zach Tom is a versatile linemen that can play all 5 positions.  He would have been a good pick for the Phins.  BUT...I think we're all going to be very happy with Erik Ezukanma long-term.

As soon as he becomes active for games, that is.

Well, yeah...there's that.

Marcel Louis-Jacques
@Marcel_LJ

Austin Jackson is going on short-term IR per Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, they don’t want his ankle injury to linger throughout the season

Terron Armstead will be limited once again in practice today and is considered questionable for Sunday’s game vs the Ravens
11:39 AM · Sep 16, 2022

We should be fine at RT with Little (and/or Shell when he's ready). Hopefully Armstead will be able to go...if he can't, that muddies the water a bit because Little probably plays LT and then maybe we shift Hunt to RT and put Jones at RG as we saw this past Sunday.

hopefully they can cobble together a functional line and coach 'em up. no matter how the Phins manage to get through the season, i think finding a future (reliable) cornerstone offensive tackle is a draft priority this year.