Renegade7 Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 Posting the title first would throw people away, but this is definetly something ya'll should take a look at. http://nfl.com/news/story/7337582 Ogunleye still eyes premier contract status By Vic Carucci National Editor, NFL.com (May 17, 2004) -- With almost every encounter that Adewale Ogunleye had with another AFC player at last February's Pro Bowl came another compliment. Offensive tackles told him how great he had performed in 2003 and that theirs were among the votes that resulted in the first Pro Bowl appearance of his three NFL seasons. Fellow defensive ends told him how much they admired his playing style and that they even had copied some of his pass-rushing moves. Pretty heady stuff, to say the least. Add that to Ogunleye's 15 sacks last season and 9½ sacks in 2002, and you have a fairly clear picture of why re-signing him as a restricted free agent has not been easy for the Miami Dolphins. Ogunleye views himself as a premier player, having progressed light years beyond the undrafted free agent from Indiana University that he was when he arrived in Miami. Exactly how much money that should be worth is something the Dolphins and Ogunleye's agent still must work out. And as much as the Dolphins have had a fairly challenging offseason on a variety of fronts, finding a way to keep Ogunleye happy and in an aqua-coral blue and white uniform has to rank as one of the higher priorities, because he does bring a rare level of talent to arguably the most important position on defense. And defense is what continues to give the team its greatest chance to remain competitive. Adewale Ogunleye has steadily improved his game to become a staple in Miami's defense. Ogunleye has been staying away from the Dolphins' minicamps, which is hardly a surprise given that his presence would only serve as a distraction until his contractual status is resolved. But when you speak with him, as I did earlier in the offseason, you get the distinct sense that what he showed last season was only the beginning. Ogunleye didn't make any sort of radical change in his approach or physical makeup to have the break-through year that he enjoyed. "All I needed was an opportunity," he said. "It's hard when you're coming in and you've got guys, like Jason (Taylor), who are established. I'm coming in as a no-name, undrafted guy, so it's hard coming up the ranks." Ogunleye spent all of the 2000 season on the non-football injury list with a knee problem. He appeared in seven games as a reserve in 2001, registering a half a sack. In 2002, he started 16 games but was part of a four-man rotation on the Dolphins' defensive line. Still, he made his presence felt by coming within a half-sack of a double-digit season. That convinced the coaches to trust him to pretty much handle starting duties full time, and Ogunleye capitalized by leading the AFC in sacks and tying Tampa Bay's Simeon Rice for the second-highest sack total in the league. "(2002) was kind of a year where I proved to the coaches I could play," Ogunleye said. "This (past) year was the first year where they just let me go out there and play every down and show them what I could do." Other defensive ends might try and copy his moves, but Ogunleye actually doesn't have an extensive repertoire. Basically, he does one of two things -- a speed rush to the outside or the Reggie White "hump move," where he establishes a low center of gravity and great leverage, then maneuvers his hand underneath the offensive tackle's armpit and uses the tackle's own weight to literally lift him off the ground and throw him upfield. "When you're a good player, you don't want to do too many moves," Ogunleye said. "If you've got a lot of moves, that means things aren't working." Don't be misled by the gaudy sack numbers. Ogunleye plays the strong side, which means he must utilize every bit of the muscle on his 6-foot-4, 255-pound frame to handle the run. "I knew, for me to play with the Dolphins, I was going to have to play the run first," he said. "They already had their pass rusher in Jason. They needed a guy who was at least going to be stable against the run. "I was able to do that, and have the pass-rushing skills, so it kind of makes me a complete defensive end. I can play with a lot of technique, a lot of power, and then I get to the quarterback. All around, I think my game is getting to where I want it to be." Once he feels the same about his contract, Ogunleye ought to continue to play a major role in the Dolphins' defensive success. Still think he's overrated? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba9497 Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 Posting the title first would throw people away, but this is definetly something ya'll should take a look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted May 23, 2004 Author Share Posted May 23, 2004 Originally posted by bubba9497 What? :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bird_1972 Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 Bad case for Ogunleye .... He'll cost too much money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smashmowf Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 "Eff" that cat man he's got Jason Taylor on the other side so his stats don't impress me enough to warrant a big contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominatingDonkeys Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 We'd have to trade our 1st rounder next year, leaving us without a pick in the first 2 rounds. Also we'd have to give him a pretty hefty contract which we can't afford right now. We aren't going to trade for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted May 24, 2004 Author Share Posted May 24, 2004 Denial. It isn't just a river ya know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkyalligator Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 No way should we go for him.....we can find an undrafted free agent like him ourselves......he looks good especially with Jason taylor on the opposite side of him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arsenic Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 Any cheaper ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 e should just sign a one year deal and force them to either franchise him or let him go in 2k5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldskool Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 Originally posted by Arsenic Any cheaper ideas? This has been hashed and rehased over and over again already. The chances of their being a player released after June 1st that will help with our pass rush are slim and none. Williams and co already know this and are taking steps with LaVar and co to be able to compensate for it. If the FO was actually seriously looking at DE’s for our line this year, they would have drafted one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted May 24, 2004 Author Share Posted May 24, 2004 Originally posted by Arsenic Any cheaper ideas? Cheaper yes. There's always somthing cheaper. The way I see it, we are missing a premire pass rusher at DE. We all know it, it's just how we plan to solve that problem that none of us can come to grips on a agreement. Ogunleye is only getting better, and the rest of the leauge knows it. I posted this article to show you just how much respect the rest of leauge is giving him. He's earned it, and trust me when I say that we are not going to find someone like that in the first round. Late first round you'd have to be extremely lucky. But why wait? If we can trade for the rights to him now, cut Trotter and some other people like we're planning on, then yes, he can be fit under the cap. I just see a stunning oppertunity in front of us and we better pounce on it before we regret it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaSkin Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 If we could trade next year's first rounder for him and sign him to a contract that is reasonable for 3 years (no big roster bonus in 2006) then he'd be very much worth it. Having Taylor on the other side certainly does not hurt his numbers but doesn't help nearly as much as some people seem to think. First of all, it is difficult to double an end without using a TE or back, so it's not like he's seeing less blocking from the O-line because Taylor is on the other side. Actually he plays strong side so he's more likely to see an extra blocker in the form of a TE. Furthermore, because he's the strong side end, he faces more pressure in the run game. He's a for real talent and far more advanced than anyone we might be able to get with a 1st rounder next year. But the phins aren't stupid and will try like hell to keep him. I would be surprised if anyone could pry him away from them with only a 1st rounder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.