Miami, FL
How Good Can the O-Line Be? How Good Does It Need To Be?
The topic of offensive weapons came up during Miami Dolphins tackle Terron Armstead’s post-practice media session Thursday, and the four-time Pro Bowl selection wanted to make sure his position group wasn’t left out.
“Yeah, we’ve got weapons,” Armstead said. “We have weapons all over the field and we’re not apologizing for it. I want all of them out there. We’ll all be out there at the same time, and O-line, we’re going to be a weapon for us, too. We’re going to fly off the ball. We’re going to move people and give those guys an opportunity to make plays.”
Because training camp is the time when optimism reigns in every single solitary NFL city — or just about every city — Armstead’s statement shouldn’t be considered surprising, though there certainly would be a large section of fans, as well as media analysts who might do a double take.
The Dolphins offensive line? A weapon?
Look for stories about that Dolphins offensive line and the term “much-maligned” likely will show up. This is a group that’s been under major scrutiny for a couple of years now and nothing has changed this year, regardless of Armstead’s comments.
But the simple question here is whether the Dolphins offensive line can be effective or even good. Becoming “a weapon” seems a tad unrealistic, particularly when you consider four national media outlets ranked NFL offensive lines this summer and the Dolphins didn’t fare better than 18th (by Pro Football Focus) in any of them.
The offensive line took some shots as well last year, but it performed well enough to help the Dolphins finish first in the NFL in total yards and first in rushing average per attempt.
Individually, former center Connor Williams earned the second-highest grade given out by PFF, Robert Hunt was sixth among guards, and Armstead was 16th among tackles. So it’s not as though players didn’t get the job done.
Again according to PFF, the Dolphins ranked 16th in pass blocking grade and 18th in run blocking grade.
This was a far cry, though, from the famous ESPN pass block win rate, a stat often cited by critics of the Dolphins offensive line, because it had them at 31st in the NFL. But what needs to be remembered is that ESPN gives out a win only if the offensive lineman keeps the pass rusher off the quarterback for 2.5 seconds or longer.
Well, how many times did Tua Tagovailoa actually throw the ball before 2.5 seconds? Think of all those bubble screens, quick slants or even shovel passes where the ball is long gone before 2.5 seconds.
Maybe a better barometer would be pressure rate, where the Dolphins ranked fourth in the NFL with pressure allowed on 15.8 percent of pass attempts (per Pro Football Reference). The Dolphins also were tied for fourth in the NFL in rushing yards before contact at 2.8.
And back to the ESPN analytics, the Dolphins ranked eighth in the NFL in run block win rate.
So statistically the Dolphins offensive line was more than serviceable in 2023.
Of course, this is where we add that not only does the quick passing game help the pass protection work for the offensive line, but the misdirection in the running game also helps the run blocking because defenders often run themselves out of position without having to be blocked.
As the Dolphins prepare for their second preseason game against the Washington Commanders, the offensive line remains in a state of flux because of injuries.
Isaiah Wynn, who started the first seven games at left guard last season, remains on PUP with a “lower extremity” injury. Center Aaron Brewer has a hand injury that has sidelined him for more than a week. And Armstead remains on a maintenance program as he shoots for the first complete season of his otherwise impressive NFL career.
“I think it’s just being smart as far as everything that we can do in a preventative aspect, but football is football,” Armstead said. “You still go out there, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do full speed so I’m going to have to be in there hitting, clashing, all that good stuff anyway. So I think it’s just kind of taking a load off the body as much as we can.”
Wynn and Brewer definitely won’t play against Washington on Saturday, and it’s highly unlikely we’ll see Armstead, either.
So the offensive line that takes the field against Washington on Saturday likely will look a lot different than the one the Dolphins end up using for most of 2024.
Whatever that line looks like again will be helped by head coach Mike McDaniel’s creativity and the ability of Tua to quickly deliver the ball to receivers adept at getting open very quickly.
Is the Dolphins offensive line really going to become a weapon? Maybe that’s stretching things too far. But does the offensive line need to be a weapon?
The past two seasons showed us the Dolphins offense can be productive — at times explosive — despite having arguably a middle-of-the-pack offensive line and there’s no reason to think that’ll change in 2024.
But if the offensive line indeed could become better than mid-tier, then that would open up all sorts of possibiilties for McDaniel and his offensive players.
Miami, FL
Miami woman allegedly lured man to luxury condo via Instagram, then robbed him with 2 accomplices
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A blonde-haired Florida woman was arrested after allegedly messaging a man on social media and inviting him to her Miami apartment, only to rob him blind, police say.
Nicole Cano, 30, faces charges of false imprisonment and strong-arm robbery after allegedly inviting the victim to her luxury Biscayne Bay condo on April 11 around 8 p.m., according to an arrest affidavit cited by Local 10.
Cano allegedly asked the man over on Instagram to “have drinks,” but the meet-up quickly took a turn.
Nicole Cano, 30, was arrested Monday on charges of false imprisonment and strongarm robbery, Miami-Dade jail records showed. (Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation)
While the victim was on her balcony, two other women emerged from a bedroom and joined Cano in confronting him, police said.
FLORIDA WOMAN STOLE THOUSANDS DURING TAROT CARD READINGS, SPIRITUAL CLEANSINGS SCAM: REPORT
The trio demanded money, but the man told them he didn’t have any cash, according to the report.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS
When he tried to leave, a struggle broke out and the women told him he was “going to pay,” authorities said.
The alleged robbery happened on April 11, when the victim said he was contacted by Nicole Cano, who he had previously met on Instagram. (Google Maps)
During the scuffle, the victim’s gold chain was yanked from his neck. He managed to keep the chain, but a $300 gold cross pendant was taken before he broke free, fled the apartment and screamed for help, the affidavit states.
He later called police.
Biscayne Bay is a 35-mile-long, shallow coastal lagoon in Miami-Dade County, Fla. (iStock)
On May 1, the victim identified Cano in a six-photo lineup, according to the charging document.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Cano was arrested and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
She pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was assigned a public defender, court records show.
In 1987, on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, a naturalist and wildlife photographer named David Boynton captured on tape what many environmentalists feel is among the saddest sounds ever recorded.
It’s believed to be the final mating call of a male Moho braccatus — a small songbird — singing for a female that never replied.
Researchers posit that the last female of the species perished in a hurricane five years earlier. Within a few years of Boynton’s recording, the species was declared extinct.
But the lost songbird returns in Dance NOW! Miami’s new contemporary ballet titled Love-less: Dance of the Last Moho braccatus.
It makes its world premiere this week during the company’s season finale called Love Lost And Found.
The piece was created by DNM’s co-founder and co-Artistic Director Hannah Baumgarten, who says she first learned about the bird during a screening of the Sam Green documentary 32 Sounds at the Perez Art Museum in Miami.
“I heard this haunting call with no reply,” says Baumgarten. “And I was awash with so many feelings about love and loss that I just knew in that moment, I was going to make a ballet about it.”
Baumgarten says she saw parallels between the songbird’s story and how human beings cope with loss and their own mortality.
“”For me, personally, this piece became about the observations I made with my parents as I’m watching them age,” she says.
“And I’m watching my mother grapple with the differences in the speed at which she and my father are aging.”
DNM’s season finale also marks the world premiere of Traces, by the company’s co-founder and co-Artistic Director, Diego Salterini.
“It is the other end of the spectrum,” says Baumgarten. The piece charts the universal search for love, seen through the eyes of one woman.
Dance NOW! Miami’s season finale clocks in at only 80 minutes long (with two short pauses) but covers a lot of ground.
In addition to the two world premieres, DNM will perform Tandy Beal’s Forest Dreams; Deco-de, Salterini’s homage to Art Deco design and architecture; and an excerpt from Blue Pencil, DNM’s commentary on government censorship and repression.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: LOVE LOST & FOUND
Dance NOW! Miami
Program III Season Finale
WHEN: Friday, May 8 in Lauderhill &
Saturday, May 9 in Aventura
Both shows 8:00 pm
WHERE: Lauderhill Performing Arts Center
3800 NW 11th Place, Lauderhill, FL
Aventura Arts & Cultural Center
3385 NE 188th Street, Aventura, FL
More information: dancenowmiami.org
Trust remains a primary barrier to broader crypto adoption, according to representatives from the National Cryptocurrency Association, Circle, U.S. Bank and ChangeNOW at Consensus 2026 in Miami.
Ali Tager of the National Cryptocurrency Association said research shows “the number one barrier to non-crypto holders is they just do not get it,” citing complexity, jargon and misinformation as persistent challenges.
Panelists from Circle, U.S. Bank and ChangeNOW said trust is built gradually through user experience rather than technical claims. Britt Cambas of Circle said “you are not going to get technical trust in 30 seconds,” emphasizing clarity and reducing complexity as prerequisites for adoption.
Rachel Castro of U.S. Bank said trust is central to financial services and “very easily broken,” adding that rebuilding it takes significantly longer once lost.
Speakers highlighted customer support and human interaction as critical differentiators in crypto platforms. Pauline Shangett of ChangeNOW said “the primary factor of trust for me when it comes to a web3 project is a feeling that you are working with real people,” pointing to gaps in user support across the industry.
Cambas said reducing ambiguity in products and partnerships is key, noting that simplifying complex systems can drive adoption more effectively than new features.
Panelists also pointed to education as a necessary step for onboarding new users. Tager said the industry must “make it super simple, make it accessible, make it trustworthy” to reach mainstream audiences.
The discussion, moderated by Ashley Wright, focused on designing systems that prioritize transparency, usability and communication, with speakers agreeing that trust must be embedded across product design, customer engagement and regulatory frameworks rather than treated as a standalone feature.
-
Alabama10 seconds agoAlabama’s special session: Ten times in ten years lawmakers were called back to Montgomery
-
Alaska6 minutes agoWildlife agents can kill bears from helicopters to protect caribou in Alaska, judge rules
-
Arizona12 minutes agoWhere to watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs Arizona Diamondbacks: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 7
-
Arkansas18 minutes agoHUNTING: Turkey hunters have more success | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
-
California24 minutes agoCalifornia under pressure — again — as partisan redistricting wars escalate
-
Colorado30 minutes agoRockies’ Michael Lorenzen says he can pitch at Coors Field, despite Mets scoring seven runs on 11 hits in five innings
-
Connecticut36 minutes agoTurning sunny today with a spotty shower tomorrow
-
Delaware42 minutes agoBill to create film tax credit clears Delaware House committee