Smiley's shoulder is shot. The Dolphins know it. The San Francisco 49ers knew it when Smiley signed with Miami as an unrestricted free agent in 2008. Smiley missed the final eight games of the season with the shoulder that required surgery in 2007. He injured the shoulder again in 2009 and missed one game and was a backup in three others because of that injury.

 

The 2007 surgery apparently didn't go very well. Smiley, according to two sources, has lost strength in the shoulder over the past two years. He often struggles to lift his right arm over his head and has lost some of the punch and explosion generated at the shoulder.

 

That wouldn't be a problem for a school teacher. But Smiley makes his living as an NFL offensive linemen. He is supposed to push and punch at 300-pound defensive players and the torque for that is generated at the shoulder and elbow. For Smiley, the shoulder isn't generating the necessary torque.

Smiley's shoulder is shot. The Dolphins know it. The San Francisco 49ers knew it when Smiley signed with Miami as an unrestricted free agent in 2008. Smiley missed the final eight games of the season with the shoulder that required surgery in 2007. He injured the shoulder again in 2009 and missed one game and was a backup in three others because of that injury.

 

The 2007 surgery apparently didn't go very well. Smiley, according to two sources, has lost strength in the shoulder over the past two years. He often struggles to lift his right arm over his head and has lost some of the punch and explosion generated at the shoulder.

 

That wouldn't be a problem for a school teacher. But Smiley makes his living as an NFL offensive linemen. He is supposed to push and punch at 300-pound defensive players and the torque for that is generated at the shoulder and elbow. For Smiley, the shoulder isn't generating the necessary torque.

Yeah, I just saw that. I guess we can cross him off the list.

Smiley's shoulder is shot. The Dolphins know it. The San Francisco 49ers knew it when Smiley signed with Miami as an unrestricted free agent in 2008. Smiley missed the final eight games of the season with the shoulder that required surgery in 2007. He injured the shoulder again in 2009 and missed one game and was a backup in three others because of that injury.

 

The 2007 surgery apparently didn't go very well. Smiley, according to two sources, has lost strength in the shoulder over the past two years. He often struggles to lift his right arm over his head and has lost some of the punch and explosion generated at the shoulder.

 

That wouldn't be a problem for a school teacher. But Smiley makes his living as an NFL offensive linemen. He is supposed to push and punch at 300-pound defensive players and the torque for that is generated at the shoulder and elbow. For Smiley, the shoulder isn't generating the necessary torque.

 

That explains why teams are staying away from him. If he's that bad, I'm surprised the Dolphins are that determined to try and trade him. Why not just cut him?

Because a sucker is born every minute, and 2 every minute in the NFL. So often there seems to be an NFL team that either doesn't do their homework on a players health, or they simply believe a player can get better, and take a chance.

 

That explains why teams are staying away from him. If he's that bad, I'm surprised the Dolphins are that determined to try and trade him. Why not just cut him?

 

Because a sucker is born every minute, and 2 every minute in the NFL. So often there seems to be an NFL team that either doesn't do their homework on a players health, or they simply believe a player can get better, and take a chance.

Yeah, a lot of teams seem to turn a blind eye to veteran players' medical problems if they think they can rehab. I mean, the Dolphins sent a 2nd-rounder for Daunte Culpepper, knowing that his knee was totally demolished. Sometimes it works out, though. I don't think anybody would have predicted that Marc Colombo could come back from his knee injury, but the Cowboys gambled on it and they got a good starting RT for nothing.

Columbo is a bit different though. I don't believe they traded for him, but rather they signed him as an UFA. Further, I think they gave him a very low contract. Its one thing to take a chance on a guy with injury risk when you don't give up anything. If he doesnt' work out, no big deal. If he does, awesome.

 

We signed Garza when few other teams would consider him as it got out he has no ACL, or whatever, and thus it was believed he was a huge injury risk. While I still have my own opinions on Garza's overall ability, the injry concerns have not really played out.

 

Yeah, a lot of teams seem to turn a blind eye to veteran players' medical problems if they think they can rehab. I mean, the Dolphins sent a 2nd-rounder for Daunte Culpepper, knowing that his knee was totally demolished. Sometimes it works out, though. I don't think anybody would have predicted that Marc Colombo could come back from his knee injury, but the Cowboys gambled on it and they got a good starting RT for nothing.