Vernon Carey’s transition from tackle to guard this season hasn’t necessarily been smooth, but Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is certainly pleased with his progression since Week 1.
“Honestly, I would argue Vernon played the best up front the other night (against the New York Jets),” Tony Sparano told the Miami media Thursday. “Really starting to look like a guard in there, he really is. I know there’s some people out there who don’t really believe in that. I’m telling you, you’re making a mistake.”
Carey had played brief stints at guard since being selected by the Dolphins 19th overall in the 2004 draft, though he always ended up back outside. He started 12 games at tackle during his junior year of college at the University of Miami, but he was moved to guard his senior year.
“This guy is going to be a good guard, a really good guard, I think down the road,” Sparano said. “It’s just going to take time. It goes back to that deal there…if he was there in March, how much further ahead we’d be.
"When you’re pulling and something happens fast on the run and you’re not used to that, it takes a little bit of time to see some of that. Is a linebacker coming underneath me or is he coming outside of me. ‘Do I come around this or do I come under it?’… And he’s starting to figure that out a little bit. Playing a lot faster in there right now.”
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