Can Martin Succeed At LT For The Dolphins ?

The success of the entire 2013 Miami Dolphins might just boil down to whether or not Johnathan Martin is successful at playing LT . There’s no shortage of hype surrounding this team . This hype is not based on the success of last season , it’s based strictly on potential , and primarily , on the potential of the Offense to score points in the passing game .

Fans are patiently waiting for the season to begin , so they can witness  QB Ryan Tannehill develop , and watch him connect with a group of receivers whom some are saying are the best in the AFC East .

The possibilities are endless .

There is however , one thing that has to happen , in order for those possibilities to have any shot of materializing , Ryan Tannehill has to have time to throw the ball . If He’s constantly under pressure , being hurried , and on his back , it won’t matter how open WR Mike Wallace is , Ryan will be unable to get Mike the ball .

All that potential won’t amount to a hill of beans . The 2013 season will end up being just another disappointment .

Eyes turn towards sophomore LT Johnathan Martin . Other than the LT position , the entire offensive line , that bolstered star players such as C Mike Pouncey and G Richie Incognito , remains in tact , and if anything improved , with the additions of RT Tyson Clabo , and a versatile Rookie in Dallas Thomas ( Tennessee ) .

However , for the first time in years , Dolphins fans don’t know what to expect from the LT spot . Since 2008 , Miami has enjoyed the stellar consistency of All Pro Jake Long . During this time , LT has been one of the few positions everyone in this fan base is proud of , but ever since Long’s departure in Free Agency , it appears as though it’s Martin’s time to shine .

There’s no doubt about it , Martin’s has big shoes to fill , and LT is the second most important position on the team , but something tells me it’s all going to work out just fine for Miami .

Had Dolphins Brass really wanted to resign Long , it would have happened . Had they really wanted to , they could have agreed to a trade that would have brought disgruntled Kansas City OT Branden Albert to South Beach , but they didn’t . And had they desired to do so , they could have selected OT Lane Johnson ( Oklahoma ) with the 3rd overall pick in this year’s draft , but they didn’t .

That’s 1 , 2 , 3 votes of confidence for the guy who did a great job of protecting Andrew Luck’s blind side at Stanford . Martin , who has a tremendous work ethic , is a class act through and through , and would have been 3rd generation Harvard , had he not chose to attend Stanford .

This work ethic is already starting to show , in the fact that he’s buffed up 20 pounds this offseason , by strength training . Dolfans got a shot of encouragement when a picture of Martin dragging an SUV recently surfaced on Twitter , it appears as though he’s taking this opportunity very serious .

I’m gonna go out on a limb here , and make a Bold Prediction : This year , Johnathan Martin locks down the blind side ” like a boss “, he might take a few lumps in the process , but he’ll prove that he can be a solid starter in this league !