Move to left a right choice for Dolphins' Carey

Vernon Carey is motivated to silence skeptics who believe his switch from right to left tackle -- key to protecting the quarterback -- was the wrong move.

BY DAVID J. NEAL

dneal@MiamiHerald.com

Dolphins offensive lineman Vernon Carey said of skeptics: 'I need to change their minds about left tackle.'

Dolphins offensive tackle Vernon Carey possesses the antennae for picking up the local noise, as one would expect from someone working in the town where he was born, raised, went to high school (Miami Northwestern) and college (University of Miami).

So, Carey has heard all the doubts about him since the Dolphins traded up to take him in the 2004 NFL Draft. That includes the latest skepticism, that Carey is ready to make the big move across the line from right tackle to left tackle.

Although Carey doesn't keep a Nixonesque Enemies List of those who don't believe he can handle it, he did call the disbelief ``very motivating.''

Carey said his wife, LaTavia, told him, ``You know what a challenge this is for you. A lot of people feel you can't get it done.''

Then, he said, ``People turned on me in my second year and said I wasn't worth a first-round pick. I changed their minds about me. Now, I need to change their minds about left tackle.''

Said Dolphins offensive line coach Hudson Houck: ``I think he's a prideful person. If you're prideful, you find a way to win. I think he wants to be good.''

Actually, Carey said a week earlier, ``I don't want to be good at it. I want to be great at it.''

Part of the reason Carey's fellow South Floridians looked askance at the idea of him moving to left tackle was he had been put in that role before in his first training camp. He was so unsuccessful that the Dolphins moved him to the right side, where he backed up John St. Clair.

Now, Carey claims he has the confidence to handle the job, which he knew he had even as draft analysts guessed the Dolphins would take Penn State offensive tackle Levi Brown (after all, quarterback Brady Quinn surely would be gone).

Dolphins coach Cam Cameron 'told me before the draft, `We want you to be our left tackle,' '' Carey said. 'I said, `If I'm going to do it, I don't want to be flipped back and forth.' ''

Here is how certain Houck is about Carey's ability to play left tackle: Houck would have been fine with the move a year ago.

''If Damion McIntosh was not here last year, we would've moved Vernon over the to the left side,'' Houck said. ``We ended up with McIntosh at left tackle because that's where he was most comfortable. [Carey] has all the skills to be a Pro Bowler. The only questions are will he be able to refine his technique and can he play every play as if it's his last one?''

Besides, Houck said, ``He had a very good season last year. And playing right tackle is not all that different from left tackle from the standpoint of technique.''

But it is very different since the left tackle protects the blind side of a right-handed quarterback, and most teams stick their best pass rusher at right defensive end.

If a right tackle loses his battle, the quarterback can often see it in time to run, dump or just pocket tap dance to give himself an extra second. If the left tackle loses his battle, unless a quarterback feels the heat, he will feel the pain.

That's why Baltimore opens the vault for Jonathan Ogden and St. Louis does the same for Orlando Pace. That's why Cleveland opted for Joe Thomas in the draft with the third overall pick.

And that's why whoever the Dolphins' quarterback is, he hopes any pessimism about Vernon Carey proves unwarranted.

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