THE DOLPHIN INSIDER

Draft Grades from ESPN, USAToday,Sports Illustrated, & NFL Network

2008-04-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

Five of the team's nine total picks weigh more than 290 pounds -- and the average weight of those nine players is 275 pounds.Not since 1980 had the Dolphins taken this many linemen in one draft. Even then, when they also picked up six linemen, the draft consisted of 12 rounds instead of seven, making this year's emphasis on building the lines even more notable.As a result of Saturday's first pair of selections, it's also the first time in 43 drafts that the Dolphins have taken an offensive lineman and a defensive lineman with the first two picks.

My personal opinion is Miami did exceptionally well in this years draft. Best draft in years could land 4-5 starters which is exceptional considering the average NFL draft over the last 5 years averages 2 starters per year.Perhaps the steal of the draft was landing the second rated QB on the board at #57 without having to make a trade to make it happen. Here are some draft grade & comments by ESPN, Sports Illustrateds Peter King and USA Today...

ESPNs Mel Kiper
GRADE: B-Jake Long fills a need at left tackle, and I liked Bill Parcells' selection of Clemson DE Phillip Merling with the 32nd overall pick because he's solid against the run. The pick of Chad Henne in the second round tells you Miami is not sold on John Beck; however, I'm not sold on Henne. He has accuracy issues and a long delivery and he isn't mobile. I do like his toughness and he does have some of those intangibles you look for in a quarterback. Defensive end Kendall Langford is a big body, but I thought he was somewhat of a reach after an average senior season. Shawn Murphy really came on as a guard and he could battle for a starting spot. Jalen Parmele was a workhorse at Toledo, a big running back who also has some speed. And Lionel Dotson was a good seventh-round pick who should be able to help at nose tackle.

Sports Illustrated Peter King
The five teams I liked
1. Miami.
It started before the draft. In 2006 tight end Anthony Fasano was the 53rd player picked in the draft, by Dallas. In 2007 linebacker Akin Ayodele started 14 games for Dallas. The Dolphins acquired those two players for the 100th pick in the 2008 draft, their fourth-rounder. Are either of those guys great players? No. But Bill Parcells always believes in improving every spot on the roster, 1 through 53, and this trade was part of that.

USA TODAY
Miami Dolphins: Grade B Minus
Safely tucked away OT Jake Long as first overall choice last Tuesday. Should start on the left side for many years. DE Phillip Merling slipped into second round after a weak workout and sports hernia surgery but he should fit this 3-4 scheme on the left side, more because he can play the run than for his pass-rushing. Great value here, especially if Dolphins trade Jason Taylor. QB Chad Henne will be an immediate factor. Solid, solid board.

NFL NETWORK-Vic Carucci
Miami Dolphins: Grade; VERY IMPRESSIVE!
The Dolphins wisely went with the safest No. 1 overall choice, Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, and enhanced their chances of getting maximum immediate production by signing him well before the draft. Maybe they found their franchise quarterback in Chad Henne, a second-rounder from Michigan. Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling, their other second-round choice, looks like he'll be a solid run-stopper as long as he has no lingering problems recovering from sports-hernia surgery.

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY-Miami Dolphins
Jake Long joins Ron Yary (1968) and Orlando Pace (1997) as the only offensive tackles to be taken No. 1 overall. Although lacking elite athleticism, Long’s outstanding run blocking and efficient pass protecting has him looking like an OLT fixture for the next decade. Along with ORT Vernon Carey, the addition of Long gives the Dolphins an enviable pair of offensive bookends to build around. Miami was almost as needy at guard as it was at tackle, so 24-year-old Shawn Murphy and Donald Thomas will be in the mix for starting jobs in training camp, although Thomas needs to improve his lower-body strength. A hernia operation scared off teams from taking DE Phillip Merling in the first round, but Miami was glad to pluck him at No. 32. He won’t terrorize quarterbacks with blistering speed off the edge, but he should hold up nicely as a 3-4 end in Miami’s new scheme. With the selection of Chad Henne, the QB derby in Miami is shaping up as one of the NFL’s most intriguing training-camp battles. Henne’s a long shot to earn the starting gig in Week One, but he certainly will be groomed to compete soon for the top job. While not nearly as polished as Merling, Kendall Langford has the raw upside to emerge eventually as the better 3-4 end. He’s bigger than Merling and plays with the nastiness coaches love in their linemen. After shipping shifty and undersized RB Lorenzo Booker to Philadelphia, the Fins added some pop to their ground game with beefy RBs Jalen Parmele and Lex Hilliard. Too small to man the nose but not quick enough to play end, injury-prone DL Lionel Dotson will struggle finding a role in the 3-4.

Free Agent Signings

2008-04-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Parcells and Company were busy after the draft signing undrafted free agents. Story below is from Sun Sentinel

written by Harvey Fialkov
WR Davone Bess (Hawaii)
LB Kelly Poppinga (BYU)
OT Mike Byrne (Delaware)
OT Dan Gore (Boise State)
WR/QB Jayson Foster (Georgia Southern)
K Dan Carpenter (Montana)
TE Matt Mulligan (UMaine)

After not drafting a receiver with any of their nine picks, Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland said he expected to add 8-10 college free agents Sunday night, including a couple of receivers.

He wasted no time in signing junior receiver Davone Bess of Hawaii and Georgia Southern quarterback Jayson Foster, who will be converted to a receiver.

They also added Portland State tackle Daren Heerspink, Delaware tackle Mike Byrne, Boise State tackle Dan Gore and Montana kicker Dan Carpenter.

According to The Associated Press, the Dolphins also signed Maine senior tight end Matt Mulligan to a two-year deal.

Mulligan, who is 6-5, 251-pounds, had 13 catches for 157 yards with two touchdowns in 11 games this season. He helped block for a rushing attack that compiled 2,177 yards at 4.2 yards per carry.

Bess, a former teammate of Dolphins center Samson Satele and fullback Reagan Mauia, had 106 catches for 1,266 yards and 12 touchdowns last season with Colt Brennan as his quarterback.
The Dolphins also signed BYU linebacker Kelly Poppinga (6-foot-2, 240 pounds), a former teammate of Dolphins quarterback John Beck, who had a team-leading 113 tackles last season.
His brother, Brady Poppinga, is an outside linebacker for the Packers.

"It was a tough decision,'' Poppinga told KSL.com. "They both had identical offers and I was really leaning towards Seattle, but at the last second, and I mean literally at the last second, I decided to sign with Miami.''

Foster told the Savannah Morning News that Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells called him about 20 minutes after the draft. He said the Dolphins will try to convert him into a receiver.

"I'm back to playing football," said Foster who gained 1,844 yards with 24 touchdowns his senior season while earning the Walter Payton Award.

The 6-5, 310-pound Heerspink told the Bellingham Herald that he had a deal with the Dolphins before the draft was completed.

Byrne, a Division I-AA All-American who blocked for Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco (taken by the Ravens with the 18th pick Saturday), will be converted to center. Obviously, the Dolphins watched plenty of film on Byrne, because they were also interested in Flacco.

"Mike knew the Dolphins had shown the most interest, and their offensive line coach [Mike Maser] was in daily contact with me," Jim Ulrich, Byrne's agent, told The News Journal (Dela.). "He's in a great position to make the team. He's so versatile.''

Gore, who started at right tackle last season, told the Idaho Statesman that, "Miami had the best opportunity and best offer.''

Carpenter, a teammate of Dolphins sixth-round pick, running back Lex Hilliard, told the Helena (Mont.) Independent Record that Dolphins assistant special teams coach Steve Hoffman worked him out last week. He will compete with Dave Rayner and incumbent kicker Jay Feely.

Strengths & Weaknesses of Day Two Picks

2008-04-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by our friends at Scouts Inc...

Kendall Langford
Selected by: Miami Dolphins
Round: 3 Pick (Overall): 3(66)
DE (6'5 ", 287, 4.95) HAMPTON
Scouts Grade: 69
Flags: (S: SPEED) Player lacks ideal speed at position

Strengths:
Has a great frame and shows the ability to play around 290 pounds. Displays a violent punch, has a mean streak and flashes the ability to shed blocks quickly. At his best playing inside and taking on blocks. Can be very difficult to move when he stays low. Has experience lining up at defensive tackle and is versatile enough to slide inside as a 3-4 end in the NFL. Wraps up upon contact and is a reliable open field tackler. Is a relentless pass rusher and flashes the ability to fight though double teams. Use hands to protect legs, stays balanced and can get over cut blocks. Drives legs once engaged, shows adequate lower body strength and can push tackles back into the pocket. Looks to knock the ball loose when gets to the quarterback and is a ball hawk. Tall, jumps well and blocked a kick during 2006 season.

Weaknesses:
He lacks the burst and athletic ability to apply any consistent pressure as a pass rusher. Needs to know his role and must maintain bulk in order to be successful as a 3-4 end in the NFL. Plays far too high at times and can get driven off the ball. Lacks great awareness and doesn't always get hands up when isn't going to get to the quarterback.

Overall:
In Langford's first three seasons at Hampton (2004-'06), he appeared in 36 games (27 starts) and recorded 164 total tackles (42.5 for losses) and 18.5 sacks. As a senior in 2007, he started all 11 games and finished the season with 72 tackles (13.5 for losses), six sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick. He began his career at defensive tackle, moving to right defensive end in 2005 before switching to the left side in '06. Playing at a small school obviously raises concerns about Langford's ability to make the leap to the NFL. He needs to become a more fundamentally sound run defender and learn to play with more consistent leverage. However, Langford has the frame, bulk and natural strength to take on blocks as a two-gap end in a 3-4 alignment. That's why we think the small-school product will not last long on Day 2 of the 2008 draft.

Shawn Murphy
Selected by: Miami Dolphins
Round: 4Pick (Overall): 11(110)OG (6'3", 320, 5.4) UTAH STATE
Flags: (S: SPEED) Player lacks ideal speed at position

Strengths:
Is tall with good bulk for his frame. Displays quick feet. Gets set quickly in pass pro and shows the ability to mirror and slide versus quicker pass rushers. Has a quick first step and can consistently get in position as a run blocker. Displays good range and can hit the moving target on the second level.

Weaknesses:
Is too much of a finesse player. Is not physical or tough enough for our liking. Lacks explosive power and does not show the ability to jar defenders with his hand punch. Does not get enough of a push in the run game. Needs to improve his footwork and hand placement. Awareness in pass pro is inconsistent. Plays with a narrow base and struggles to anchor versus more powerful bull rushers.

Overall:
Murphy went on a religious mission in Brazil from 2003-04. He enrolled and played one season at Dixie State CC in 2005. He transferred to Utah State in 2006 and went on to start in all 24 games for the Aggies as a junior and senior. A high school defensive end, Murphy played at left tackle in '06 before being moved to left guard in '07. He is the son of former Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy. Murphy played tackle at Utah State but projects as a guard in the NFL. He is a position-and-wall-off type blocker with good size and agility but marginal strength and toughness. Murphy has late-round value as a developmental project for teams willing to sacrifice power for agility.

Jalen Parmele
Selected by: Miami Dolphins
Round: 6Pick (Overall): 10(176)RB (5'11", 224, 4.469) TOLEDO
Scouts Grade: 33

Strengths:
Displays good patience along with solid vision when running between the tackles. Shows sound lateral movement near the line of scrimmage, finds cutback lanes and does a nice job of getting vertical after cuts. Displays natural ability to turn shoulder pads and get skinny when running through small openings. Does a sound job of keeping his feet churning upon contact and will fall forward to end runs. Finishes runs along boundary turning upfield for extra yards instead of dipping out of bounds. Shows good balance and shakes off would-be arm tacklers. Stays alert, plays with a mean streak and can cut blitzing linebackers to the ground when asked to help out in pass protection. Snatches the ball out of the air and isn't going to drop many passes that should catch. Has experience returning kickoffs, has flashed big-play potential in that role and can contribute on special teams.

Weaknesses:
Lacks prototypical power for a back with his size and is going to have problems pushing the pile in short-yardage situations. Isn't quick enough to turn the corner with any consistency in the NFL and lacks the second gear to outrun defenders when gets into space. Takes too long to change directions and isn't going to make many defenders. Lacks suddenness and isn't elusive enough to make defenders miss in the open field. Puts the ball on the ground too much and needs to work on pressure points as a ball carrier. Does not run efficient routes and will have trouble separating from man coverage at the next level.

Overall:
In his first two seasons at Toledo (2004-'05), Parmele appeared in 20 games as a reserve. He ran for 477 yards and six touchdowns on 106 carries (4.5 average) and eight receptions for 65 yards. As a junior in 2006, Parmele became the Rockets' starter, gaining 1,131 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 207 carries (5.5 average) and adding 16 receptions for 128 yards (8.0 average) in 12 games. He topped that performance last season, averaging 125.9 rushing yards in 12 games (good for ninth in the country). He ran for a total of 1,511 yards and 14 touchdowns on 276 carries (5.5 average) as a senior, adding 17 receptions for 157 yards (9.2 average) and a touchdown. Parmele also had a career 25 kickoff returns for 628 yards (25.1 average) and a TD. Although he is big and runs with purpose, Parmele lacks the overall power, speed and athleticism to be a featured back at the next level. With a few years of development he has the potential to be a number three back and should be able to contribute on special teams. This is why Parmele projects as a late round pick or rookie free agent

Donald Thomas
Round: 6Pick (Overall): 29(195)OG (6'3", 303, 5.0) CONNECTICUT
Scouts Grade: 62
Flags: (C: CHARACTER) Problems on and off the field
Strengths:
Takes sound angles to blocks and gets into position quickly. Stays low to the ground, drives legs once in position and flashes the ability to root defenders off the ball. Does a nice job of climbing up to second level and explodes upon contact with linebackers. Moves adequately and is able to get out and pull around edge. Shuffles feet extremely well and can redirect in pass protection. While lacks ideal size, gets adequate knee bend in pass sets and can stand ground working against bull rushers. Possesses a quick punch and can jar defenders in pass protection. Does a nice job of recovering when rushers get into him by sinking hips and using his strength to gets back into position.

Weaknesses:
Does not possess elite initial quickness and could have problems preventing penetration working against one-gap defenders. Does not possess elite lower body strength and isn't going to get much movement in short-yardage situations. Struggles to adjust on the fly and can have problems reaching moving targets in space. Footwork is inconsistent and lunges at times. Hands slide outside the defender's frame too much and can struggle to sustain blocks as a result. Didn't crack the starting lineup until late in the 2006 season and is still somewhat raw. Charged with assault in the third degree and breach of peace in 2006, Connecticut suspended him for two games as a result and character is a concern. While durability isn't a substantial issue, it's worth noting that he tweaked his knee in the Hula Bowl.

Overall:
Thomas enrolled at UConn in 2003 but didn't play football. He joined the football team in 2004 and redshirted the season. He played in all 11 games in 2005, serving as the wedge-buster on kickoffs. In 2006, he appeared in 10 games and earned his first start, at left guard. As a senior in 2007, he started all 13 games at right guard. Thomas is a late-bloomer whose stock has steadily risen over the last year and for good reason. He's emerged as a tough drive blocker who plays bigger than his size would indicate and has the natural ability to develop into an effective pass blocker. However, Thomas isn't fundamentally sound, his lack of size is still reason for concern and questions linger about his 2006 arrest so he projects as a sixth round pick.

6 38(204) Lex Hilliard RB MONTANA
Hilliard lined up at running back at Montana and should be a productive short-yardage runner at the NFL level. However, he's probably going to fit better at fullback in the NFL; he doesn't have great speed or elusiveness. It will also take some time for him to develop as a blocker.

3 MOST IMPORTANT POSITIONS IN NFL TAKEN WITH 1ST 3 PICKS

2008-04-27T06:09:00.001-07:00

The three most important positions in the NFL were addressed with the Dolphins first three picks on Saturday.

Offensive Tackle,
Defensive End
Quarterback,
All three are major needs for the team rebuilding off of a 1-15 campaign. Total overall now stands at 24 new players added via free agency, trades and the draft. The Dolphins will add another six plsyers today to bring the count to 30 new faces in the 2008 training camp.

In total, the Dolphins have added 5 players on day one of the draft counting the trade with the Dallas Cowboys. Here is Scouts Inc remarks on yesterdays draft picks.

Chad Henne, Quaterback-Michigan- 6'3" 239lbs
NFL Comparisons-Ben Rothlesburger, Phil Simms
Strengths:
A thickly built, strong and tough QB. He can be very effective when he has time to throw. Shows the ability to lead his receivers and also knows when to change up velocity. Shows outstanding touch, timing and accuracy on vertical throws. Throws a very catchable ball but also has good overall arm strength. Arm is not elite, but he certainly can make all the necessary throws. Shows good zip on deep out and can fit the ball into some tight windows on intermediate throws between the hashes. Does a good job of reading coverage while dropping back. Keeps the ball high and generally displays good footwork. Not a great athlete but he does get set quickly and has adequate straight-line speed. He is at his best when given time to set up, make reads and step into his throws. Does a great job of selling fakes and is very comfortable working the play-action game. Excellent experience as a four-year starter at highest level. One of the most intelligent prospects in his class. Very hard worker; a film rat. Understands defenses and has made sound decisions throughout his career. Displayed great toughness senior year. Has a warriors' mentality as he played through a popped out shoulder on multiple occasions during senior season.
Weaknesses:
Overall mobility and athleticism are poor. His production is severely hindered when you flush him out of the pocket and force him to make plays on the move. He will never be a running threat. Height is adequate but not ideal. Has some trouble finding passing windows at times. Still improving in terms of overall decision making. Has cut down on key errors but still too streaky in that department. Pressure brings out the worst in him. While he does have good footwork when set, he needs to avoid getting sloppy when on the move. He has a tendency to throw off his back foot when rolling out or when coming off the play-fake, which takes away from his accuracy and velocity. He still needs to learn when to throw the ball away or take the sack rather than throwing the ball up for grabs (see: 1st quarter INT vs. ND in 2006). Release could be more compact, as he tends to drop down and wind-up a bit on longer throws. Durability only became an issue as a senior in 2007.
Overall:
In four years at Michigan (2004-'07), Henne started every game in which he played (47). He set school career marks in completions (828), attempts (1,387), passing yards (9,715) and passing touchdowns (87). He has also rushed for three career touchdowns. Despite missing three games as a senior (leg and shoulder injuries), Henne passed for 1,938 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 10 games. In addition to good size and arm strength, Henne brings to the table rare experience as a four-year starting quarterback at Michigan. He's not the type of quarterback that can carry a team but he does an excellent job of managing games and distributing the ball to his playmakers. He was considered the most durable quarterback in the senior class prior to the 2007 season. However, knee and shoulder injuries have caused him to miss significant time. Henne is the type of quarterback that will shine in pre-draft workouts because he is such a gifted natural passer when he can set his feet and throw unhurried. However, his lack of mobility and erratic decision-making skills when under pressure are legitimate concerns in our opinion. Henne should come off the board in the second round of the upcoming draft. His intangibles, toughness and work ethic will allow him to overcome some physical limitations but his NFL career could be defined by how much he can improve his feet over the next few years.

Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson, 6'4" 275 lbs
Strengths:
Is a well built DE with adequate height and good bulk, arm length (33.2) and hand span (9.5). Has above-average initial quickness for size and can beat blockers to the point of attack. Moves well laterally and keeps head up when scraping down the line of scrimmage. Takes excellent pursuit angles, plays with a good motor and has above-average range. Generally does a good job of getting in position, plays with discipline versus the run and will execute his assignment. Thickly built with a strong lower body. Is able to take on blocks when he plays with leverage. Plays with a mean streak. Wraps up upon contact and is reliable open field tackler that can deliver the big hit. Uses hands to protect legs, shows good balance and can fight over cut blocks though is somewhat inconsistent in this area. Flashes the ability to turn the corner and is a relentless pass rusher. Athletic enough to redirect inside after starting outside and flashes an effective swim move. Stays alert, has long arms and gets hands up when isn't going to get to the quarterback. Has experience lining up at defensive tackle, has experience dropping into coverage and is versatile.
Weaknesses:
Has good size for a defensive end but stands up high too much and gets driven back on some of those occasions. Has some problems shedding bocks when he lets blockers lock onto his frame. Does not show powerful upper body strength (only 17 reps on bench press). Lacks elite closing speed for an end and is going to have a harder time turning the corner at the NFL level. Relies on quickness and athletic ability too much and isn't much of a bull rusher at this point. Turns shoulders and creates running lanes too much. Doesn't always rush outside in and lets quarterbacks break contain too much.
Overall:
Merling played 271 snaps during his true freshman season in 2005. He started all 13 games of the 2006 season, finishing with 46 total tackles, including ten tackles-for-loss. Merling also recorded three sacks, 20 quarterback hurries and one forced fumble that year. In 2007, he recorded 78 total tackles, including 17 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks. Merling does not possess the speed of a dominant edge rusher and he needs to improve his upper body power. However, Merling is a gifted athlete for his size and he projects as an impact every-down starter in the NFL. While he could develop into a solid 3-4 end, we think his best fit is at the power-end position in a traditional 4-3 scheme. Regardless, Merling projects as a mid-first round pick.

MOCK DRAFT 2.0

2008-04-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

The below is version 2.0 and the final version of what I called a Scientific Mock, which is nothing more than the average draft pick of the most popular NFL Draft Experts. Version 1.0 was posted on this website on 4/16/08 and utilized 20 mock drafts, the below uses a total of 26 mock drafts. The purpose of this exercise for me was to determine which names would appear from the fallout of Round One Average Mock that may slip to Miami in Round two.

Of the 26 mock drafts selected, the oldest one was calculated on April 23rd from the gurus at and the youngest ones (which make up the majority of the 26 mocks) are dated April 24th and 25th. The 26 mocks came from the usual places such as Kiper, McShay, and Mosley from ESPN, Kirwan and Carucci from NFL Network, Prisco and Judge from CBS Sportsline,and Don Banks and Peter King from Sports Illustrated. Other sources include USA Today, and other NFL websites dedicated to the NFL Draft only, two of which proved to be the most accurate mock drafters over the last two years. These two sources selected 30 out of 32 correct picks respectively over the last two years.

See my post on April 16th for further details on how I calculated the below mock.

PICK -TEAM-PLAYER- POS
1 Miami Dolphins-Jake Long-OT
2 St. Louis Rams-Chris Long-DE
3 Atlanta Falcons-Glenn Dorsey-DT
4 Oakland Raiders-Darren McFadden-RB
5 Kansas City Chiefs-Branden Albert-OG
6 New York Jets-Vernon Gholston-DE
7 New England Patriots-Keith Rivers-OLB
8 Baltimore Ravens-Matt Ryan-QB
9 Cincinnati Bengals-Sedrick Ellis-DT
10 New Orleans Saints-Leodis McKelvin-CB
11 Buffalo Bills-Rodgers-Cromartie-CB
12 Denver Broncos-Ryan Clady-OT
13 Carolina Panthers-Rash Mendenhall-RB
14 Chicago Bears-Jeff Otah-OT
15 Detroit Lions-Jonathan Stewart-RB
16 Arizona Cardinals-MikeJenkins-CB
17 Kansas City Chief-Derrick-Harvey-DE
18 Houston Texans-Chris Williams-OT
19 Philadelphia Eagles-Devin Thomas-WR
20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers-DeSean Jackson-WR
21 Washington Redskins-Phillip Merling-DE
22 Dallas Cowboys Felix-Jones-RB
23 Pittsburgh Steelers-Gosder Cherilus-OT
24 Tennessee Titans-Limas Sweed-WR
25 Seattle Seahawks-Dustin Keller-TE
26 Jacksonville Jaguars-Kentwan Balmer-DT
27 San Diego Chargers-Aqib Talib-CB
28 Dallas Cowboys-Malcolm Kelly-WR
29 San Francisco 49ers-Jerod Mayo-OLB
30 Green Bay Packers-Brandon Flowers-CB
31 New York Giants-Kenny Phillips-S

The problem with any mock is the assumption that the draft order will remain stagnant and there will be no draft movement within the order and we all know that will not be the case. I am thinking at least 3-5 trade movements will occur in the first round.

The New Orleans Saints are in love with both DTs Dorsey and Ellis, and in order for them to acquire either, they must make a move into the top seven. If they land Dorsey, it would require a move in the top four picks, and I do not think they have the ammunition to pull it off unless they throw in a first rounder in 2009.

The St Louis Rams pick of either Long or Doresy will be significant in how the first 10 picks evolve. New England also will influence the Saints as it is believed that the Patsies would either take Ellis or make a trade with the Saints to land Ellis. The Saints and Dolphins are also rumored to be interested in making trades for players. The Saints covet TE Shockley from the Giants and the Dolphins would like to trade J Taylor for a late round one pick or early 2nd rounder. Perhaps the trade this week between KC

PLAYER POS /HT/WT/SCHOOL/GRADE/POS RANK/OVR RANK
Dan Connor ILB 6'2" 231 PENN STATE, 91, 1, 23
Brian Brohm QB 6'2" 230 LOUISVILLE 90 , 2, 29
Chad Henne QB 6'2" 230 MICHIGAN 89, 3, 30
Joe Flacco QB 6'6" 236 DELAWARE 88 , 4, 33
Calais Campbell DE 6'7" 290 MIAMI (FLA.) 88, 5, 34
Curtis Lofton ILB 6'0" 246 OKLAHOMA 87, 2, 37
Mario Manningham WR 5'11" 181 MICHIGAN 87, 5, 38
Sam Baker OT 6'4" 309 USC 87, 6, 39
Pat Sims DT 6'2" 310 AUBURN 87, 4 , 40
James Hardy WR 6'5" 217 INDIANA 86, 6, 41
Fred Davis TE 6'3" 255 USC 86, 2 , 42
Antoine Cason CB 6'0" 191 ARIZONA 86, 6, 43
Lawrence Jackson DE 6'4" 271 USC 86, 6, 44
Early Doucet WR 6'0" 209 LSU 85, 7, 45
Tracy Porter CB 5'10" 188 INDIANA 85, 7, 46
Trevor Laws DT 6'0" 304 NOTRE DAME 85, 5, 47
Cliff Avril DE 6'2" 253 PURDUE 85, 7, 48
Jordy Nelson WR 6'2" 217 KANSAS STATE 84, 8, 49
Marcus Harrison DT 6'2" 317 ARKANSAS 84, 6, 50
Quentin Groves DE 6'3" 259 AUBURN 84, 8, 51

We all keep hearing how Parcells loves the bigger physical players. Below is a list sorted by player size and overall draft grade from Scouts, Inc of big players that could be targeted by Parcells in rounds 2 thru 7.

The below players do not appear on either of the two list above. All positions are sorted by weight with exception to wide receivers whom are sorted by height...

PLAYER POS/HT/WT/SCHOOL/GRADE/POS RANK/OVR RANK
Frank Okam DT 6'4" 347 TEXAS 59, 12, 143
Carl Nicks OT 6'4" 341 NEBRASKA 75, 9 , 79
Red Bryant DT 6'4" 318 TEXAS A&M 71, 10, 91
Anthony Collins OT 6'5" 317 KANSAS 79, 7 , 65
Chilo Rachal OG 6'5" 315 USC 84, 2 , 52
Duane Brown OT 6'4" 315 VIRGINIA TECH 78, 8, 70
Michael McGlynn OG 6'4" 311 PITTSBURGH 64, 5, 123
Kirk Barton OT 6'4" 310 OHIO STATE 59, 12 , 142
Eric Young OG 6'3" 310 TENNESSEE 60, 6, 138
Tony Hills OT 6'5" 309 TEXAS 68, 10 , 103
Oniel Cousins OG 6'3" 308 UTEP 69, 3, 97
Roy Schuening OG 6'3" 306 OREGON STATE 68, 4, 105
Dre Moore DT 6'4" 305 MARYLAND 78, 8, 69
John Greco OT 6'4" 305 TOLEDO 64, 11, 118
Letroy Guion DT 6'3" 303 FLORIDA STATE 72, 9, 90
Drew Radovich OG 6'4" 301 USC 59 , 7 , 141
Mike Pollak OC 6'3" 301 ARIZONA STATE 81, 1, 60
John Sullivan OC 6'3" 301 NOTRE DAME 66, 3, 113
DeMario Pressley DT 6'3" 301 NORTH CAROLINA ST 64, 11, 121
Andre Fluellen DT 6'1" 296 FLORIDA STATE 79, 7 , 64
Steven Justice OC 6'3" 293 WAKE FOREST 73, 2, 86
Kendall Langford DE 6'5" 287 HAMPTON 70, 11, 94
Jason Jones DE 6'5" 273 EASTERN MICHIGAN 69, 12. 95
Brad Cottam TE 6'7" 270 TENNESSEE 66, 6, 114
Wallace Gilberry DE 6'2" 268 ALABAMA 58, 15, 147
Johnny Dingle DE 6'1" 265 WEST VIRGINIA 62 , 14, 132
Jeremy Thompson DE 6'4" 264 WAKE FOREST 68, 13, 99
Chris Ellis DE 6'4" 263 VIRGINIA TECH 71, 10, 92
Martellus Bennett TE 6'6" 259 TEXAS A&M 79, 4, 62
Darrell Robertson DE 6'3" 255 GEORGIA TECH 73, 9, 88
Craig Stevens TE 6'3" 254 CALIFORNIA 61, 8 , 133
Bruce Davis OLB 6'2" 252 UCLA 74, 8, 82
John Carlson TE 6'5" 251 NOTRE DAME 82, 3, 58

WIDE RECEIVERS
Adarius Bowman WR 6'2" 223 OKLAHOMA STATE, 61, 21, 135
Paul Hubbard WR 6'2" 221 WISCONSIN 65, 17 , 115
Adrian Arrington WR 6'2" 203 MICHIGAN 62, 20, 130
Jerome Simpson WR 6'1" 199 COAST CAROLINA 77,11, 71
D.J. Hall WR 6'1" 193 ALABAMA 58, 24, 146
Josh Morgan WR 6'0" 219 VIRGINIA TECH 63, 19, 126
William Franklin WR 6'0" 214 MISSOURI 60, 22, 137
Early Doucet WR 6'0" 209 LSU 85, 7, 45
Andre Caldwell WR 6'0" 204 FLORIDA 83, 9, 53
Keenan Burton WR 6'0" 201 KENTUCKY 64 , 18, 119

JAKE LONG -OT-MICHIGAN SiGNS WITH DOLPHINS

2008-04-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

The Miami Dolphins are no longer on the clock with the first overall pick as they have signed Offensive Tackle Jake Long from Michigan. The Dolphins next pick is overall pick #32 which will occur approximately between 8:00 and 8:30pm ET on Saturday, April 26th. The Dolphins final pick on day one will occur in Round 2 with the #57th pick and is estimated to occur between 10:45Pm and 11:15pm.

The contract is being reported fto be for five years, $57.75 million, with $30 million guaranteed. The guranteed amount is simialr to what last years overall pick #1 Jamarcus Russell with Oakland, although the overall value is less than Russells $61 million.

I just listened to the press conference introducing Jake Long, and Sparano and Ireland made it very clear stating multiple times that Jake Long will play LEFT TACKLE. The idea of him playing on the right side was never even mentioned, so this means that not only will the Dolphins Left Tackle postion will improve, but also we shall see greater stabilty on the right side as well with Vernon Carey moving to RT, a position where hs is better suited.

Jake LongOT (6'7", 313, 5.219) MICHIGANScouts Grade: 98Flags:

Strengths:
An experienced, technically sound OT prospect with great size-potential. Is versatile; has experience at left and right tackle and could play either/both in the NFL. Also has proven capable of performing at a high level in power-run scheme and new zone-blocking scheme. Possesses excellent height, adequate bulk and the frame to get bigger if necessary. He has a massive wingspan with long arms and big hands. A natural knee-bender; he gets set quickly in pass pro, plays with good body lean and rarely gets caught lunging. He shuffles his feet quickly and can get back inside to defend double move. Uses long arms and powerful punch to jar defenders and run them wide as pass rushers. Shows excellent awareness in pass pro; consistently gives inside help and does an great job of picking up stunts, twists and blitzes. He takes very good angles as a run blocker. Has adapted very well zone-blocking and shows the mobility to execute in a similar scheme in the NFL. He has good upper-and-lower body strength as a run blocker. Also works hard to sustain and shows a good mean streak. Great intangibles. A leader and hard worker on-and-off the field. Good student in the classroom and intelligence carries over to the field, where he picks up techniques, schemes and assignments quickly.

Weaknesses:
Lacks elite mobility for an elite OT prospect. Has enough quickness and balance to perform at a high level in the NFL, but he is not as nimble as former top OT prospects such as Orlando Pace (Rams), Jonathan Ogden (Ravens), D'Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets) and Joe Thomas (Browns). Had some trouble versus Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston's elite speed rushers. Durability is somewhat of a concern after he missed the first seven games of the 2005 season with an ankle/foot injury.

Overall:
Long was redshirted in 2003. In his first active season at Michigan (2004), he appeared in 12 games, starting the last 10 at right tackle, and was selected to the Freshman All-America team. As a sophomore in 2005, played five games (four starts) at right tackle. He moved to left tackle in 2006, and went on to start all 26 of the Wolverines' games over his final two seasons. He was a first team All-America selection and the Big Ten Lineman of the Year in each of his last two seasons. Long missed the first seven games of 2005 while recovering from spring shoulder surgery and suffering from foot and ankle injuries. Long has outstanding experience to go along with his massive frame, above-average quickness for his size, a powerful upper body (37 reps), long arms (35.6 inches) and big hands (11 inches). He is not as athletic as last year's top tackle prospect Joe Thomas (Browns), but Long has more than enough range to effectively protect the quarterback's blindside in the NFL and he's bigger, stronger and more physical than Thomas was coming out of school. One year later, Long grades out slightly lower than Thomas (No. 3 overall in 2007) but he could actually come off the board earlier in what projects to be a weaker class.

Jake Long appears To Be First Pick

2008-04-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

According to Palm Beach Post, the Miami Dolphins have decided on selecting Jake Long OT from Michigan with their first overall pick and are close to finalizing the contract. I am excited about Miami filling this need on offensive line which should also help the development of the next starting QB and also bring some stability to the rushing game.

According to the article below, selecting OT Jake Long would be wiser than selecting a DE because it appears that there will be greater DE and DT depth in round two compared to offensive tackle depth. The offensive tackle position is very deep this year however, most mock drafts show 6-7 OTs being drafted in round one where as only 4-5 DE should be drafted in round one. See article below this article in the blog to see average mock draft by draft gurus.

The following is the Palm Beach Post article regarding the Jake Long selection...

The Dolphins don't have to make the No. 1 pick until 10 minutes after the NFL Draft begins Saturday, but it appears that they won't have to wait that long to get the player they want - Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long.

Negotiations between the Dolphins and Long's agent, Tom Condon, have reached the point that a contract could be announced any day, an NFL source told The Palm Beach Post on Monday.

The source said "there's a very good chance" Long will sign before the draft begins at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

The Dolphins declined to comment; Condon did not return a call seeking reaction.
If the Dolphins sign Long - a two-time All-America for the Wolverines - he would fill a major void for a franchise burdened by a shaky offensive line throughout its six-year playoff drought.
Miami has two starting spots open on the line, including one of the tackles. Ideally, Long would play on the left side, allowing Vernon Carey, the 19th overall pick in 2004, to move back to right tackle, where he played during his first three seasons with the Dolphins.

But Long, who is 6-feet-7 and 315 pounds, will have to prove he can handle the top speed rushers at the pro level.

"You never know how good a guy's feet are and how quick his feet really are until you see him block a great speed rusher in the NFL," said Hall of Fame offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf, a longtime TV analyst and an All-America at Michigan in 1970.

Long often dominated during 40 starts at Michigan, including 30 at left tackle. But when he did struggle, it was against speed.

Long allowed the lone sack of his senior season to the player considered the top pass rusher in the draft, Ohio State defensive end/linebacker Vernon Gholston. In the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory, Gholston finished with four tackles for a loss, including three sacks.

Gholston said he hopes performances like that have kept him on the Dolphins' radar.
"There's been a lot of speculation of deals being done, but at the end of the day the Dolphins will take the guy they want," Gholston told The Post on Monday. "I think I've shown them what I can do.

"I fit their system well. I have a lot of attributes as far as the speed and know I can be a player in the 3-4 defense. Hopefully I'm that decision."

Gholston wasn't the only speed rusher to excel against Long's Wolverines.
Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey, who is expected to be a top-20 pick this weekend, finished with two sacks during a 41-35 loss to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl. But Florida coaches moved Harvey up and down the line of scrimmage to avoid Long and capitalize on mismatches.

"I look at Jake against non-burning speed guys, he's a dominant tackle," said TV-radio analyst Randy Cross, a former NFL offensive lineman. "But when he saw that speed, he had a little trouble.

"That's a direct reflection of what you're going to see on a weekly basis in the NFL."
If Long doesn't thrive as a left tackle in the pros, he likely would be a great fit on the right side, where run-blocking is the priority.

"He has a perfect offensive-lineman mentality," said Jim Brandstatter, who played offensive tackle for the Wolverines from 1969 through '71 and has been the team's radio analyst for the past 28 seasons. "He has a mean streak. He plays to the whistle. He likes burying guys and takes pride in that."

Even offensive linemen who don't live up to their billing usually end up helping their teams.
Oakland selected Iowa tackle Robert Gallery with the No. 2 pick in 2004, but moved him to left guard last season. He excelled there a year after allowing 101/2 sacks in 10 games as a left tackle.

In 1989, Tony Mandarich - one of the biggest busts in NFL history - was drafted No.'2 overall, one spot ahead of Barry Sanders. Green Bay cut Mandarich after just three seasons. But he returned to football five seasons later and played guard for the Indianapolis Colts from 1996 through '98.

"He's no Tony Mandarich," Dierdorf said of Long. "I can't envision a scenario where he doesn't make it."

Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. also said that using the No. 1 pick to select Long - the top player in a deep pool of offensive tackles - would be "a good thing" and "a safe thing."

"You're getting a nice return on your investment," Kiper said. "There's not going to be a bust at this spot."

The Dolphins also could end up with a perennial Pro Bowler, because Long is a special athlete. He is well-proportioned and leaner than the average tackle. His 37 bench-press reps of 225 pounds at the Scouting Combine were matched only by Gholston.
At Lapeer East High School in Michigan, Long played basketball and baseball as well as football. He could hit 450-foot home runs and consistently run 11/2 miles in under 10 minutes in physical education class.

"No one can believe a kid his size could do that," said Brad Gerlach, who coached Long in high school.

But Gerlach said Long's mental approach distinguishes him, too. He was a two-year captain at Michigan and didn't commit a penalty as a senior.

Dierdorf, whose daughter played basketball for the Wolverines and will graduate next month, said he has heard a great deal about Long's dedication.

"Time and again over the years, I've been told how important the game is to this kid," Dierdorf said. "To me, I've seen too many players who have talent, but don't have a passion for the game. They had all the skills athletically, but just didn't get it.

"He gets it."

Scientific Mock Draft Reveals Which First Round Talents May Slip to the Dolphins in Round Two

2008-04-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

NOTE:April 22 1030am-I am updating
this article to reflect all the revised mocks
by the experts responsible for the below averages.
Almost all of them have put out new mocks as recent as today with significant changes. Check back soon for revised MOCK.

Well maybe you can not call the below mock a true scientific approach, but I have not seen anything else like it which can answer my question as to what potential first round players may slip to Miami when they pick #32 overall in round two on April 26th.

The below mock draft is not your average mock draft you will find from your favorite NFL writer/analyst on the internet. Its an average mock draft. What I did is take the 20 most popular and current mock drafts from NFL analyst from various sources, and calculated within a database the most popular player selected by pick for the first round for each teams pick.

Of the 20 mock drafts selected, the oldest one was calculated on April 3rd from the gurus at USA Today, and the youngest ones (which make up the majority of the 20 mocks) are dated April 15th and April 16th. The 20 mocks came from the usual places such as Kiper, McShay, and Mosley from ESPN, Kirwan and Carucci from NFL Network, Prisco and Judge from CBS Sportsline,and Don Banks and Peter King from Sports Illustrated. Other sources include USA Today, and other NFL websites dedicated to the NFL Draft only, two of which proved to be the most accurate mock drafters over the last two years. These two sources selected 30 out of 32 correct picks respectively over the last two years.

Here are a couple of examples of how I calculated the below average expert mock draft. Of the Dolphins 20 mocks, there were 9 experts that selected Jake Long, and another 9 selecting Chris Long, 1 for Vernon Gholston, and the final one selecting Glenn Doresy. So the Dolphins pick was a tie, but because Jake Long is negotiating with the Dolphins of late, and as far as I know, Chris Long is currently not, I gave Dolphins Jake Long. As I worked down the list, as players were picked, the player with the second most votes was choosen instead of the player receiving the most votes if that player had already been taken anywhere in a preceeding pick.

An example of this scenerio involve the Patriots #7 pick and Arizona Cardinals #16 pick. Both teams had Leodis McKelvin as the most popular player being selected among the 20 mocks, each team selected him on 8 of the 20 mocks. But because New England picks before Arizona, New England was awarded McKelvin, and Arizona was given Rodgers-Cromartie because he was selected by Arizona the second most often in the 20 mocks. It should be noted that about 25 of the 31 first round picks were pretty straight forward with no ruling on my behalf required. Here is the full round one average mock.

1.Miami Dolphins,Jake Long, OT,Michigan,BIG10
2.St. Louis Rams,Chris Long, DE,Virginia,ACC
3.Atlanta Falcons,Glenn Dorsey, DT,LSU,SEC
4.Oakland Raiders,Darren McFadden, RB,Arkansas,SEC
5.Kansas City Chiefs,Matt Ryan, QB,Boston College,ACC
6.New York Jets,Vernon Gholston, DE,Ohio St.,BIG10
7.New England Patriots (from SF),Leodis McKelvin, CB,Troy,SUN
8.Baltimore Ravens,Ryan Clady, OT,Boise St.,WAC
9.Cincinnati Bengals,Sedrick Ellis, DT,USC,PAC10
10.New Orleans Saints,Keith Rivers, LB,USC,PAC10
11.Buffalo Bills,Mike Jenkins, CB,South Florida,BEAST
12.Denver Broncos,Chris Williams, OT,Vanderbilt,SEC
13.Carolina Panthers,Derrick Harvey, DE,Florida,SEC
14.Chicago Bears,Jeff Otah, OT,Pittsburgh,BEAST
15.Detroit Lions,Rashard Mendenhall, RB,Illinois,BIG10
16.Arizona Cardinals,Domini Rodgers-Cromartie, CB,Tenn St.SUN
17.Minnesota Vikings,Phillip Merling, DE,Clemson,ACC
18.Houston Texans,Jonathan Stewart, RB,Oregon,PAC10
19.Philadelphia Eagles,Kenny Phillips,S,Miami,ACC
20.Tampa Bay Buccaneers,Devin Thomas, WR,Michigan St.,BIG10
21.Washington Redskins,Calais Campbell,DE,Miami,ACC
22.Dallas Cowboys ,Felix Jones, RB,Arkansas,SEC
23.Pittsburgh Steelers,Branden Albert, OT,Virginia,ACC
24.Tennessee Titans,DeSean Jackson, WR,California,PAC10
25.Seattle Seahawks,Dustin Keller, TE,Purdue,BIG10
26.Jacksonville Jaguars,Kentwan Balmer, DT,North Carolina,ACC
27.San Diego Chargers,Brandon Flowers, CB,Virginia Tech,ACC
28.Dallas Cowboys,James Hardy,WR,Indiana,BIG10
29.San Francisco 49ers,Gosder Cherilus, OT,Boston College,ACC
30.Green Bay Packers,Antoine Cason,CB,Arizona,PAC10
31.New York Giants,Jerod Mayo, LB,Tennessee,SEC

Finally I get to the point that caused me to do this exercise in the first place; Identify which players would be available for the Dolphins with the first pick of round two. Who are the potential first round talents that are the most likely slip out of round one and be available for Miami in round two. Bottom line is no one will know till Miami is on the clock, but the following list entails the players who were selected in the 20 mocks with the least frequency. For example, OT Chris Williams from Vanderbilt was selected in 18 of the 20 mocks, whereas DE Calais Campbell from Univ of Miami was selected in only 9 of the 20 mock drafts I reviewed. So I concluded DE Calais Campbell has a much greater chance of falling to Miami in round two than Chris Williams.

OF course I am aware that I am taking a leap of faith that the 20 mocks chosen are good mocks put together by analyst who spent time an research on calculating their mocks and they can do a better job than the average joe schmo(me) who are not paid a salary to put together such mocks.
That said, below is a list of the players that appeared in the 20 expert mock drafts, but only appeared in half or less of the twenty. In other words, they only showed up in the 20 compiled mock drafts 10 times or less. So these players are considered borderline round one picks by many experts that could slip and be available for Miami in round two. I also added about five players that Scouts Inc considers to be a player in the top 40 of the entire draft class that did not appear in any of the 20 mocks.They are sorted by draft grades calculated by scouts inc from best player to worst player. The following data in order is provided...

NAME/POSITION/HEIGHT/WEIGHT/SCHOOL/SCOUT GRADE/POSITION RANK/OVERALLRANK

Malcolm Kelly, WR, 6'3", 225,Oklahoma, 93, 1, 16
Aqib Talib, CB, 6'0", 202, KANSAS, 91, 4, 21
Dan Connor, LB, 6'2", 231, PENN STATE, 91, 1, 23
Limas Sweed, WR, 6'3" 215, TEXAS, 91, 3, 24
Brian Brohm, QB,6'2",230,LOUISVILLE, 90, 2, 29
Chad Henne, QB,6'2",230,MICHIGAN, 89, 3, 30
Dustin Keller, TE, 6'2" 242, PURDUE, 89, 1, 32
Joe Flacco, QB,6'6",236,DELAWARE, 88, 4, 33
Calais Campbell, DE, 6'7" 290, MIAMI, 88, 5 ,34
Brandon Flowers, CB, 5'9" 189, VA TECH, 88, 5, 35
Curtis Lofton, ILB,6'0",246,OKLAHOMA, 87, 2, 37
Mario Manningham, WR,5'11",181,MICHIGAN, 87, 5, 38
Sam Baker, OT,6'4",309,USC, 87, 6, 39
Pat Sims, DT,6'2",310,AUBURN, 87, 4, 40
Fred Davis, TE,6'3",255,USC, 86, 2, 42
Lawrence Jackson, DE,6'4",271,USC, 86, 6, 44
Early Doucet, WR,6'0",209,LSU, 85, 7, 45
Tracy Porter, CB,5'10",188,INDIANA, 85, 7, 46
Trevor Laws, DT,6'0",304,NOTRE DAME, 85, 5, 47
Marcus Harrison, DT,6'2",317,ARKANSAS, 84, 6, 50
Quentin Groves, DE,6'3",259,AUBURN, 84, 8,51
Chilo Rachal, OG,6'5",315,USC, 84, 2, 52
Andre Caldwell, WR,6'0",204,FLORIDA, 83, 9, 53

In conclusion, it appears based on what could be available in round two that the Dolphins should have planety to talent to choose from to land a solid QB or defensive lineman if they decide to draft OT Jake Long with the first overall pick. If they draft DE Chris Long in round one, the Offensive Tackle depth appears a little thinner than defensive line depth so maybe drafting an OT in round one and electing to do DE or DT at the top of round two mkaes the most sense. Also QB prospects appears to be very strong at the top of round two as well.

One last note...below are the College football conference subtotals for the average mock draft.
If this pans out, it would be like the third or fourth year in a row the ACC has had the most picks in round one.

Conference
ACC-9
BIG10-6
SEC-6
PAC10-5
SUN-2
BEAST-2
WAC-1
TOTAL-31

Dolphins 2008 Schedule Thoughts

2008-04-15T15:45:00.001-07:00

As anticipated, the Miami Dolphins were awarded no primetime games in 2008, but a sliver of hope remains that if the Dolphins can get to around .500 on Nov 16th or after, and their opponent has playoff aspirations on the line, one of their seven final games may become a candidate to be moved to primetime due to schedule flexing rules. For some odd reason, other teams coming off of pathetic seasons in 2007 such as San Francisco ( 2games) the Jets, Baltimore, and Oakland were awarded primetime games.

Interesting note right off the bat shows the Dolphins will begin and end their regular season playing against the pathetic New York Jets. This will be the fifth year in the last seven where Miami ends their year on the road.A home game in week one and on the road in the week 17 finale. The bye week comes early this year in week four.

The Dolphins’ first-ever visit to Glendale’s University of Phoenix Stadium occurs on Sept 14th. In fact, it will be the first time they have faced the Cardinals in Arizona since October 20, 1996. That was a road game I had the good fortune of attending becuase I lived in Phoenix at the time and it was my first ever experience sitting in a game from a luxuary suite. Each of the past two meetings between these teams has taken place in South Florida.

Miam host San Diego, October 5. This will be the first matchup between these teams in South Florida since November 24, 2002, when the Dolphins emerged with a 30-3 victory. There have been two meetings since that time, one in Tempe, Ariz., and the most recent at Qualcomm Stadium (12/11/05). The Dolphins will be looking for their seventh straight win in this series, a streak which dates back to 1995. Lets hope its eight against the cocky Philip Rivers;a former QB from my alma mater NC State.

From October 19th through November 23rd, the Miami Dolphins will play five of six games at home. The bad news however is Miami will play 4 of their final 5 games on the road to end the year. The Dolphins will face back to back road games three times in 2008, with the final pair coming to end the season at Kansas City in week 16 and at the Jets in week 17.

Two of the Dolphins first three games will be against conference foes, week one against the Jets and week three at the Superbowl choking New England Patriots.

The Dolphins return to Houston for the third consecutive year this year on Oct 12th. The last two years these games in Houston have be decided by a field goal or less in the final minutes so I anticipate a respectable game against the Texans. The Dolphins lone victory last year came against the overhyped Baltimore Ravens and the Ravens will be looking for revenge when they return to the scene of the overtime loss the week following Houston on Oct 19th.

On December 14th the 49ers roll into town. This will be the first matchup between these clubs in South Florida since November 20, 1995, when the 49ers came away with a 44-20 victory. The two most recent meetings took place at Candlestick Park, including November 28, 2004, when the Dolphins recorded a 24-17 win.

The Dolphins and the Giants were the first teams to play a regular season game in London last year and this year Miami and The Bills travel to Toronto to play the leagues first regular season game in Canada on Dec 7th.

All eight of the Dolphins home games are slated to begin at 1pm ET, and there are only three road games that begin at 4pmEt on Sundays. So 13 of 16 games will begin at 1pm ET.

Being the idiot that I am, I predicted this team would win 8-9 games this year. My lesson was learned, and I will go into details game by game before the beginning of the year, but I am anticipating the 2008 Dolphins to win 5-6 games. Truthfully, I anticipate most of their games to be quite competitive. You have to assume the Patriots will sweep Miami, and although they are home games, I anticipate the Dolphins will lose to San Diego and Seattle. West coast teams traveling to the east coast usually play sluggish, so I am guessing the Dolphins will cover the spread at the very least on both occasions.

Games at Denver and especially Kansas City will prove challenging as they are both very unfriendly arenas for visiting teams. Outside of that, I think Miami has a shot to at least win 5-6 games. Parcells can work miracles you know.

2008 Primetime schedule for ESPN, NFLN, and NBC is posted to the Left hand side of this webpage.

WK DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET)
1 Sun, Sep 7 NY Jets 1:00 PM
2 Sun, Sep 14 at Arizona 4:15 PM
3 Sun, Sep 21 at New England 1:00 PM
5 Sun, Oct 5 San Diego 1:00 PM
6 Sun, Oct 12 at Houston 1:00 PM
7 Sun, Oct 19 Baltimore 1:00 PM
8 Sun, Oct 26 Buffalo 1:00 PM
9 Sun, Nov 2 at Denver 4:05 PM
10 Sun, Nov 9 Seattle 1:00 PM
11 Sun, Nov 16 Oakland 1:00 PM
12 Sun, Nov 23 New England 1:00 PM
13 Sun, Nov 30 at St. Louis 1:00 PM
14 Sun, Dec 7 at Buffalo 4:05 PM
15 Sun, Dec 14 San Francisco 1:00 PM
16 Sun, Dec 21 at Kansas City 1:00 PM
17 Sun, Dec 28 at NY Jets 1:00 PM

2008 MONDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE

2008-04-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

SOURCE IS ESPN

Sept. 8 (7 ET): Minnesota at Green Bay: We open with a great NFC North matchup. It will be the first look at Brett Favre's replacement, Aaron Rodgers, in prime-time. It wouldn't surprise me if Packers officials use the occasion to honor Favre. How many times will Tony Kornheiser mention Favre's name even though he's not playing? I'll set the over-under at 25.

Sept. 8 (10:15 ET): Denver at Oakland: Another storied rivalry game. It's good to get this one out of the way while both teams are still in the hunt. This is a great early test for second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell. If the Raiders take Darren McFadden in the draft, that would certainly elevate this matchup.

Sept. 15 (8:30 ET): Philadelphia at Dallas: This will be a MNF farewell to Texas Stadium. Jerry Jones will open his new $1.1 billion stadium the following season. I'm sure my friends on the TV side are thrilled to have an early NFC East game. But you know they'd like to see the Cowboys on the schedule at least one more time.

Sept. 22 (8:30 ET): New York Jets at Chargers: If Darren McFadden slips to the Jets, we could see him go against LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers may be missing starting tight end Antonio Gates (toe surgery), but I still think they'll start stronger than last season. This is an excellent early measuring stick for all that free-agency money the Jets threw around in the offseason. Last year, I would've yawned when seeing this game on the schedule. Right now, I'm only giving a half-yawn.

Sept. 29 (8:30 ET): Baltimore at Pittsburgh: Apparently this is now a MNF staple. I watched the Ravens completely fold at Heinz Field on Monday night last season. Ben Roethlisberger had a huge game, and Steelers linebacker James Harrison introduced himself to the rest of the country. The former Kent State player has been a bit distracted with some off-the-field issues, but watching he and Ray Lewis on the same field will be pretty entertaining.

Oct. 6 (8:30 ET): Minnesota at New Orleans: The NFL is obviously serious about supporting post-Katrina New Orleans. This is the third consecutive season the Superdome has hosted at least one early-season MNF game. And this year, New Orleans will host two MNF games. I think Roger Goodell is serious about his commitment to the city.

Oct. 13 (8:30 ET): New York Giants at Cleveland: I know Cleveland shocked some folks with a 10-6 season, but it's still a startling to see the Browns land THREE MNF games. Pretty amazing stuff. Hosting the Super Bowl champs in a mid-October game will be huge for the franchise and the city. We'll know at this point whether the Browns are living up to all the offseason hype. Phil Savage might be Mayor by this point.

Oct. 20 (8:30 ET): Denver at New England: Our first and only look at the AFC champions on MNF. This one has potential blowout written all over it, but I'm certainly hoping that's not the case. The Patriots were involved in the best MNF game last season, and perhaps Jay Cutler and Brandon "Quarter Pounder" Marshall will make them work for this one.

Oct. 27 (8:30 ET): Indianapolis at Tennessee: Another strong divisional matchup. Last year, the Colts rolled over and played dead for the Titans in the final game of the season. That won't happen at this point in the season. Vince Young will hopefully have improved talent around him at the running back and receiver positions. I love the Young-Peyton Manning matchup. Put me down for this game, boss.

Nov. 3 (8:30 ET): Pittsburgh at Washington: I think the Steelers will have established themselves as the best defense in football at this point. I'm still not convinced, though, that Pittsburgh can find a suitable replacement for Alan Faneca at guard. The Steelers will have to address that issue in the draft. At this point, the Redskins will be desperate for a win. I've seen Jason Campbell play well on MNF and I think he'll do it again against the Steelers.

Nov. 10 (8:30 ET): San Francisco at Arizona: Another great division rivalry. OK, I tried. Well, at least we don't have to go all the way to Mexico City to watch them play. The Cardinals have a shot to challenge the Seahawks for NFC West supremacy. I think the 49ers will be an improved team, but they'll be out of the playoff race at this point.

Nov. 17 (8:30 ET): Cleveland at Buffalo: Commissioner Goodell is serious about supporting football in Western New York. The Cowboys beat the Bills in a thriller last October, and now the Browns are headed to town. After a long MNF drought, two consecutive games in Buffalo is a huge deal to the region.

Nov. 24 (8:30 ET): Green Bay at New Orleans: We return to the Superdome for an intriguing NFC matchup. The Saints will have a much-improved defense, but we still have to see if Reggie Bush can become a consistent threat on offense. By now, we'll have a good feel for how the post-Favre era is going. Heck, he may even be back

Dec. 1 (8:30 ET): Jacksonville at Houston: I like all the divisional matchups, but this one's coming a little late in the season. I have a hard time believing that an improving Texans team will still be alive in the brutal AFC South. I will say that Reliant Stadium is an excellent venue, and the city of Houston deserves the national spotlight. I just wish it was earlier in the season.

Dec. 8 (8:30 ET): Tampa Bay at Carolina: I'm hoping the Bucs and Panthers will be fighting for a division title, but my fear is that the Panthers will have bowed out of the playoff race at this point. Jake Delhomme is one of my favorites, but I'm afraid he will be long gone at this point. Don't plan any trips in December, Vinny.

Dec. 15 (8:30 ET): Cleveland at Philadelphia: Are you sure this schedule's correct? Cleveland keeps popping up all over the place. Glad to see MNF return to Lincoln Financial Field. It's just a great setting for a nationally televised game. I'll try not to think about the fact that I got stranded in South Philly after the Eagles-Redskins game last season.

Dec. 22 (8:30 ET): Green Bay at Chicago: Will it mean something? I certainly hope so. I'm afraid the Bears will still be seeking answers at quarterback. But at least they have a chance to draft an excellent running back. We'll know exactly what Aaron Rodgers is about at this point. And I think he's pretty good.

NFL REVEALS 2008 SCHEDULES ON TUESDAY APRIL 15TH

2008-04-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

The NFL plans to announce its full 2008 schedule Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET. Two NFL shows will be dedicated to the annual event, one is a two hour special on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET, and another simultaneous will also air on NFL Network beginning at 2pm ET.

NFL Network also will rebroadcast its two hour special at 6pm, 930pm, and 1am same day, so if you are an unfortunate sucker without TIVO, watch the ESPN one first, then go back to NFL Network later that day.

The planned announcement, confirmed by the league in a news release Monday, will reveal dates, times and television schedules. Teams have known their opponents for months, thanks to the NFL's scheduling formula.

The league previously announced four nationally televised matchups for Week 1.

The Washington Redskins open the 2008 season when they visit the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants on Thursday, Sept. 4 (NBC, 7 p.m. ET). The Chicago Bears visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 7 (NBC, 8:15 p.m. ET) in a rematch of Super Bowl XLI.

ESPN's coverage begins with a "Monday Night Football" doubleheader Sept. 8. The Minnesota Vikings visit the Green Bay Packers in the first game at 7 p.m. ET. The Oakland Raiders then host the Denver Broncos in the second game at 10:15 p.m. ET.

Last year, the schedule was to be released on April 5, but it didn't come out until six days later. A similar timeline would put this year's release in the middle of next week.

Dolphins play at Houston for the 3rd consecutive year in 2008. The last two years, these games have been tightly contested contests with odd ending final scores. In 2006, Miami lost 15-17, and in 2007, they lost 19-22.

Dolphins host the Baltimore Ravens for the second consecutive year. The Ravens proved to be the Dolphins only victory last year. The game ended in overtime on a 64 yard touchdown reception by Camirrio from Lemon.

Dolphins play all 4 teams from both the AFC and NFC West. Luckily for Miami, they have avoided any long distance road trips to the far west coast considering the four teams that are the greatest distance from Miami are on the schedule. Miami plays home to Seattle, Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco.

The Dolphins thus have the luxury of traveling to the four closest teams from the 2 Western Divisions. They travel to Arizona, St Louis, Denver, and Kansas City. Still not easy places to play, but players prefer shorter flights, and these cities are significantly closer than the Western divisions other teams.

The schedule Gods did not smile on the New England Patriots 2008 campaign however. 2008 will be a bit trickier to go undefeated compared to the 2007 slate. The Patsies in fact may indeed do the most flying next year having to go coast to coast 4 separate occasions.

New England must travel to Oakland, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego. Throw in a road game at Indianapolis. Out of conference homes games are not cupcakes with Pittsburgh, Denver, Arizona, KC and St Louis.

Patriots may get to the Superbowl yet again next year, but they will not go undefeated. Considering they are recovering from the worst loss in the history of football (I simply cannot think of one single other scenario where a loss would feel worse can you?) they may be glad to not carry the burden of undefeated season all season like this year. Hopefully I will not have to watch Zach Thomas next year in a Patriot uniform.

Then again, this could be the kind of loss that which they never recover, the kind that rattles the confidence of Brady and coaches for years to come.

Fullback Reagan Mauia Arrested

2008-04-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Dolphins fullback Reagan Mauia was arrested in Weston early Friday morning on simple battery charges, stemming from an altercation that took place outside the Carolina Ale House.

According to the Broward County Sheriff's office, Mauia, the Dolphins sixth-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, allegedly knocked one of the restaurant's patrons unconscious inside the parking lot before fleeing the scene.

The police report states Mauia approached a man and his girlfriend in the parking lot just before midnight.

Mauia asked the man, Michael Gianatassio, 27, "what the [expletive] he was looking at," the report states.

"Mauia became upset and said 'you should know' as he approached Gianatassio," said the police report. "All of a sudden, Mauia punched Gianatassio in the face with a closed fist."

The victim was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground, while Mauia drove away in a black Cadillac Escalade, according to police.

A witness used a cell phone to take a picture of the license plate and deputies tracked down Mauia at the address. Deputies arrived at the Ale House and found Gianatassio on the ground, bleeding from the mouth. He was taken to Broward General Hospital for treatment.

Once confronted, Mauia denied being at the sports bar, officials said. The same witness that took the picture of the license plate positively identified him as the attacker, and Mauia was arrested.

Mauia, 23, was bonded out for $1,000 at 10:31 a.m. and faces a first-degree misdemeanor. He could face up to a year in jail, and fined up to $1,000 if found guilty.

"We are aware of the situation regarding Reagan earlier today. We will withhold any further comment because we are in the process of gathering more information," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said in a team statement.

Last season Mauia started nine games for the Dolphins. His primary role was as a lead blocker, but Mauia also caught two passes for 5 yards, and carried the ball four times, gaining another 5 yards.

This offseason the Dolphins have added former Kansas City Chiefs fullback Boomer Grigsby to compete with Mauia in training camp, and will likely add another fullback before camp opens in July to increase depth.

This is the third instance this offseason a Dolphins player has had a brush with the law.

In February, defensive end Matt Roth was arrested in Iowa for public intoxication. He has since paid a fine for the infraction.

Linebacker Channing Crowder's truck was found smashed into a tree and abandoned on the Florida Turnpike near Hollywood Boulevard back in January. Crowder was issued a citation for careless driving -a moving infraction - and leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, which is a second-degree misdemeanor.

Dolphins Hint at Jake Long

2008-04-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

Stories from Miami Herald
Written By Jeff Darlington

The Miami Dolphins could soon be off the clock.

The Dolphins have formally begun contract negotiations with agent Tom Condon about the prospect of selecting former Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long as the first overall selection in this year's draft.

Condon, who also represents Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, was in South Florida early this week to negotiate specifically on behalf of Long at the request of the team, The Miami Herald has learned.

The Dolphins would like to have a contract in place with their first pick before the draft on April 26, which would allow them to avoid a potentially ugly holdout like the one that took place in Oakland last year upon the Raiders' selection of quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Miami is still intrigued by Virginia defensive end Chris Long, but no in-person talks between Chris Long's agent and Miami are believed to have taken place to date. However, the Dolphins are believed to be happy with quarterback John Beck, and they are not considering Ryan as an option with the first pick.

The latest meeting between Condon and the team doesn't necessarily mean the Dolphins have made their final decision to select Jake Long over Chris Long, but it is certainly a major step in that direction.

By selecting Jake Long, the Dolphins would fill a gaping hole along their offensive line. Vernon Carey is currently slated as the starter at left tackle, but selecting Jake Long would potentially allow the team to move Carey back to his more natural position on the right side of the line.

Dolphins -- draft chatter:

Written by Miami Heralds Barry Jackson

• After meeting with Chris Long, Jake Long and Matt Ryan on their college campuses, the Dolphins are now focusing on prospects beyond the top pick. Although the team doesn't release names, we have identified several players (excluding the UM prospects) who are being brought to Davie for meetings with coaches and team executives. Purdue tight end Dustin Keller -- a converted receiver who caught 68 passes for 881 yards in '07 -- will visit next Tuesday, but many believe he will be drafted before Miami's first of two second-round picks.

The Dolphins, who are making linebacker a priority, are bringing in Auburn's Quentin Groves, a potential second-rounder with 26 career sacks, and UNLV's Beau Bell, a potential third-rounder. (FYI: Miami requested more tape of Georgia's Marcus Howard and has closely studied several potential second-round linebackers, including Oklahoma's Curtis Lofton, USC end/linebacker Lawrence Jackson, Purdue's Cliff Avril and Tennessee's Jerod Mayo, although none of those five was booked for visits.)

• The Dolphins scheduled at least two left tackles for visits, Nebraska's Carl Nicks (highly skilled, but character issues) and Virginia Tech's Duane Brown (a converted tight end who impressed at the combine).

• Others invited for Dolphins visits: California safety Thomas DeCoud (big-time hitter, but just one career interception), UTEP safety/cornerback Quintin Demps (had two 100-yard interception returns for touchdowns last season), BYU linebacker Kelly Poppinga (late-round overachiever type), Michigan State receiver Devin Thomas (a likely first-rounder) and Virginia Tech defensive tackle Kory Robertson.

The NFL said teams can bring in up to 30 nonlocal players for interviews and medical tests, but not workouts. But players with local ties -- primarily UM prospects -- can work out for the Dolphins on Friday, including two under-the-radar linebackers who intrigue them: Clark Atlanta's Curtis Johnson (the Division II Defensive Player of the Year) and West Texas A&M's Steve Allen.

• Besides Michigan QB Chad Henne, among others on the Dolphins' radar as a possibility to open Round 2 (if he's there) is Boston College offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus, who met with top Dolphins officials on the day they worked out Ryan in Boston. Cherilus projects as a quality right tackle, but struggled somewhat at left tackle as a senior.

• NFL Network's Mike Mayock said the Dolphins should consider Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston at No. 1, in addition to Chris Long, Jake Long and Ryan. And word is Gholston (14 sacks in '07) intrigues Miami to an extent. But draftnik and former Browns scout Russ Lande said taking Gholston No. 1 is too high: ''He's not a fiery competitor. He turns it on and off. Those guys are terrifying.'' Like the belief of many around the league, Jason Taylor said on ESPN he expects Miami will draft Jake Long or Chris Long. (Incidentally, Miami hasn't requested a private session with LSU's Glenn Dorsey.)

Dolphin Defense Strategy

2008-04-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Good article today from Sun Sentinel
Written By:Omar Kelly

Despite operating in free agency as if the Dolphins would be playing a 3-4 defensive scheme, head coach Tony Sparano remained non-committal on what style of defense the Dolphins would play this upcoming season.

Despite Bill Parcells' history of running a 3-4 defense in all four of his coaching stops, the Dolphins Vice President of Football Operation has left that decision in the hands of his coaches. And Sparano said that decision won't be made until the team begins practicing during July's training camp.

"We just want to see them play. We want to see what we have out there," said Sparano, who felt the Dolphins primarly used a 4-3 scheme last season with minor 3-4 influences.

Sparano said it is important that a defense create an identity, and that he will likely stay away from a hybrid scheme that combines the 4-3 and 3-4 like the one the Dolphins have used the past three years.

"We just like big linebackers. So whether that be 4-3 or 3-4, when we went to Dallas, we were a 4-3 team [initially], not a 3-4 team," Sparano said. "That being said, we like big linebackers. We just feel like, in our league, for the long haul, those guys, like running backs, they can take a beating every single week."

However, Sparano did list his projected starting front seven, and it was formulated as if the Dolphins were running a 3-4 scheme.

Matt Roth, a fourth-year player whose play has been sporadic the past three seasons, was listed as the starting left end. Vonnie Holliday was penciled in as the starting right defensive end, with Jason Ferguson, whom the Dolphins traded with Dallas to acquire this offseason, as the nose tackle.

Sparano initially listed Randy Starks instead of Holliday as the starting right end, then revised his thinking later on, praising Holliday's leadership and delegating Starks as a guy who will play both right end and nose tackle.

"He's an arrow up guy right now, with a lot of upside," Sparano said of Starks, after praising his durability. "We're excited about that. When you can find defensive linemen that can show up every week and be snap eaters for you that's a positive."

Jason Taylor and Joey Porter were Sparano's projected starting outside linebackers, and Channing Crowder and Torbor were named as the potential starting inside linebackers.

"I like to think there's a couple of players on our team that are guaranteed starters. But, that being said, at some point every player on our team, no matter who they are, will have to show me that they can still do it," Sparano said. "So the 10-year veteran will have to show me on the practice field that he can still do it. The first-year guy will have to show me on the practice field he can do it."

Also on the defensive side, the addition of safety Chris Crocker means Travis Daniels will remain a cornerback, and Jason Allen will continue to work as a safety, but might get some snaps at cornerback during training camp.

Dolphin Draft Trends Since 2002

2008-03-26T11:51:00.001-07:00

NFL Draft Trends from the last 5 years

Being a Dolphin fan and the fact that this team holds the first pick in the 08 draft, was the worst team in the league last year, holds 3 picks on day one, and 5 picks within the first 100 picks, the draft has taken up a lot of my free time with thoughts and analysis.

Up until about a week ago, I had taken a general assumption that Miami will automatically secure about five starters out of the upcoming draft, and to my dismay, landing five quality starters would be considered an extraordinary accomplishment based on the trends from the last 5 years of NFL Drafts.

This team is so bad and has needs at virtually every position, and because Parcells is a master of shopping for groceries, this team may still land a minimum of five starters out of pure necessity.

Due to injuries and a piss poor depth of talent last year, The Dolphins had somewhere between 7-10 first year players obtain considerable playing time last year. This coming year may be no exception.

After analyzing all the picks from the drafts occurring between 2002-2007 from every NFL team, here are some numbers I uncovered…

Over the last five years, each team has made an average of 40 picks per team. Of these 40 picks, 10 become starters, 13 are backups, 6 leave for another team, and 11 of the lot are out of the NFL entirely. On an annual basis, this works out to each team averaging 8 picks a year, and of the 8 annual picks, 2 will become starters, 3 will make the team as a backup, 1 will not make the roster but land on another team, and 2 will be cut and not play in the league at all.

Over the last three years(2005-2007), the annual average is 8 picks per year, 2 starters, 4 backups, 1 makes the roster on another team, and 1 is no longer in the NFL.

The Dolphins have selected 37 players over the last 5 years, with 11 becoming starters, 12 are backups, 8 sign with another team ,and 6 are no longer in the NFL. Over the last 3 drafts, there have been 22 selections, with 8 becoming starters, 11 backups, 3 on another team, and zero players out of the league entirely. The annual Average for the Dolphins is 7 picks a year, with 2 becoming starters, 2 become backups, 2 sign with another team, and 1 out of the league.

The Denver Broncos jump off the page as holding the dubious honor of having the worst results over the last five years. The Broncos have made a total of 37 NFL draft picks since 2002 with more than half, or 19 players, no longer playing in the NFL at all. In total, The Broncos have turned these 37 picks into 6 starters, 7 backups and losing another 5 to other NFL teams. Since 2002, 65% of the Broncos picks are no longer with the team, or a ratio of 2 out of every three picks.

The Indianapolis Colts from two years ago started 100% or 22 players on offense and defense in the Superbowl that were all homegrown draft picks. They have a reputation of building their roster via draft and the results demonstrate this philosophy. Of the Colts 26 picks over the last 3 drafts, they have obtained 8 starters and 13 backups. In other words 81% of their picks since 2005 have made the roster. But they are not the most efficient NFL team in the draft since 2002.

Surprising to me, the leader over the last three drafts turns out to be the Baltimore Ravens with a retention rate of 92%. Of their 24 picks, they have secured 8starters and 14 backups.

The most efficient team over five years is the Arizona Cardinals with a retention rate of 70% since 2002. The Cards have made a total of 33 picks that have resulted in 14 starters and 9 backups. That works out to 42% of picks becoming starters. Carolina Panthers are the worst in this stat with only converting 6 of 39 total picks into starters, or 15% of all picks since 2002.

Over the last 3 drafts, the Dolphins lead the AFC east in converting 19 of 22 picks into starters or backups. The million dollar question is this sign of good drafting or a bad team making desperate attempts to fill holes on a weak roster. I’m guessing more of the later.

Assuming Miami makes about 7-10 picks this year by adding a pick here or there from wheeling and dealing or acquiring supplemental picks, a reasonable expectation is to forecast we will add about 7 total players to the roster in 2008 with 3 becoming starters, and 4 serving as backups and special team players. It is worthy to note that the Draft is Parcells specialty so here is to hoping he surprises and exceeds our expectations.

The good news is the darkest days of this franchise are behind us, and there is only way to go from a miserable 2007 1-15 campaign.

Dolphins Add 18th Player-WR/KR Tad Perry

2008-03-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

Sun Sentinal this morning reports thatt the Dolphins have agreed to terms with 6-foot-3, 208 pounds Cincinnati Bengals free agent wide receiver Tab Perry on a one-year deal at approximately $927,00.

As a rookie with the Bengals in 2005, the sixth-round pick finished with a franchise record 1,562 kickoff return yards and added two touchdowns on a run and a reception. Perry, 26, was also fourth on special teams with 16 tackles.

Last season Perry returned seven kickoffs for a 20.4-yard average. As a receiver, Perry started one game and had one reception for seven yards. He was placed on injured reserve after Week 6 because of a hip injury that limited him to four games during the past two seasons.

The Dolphins off season focus try and strengthen the special teams units which were among the leagues worst last season. They've recently signed Boomer Grigsby and Keith Davis, two special teams’ standouts.

The signing of Perrry makes him the 18th player signed since Parcells took over the helm three months ago, which represents 1/3 of a 53 man final roster. Assuming Parcells adds another 10-15 players via the draft, free agency, and undrafted players, the Dolphins would have turned over their roster from last year by more than 60%. The total jumps up to 48 players that are new to this squad since 2007.

Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams Update

2008-03-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched the NFL shortcut from all the Dolphins victories last year(the Baltimore game)and I had forgotten how impressive both RBs Gado and rookie Booker were in that game and other spots of last season. Booker is quick and especailly in the Baltimore game, must have juked several players out of their socks on about 10 seperate occasions, and was clearly the MVP of the Fins lone victory. Camarillo had the catch, but Booker made multiple exciting big plays.

So the RB position for Miami is probably the deepest on the roster, although it is not without its concerns as I mentioned in my case for drafting McFadden article early this week.

Brown faces a steep challenge to overcome a severe knee reconstruction in less time that it usually takes to do so. Camp will open nine months from his surgery, so do not expect to see him at all this preseason. If history is any indicator, Brown has missed an average of 4 games per year due to injury in his three year career.

Ricky Williams is much older and about three years removed from his last days as a stud runner in the NFL. His 07 campaign ended after six carries last year, so he has a little something to prove in 2008. Maybe some sucker team out there will be willing to fork over a third round pick for Williams in 2008, and Miami uses the pick to replace Williams with a younger RB with no off field concerns.

Although Brown, WIlliams, Booker, Gado shore up an impressive RB roster on paper, its not without concerns for the quadsters to be successful in 2008. The article a lso mentions that Gado may join Chatman being signed by another team this offesesaon. Do not worry however, i am convinced Parcells will draft a RB on day two of the draft.

Below is a article written the morning in the Sun Sentinal about an update on Ricky Williams and ROnnie Brown.

Story below from Sun-Sentinal
written by Harvey Fialkov

Despite losing their top two running backs to season-ending injuries last season, the Dolphins haven't signed a tailback in free agency and seem confident that both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will answer the bell on opening day next season.

So do their agents.

"He's started running a while ago, is lifting weights, is in great spirits and on track," Brown's agent Todd E. France said Friday.

"We don't see any obstacles in our way. … He's got the drive to be ready."

Brown was off to a Pro Bowl-caliber start before tearing the ACL of his right knee in game seven against the Patriots in October. He averaged a career-high 5.0 yards per carry and was leading the NFL in total yards with 991 before injuring his knee while attempting to tackle then-Patriots cornerback Randall Gay after he intercepted a pass thrown by Cleo Lemon.

When Williams finally returned from his 18-month suspension for repeatedly violating the league's substance abuse policy last November, he would only get six carries against Pittsburgh before getting stepped on and tearing a chest muscle.

"Ricky has just been cleared for all activities, other than heavy lifting," said Williams' agent Leigh Steinberg. "His exchanges with [Dolphins vice president of football operations] Bill Parcells have all been positive. Knowing Bill's track record, Ricky is encouraged and excited about the coming season.

"You could say he's chomping at the bit."

Williams, 30, is scheduled to make $730,000 in the final year of his contract, while Brown is in the fourth year of his five-year, $34 million rookie deal.

Although the Dolphins' hierarchy refuses to comment on all matters, the rapid recoveries of both Brown and Williams seem to have had a direct impact on the team's free-agent strategy.

Thus far, the Dolphins have not signed a running back with any of their recent 11 free-agent additions, while allowing Brown's primary backup, Jesse Chatman, sign with the Jets last week.

They've also shown no interest in retaining free-agent running back Samkon Gado, who had 35 carries for 104 yards in two starts last season. The Dolphins did tender exclusive rights free agent running back Patrick Cobbs, who had 15 carries for 47 yards, in parts of five games last season.

All signs point to the Dolphins not using any of their first three draft picks on high-profile running backs such as Arkansas' Darren McFadden or Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall.

Parcells has a history of drafting talented running backs in later rounds, such as Marion Barber (fifth round), Curtis Martin (third) and Dave Meggett (fifth).

Ex-Cowboy Jones signs
The Dolphins continue to raid the Cowboys' roster and bolster their special teams unit with the signing of cornerback Nathan Jones to a two-year deal.

The 5-10, 183-pound Jones is the eighth former Cowboy to be reunited with either Parcells or General Manager Jeff Ireland, who both had a hand in drafting him in the seventh round in 2005. Jones, 25, has one start in 51 games, and has 58 tackles.

Last year, Jones was used mostly as a blitzer in the nickel package. He had 19 tackles, five quarterback hurries and a sack. On special teams, Jones has 26 tackles over the past four seasons, and last year also returned six kickoffs, averaging 23 yards per return.

Pope signs with Vikes
The Dolphins lost another starting linebacker from last season when free agent Derrick Pope signed with the Vikings Friday.

While filling in for former Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas last season, Pope registered career-highs in tackles (57), interceptions (2) and starts (nine). Pope, 25, was also one of the Dolphins most productive special teams players with 30 tackles over four seasons. … The Dolphins acknowledged Friday that long snapper John Denney signed a three-year extension at the end of last season and wasn't a free agent.

Defending Ted Ginn Jr.

2008-03-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

I have been working on my thoughts about WR/Return Specialist Ted Ginn Jr’s rookie season and a quote caught my eye this morning that has really fired me up, so I have decided to move forward today with my impression of Ted Ginn Jrs rookie campaign.

This morning I opened up Lindys 2008 Pro Footballs Draft Guide, and on page 4, the magazine makes the following quote about California’s Junior WR DeSean Jackson while discussing underclassmen rankings for the upcoming NFL draft…

“…is a big play threat as a receiver and return man. NFL teams just hope he’s not the second coming of Ted Ginn, Jr.”

Now I will admit that I would have bet my life that Miami was going to draft Brady Quinn with their first round pick last year when they were on the clock, and a part of me wishes that I could go back in time and change that first pick to Quinn because the quarterback position has been so elusive for Miami since Dan Marino retired.

Being that it was the ninth overall pick, and the fact that every analyst out there was equally blown away by what they called a “reach’ of a pick for multiple reasons, it was eventually conceded on television that this is a copycat league, and the emergence of Devin Hester with the Bears influenced Miami to follow suit.

Cam Cameron did himself no favors when his first media comment about the pick of Ted Ginn was how happy fans would be with Ted’s “contributions on special teams as a returner.” This franchise needs a quarterback in the worse way, but for Cameron to pick Ginn when arguably the best QB on the board literally falls in your lap, then to say “contributions on special teams” instead of something to the affect of “a exciting explosive new offensive weapon” certainly put Ted Ginns rookie campaign in a very precarious situation.

To no fault of his own, Ted Ginn Jr had expectations cast upon him last year by some fans and experts more or less indicated “you better be five times better than Devin Hester or you’re a bust.” Had Ginn been a second round pick for Miami, obviously the pick would have made sense and been much more digestible for fans and analyst alike. Cameron was the first offensive minded head coach this team had seen since Shula departed in 95, and we all knew Cam would shake things up in the draft on the offensive side of the ball.

So you can argue all day long whether or not the Dolphins made the right decision by selecting Ginn over Quinn, but in my opinion you cannot say Ginn is a bust, and a bad NFL player. It’s way too early to take such a sour stance. Maybe five years from now after Ginn, Beck and Quinn have been seasoned starters; we can fairly look back and decide what the better decision was. Ginn had a good rookie year, it was not outstanding at a pro bowl level, but I would give his rookie year a grade of A minus or B+ overall.

In my opinion, rookie WRs have the much difficult time transitioning to the NFL game than most positions, and very rarely do you see a rookie step in at the WR position and take command of the game. This is exactly why in the world of fantasy football, analyst and experts always identify which receivers entering their 3rd year will finally breakout. The third year is when many good WRs have a breakout year.

Ginn will only improve as he gains more experience and both the quarterback position and offensive line stabilizes and becomes respectable. Given his rookie year was part of the 2007 leagues worst team and the constant change at QB & offensive line, injuries to Ronnie Brown, and trade of Chambers, Ginn was asked to exceed the goals of his original rookie year, and he did so more or less.

Since the day he was drafted, I have likened him to Carolinas Steve Smith for a few reasons.

They are small receivers similar in size, have tremendous breakaway speed, demonstrated big play potential at wide out and kickoff/punt returns in college, and are a threat to take it to a house each time they touch the ball.

On the flip side, Steve Smith has certain intangibles that Ginn currently does not possess. Smith is a much better route runner, plays injured, about 10 pounds more of muscle, and is physically stronger. So for Ginn to continue to develop as an elite NFL receiver, he must work on route running, avoid injuries, and be more decisive on kickoff returns. Ginn appeared pensive on kickoff returns but much more aggressive on punt returns for whatever reason.

From a rookie season standpoint, Ted Ginn outperformed Steve Smith statistically in most categories. Where Steve Smith separated himself from Ginn is holding advantages in yards per reception, and average yards per kickoff and punt returns. Ginn ranked sixth in the entire NFL last year on punt return average and scored three TDs on punt returns, with two of those TDs negated by penalties.

So Ginn supported Cameron’s instincts for drafting him although it will be always argued about the timing of the pick. Ginn would have never made it to the Dolphins second round pick that is for sure.

Let’s compare rookie statistics between Steve Smith and Ted Ginn Jr…

Receptions-Ginn-34---Smith-10
Reception Yards-Ginn-420---Smith-154
Avg per Reception-Ginn-12.4---Smith-15.4
Total kickoff/punt returns-Ginn-87---Smith-90
Kickoff/Punt yards-Ginn-1,663---Smith-1,795
Avg per Return-Ginn-19.1---Smith-19.9
Returns for TDs-Ginn-1---Smith-3…Ginn had two more called back due to penalties
Total TDs-Ginn-3---Smith-3
Total Offensive Yards-Ginn-2,083---Smith-1,949
Average per Touch-Ginn-17.2---Smith19.4

We all know what kind of stud Steve Smith is in the NFL, and he may or may not be the right athlete to compare Ted Ginn Jr. But given the pressure and disdain placed on Ginn for being picked over Quinn last year, its way too early to say Ginn will not become a very good WR and return specialist for the Miami Dolphins for years to come. I for one am rooting for Ted Ginn Jr.

A Case for OT Jake Long

2008-03-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

The Dolphins were perhaps the NFL's most active teams the first two weeks of free agency, adding 11 players by my count,(2 LBs, 2 DTs, 1SS, 1 QB, 1 FB, 1TE, 1WR, 1OG, 1 K) however there are still quite a few areas of need still have to be addressed.
The Dolphins have added one potential starting offensive lineman in right guard Justin Smiley to go along with the two returning starters, tackle Vernon Carey and center Samson Satele. That’s 60% of the starting line as of today as far as I am aware.

The only other offensive linemen on the roster are the 2007 6th round pick Drew Mormino, who missed last season because of a shoulder injury, Ikechuku Ndukwe, Julius Wilson and Trey Darilek, who all failed to make a 53-man roster exiting training camp last season.

Despite the need to add an starting offensive tackle and guard, the Dolphins haven't hosted many offensive linemen on visits.

The Dolphins appear to be patient, addressing the offensive line with their first few picks in next month's draft, but that could be risky unless the No. 1 overall pick is used on Michigan's Jake Long, considered one of this draft's handful of elite players.

Bill Parcells LOVES drafting offensive and defensive linemen, big men at that. This current roster needs many of lineman on both sides of the ball. Perhaps the Dolphins hope to find a starting right tackle and left guard in the draft. The opinion of many is that OT Jake Long may be drafted #1 overall for Miami and the result of said pick will move Vernon Carey back to right tackle where he is more suited and perhaps he could perform at even a pro bowl level on the right side.

Jake Long is a big freakin dude. He is perhaps the tallest player in the entire draft class standing at 6’7” and weighing in at 310. He ran the 40 in 5.29. Scouts Inc ranks him with a overall draft grade of 98, second to only RB Darren McFadden from Arkansas. Long comes from a battle tested college program, University of Michigan. Below are some notes from Scouts Inc regarding Jake Longs strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths

An experienced, technically sound OT prospect with great size-potential. Has experience at left and right tackle and could play either/both in the NFL. Also has proven capable of performing at a high level in power-run scheme and new zone-blocking scheme. Possesses excellent height, adequate bulk and the frame to get bigger if necessary. He has a massive wingspan with long arms and big hands. A natural knee-bender; he gets set quickly in pass pro, plays with good body lean and rarely gets caught lunging. He shuffles his feet quickly and can get back inside to defend double move. Uses long arms and powerful punch to jar defenders and run them wide as pass rushers. Shows excellent awareness in pass pro. Has adapted very well zone-blocking and shows the mobility to execute in a similar scheme in the NFL. He has good upper-and-lower body strength as a run blocker. Shows a good mean streak. Great intangibles. A leader and hard worker on-and-off the field. Good student in the classroom and intelligence carries over to the field, where he picks up techniques, schemes and assignments quickly.

Weaknesses

Lacks elite mobility for an elite OT prospect. Not as nimble as former top OT prospects such as Orlando Pace (Rams), Jonathan Ogden (Ravens), D'Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets) and Joe Thomas (Browns). Had some trouble versus Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston's elite speed rushers. Durability is somewhat of a concern after he missed the first seven games of the 2005 season with an ankle/foot injury.

Overall:

Long was redshirted in 2003. In his first active season at Michigan (2004), he appeared in 12 games, starting the last 10 at right tackle, and was selected to the Freshman All-America team. As a sophomore in 2005, played five games (four starts) at right tackle. He moved to left tackle in 2006, and went on to start all 26 of the Wolverines' games over his final two seasons. He was a first team All-America selection and the Big Ten Lineman of the Year in each of his last two seasons. Long missed the first seven games of 2005 while recovering from spring shoulder surgery and suffering from foot and ankle injuries. Long has outstanding experience to go along with his massive frame, above-average quickness for his size, a powerful upper body, long arms and big hands. He is not as athletic as last year's top tackle prospect Joe Thomas (Browns), but Long has more than enough range to effectively protect the quarterback's blindside in the NFL and he's bigger, stronger and more physical than Thomas was coming out of school. One year later, Long grades out slightly lower than Thomas (No. 3 overall in 2007) but he could actually come off the board earlier in what projects to be a weaker class.

My summary

Here is what stands out to me from the above Scouts Inc notes.
Jake Long is a excellent prospect and can play either the right or left tackle position in the NFL. Vernon Carey is in the final year of his contract and is motivated to have a strong 2008 campaign, so if drafted, maybe Long ends up on the right side for a year. He has excellent feet and hands and that is very positive because any NFL coach will tell you those two components are key to every position in the NFL. Over the last 3 draft classes however, Long would be ranked third behind D'Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets) and Joe Thomas (Browns). Long is a good leader and student of the game with a mean streak about him. Injury concerns exist with him. Long seems to fit Parcells prototype for size for this position. The negatives above seem to be nitpicking for the most part, as you will read them with any player.
Offensive Tackle is one of the deepest positions in this years class so if Miami does not select Long, they can have another shot to grab a decent prospect in rounds two or three.

It is certainly easy to rationalize and feel comfortable with the pick of OT Jake Long. Perhaps a starting left tackle is second only to a starting quarterback in terms of the position that has needed to be addressed each year for the last decade. I read about how this team needs a left tackle every off season. Maybe this year we will find our left tackle for the next decade. Jake Long may be our man.

A Case for Darren McFadden

2008-03-10T09:46:00.001-07:00

Odds are strong with good reason that this will not happen with the first pick. But I stated last week I would make individual arguments for each of the top six collegiate players available to the Dolphins first overall pick in this year’s draft (RB McFadden, DE Chris Long, OT Jake Long, QB Ryan, and DTs Ellis and Dorsey).

McFadden is the first I am writing about for a three main reasons; Drafting the top QB or RB in a NFL draft is always a very exciting and sexy pick, to me it is easy and fun to make a case for it drafting McFadden as RBs can have a very strong first year impact, and yesterday the Dolphins lost depth at RB with allowing Chatman to Depart to division rival New York Jets.

Chatman amassed over 700 yards of offense last year in 11 games. The first four games after Browns season ending injury, Chatman averaged 102 total offensive yards per game, 87 yards rushing per game, and a 4.8 yards per rush attempt. These four games were against stout defenses; New England, NY Giants, Philadelphia, and Buffalo. Chatman is 28, 5’8” 223 lbs.

I think almost anyone with any understanding of the Dolphins realizes that running back is not the Dolphins biggest need; it can actually be debated the position is one of the deepest on the roster. But a couple of concerns I have make this position an area need almost as big as any on the roster.

Ronnie Browns was an absolute beast last year. The dude is a total stud and I have think he brings a very unique running style of power and speed and to the NFL game. I love his power, and truth be known, I have a hard time comparing Browns style to other current or past running backs in the NFL.

Year three would have been a pro bowl year for Brown had he not suffered a season ending ACL tear in his seventh game. Had Ronnie put in 15 or 16 games and the Dolphins put in a winning campaign, Brown may have been considered a MVP candidate. That’s how dominating he looked in the first seven games.
For example, in the last 10 drafts (1998-2007) the first overall running back selected in the draft each year is the following.

2007-Adrian Peterson-Minnesota
2006-Reggie Bush-New Orleans
2005-Ronnie Brown-Miami
2004-Steven Jackson-St Louis
2003-Willis Mcgahee-Buffalo
2002-William Green-Cleveland
2001-Ladainian Tomlinson-San Diego
2000-Jamal Lewis-Baltimore
1999-Edgerriin James-Indianapolis
1998-Fred Taylor-Jacksonville

Quite an impressive list, 9 out of 10 of these players have been difference makers on the field for several years( After removing William Green). The list gets even more impressive when you compare it to the list of RBs selected second in the same year draft. This list is also the most remarkable when you look at similar lists for Defensive Tackles, Defensive Ends, Quarterbacks, and Offensive Tackles(or all the other major needs this team has now) selected first at their positions. Another extraordinary comparison is looking at the second RB taken in each of these drafts, not even close to what the first or best RB brought to the franchise over a long period of time.

Being a very strong LSU Tiger college football fan and living in the heart of LSU and SEC football country, I have witnessed for the last three years firsthand the kind of runner McFadden can be in the NFL. He can return kicks, you can line him up as receiver and quarterback; he has been the runner up to the Heisman for the last two consecutive years for a reason.

NFL Network interviewed McFadden’s college football head coach on Saturday, Houston Nutt. Obviously this was going to be a very positive reference for McFadden, and Nutt said the guy could do everything short of parting the Red Sea. What stood out for me during the interview was listening to Nutt’s response when asked to compare McFadden to Adrian Peterson. Nutt knows more about McFadden but he did recruit Peterson so he knows the kid well enough. Nutt proclaims that McFadden has equal strength but much greater breakaway speed. This seems to be backed up by McFadden’s sub 4.28 speed in the 40 yard dash he ran unofficially at the combine. Officially he clocked a 4.33.

RONNIE BROWNs knock out of college was health issues and if he could carry the load full time. And so far Brown has done little to quell those concerns. Year one, he misses one game to injury, year two he misses 3 games, year three he misses half a season.

Now Brown trying to comeback from major reconstructive in less than a year’s time. He will not be Ronnie Brown of 2007 until 2009 or very late next year if he stays healthy. In my opinion, I do not think there is anyone in the league than runs harder than Brown WHEN healthy.

As far as Ricky Williams is concerned, his better years are behind him and he got hurt and knocked out for the year after like three carries in one game last year. This isn't even mentioning his off the field baggage. We would all be fools to trust this guy 100%. He is not on his second chance with Miami, this is like his third or fourth chance. I would not be shocked to see Parcells use this cancer as trade bait in April for a third or fourth rounder if its an option.

Yes on paper Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, and Booker appear to be a very deep and threatening backfield, all I am doing is reminding people that it’s not as black and white clear cut as you think.

Many IFs must occur for the current backfield to work for Miami…

1. IF Brown can stay healthy for the first time in his college and NFL Career.
2. IF Brown can return to his 2007 form
3. If Ricky can return to his form from 4 years ago,
4. IF Ricky can stay out of trouble for once in his life.
5. If Booker takes his game to the next level WHEN given a chance

These IFs are the very reason why Parcells WILL draft a running back at some point in this years draft. The draft is very deep at running back and Parcells will make sure he addresses the "Ifs."

Chatman was a hard runner and decent #2, so now the RB position is now less deep.

Most fans would question the pick of McFadden but at the same time many would consider this the most exciting made by the Dolphins in decades. Increased season tickets and an average of 6 points more of offense a game would also be positive fallouts from the pick.

McFadden will not become a Miami Dolphin this year via the draft, but it is not too hard of a stretch to legitimize the selection.

Who Will Miami Draft With Picks #32, #57, & #64 in Rounds Two & Three?

2008-03-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of material out there for Dolfans to digest regarding who Miami will pick with the overall first pick if they are unable to trade out of the first round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.

General consensus with experts who make a living at prognosticating all things related to the NFL Draft predict the Dolphins will either select DE Chris Long from Virginia or QB Matt Ryan form Boston College. To widen the net, we can assume the Dolphins will pick one of the following six players who many consider the top of this years class;

In alphabetical order:

Glenn Dorsey-DT-LSU-6’2” 316lbs
Sedrick Ellis-DT-USC-6’1”-305lbs
Chris Long-DE-Virginia-6’4”-275lbs
Jake Long-OT-Michigan-6’7”-315lbs
Darren McFadden-RB-Arkansas-6’2”-210lbs
Matt Ryan-QB-Boston College-6’5”-224lbs

Assuming this happens according to projections, who might Miami target with their two picks in round two and first pick in round three?

I have compiled a list of the following top players that may be available for Miami with their two second round picks(#32 #57)second round picks and third round pick(#64). They pick #57 in round two due to the WR Chambers trade to San Diego. So from the list below, there is a very strong chance that two maybe even three of these players will become Miami Dolphins via picks #32 & #57 in round two, and # 64 in round three

My methodology for the following player list had three steps.

1.I started with Mel Kipers latest Mock draft for the first round which came out a couple of days ago.
2.I created a list from Scouts Inc of who rank the top 70 collegiate athletes heading into this years list.
3.I bumped the two list together and the result created the following players from the Scouts Inc list who will not be selected in the first 31 picks according to Mel Kipers latest mock draft.

I apologize for the format not being easier to read. Players are listed in order of rankings of best available athlete. Player name, position, height, weight, school, scouts inc grade, position rank, and overall rank are provided for each player.

Odds are strong the Dolphins will draft three of the following players in rounds two or three…

NAME POS HT WT SCHOOL GRADE PosRank Ovr Rank
Limas Sweed WR 6'4" 212 TEXAS 92 2 18
Dan Connor ILB 6'2" 233 PENN ST 92 1 21
Brian Brohm QB 6'3" 225 LOUISVI 91 2 23
James Hardy WR 6'5" 218 INDIANA 90 4 25
Mario Manningh WR 6'0" 188 MICHIG 89 5 27
Fred Davis TE 6'2" 250 USC 88 1 30
Early Doucet WR 5'11" 211 LSU 87 7 32
Quentin Groves DE 6'3" 249 AUBURN 87 6 35
Reggie Smith CB 6'1" 196 OKLAHOM 86 6 39
Dustin Keller TE 6'2" 245 PURDUE 86 2 40
Pat Sims DT 6'3" 310 AUBURN 86 4 41
Curtis Lofton ILB 6'1" 240 OKLAHO 86 2 42
Mike Pollak OC 6'3" 299 ARZ STA 86 1 43
Sam Baker OT 6'4" 308 USC 86 6 44
Tracy Porter CB 5'10" 184 INDIANA 85 7 45
Chad Henne QB 6'2" 228 MICHIGA 85 3 46
Andre Caldwell WR 6'0" 207 FLORIDA 85 8 47
Lawren Jackson DE 6'4" 261 USC 85 7 48
Carl Nicks OT 6'4" 343 NEBRASKA 85 7 49
Jamaal Charles RB 6'1" 205 TEXAS 85 5 50
Joe Flacco QB 6'6" 232 DELAWARE 84 4 51
Lavel Hawkins WR 5'11" 187 CALIFORNIA 84 9 52
Xavier Adibi OLB 6'1" 220 VIRGINIA TECH 84 4 53
Antho Collins OT 6'6" 310 KANSAS 79 8 54
Clifford Avril DE 6'3" 252 PURDUE 84 9 55
Ray Rice RB 5'9" 197 RUTGERS 84 7 56
Trevor Laws DT 6'0" 297 NOTRE DAME 84 5 57
Patrick Lee CB 5'11" 194 AUBURN 83 8 58
Eddie Royal WR 5'9" 182 VIRGINIA TECH 83 13 59
Erin Henderson OLB 6'3" 245 MARYLAND 83 5 60
Kevin Smith RB 6'1" 213 CENTRAL FLORIDA 69 10 60
John Carlson TE 6'4" 252 NOTRE DAME 83 3 61
Ali Highsmith OLB 5'11" 229 LSU 82 3 62
Andre Woodson QB 6'4" 234 KENTUCKY 82 5 63
Chilo Rachal OG 6'4" 313 USC 82 2 64
Antoine Cason CB 6'0" 190 ARIZONA 82 9 65
Tavares Gooden ILB 6'1" 233 MIAMI (FLA.) 82 3 66
Chris Johnson RB 5'1" 195 EAST CAROLINA 81 6 67
Earl Bennett WR 6'1" 207 VANDERBILT 81 11 68
Jordy Nelson WR 6'2" 215 KANSAS STATE 80 12 69

I will be the first to admit this is a genuine crapshoot of a list as we all know anything can happen on draft day, so this is about as scientific as one can get for such a broad subject. It gives us a starting point however...

Dolphins are Sixth Youngest Team in NFL

2008-03-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Bill Parcells and the Dolphins have been one of the league's more aggressive teams during the NFL Free Agency period. They've signed eight unrestricted free agents and traded for nose tackle Jason Ferguson. One of the most significant accomplishments the Dolphins have done is get younger. They released five veterans whose average age was 34.2. Those aging vets were replaced by seven free agents whose average age
is 26.7.

On NFL Network last night, The show Total Access was discussing the impact Brett Favre’s retirement had on the average age of the Green Bay Packers. As of yesterday the Green Bay Packers are the youngest team in the NFL. The Miami Dolphins showed up in the list at number six. The show only displayed the seven youngest teams and here is the entire top seven with the average age per player:

1. Green Bay Packers-25 years, 300 days
2. Buffalo Bills-26 years, 66 days
3. Atlanta Falcons-26 years, 96 days
4. New York Jets-26 years, 115 days
5. Indianapolis Colts-26 years, 125 days
6. Miami Dolphins-26 years, 147 days
7. San Diego Chargers-26 years, 190 days

It would have been nice to see all 32 teams on the list however in order to perhaps extract a little more meaning. Interesting to me that 3 of the top 6 on the list comes from the AFC EAST making this division the youngest in the NFL. It also seems apparent that the seven youngest teams are either a playoff caliber team or one of the worst in the NFL. No middle ground in that list.

The additions of Ferguson and defensive tackle Randy Starks may hint that the Dolphins aren't going to take either LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey or USCs Sedrick Ellis with the first pick. Signing Josh McNown may also hint that Miami will also pass on Boston Colleges QB Ryan. I just listened to a Justin Smiley on NFL Network and Smiley indicated that McNown by far is the largest most impressive quarterback he has ever met in person.

Of Miami's seven major free-agent signings, three of them are prototypical cogs in a 3-4 alignment. Randy Starks, a 6-foot-3, 312-pounder, is a versatile defensive lineman who is big enough to play nose tackle but could transition into the end spot if needed, while linebackers Charlie Anderson and Reggie Torbor are both over 6-2 and 240 pounds and are well-suited to the 3-4. (Note: Torbor did play in a 4-3 for the Giants in 2007.)

Also when you factor in recent trade acquisition Jason Ferguson -- who has spent most of his NFL career playing nose tackle -- it becomes all the more apparent that Miami's days as a 4-3 haven are coming to an end.

Perhaps more importantly in terms of a future Dolphins resurgence is a more subtle trend discovered when looking over Miami's recent acquisitions. That is, six were products of the 2004 draft.

Justin Smiley: second-round pick (46th overall).
Randy Starks: third-round pick (71st overall).
Reggie Torbor: fourth-round pick (97th overall).
Ernest Wilford: fourth-round pick (120th overall).
Sean Ryan: fifth-round pick (144th overall).
Charlie Anderson: sixth-round pick (200th overall).

It almost appears as if Parcells & Co. made a concerted effort to round up players whom they scouted in the 2004 draft but were unable to land, with Sean Ryan being the lone exception because Parcells actually did draft him while with the Cowboys. This is actually a great idea when you consider both the lack of depth that has plagued the Dolphins for years and the utter ineptitude of the Dave Wannstedt regime when it came to drafting legitimate NFL talent (none of Wannstedt's draft picks are still with the team).

The idea is evidently to remedy the relatively bare cupboard left behind by the previous regimes while simultaneously adding a second layer of young talent to go along with the incoming batch of rookies slated to land in Miami in late April.

Most prognosticators and analysts would agree that the Dolphins need to see improvement from their offensive line if the team is to make any significant improvement on last season's 1-15 record.

Fortunately for Dolphins fans, owner Wayne Huizenga was smart enough to lure one of the NFL's most astute grocery shoppers to Miami and has handed over full operational control to one Duane Charles Parcells.

Besides having a proven eye for on-field football talent, Parcells also has a pretty solid track record of identifying quality football people and putting them in positions to succeed (see former assistants Belichick, Bill and Coughlin, Tom).
To shape the Dolphins' offensive front, Parcells and head coach Tony Sparano brought in Mike Maser, a 12-year NFL veteran line coach with a record of developing young linemen and of producing units that create lanes for the running backs and time for the quarterbacks.

The Jags ran for more than 2,000 yards during four of Maser's final five years in Jacksonville (where he served alongside fellow assistant Tony Sparano, Miami's head coach). When Maser took over Carolina's offensive line in 2003 (under offensive coordinator Dan Henning, by the way, now with Miami), the Panthers set team records both for rushing (2,091) and for fewest sacks allowed (26).

So far, Parcells, Ireland, and Sparano have been tight-lipped about the team's plans and have done nothing to tip their hand regarding personnel decisions. However, over the next two weeks, fans (and second-guessers) will start to get an indication of what direction the team will be headed. Parcells has done a fine job of assembling a coaching staff whose focus is on fundamental football and developing young players. Now the time has come for him to start bringing them some groceries.

BOOMER GRISBY Signs with MIAMI

2008-03-05T07:16:00.000-08:00

Former Kansas City Fullback special teamer Boomer Grisby signs with the Dolphins.

Grigsby played the past three years for the Kansas City Chiefs, which selected him in the fifth round of the 2005 draft. Grigsby switched to fullback last year after he played his first two seasons at linebacker, his position in college at Illinois State.

Primarily a special teams player, Grigsby is known as a hard hitter who also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds at the 2005 NFL scouting combine.

He has been a backup his whole career that has been effective on special teams due to great intensity, effort and good straight line speed. He is slightly undersized for the position and is not a top athlete. This move is probably more for Parcells desire to improve special teams although the Dolphins current 500 lb fullback underachieved last year.

Grisby is stiff in the knees and has a hard time breaking down for open field tackles. He has very good lateral range, but can get into trouble when having to filter his way through trash around his feet. He can be explosive when taking on blockers but has short arms and struggles to defeat and shed blocks. He is quick to pull the trigger once he locates the level of the ball, however he can struggle finding the ball at times due to his lack of size. He is the type that is always going to be in a battle for a position on the team, even though you have to love his intensity and character.

BRETT FARVE RETIRES

2008-03-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

This story was released moments ago from the AP Wire source

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Brett Favre has decided to retire from the NFL after 17 seasons.

"He has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League, and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms -- not many players are able to do that," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said Tuesday.

Favre's agent Bus Cook said the 38-year-old quarterback told him of his decision Monday night.

"Nobody pushed Bret Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either," Cook said by phone from his Hattiesburg, Miss., office.

FOX Sports first reported Tuesday that the Green Bay Packers quarterback informed the team in the last few days. ESPN.com said that according to Favre's agent the quarterback told coach Mike McCarthy of his decision.

The 38-year-old Favre, a three-time NFL MVP and one of the NFL's grittiest players, has made his annual flirtation with retirement a winter tradition in Wisconsin. He has taken weeks and even months to make his decision after recent seasons, with Cheeseheads hanging on his every word.

Only two years removed from perhaps his worst season, Favre had a resurgence in 2007. He broke several career records. Among them was Dan Marino's career mark for career touchdown passes. He powered the Packers to an NFC North title and a 13-3 regular-season record and earned his ninth Pro Bowl spot.

Surrounded by an underrated group of wide receivers who proved hard to tackle after the catch, Favre had a career-high completion percentage of 66.5. He threw for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions.

It was a remarkable turnaround from 2005, Favre's final season under former head coach Mike Sherman, when he threw a career-worst 29 interceptions as the Packers went 4-12.

Given Favre's career resurgence, it was widely assumed that he was leaning toward returning for the 2008 season.

He even said as much just before the Packers' Jan. 12 divisional playoff game against Seattle, telling his hometown newspaper that he wasn't approaching the game as if it would be his last and was more optimistic than in years past about returning.

"For the first time in three years, I haven't thought this could be my last game," Favre told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald. "I would like to continue longer."

Those comments sent premature shock waves across the state -- all the way up to the governor's office, where the political version of a false start was committed.

"Like all Packer fans, I am thrilled that Brett Favre will return to action next year for the green and gold," Gov. Jim Doyle said in a statement. "Brett Favre's tremendous work ethic and willingness to go out and play hard every day represent the true spirit of Wisconsin. I am hopeful that with this announcement behind us, Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers can focus on the task at hand: defeating the Seattle Seahawks."

The governor's office later amended the statement to say Doyle was "excited to hear Brett Favre talking about returning to action next year."

It was another example of the state's fascination with the future of its favorite quarterback.

Favre then finished the season on a sour note, suddenly showing his age in the Packers' 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game.

Favre struggled in subzero temperatures, throwing an interception on the Packers' second play from scrimmage in overtime to set up the Giants' game-winning field goal.

After that game, Favre was noncommittal on his future. McCarthy said he wanted Favre to take a step back from the season before making a decision. But it was widely assumed he would be back.

Retiring Packers chairman Bob Harlan figured Favre would be back, too.

"Yeah, I think he'll be back," Harlan said, on his final official day as the Packers' top executive. "And I felt that way the last couple years, when we've had these long debates about it. I just think he's such a competitor that as long as he feels he can compete, he's going to keep coming back."

Still, in the week leading to the playoff game against Seattle, Favre said his injuries were starting to linger.

"I'm not getting any younger," Favre said. "I wake up some days and think I can't even touch my toes. I think about that. I think, well, next year is not going to be like some refreshing, awakening season where all of a sudden you're going to feel great. That's not going to happen.

"I carry some of these things with me that maybe you wouldn't see. I tend to dwell on them, at least internally, more than I used to. I don't write them off as quickly as I used to."

Brett Favre leaves the NFL with his name atop several career passing categories. In 2007, he set the record for passing TDs (442), passing yards (61,655) and wins by a starting QB (160) and interceptions (288). Including the playoffs, he played in 275 consecutive games.

DOLPHINS WILL BECOME CHAMPIONS VIA THE DRAFT AND NOT FREE AGENCY

2008-03-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Hate to burst your bubble, but the next 2-3 drafts will be the determining factor in what turns the Miami Dolphins into a Superbowl champion; it will not be signing big names in free agency. The future stars and difference makers for the Dolphins will be drafted not signed by free agency or acquired via trades.

Take a look at a quote from one of the most respected GM/Presidents in the league just last week at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine; Bill Polian of the Indianapolis Colts…

“We are not going to be involved in free agency this year, we never are.”

For starters, look at the Superbowl Champions the last five years, NY Giants, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and New England. These teams have many things in common;
1. Exceptional quarterbacks acquired via the draft
2. Excellent Front office stability and general manager leadership
3. Are more known for losing hi profile players in free agency than acquiring them. Never overpay to keep a star player.
4. Can pressure the quarterback with effective defensive rush and protect the quarterback with equal aplomb.
5. Have 6-7 stars on each roster, all acquired by the draft. The remaining roster is built up of overachieving no names that would excel at mediocrity in the wrong NFL system.

How many times have we seen a former NE Patriot leave for a bigger paycheck and make a big difference on their new team? Other examples include former Steelers LB Porter and my prediction the largest signing to date in free agency this year, former Patriot CB Asante Samuel. (Just how motivated you think this cat is going to be for Philly? He already has three rings via New England is its obvious he is chasing a paycheck not a championship. If he wanted a championship, then why leave NE?)

I understand your position as a fan. You love football, and we have suffered a month now without any meaningful games, then free agency begins, and you are excited about each transaction because this is all the football you are going to get till the draft.

So far I like the moves I have seen with Parcells. He has come in and whacked some significant aging underachieving deadweight off this roster, and is beginning to replace these losses with bigger, younger, stronger, and faster- mid level quality skilled “no name” players that represent the majority of space on any championship NFL caliber roster. These players excel at special teams as well which is another Parcells mantra to success. Better to bring in 3 above average players that can contribute in multiple areas versus the price of signing one superstar that will help with ticket sales.

I guess I am an idiot not paying attention but I did not even know who LB Torbor was till Miami picked him up this past Friday, and I have watched the Superbowl and NFC championship game like three times apiece now.

Parcells initial focus has been building and improving upon the center of the field with the offensive line and defensive front seven. With the current rules and the way games are called by the refs in today’s NFL, successful teams that get to the playoffs year in and year out do so by controlling the center of the field or controlling the line of scrimmage; by protecting your quarterback, by getting to the quarterback on defense, dominating the game at the point of attack.

That’s why the experts say two of the three most important positions on the field are Defensive End, and Left (or blindside) Tackle. Pass rush and protect the Quarterback.

The Giants demonstrated both the importance of a strong pass rush and the value of a good draft a month ago. The #6 seed 2005 Steelers are another example of the value of making a Hall Of Fame Quarterback look like a one legged 10 year old school girl in the 2005 AFC divisional at Indy. Peyton spent all day on his ass.

Cornerbacks can’t touch the receiver like they used to, the rules won’t allow it. Corners are effective by reacting to an effective pass rush, the less time a receiver has to get open, and the less time a QB has to throw the ball, the greater the CB will look. I would much rather have Reggie White or Bruce Smith than a Deon Sanders anyday.

The Superbowl champion Giants had a mediocre secondary at best. A 60 year old Sam Madison, McQuarters, Webster? Please. Rookie CBs Pope and Ross had just a great an impact, This secondary was banged up all year and there was nothing exceptional about them.

IF you are a average Chess player, and don’t know much about openings or strategy but enjoy playing, try this strategy the next time you play; Identify the central four squares on the board, and do nothing but try to control those four squares for the entire game. Every move you make, especially in the opening, should be geared toward protecting and controlling the central four squares. Notice the difference in your play now?

Parcells has acquired 2 very large defensive tackles & Linebackers, an offensive guard, and tight end. I imagine the draft will also bring in some new blood on the offensive and defensive lines. He is attempting to rebuild from the center and work his way outward. So far I am impressed with his management choices with this organization, and I will enjoy watching it all come together over the next couple of seasons.

My Thoughts on Taylor

Regarding Jason Taylor, we all know what kind of play he brings to the field. In my opinion, Jason Taylor has 2 solid years left in him providing Jason wants to continue playing. Yesterday, Parcells shot down rumors that Taylor may be traded. This may or may not be a bluff. We will see between now and the end of April.

All I know is I hope Miami and Taylor can continue to stay together for a couple of more years. Taylor is like the only pro bowler this team has left and he is on the most important positions on the field. I cannot help but think the defense would be better served with him than without him over the next couple of years.

If Calvin Pace is acquired, I fail to see any reason this makes Taylor expendable. Taylor is a DE, and Pace is a LB, both have played both positions in 3-4 and 4-3 hybrids. Yes we will have Taylor, Porter, Pace, Crowder, Torbor, and Anderson and maybe even rookie DE Long. As the Giants proved this year, you can never have enough pass rushers, and the Dolphins would only be one injury away from this overcrowded defense not being so overcrowded.

I have to agree with recent criticism of Taylor however. He is participating with “Dancing with The Stars,” and this will eat up three months of his spring while living in Los Angeles.
I understand Taylors motive for planning for life after football, but he is the senior leader of the entire team, and his lack of presence in Miami during the months between March and May is probably not making Parcells too happy. Lots of new young faces and lots of changes, and the teams all star leader is not there to support all the change. You lead by example and I question Taylor’s leadership in this instance. Granted this is the fifth new regime in as many years for Taylor, but this one is different. Or maybe Taylor and Parcells already know he is a goner, and Taylor is thinking what’s the point? I look forward to seeing how the Taylor story evolves between now and the Draft.

Dolphins Wait on Decision from Pace

2008-03-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

From Palm Beach Post
Written by:EDGAR THOMPSON

A day after making a big splash to open the free-agency period, the Miami Dolphins barely caused a ripple on day two.

The lack of activity might not last for long.

The Dolphins are waiting to see how Arizona linebacker Calvin Pace likes his visit with the Jets.

Pace, 27, left South Florida on Saturday headed for New York, with an offer from Miami waiting behind for him.

With Pace's status in limbo, the Dolphins added another player Saturday, a day after they locked up seven.

The Dolphins announced Houston Texans linebacker Charlie Anderson agreed to a three-year deal.

Anderson ended his four-year career in Houston by totaling nine tackles, including two sacks, in the regular-season finale against Jacksonville.

Anderson, 26, started five games for the Texans last season, but his primary role was on special teams.

The Dolphins also announced they finalized the contracts for several players: quarterback Josh McCown (Oakland), guard Justin Smiley (San Francisco), defensive tackle Randy Starks (Tennessee) and linebacker Reggie Torbor (N.Y. Giants).

Smiley, 26, signed a five-year deal for a reported $25 million, including $9 million guaranteed. Listed at 6-feet-3, 311 pounds, Smiley started 49 of 56 games for the 49ers.

Starks, 24, signed a five-year deal for a reported $21 million, including $7 million guaranteed. Starks (6-3, 312) started 28 of the 38 games he played for the Titans, finishing with career highs of 78 tackles and 41/2 sacks in 2005 when he started all 16 games.

McCown, a six-year veteran who signed a two-year deal for $6.25 million, is expected to challenge John Beck for the starting job.

McCown, 28, has thrown 35 touchdowns and 40 interceptions in 31 NFL starts.

Torbor, 27, made his mark late last season, totaling 10 tackles in a regular season-ending loss to New England. Tobor, who signed a four- year contract, also had 50 special-teams tackles in four seasons with the Giants.

But one of the real prizes of the Dolphins' '08 free-agency class might be yet to come. The No. 18 pick in 2003 out of Wake Forest, Pace, 27, played liked a first-round draft pick last season when the Cardinals switched to a 3-4 defensive scheme.

Pace (6-4, 270) finished 2007 with 98 tackles and 61/2 sacks. He had 16 solo tackles and a sack in the season's final two games.

Dolphins Make a Splash on Day One

2008-02-29T19:30:00.000-08:00

SI.com is falsely reporting the Dolphins have reached an agreement with pass-rush specialist Calvin Pace of the Cardinals.)Turns out this is just another example of premature ejaculation by the media big dogs. Trying to be first to report a story often backfires.

The Dolphins clearly aren’t screwing around with free agency. The next phase of the rebuilding process got off to a forceful start today with precincts still reporting.

Although they still have considerable work to do, the Dolphins solidified their defense in a single day.

Two Linebackers, two defensive Tackles, Quarterback, Tight End, Guard, two Wide receiver. Build depth, inject youth

With plenty of money to spend to rebuild the NFL's worst team, Bill Parcells and the new Dolphins regime got off to a fast start Friday on the opening day of free agency. Their biggest move was signing a potential starting quarterback.

The Dolphins, who began the day with close to $40 million in salary-cap space, signed former Oakland Raiders quarterback Josh McCown to a two-year deal worth $6.25 million. He will compete with John Beck, the only returning quarterback. The Dolphins released Trent Green and did not bring back Cleo Lemon, who signed a three-year contract Friday with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Dolphins also obtained defensive tackles Jason Ferguson (formerly of the Dallas Cowboys) and Randy Starks (Tennessee Titans); right guard Justin Smiley, who started for the San Francisco 49ers; wide receiver Ernest Wilford of the Jaguars; tight end Sean Ryan, who has played for the New York Jets and the Cowboys; and veteran outside linebacker Reggie Torbor, who started in the Super Bowl for the New York Giants.

The acquisitions will help the Dolphins - who recently cast off veterans such as Zach Thomas, Keith Traylor and Marty Booker - get younger. Among the newcomers, only Ferguson, 33, is older than 29.

McCown, 28, shared time last season with Daunte Culpepper while the Raiders groomed No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell. In nine games (all starts), McCown had 10 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions - numbers typical of his inconsistent, six-year career.

The Dolphins began the day by coming to terms with Smiley, 26. He told The Santa Rosa Press Democrat he agreed to a five-year, $25 million deal, with $9 million guaranteed, within 30 minutes of the 12:01 a.m. start of the free-agency period.

Smiley (6-foot-3, 311 pounds) started all 32 games in 2005 and '06. He sustained a dislocated right shoulder in the eighth game last season and had season-ending surgery Nov. 13. He will replace Rex Hadnot, who was not re-signed despite starting 16 games last season.

Like Smiley, Ferguson has strong credentials but is coming off a season-ending injury - a torn biceps suffered in the season opener. He is believed to be fully recovered, but the emergence in Dallas of Jay Ratliff and the addition of Tank Johnson made Ferguson expendable.

The Cowboys dealt Ferguson for a sixth-round pick next year; Dallas and Miami also will swap positions in the sixth round this year. Ferguson is under contract for two more seasons with a base salary of $4 million in each. The Dallas Morning News noted that he is due an $8 million roster bonus.

The trade reunites Ferguson, a 12-year veteran, with Parcells, his former coach with the Cowboys and Jets. Ferguson became the Cowboys' full-time nose tackle in 2006 and led them in tackles that season.

Starks, whose signing was reported by the NFL Network, is coming off a disappointing season. But he turned 24 just 10 weeks ago and has played in 60 games, with 36 starts, in four seasons with the Titans. In his first two seasons he had 10.5 sacks and 32 quarterback pressures. Starks signed a five-year deal reportedly worth $21 million, with $7 million guaranteed.

The Dolphins needed a receiver after trading Chris Chambers during the season and more recently letting Booker go. Wilford, 29, signed a four-year deal. He has a career-high 45 catches last season (for 518 yards and three touchdowns. Wilford, who is 6-foot-4, has his best season in 2005 with 41 receptions for 681 yards and seven TDs.

Ryan, a fifth-round choice by Dallas in 2004, agreed to a one-year deal after one season with the Jets. He has caught only nine passes in 35 NFL games, including six starts. But he is a physical player at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds. He played defensive end early in his career at Boston College.

Torbor, 27, emerged as a force during the Giants' playoff run. He became the strong-side starter when linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka suffered a broken leg in Week 11.

Torbor made 31 tackles (including one sack) in the regular season. But it was Torbor's dominant second-half performance against the Cowboys in a post-season game that likely left the biggest impression on his new bosses. Torbor sacked Tony Romo late to help send the Giants to the NFC title game and allowed Tony Sparano and much of his new coaching staff to join the Dolphins earlier than expected.

The Dolphins also are considering linebacker Charlie Anderson, who has played four seasons for the Houston Texans. He started five games last season.

My sourse for the Calvin Pace signing can be found here.

Free Agency Begins at Midnight

2008-02-28T06:36:00.000-08:00

This article is courtesy of Miami Herald and outlines current unrestricted free agents available beginning tonight at Midnight.

Written by:Barry Jackson
Link:http://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/434805.html

Shallow free agent pool for Fins

The Dolphins' major retooling starts Friday, when they enter free agency with the most salary-cap space in the NFL (more than $40 million), but faced with a market that is not deep in high-impact players. A quick preview (all free agents mentioned are unrestricted):

• Contact with opposing players' agents isn't permitted until Friday, but Dolphins management has told people it knows it needs a talent infusion at most positions (center and kicker among the few exceptions), with the offensive and defensive lines expected to get attention.

Miami will add a tackle to replace L.J. Shelton, and likely two guards (they have shown no interest in re-signing Rex Hadnot and Chris Liwienski).

There is speculation of Dolphins interest in Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams, 32, who will have numerous suitors. But there is a huge drop-off at tackle after Adams, with the next tier including Jacksonville's Maurice Williams, the 49ers' Kwame Harris and Washington's Jason Fabini, 33 (who was drafted by Dolphins czar Bill Parcells with the Jets and was mostly a tackle before the Redskins used him at right guard last season).

• Pittsburgh's Alan Faneca has been linked to Miami -- and Parcells likes him -- but an associate expects big offers from teams in a win-now mode. Among other available guards who fit the Dolphins' size preference: the 49ers' Justin Smiley, the Titans' Jacob Bell and the Seahawks' Floyd Womack.

• A defensive end on the Dolphins' radar is San Francisco's Marques Douglas, 30, who is excellent against the run and ideal for a 3-4 defense. Douglas and ends Antwan Odom (Tennessee) and Bobby McCray (Jacksonville) should draw league-wide interest. But the market is weak at defensive tackle and at inside linebacker, where the Dolphins need to add a starter.

• Patriots cornerback/Fort Lauderdale native Asante Samuel ''would love to hear from the Dolphins,'' agent Alonzo Shavers said. But Foxsports.com reported Samuel wants $10 million-$11 million annually, and New Orleans is the front-runner. The Dolphins figure to explore lesser-priced options, potentially including Cowboys backups Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones.

• Among safeties, New England's Eugene Wilson -- who also can play cornerback -- is on Miami's radar. Former Giants and Texans safety Will Demps wouldn't be surprised if he ends up with Miami, an associate said.

• Although the Dolphins would like to upgrade at tight end, they consider other needs more pressing and haven't pursued Alge Crumpler and Bubba Franks.

• The Dolphins figure to add at least one receiver from a list that includes Jerry Porter, Jabar Gaffney, Ernest Wilford, Andre Davis and Bryant Johnson. But the market will be high for Chicago's Bernard Berrian, who is being linked to the 49ers. FYI: Miami issued a tender to retain receiver Greg Camarillo, who got the overtime touchdown catch in its only victory.

• The Dolphins have shown no interest in re-signing Cleo Lemon, leaving them seeking a veteran quarterback in a weak free agent pool, including Todd Collins (whose agent will contact Miami), Josh McCown, Billy Volek, Quinn Gray, Daunte Culpepper and Byron Leftwich. Chicago reportedly might cut Brian Griese.

As for trades, profootball talk.com mentioned possible Dolphins interest in Buffalo's J.P. Losman. Losman's agent said he is unaware of any discussions. Tampa Bay hasn't said what it will do with Chris Simms, who is under contract and back after an injury in 2006 that resulted in doctors removing his spleen). Cleveland said it is close to re-signing restricted free agent Derek Anderson.

My Thoughts
The players the Dolphins sign in free agency will hint to us what direction they will go with the first pick. For example, the Dolphins signing 49ers DE Douglas in free agency would indicate the drafting of DE Long less likely.

Because the Dolphins have so many needs at almost every position, do not expect the Phins to sign a free agent demanding $10 million a year. This team is better served bringing in 3 -4 mid level players for a combined $10 million than a single player for the same price. Usually hi dollars players are best served on teams that feel they are one or two players away from making a playoff run.

Offensive and Defensive linemen will have the greatest impact on other players. You improve your offensive line, your QB, RB, and WRs all have the ability to make more plays. You improve your pass rush, the Corners will improve.

Top Overall Pick Warrants Top Character

2008-02-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Dolphins have major needs and are not far removed from a first year expansion team. This is the sad truth, and coaches, players and fans all must accept that if Parcells is successful at returning the Dolphins to the playoffs, he will need more time than what one draft and free agency market will provide.

This team has way too many needs to be turned around in a single offseason.

The Dolphins may win 4-7 games next year, there is only one way to go but up.
First of all, let’s assume the Dolphins are unsuccessful at trading out of the first overall pick; the first pick can be narrowed down to six players. Of the top six players, 50% of them are defensive linemen.

In alphabetical order:

Glenn Dorsey-DT-LSU-6’2” 316lbs
Sedrick Ellis-DT-USC-6’1”-305lbs
Chris Long-DE-Virginia-6’4”-275lbs
Jake Long-OT-Michigan-6’7”-315lbs
Darren McFadden-RB-Arkansas-6’2”-210lbs
Matt Ryan-QB-Boston College-6’5”-224lbs

Regardless of position and player drafted, the Dolphins will probably hope to make sure the drafted player meets all or almost all of the following criteria.
1. Can make an immediate impact on the field this year.
2. Will be a long term solution as starter for Dolphins
3. Will be a difference maker on the field affecting play of other positions positively
4. No Health or nagging injury concerns that will affect development at the next level
5. Very hard worker and player never taking a down off.
6. Impeccable character off the field, a leader

So of the six best players and six characteristics of the low risk pick at the #1 overall pick, which player meets these criteria above the and also fills the greatest need?

Over the next few days I will make a legitimate case as to why each of the above six players should be the number one overall pick based on draft depth, team need and anticipated output and overall impact to the 2008 Dolphins.

Team Needs(In Order of importance) :
QB, DT, OT, DE, CB, LB, SS, WR, RB, TE

Draft Depth( In order of deepest positions available)
WR, CB, DE, RB, LB, DT, SAFETY, OT, TE

Positions that could improve the team the greatest in the first year for Dolphins
RB, DT

Example, RB Adrian Peterson 2007 Vikings, and NT Haloti NGata for 2006 Baltimore Ravens.

Everyone already knows what Peterson did, but Ngata is less visible. The Ravens defense improved from 12th overall to 1st in 2006 and gave up one touchdown less per game. Ray Lewis had a tremendous year over year improvement from 2005.

Lewis and fellow LB Scott combined for 206 tackles, 15 sacks and 5 turnovers because Ngatas ability to eat up blocks at the front. Remember all the credit Zach Thomas gave Daryl Gardner and Tim Bowens for all the those tackles Thomas accrued from 1996-2000? Daryl Gardner was JJs first ever pick for Miami for this reason.

Draft Depth by Position for 2008 Draft

2008-02-26T12:24:00.000-08:00

Like each draft year, certain positions offer a deeper draft pool than other positions. Below is a simple table based on Scouts Inc draft grades by position for players of a minimum grade of 70( on a scale of 1-100) or higher. Currently the Dolphins hold the overall picks of 1,32,57,64,96,160,192.

My hopes are the Dolphins land five starters having 5 pick within the top 96 picks.

The below table is players by positions available with draft grades of 70 or higher which according to Scouts, Inc represent players who can become immediate starters at the NFL level and are expected to go in rounds 1 and 2.

WR 16
CB 14
DE 12
OT 10
RB 9
DT 8
OLB 8
QB 7
ILB 5
S 5
TE 5
OG 4
OC 3
Total 106

So this years talent pool seems to be deepest at WR,DE,OT,RB, OLB,and DT...all needs for Miami, and they should be able to pick up adequate help with picks 32,
57,and 64 on Day One.

Definitions of Scouts INC grades between 100-70.

Grades 100-90-Rare Prospect-Player demonstrates rare abilities and can create mismatches that have an obvious impact on the game. Is a premier college player that has all the skill to take over a game and play at a championship level. He rates in the top 5 players in the nation at his position and is considered a first round draft prospect.

Grades 89-80-Outstanding Prospect-Player has abilities to create mismatches versus most opponents in the NFL. A feature player that has an impact on the outcome of the game. Cannot be shut down by a single player and plays on a consistent level week in and week out. He rates in the top 10 at his position and is considered a second round draft prospect.

grade 79-70-Solid Prospect-Still a standout player at the college level that is close to being an elite player. He has no glaring weaknesses and will usually win his individual matchups, but does not dominate in every game, especially when matched up against the top players in the country. He will usually rate in the top third of players at his position and is considered a third round draft prospect.

SCOUTING COMBINE BEGINS TODAY

2008-02-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Scouting Combine is the annual job fair for prospective new NFL players. For six days from the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, players are put through a series of drills, tests and interviews with more than 600 NFL personnel including head coaches, general managers and scouts.

NFL Network analysts providing daily reports on the prospects participating in the workouts. Airs live Saturday, Feb. 23 through Tuesday, Feb. 26 beginning at 11 a.m. ET each day.

NFL Total Access: NFL Total Access is on location from the Scouting Combine with news, analysis and interviews. Airs live Thursday, Feb. 21 through Monday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Press Conferences: Player, coach and general manager press conferences. Airs live Thursday, Feb. 21, and Friday, Feb. 22, at 2:30 p.m. ET as well as Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Dolphins have so many needs, its going to impossible to predict what the Dolphins do with the first pick of the NFL draft. I think the Dolphins initial intention is to shop the overall pick and drop down in order to acquire more picks. In recent years however, most teams do not wish to acquire the top pick because of the hi price tag of paying an unproven rookie $30 million in guaranteed money and relenting several draft picks. So if the Dolphins are successful in moving away from the top pick, they will be have to be willing to accept whatever the market is willing to pay.

Take for example, the value of the first pick and what a team would have to give up when using the NFL draft point value chart. Here is example. http://www.sportznutz.com/nfl/draft/draft_point_value_chart.htm

For arguments sake, let’s just say that the Dolphins trade the first pick and drop down 4 picks to the Oakland Raider. The Dolphins first pick according to the chart is worth 3,000 points while the Raiders #4 pick is worth 1,800 points.

Assuming that the Raiders have the 4th pick in each of the 7 rounds, and the Raiders gave up their picks 2,3,4,5,6,7 from this year, it would only equal 969 points which is still 231 points less than the 1,200 point variance in between the first and fourth overall picks. So the more value the pick, the less value this chart seems to have. I do not think the Dolphins will find any value with the NFL Draft Point Value Chart when shopping the first overall pick.

The Dallas Cowboys have been paired up as a likely candidate to trade for Miami for three main reasons.
1. Dallas is the only team in round one with multiple picks
2. Jerry Jones has a man crush on Darren McFadden
3. Parcells and Cowboys have a close working relationship and Parcells knows the Cowboys players very well.

I like the scenario with Dallas mentioned above. Dallas has some talented free agents that would fill Dolphins need. Perhaps Dallas will send the two picks to Miami along with OT Flozell Adams and either Marion Barber or Julius Jones. One of those RBs would be expendable because Jerry Jones would only move up in order to grab McFadden.

If the Dolphins are unable to move from the first pick, the most likely positions that continue to be mentioned are DT, DE, QB, and RB. You can argue that of the four positions, RB is the least of a need for the Dolphins, but because of McFadden’s is considered the most talented player in this years draft, the impact of rookie Adrian Peterson last year for the Vikings, Brown has missed games each year due to injuries, and he is coming off a major ACL surgery, McFadden will be considered by the Dolphins.

Minnesota had greater needs than RB last year while on the clock in the seven hole, but they took Peterson anyway and I don’t think anyone in Minnesota has regrets. A RB of Petersons caliber puts points on the board and will win games for Minnesota. Some former players like RB Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith have said he could be the greatest RB in the history of the game providing he stays healthy. And this is a copy cat league which is a big reason why Ted Ginn was taken by Miami last year. Cameron liked the diversity Devin Hester brought to Chicago so he attempted to replicate the success.

We all know QB has been a need now for a decade. The next new starting QB this franchise sees will be the 13th attempt to replace Marino in less than a decade.
''If they don't feel like quarterback John Beck is the right guy moving forward with, then you look at top quarterback prospect Matt Ryan,'' ESPN Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. ``I think Matt Ryan is the kind of quarterback that would fit what Bill Parcells wants.''

That might be true. Ryan has a solid frame and is smart, two of the same qualities that led Parcells to draft former Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe with the first overall pick in 1993, when Parcells was calling the shots for the Patriots.
But what if this team does have faith in Beck which appears to be the case? And what if Ryan doesn't leave a $30 million impression, which is how much the Dolphins likely will need to guarantee him if they choose him first overall?

A defensive tackle or end is not a sexy pick to spend on the first round of the draft. I feel good about the strategy because it reminds me of Jimmy Johnsons very first pick of his career in Miami in 1996. Johnson selected stud DT Daryl Gardner with the 20th pick and 5th rounder Zach Thomas. If you ask Zach Thomas how he was able to lead the team in tackles during Johnson tenure, he would most likely indicate that because Gardner was able to clog up the offensive line and enabled Thomas to run free. Gardner was a key clog in the defense that Jimmy Johnson built over three drafts.

Another ability of the defensive tackle or defensive end is a strong defensive line can make a weak secondary look like a bunch of studs. On the contrary, I don’t care if your secondary consist of two Deon Sanders in his prime and another pair of Champ Baileys, if there is no pressure on the QB during pass plays, the receivers will have time to get open.

Plus a strong defensive line can make the NFLs best QBs look like under skilled rookies. Just look at the pressure inflicted upon Tom Brady in the Superbowl and the 2005 divisional playoff game when Indy hosted Pittsburgh. Both Manning and Brady lost those games because they spent all day on their ass and running for their lives.

Houston Texans selection of Mario Williams over Reggie Bush two years ago now seems like the wise choice.

I SPY COMMON SENSE

2008-02-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

Spygate Common Sense

Like any typical NFL fan, I have grown weary of the nonstop media coverage of the New England Patriots and Spygate. The main point of contention regarding Spygate is if the taping of confirmed games gave any real advantage to the Patriots during the games.

WELL OF COURSE IT DID!

Even Belichick this week admitted that it gave his team an advantage. He said on a scale of 1 to 100, he gave it a grade of 1. What did you expect him to say to this question, “No question I’d give the advantage a 60 on a scale of 1 to 100.” Could you imagine the fallout from such a statement?

Is this not common sense?

If taping defensive signals or pregame walk throughs gave the Patriots no advantage whatsoever, then the Patriots would not bother doing it at all. This common sense point seems to get lost with the popular media analysts, former players, and former coaches.

It has been confirmed by the league that the Patriots have been doing this since Belichicks arrival in 2000. So as intelligent as this head coach is, along with his 15-2 record in the postseason, why in the world would he continue to tape walk throughs and defensive signals if they gave him no advantage for the last 8 seasons?

Videotaping fans drink beer while watching football games in a live NFL arena is something that would give the Patriots no advantage to win a football game. So taping a pregame walk thru and defensive signals equals taping fans drink beer in a stadium according to most former NFL coaches, players and analyst.

I don’t think so.

Former Dolphin and Cowboy coach Jimmy Johnson made comments on Fox NFL playoff pregame shows that he would have allowed Bill Belichick permission to tape all the walk throughs he wanted because he knows that it would not give the Patriots any advantage whatsoever. No doubt I believe Johnson, and indeed this seems be the most common argument in the media today.

The former Offensive Coordinator for the St Louis Rams has gone on the record stating that if the Patriots did indeed video record the Rams walk thru the eve before the Superbowl, it would have given the Patriots a grave advantage.

I have heard others talk about the advantages of doing what the Patriots have done, and I have come to the following conclusion about the whole mess.
Some teams pregame walk throughs and defensive signals being taped gave the Patriots advantages and some teams did not. It is all dependent on what the particular NFL teams covers on the Saturday walk thru and how disguised the defensive signals are during games. It’s all dependent on the NFL organizations and NFL Coaches particular style. Some teams, the info is probably meaningless, others it probably means a great deal.

So when Jimmy Johnson states his opinion, he is speaking from personal experience, he cannot possible speak for all coaching and organizations and if it holds relevance or not. He can only confirm his own coaching experience.

So the Patriots and the NFL have admitted to breaking the rules for the last 8 seasons and they have 4 Superbowl appearances, 3 rings, and a 15-2 playoff record during this stretch. Up until this year, Brady was looking like a superstar with arguably the worst receivers in the league, upsets a 14 point offensive juggernaut in their first Superbowl, but can’t win their fourth in a row with the best offense and receiver combo in the history of the game when we all know they are not engaged in illegal activities.

In my mind’s eye, the Patriots success equal Barry Bonds home run success. It’s tainted with an asterisk. But it’s also an issue that will always be swamped with speculation and little facts as to what extent it has helped the Pats. We will never know the truth. And we may never know to what level other teams have engaged in similar activities.

I only hope this story has not the legs the Major League Baseball steroid subject has had the last couple of years. Seems to me the NFL wants this Spygate thing to go away for good. I’m not implying a cover-up but in a way, I hope Goodell did indeed destroy every single tape.
One of my favorite lines in the movie Syriana (2005) came from Jimmy Pope portrayed by actor Chris Cooper.

“You need to be careful, you dig a hole 6 feet, you will find one body, you’d dig a hole 8 feet, you will find 100 bodies.”

2008 Schedule Thoughts

2008-02-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

I took some time looking at the Dolphins 2008 schedule of opponents and here are some initial thoughts...

Dolphins play at Houston for the 3rd consecutive year in 2008. The last two years, these games have been tightly contested contests with odd ending final scores. In 2006, Miami lost 15-17, and in 2007, they lost 19-22.

Dolphins host the Baltimore Ravens for the second consecutive year. The Ravens proved to be the Dolphins only victory last year. The game ended in overtime on a 64 yard touchdown reception by Camirrio from Lemon.

Dolphins play all 4 teams from both the AFC and NFC West. Luckily for Miami, they have avoided any long distance road trips to the far west coast considering the four teams that are the greatest distance from Miami are on the schedule. Miami plays home to Seattle, Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco.

The Dolphins thus have the luxury of traveling to the four closest teams from the 2 Western Divisions. They travel to Arizona, St Louis, Denver, and Kansas City. Still not easy places to play, but players prefer shorter flights, and these cities are significantly closer than the Western divisions other teams.

The schedule Gods did not smile on the New England Patriots 2008 campaign however. 2008 will be a bit trickier to go undefeated compared to the 2007 slate. The Patsies in fact may indeed do the most flying next year having to go coast to coast 4 separate occasions.

New England must travel to Oakland, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego. Throw in a road game at Indianapolis. Out of conference homes games are not cupcakes with Pittsburgh, Denver, Arizona, KC and St Louis.

Patriots may get to the Superbowl yet again next year, but they will not go undefeated. Considering they are recovering from the worst loss in the history of football (I simply cannot think of one single other scenario where a loss would feel worse can you?) they may be glad to not carry the burden of undefeated season all season like this year. Hopefully I will not have to watch Zach Thomas next year in a Patriot uniform.

Then again, this could be the kind of loss that which they never recover, the kind that rattles the confidence of Brady and coaches for years to come.

ZACH THOMAS TO BECOME A PATRIOT?

2008-02-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Miami Dolphins will release seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Thomas, who plans to continue his career with another team.

The word is that the linebacker wants to keep playing, but only in the "right situation.'' What's the right situation? Thomas wants to play for a team that he believes has a shot at the Super Bowl. He expects to be healthy after missing much of last season after concussion problems following a car accident. Thomas may take some time to ponder his future, but wouldn't it suck if AFC East rival New England made a play for Thomas? Patriots are very old at Linebacker and it is anticipated that Both Junior Seau and T.Bruschi could be gone, Thomas is buddys with special teamer and former roomate Izzo. This fit makes sense but God I hope not.

Thomas was told of the team's decision Thursday, a person close to the player said on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins have not announced anything.

The decision was first reported on local newspaper Web sites. The Dolphins declined comment.

According to a source, Thomas, 34, was told by the Dolphins' new management that he no longer fits into the team's long-term plans, and will be released today.Instead of playing out the final year of his contract, which was set to pay him just under $6 million, the seven-time Pro Bowl selection will be shopping for a new team because he plans to continue playing.

Thomas, a fifth-round pick in 1996 who has led the Dolphins in tackles 10 of his 12 seasons, had the 2007 season shortened because of a concussion he suffered in the second game of the season against Dallas. He came back and played three games after a two-week hiatus but was sidelined again due to concussion-like symptoms, stemming from an October car accident he was involved in while leaving Dolphin Stadium after a loss to the Patriots.Thomas contributed 52 tackles in the five games he played last season.New General Manager Jeff Ireland admitted that as a fellow Texan, he's a fan of Thomas, going all the way back to Thomas' college days at Texas Tech.

But following a 1-15 season the Dolphins are working feverishly to retool the roster, and are creating salary cap space to do so. Earlier this week the Dolphins released nine players, which included four starters.Thomas' departure means Channing Crowder, who led the team with 78 tackles in an injury-shortened season, will likely fill in as the team's middle linebacker unless the Dolphins address that position when free agency starts at the end of the month, or in April's draft

Initially I hate this move, but Parcells is a master at turning programs around, so in Parcells I trust.

Dolphins Cut 9...Let the Fun Begin

2008-02-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

On Monday the Dolphins' initial roster purging eliminated...

QB Trent Green -Last 2 years impacted by concussions
WR Marty Booker-Dolphins Leading Receiver last year. former pro bowler with Chicago
OT L.J. Shelton
OT Anthony Alabi
OT Marion Dukes
OT Joe Toledo
DT Keith Traylor-16 year Vet, Dolphins NT the last 3 seasons
DT Anthony Bryant
DT Marquay Love

With the upcoming draft only two months away, these cuts have clouded my perception of what I originally anticipated to occur on the first day of the draft.

The Offensive and Defensive lines are where games are won and lost( See Superbowl XLII, and two years ago Divisional playoff game Pittsburgh at Indy). The two best QBs in the game (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning) looked like incompetent rookies without protection from their respective offensive lines. On the flip side, the defensive lines controlled every aspect of both of these games.

We already know that the Dolphins offensive line has been mediocre at best for several years, and the top 5 defense from two years ago got very old overnight this past season. We also knew that Parcells likes his players very very large, and it has been a safe assumption that the Dolphins would address OT, DT, and QB during free agency and the upcoming draft.

I think the off season is going to be perhaps the most exciting in the history of the Dolphins franchise. The next couple of years will be very dramatic as well.

But to have clarity of what Sparano and Parcells will do on day one of the draft will remain a mystery to me until I hear the commissioner announce the pick on April 26th at 3:10Pm ET.

As far as the free agent QB market is concerned, Culpepper is among what is generally considered a thin free agent quarterback lot that includes Chicago's Rex Grossman. Cleveland's Derek Anderson, who did much more than keep the Browns' quarterback seat warm for 2007 first-round pick Brady Quinn, is a restricted free agent whose negotiations with the Browns reportedly have stalled. Depending on Cleveland's qualifying offer to Anderson, it could cost the Dolphins upward of first- and third-round picks to go after him.

Perhaps Miami will work out a deal to trade for a vet such as Donovan McNabb. After all, Parcells knows McNabb very well being that he coached against him for several years with Dallas. Word these days is McNabb is not too happy in Philly. I guarantee you this, I just can't see this staff start out the 2008 campagin with either almost rookie John Beck or rookie Matt Ryan. At the very least, they will acquire a veteran QB to come in to aid in the development for the future Dolphin starter. Who that will be, well, your guess is as good as mine.

My favorite draft scenario involves the Dolphins trading their number one pick to the Dallas Cowboys for their two first rounders (#22 and #28 overall) and a couple of players such as big ass 6-7 340 lbs OT Flozell Adams, and RB Julius Jones.

Considering the fact that the Dolphins already TECHINICALLY have two first rounders(#1 overall and the #32 pick overall due to Patsies losing a pick from Spygate) and assuming the Cowboys trade works out as mentioned above, The Dolphins would pick up 4 quality starters in round one of the draft.

RB is a need for Miami. Yes I think Ronnie Brown is a stud and keep sending me the hate mail announcing I am a idiot. The concern about Brown coming out of college has been his fondness of losing paying time due to injuries, and Brown has done nothing to shack this theory in three years. If anything, he has done nothing but confirm it because he has missed more and more time each of his three years(2005 Missed 1 game, 2006 missed 3 games, 2007 missed 9 games).

Have not even mentioned that he is trying to come back from a badly torn ACL in 9 months to report for training camp, an injury to RBs that on average we should see Brown return to 2007 form in 2009 not 2008. SO the Dolphins need depth at RB, Parcells likes the 2 RB by committee approach, and if the staff feels like Rookie Booker or Chatman can not supplement Browns efforts next year, then look for the issue to be addressed via free agency or the very deep draft pool of RBs this year.

But we all know this franchise has stronger needs at the now depleted QB position, the offensive and defensive lines, and corners. I expect they will all be addressed in the free agency market and the draft, but do not be suprised to see McFadden selected

QB Matt Ryan ESPN Latest Mock Draft

2008-02-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Per Todd McShay at ESPN Insiders...

Latest Mock Draft for Dolphins is QB Matt Ryan

1. Miami Dolphins -- Matt Ryan, QB, Boston CollegeRecord: 1-15
Needs: OT, DL, ILB, CB, QB
Previous mock selection: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Assuming for our purposes that the Dolphins are unable to trade down, they will have a difficult decision to make between Ryan, DE Chris Long, OT Jake Long and DT Glenn Dorsey. Either of the Longs makes sense, considering offensive tackle and defensive line are two of the team's biggest needs. Dorsey is considered by many to be the No. 2 player in this year's class, but he's not an ideal fit for a 3-4 defensive scheme and it doesn't make financial sense to spend No. 1-type money on a lineman who will be asked to take up space. That's why Ryan makes a lot of sense.
At the end of the day, it will come down to Bill Parcells' opinion of current Miami QB John Beck, whom the former Dolphins regime drafted in the second round last year. If Parcells thinks he can win with Beck, Jake Long would be the next best option, followed by Chris Long, then Dorsey. If not, Ryan should be the selection. He has all the physical tools of a franchise quarterback and, most importantly, he possesses rare intangibles.

MORE INFO ABOUT MATT RYAN BELOW

Matt RyanQB (6'4", 221, 4.8) BOSTON COLLEGE
Scouts Grade: 97
Flags: (D: DURABILITY) Player that can't stay healthy
Strengths:
Is tall enough to scan the entire field from within the pocket, reads defenses fairly well and generally finds the open man given enough time. Accurate, takes something off underneath passes and can lead receiver when throwing underneath. Puts good touch on downfield passes and flashes the ability to drop the ball in over coverage. Mobile enough to get outside the pocket and throws well on the run. Shows good poise, is a leader on the field and wants the ball in hands late in games. Appears to be adjusting to new offense well and can be an effective game manager.
Weaknesses:
Doesn't have a cannon for an arm, doesn't put great zip on downfield passes and gets into trouble when tries to throw into tight coverage. Lacks ideal mobility, has some problems buying time in the pocket and doesn't always make sound decisions when the protection breaks down. Isn't going to make defenders miss, doesn't have great top-end speed and isn't a dangerous open field runner that can consistently pick up yards with feet. Though tough and willing to play through pain, sustained a high-ankle spring during the 2006 season opener, broke left foot during 2006 Virginia Tech game, underwent foot surgery in January and durability is a concern.
Overall:
Ryan was redshirted for the 2003 season. During his first three seasons (2004-06) Ryan played in 26 games (18 starts) completing 419 passes on 693 attempts (60.5 percent) for 4,806 yards, 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Ryan missed one game in 2006 with a sprained ankle. The table is set for Ryan to have a big year because Boston College is expected to open up its offense and he has the accuracy as well as the smarts to excel in the new scheme. However, his lack of elite arm strength and mobility does put a cap on his upside. His potential to develop into an effective starter or above-average backup should make him a late first-day pick if he stays healthy and improves his decision making in the face of pressure.

The above information is courtesy of ESPN

A Patriotic Choke

2008-02-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few headlines from some of the nations newpapers you may enjoy...

Defeated!!!
Greatness Takes a Beating
Patriots Dream Year left with a Giant Hole
Offense Bruise, Beaten
Don’t Count Your Chickens…
Mr Perfect? It’s Eli Manning
History Derailed
SuperBowl Shatters more than Hearts
9 ways to get over the Patriots
Gag Reflex
18 and Done!
Giants Ruin Pats Perfect Quest
In the End, it was all for naught

Patriots should not have tested Karma. Placing a legal copyright on the term “19-0.” Writing checks their team could not cash. There will be no Hub Parade on Super Tuesday. There will be no commemorative books about “Path to Perfection.” Having the gumption to begin taking pre orders on said book. That’s what they get for arrogantly messing with Karma and testing fate.

In New England the Church bells all are broken.

How sweet the outcome of Superbowl XLII was to Giants and Dolphin fans. Finally we can rest assured for another year that the NFLs only perfect team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, can relax knowing they are alone in declaring this incredible accomplishment. You have a feeling that this record may go unchallenged much longer than another year. I still think it will be broken one day, but not by the Pats.

Good for the Dolphins. Things worked out pretty good for the historic 72 team. Not only do they remain the only undefeated NFL Team in history, but they gained tremendous exposure this year as a result of the Patriots failed attempt at perfection. Many of the younger NFL fans have now been educated on the 72 Dolphins for probably the first time. Hopefully the 72 alumni will see more cash come their way as a result of this positive exposure over the last four months from book deals, commercials, sponsors, etc. Remember, this 72 team was paid pennies compared to today’s standards, and the NFL retirement package leaves much to be desired.

Good for them. They deserve it.

The New England Patriots coughed up a tremendous fur ball in Superbowl XLII and it was an emotional rollercoaster watching their season go down in flames. All for naught. The Giants punched the Pats squarely in the nose and I have to admit I enjoyed watching the beating.

I was just in plain shock that the Patsies lost this game as the next guy. On Friday I wrote on this site I had thrown in the towel and convinced myself that the Pats would win and I might as well pull for them for many far reaching reasons. I was not excited about this Superbowl matchup. Looking back at my Fridays submission, it now sounds to me as if I was a five year old in a doctors office reacting after a nurse walked in with a handful of needles and I was about to be administered some vaccines. I hated the fact that I was about to get shots, but I was trying to convince myself all of the positive reasons why I should not fight it, and just let the nurse stick me in the ass with four needles(or be happy for the Pats going 19-0 and winning the Superbowl).

I convinced myself I would be the good sport and root for the Patriots. Once the game began however and the Giant beating began, I realized just how hard I was pulling for the Patriots to lose. There was no way possible I could pull for the Patriots. When the Giants ended their 10 minute opening drive with only a field goal, I knew the Patriots would answer with a touchdown, and I suddenly thought about the Chargers/Pats title game two weeks earlier. Here we go again.

Hind sight is 20/20. Too many glorious moments from the game and the two weeks leading up to the game. At least Plaixco Burress had the balls to stand behind his prediction all week that the Giants would win 23-17. I love how the smug Brady appeared insulted that Plaxico had indicated that the Patriots would ONLY score 17 points in this prediction. You could tell it rubbed Brady the wrong way. He commented “…We would only score 17 points??? That’s it? Wow.”

Last weekend, NFL Radio and ESPN both confirmed that a anonymous Patriot player had told a media member in confidence that the Patriots were going to put up a “half a hundred” on the Giants, and The Giants “would not know what hit them.”
Coward. Some may not like players coming out with game predictions but at least Plaxico had the stones to face the music and not hide like this anonymous Patriot player. Suddenly I am a Giants lover.

Now Brady is wishing his team could have scored 17 points. Maybe they would have had it not been for a bonehead coaching decision made by the once great Belichick to not kick a 48 yarder but opted instead of going for it on a 4th and 13.

According to overnight Nielsen figures, the Super Bowl last night was the most watched Super Bowl and the 2nd most watched program in TV history. About 97.5 million people watched. In other words, the whole word saw the Patriots take a beating like they have never had before.

According to the Associated Press, the Giants’ last-minute win trumped the ratings for the 1996 Super Bowl in which Dallas beat Pittsburgh. The game overall fell only to the 1983 finale of “M*A*S*H,” the No. 1 program of all time, which drew 106 million viewers.

Twenty four hours ago, the media was prepared to honor the Pats as the greatest team ever, the greatest franchise ever, the greatest dynasty ever, Belichick the greatest coach ever, and Brady the greatest QB ever. Superbowl was just a formality. But now all of those debate will be held without ever a mention of the Patriots, Belichick and Brady. Forever.

I enjoyed watching Belichick squirm after the game. Two seconds left on the clock, and Belichick runs inside the locker room leaving his team behind. The game was technically not over, one more ball had to be snapped, and although Bill did the right thing by congratulating Coughlin, Belichick left his players hi and dry. If the players are forced to remain on the field to finish the game, then so too should not their leader, their head coach lead by example and stand behind their players? Not the selfish Belichick, he could not get off that field fast enough. You can just tell that this Superbowl will have a tremendous carry over effect that will psychologically impact this once great franchise for years to come and they may never be the same again.

The beginning of the end for the Patriots begins now. Lets hope Parcells can capitalize sooner rather than later.

Superbowl Not an Easy Choice

2008-02-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

I’m having a struggle regarding which team I will pull for in the Superbowl. Being an avid Dolphin fan, I’m technically supposed to hate the Patriots, and technically I’m not supposed to desire to see them tie the Dolphins undefeated season. But I don’t particularly care for the Giants that much either so I am having a hard time making peace with myself in terms who I will pull for Superbowl Sunday. So maybe writing out my thoughts will help me figure it all out…

Things I know…

The Superbowl has been very good to me the last two years, if the Dolphins can’t make it to the big game, then I like seeing other teams I root for win it and I have been happy the last two years seeing the Colts and Steelers win the Superbowl.

Participating in fantasy football has caused a tremendous paradigm shift for me in terms of the teams I like and dislike in the NFL. Before I began playing fantasy football 11 years ago, my interest in the NFL were very polar and isolated, I loved the Dolphins unconditionally and hated all the other teams in the AFC East, hated a few other teams, and other teams I loved a notch or two below the Dolphins. I had a hard time watching games where one of my favorite teams was not playing. Since involvement in Fantasy ball however, I have learned a lot more about football in general and I no longer hate any teams, and I pull for teams to win certain games now because of certain players on teams instead of the colors they wear.

Which gets me to this point, there are many players on the Patriots that are former Dolphins and I would like to see some these players win a Superbowl, particularly Wes Welker, Sammy Morris and Junior Seau. Izzo already has 3 rings. Junior played for the Dolphins and he will always be better known as a Charger than a Dolphin, but I still think the guy is a class act, and I always like seeing players like Seau win a title. I have always been more of a AFC guy anyway.

I also like seeing players whom I disliked in the past due to their off field antics and bad attitudes finally get themselves together and start playing good team ball and begin showing humility off the field . That Patriot political kool aid not only must be good but it must be toxic as it sure has worked its magic on Randy Moss this year. I have enjoyed listening to Randy during press conferences all year. I always walk away from his public comments saying “who is this guy?”

This is not the Randy Moss I have seen the last 10 years.

I’m not surprised to see college footballs best conferences well represented on the rosters. SEC has 21 players on the Pats and Giants and that is best. I think most people would be surprised to see that the ACC is the second strongest conference represented in the NFL and this stat shows up again with having 17 players on these two rosters. Patriots have 13 former SEC alumni, while the Giants have 13 ACC alumni. Top schools represented overall are Miami with 6, followed by LSU with 5 and USC with 5. Marshall has 4! Being that I am a big LSU Tiger fan and the Pats have 4 former LSU Tigers on their squad including superstar Kevin Faulk, yet another reason to root for the Pats.

I guess I have failed to understand all the big deal about Pats going undefeated and breaking the Dolphins record as the only undefeated team in NFL history. True the Dolphins are the only current team to go undefeated in the NFL, but not in professional football. This feat has been accomplished one other time. The 1948 Cleveland Browns finished the year 14-0 after beating the Buffalo Bills 49-7 in the title game. Two other occasions, the 1934 Chicago Bears 13-0, and 1942 Chicago Bears 11-0 both lost in the final championship game and ended the year with one loss.

While the Dolphins were the first NFL team to go undefeated, they were not the first team in professional football to do it. I don’t think if the Patriots go 19-0 they will be the last either. It may take another 35 years to see it again, but it will happen. Weather the Pats win or lose, the 72 Fins will always remain the first team in NFL history to go undefeated and nothing will tarnish that incredible season.

Interesting stat I heard today that the 41 winners of the past Superbowls have a +88 turnover margin. Losing teams have combined for 137 turnovers and the winners have turned the ball over only 49 times. That averages out to the losing team committing 3 turnovers to the winners one per Superbowl. I don’t know why, but I am not convinced yet that Eli Manning has turned the corner on his career just because of 3 good playoff games. I hope he has but I would not be surprised to see him throw 3 picks and fumble once or twice despite being perfect in the turnover department so far thru three postseason games.

And Finally…

Giants offensive lineman Grey Ruegammer castrated a lamb with his teeth reports USA Today. OK that did it for me; I could not possibly pull for Giants now. I’m reluctantly pulling for Wes Welker and the Patriots, so let’s hope it’s a good game. Pats win 33-21.

Cowboy 2008 Free Agent Players on Parcells Mind?

2008-01-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

Being that Bill Parcells and company have hired almost the entire Cowboy coaching staff since the end of the season, it is only fair to assume Parcells may also look to the Cowboys when the upcoming free agency begins.

Parcells knows the Cowboys roster better than he knows any other roster in the NFL right now, so its logical reasoning to assume he will covet the players he knows best. Being that the Dolphins have needs in all positions(including RB Depth) it is safe to assume Parcells may cast a wide net in order to upgrade this depleted division 1A college team roster.

Below are six Cowboy free agents for 2008 and a few simple notes about their abilities...in no particular position order

RFA=Restricted Free Agent
UFA-Unrestricted Free Agent

Running Backs

Marion Barber, RFA, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas won’t let Barber go anywhere. He’s grown into one of the league’s best at gaining yards after first contact and runs with a mean streak. He’s rushed for 981 yards on 198 carries this season, boasting an average of five yards per rushing attempt. He’s also been able to play a role in the passing game with 275 yards receiving. He has 12 total touchdowns this season, following up his 2006 total of 16 touchdowns. The young running back could someday soon be the feature back in Dallas, and his 2007 Pro Bowl selection will not be his last.

Julius Jones, UFA, Dallas Cowboys
The more that Marion Barber III shows he can be a successful back in the NFL while shouldering a larger load, the more expendable Jones becomes. Jones has put up decent numbers early in his career, with over 1,000 yards in 2006 to go with four touchdowns. However, his touchdown totals have fallen each season as Barber has taken away most of his short-yardage carries. Jones has scored just twice this season and totaled 581 rushing yards, his lowest career total. The Cowboys could look to keep Jones, but they may move on and the back may look for a new team on which he can get more carries. It’s hard to say which direction the team will go, but Barber seems more and more ready to start, so Jones will have to settle for a reduced workload if he sticks around.

Tyson Thompson RFA Dallas Cowboys
6-1, 220, 3 years experience from San Jose State (I never heard of this guy)
Thompson has good burst and elusiveness and excellent straight-line speed. He has shown the ability to excel as a kick return specialist. He hits the hole quickly and has some wiggle on the second level. He has a second gear and can run away from defenders when he finds a seam. He shows some effectiveness bouncing plays outside and makes some surprising gains after contact. He can consistently make the grab on outlet and screen passes. He is dangerous on the perimeter after the catch. But Thompson lacks ideal bulk and isn't physical. He struggles as an interior runner and isn't well-suited to carry the load or wear down a defense. He probably never will be an every-down back.(courtesy of ESPN)

Michael Turner, RFA, San Diego-A Michael Turner Ronnie Brown 1-2 punch anyone?

Jamel Lewis, UFA, Cleveland

Wide Receivers
Patrick Crayton, UFA, Dallas Cowboys
With 516 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2006, Patrick Crayton showed the Cowboys that they may have found Terry Glenn’s eventual replacement. Crayton had solid numbers for the role he was given as the third option, but he showed signs of being a potential number two. With Glenn out for 2007 because of injury, Crayton was asked to do even more, and he has come through with 689 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The Cowboys will likely look to lock him up for the future, but if he does hit the market, his speed and hands will certainly receive some attention.

Offensive Tackle

Flozell Adams, UFA, Dallas Cowboys
A veteran left tackle, Adams should hit the market and receive decent interest. A second-round pick in 1998, Adams has developed into one of the league’s better offensive linemen. His size, experience, and performance will lure teams into making a considerable offer for his services. The Cowboys are developing young talent behind him, and depending on how that youth pans out the rest of the season, the team could allow him to leave in favor of saving some money.

Hows this for a draft Scenario...Dolphins get OT Flozell Adams and Julius Jones in exchange for Dallas two first round picks(#22, #28) Dallas gets the #1 overall in Jerry Jones love fest with Darren McFadden can become a reality. Dolphins want out of #1 spot bad, and in order to do so, Dolphins must must be willing to sell at a significantly lower price than what the typical draft value chart indicates.

Cornerback
Ken Hamlin, UFA, Dallas Cowboys
The Arkansas product has 59 total tackles and five interceptions, and has helped Dallas to one of the league’s best records. Hamlin is still young at 26, and should have several seasons ahead of him, so there will be teams interested in using him at the safety spot. Dallas will look to sign him to an extension so that they can continue to benefit from his play.

I may be missing a free agent or two from the Cowboys squad, but from what I'm seeing on the net so far, this is it. Parcells knows the Cowboys roster well, and you see this line of thinking all the time, bringing in players and personnel you know well from your past. So far, Parcells has been true to form.

Front Office Instability/Turnover Equal Losing Seasons

2008-01-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

The good teams in the modern day NFL maintain stability starting with the front office and that drives the process all way down to the players on the roster. So its with this line of thinking that offers my theory on why the Dolphins have failed to make the playoffs since 2000. A clear lack of stability in the front office and players is the obvious reason for the Dolphins demise over the last 7 years. These are the major issues that have caused the once storied franchise to become the worst team in the league.

This also is a common sense point that even people who know nothing about the NFL could easily point to instability as being the primary reasons behind this pathetic excuse for a NFL team.

Good news however, as I am thinking the team has hit its bottom, and there is only one way to go and that is up, and thankfully Wayne Huizenga has made his smartest hire since bringing in Jimmy Johnson to replace the retiring Hall of fame coach Don Shula in 1996.
Start at the very top and rebuild this franchise, and that is exactly what Parcells is doing right now by hiring former Cowboys General Manager Jeff Ireland, Head Coach Tony Sparano, and quarterbacks coach David Lee. Hopefully Sparano will be a long term solution and stick around after Parcells moves on (to whatever he moves on to) in a few year. Build a solid foundation from the top down that will last for years to come.

Since 2004, the Dolphins have just hired their 5th Head coach over four seasons. You can not win consistently with this type of environment. I’m of the opinion that this franchise has not had a real head coach since Jimmy Johnson.

Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga said that one of the main reasons he chose Jimmy Johnson to succeed coach Don Shula in 1996 was because of his renowned drafting prowess. While Johnson astutely took advantage of the blockbuster trade of Herschel Walker to the Vikings to construct three Super Bowl champions in Dallas during the '90s, he was unable to copy that success as the Dolphins' coach and GM from 1996-99. Johnson, a former college nose guard, was able to steal future Pro Bowl defensive stars Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor in the fifth and third rounds of the '96 and '97 drafts respectively. But his repeated failures to build the offense were highlighted by an army of running backs busts such as Avery, J.J. Johnson and Cecil Collins in the '98 and '99 drafts.

But Johnson never had a losing season in his four years and the defensive talent he brought to this squad in 1996 -99 is the main reason why the Dolphins posted winning seasons in 2000(11-5), 2001(11-5), 2002(9-7), 2003(10-6) and 2007(8-8). The two most talented players on the roster today are Jimmy Johnson picks, Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor. This team had winning seasons due to solid defensive play led by these two future hall of famers.

Jimmy Johnson did not solve the QB issue or the offensive woes, so thus he has always received criticism for this lack of success in this area."The organization has struggled from a personnel standpoint over the years," said fullback Rob Konrad, who was drafted by Johnson in 1999. "For instance, they drafted me in the second round. . . . You don't recover from those types of mistakes over the course of one or two years. It takes a lot of years of being disciplined in the draft and through free agency to build a championship team."

Of the 58 players drafted or acquired using their draft picks between 1998-2003, not one is on the Dolphins' 53-man roster today. Only injury-prone safety Yeremiah Bell, a sixth-round pick in '03 now on injured reserve, and controversial running back Ricky Williams, coming off his 18-month suspension, are still with the team. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. asked rhetorically.

"When most of their hopes lie on players taken in last year's draft and their best players are winding down, you know you're in trouble. The Dolphins roster is completely bereft of talent. It's woeful. A scary opposite of the the Dolphins roster is a simple look at the Defending NFL champs the Indianapolis Colt. Twenty of the 22 starters on the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts team were homegrown, of which 10 were picked between 1998 to 2003.

The Dolphins also have had only 6 first round picks in the last 10 drafts primarily because giving away draft picks in search of that elusive next franchise QB. John Beck may workout. He looked good in his early starts but then digressed rapidly his final two starts. One thing I know is Beck is the 12th starting QB since Marino retired less than 10 years ago which says a lot about this team. Maybe since Marino wore lucky #13, and it is fate that the 13th QB we bring in will finally be THE man. Perhaps we are only one QB away from finding him?

Retired Dolphins director of college scouting Tom Braatz, who was closely involved in the teams' drafts from 1992 to 2003 said he pushed hard for Purdue quarterback Drew Brees in 2001, but coach Wannstedt elected to take Wisconsin cornerback Jamar Fletcher (26th pick overall), now
a nickel defensive back with the Texans.

"We needed a quarterback, but Dave passed him over for a defensive back," Braatz said. "To me a franchise quarterback is the number one commodity, then a running back and a defensive end.”"You pass [Brees] up, you live with it."The floundering franchise is still living with that ill-fated decision as it struggles to find a consistent starting quarterback."If Brees is with the Dolphins it's a different story," Kiper said. "The Saints GM should send a Christmas card every year to the Dolphins..."

Rob Rang, founder of NFL.draftscout.com, said that Wannstedt and Spielman, then the head of player personnel, missed more often than not because they continuously chose the best athletes over filling needs.Another example was choosing injury-prone linebacker Eddie Moore in 2003 with their top pick, when future Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin was sitting on the board. Years later, the pick was pinned more on Wannstedt and less on Spielman.

Its impossible to think that any NFL team can not lose good players each year to free agency, but am I the only that that over the last ten years we have given away some all stars for almost nothing in return? How much better would this team be today if the likes of Andewale Ogunleye Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain, Larry Izzo, Junior Seau, Sammy Morris, Heath Evans, Randy McMichael, Wes Welker, Chris Chambers were still contributors to the 07 team? Yes we can not keep them all, and some are past their prime, but our secondary with Surtain and Madison would have been better this year than the hodgepodge of misfits we had running around giving up big play after big play.

SPARANO HIRED AS NEW HEAD COACH

2008-01-16T08:07:00.001-08:00

ESPNs Len Pasquarell

Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano is the new Miami Dolphins head coach.
Mosley: Who is Sparano?

Wonder why Tony Sparano was such a hot commodity on the coaching carousel? Matt Mosley explains. Hashmarks

The two sides on Wednesday morning completed work on what ESPN.com has confirmed is a four-year contract worth about $2.5 million to $2.7 million per year.
Not counting the interim tenure of Jim Bates in 2004, Sparano becomes the sixth head coach in franchise history. In his first NFL head coaching job, Sparano inherits a team that won just one game in 2007; has obvious holes on the offensive side, including uncertainty at quarterback; and an aging defense.

On the positive side, the Dolphins own the top overall selection in the 2008 draft, and can either exercise it to choose a top-shelf prospect, or perhaps trade the choice for additional picks in the lottery. Sparano also will be surrounded by a strong support group of front-office executives he knows well.

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who most recently worked in the Dallas personnel department as vice president of college and pro scouting, is familiar with Sparano and his coaching style. And Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells hired Sparano as an assistant when Parcells was the Dallas head coach.
Sparano, 46, also interviewed for the head coach openings in Atlanta and Baltimore.

Although he has worked in the league only nine seasons, Sparano is widely respected for his offensive acumen and his demeanor with the players. Before joining the Dallas staff in 2003, Sparano was on the staffs of Cleveland (1999-2000), Washington (2001), and Jacksonville (2002).

Before landing his first NFL position, Sparano worked 15 years in the college ranks and was head coach at New Haven from 1994 to 1998.

He worked primarily with the Cowboys' offensive line this season. But when Parcells was the coach, Sparano had much broader responsibilities. Although he didn't hold the title of coordinator, Sparano called the team's plays in 2006. Parcells is known to hold Sparano in high regard.

Sparano is expected to pursue several current Dallas assistant coaches, some of whose contracts with the Cowboys have expired, for key positions on his staff.

Ted Ginns Projections

2007-12-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

I think its safe to say at this point that Ted Ginn is no bust, but it is yet to be determined what kind of long term impact he will have for this franchise.

Something about Ginn has reminded me of Steve Smith ever since he has been drafted, and they have both been used in similar fashions in their respective rookie years. If Ginn continues his ongoing pace at WR, Kick Returner, and Punt Returner, he will exceed all statistical categories from Steve Smiths rookie year.

Season to date, Ginn has 18 receptions for 259 yards and is on pace for 24 receptions, for 350 yards and 1 touchdown. Ginn seems to have good chemistry with Beck, and my forecast actually is a little higher for Ginn over the last 4 games. Based on the last 3 games with Beck at the helm and assuming this trend continues, I am forecasting Ginn to finish with 31 receptions and 400 yards. Ginn has already passed Steve Smiths rookie year of 10 receptions and 154 yards.

Ginn is on pace to finish with 60 kickoff retuns for 1,440 yards and a 24 yard average. Steve Smiths rookie years output was 56 kickoff returns for 1,431 yards and a 26 yard average. Smith also finished with 2 return TDs. It should be noted that Ginn has had 2 TDs this year on kickoff returns that were nulled due to penalties, so at least he is showing the ability to break the big ones.

Ginn is on pace to finish with 20 punt returns for 251 yards. Ginn has had one punt return for a touchdown. Steve Smith finished with 34 punt returns for 364 yards and a 11 yard average compared to Ginns 13 yard average.

Total Projections for Ted Ginn are 111 total touches for 2,091 yards and a 19 yard average which is comparable to Steve Smiths 100 touches and 1,949 yards and 19 yard average.

Hopefully, Ted Ginns career will progress to that of Steve Smiths level over the next five years.

Patriots Not Running Up Score

2007-11-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

The New England Patriots are 10-0 and have won these games by an average score of 41-16. They are not running up the score nor should they scale back their offensive explosiveness during games where they are in solid command when victory is assured.

Every year at the College and Hi School levels, we see brilliant teams cake walk thru their regular season schedule with massive blowouts. I do not recall anyone complaining about the University of Kansas current football teams running up the score this year do you? They are 11-0 and have won in similar fashion to the Patriots by an average margin of 46-14. That's even greater margin than the Patriots so why isn't everyone complaining??? Why is this situation any different???

A Patriots apologist I am not, I would defend any team in this current predicament of managing an offense as explosive. Has nothing to do with The Patriots but more about the irritation the media is giving me about the subject and with fans who call into radio shows who have no common sense about football.

The bottom line is the Patriots offense is a well oiled machine, one more win they clinch the AFC East. Their other team goals for the season are to secure home field, and win the Superbowl. The current state of the Pats offense is that they are virtually unstoppable. Why would any coach alter or tinker with the offensive production. Any attempts to scale back may prove counter productive for the Pats season goals.

The bottom line is every hi school, college and pro team are practicing the same philosophy as the Patriots offense anytime the offense team is on the field. The offenses primary goal is to score a touchdown. If the Patriots suddenly draw a line in the middle of the third quarter when most of their games are already decided, and suddenly begin to kneel on the ball or playing NOT to score, then this could have a major impact on the offenses ability to score when they need to when it counts. I do not even know how you would do this anyway, to run a offense with the goal of not scoring in order to keep the game respectable.

In addition to the weekly blowouts, think of the huge psychological advantage they are building up against their opponent even before taking the field on Sundays. I am sure the opposing defenses are scratching their heads thinking how in the world are we going to stop the Patriots this weekend? Why in the world would a coach want to minimize this psychological advantage as they head into the playoffs? How many titles has Tiger Woods won over the last decade in part due cause some of his opponents are intimidated because they are playing as the same group as Tiger??

The bottom line is simple, if teams want their loses look better when they lose to the Patriots, their defenses need to step up and stop them more often and not quit asking the Pats to stop themselves.

Maybe that's the problem with the Patriots, maybe no one can stop the Pats except themselves?

Dolphins Hold 2 Game Lead-Magic Number is 5

2007-11-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

With the Jets victory over the Steelers, and the Rams victory over the 49ers yesterday, the Dolphins now own a 2 game lead for the first pick in the 2008 NFL draft held in April 2008.
This is good news for a team in obvious rebuilding mode and in desperate need for youthful play makers on a aging defense.

All the Dolphins need to do is lose 5 of their 6 next games to lock up first place in the NFL draft.
Should not be hard to do for them the way they are playing. Congratulations to the teams with 4 or more wins this year as they have been eliminated from winning the drafts first position for 2008. There is no way this Dolphins campaign finish out the season going 4-2

Current Race for Pick 1# in 08 draft with remaining games. Only six teams still alive.

Team Record Remaining Games
Mia 0-10 @Pitt, Jets, @Buf, Bal, @NE, Cincy
NYJ 2-8 @Dal,@Mia, CLE, @NE,@TN,KC
STL 2-8 Sea, Atl, @Cin, GB, PIT,@ARZ
49ers 2-8 @ARZ,@Car,Min, Cin, TBay,@CLE
Cin 3-7 Ten, @Pit, STL, @49ers, Cle,@Mia
Atl 3-7 Indy, @STL, Saints, @TBay,@ARZ, Sea

Key games that will decide the #pick in 2008 draft
wk13-NYJ@ Mia
wk13- Stl@ Atl
wk14 Stl@ Cin
wk15-Cin@ 49ers
wk17-Cincy@ Mia

The 2008 draft may prove to be the most important in Miami Dolphin history. A solid draft with rookies making immediate impact during the 2008 season could see the Dolphins return to respectability sooner rather than later. Cameron lays an egg on this next draft and we may see the Dolphins tailspin last longer than Cameron's tenure. Cameron does not win a game this year, its possible his time is up now.

If the Draft were based on NFL standings thru week 11, The Dolphins would grab 5 of the first 97 players off the board. These picks would be

#1 - Round 1
#33-Round 2
#54-Round 2-Via San Diego Chris Chambers trade
#65-Round 3
#97-Round 4

If the Dolphins draft well next year and succeed by grabbing 3-5 quality immediate starters, they could be well on their way to getting out of this quagmire of ugly football.
Dolphins have desperate need on defense for Defensive tackles, Ends, Linebackers, Cornerbacks, Strong safetys, and Full safetys. On offense they need
centers, guards, tackles, runningbacks, fullbacks, wideouts, tightends, and quarterbacks.
Just Kidding!

The offense as a whole is middle of the pack in the NFL. In my opinion the line has played its best in a decade. Jesse Chatman is a sound #2 RB, and it remains to be seen how injury prone RB Ronnie Brown bounces back from his torn ACL next year. ACLs usually take 2 years for a RB to bounce back, so look for Brown to be his best in the 2009 season.

Brown is injury plagued and has missed games every year in his professional career. When healthy, he is a top 5 NFL Runningback. Cameron is offensive minded and I am sure Arkansas'
RB Darren McFadden deserves a long look as a prospective round one pick.

This team needs defense badly, and LSUs DT Glenn Dorsey would be a good place to start.

The Dolphins 2008 draft will be exciting, and many things can happen that can cause it to be a very productive draft class. They can trade out of the #1 spot and pick up more picks(I vote for this option) Ricky Williams can finish the year strong and Dolphins can trade him to pick up a 4th or 5th rounder in 2008 if they are lucky.

Also do not be too suprised to see ZThomas retire and JTaylor be traded or retire as well.

Cameron has proven that he can be decent on draft day. Last years center Satele is having an incredible year, and say what you will about WR rookie Ted Ginn, but he is not a bust. He has 3 punt/kickoff returns for touchdowns(2 called back for penalties) and is on pace to have a much better than Carolinas WR Steve Smith in his rookie year.

If drafting defense is most critical for the upcomign draft, then perhaps we should throw a couple of million dollars at former coach Jimmy Johnson to come in and lead up the evaluation and draft process for next year.

Patriots are OK in my Book

2007-11-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

I believe I can stand toe to toe with any other true Dolphin fan and declare my love for this franchise is just as great. But I think what may separate me from many fans of the Dolphins, Jets or Bills, is I have no problem with the Patriots current run at an undefeated season or the fact that they were caught spying earlier this season against the Jets in week one.

The fact that many outraged fans declare that the Patriots deserve a Barry Bonds asterisk beside their three Superbowl trophies because they cheated and had an unfair advantage in games to me is simply ludicrous. There is no question that the Pats were found breaking the rules and that this was not the first time this franchise was caught engaging in similar activities. I think the NFL punishment was swift and hard and sent a loud message to the rest of the league, but to think that the Pats are the only team to break the rules by spying on its opponent in such a way is hard for me to accept.

I also believe Nixon was not the only President of the USA to break the rules while serving our nation, he simply was caught.

I am of the opinion that over the last 100 years, every NFL franchise has engaged in similar tactics at some point to greater or lesser degrees than the Pats at some point in time and it would be impossible to discern between which franchises broke the rules when and what kind of degree of advantage such broken rules gave teams in regular and postseason games over the history of the NFL.

I would not be surprised in the least if there are current NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL teams that are still pushing the envelope of bending and breaking league rules to gain a competitive advantage during games, and will continue to do so until they are caught doing it. The Patriots are not the first team and certainly will not be the last. I hope I am wrong and I think cheating is bad for any sport, but I can not deny that it happens.

As time rolls on in my 35th year of a Dolfan, I find my love for this franchise still going strong, but less isolated with greater perspective and appreciation for great NFL teams and players in the NFL. I thank my involvement of fantasy football over the last decade for my maturity as it has forced me to spend more time watching other players and teams other than the Dolphins. I love the game of football, and my understanding and appreciation and desire for quality football games, players and teams has caused me to seek a better product on the field when it comes time to watch football Thursday thru Monday. With the Dolphins being perhaps the worst team this season and zero playoff appearances in the last several years, one can hardly blame me. Indeed I used to hate the Pats, Jets, and Bills and several other NFL teams, but I have learned to respect and appreciate these teams when they are having a good year.

I would love nothing more than to see the Patriots lose a game this year in order to see the Dolphins maintain their status as the only team to go undefeated. The odds the Patriots of running the table are stacked against them more than people realize. The Pats are 9-0, and still have 10 more games to play before they do it, and with frequent injuries and greater parity in the league today compared to 1972, the Pats could lose to anyone.

I do not care much for Belichicks media personality, but I think Tom Brady is one of the ten greatest quarterbacks of all time and is a class act on and off the field. Whats is not to like about him other than the fact that he is not a Dolphin? Wes Welker is probably one of my favorite Dolphins of all time and it sickened me when I found out he was becoming a Patriot. I hated to see Sammy Morris depart as well as special teams ace Larry Izzo years ago. Maybe I feel the way I do is because these were former Dolphins and if the Fins can’t win the Superbowl then at least some of their former great players have a chance.

If the Pats go undefeated I will not be disgruntled, rather I will respect the fact that what I have witnessed this year is one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of professional sports. The bottom line is the Dolphins will always be the FIRST team to accomplish the undefeated season, and the Patriots going undefeated will never change this fact nor the fact that the undefeated Dolphins was one of the greatest teams in all of professional sports.
It is hard being a Dolfan these days and the lesson I have learned over the last few seasons is my love for college and pro football is greater than my love for Dolphins, and if the Fins are having a bad year, it will not stop me from extracting every ounce of joy from the game I can muster. I will watch every game Miami plays but I will also watch and enjoy watching the other great teams during the season.

Miami Stink: Dolphins suffer from bad play, bad luck, bad moves

2007-10-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

By Len Pasquarelli from ESPN...

MIAMI -- From a luxury suite at Dolphins Stadium, the coach with the most victories in league history -- and the only sideline general in the modern era of the NFL to shepherd his team to an undefeated season -- watched a debacle unfold.
The private vantage point from which Don Shula witnessed the New England Patriots' 49-28 dismantling of the hapless Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the first game Shula attended this season at his old workplace, included every creature comfort imaginable.
But you have to wonder what was more uncomfortable for the Hall of Fame coach: Watching the Patriots in their relentless pursuit of perfection and perhaps joining Shula's 1972 Dolphins as the only unblemished teams in modern history? Or seeing the once-proud Dolphins franchise that he helped build to lofty heights in South Florida continue its spiral toward the most imperfect season in NFL history?
Dubious Decisions In '07
There are three primary mechanisms for acquiring players in the NFL -- trades, free agency and the draft -- and the Dolphins appear to have made questionable decisions in each category this season:
• TRADE: After pursuing Trent Green for two months in trade talks, they completed a deal with Kansas City for the 14-year quarterback in June. In exchange for a fifth-round draft choice, Miami got a player who was supposed to solidify a position that has been in flux since Dan Marino retired following the 1999 season. But Green, 37, suffered a severe concussion for the second consecutive season and was placed on injured reserve last week. In the six games he played, Green wasn't particularly effective, throwing five touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
• FREE AGENCY: They signed nine-year linebacker Joey Porter after he was released by Pittsburgh, whose personnel department doesn't make many mistakes in assessing its players. Miami awarded Porter, 30, a five-year, $32 million contract. The return on that investment so far: 25 tackles and one sack. Team officials have pointed out that Porter, who generally played on the weak side in Pittsburgh, is aligning at strongside linebacker now and not being asked to rush the quarterback as much. Still, he hasn't made any real impact in terms of big plays.
• DRAFT: Despite a foot injury that scared off several other teams, Ohio State wide receiver/return specialist Ted Ginn Jr. was drafted with the ninth overall pick, a choice roundly criticized by Dolphins fans. The jury still is out on Ginn, who will get a lot more playing time now, after the trade of Chris Chambers last week. Ginn has averaged 20.0 yards per catch, but he has just six receptions and is not as polished a receiver as many felt he would be. He is averaging 24.6 yards on 29 kickoff returns and has 10 punt returns for an average of 7.3 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown.
-- Len Pasquarelli
Shula has not commented publicly on the feeble state of the Dolphins, whose poor play will be exported this week when they face the New York Giants in London, the NFL's first regular-season game overseas. But some members of the Dolphins' undefeated 1972 Super Bowl VII championship team can no longer bite their tongues.
"Pathetic" and "ridiculous" were the terms employed by Hall of Fame middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti in an interview with The Miami Herald earlier this week. "Embarrassing," declared former running back Jim Kiick. Added ex-defensive tackle Manny Fernandez: "It's just sad."
Indeed, at 0-7 for the first time in franchise history, and with talk the Dolphins could become the first 0-16 entry in league annals, it is a sorry state of affairs. And not even the most senior members of this season's team dare attempt to portray the current situation as anything other than bleak.
"We're just not very good right now, especially on [the defensive side]," assessed middle linebacker Zach Thomas, the longest-tenured Dolphin at 12 years. "I mean, we can't even play right now with the mediocre teams in the league, let alone with a great team like [the Patriots]. They were awesome and we were awful. ... It just isn't pretty right now, is it? You can say, 'Well, if we just keep grinding, work hard, it will get better.' But it isn't getting any better.
"It's bad. ... And I really don't know how you fix it."
Adding injury to insult for Thomas, the feisty linebacker's 2007 Mercedes was rear-ended on his way home from Sunday's game. Thomas missed two games earlier this season because of a head injury sustained in Week 2's game against the Dallas Cowboys, and now he's sidelined for the London contest due to whiplash.
Such is the mounting misfortune of the Dolphins that they could lose a key player to a mishap suffered during a seemingly innocuous fender-bender.
"You name it, and it's happened to us this year," 11-year defensive end Jason Taylor said. "Everything that could go wrong, it seems, has gone wrong. There's been injuries, inconsistency, whatever."
And now, it seems, could come ignominy. Because this is, by most standards, a deplorably bad Dolphins team.
Despite a respectable No. 15 ranking in the league statistics, the offense is anything but explosive. Cleo Lemon, a lifetime backup quarterback, now is the starter. Chris Chambers, the most capable receiver, was traded to the San Diego Chargers last week. And star tailback Ronnie Brown, arguably the team's one bright spot, was lost for the season with a knee injury suffered against the Pats.
The loss of Brown came on the heels of the announcement that quarterback Trent Green, who was supposed to stabilize a position that has been in flux since Dan Marino retired in 1999, is gone for the season, victimized by a second concussion in two years.
The defense, which looked good in training camp and was being counted on to play well until the offense of first-year head coach Cam Cameron caught up, has gotten old very quickly. There isn't much team speed on the unit. And injuries have ravaged what little depth existed. Miami has started five different safeties, and last week, the Patriots abused fifth-year veteran Cameron Worrell, a guy signed as a free agent in the spring to play special teams but now forced into the starting lineup.

G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images
Jason Taylor is among the many unhappy campers in Miami this season.
How desperately do the Dolphins need safeties? On Wednesday, they signed free agent Lance Schulters, who played for Miami in 2005 but wasn't in an NFL training camp this summer. But he did meet two critical criteria. The nine-year veteran played for defensive coordinator Dom Capers in 2005, so he is familiar with the scheme. And he has a passport, so he could make the trip to London this week.
Noted one Miami player, who asked not to be identified: "This is what it's come to around here. For us right now, 'continuity' means we sign a guy because he was here a couple years ago.
"It's pretty desperate."
In fact, continuity is a prized element the Dolphins have not possessed, at least not in very healthy doses, of late. Cameron is the team's fourth head coach since Shula retired in 1995, and that does not include the interim stint of Jim Bates, who took over for the final seven games in 2004 after Dave Wannstedt resigned. Nick Saban, of course, infamously fled back to the college ranks after just two seasons.
Maybe it was more than the $4 million a year contract that lured Saban back to the college ranks. Perhaps it was the knowledge that the talent base in Miami had eroded to a dire level. The team, after all, has not been to the playoffs since 2001 and has not won a postseason game since 2000. The last time the Dolphins appeared in a conference championship game was 1992.
"That's hard to believe for a franchise of this [stature]," Brown said Sunday afternoon while standing on crutches. "You think of the Miami Dolphins, and you think of winners."
Not right now you don't.
What must make all of this difficult for owner Wayne Huizenga to swallow is that he's the kind of owner for whom "football people" love to work. He writes the checks, gets out of the way and allows the people he hired to run the football operation do their jobs. But the people he has hired have perhaps been poor decisions on his part. Certainly, those people have made poor decisions.

Through The Decades
Here's how the Dolphins have fared since 1970, when Don Shula became the head coach:
Decade-Record-Winning Pct.
1970s
104-39-1 .726
1980s
94-57-1 .622
1990s
95-65 .594
2000s
60-59-0 .504
Consider Saban's choice of defensive back Jason Allen in the first round of the 2006 draft. Allen was a player recruited by Saban in high school, and although Allen opted to attend Tennessee, Saban remained familiar with him from their SEC ties. One would think Saban would know Allen's strengths and shortcomings. Apparently, he didn't.
Scouts weren't sure whether Allen was a safety or a cornerback. Indications are that he is neither. Less than two years into his NFL career, what Allen most appears to be is a bust.
Of course, the Dolphins aren't alone in misjudging first-round picks. But consider this nugget from Sports Illustrated's Peter King: In the six drafts from 1998 to 2003, Miami had 59 choices. It exercised 46 of those picks and used 13 other choices in trades to acquire veteran players. Remarkably, none of the players from those drafts is on the current Dolphins roster.
"You know what I'm shocked about?" Buoniconti said. "How the Patriots make all the right decisions and how the Dolphins make all the wrong decisions."
Typically, Buoniconti and other members of the '72 Dolphins annually gather and pop a bottle of champagne when the last unbeaten team goes down and Miami's unblemished record still stands alone. Given the brilliance of the Patriots in 2007, it might be a long time before they break out that champagne. And as far as toasting the 2007 edition of the Dolphins, well, a bottle of rotgut will be more appropriate than Dom Perignon.
Certainly for some Miami players, the events of this season have already been pretty tough to swallow.
"It hurts," Taylor said. 'We've got a lot of issues that ... well, I won't even get into them.
"But it's pretty bad."
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

NFL changes Draft for 2008

2007-10-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Being that the Dolphins are 0-7 and are heading for more losses, its not too soon to look forward to the 2008 draft especially since it looks highly probably that the Dolphins will have their best 1st round pick in franchise history and two second round picks since sending Chris Chambers to San Diego in exchange for their second round pick. The Dolphins will in all likelihood select 2 players in the first 20 picks and 3 players within the first 50 picks on day one.

My personal opinion is that John Beck be inserted into the starting lineup with at least 6 games to play this season so the coaching staff can accurately assess his value as an NFL starting quarterback before the 08 draft. The Dolphins will most likely be on the clock and have the ability to draft the best available QB in the 08 draft and they better have a strong inclination of what Becks NFL ability actually is before draft day. The way this team has managed its personnel over the last decade however, I would not be surprised to see Beck rot on the bench all year unless Lemon gets hurt.

Ronnie Brown was having a career year, and I am upset as anyone for his season ending injury, but I wonder if RB Booker would have ever been activated without Brown being hurt. Its unfortunate that this is what it took to get Booker some playing time but at least we can now see what type of RB he will be on the NFL level.

Offense is not the problem for the Dolphins however. It could be argued that this is the offenses best year thru seven games simce Marinos departure. The 4th ranked defense fror a year ago has dropped to one of the worst in the league primarily driven by age, injuries, and lack of depth. The upcoming draft will enable the Dolphins first 4 picks(Round 1, 2 in Round 2, Round 3) to pick up 4 playmakers out of the best 95 prospects available. IF they draft well, we may begin to see some positive growth as early as next year(providing we dont continue to give away our best remaining players). Below is an article from the AP regarding the 2008 NFL Draft changes...

The NFL announced several revisions to its annual college draft on Tuesday, including cutting the time between picks in the first round of selections.
The time allocated for each club to make selections in the first round of the draft has been reduced from 15 minutes to 10 after a 2007 record round of 6 hours and 8 minutes. The NFL also moved the starting time of the draft from noon EDT to 3 p.m. and limited the first day to two rounds instead of three.
"We believe this will make for a more streamlined and efficient draft," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement issued during the league owners meetings in Philadelphia.
The changes also apply to the second round, which will go from 10 minutes to seven between choices for next year's draft, which will be held April 26-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
In recent years, teams have often used most of the 15 minutes in the first round, entertaining trade offers or making them.
The time between picks will stay at five minutes for the last five rounds, which will take place on Sunday. The second day of the draft will now start at 10 a.m. instead of 11.
Both draft days will be televised by ESPN and the NFL Network.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Patriots Minor Leage Team Clobbered 49-28

2007-10-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Miami Dolphins, where future New England stars come to train for a couple of seasons before being called up to the big show by the New England Patriots. Ive lost count how many players move from Miami to New England over the last 8 seasons, but one thing is for sure, the Dolphins get worse and the Patriots get better as a result of it. Welker, Morris, Seau, Heath Evans, Larry Izzo to name a few. Pardon my rant, the loss of Brown for the year has me beyond frustration at this point in time.

The New England Patriots finally have reached the point that you have to wonder how many NFL records they'll break this season.
The single-season mark of 49 touchdown passes Peyton Manning set in 2004? Tom Brady should smash it. Jerry Rice's record of 22 touchdown receptions in a season? Randy Moss already has 10 in seven games. And is there any reason to think the Patriots won't eclipse the 556 points scored by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings? Put it this way, they're on pace for 612.
About the only question left to wonder about New England -- aside from the weekly debate about when they eventually will lose -- is whether anybody can actually slow them down. Here's a list of the teams with the best shot at keeping Tom Brady & Co. under 30 points when they meet:
1. Pittsburgh (Dec. 9): The Steelers have the talent and the numbers. Even after Sunday night's 31-28 loss at Denver, the Steelers still rank first in total defense (250.3 yards per game). They are second in the NFL in scoring defense (13.0 points per game) and rate third in pass defense (174.8 yards per game). Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, in his 34th year as an NFL coach, is getting it done.
2. Indianapolis (Nov. 4): The Colts know the Pats, so there's no fear factor here. The Colts also play Cover 2, which means they're not going to give up the big plays other Pats opponents have allowed. Throw in a hard-hitting secondary led by safety Bob Sanders, and these Colts can measure up.
3. Baltimore (Dec. 3): This game is late enough in the season that the Ravens should be back to full strength. Once defensive end Trevor Pryce and cornerback Chris McAlister return from injuries, this athletic unit will be able to cause problems once again.
4. Washington (Oct. 28): The Redskins have the first thing you need if you want to survive against New England: a talented secondary. With four first-round picks in their defensive backfield (cornerbacks Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers and safeties LaRon Landry and Sean Taylor), the Skins won't have to worry about being overmatched by the Patriots' wealth of talent. Plus, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams loves the challenge of facing dominant offenses.
5. New York Giants (Dec. 29): Yes, the Giants have a suspect secondary. But their front four -- led by ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora -- can create the kind of pressure Brady rarely has seen this season. The Giants lead the NFL with 27 sacks.

Ronnie Brown and Hill Out for Season

2007-10-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought it could not get any worse...
Somehow, someway, the Dolphins' season just got worse.
Miami running back Ronnie Brown will miss the rest of the season as a result of Sunday's knee injury, two sources said Monday. An MRI revealed enough damage Monday morning to declare Brown's season as done.
Details of the severity of the injury will be known shortly.
Brown, who was one of the only bright spots, has been forced to prematurely end the most successful year of his three-year career as a result of a play that occurred during the third quarter of Sunday's 49-28 loss to the Patriots.
Brown's knee buckled Sunday when he attempted to plant his foot during an interception return by Patriots cornerback Randall Gay. He left the game with 76 yards on 17 carries.
Before leaving Sunday's game, Brown had run for more than 100 yards during four consecutive games. He also had four touchdowns during that span.
The loss of Brown means the team will rely on running back Jesse Chatman as its starter against the Giants. Patrick Cobbs will serve as his backup, and third-round draft pick Lorenzo Booker could also be activated for the first time of his career.

Renaldo Hill Season Over Too
An already decimated Miami Dolphins secondary took another hit Sunday when starting free safety Renaldo Hill sustained a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter of the team's 49-28 loss to the New England Patriots.
Hill, who had started all seven games this season, tore the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee while attempting to defend against a pass. His agent confirmed the diagnosis to the Miami Herald. Hill will be placed on injured reserve later in the week.
Miami is already playing without starting safety Yeremiah Bell, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the first game of the year.
Dolphins' defensive coordinator Dom Capers has been forced to shuffle safeties all season because of injuries. On Sunday, the Dolphins used Cameron Worrell, a special teams player for most of his career, at safety. He was repeatedly victimized by the Patriots' passing game.
The Dolphins a few weeks ago signed veteran free agent safeties Donovin Darius and Lamont Thompson, but subsequently released both of them. The personnel department may have to seek out some more able-bodied safeties now.
Hill, 28, started all 16 games for the Dolphins in 2006, after signing as a free agent, and played well, posting 83 tackles. Even this year, amid the chaos in the secondary, he had at least provided a bit of a stabilizing element.
A seventh-round draft pick of Arizona in the 2001 draft, Hill played four seasons for the Cardinals (2001-2004), before moving to Oakland for one season (2005), and then to Miami last year. In 94 games, he has 382 tackles, 4½ sacks, 12 interceptions and 47 passes defensed.

Both stories from Miami Herald and ESPN.

Cheating Pats Lose Pick; Belichick Fined

2007-09-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Bill Belichick was hit with a $500,000 fine Thursday night -- the maximum allowable by NFL by-laws -- for violating the league's policy on videotaping the Jets defensive signs Sunday. In addition, Roger Goodell notified the Patriots that they would forfeit a 2008 first-round draft choice if they reach the playoffs, or second- and third-round picks if they do not qualify for the playoffs. The club was also fined $250,000. Source ESPN

2007 Miami Dolphins Game by Game Projections

2007-09-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Game by Game Predictions- 2007 Dolphins

I will be taking a quick look at the Dolphins 10 individual match ups outside the AFC East. My theory for the results against the AFC is an optimistic 3-3 campaign. I say optimistic because the Dolphins are 5-13 in the last 3 seasons against the Jets, Pats, and Bills. Lets just say my predictions for these six games is a 3-3 record, I don’t know who or where the wins will occur, I'm just going with 3-3.

You should know that I am a big believer in momentum and revenge factors having influences on NFL match ups and this is why I feel the Pats will sweep Miami this year. The first match up this year is in Miami, and I know darn well that the Pats have not forgotten about that 21-0 shutout Miami delivered to them last year in Miami. So Pats will have payback on their minds on this game. Week 16 is at frigid New England, and I don’t see us going up there and winning this game especially since most likely the Pats will have a playoff bye week on the line.

With 23 new faces on this 2007 53 man roster including all 10 draft picks making the roster, a tough ending schedule, questions on the offensive line and the secondary, I still see no reasons to change my weekly predictions for the 07 season and at least a 9-7 season. The defense is a top 5 unit, the special teams are much improved, and the offense has weapons and too much potential. We have seen nothing of the preseason from the offense, 10% has been execution, and 90% of it is Cameron is not showing any team any of his 07 intentions in August.

Cameron reminds me of Jimmy Johnson in one regard, Like Jimmy in 1996-99 and how he built the foundation of a dominant defense that has kept us in games for the last decade, Cameron plans on building an explosive offense that will be built through the draft that will take this team to the next level in the next couple of seasons. I’m looking forward to watching it evolve.

Week by Week.

Week 1. Miami (+3) @ WashingtonMiami wins 16 -10 !
Usually offenses struggle early in the initial weeks of the NFL and you have to give the edge to the Dolphins defense over the Redskins defense. The Redskins defense ranked 31st last year, and their free agent movement indicates they are focusing on the defensive side of the ball. Their first round pick, SS Laron Landry (who recently missed mini camp cause he got shot in the testicles playing paintball) will be lining up for his first game to shore up a weak defensive backfield that possibly could give up a big play or two to the Dolphins receivers. I anticipate a low scoring game as Miami learns to find its new groove on offense this year and the improved accuracy of field goal kicker Feely will pay dividends by converting a couple of big play special returns by Ted Ginn into points.

Week 2 Dallas (-2) @ Miami...Dolphins wins 23-17
Dallas will be coming off an emotional win the prior Sunday night home opener in prime time against the NY Giants. This is a tremendous game for the Cowboys to get off to an important start in the NFC east against a tough rival. They will be really jacked up for the Giants. They will grind it out for an emotional win and will have one less day to prepare for Miami before heading on the road. When you play a prime time Sun Night game and then have to travel the following week you lose a day of preparation in my opinion and I anticipate a slight emotional Cowboy letdown at Miami. Our secondary matched up against Owens and Glenn scare me however, so quarterback pressure on Romo is key.Last year the Cowboys opened the season at Jacksonville and did not fare so well in the sweltering heat in North Florida and it will only be hotter in south Miami. I only wish this game was a 1pm kickoff instead of a 4pm to make it all the hotter. Too bad we have to watch a game played in the Marlins dirt infield. Romo is still suffering from confidence and the Dolphins defensive pressure will find a way to get to him all day long. It will be close early, but look for Miami to outplay the Cowboys in the 4th quarter when the Cowboys begin to cramp up and run out of gas.

Week 3 Miami at Jets(-4)Jets win 28-17
Dolphins and Jets will split games and we might as well say the splits occur with the home team winning for both games

Week 4 Oakland at Miami(-6)Miami wins 20-10
A poor west coast team travels a long way to get this game in and I hope Daunte Culpepper will be taking the snaps. Dolphins will take full advantage of this rookie QB with a cannon arm and the the decision making ability and IQ of a retarded cow. Being an LSU fan, I have watched this guy make some bone head decisions, and it will take him some time to adjust to intricate defenses similar to what he will see at Miami. The Dolphin’s defensive looks will be too much and Russell will make several mistakes(4 turnovers at least). Raider’s defense will be respectable but Miami offense begins to wake up. Ginn breaks some plays to show why we picked him first.

Week 5 Miami at Houston (+2.5)Miami wins 24-13
I believe in revenge and I attended last year’s loss at Houston with Daunte starting at QB.Fins lost 15-17 I believe. Miami will find a way to win to move on to 4-1, but don’t get too excited. The last half of this schedule is brutal.

Week 6 Miami (-2) at Cleveland Miami wins 24-20
The last game Miami lost before their 6 game winning streak that ended the 2005 season was a 22-0 shutout loss at Cleveland. Like I said, I believe in the revenge factor and Miami will have the better special teams and defense, and this is another chance to confuse the daylights out of rookie Brady Quinn if he is starting. IF Quinn does not start, then I can see Cleveland winning the game in a tight match. But I will take Miami in this game to move to 5-1 which will trail the Pats 6-0 record in the AFC east.

Week 7 New England(-5.5) at MiamiPats win 24-10.
First real top caliber team the Fins have faced thus far. Like I said earlier, I think New England will remember that 21-0 thrashing last year at Miami and will take it out on the Fins this week.

Week 8-NY Giants(-2.5) at Miami (London)Giants win 24-20
Lots of Dolfans over in England and the Fins will need all the support they can get. I question the loss of Tiki Barber and his impact to the Giants offense, and I’m not impressed with Eli Manning either. So don’t expect the Giants to run the ball very well which will put the game on Elis shoulders. The guy has no pocket presence. If Miami heads into this game with the confidence of a 5-2 season behind them and the thrill of the upcoming bye week, and fired up after a bad loss to the Pats the week before, then maybe they pull it out. They should put enough pressure on Eli to force some bad decisions and as a result, the turnovers may be too much for Giants to overcome. I’m not ready to see this developing Dolphins team to be good enough to go into the bye week at 6-2 so for no other reason, I will take the Giants in a close game and Miami makes it to the halfway mark of the season at a respectable and by some experts opinions, an overachieving 5-3 record. I will gladly take it.

WEEK 9-BYE WEEK-MIAMI IS 5-3

Week 10-Buffalo at Miami (-3.5)Miami 27-10
In order to make it to 3-3 in the division, Miami must sweep someone because I don’t think they will pull one out against the Pats this year. I’m going to assume the Fins will sweep the worst team in the AFC East, the Bills this year. It’s unfortunate for the Bills being in a small market. Seems like yesterday what a stink the media made because they drafted Willis McGahee in the draft although they already had stud Travis Henry. Three years later both Henry and McGahee are the number one backs for other teams cause Buffalo cant afford to keep quality players more than 3 years due to monetary issues. This is exactly why they had to burn a number 1 pick this year on a RB and it would not surprise me to see him gone in 3 years either! Nate Clements same result. Over the next 3 years the Bills will spit out some pro bowlers, but they will all leave for greener pastures.Vicious cycle for Buffalo due to salary cap which makes this a 3 team division as long as the salary cap remains in place.

Week 11-Miami at Philadelphia(-4)Philly 24-13
Could go either way really. I just think if McNabb plays and is healthy, he and Westbrook, and the Eagles can be lethal(They were the second ranked offense last year)Last year the Dolphins lost to the Packers at home before their bye week(Harrington attempted a record 62 attempts), then Miami follows their bye week on the road and spank the Bears 31-13! So Miami has proven they can do it, for balance sake, I will take the Eagles.

Week 12-Miami at Pittsburgh (-4) (Mon Night)Pittsburgh 24-16
I know its Joey Porters big night returning to Heinz Ketchup Field, and I think the Steelers will be coming off a road loss to the NY Jets the preceding week, so they will be fired up for prime time against the Dolphins. The Steelers like Miami are under a new regime, but they have also beaten the Dolphins once each of the last 3 years. (One game preseason 2005-I attended this one). I think the Steelers are a playoff team this year and although they missed the playoffs last year, both their offense and defense were ranked in the top 7 respectively. Well balanced veteran team hard to beat against at home in prime time.

Week 13-Jets(-2) at Miami Miami 23-21
Jets and Dolphins split the 07 series with Miami winning in South Florida

Week 14- Miami(-5)@Buffalo Miami sweeps the Bills winning 31-13.

Week 15 Baltimore(-3) at Miami ...Miami 20-17
Game could go either way. You know Baltimore’s defense will be there. The Ravens will be coming off a Sun night primetime match up against the Indianapolis Colts, and I expect a letdown the following week at Miami. There will be a lot on the line for Baltimore and Indy, and I feel especially good about Miami winning if the Ravens can beat Manning the previous Sunday. Remember, the Colts defeated the Ravens at Baltimore during the playoffs last year, and I hope Baltimore is victorious. Otherwise I don’t see Ravens losing two in a row, especially after losing to Indy. I’m going to predict that the Ravens game will be this years version of last years Bears game.

Week 16-Miami at New England(-7)New England 26-21
Pats my team to win the Superbowl. Their off season acquisitions have replaced the loss of Corry Dillon( with Sammy Morris) and Tom Brady has now the best set of WRs he has ever had in his entire career. Adalius Thomas addresses the Pats LB problems from a year ago and makes the Ravens weaker all in one move. Couple that with the Colts losing Dom Rhodes, and 1/3 starters from their defense, and San Diego will have to overcome 3 new coaches (Head, Offensive, and Defensive coordinators), I anticipate the Pats will need a win over Miami to lock up a Bye week in week 16 and they wont disappoint. Miami covers the spread however!

Week 17 Cincinnati(-2) at Miami Cincy wins 28-19
Miami heads into this game with a respectable 9-6 record, and the Bengal’s have a 10-5 record. Miami has an outside chance of a playoff scenario by beating Cincinnati accompanied by the outcome of two other games( these two games will be Kansas City at the Jets and Pittsburgh at Baltimore). Miami loses this game however as this will be the worst nightmare the Fins Achilles heel (their secondary) will see all year. The combination and experience of Palmer to Johnson and Houshmandzadeh will be too much for the youthful secondary of Miami.The Fins end the season with a 9-7 record and break my heart by missing the playoffs.That’s the way I see it as mid June, 2007. Optimism and realism is sometimes not a fun thing to come to terms with the way I see it. But at least we are headed in the right direction.

Dolphins at Saints tonight will wrap up Preseason

2007-08-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

Television coverage Outside of Florida and Louisiana Networks
Sat-Sept 1st- 11AM Eastern Time(NFL NETWORK Note Morning Time-Tape Delay) This also coincides with the exciting 1st Saturday of college football.

SIRRIUS RADIO COVERAGE
Thur-Aug 30th-8pm Eastern Time-Fins Channel 123(NO 158)

With first-team right tackle Anthony Alabi not practicing this week because of a sore knee, expect demoted starter L.J. Shelton to play a few series and possibly earn back his spot for the regular-season opener.Backfield battle:

With Nos. 1 and 2 running backs Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman not slated to play, tailback Patrick Cobbs will get plenty of carries and kick returns.

Last chance: This could be the last chance for young receivers such as Kerry Reed and P.K. Sam to wrest the fifth-receiver spot from veteran Az-Zahir Hakim, who has been virtually invisible.

Just for kicks: Although they're friends, former Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare would love to outkick his successor Jay Feely in the Superdome tonight just to stick it to Cam Cameron for chasing him out of South Florida.

Burst your bubble: Cameron is using the Saints' game as a final job interview of sorts for backups such as defensive backs Geoff Pope, Derrick Johnson and Tuff Harris, as well as linebackers Kelvin Smith, Edmond Miles and Jim Maxwell to earn some of the remaining roster spots.

I anticipate the starters to either not start or play only a series or two. Im hoping to see Beck get most of the work along with Lemon. The final preseason game is where starters will play the least.

I dont care who wins, I hope Beck gets some good playing time and I hope no one gets injured, to me thats the important thing.

Beck growing as a Quarterback

2007-08-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

from NFL.com...click here to see original source

There is little doubt John Beck can throw the football far and accurately, which is one of the reasons why Head Coach Cam Cameron and General Manager Randy Mueller were so high on the 26-year-old quarterback when they drafted him in April.

Beck's arm strength was on display again Saturday night at Dolphin Stadium against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, especially on his two touchdown passes to P.K. Sam and Derek Hagan in the second half of Miami's 31-28 preseason loss. The BYU grad that was taken in the second round with the 40th overall pick has put together scoring drives in each of the Dolphins' preseason games.

However, unlike against Jacksonville and Kansas City when he directed game-winning drives in two one-point victories, Beck came up short twice in the closing minutes with the game on line. He had one fourth-down pass hit off of Hagan's hands and he got a little reckless near his own end zone in the closing minute.

"It's kind of like we've seen all preseason. He's got a little bit of a knack for playing but he's got a long way to go, a lot of improvement to make," Cameron said. "There were a couple there at the end, boy, make a couple of those, I think we've got a chance to win the game. He's still got to grow and continue. He's still a little careless with the ball as you saw there in the end zone, but he's coming along really as we thought."

Throughout training camp and the preseason, maturity has been the other notable trait exhibited by Beck, both in how he has run the huddle and handled the media. He has gone out of his way to give credit to his offensive linemen, his running backs and his wide receivers.

After the loss to the Bucs, Beck acknowledged what went right on the two touchdown passes, but he spent more time talking about what went wrong on those last two possessions and how he needed to be accountable on both ends.

"In my head the things I'm thinking about are those last couple of drives where we really wanted to piece things together and go down the field and put it in the end zone again," said Beck, who has completed 19-of-33 passes for 237 yards in three preseason games. "We all need to learn from these situations. In this situation of this being our first loss, even though it is preseason games and maybe nobody's keeping track, I know as a professional football player you keep track. And you're a little bit more critical when you've got to step off the field after a game like this, especially the close ones."

With Cameron saying last week that the starters will not play in Thursday night's preseason finale at New Orleans, Beck can expect to get a lot more repetitions against the Saints. He is looking at it as a chance to grow on the field through experience.

Veteran quarterback Trent Green, entering his 14th season, is serving as a mentor to Beck and continues to be impressed with the young man so many fans are counting on to be the closest thing to another Dan Marino since the Hall-of-Famer retired in 2000.

"He continues to handle himself with poise. He continues to handle himself very well with the situations that he has been placed in," Green said. "He continues to understand his improve with his understanding of the overall offense and his ability to manage the game. He is making nice progress. It has been a good preseason for him and a good training camp."

Dolphin Defeat Chiefs 11-10, move to 2-0

2007-08-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Miami Dolphins and KC Chiefs made history Thursday night, ending the first ever preseason, regular season, or post season NFL game EVER in a final score of 11-10. At least that is what I remember hearing from the ESPN announcers late in the 4th quarter with about :30 seconds to play.

Cam Cameron, for the second consecutive week, went for a two point conversion late in the 4th quarter game to take the lead and eventually w1n the game by avoiding a possible overtime. Make sense to me. The Dolphins executed 58 offensive plays, 34 of which were rushing, 24 passing, led the time of possession with almost 32 minutes, why risk an injury in overtime?

Green was aided by the Dolphins' young offensive line, which added veteran left guard Chris Liwienski to the starting lineup in place of rookie Drew Mormino with Rex Hadnot starting at right guard.The evolving unit showed signs of gelling after getting bullied by the Jaguars last week as it provided Green time to throw and opened holes for running back Ronnie Brown.

The Dolphins (2-0) dominated the time of possession at 10:49 to 4:11 with Green and then Cleo Lemon — who turned 28 Thursday — on the field in the opening quarter.

Maybe I'm missing the boat on something, but where in the heck was running back Booker?

My thinking is both Booker and Brown will share the load in the backfield with Brown consuming over 75% of the carries, and Cameron is not about to risk showing what Booker can do in a preseason game.

Ronnie Brown looked much better last night capping off 13 carries with 57 yards for a 4.4 average. Cobbs continues to impress me. The dude runs hard, and we need depth at RB, so I hope it will carry over into the regular season.

Booker has been quite impressive in camps as well as Ginn, although Ginn was ineffective in the special teams last night, but he is still learning. Ginn had zero receptions in the game last night.

Defensively, the Dolphins front seven held the Chiefs to a total of 61 rushing yards, only two more yards than last weeks performance. Very impressive considering that's two games now without Z Thomas, J Taylor, and J Porter. The secondary played much tighter than compared to Jacksonville. The Chiefs completed 17-26 attempts for 230 passing yards. Nice couple of plays by last years rookie first choice Jason Allen.

The pressure on the quarterback during passing plays was virtually non existent however as the Dolphins only mustered up one sack.

Wright was injured with about a minute to go in the game, other than that, no injuries to any key players which is more important than the outcome in August.

Up next, the Dolphins face Tampa at home on Sat-Aug25th-730pm Eastern Time. Game #3 of the preseason is the best cause both team will game plan and Green should play at least the entire first half, with Lemon appearing in 3rd quarter and Beck mopping up in the 4th. Both Beck and Lemon looked good last night in my opinion although the pass protection took a step back from the Jacksonville game.

Dolphins Chiefs Primetime Pregame Primer

2007-08-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

National TV Coverage
Tonight mailto:1Miami@Kansas City-8pm Eastern Time (Live ESPN & ESPN HD)

Sirius radio National Coverage
2.Miami@KansasCity 800pm Eastern Time-Fins channel 124(KC 123)

Point spread...Kansas City (-3.5)
Point spread note: Chiefs are 3-8 in last 11 preseason games when they are favored by 4 or less points.

What to look for...

1. Green Day: Trent Green will be trying to shrug off an emotional Kansas City homecoming as well as hard-charging Chiefs defensive linemen. Amid this, can he put together at least one sustained scoring drive to establish his credentials as the Dolphins' starting quarterback? Will he start showing some positive chemistry with his wide receivers tonight?

2. Lemon shot: This is probably Cleo Lemon's last chance to make this into a true quarterback competition or one simply conjured up by a fair-minded coach. Lemon, who was 5 of 6 against the Jaguars, will probably play the bulk of the first half in relief of Green.

3. Jobs on line: In last week's exhibition opener, a revamped, inexperienced offensive line couldn't protect Green or open holes for starting running back Ronnie Brown, so the offense will be trying to show some improvement in the first half against the Chiefs' starters.

4. Secondary is primary: After getting riddled by Jags quarterbacks for 327 yards, including 13 passes for 11 yards or more, the secondary will be trying to tighten up its zone and press coverages against Chiefs signal-callers Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard.

5. Catching on: The battle for the fifth receiver spot is up for grabs among veteran Az-Zahir Hakim, Kerry Reed and P.K. Sam with undrafted rookie David Sutton hoping to make an impression.

6. Ted Ginn: Look for him in first half on punt and kickoff returns, and lets see if Trent Green and the 1st string offense will attempt to get him more involved

7. Ronnie Brown last week had 8 rushes for 8 yards. Hopefully he will have a better night.

8.Lorenzo Booker: will he share time with Brown in the first half?

9. Vernon Carey game time decision: At least that's the latest of what I have heard, the starting LT hopefully will play which will indicate to me his injury is not serious from last weeks minor twisted knee.

10.Anemic Chiefs Offensive woes: Last week the Chiefs went 3-14 on third down conversions, committed 3 turnovers and the offense had the ball only 22 minutes against the Browns. Larry Johnson did not play however, but Michael Bennett had 28 yards on only 3 carries. Last week the Dolphins defense(without Taylor, Traylor, and Thomas) allowed a total of 59 rushing yards for the entire game, so if this continues tonight and the Chiefs can not convert 3rd downs, then this will be a good indicator Miami can win this game.

My prediction, Dolphins win ugly again 23-20 in the late 4th quarter.

Green should play the first quarter, Lemon the second, and Im looking forward to see John Beck in the third quarter...

Dolphins Squeak Out Ugly Win

2007-08-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

The final score may have read Miami 18, Jax 17...but the game clearly indicates the Dolphins are still ironing out the cohesiveness on offense. Trent Green and most of the offensive starters played the entire 1st half, and only mustered up 2 first downs, 2 turnovers, 3 points on 7 possessions.

Throw in by an illegal forward pass by Green in the first half &

Ronnie Brown 8 Carries 8 yards &

The first two series are 3 and outs, 3 of 7 of the series go 3 and out, 2 end on Dolphin turnovers.

LT Vernon Carey went out with a minor knee injury which Cameron later said Carey could have returned to the game if needed, but why risk injuring your best offensive lineman in a meaningless preseason game?

When I sit down to watch the Dolphins in game one of a preseason game, I expect very little, and hope very much that the team walks away injury free, and that seems to be the case Sat night. So that to me is a preseason victory.

But this starting offense was pathetic. I have tremendous respect for Jacksonville's starting defense, so that did not surprise me too much that a young inexperienced offensive line was exposed.

In the NFL, the defense always has the edge in early preseason exhibitions and regular season games, and in week one, so far only 9 of the 28 teams that have played have been able to score more than 20 points during the game.

What helps is its only game one, and we are young and inexperienced on the offensive line.

We have an entire month to see both the offensive line gel, and Green improve his chemistry and timing with the WRs.

Ted Ginns night looked promising however... he had 3 kickoff returns for a 19 yard average and 1 reception for 9 yards. Green did throw to Ginn 3 other times in the game so it is good to see the Fins getting Ginn active on offense. Ginn had no punt returns in the game.

Little to say about the defense except the stars did not play and the backups allowed only 59 rushing yards for the entire game, had 5 sacks, and recovered two fumbles. Not Bad.

Lets give this team some more time to grow and not judge it alone on the first sloppy preseason game of the year. There was no game plan, and Jacksonville has one of the best defensive squads in the league. I will keep my positive attitude strong until I can better judge the season after 3-4 regular season games.

I look forward to watching the Fins on prime time Thurs night, 8/16 on ESPN(8pm ET) versus the Chiefs. Maybe the Chiefs weaker defense will help Miami get kick started on offense.

August 8th Afternoon Practice Notes

2007-08-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

From a reliable source...

Interesting developments on the O-line during walk-throughs. Anthony Alabi is back at RT, but Chris Liwienski isn’t lined up at LG, where he’d been working with the first team until Alabi tweaked his left knee on Monday.
Rookie Drew Mormino remains at LG and Rex Hadnot at RG. LT Vernon Carey and C Samson Satele haven’t moved since Day 1 of camp.
Remember, coaches lined up Mormino with the first unit to open the June mini-camp. But he false-started the first snap of the camp, was yanked and replaced by Liwienski until this week.
Even with all the shake-ups L.J. Shelton, a ninth-year player who started 16 games last season, isn’t involved in the mix.
Another surprise development on O: WR Marty Booker is riding a bike and Ted Ginn Jr. is lining up opposite Chris Chambers in the Dolphins two-receiver sets.
Cam Cameron also is using TE Justin Peele with the first team during a two-TE set with David Martin. Peele is playing in the slot.
Peele played from 2002-05 in San Diego, when Cameron was the team’s offensive coordinator, and has had a good camp.
Booker’s ailment is unknown. He did take a decent shot from S Tuff Harris on the second-to-last play of Tuesday’s scrimmage. Trent Green threw a pass a couple of Booker who tried to adjust and exposed himself to a hit.
Cleo Lemon is working with the first team, with FB Corey Schlesinger and TB Ronnie Brown behind him.
Green also stepped in, along with WR Derek Hagan, to take a few first-team snaps too.
Team breaks up into position drills. QBs and RBs are together and working on flea-flickers.
I bet we’ll see a few of those, along with other deception from Cameron’s offense this season.
I know I keep repeating myself, but undrafted rookie WR David Sutton is a heck of a find by the Dolphins scouts.
The kid had only six catches in two seasons at UTEP and looks like he’ll be able to contribute to this franchise - if not this season, not much later.
The 6-foot-6 Sutton just made a one-handed catch and another nice snag above his head coming back on short out. He’s going to have to prove he can play special teams, as required of any No. 5-6 WR.
But who better to have going after one of Jay Feely’s onside kicks?
LBs and DBs are working on pass drops. No sign of LB Donnie Spragan, who’s slated to replace LB Joey Porter.
CB Michael Lehan is in, giving the impression Miami might lean toward more nickel coverage than the team would have with Porter healthy.
In fact, nickel might be the base D for now, not sure. But Spragan is working with the second unit right now, while Lehan is working with the full first team.
DEs Jason Taylor, Matt Roth; DTs Vonnie Holliday, Keith Traylor; LBs Zach Thomas, Channing Crowder; CBs Will Allen, Travis Daniels, Michael Lehans; Ss Yeremiah Bell, Renaldo Hill.
To address a couple of questions, while the team practices KOs.
Chatman and Ginn are back deep, by the way.
Booker steps in for Ginn, after he slightly misjudged the kick and caught it above his head - not ideal technique.
Satele would have to be the most impressive rookie because he’s the starting C, but it’s hard to tell with O-line from here. Plus, there hasn’t been a lot of full-on contact.
We’ll get a good idea on Satele and Mormino when they face Jax’s physical front four on Saturday.
Beck is getting a decent amount of reps, just not many with the top skill players.
Beginning the middle of last week, Beck really has impressed a number of times. He’s probably made more tough throws look easy than Green or Lemon.
Beck also has held onto the ball too long a number of times. He’s also thrown the ball away quite a bit.
This might be because no one is getting open or because Beck is not seeing all his options yet.
Coaches clearly have told him to get rid of the ball, rather than takes sacks, so this isn’t necessarily a bad thing unless it begins to bail out of plays too quickly.
Still working on KOs, not much say here. Feely is showing pretty good leg strength, one of things some questioned when the team signed him and traded Olindo Mare, who led the NFL with 24 touchbacks.
Feely has enough leg to get it deep, but not out of the end zone. Touchbacks are nice, but Miami signed Feely to kick clutch FGs.
Offense is working on backed-up offense, snapping the ball from its own three.
Cameron calls a four-WR set on the first play, a short out to Ginn. Cameron calls double TEs on the next one and runs Brown off tackle.
It’s official, Liwienski is working with the second team at LG, Shelton at RT, with Julius Wilson at LT, Dan Stevenson at RG and Johnathan Ingram at C.
Rookie G Tala Esera, who spent much of camp with the second unit, is now working with the third team.
To answer a couple of questions:
Yes, Alabi seems to be OK.
L. Booker has looked terrific out of the backfield catching the ball. The move of Reagan Mauia to TB tells you how Booker has looked running the ball.
Time for team drills, 1s vs. 1s. Lemon lines up at QB. 1st play: Inc to Brown on a screen. Brown drops the ball. 2nd play: Hadnot false start. Not good for a guy trying to stick with the first team. 3rd play: Handoff off-tackle to Brown, Channing Crowder would have had him for a three- or four-yard game. 4th play: Inc, intended for Ginn on the sidelines.
Green in. 1st play: End-around to Ginn. This play hasn’t worked so well the few times Cameron has called it. But Ginn is the right guy to make it work. 2nd play: Brown off tackle. Decent run. 3rd play: Brown off tackle. Minimal gain, but he made a nice cut into the middle of the field.
Beck in. 1st play: Inc to Courtney Anderson. 2nd play: Ray Perkins around end. 3rd play: Inc.
Situational 7-on-7. Green with the first team 1-10: Complete to David Martin. 2-10: Inc. 2-5: Inc to Ginn. 3-5: Crossing pass to Chambers, who drops it. Not an easy catch, but Chambers has made a lot tougher ones all camp. 3-10: Sideline pass to TE Andrew Halterman. 1st down. Green and Ha
Lemon in. 1-10: Pass over the middle to Hagan. Nice gain. 2-10: Finds TE Jason Rader over the middle for a 1st. 2-5: RB Patrick Cobbs on a pass in the flat for a 1st down. 3-5: Lemon to Hakim on a short out for another first down.
Beck in 1-10: Cobbs in the flat. 1st down. 2-10: Beck finds Martin on a deep out. 1st down. 2-5: Hits Perkins on a check-down route.
Next up, team 11-on-11, third-down situational. Lemon with first team. 3-7: Inc to Martin. 3-5: Inc behind Brown. 3-5: Sideline out pass to Brown, who adjusts a bit to make the catch for a 1st. 3-goal: Short pass through Martin’s hands. 3-goal: DT Rodrique Wright deflects pass intended for Brown.
Green in with second team 3-5: Sack 3-7: S Courtney Bryan makes nice break-up of pass to Halterman. Good throw, better D. 3-7: Sweet pass to P.K. Sam on a slant into double coverage. 3-goal: Swing pass to Chatman, short gain. 3-goal: Mauia TD.
Beck in 3-7: Beck hits Rader. Short gain. 3-5: Inc. Bad throw.

Dolphins LB Porter has third knee surgery

2007-08-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

Written/Reported by NFL.com <<<-click this link to left to see source

DAVIE, Fla. (Aug. 7, 2007) -- New Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter underwent arthroscopic knee surgery for the third time in two years.
The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., after Porter went there for a second opinion. The Dolphins had not yet received a report on what repairs were made.
"They decided to go in and take a look at it," Dolphins coach Cam Cameron said. "They do say it's something minor."
Porter is expected to be sidelined at least two weeks, and he might miss all four exhibition games. The first is Saturday against Jacksonville.
Porter has been out of action since Friday because of the injury, which began bothering him during the offseason. He received a guaranteed $20 million in March to sign with Miami after spending his first eight NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Porter's replacement will be Donnie Spragan, who started nine games each of the past two years. Despite the surgeries, Porter has missed only six games in his NFL career.
Cameron said tackle Anthony Alabi's left knee injury appears to be minor. Alabi limped off the field Monday morning, but there was little minor swelling, Cameron said.
Porter, a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker, missed most of training camp and all four exhibition games in 2005 after needing left knee surgery -- a problem aggravated when he jumped to celebrate winning a training camp blocking competition.
He returned to play in all 16 regular-season games and four playoff games for the Super Bowl champion Steelers.
Porter had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in May 2006. He went on to play in 14 games, missing two because of a hamstring injury.
After eight seasons, the Steelers released him in a salary cap move last spring. Porter signed a five-year, $32 million deal with Miami.

NFL Network/Sirrius Radio Coverage of Dolphins Preseason

2007-08-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

IF you do not live in the Florida area where you can pick up the preseason games on local TV or radio, there are other options for Sirius Radio subscribers and those of you fortunate enough to have the NFL Network channel.

First, below is a listing of the 3 televised showings of the Dolphins preseason match ups in August. Week 2 match up versus Chiefs is national televised game on ESPN. DIRECTV customers remember to check channel 94 or 95 during below times to determine if these games have HD showings. If not, then its channel 212 only on DirecTV.

Remember games 2 & 3 will have our offensive starters on the field the longest. The Tampa game (game #3) may see the starting offense play all the way into the 3rd quarter. First game of preseason, offensive starters will play 10-15 plays. The 4th game, offensive starters may not play at all. This is the typical preseason system most teams follow. I hope the Fins can win all the games, but I would rather see us go 0-4 without any injuries than win games and lose a significant player or two for the season to injury. Porter is out till regular season, don't worry about him, he will be just fine.

DIRECTV/ESPN SCHEDULE FOR DOLPHINS

Mon-Aug 13th-Jacksonville @ Miami - 1pm Eastern Time (NFL NETWORK TAPE DELAY)

Thurs-Aug 16th-Miami@Kansas City-8pm Eastern Time (Live ESPN & ESPN HD)

Tues- Aug 28th-Tampa@Miami - 930AM Eastern Time(NFL NETWORK Note morning time-Tape Delay)

Sat-Sept 1st-Miami@NewOrleans 11AM Eastern Time(NFL NETWORK Note Morning Time-Tape Delay) This also coincides with the exciting 1st Saturday of college football.

SIRIUS RADIO SCHEDULE OF DOLPHINS GAMES

Note all games on Sirius are live. Channels are provided below for both the Dolphins broadcast and opponent in parentheses.

1. Jacksonville@Miami Sat-Aug11th- 730pm Eastern Time-Fins channel 140(Jax 147)

2.Miami@KansasCity Thurs-Aug16th 800pm Eastern Time-Fins channel 124(KC 123)

3.TampaBay@Miami Sat-Aug25th-730pm Eastern Time -Fins Channel 158(TB 123)

4.Miami@NewOrleans Thur-Aug 30th-8pm Eastern Time-Fins Channel 123(NO 158)

5 Observations from ESPN INSIDER

2007-08-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Source
DAVIE, Fla. -- Five observations from Miami Dolphins training camp, gleaned from the team's July 30 practices:
1. Defense still going strongBecause of the success that first-year head coach Cam Cameron had in San Diego as the Chargers' offensive coordinator, much of the attention in camp has focused on that side of the ball. But it's the Miami defense that has set the tone in the early days of camp. If the Monday practices are an indication of what's to come, a unit that statistically ranked No. 4 overall in the NFL in 2006 could be just as good in 2007. Cameron made an excellent decision in retaining coordinator Dom Capers from Nick Saban's staff, and so the Dolphins weren't forced to undergo the kind of transition on defense they are encountering offensively.
Continuity of scheme certainly is evident at this early juncture. While the perception is that the unit is an aging one -- a justifiable concern, given that seven starters have at least six seasons of experience, five have eight years or more in the league, and the average age is 27.8 years -- the defense doesn't appear to have slowed down very much. In the Monday morning session, the defense had five interceptions, and the secondary allowed few open windows into which the Dolphins' quarterbacks could throw. The outside pass rush combination of Jason Taylor and Joey Porter could be very good -- assuming that the Pittsburgh Steelers, who released Porter, weren't correct in their estimation that he is in decline. He looked fine on Monday, but in the afternoon walk-through was corrected several times by coaches because of mental errors. One unheralded player to watch is fourth-year safety Yeremiah Bell, who demonstrates awareness and seems to get everyone aligned in the right place.

2. New-look offensive lineAnother of the assistants retained by Cameron, standout offensive line coach Hudson Houck, could be critical to Miami's success in 2007. The unit certainly is a work in progress and, while Cameron cautioned to not read too much into the various combinations that he has used so far, the Dolphins could field a starting quintet that doesn't have a single player back in the same position as 2006.
The left side of the line seems set, with tackle Vernon Carey having moved there from the right side, and free-agent addition Chris Liwienski. The composition of the right side, at least on Monday, was somewhat surprising. The guard was rookie Drew Mormino, a sixth-round draft choice, and third-year veteran Anthony Alabi, who has never started a regular-season game, was at tackle. Curiously absent were L.J. Shelton and Rex Hadnot, neither of whom has worked a snap yet with the first unit.
The Dolphins moved Hadnot, who started all 16 games at center in 2006, to right guard, ostensibly because they feel his size and ability to pull could make him a star there. Shelton started 16 games at left tackle last year. The coaches love rookie center Samson Satele, their second-round pick, and he seems all but certain to start. Despite playing in a run-and-shoot offense at Hawaii, Satele looks like a strong in-line drive-blocker and he's a very dedicated worker with nice football smarts.

3. Brown's expanded roleLike his former Auburn running mate, Cadillac Williams of Tampa Bay, tailback Ronnie Brown probably is going to be used more as a receiver in Cameron's offense. A polished receiver in college, Brown had 65 catches in his first two NFL seasons. While the team's 2005 first-round pick might not catch as many balls as San Diego's Ladanian Tomlinson did in Cameron's five seasons as coordinator there -- the Chargers' star averaged 69 receptions and posted 100 catches in 2003 -- Brown will definitely figure into the Miami passing game more than in the past.
He also can expect to handle the ball more in general, after averaging 256.5 "touches" in 2005-2006. Which is fine with Brown, who has dropped five pounds from his former 235-pound playing weight.
"I want this offense to be able to rely on me," Brown said. "I'm ready to carry the load, whatever it is, running the ball, catching it, whatever they want."
Miami needs to develop a backup to Brown, and look for mighty-mite Lorenzo Booker of Florida State, a third-rounder this year, to evolve into a complementary-type back. Booker has big-play elusiveness and, if the Dolphins can get him the ball in space, he can make things happen.

4. Ginn's learning curveFirst-round wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., the ninth-overall selection in the draft, will help in the punt return game, but doesn't look accomplished enough as a receiver yet to assume the No. 3 role behind starters Chris Chambers and Marty Booker. It's not difficult to discern the dynamic open-field skills of Ginn on punt returns, and the coaches have been impressed by his fearlessness in that area. But the former Ohio State star, who still isn't 100 percent yet physically after suffering a severe foot sprain in the national championship game in January, doesn't play nearly as fast when he's aligned as a wideout.
Still, given his home-run skills, it's going to be hard not to put Ginn on the field and hope he can handle the learning curve as a receiver. Cameron also might elect to use Booker in the slot at times. For now, the No. 3 wide receiver is probably Derek Hagan, a second-year veteran. The Dolphins released one of the better receiving tight ends in the NFL in Randy McMichael, and the presumptive replacement, six-year veteran David Martin, isn't nearly as proven a pass-catcher. The former Green Bay tight end has 87 receptions in six years and has never posted more than 27 in a season. McMichael never had fewer than 39 in a year.

5. Youth movementMiami has brought in some big, young bodies on the defensive line, and needs some of them to grow up to provide the team better depth, and to set themselves up as the eventual replacements for aging veterans such as Taylor (32), Keith Traylor (37) and Vonnie Holliday (31). The most intriguing might be Rodrique Wright, a seventh-round pick in 2006 who missed his entire rookie campaign because of a shoulder injury. A dominating player at times during his college career, Wright has size and athleticism, and is being used more at end than tackle this season.
Third-year pro Kevin Vickerson and rookies Paul Soliai and Brian Soi are big, beefy tackles, and third-year end Matt Roth looks like he is making progress.

Tuesday Night Practice Notes

2007-08-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Written by a Dolfan that attended last nights session

I thought the night was over as I drove around the practice field and began to realize that there were no players on it...I'd moved all of my appointments around today in order to make this practice, this can't be happening to me!.....The team was in the bubble when I arrived, but I guess the man upstairs is a Dolfan too...Because the clouds held off of the practice field and gave us a nice lightning show in the background of the "gleaming" white helmets of my favorite football team.I'm glad Cam brought the team back out.....because there was some good football displayed under the lights tonight! Now I don't necessarily "have to" see this team make it too the Playoffs in order for me to be proud of them...all I want is for this team to get better one position at a time!....Constant, steady (even if slow) progress....

I don't care how "slow" we move forward, just as long as we don't move in "reverse".And with all the interesting things that I saw tonight I'm just having a blast guys!They opened up with "one-on-ones" into the endzone....The pressure was a little heightened as it was a "packed house under the lights" and they were throwing into the endzone where the fans sat....It was easy to see that nobody from our defense wanted to be beat for a TD....So this obvious fact led to some spirited football! I'm gonna toss a flyer out there and say that Jason Allen is a "press" corner...He seems to be the most comfortable when he can put his hands on his offensive opponent...It apparently helps to guide him to some degree...because he's got the physical attributes to stay with any receiver in the NFL...so his athleticism is second to none....and I get the feeling that he's a defense back that excels when he plays in close quarters to the receiver.It's when they ask him to play off that he struggles....
I watched him guess totally wrong and go in the opposite directon that the WR went, if it weren't for the QB's bad pass it was a "sure" TD...and this was not the first time that I've seen this...This "guessing" usually happens when he is playing "off" the WR...I don't think he's quite learned all of his keys yet...but he is learning them in my opinion...Dom and Cam are giving this guy every chance to succeed and develop into a solid CB in my opinion...if he makes a mistake there's no yelling or embarrassing comments...

This coaching staff just schools you up and sends you back out there...and I think he is starting to benefit from it....His confidence appears to be high....and I saw an example of that tonight when Jason Allen lined up heads up on Mr. Ginn....Now I'd been waiting for this all day...not to say it hasn't already happened, but I wanted it to happen tonight....There was a little bit more of a game feel with the lights on....the field looked beautiful!Jason walked up to the line and pressed Ted right at the line of scrimmage...Allen got off a decent shot to Ginn's chest but Ginn still got the outside release up the left sideline on the "play-action" fake...Jason never lost position, ran with him stride for stride over 40 yards down field and jumped at the last second and batted the football away...

The technique that he used to position himself didn't impede on Ginn's route at all....It was a very nice play.(Still felt that Lemon could've made a better pass...with the position that Jason had on Ted the QB needed to put more of an arch on the pass)So I feel that you will continue to see him get beat in camp for sure, but I am also positive that you will see some great plays as well...When I really thought about it, what better place is there to be beat than in camp?...At least they can work on his flaws by giving him postive coaching...Let's not forget this guy, amongst all the havoc last year about his "holding out" and playing "two" positions under a tyrant...he still managed to pick off a Rex Grossman pass in the 31-13 drubbing we gave the Bears last season....

I feel that Jason will be allright by the end of training camp...he just needs to stop guessing on plays and read his keys....If he's able to make these corrections, my thoughts are that he will be a "lock" to make the "Nickle" defense or could possibly be starting in place of Daniels, opposite Will Allen.Jason Allen has alot of athleticism folks, my feeling is that #32 will make plays if he can continue to develop mentally...Little things like learning the "keys" receivers give off that tell their intentions, and also how "down-and-distance" can affect a WR's route selection...Just a complete overall knowledge of the defense in total...It appears to me that he's working to do these things everyday...Just calling out what "I" see.Ginn, Hagan, and Reed shined tonight...You could see that this practice meant something to them....Reed caught a very nice pass on an excellent slant route to beat his defender for about a 15 yd. gain in the redzone...but all of the afore mentioned WR's made some big catches out there.

Ginn caught alot of underneath crossing routes tonight....he was very good in the redzone on one-on-ones as well.... I felt that it was a solid overall performance from Mr. Ginn...His hands just keep looking better and better to me.Booker missed on a couple of tough catches but he get's a pass for now, he's been the most consistent all camp. And there were a couple times he got open but the QB missed him, so it goes both ways...But he still had a few very nice catches later on in practice...like I said before "pass".Reed caught a very nice pass on an excellent slant route to beat his defender for about a 15 yd. gain in the redzone...Kerry Reed is a local boy (Homestead, Fla...which is about 45 minutes from the facility) so the pressure was on to perform in front of his home crowd....he grew up a Dolphin fan...and you could see that he wasn't about to let the team down.

Mr. Chambers....well I'm going to continue to give him the benefit of the doubt as well....I'm not quite sure if he even knows why he drops "basic" passes from his QB, but will catch a ball with both toes 1 inch inside of the endzone falling out of bounds 2 feet from the ground!...This man makes "sick" catches guys, that's why it puzzles me so much to see him struggle like he has...But I think he settles in eventually and helps us win a few games this year....Just keep pushin' Chris!JT sacked Trent Green in the "9-on-9" drill...He rolled right around the corner just he does on most Sundays...When JT times the snap right, ther isn't a LT or RT in the league that can stop him...He continues to impress with his professionalism. He is looking in excellent shape, a little more beefed up....He probably hasn't burned off the training camp weight and leaned out yet, but he's still exceptionally quick!...Personally I'd like to see him play a little heavier to better enhance his run support ability, but you know what they say,"If it ain't broke.......

"Trent made some nice reads and throws in the "redzone" period...One could've gone in for a TD, but he threw it a little high and Chambers couldn't adjust quick enough...However, he did get two hands on the football.I really beleive that Trent Green should and will be our starter this season...He's making some very nice, accurate reads and throws...alot of the incomplete passes that are occurring could be blamed on the "receivers" as well...i'm "old school", if you can get two hands on it then you can catch it!...Trent's timing with these guys isn't there as of yet either, but I can see that slowly changing...He's the best suited to start for this team from Game #1.For you O-Line buffs, Drew Mormino can pull guys...in the red zone drill he pulled from his RG position to the left in what looked like an "off tackle trap"....the ball was snapped and JT was filling the space the LT Carey created when he blocked down and WHACK!!!...

Mormino smashed Jason and pushed him out of the hole as Ronnie cut up inside of the kickout block....it was a nice play as Jason Taylor isn't the easiest defender to hit in space....In his defense though, Jason did what he was supposed to by taking on the blocker and pushing the play to the LB...I just think the LB got taken out somehow. It's highly possible that Carey got to the second level and took the LB out...Because no one really got a good hand on Ronnie Brown on his way to the endzone...I'd love it if I could see the tape on that play again...Vernon continued to impress with his hands and footwork...he's giving a good pop at the line of scrimmage in "pass pro" and showing tremendous balance...

I think that we're in good hands with this guy at LT...mistakes are coming, but he's a very aggressive smart football player from what I've seen of him this camp.There was another shake up in the O-Line lineup...Anthony Alibi got lots of reps at the LT position as well, this was strange to me because Alibi is currently working with the 1st team at RT already...He seemed to hold his own against the likes of MKristo Bruce and Abe Wright..and that might be saying something because I watched Abe Wright blow around the corner on Vernon Carey on this night as well...Abraham Wright appears to be immulating the style of Joey Porter....he's a threat because of the way he comes around the edge on an offensive tackle....He doesn't have Porter's power and IQ as of yet, but he's definitely got the speed!..He stays very low when he makes his left turn, maximizing the leverage he's gaining as he turns the corner...

Abe was constantly getting thrown to the ground earlier on in camp by both Carey and Alibi, but he appears to be evening the score a little lately....another young gun to watch develop. I know he'll have to contribute on "special teams" to make this team, but if/when he does make this team Dom Capers is going to have to utilize his talents in some passing situations this year....He's kind of like a smaller quicker David Bowens in my opinion.Not to back track too far, but Julius Wilson OT out of Alabama-Birmingham (6'4", 327lbs) got some good work in tonight at the LT as well...He did a decent job...another promising young gun...gonna keep an eye out for him....He looks like solid depth at this point...held his own as well as could be expected for a "true" rookie in his first camp.Newly aquired TE Courtney Anderson made a couple nice catches on some crossing routes tonight as did Justin Peele...it seemed as if "everybody" was trying to make plays tonight....There were so many to mention....I'm sure that I missed at least one or two big ones...Does anyone have any idea who #80 is?...This guy is catching everything that they throw at him...pretty decent runner after the catch as well.

John Beck continued to put in work and really is showing a more solid grasp of the offense...he was moving around in the pocket waiting for David Sutton to break on a route but he ended up having to scramble and throw it away....he met Sutton on th 35 yd line to communicate where he wanted to see him go....They slapped hands and ran back to the huddle...He then went on to flash some of that "route anticipation" that he possesses as he threw 2 TD's (1 to WR Kerry Reed for 20 yd and another to TE Anderson for 20 yd) where he placed the ball right in front of the receiver over the "middle" at that...in the redzone!...(no kool aid....the kid is just doing what he does I guess)Ronnie Brown ran hard tonight as well, he had a fumble to go along with his TD...Reynaldo Hill caught #23 with a real nice pop on "inside drill" that took him off of his feet....Jesse Chatman looked very serviceable tonight, he ran very hard as he stayed in for what must've been like 10+ plays straight and they were working him like a Georgia Mule...He coughed up the football once, but redeemed himself by punching it into the endzone later on in the drill...

Lorenzo Booker ran hard as well, but wasn't really as effective this practice session...There was a real nice screen set up for him, but Cleo Lemon threw a bad pass for no completion....it was really a shame, because I watched him fake out 1/4 of the defense on a play like that earlier on today.The "surprise player" of the night for me was Reagan Mauia....this young "brahma bull" was blasting the LB's or anyone that got in his way when he was lead blocking for Jesse Chatman during the "Moving the Chains" drill...This football player is "Grade A" nasty boys and girls...you really can "hear" this guy play football...Before all is said and done we will be able to close our eyes and listen to this guy play football....The "Juggernaut" does it all my friends....Cam must've liked something he saw as well, because he was feeding him the ball a little bit....

Reagan ran a couple nice dives...ala Larry Csonka...for about 3-4 yards each, real nice quick hitters too!...And he is a real load people, it took more than one man to tackle him all night long...He even caught the ball pretty good as well, pulling it in on a "flats" route out of the backfield off of "play action"...Once he caught the ball, he spun forward and "crushed" the CB that came up to bring him down...Lucky for the defense there was another defender assisting the CB on the play that finally put him to the ground....I hope we keep two FB's this year, because I'm sure gonna miss Schlesinger if we don't!(Schlesinger banged hard tonight as well...caught the ball pretty decent...he's a "true" veteran)

There were two "surprise sights" tonight...First was none other than DT Paul Soliai yet once again, earlier I reported that he was the "middle" guy forming the wedge on punt returns for Ted Ginn, Jr....Tonight he lined up at the RE position, now that's a 6'4" 344 lb. Defensive End PhinFans!....He even busted out with a pretty nice "swim" move to get around the LT whom I believe was Julius Wilson...Soliai didn't get to the QB, but just think of the run defenses we could run with Big Traylor at NT and Soliai at RE....Traylor by the way was clogging the middle of the field at all times when he was on the field...he's looking as if he will return to form again this year....just need a little luck to keep him healthy though...Rodrique Wright looked powerful and quick as well, blowing around the Center (not sure which one was in) into the backfield on a "mid-line" stunt.The other surprise is really unbelievable.....

Joey Porter walked into the "punt return" drill in front of the entire crowd...He actually moving Ginn out of the way for the last rep on punt return...I remember thinking how there was no way that #55 was going to embarrass himself like this in front of all of these people.....Catching a punt at night, looking into the lights, from an NFL Punter.....naaahhhh...no way...no way at all!But as soon as the punter booted that ball off of his foot Porter took off towards the left sideline and caught the ball (Yes he cradled it....but caught it smoothly none-the-less) and advanced it for a few yards until he ran out of bounds....incredible! The pressure that he must've felt trying to catch that ball is unimaginable...It appeared as if he poked a little fun at #19 on his way back to his group for "team"....That was one of the coolest things I've seen this camp, a LB catch a real "live" punt...on the run I might add!

Dolphins Depending on Porter

2007-08-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

BY ARMANDO SALGUERO-Miami Herald
It seems somebody is going to be wrong here.
Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins stepped out on very thin limbs this offseason and one of those clubs will soon experience a long fall to reality as we watch Joey Porter play.
The Steelers, you see, were of the opinion that the pass-rushing, playmaking linebacker was on the decline and no longer was worth the $5 million due him in 2007, the final year of his contract.
So despite the Super Bowl memories and with all deference to his leadership skills, Pittsburgh unceremoniously cut Porter.
The Dolphins looked at the same player the Steelers discarded and saw a star that was not only still in his prime, but one that would remain a tormentor of offenses for years to come.
So Miami signed Porter to the richest free agent contract of the team's offseason, giving him a whopping $32 million over five years. To underline exactly how confident Miami brass is in Porter's continued prowess, the team made $20 million of the contract guaranteed, all but assuring Porter will be a Dolphin until he retires.
One player, two vastly opposing opinions.
And that now leaves it up to Porter to show if he is the trash the Steelers believed him to be or the treasure the Dolphins think he is.
''I'm a new player coming to this defense so people are asking how he is going to do?'' Porter said. ``Hopefully I'll live up to the expectations.''
The expectations are that Porter can turn the Dolphins pass-rush into a pass-blocking headache for opposing offenses. If he's still at the level of his first eight seasons, when he had 60 sacks, he can team with Jason Taylor to form the NFL's most feared sack duo.
But seeing this situation as black and white -- as either Porter will bust or bust out -- is something of a mistake because one must also weigh the gray possibilities.
What are those?
That maybe both the Steelers and Dolphins knew what they were doing. Perhaps Porter, at 30, isn't the same player he was at 25, and perhaps the quickness and explosion that helped him embarrass overmatched linemen isn't all there any more.
But with Miami it doesn't have to be. Because the Dolphins have Taylor, most teams will be so rapt with blocking the league defensive MVP, that it will create opportunities for Porter.
And that will help both Porter and the Dolphins.
''Obviously when you have a guy like Jason Taylor, he's going to draw a lot of attention and a lot of people will turn their protection toward him,'' Miami defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. ``They did last year. But when that happens, from an X and O standpoint, they have to block the guy from the opposite side with a back.''
And the Dolphins think Porter versus a running back is a match-up Porter should win something like, oh, 100 percent of the time.
But before this can happen, before Porter can be a player that truly earns his guaranteed millions, he has to know what he's doing. And he's not quite there yet.
Yes, the Dolphins and Steelers run a similar scheme and Capers will ask Porter to do about the same things he did in Pittsburgh. But the Miami system uses different terminology.
So Porter is feeling his way through the translations early in this training camp.
Slowly.
He hasn't been impressive in any sort of eye-popping fashion. He's actually been merely OK, another guy on the field trying not to make a mistake.
''The terminology is a big key for me so I can pick it up and play fast and play like I know how to play,'' Porter said. ``I'm out there doing what I can do now, but I'm a totally different player when I know exactly where I need to be and I can play fast and at the speed I want to go.''
That is when Porter promises Miami fans will see the real him. ''It won't take long, I'm getting there,'' he said.
That's when we will truly know how much Porter has left. And whether it was the Steelers or the Dolphins that regret their signature free agent move of the offseason.

Saturday Morning Practice Notes

2007-07-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

I am not the author of the below, as I am in Memphis, and will probably not make it down to any practices this year, but below are some observations from a worthy source who attended yesterdays practice session...

The morning session started off as they always do with a stretching session, it's important that they loosen up.... Then the they went onto seperate fields and started drilling. The OL went over and started working on some push off the line drills, the DL was over working the sleds, and the DB's / S's were practicing some positional schemes and whatnot. The LB's started out with some side stepping drills, and there really wasn't must action to speak of during this time....

The WR's / RB's / and FB's then went over and started working on what I call the "rubberband drill". It's a giant rubberband that they wrap around the players waist, and he then runs and pulls it as far as he can. I'm thinking this drill is used to strengthen the legs, and help break away from a would be tackler. It's stange to watch, but it should help when it comes to gaining that extra crucial yard.... The QB's / RB's / and FB's then went into some run drills. No defense, just easy handoffs to get the timing down. This drill went on for awhile....

Just on a quick note, the players as a whole seemed very upbeat when they first came out. Everyone looked ready for some hard work in my opinion.... QB J. Hamdan was alone working with some of the RB's / FB's. They were running some basic flair out patterns, and he was hitting them. No big deal really, just some easy / no pressure tosses... Now Green / Lemon / and Beck started throwing some balls to the WR's / TE's. This was another very basic drill, with no coverage, and the WR's were running 10 yard turnaround patterns alone with some 10 yard slants. The QB's all looked very sharp / accurate during this drill, and the WR's made most of the catches. A couple of drops is all.... QB J. Beck really looked sharp in my opinion. He throws alittle hard and high sometimes, but he's been quite accurate thus far. Lemon and Green are both looking decent too. Hamdan hasn't been given must opportunity, but when he's had it, he's looked pretty solid as well. That's my personal opinion of the QB's thus far into the practice session, but things could change once they face some true coverage / pressure from the defense.... Next to come was the punt return drills. These are again very basic, and there's not really much to report. Guys like Ginn / Hakim / L. Booker / T. Daniels / and Chambers were fielding punts, some returned some fair caught, but really no contact at all here other than up at the line where the ball is being snapped. An important drill, but boring as can be....

A quick and important notice to all whoever intend on visting TC. Bring sunscreen / and a large towel. The heat along with the humidity is brutal out here even at 9:00am in the morning. I'm already drenched, and I'm just sitting here in the stands.. I still don't know how the players do it, I mean this is crazy hot out here right now....

Now the QB's came over and started taking snaps with their backs to the goaline. They were dropping back, and throwing various short / intermediate routes to the drill coaches. The WR's were's involed at all here. The QB would drop back, and one of the coaches{who were spread out in various positions on the field} would raise his hand. The QB would then make the throw. This looks like a drill used for making the correct read. Looking off one guy and throwing to another. At least that's what I took from watching it.... It was nice to see Green / Beck having sidetalk while waiting around for another drill to begin. Who knows what was being discussed, but never the less it's a positive sign to see them talking with one anoter and building a relationship.... At this time, we've still got a lot of basic drilling going on. The DL is still working all by themselves, and the LB's / DB's / S's are doing the same. The OL is over working on eachother with the blocking pads.... After that session, the offense took one field, and the defense another. The offense started working on their snap / coming off the line drills, which isn't much to write home about. While the DB's / S's / and LB's started drilling different coverage formations / schemes. Not much to really get excited about here either. The DL is alone doing some coming off the line drills as well. They've been drilling this way most of the day, and to be quite honest, there has been no real action to report thus far. Elementary stuff for the most part. I want some action!!!!!!!!!!

The OL went into some more individual drills. It looks like they are practicing blocking the "spin move" that has become so popular with DE's these days. It's nothing special, but something different than what I been seeing.... Now we have some throwing going on. They've got Green / Beck on one half of the field throwing, and Lemon / Hamdan on the other doing the same. Most of these drills consist of the WR's / TE' s going over the middle and making the catch. It's another relatively simple drill with no coverage involed. There are some nice throws / catches being made here, but it's not really all that difficult.... During this drill we also had what I consider the highlight of the day. Beck threw a lazer to Ginn, it was a bit high and hard, but he made a beautiful one handed grab and went into the endzone. It's nice to see these two starting to click.... A quick personal opinion of the WR's thus far.....

Chambers has made the catches that have been thrown to him, nothing spectacular to talk of, but consistant / no drops that I've seen.... Booker hasn't really stood out at all. He's out there catching the ball, but there's not much spark.... Sutton has made a few catches during these drills, and one thing I notice about him is the effort he gives after every catch. His work ethic is impressive, and even when he's touch tackled after only a short gain, he runs all the way down the field into the endzone, then running back. I like this kid, and if he continues to improve his routes during the remainder of TC / into the pre-season, he could emerge into a very solid WR for us. You never know with these kinds of players who come out of nowhere. I'm not going go overboard on Sutton just yet, but we could have uncovered a hidden gem with him.... WR D. Hagan has shown up. He's made some nice catches during all of the drills. He should have a better season in 2007 for us, and he's still growing into a starting position. He's certainly looks more comfortable this year than the previous, and that's to be expected with added experience.....

WR / KR T. Ginn looked very good. He's quick, and runs his routes quickly too. I like what I see from him during these drills, and if he can maybe bulk up alittle I'd be very pleased. I kind of worry about his size, he doesn't hold much weight and that could bring up injury issues for him in the future. Let's just hope that he's tough enough to withstand what he'll be facing on the NFL level. Needless to say he looks very good out there.... Malone / Reed didn't really do very much today. They both kind of get lost in the shuffle if you know what I mean. It's not that they aren't out there catching the ball during the passing drills, it's just that neither really made any catches that stood out. Nothing that made you say "nice catch"....

As for the TE's, Martin looks decent. He's been getting a lot of work, and it's obvious from watching this offense that Cameron loves throwing to the TE's. They were almost more active today than the WR's. All made catches, Martin, Peele, and Raider....

Now is the time for the two sides to face off.... The DB's / LB's are now in coverage, and it's Green up first..... TG - Quick toss outside to the FB for about 5 yards... TG - 7 yard pass to TE Martin, nice throw but dropped.... TG - Quick slant to PK Sam for about 5-7 yards.... TG - Drop back, look, nobody open, throws to the FB outside for only a couple yards.... TG - Threads it through two defender to TE J. Raider faor about 7 yards. Nice throw and catch there.... TG - Thows to Hagan over the middle on a quick turnaround route. It went for about 7-10 yards. Nice play, and good recognition by Green getting it to the open man.... Lemon is up next.... CL - Tried to squeeze in a tight one to Martin, but he was well covered and the ball was incomplete..... CL - Quick toss to the TE J. Peele for only a few over the middle. Not a great throw / catch, but still a completion never the less.... CL - Throws to Chambers for about 10-15 yards, and Chambers made a nice adjustment on the ball to get it. It was alittle overthrown / inaccurate, and looked rushed.... CL - Throws outside to Raider, and he takes it up the sideline for a solid 5 yard gain.... CL - Hits WR D. Sutton outside, but this only goes for a few yards. As I stated earlier, he ran it all the way down the field into the endzone, and that's his strong work ethic showing up.... CL - 7 yard quick slant to WR K. Reed. That was a nice throw and catch over the middle. It was Reed's only standout catch of the day though..... J. Beck is now under center.... JB - Low pass on quick slant. It wasn't a good throw, and fell incomplete... JB - Nice throw over the middle for about 10 yards. WR just came across and sat down right in the middle. Beck threw a lazer and hit him right in the numbers. Nice play... JB - Completion to the FB on a flair out, it goes for only a few yards.... JB - Throws a short completion over the middle to Martin. That's it for Beck.... The players then take a quick water break. My clothes are now stuck to me.... Here we go with two sides going head to head. This is usually the most exciting time of the practice session.....

For some reason Lemon is getting the first reps. I don't know what to make of it, but it seems odd to me that Green would be coming in after him. Is there anything brewing that we don't knwo about or is this just Green not being familiar enough with the offense in order to take the first team snaps. It really bothers me that Cam isn't giving Green reps against the first team defense.... CL - Quick throw incomplete to TE D. Martin, five yards down. He was covered well, but it was also a bad throw, too low.... CL - About a 7 yards completion to WR T. Ginn. The throw was alittle low, but Ginn made a nice catch.... CL - Throw outside to RB L. Booker, but he gets stopped for a very short gain.... CL - Drops back, pumps a couple of times, and then throws short over the middle to RB P. Cobbs. Only about 5 yards on the play.... CL - 15 yard slant to Chambers, alittle high and goes incomplete. It was a decent effort by everyone involved, the timing just wasn't quite there. ... CL - Throws about a 5 yard pass outside to Malone, he then cuts upfield for a few more. It was a solid throw / catch.... Trent Green is now taking the snaps..... TG - Drops back and throws high to Martin. Good coverge on the play too... TG - Hits Martin downfield for about 15 yards. Nice throw / catch.... I'd like to add that Green is not facing the first string defense. Why?? I have no clue. I think that Cam is just bringing him along slowly based on him not having a firm grasp of the offense yet. Personally, I would have thought that Green would be taking all of the snaps when facing the first string defense.... TG - Quick slant over the middle to Chambers, but broken by W. Allen. I saw him make a few break-ups today over on that side as well. He looked good on coverage for the most part.... TG - Facing a stiff rush, he stepped out of the pocket alittle, moved up and threw a nice pass over the middle to Martin. It went for about 10 yards, but could have gone for more after the catch.... TG - Another solid pass rush, Green steps aside, and throws downfield about 15 yards. No WR / TE in the area saw it coming, and it went incomplete.... TG - Short throw to Sutton, he then turns upfield, and sprints through a couple of DB's. I'm not sure if he was touch tackled, but he gave it great effort....

Hamdan then came in for a few throws, and made the most of them. He's not all bad, but with the guys we currently have at QB, I don't think he'll make the final roster. I do think he's been solid enough to bring competion to the position during TC however.... WR D. Sutton made another nice catch while Hamdan was taking snaps. I really think that Sutton has some untapped talent. His size alone is impressive for a rookie, and on top of that he's shown good skills catching the ball. If for any reason we see Hagan dropping passes, you could see Sutton replace him in my opinion. He's been a pleasant surprise thus far... If I had to decide what QB's I've liked thus far today, I'd have to say that Lemon was a bit more impressive than Green. I'm not saying I like the thought of Lemon starting, I just think he played better in this morning's session..... QB J. Beck is now under center, and ready to go.... JB - Stepped back, kind of hesitated alittle, throws outside flair to FB who then turns up the sideline for a few yards.... JB - Drops back, and throws over the middle to Hagan. Loose coverage, and a good play by Hagan finding the open area. About 10 yards on the play.... JB - Quick slant over the middle by PK Sam, good throw on target but dropped by Sam. He saw a big hit waiting for him and lost focus.... Well, that was about all there was this morning. It was extremely hot, and for the most part a very boring practice session. I saw very little of the 11-11 today, and it was filled with simple drilling.

Ted Ginn Signs with the Dolphins!!!

2007-07-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

First-round draft pick Ted Ginn Jr.'s future with the Dolphins is now secure.
Ginn agreed to terms of a contract Friday, meaning Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga will no longer need to consider enforcing a noon deadline imposed on all rookies.
Ginn was inside the Dolphins training facility in Davie Friday afternoon, and he already attended the team's first meeting of the day. Terms of Ginn's deal were not immediately available.
The Dolphins and Ginn's representatives worked feverishly late Thursday evening toward putting the finishing touches on a deal, but they weren't able to complete it until Friday.
The main terms of Ginn's contract had been in place since Monday, but both sides still needed several days to iron out backside incentives and extras. The process, however, was stalled for several reasons, including a lack of other signings by first-round players.
Progress quickly picked up when two other draft picks -- Falcons defensive end Jamaal Anderson (8th overall) and Bucs defensive end Gaines Adams (4th overall) -- both agreed to terms.
Anderson's deal specifically -- a five-year pact reportedly worth nearly $15.5 million in guaranteed money -- gave the Dolphins and Ginn's representatives a firmer grasp of this year's market value.
Huizenga initially threatened to bench any draft pick for the year that didn't finish their contract by the start of training camp, which officially commenced Friday.
''I have all the confidence in the world, that when it's all said and done, no matter which way it plays out, by noon on Friday, that the Miami Dolphins in good faith have given their best effort,'' coach Cam Cameron said shortly after noon on Thursday. ``And that's all I need to know.''
Ginn's agreement to terms marked the first time in three years the Dolphins have avoided a holdout. Running back Ronnie Brown and cornerback Jason Allen both reported to training camp late because of unfinished contracts.
Although he missed the past three days of a rookie training camp, Cameron seemed optimistic that Ginn wouldn't be far behind if he indeed reported by Friday. The question now becomes whether Ginn will be at full strength for Saturday's first practice of training camp.
After suffering a foot injury in January's BCS National Championship Game, the former Buckeye reported to the Dolphins' third and final minicamp at about 90 percent. He still displayed solid speed, but he did not feel like he was at full strength.
Cameron has said Ginn will first be groomed as a kick returner and later developed as a wide receiver.

#10 pick Okoye Signing Details

2007-07-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Houston Texans have agreed to contract terms with defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, the youngest player ever selected in the modern-era draft, and the 10th player chosen overall in this year's NFL draft.
Okoye, 19 when he was drafted and 20 as of last month, will sign a six-year contract that will void to five seasons if he reaches certain performance thresholds. The deal has a maximum value of $17.7 million and includes $12.8 million in bonuses.

I guess its a safe guess the Ted Ginn signing parameters will be slightly better than the above
Okoyes since he was picked one slot ahead of Ginn. Hope it happens today.

Ginn Will Not Be Affected by Missing Any Training Camp

2007-07-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Below is an article from this mornings Miami Herald. Click on Link to see original source.

My thoughts on his not signing so far is no worries and here is why.
First of all, the closest round one signing to Ginn is #15 signing. The more round one picks signed over the next several days will indirectly outline Ginns contract pay, so we have to wait for this to develop.

Second of all, Ginn is getting extra rest on his injury, each day brings him closer to 100%, so if he misses a week or two, then all the better for his injury. I'm sure he is working out hard, but not as intense as training camp.

Third, Ginn has already been exposed thru Dolphin mini camps all the kickoff and punt return strategies the Fins will employ this season, so he will not be walking into camp 100% green to have to learn the special teams and his role on them.

Fourth, Dolphins drafted him for his incredible punt/kickoff return instincts and speed. Ginns instincts and speed will not be affected by missing a few practices. Once he arrives in camp, it will take very little time for Ginn to get caught up on his duties and responsibilities for the upcoming year which will be mainly his contributions on Punt/Kickoff returns.

Ginns instincts and speed are uncoachable, and there is nothing he will miss in camp that will make Ginn any better at running faster and making plays on special teams because this is all instinct anyway. The only thing he will miss is practice on his route running as receiver and catching some punts and kickoffs. Granted this is important, and I wish he were signed already, but please do not worry, Ginn will not be a long term holdout, and I anticipate his attendance in the full training camp will exceed 95% of the overall practices. Look for him to be signed by this Friday which is the official day one of Camp. As for Huizengas comments below, there is no way he would bench Ginn for 2007 if he misses a day or two past this coming Fridays day one of official camp. Ginn is too valuable to the 2007 campaign.

BY JEFF DARLINGTON- FOR THE MIAMI HERALD
Wayne Huizenga has said his Dolphins, who have one of the NFL's earliest camps, will not play any rookie who misses the start of camp, which the team said will officially start Friday.
Dolphins first-round pick Ted Ginn is close to signing a contract with Miami.
When quarterback John Beck first called fellow rookie Samson Satele last month to tell him what he had heard from Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, neither player knew what to think.
They only knew this: They had better report to training camp on time.
Beck had just discovered the comments made by Huizenga in March when his new boss publicly warned each rookie to finish his contract before the start of camp or he would be benched the entire 2007 season.
''If you don't report, you're sitting out, baby,'' Huizenga said. ``We're not playing you.''
Players like Satele and Beck took the warning seriously. But not everyone knew what to make of Huizenga's threat. Was he serious? Or was he just being a talkative owner frustrated by two consecutive years of rookie holdouts?
''It's a scary thought,'' said Satele, a second-round pick and potential starter at center this year. ``I went straight home and called my agent. I told him to take care of everything -- and make sure I get here before camp starts.''
One agent of a current Dolphins rookie, who requested anonymity, said his firm investigated Huizenga's comments to figure out exactly what he meant and exactly what he defined as the ''start'' of camp.
In the end, the solution was simple: Don't bother tempting one of South Florida's biggest businessmen. It wasn't a problem for any of those draft picks, since they all finished contracts by Tuesday's start of on-field drills for rookies.
All except for one.
As wide receiver Ted Ginn remained absent Tuesday -- still knocking out the final ''extras'' in his contract -- the questions about Huizenga's threat surfaced once more. Was Ginn officially a holdout?
''Training camp officially starts on Friday,'' coach Cam Cameron said. ``This is a precamp prior to our official training camp. We start officially on Friday.''
So for now, that's the deadline: Friday. And while Huizenga didn't return messages left at his office Tuesday, several sources said he's still watching the process closely.
It shouldn't become an issue, as Ginn will almost certainly finish his deal by Friday (and likely even earlier), since his contract is nearly completed. If that's the case, and Huizenga indeed gets all of his 10 picks into camp on time, another question could arise.
Did the owner's strategy really work?
The Dolphins could become one of the first teams in the league this year to get all of their rookies into camp -- an impressive feat for a team with 10 draftees. Whether Huizenga's threat is a reason for the success would be a matter of debate.
''The threat was there, but it was never our driving force,'' said Justin Schulman, one of Beck's representatives at Athletes First. ``It was something to keep in mind. But for us, our clients never hold out. John is a quarterback, and he needed to be in there.''
Still, it isn't likely for Huizenga's ultimatum to become commonplace in the NFL. If, for instance, the Dolphins had a top-five selection in the draft and also started their camp as early as the team did this year, it would be unrealistic to expect a deal to get done.
At this point, Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons is the earliest first-round pick to sign a contract -- and he was chosen six spots after Ginn. But while Cameron is looking forward to getting Ginn into camp, he isn't ''concerned'' just yet.
''His primary role coming in will be as a returner, and he will evolve as a receiver,'' Cameron said. ``Let's just see how it plays out, and see if it gets to a point where it becomes a concern. Right now, we're focused on the guys that are here.''
By Friday, however, the Dolphins could be far more focused on the one player who is not.

Beck Signs-Ginn last Rookie Unsigned

2007-07-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Per NFL network, Quarterback John Beck signed a four-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. The team's other top pick, Ted Ginn Jr., remained unsigned a day before the first scheduled rookie practice.
Beck, a second-round pick, threw for 79 touchdowns and 11,021 yards at BYU. He was the first quarterback selected by Miami in the first two rounds since Dan Marino in 1983.
The Dolphins did not release the terms of the deal and a phone message left with Beck's agent was not returned.
Ginn, an Ohio State receiver and Miami's first-round choice, remained unsigned. Ginn's agent did not return a phone message.
The Dolphins also signed two other players: center Drew Mormino, a sixth-round pick, who agreed to a four-year deal, and undrafted free agent Brian Soi, a 6-3, 315-pound defensive tackle.
Miami's other second-round pick, center Samson Satele, signed a four-year, $2.89 million contract on July 19.
Rookies are scheduled to begin practice July 24 and team training camp starts July 28.
The Dolphins are now working to finish a deal with wide receiver/kick returner Ted Ginn Jr., the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. Agent Neil Cornrich has been discreet about the negotiations, but it is believed both sides are getting close.
The main terms of Ginn's deal are completed, but some of the final backside aspects -- such as incentives -- of the contract could take a few days or more to get done.
Beck, who will compete with quarterback Cleo Lemon for the backup job this season, is being viewed as the team's long-term option at quarterback beyond Trent Green's tenure. This year's draft marked the first time since drafting Dan Marino in 1983 that the Dolphins used a selection within the first two rounds to pick a quarterback.
Beck was the eighth pick of the second round, and Marino was chosen 27th overall. Marino was the sixth quarterback taken in his draft, and Beck was the fourth quarterback chosen this year.

Satele Signs-Beck and Ginn Remain Unsigned

2007-07-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Second-round draft choice Samson Satele signed a four-year, $2.89 million contract four-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, but the team's top two picks remained unsigned three days before the scheduled reporting date for rookies.
Satele, a 311-pound center from Hawaii, was taken with the second of Miami's two second-round picks in April. The deal signed by Satele, included $1.225 million guaranteed.

Still unsigned were Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn Jr., the Dolphins' first-round choice, and quarterback John Beck of Brigham Young, a second-round pick.
Miami rookies are scheduled to report July 22 and begin practice July 24. Training camp for the entire team starts July 28.

In March, team owner H. Wayne Huizenga said he wanted to set a tone by having all rookies signed by training camp. With rookies scheduled to report to training camp Sunday, three of the 10 draftees remain unsigned. Satele agreed to a four-year contract that includes $1,225,000 guaranteed and $1.6 million in base pay. But that leaves No. 1 pick Ted Ginn Jr., second-rounder John Beck and sixth-rounder Drew Mormino. All of the players' agents have commented little on the negotiations.

"We don't really talk about business," said Justin Schulman, who represents Beck, a quarterback out of Brigham Young. "We're going to proceed with negotiations." Huizenga stressed the importance of having all rookies arrive on time at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, saying at the time, "If you don't report, you're sitting out, baby. We're not playing you."

His words came after watching the previous two first-round picks struggle following holdouts. Last year, cornerback Jason Allen reported 10 days late and rarely played during the season. The previous year, running back Ronnie Brown's holdout was blamed for his early-season problems. Huizenga has refused to readdress the issue, according to team spokesman Harvey Greene.

It is not known whether Huizenga considers on-time arrival to be Sunday's rookie reporting date, Tuesday's first rookie practice or the first full-team practice July 28.Ginn and Beck are key arrivals because they could contribute early, as could Satele, who looked impressive in minicamps this summer.

Ginn, a receiver/kick returner, couldn't participate in two minicamps, the first because of his sprained left foot and the second because of commitments at Ohio State. Ginn practiced at the last minicamp in early June.Although Beck attended all three sessions, he could use the repetitions because he is expected to back up Trent Green.

The Dolphins' situation is similar to several teams. The Buffalo Bills have five unsigned rookies, including top pick Marshawn Lynch and No. 2 Paul Posluszny, and five teams have yet to sign any of their draft picks. The only teams with more players signed are the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars, with eight each. Satele's agent, Leo Goeas, said, "We don't believe in holding guys out. He's actually the first second-rounder to get it done. It's not like we're late, that's just the business ... they got it done. He's looking to contribute right away.

"Plantation-based agent Brett Tessler said Huizenga's ultimatum adds no pressure to negotiations."The importance of securing your client a fair deal and getting them into camp on time is motivation enough," Tessler said. "Holdouts are as bad for the player as they are for the team, and at the end of the day, it's both sides' responsibility to make sure the deal gets done on time."

CULPEPPER RELEASED

2007-07-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Story Source-Sun Sentinel

After trying for weeks to trade quarterback Daunte Culpepper, the Dolphins released him Tuesday, ending the former Pro Bowl pick's short stint in South Florida and wrapping up what became a contentious split between the player and the team.

The Dolphins made the move in a one-sentence release, without further comment, the day before a scheduled hearing on a breach-of-contract grievance filed by the NFL Players Association on Culpepper's behalf.

The former Minnesota star was acquired by the Dolphins before the 2006 season, even though he was coming off major knee surgery. Culpepper never regained his form last year, struggling in four games before the team shut him down so he could continue rehabilitating the knee.
The grievance was filed in early June after the team told Culpepper he couldn't participate in team drills during practice. That was shortly after the team traded with Kansas City for quarterback Trent Green, who's expected to be the new starter for the Dolphins.

Culpepper said his attorneys were told by the Dolphins on Monday night that he would be released, and the veteran formally became a free agent Tuesday.``As I was going through this process I heard about a quote by Gandhi that best expresses my thoughts about this victory: 'First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win,''' Culpepper, who serves as his own agent, said in an e-mail. ``Now that I have won my freedom and I get to choose my next team, I am just like many other people who have to go out and find employment so that I can take care of my family.''

The Jacksonville Jaguars are thought to be among the potential suitors for Culpepper; coaches there told quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and David Garrard earlier this offseason that they would consider acquiring him before training camp if he was available.``I just hope that there is still a team or two out there that has an opportunity for a hard working quarterback who is willing to come in and contribute wherever needed,'' Culpepper said. ``I am ready to get into a training camp so that I can prepare for the 2007 season.''If they had kept him on the 53-man roster, Dolphins would have owed Culpepper $5.5 million this season.

Releasing him clears $1.3 million in cap space.It's not known if they came close to moving him in a trade; Culpepper vowed to block any such moves, saying he wouldn't accommodate the Dolphins by agreeing to a new contract. His existing deal, which would have paid him $51.5 million through 2013, surely made it nearly impossible for the Dolphins to find a team to trade with.In 84 games as an NFL starter, Culpepper completed 64.2 percent of his passes and thrown for 21,091 yards and 137 touchdowns.

Dolphins Training Camp July 27th -Schedule Details

2007-07-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

Dol-Fans will have plenty of opportunities this summer to catch a glimpse of their favorite team as it prepares for the 2007 National Football League season. Dates and times were announced today for the Dolphins’ 2007 training camp schedule, and a total of 25 practices this year will be open for public viewing.

All but one camp practice will be held at the team’s Nova Southeastern University training facility in Davie, Fla. The last open practice for the general public is on Sunday, August 19. Three of the 25 practices will be conducted at night, including a Tuesday, August 7 session which will be held at Dolphin Stadium starting at 7:00 p.m. and dubbed “Tuesday Night Lights.”

Autograph sessions with Dolphin players will be held preceding each of the team’s three night practices. Admission and parking are free at all Dolphins training camp practices, including the stadium session. Seating at the team’s facility will be available for the first 2,000 fans in the bleachers, located on the west side of the practice facility.

Parking is available at the Nova Southeastern University Medical School garage, located near the intersection of University Drive and S.W. 30th Street, between Griffin Road and I-595. Access to this garage is off University Drive and S.W. 30th Street.Practice times are subject to change, and the most updated information can be obtained by calling the Dolphins practice hotline at (954) 452-7004.

DOLPHINS TENTATIVE 2007 DAY-BY-DAY TRAINING CAMP PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Friday, July 27Veteran Players Report to Camp
Saturday, July 288:30 a.m.4:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 292:30 p.m.
Monday, July 308:30 a.m.4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 319:30 a.m.7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 13:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 28:30 a.m.4:00 p.m.
Friday, August 39:30 a.m.7:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 43:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 5PLAYERS OFF
Monday, August 68:30 a.m.4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 79:30 a.m.7:00 p.m. at Dolphin Stadium
Wednesday, August 83:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 98:30 a.m.4:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 11DOLPHINS VS. JAGUARS AT DOLPHIN STADIUM, 7:30 P.M. (EDT), WFOR-TV
Sunday, August 12PLAYERS OFF
Monday, August 133:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 148:30 a.m.4:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 16DOLPHINS VS. CHIEFS AT ARROWHEAD STADIUM, 8:00 P.M. (EDT), ESPN Friday,
August 17PLAYERS OFF
Saturday, August 183:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 192:30 p.m.

All practices are subject to weather conditions

Link to Dolphins Website for this story...

Ginn Projections, and Remember Steve Smiths Rookie Year

2007-06-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

I have written about this before but just felt the need to remind everyone the fact that most rookie WRs do not just walk into the NFL and have explosive seasons in year one. The Saints Rookie 7th rounder Marcus Colston happens like once every 100 WRs rookie seasons. RBs have a much greater impact in rookie years than do Wrs, thats just a fact. It happens every season( See Addai and Bush last year, and Lynch(Bills) this year) It did not hurt Colston to have Drew Brees slinging him the ball either in year one.

I like to compare Ted Ginn to Steve Smith for many reasons as was written in my article
Just Give Ted Ginn the Damn Ball(click to the left to read).

Steve Smiths rookie year stats were the following...
His rookie year Smith had only 10 receptions for 154 yards(15.4 average) 0 Touchdowns. He rushed 4 times for 43 yards(10.8 rushing average) and 0 Touchdowns.
Smith made his impact on special teams returning kickoffs and punts his rookie year.
His rookie year Smith had 90 combined Kickoff/Punt returns for 1,795 yards and 3 TDs.

Ted Ginn therefore should not disappoint anyone if his primary impact is on special teams.
the average projections for Ted Ginn from the first 5 Fantasy Magazines and other online projectors I respect is the following...

Ted Ginn is projected to have 7 rushes for 44 yards, 39 receptions for 581 yards and 3 TDs.
In the return game, early projections are 75 total returns, 1100 yards, and 2 TDs
So total early projections by Fantasy Football experts whom I trust are saying rookie
year, Ted Ginn will have a total 1,725 Yards and 5 TDs. Although the majority of it will be special teams, I will take these numbers for a first year WR. Lets just hope and pray he is 100% healthy for 16 games.

And also just think of the positive impact favourable field position will have for the Dolphins offense as a result of a strong return game. I'm excited, but everyone remember he is only a rookie, and to see him outshine Steve Smiths impressive rookie year is not a stretch by any means.
This is quite acceptable to me on all accounts for this rookie.

Dolphins Updates

2007-06-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

From Miami Herald...

Dolphins coach Cam Cameron said the recent off-field behavior of defensive tackle Fred Evans would be taken seriously. Apparently, he was serious.
The team waived Evans on Thursday in the wake of his second arrest in less than six months, prematurely ending what appeared to be a promising career with the Dolphins.
Cameron offered no public comment or explanation for the release.
It isn't exactly difficult to figure it out: Early Saturday morning, Evans was arrested in South Beach for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest with violence, battery on a police officer and trespassing.
Cameron issued a stern statement after the arrest, noting the team ''will not condone this type of behavior.'' The decision to waive Evans could also send a message to the rest of the roster that Cameron isn't joking about his desire to assemble a team of good character.
The latest charges come four months after he was also arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in Texas.
Evans pleaded no contest, placing him on probation with the law -- and apparently on a no-tolerance policy with Cameron as well.
The loss comes as a blow to a defensive line that had previously been hoping for big things from Evans, who seemed like an overachieving seventh-round pick. Evans was the projected backup -- and eventual replacement -- for Keith Traylor, who is nearing the end of his career.
Evans was arrested Sunday morning after being subdued with a Taser by police officers when he refused to cooperate. When Evans refused to leave a taxi, officers tried to handcuff him, according to a police report.
That's when Evans became violent, leading to the use of the Taser.
DAUNTE HEARING
In his continued quest to be granted his release, Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper will have his grievance against the Dolphins heard by an arbitrator today in New York.
However, a verdict is not expected to come immediately. Instead, it likely will take between one and two weeks for an arbitrator to decide if the Dolphins can keep Culpepper without giving him repetitions.
The team is willing to hold onto Culpepper while seeking a trade through training camp unless told otherwise.