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http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/06/things-to-addre.html

Things to address while on vacation

The Dolphins are officially on vacation now and although some rookies will be around the facility during the early part of July, most players won't be back until later in the month.

But just because everyone's on vacay doesn't mean stuff should not be happening. The Dolphins have work to do in certain areas over the next few weeks. And although not every issue will be fully resolved by the start of training camp, it wouldn't hurt the team to consider its options.

The issues?

1. Getting healthy: Miami needs to get cornerback Michael Lehan, linebacker Channing Crowder, guard Steve McKinney, and running back Ronnie Brown as close to 100 percent as possible.

Lehan suffered a significant ankle sprain during recent OTA action and was expected to be out about a month. That still puts him within reach of being ready for the start of camp but he obviously has to get treatment consistently to accomplish that.

Brown got his most work of the offseason in the last week of OTA work, taking snaps with the first-team offense in team drills rather than being limited to individual drills as he was earlier. But Brown still isn't 100 percent. The hope is another month of strength building and treatment and TIME will help the surgically repaired knee. I don't think you'll see him taking too many hits in training camp -- maybe not even the first preseason game. But he needs to show by the second or third preseason game he's ready to play because, otherwise, he would be showing he's not ready for the season.

Crowder is still not 100 percent following late-season knee surgery. He needs to get better for the team's as well as his sakes. Obviously Miami brought in a pair of veteran inside linebackers in Reggie Torbor and Akin Ayodele so Crowder will have to compete if he wants to retain his starting job. Then he is hoping to set himself up for a new contract and that cannot happen on the sideline. Finally, from a team perspective, a healthy Crowder makes the defense better and, at the minimum, improves depth.

As for McKinney, see a couple of paragraphs down.

2. Sign remaining rookies:

The Dolphins have three draft picks that remain unsigned -- second-rounders Chad Henne and Phillip Merling and third rounder Kendall Langford. None has missed mandatory minicamps or OTA days because of contract issues so the is hope the negotiations will be efficient and productive. But it is clear Miami cannot afford to let any of these three guys miss any significant amount of training camp time, so it is imperative they are present and accounted for at the opening of camp.

3. Fill the vacant guard spot.

Miami's OL seems pretty much set in four of the five spots -- with LT Jake Long, RT Vernon Carey, C Samson Satele, and G Justin Smiley looking solid. The problem is Smiley, a natural right guard, has been working at both sides and the side where he ain't is a question mark.

If Smiley lands at right guard, where he is more comfy, that leaves the possibility of putting two relatively inexperienced players to man the left side. If you put Smiley, a vet, at left guard, his experience would help Long but what about RG?

This won't get resolved before the start of camp, but it is an issue that needs monitoring. Veteran Steve McKinney, who would be a good veteran fill at LG, said recently he would be ready for the start of training camp "even if I'm not 100 percent." McKinney, added recently, is still recovering from knee surgery that forced him to miss most of 2007.

That is all for now. I will be out of the country starting Sunday evening for 10 days. Spare me the don't come back jokes. You will have one final opportunity to talk Dolphins football with me if you want.

I will be on 790-AM The Ticket Sunday morning from 9-11 to talk sports with you. So call me from anywhere in the US at 1-888-790-3776. And if you are not in So. Fla. you can listen on the web at 790theticket.com.

A few observations here. 

1.  I don't think Ronnie will be 100% when the season starts.  Ricky will open as the Dolphins #1 back.  Whether or not that changes depends on how Ronnie progresses over the course of the season.

2.  Crowder needs to step it up as this is a contract year for him.  He had a breakout rookie season but hasn't shown any significant development since. 

3. Unless Shawn Murphy or Donald Thomas has a mind blowing training camp, Sweathog's older brother will begin the season as the starting left guard.  LeCharles Bentley is a possibility at guard. 

4.  If secondary is a real concern, then why not bring in a veteran DB or two??

5.  The three remaining unsigned rookies better take a cue from Jake Long and get their asses in camp and start memorizing the playbooks.  Especially Chad Henne.

It's all about the $$$, baby.

  Looks like Jeff Ireland feels the same way.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/06/16/ireland_wants_draft_deals_done.html

Ireland wants draft deals done by July 1

By Tim Graham | Monday, June 16, 2008, 02:20 PM

DAVIE — The Dolphins have set the NFL pace when it comes to signing draft picks. They locked up No. 1 pick Jake Long before the draft and have signed six of their nine selections already.

The other three will be under contract within the next two weeks if Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland has his way.

Ireland today said he wanted the whole class of ‘08 to be signed by July 1. He made the comment today at Grande Oaks Golf Club, where the annual Dolphins Foundation tournament was held.

That would guarantee everyone — well, almost everyone — would be in training camp when it begins late next month.

The stragglers are defensive ends Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford and quarterback Chad Henne. Merling and Henne were taken in the second round. Langford was selected in the third.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/06/dolphins-gm-ire.html

Dolphins GM Ireland getting it done

Hey guys, spoke to Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland at the Dolphins charity golf tournament at Grande Oaks Golf Club today and he told me he wants to wrap up the final three unsigned draft picks by July 1.

Ireland has been quite proactive in getting his picks signed, and only has DE Phillip Merling (32nd), QB Chad Henne and DE Kendall Langford (66th) remaining of the nine picks.

He believes that just because Merling was 32nd and in years past that would've been the last pick of the first round but not this year because the Patriots forfeited their pick due to Spygate that won't have a bearing on getting him locked up. It doesn't hurt that Merling's agent is Jimmy Sexton, who happens to be the agent for coach Tony Sparano and team czar Bill Parcells. Come to think of it, he was the Nicktator's agent, too.

"Not really, we got the slot because we were at the top of the second round,'' Ireland said. "We'll get it done.''

Ireland feels that just because Henne is a quarterback taken in the second round he'll be wrapped up before training camp becasue they're familiar with his agent, Justin Schulman of Athlete's First, also the agent for second-year quarterback John Beck.

Sure, Ireland wasn't here last year but the contracts man Matt Thomas was as was team Pres. Bryan Wiedemeier. Also, Ireland said: "he wants to be here. He knows that he can't miss a day of training camp. He wants to win the starting job so he wants to be here.''

Other tidbits:

Jake Long, who is left-handed by the way, a good thing for left tackles, crushes his drives but they're not always straight. He and FB Boomer Grigsby are becoming tight. They both share a love of music and went to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in Jacksonville over the weekend.

Grigsby didn't participate in the golf tournament but he took in the post-golf barbeque in the indoor bubble. Grigsby said he doesn't golf plus he wanted to make up the one weight-lifting session he had missed this offseason so the, "boss'' or Sparano will see a perfect 100 percent next to his name. That's how serious this regime takes the offseason conditioning program.

Kicker Jay Feely, one of the best golfers in the NFL (one handicap?), was bummed he couldn't play in the best-ball tourney today because he strained an oblique muscle (side) during kicking drills last weekend.

He'll be fine by training camp and regardless of Feely's belief in free speech, there's no way he won't be the Dolphins kicker this year. He only made 21 of 23 field goals last year and those misses came on muddy fields. And I don't see how the current regime could hold his lack of touchbacks against him when Rev. Cam ordered him to squib kick all the time because he didn't trust his coverage units.

> Posted by hfialkov at 7:40:20 PM