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Fins: Leftover thoughts

It's preseason.

And the Chiefs will be awful this season.

Still, that was very impressive.

We make too much of "attitude" sometimes. You need players to win in the league, players with unique talents. The Dolphins don't have enough of those yet, even if they seem to have more after the recent draft.

But I have been encouraged with Tony Sparano's approach so far. Think of the press conferences that we've heard in recent years, which were a window into what the coaches were telling players behind the scenes.

We got two extremes, neither good.

We heard Dave Wannstedt and Cam Cameron making excuses for themselves and their players.

We heard Nick Saban shifting responsibility from himself to them. (Remember the famous lines in 2006 about how he'd be doing better if his best players, like Daunte Culpepper and Ricky Williams, had been either healthy or available).

Sparano, however, takes the right tone. Sure, he isn't always honest, in an effort to play the game and build leverage. (When he praises a player too much, that player better start shopping for a new address.) Still, he seems to have the ability to be self-deprecating, while also being blunt about player performances and his expectations relative to them.

And here's the thing:

Players will only listen to your criticism as a coach if you take accountability for yourself.

Sparano's teams look prepared so far, and they seem to have some belief in him. Already, he's way ahead of the Cameron curve.

Other thoughts:

-- Ernest Wilford, playing with the second and third teamers, looms as the first official mistake of this regime. Will they cut him and eat the $6 million? I think it would send a good message, that they are willing to get rid of one of their own.

-- Justin Peelle did not distinguish himself last night. I've always considered him a functional player, but he may make too much to keep around. If they can get something, anything, in a trade, it makes sense to do that.

-- Chad Henne needed to struggle last night. It was good for his development. (Yes, it's that whole fail forward fast thing.). He has enough confidence, and has been in enough big games, that it won't hurt him long-term.

-- I like Davone Bess the more I watch him. He finds those open seams from the slot. That will be critical for Chad Pennington, who doesn't have a proven tight end here, and needs a safe outlet.

-- I received a couple of e-mails asking why I hadn't included Ricky Williams as one of the core players going forward in my column. He's the best player on the team at the moment. Just about every observer agrees upon that. But, even if Williams was younger than 31 (and had a long-term deal), I still would be stupid to count on him in the future in any meaningful way.

-- One thing that I forgot to mention last night or on this entry earlier: the booing, on two occasions, of Sparano's decisions not to go on fourth down. One time, the Dolphins were on the 1. The other time, they were close to midfield. Too early to boo this coach?

> Posted by Ethan J. Skolnick at 11:02:36 AM

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