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http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/09/chris-crocker-t.html

Chris Crocker to start ahead of Jason Allen

Giving up some notes as the Dolphins prepare for the New York Jets:

Chris Crocker has apparently completed his passing of Jason Allen for the team's starting free safety job, coach Tony Sparano confirmed today. The coach was quick to point out Allen will nonetheless get lots of playing time.

No lie. Allen is going to be playing a lot on special teams and is in Miami's dime (six defensive backs) package. But starting? No.

Meanwhile, receiver Greg "I saved the Dolphins from infamy last season" Camarillo got some first-team snaps during the portion of practice that is open to the media. At the very least Camarillo has won the No. 3 receiver spot. In the extreme, he might have beaten out Derek Hagan for the starting job, although that is not a certainty.

I believe the starting job could be more of a feel thing for the coaches, with the player that has the best week of practice getting the nod.

Hagan, who passed Ernest Wilford for the starting job early in camp, was brutally honest with reporters about his status. He said the coaches told him Camarillo had had a better preseason than him. Ouch.

So here are the questions:

Do you have, as Nick Saban might say, faith, trust and confidence in a receivers corps that is potentially making a lineup change after the preseason is complete? How uncomfortable are you knowing one of the starters got passed by a player who started training camp just fighting for a roster spot?

Are you more inclined to see this as a positive reflecting on Camarillo or a negative reflecting on Hagan?

And on the Allen front, after being handed the starting job because of injuries late last year and being handed the starting job early in camp because he was the incumbent, does it worry you that he couldn't hold the job?

This is now Allen's third season. By any account, it is supposed to be his breakout year. Are you disappointed he's breaking out as a special teams and situational player rather than a full-time starter after being picked No. 16 overall in 2006?

Discuss...

I don't know how to feel about stories like this.  It's a "glass half full" type situation.

Either you can see it as a negative story about Allen, or a positive one about Crocker.

I don't know how to take it.  I liked what I saw out of Allen.  Does this mean Crocker is even better?  Or that Allen blew it?

(http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/images/gallery/chris-crocker-cries.jpg)

LEAVE JASON ALLEN ALOOONNNNE!!!!

 ;D

salguero mentioned the other day on 790 that basically allen was in the fight for his life for his job. for whatever reason, the evaluation of allen has not been favorable by the trifecta. going into your third year, first round pick, and the only way you crack the lineup is on special teams??? good grief, can you say bbbbbbust...

This has nothing to do with Allen being a bust.    They simply wanted Crocker in there & that's fine.  Its their team.   Allen outplayed him, but they signed Crocker.

 Allen needs to get himself out of Miami so he can have a career.

Like I said before  ??? ??? What the hell Saban saw in this Kid Allen  ??? ???

Speed, height, play maker in college, not afraid to tackle.  Probably what he saw.

college is the operative word in this statement. like many other nfl first round busts, this simply didn't translate to the pro game. at this point in his career his only value to a team completely rebuilding and aggressively looking to start young talent is limited to special teams.

Plus, Saban was so fixated on the SEC that he failed to see other talent like Antonio Cromartie out there.

  How can you take Cromartie coming out of college over Allen coming out of college?  Cromartie could not win a starting job on his college team to a 3 year starter in Allen.

Both had missed the previous year with injuries.

While all college draftees are risk, to me picking Cromartie coming out of college was a far larger risk. 

   I think Allen will be starting in Miami after Crocker gets beat a few times on deep patterns as he did in the pre-season.

This is nothing but pure Parcells cronyism. 

Also, these guys running the show in Miami, appear to be head game players.

Agree here.  Its sad, and I'm tired of this big time.  Jason Allen played well last year and in preseason and deserves his shot.  I am annoyed to see him get screwed.

If Parcells-Ireland-Sparano don't think Allen should be starting, it's probably due to the talent they see, rather than any "croneyism" policy they are following.

for real... wilford got a big payday, don't see him in the starting lineup. keith davis, their homeboy from dallas, cut his ass. i don't see this regime as having too big an ego to not play the right guy if the talent is there. conversely, they are pretty open with cutting ties fast where they were wrong.

The only reason why Wilford is still on this team is his play against New Orleans.

The only reason Wilford is still on this team is because the word "guaranteed" is on his contract.

OK.... but if he becomes the red zone threat Parcells envisioned him as, do you agree that the Trifecta will forget about his disappointing training camp?

don't forget about McCown

  Yeap  :Sarcasm:

   Did he earn his spot on the team?   

He ask to be cut.

  You do not think Parcells lets his ego get in the way? 

  Yeap, they traded him for a pick.  They got something.  If they had to "Cut" one of them.  Who do you think they would have been?  Beck or McCown?

^ That would be the former of the two.

NO....Bill Parcells builds winning football teams by doing whats right for the team and organization....the man does have an "ego", but it does not impede his judgement when making football decisions....hell, after all coach parcells has accomplished in the NFL he deserves to have somewhat of an "ego". 

  Clearly, Coach Sparano/Ireland/Mr. Parcells see Chris Crocker as a better option then Jason Allen right now....These guys were told all positions were open battles....Crocker must have outperformed Allen in their opinion...I'm fine with that!!! ;)

  What is so grand about Parcells?   He has never won without his side kick up in NE.

  They can do what they want & its their team to do with what they want.   As long as they win I'm cool with what they are doing. 

However, in pre-season games Crocker did not out perform Allen.  Crocker was beaten a time or two deep in games because he was out of position.

Its obvious they like to play head games with the players & media.  Just check out Sparano's comment about Ricky & Ronnie today.   After declaring RW the starter, today he kinda went back on it & said you will have to buy a ticket to find out.  He said Ronnie is looking better with more quickness.

They are simply head game players.  If it works, then I'm fine with it, but it can blow up in their fact too.

   I sure hope there is a switch at the position this week.

^agreed, Crocker looked bad

The Trifecta are partly to blame for this..... they failed to adress DB's in the draft. 

  You cannot address every weakness on a 1-15 team in one offseason.  For anyone thinking Miami was going to have this grand turnaround & go deep into the playoffs then reality should set in quickly.

Even though they found Thomas in Rd. 6 I still question the drafting of so many lineman in one draft.   Along with Hillard.