The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

  Believe it or not, it's already July 1st.  Can you believe it?  The year 2008 is moving at a rapid pace, it only feels like yesterday when we all rang in the New Year.  Anyways, the Miami Dolphins start Training Camp on July 25th.  So, in the days leading up to that event, this thread will have 25 different topics to discuss.  I figured, it would be a cool way to pass some time.

  Today's topic is, which Miami Dolphin do you feel is underappreciated?  Who in your mind is not getting enough love?  Which player isn't getting the kudos or "atta boy" that they deserve?

Ricky Williams -- 

I'd have to go with Yeremiah Bell. Granted, the injury last year didn't help, but I think he is going to have a great season. He started to get some kudos a few years back from Saban, and actually got to start, where he showed he was a ball hawk.

There is also a guy who they didn't resign this offseason, who I think was very under rated and under valued- Rex Hadnot. He was a very good guard, and the team is now struggling to find another guard.

I hate to be like this, but I am not sure that ANY of the Dolphins are underappreciated at this point. I think we need to see this new squad on the field before we see how the atta-boys are distributed.

  I'm going to say our LS, John Denney.  I know that some of you laugh at that idea, but ever since he came to Miami as an UDFA out of BYU in 2005, he's been a very consistent long snapper for the Dolphins.

  I agree with DZA, that Ricky Williams is that player.  Ricky is playing for the league minimum for veterans....he is working hard, staying clean and saying all the right things this off season.  I love #34  ;D

I am going to say Justin Peele.  I thought he looked very good this past year and it is hard to hear that he is expected to be the odd man out this year.

  I think Peelle stays.  David Martin is probably the odd man out.

  It's now Day 2 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  Today's topic is about two of our rookie offensive lineman.  Jake Long and Shawn Murphy.  Now, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Jake Long will be playing left tackle for the Miami Dolphins.  However, the person that will be playing beside him at the LG spot is the real question.  Shawn Murphy has seen a lot of playing time at LG during the OTA's and Mini-Camps.  How do you feel about the possibility of two rookies playing side by side?

  Are you okay with it, and hope that Long and Murphy are the second coming of Webb & Sims?  Or would you rather have a veteran like Justin Smiley or Steve McKinney man that LG spot beside Jake?

I'm OK with two rookies playing the left side, but not those two rookies. Murphy is very, very raw. He only played for two years because of a Mormon mission, and even then it wasn't at a big program. I think he might turn out to be fine eventually, but needs a few seasons of pro coaching. If it was a rookie who played at a big college, I'd be more comfortable. I still think it ends up being someone else playing left guard. Oh, and I'm perfectly fine with Long!

I am a bit concerned with Long's footwork with speed rushers. Murphy could end up a diamond in the rough, but I wonder is he ready yet.

  I also wonder about Murphy.  Maybe, it's premature considering the hitting hasn't started, and the pads haven't started popping, but I think it would be better to have a veteran alongside Jake until Murphy is "truly" ready to go.

I'd prefer to see Justin Smiley line up at LG beside Jake...

  I do like Shawn Murphy and hope he turns out to be a great left guard by the end of the season, but  I would prefer to see Justin Smiley starting at LG beside Jake Long...... at least until Murphy and Long get a better feel for regular season NFL football.  ( Murphy will take longer...as Philly said he is raw)

  Hmmmm....  If you slide Smiley over to the LG spot next to Jake, who do you put at the RG spot next to Vernon Carey?  Maybe, put Murphy at that spot next to a veteran in Carey, or do you go with another veteran lineman at that spot?

  Welcome to Day 3 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  Today, we're talking comebacks.  Every year since 1972, the NFL has given out the "Comeback Player of the Year Award."  An award that is presented to the player that shows perseverance in overcoming adversity, in the form of not being in the NFL the previous year, a severe injury, or simply poor performance.  Now, on a team that was 1-15.  There were several severe injuries and a lot of poor performances.  Despite all that, if you had predict who will be the "Comeback Player of the Year" for the Miami Dolphins in 2008, who would it be, and why?

  Just to make things a little more interesting, I'll throw in some trivia.  Only three Miami Dolphins have won the "NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award."  Name those Miami Dolphins, and the year they won it.

this trivia stuff is kidna impossible to do on the internet...

  Before the crash, there was a whole thread dedicated to Dolphins trivia.  Sure, things like Google and Wikipedia take a little bit of the fun out of this stuff, but it's still fun nonetheless.

I'd have to vote for Ricky as comeback player for Miami this year...

Zero idea on the former phins CPoY's.

Joey Porter, if the comeback doesn't have to be from injury. I really think he'll have a great season.

Earl Morrall 1972
Larry Csonka 1979
Dan Marino 1994

Sports illustrated also named Robert Edwards its comeback player of the year in 2002.

My pick for this year is none other than the ganja king, Ricky Williams.

Good topic Dolfan!

I'd think most people will go with Pothead.

probably porter....parcells knows he has a playmaker and will cater his scheme to joey. 

fuckwad is a viable option too, but he'll be sharing time with ronnie (if ronnie's back to form), so unless ronnie doesn't play that much i really don't see enough from ricky to warrant CPOTY

The top three that come to mind are Y-Bell, Porter and Williams. 

I am going to give the edge to Williams, because he would be the biggest media story.  Obviously we are going to run the ball alot this year so even splitting reps shouldn't be much of an obstacle.

Secretly, I think alot of people are rooting for Ricky.  They hate to see talent wasted and he has/had tons of it.  If he comes back the way he is being hyped to come back, I don't see how he isn't at least the Dolphins comeback player, and perhaps the league comeback player of the year.

  Ding, Ding, Ding!  We have a winner!

  Ricky Williams seems to be the consensus so far.  However, I'm going to go with S Yeremiah Bell for "Miami Dolphins Comeback Player of the Year Award."  This guy is without a doubt our best secondary player, and it's damn shame that he's been hurt practically every year.  I just think he's FINALLY due for a great year.

I think that Ronnie Brown will likely get it over Williams.  I love you, Ricky. :-*, but he's not even starting, and Brown looked great before he got hurt.  I'm becoming more and more skeptical of Ricky returning to prior form.

I'll also throw a longshot out there: Derek Hagan.  He may do nothing this year, but I think that this is his final test.  Either Parcells and company will get him productive or get him shipped out.

In order for this team to have any success it needs to be a combination of Ronnie and Ricky since I have a feeling this will be a run heavy offense.. I would like to see Bell make a nice comeback as well.

  Ricky Williams will be Miami's comeback player of the year.......I do think Yeremiah Bell and Ronnie Brown will make strong comebacks as well!!!

  Welcome to the July 4th edition of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  First and foremost, I hope that each and everyone of you has a truly awesome 4th of July!  Now, as we all know, the 4th of July is a celebration of our nation's independence.  However, it's also a celebration of all the things and ideals that makes the United States of America one of the greatest nations on Earth.  One of the things many Americans cherish is the idea of the "American Dream."  The "American Dream" is the idea that: No matter where you grew up whether you were rich or poor, and no matter what the odds are, there is a strong belief that anybody can become something great in this country.

  Such a belief leads me to today's topic.  Today, we're talking undrafted rookie free agents.  The casual fan often looks at a UDFA, and pretty much brushes them aside and says: "That guy sucks, he'll never make the team."  However, as we have often seen in the past, that kind of talk is simply foolish and presumptious.  Soon to be Hall of Fame kicker, Adam Vinatieri was a UDFA out of South Dakota State when the New England Patriots discovered him.  Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback, Tony Romo was an UDFA out of Div-II Southern Illinois.  There are many more examples besides these two men, when it comes to UDFA success stories in the NFL.

  Here's the question.  Which Miami Dolphin UDFA will be the biggest surprise in 2008? 

I'd have to go with Davone Bess, only because WR is a thin position, and he's got a shot at making the roster and surprising some people.

Philly beat me to it! 

Davone Bess seems like a pretty solid choice, given our WR situation, but I'll go a different route and say that CB Scorpio Babers makes the biggest impact among this year's UDFA signings.

  Davone Bess makes the biggest impact among this years UDFA signings. 

Davonne Bess for offense, Kelly Poppinga for defense.

  Davone Bess is a solid choice, and will probably have a huge impact on the WR corps.  However, I'm going to select somebody different and say that rookie K Dan Carpenter will unseat Jay Feely, and will be the starting kicker for the 2008 Miami Dolphins.

Good pick there.  Carpenter will be way cheaper than Feely, and has a much more powerful leg.  If he can prove to be as accurate, Feely might as well pack his bags.

Reminds me of the 1996 training camp with Joe Nedney and Pete Stoyanovich.  I watched Nedney boom kickoff after kickoff into the endzone, one of which went over 82 yards.  It was a competition Stoyo couldn't win so he didn't even try.  He sat there twirling a football.  I jumped up and yelled, "Peeeeeete!!!  Pack it up babyyyyyyyy!!!!!"

Cameron had Feely squib kick all season, despite Feely complaining about the tactic.

We'll see what happens in camp, but I think the competition was brought in because a) "all positions should have competition" and b) someone looking at Feely's stats without their context.

Feely is still a kicker on top of his game. His accuracy is amazing, among the very best in the league.

Ask the Falcons what happens when you bring in a young power kicker to replace your accurate veteran. Lots of kicker have both leg and precision in practice and camp, but when game time rolls around, the psychology starts to play a huge roll - and that wall of opposing players trying to block your kick doesn't help. Hint: Morten Andersen, 2 years in a row.

  If Carpenter does wind up being the Dolphins starting kicker, I hope his Dolphins career last longer than Nedney's did.

  Feely is still on top of his game, without question.  However, with the heavy emphasis this new regime has put on Special Teams, my feeling is that this regime is looking for a kicker that can boom it down the field on kickoffs consistently.  Feely has never been known for his strong kickoffs during his career.  If Feely can prove otherwise, that's fine with me.  But, he's going to have a battle on his hands in Training Camp and the Preseason.

He dropped 7 yards in avg kickoff length and his touchbacks dropped by a third (although he did kick off less) compared to 2005 and 2006 when he was with the Giants.

Those numbers with the Giants are better than what Nate Kaeding has been doing for the Chargers and about the same as Gostkowski for Patsies. They're also about the same as Sebastian Janikowski, possibly the most powerful kicker in the league, except for Janikowski's last season (which was phenomenal).

Feeley's career average for long field goals (40-49) is a bit on the low side, but if you look at the years, his past 3 have been excellent.

Of course, he is getting older and it is going to be harder for him to maintain his strength, so we'll see. If he can just stay at the same level, I really believe he's a lock as our kicker.

The annoying thing about the kicker position is that the difference between a really good kicker and an average kicker is very small. The difference between an average kicker and a really bad one, though, is huge.

Again, I'll use the Falcons as the text-book example: Koenen in 2006 and Prater in 2007. Both were so miserable that Atlanta brought in Morten Andersen at the ripe old age of 47 (in 2007).

No offense to Morten, but I don't want to be in a position where we have to bring him to Miami.

(Side note: Andersen looks to be starting yet another season without a contract and by all rights, he should have been out of the league 10 years ago or something... but look at his stats... 100% of his kicks below 40 yards last season. Only 1 kick below 40 missed in the past 2 years - better than anyone else in the league... don't tell me someone's not going to give him a call if their young power-kicker turns into a pumpkin come September).

  I hope everybody had a great 4th of July!  Anyways, welcome to Day 5 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  Today we're talking rookies.  Basically, which Dolphins rookie do you think will be the Miami Dolphins Rookie of the Year?

  Also, here's a little trivia for you.  Only three Miami Dolphins have been an "NFL Rookie of the Year."  Name those three Miami Dolphins, and the year they won the award.

i can't really see anyone but jake long winning it.

1977 - AJ Duhe
1987 - Troy Stradford
1994 - Tim Bowens

  Ding, Ding, Ding!!!  We have a winner!  Anyways, Jake is a good choice, and probably will wind up being our best rookie player, but I could also see Phillip Merling enter the conversation as well.

  Jake Long will most likely be Miami's most outstanding rookie.....Phillip Merling is also a good pick to have a very good rookie season.   
  I am going pick someone other then these 2 and say Kendall Langford will be Miami's rookie of the year.  Langford will have an immediate impact on defense slowing down the opponents running game!!! 

Its most likely going to be Jake Long, but I'll take a shot and say the same thing I said for the previous question- Davone Bess.

I know he's got to make the roster first, but if he does, he has a shot to surprise a lot of people. Most opposing defenses will focus on Ginn, Wilford, the RB's and whoever ends up starting at TE (most likely Fasano). This will allow the other receivers (Hagan and possibly Bess) to find a lot of open field. I think Bess may be able to wind up with a big season.

BTW- This is a great thread 619!

I'll go out on a limb and guess Phillip Merling.  I could see the Ogunleye thing happening with him opposite JT. 

I'll say Jake Long as well... I think he is capable of ripping a DE's arms off and beating him to death with it, and that's gotta get Jake a vote or two.

  Thanks.  I'm glad you're enjoying this thread, and I hope everybody else is enjoying this thread as well.  Anyways, welcome to Day 6 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  Today, we're talking MVP's.  Who do you think will be the Miami Dolphins "Most Valuable Player" for the 2008 season, and why?

  I believe that when the 2008 sason is all said and done, the Miami Dolphins MVP will be Ronnie Brown.  The season will start off slow for Ronnie, but around mid-season Ronnie will really start to come back into form and finish off the season strong.

  My prediction for the 2008 Miami Dolphins MVP will be Ricky Williams.  Miami will run the ball ALOT in 2008.  Ronnie Brown is also a very good pick for MVP, but his durability scares me...... which is why I think Ricky will see lots of action on the field and have a very productive year running and catching the ball for Miami.  I cannot see any of the QBs or WRs putting up MVP numbers this year, so a rb or defensive player will most likely be the teams MVP. 
  
   If Jason Taylor is still a Dolphin this year he will make a run at MVP for Miami....along with Joey Porter, who imo is going to have a monster year on defense and make the pro bowl.   Porter will be Miami's DPOTY in 2008. 
   
This is an excellent thread 619!!!  Thanks for doing it!!

I'd have to agree with you and say Ronnie as well. When it comes down to it, we still don't know who will be playing QB, so its hard to predict the play we will get from that position as well as WR.

For MVP in '08 I would guess Joey Porter. 

Kind of a stretch but this guy is talented.  Maybe a disciplined Porter will come back to the form he's known for and bring back a solid defense.

T MINUS 19 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day- The sting of a 1-15 season.

Last season was a complete and utter failure for this franchise.  A 1-15 mark, which was the worst in franchise history, was posted.  Not to mention the Dolphins were a goal line stand and missed FG away from going 0-16.  Bill Parcells was hired as Vice President of Football Operations with two games left in the season, and his first job at the end of the season was to sweep the front office and the coaching staff out from top to bottom.  GM Randy Mueller, head coach Cam Cameron, as well as most of the scouting department and assistant coaches were given the ax. 

Next issue will be on the new regime and what they hope to accomplish, but for now, does anyone think that with a season like 2007, did sweeping changes need to be made? 

Discuss.

He is talented.  I would pick him as well because he's now in the right type of system.  However, he needs to let his play speak for himself and watch himself in the offseason.  No more trips to Vegas to beat up offensive linemen from other teams, no more defying the coach's orders, and no more dressing down coaches and teammates in the media.

Obviously, sweeping changes did need to be made and they were.

We have revamped our entire roster.

However, our future is not as bleak as you might think.

Remember of 2001 panthers?  They were us.  They went 1-15, but lost a lot of games by the skin of their teeth.  I remember a couple in which they lost on TDs on the last plays of the game.

Two years later, they were in the SB.

No reason we can't do the same.  Parcells is a master at turning things around. 

Ricky and Ronnie will be a nice one two punch.  I think the carries Ronnie was spared this year from his injury help us in the long run.

Ginn will improve.

Of course, the two biggest questions can be summed in four letters

QB
JT

  Welcome, to Day 7 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  Today, we're talking money.  The Miami Dolphins have got some players that are reaching the ends of their contracts.  Vernon Carey, Channing Crowder, and Yeremiah Bell, just to name a few.  So, with that in mind.  Which Miami Dolphin do you feel deserves to be rewarded with a big payday?

carey will get paid - he's proved to be worthy. 

if channing crowder has a good year, pay him too.

if bell can prove he can come back from the injury, pay him too!

  I almost forgot that CB Travis Daniels is also in the last year of his deal as well, and DE/OLB Quentin Moses is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent.  Anyways, the guy I feel that deserves to get paid is OT Vernon Carey.  Carey is the most proven lineman the Dolphins have.  He's a Pro Bowl caliber RT and played admirably at LT in 2007.  Proven and versatile, those are the guys you gotta keep.

T MINUS 18 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day- Parcells and his new regime.

Yesterday, I covered who left this team as a result of a 1-15 season.  After firing the GM, the head coach, and most of the assistant coaches and scouts, Bill Parcells proceeded to bring in "his guys".  Jeff Ireland was named the new GM, Tony Sparano the new head coach, and new assistants that had worked with Parcells before were hired on.  Ireland and Sparano wasted no time making their presence felt.  Ireland released several players on both sides of the ball who underperformed last season.  Sparano, upon discovering that a lot of the players were out of shape, proceeded to implement one of the most grueling offseason conditioning programs this team had ever experienced. 

Will this type of mentality translate into wins in the fall?  Maybe, maybe not.  But right now it can't hurt.  Any thoughts? 

Carey should be a keeper. I would like to see more out of Crowder. If Bell puts together a good year coming off the injury he needs to be kept. Daniles and Moses can both get on a bus in my opinion.

In terms of bidding wars, Carey is about the only one right now to go into the trenches for.

Pay Carey and Bell. Bell may need a season to get over his injury, but you can't let him walk away.
Crowder needs to show this season that he is a legit player. Parcells seems to be able to get the most out of LBs, so maybe he will explode this year.

I have to ask the obvious question, since Vernon has never made it to a Pro Bowl...what makes you consider him a pro bowl caliber RT?

  It's just my humble opinion more than anything else. 

No problem...I asked mainly because the term "pro bowl" tends to get overused on guys who we "hope" will develop into that caliber of player.

We can't possibly be any worse than last season. With all the moves taken place, this team is not the Miami Dolphins, but instead the Miami Cowboys. I do not know if these many changes translate into wins, but hopefully they translate into improvement. I just don't know who we could possibly replicate another 1-15 season.

  You're right, that term does get overused quite a bit.  However, with Vernon back at his natural spot, the potential for a Pro Bowl berth is there.

  Vernon Carey is the Miami Dolphin who most deserves to be rewarded with a big payday after this season ( as long as he keeps up his good play in 08 at RT).
He has been Miami's most consistent linemen over the last couple years and should remain a part of the new look Miami Dolphins.
   As far as Yeremiah Bell.....he needs to stay healthy before you pay him a big contract.  He plays well when he is not hurt, but he is hurt often.  
   I like Channing Crowder......but he needs to play alot better this season, if he expects to earn a nice payday and stay a Miami Dolphin.

I think a new conditioning program could work wonders for this team.  Just hope they aren't burnt out come opening day

So I can avoid hurling on my monitor, please give me fair warning before you use a blasphemous term like "Miami Cowb..."

Hell, I can't even say it, it's THAT evil...

  It's unforunate that's the history he's had with the team thus far.  He's such a dynamic playmaker in the secondary when he's healthy.  You just hate seeing that kind of talent being sidelined all the time.  I really hope he has a fantastic year.

It is very unfortunate that Yeremiah has had to battle injuries since becoming a Miami Dolphin.  The time he has spent on the field...Bell has been a big time playmaker....If he can stay healthy for the whole season and play at a high level....I would love to see him signed to a nice new contract in Miami....  We just do not want to overpay a guy who gets hurt every year and cannot help his football team make the next step in rebuilding.  I hope Bell has a fantastic year as well.

  So far, the attitude of the team seems to be much better.  The players seem to have alot more respect for this new regime of Parcells, Ireland and Coach Sparano. 
No Bull Shit will fly with these guys. 
   Miami was sucking wind at the end of games last season.  Coach Sparano will not let that happen again this year.......which is probably why Sparano put them through one of the most grueling off season conditioning programs Miami has ever gone through.  Training camp will be no picnic either!!!!
    This type of mentality will certainly translate into more victories in the fall.....having coaches and front office people who actually know what there doing dosen't hurt either. ;)

That's what they don't want.  Shula and Johnson would always get their teams in shape DURING training camp, and work on fundamentals at the same time.  That's why those Dolphins teams were razor sharp in September.  But the hard practices and heavy hitting continued throughout the season, and the Dolphins would always fade in December. 

Parcells is getting this team in shape now, then he can focus solely on fundamentals during training camp.  You can bet that late in the season, the practices will be much lighter.

  No doubt about it, no point in paying the guy if he can't stay on the field.  Hopefully, with this new conditioning program put in place will allow Yeremiah to finish out the year at full health.

  A tougher strength and conditioning program is a good thing.  Considering how weak last year's program was, the team needed something like this.

  Welcome, to Day 8 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  Today, we're talking rookies.  Wait, you know what?  Scratch that.  We've talked enough about the rookies, let's talk about the sophmore class instead.  Here are the players that remain from the 2007 Draft Class: WR Ted Ginn Jr, QB John Beck, C Samson Satele, NT Paul Soliai, FB Reagan Mauia, LB Kelvin Smith, and P Brandon Fields.  The question is, by the end of the 2008 season, which one of these 2007 Draftees will show the most improvement?

i'd have to say beck or ginn. 

beck has NOWHERE to go but up, but how much he improves depends on if he wins the starting gig or not.

if ginn continues to work hard and improve on his amazing natural talent, he could also get the nod.

i could also see satele making the pro bowl, but since we already knew he was going to be a very good player based on his success last year, i don't know if we will be able to consider him the MOST improved.

I have to agree with Tony. Satele (and Brandon Fields) already showed a high level of play last year, so it's much harder to show great improvement from that base.

Ginn showed flashes, but still has plenty of room. Beck showed nothing. Typical rookie performance on a terrible team. It was a bad decision to put him out there. Cam said he wouldn't, but apparently cracked under pressure (fans? Wayne?).

With Henne on the roster, Beck pretty much needs to win the job this year to become anything other than a backup in Miami. He's put in the work, no question, but does he have the talent?

I think he does, based solely on my gut.

Beck will start from day 1, show great poise and decision making in the pocket - and thereby prove his detractors wrong ;-)

T MINUS 17 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day- Jason Taylor.

It is clear that Jason Taylor is not getting along with the new regime.  Rather than participate in the offseason workouts, he chose to go on TV on Dancing With The Stars.  This infuriated the new regime as Taylor is supposed to be a locker room leader and what type of example is that setting.  The rift went so far as to coach Sparano announcing Taylor will not be at any minicamps or at training camp. 

Will JT be in a Dolphins uniform in 2008?  If not, will he retire or be traded?  Discuss. 

You forgot Regan "The Juggernaut" Mauia..... although I think he'll be released by the end of camp.

I think Dolphin fans will perceive Ginn as the most improved by the time the season ends.

  I'm going to have to agree with Phishfan, and say that it will be Ted Ginn Jr.  Also, I'll give some Honorable Mention to P Brandon Fields.  With a better coverage unit, his punts inside the 20 and net average will look a lot better than last year's numbers.

  It's definately a make or break year for Beck.  The regime that drafted him is gone, and Chad Henne was brought in by the new regime as "their guy."  Thus, it's created a sense of urgency for Beck.  8,000+ throws in this offseason in an effort to get better and heighten his release point.  He's added some bulk to his frame, and has probably been one of the hardest workers on the team.  It'll be interesting too see how he's developed once Training Camp and Preseason starts.

  I will have to go with the Punter Brandon Fields, as the most improved rookie from last season.  The special teams unit will be much improved from last season.....like Dolfan619 said, with a better coverage unit, his net average and punts downed inside the 20 will be much improved.  As of right now, he is the only punter on the roster, so the new regime must like what they see from Fields so far.  All good signs Brandon will not have a sophomore slump booming the ball in 08.
  
  John Beck...... Do we really think Ireland/Parcells/Sparano would have drafted Henne in the 2nd round if they think Beck has a future as a starting QB?

  This regime does like what they have with Brandon Fields.  Bill Parcells, had this to say about Brandon's abilities and potential:

I thought about going with Ginn or Beck, because if they stay on the field, I think they can't help but improve...

But instead, I think I'll go with Samson Satele. Yes, he had an excellent rookie season, but I think he'll step up to another level this season as he continues to develop. Last year he was a solid player, and an outstanding rookie center. By the end of this season, I think he'll be considered one of the top young centers in the league.

 Field's definitely has the leg and talent to be an All-Pro punter ( sorry Stroke) if he gets good kick coverage and can straighten out some of his kicks.....also, he should learn the art of the coffin corner kick which is not used enough anymore in the NFL....way too many touchbacks happen because punters do not use the "coffin corner".

   I love the quote from Parcell's about Brandon Fields.  It speaks highly of this kids ability.  

  Yeah, the "Coffin Corner" method you don't see a lot of anymore.  Jeff Feagles of the Giants is one of the few punters in the NFL that's still pretty good at it.

I think that Taylor may very well end up playing for us.

  The only reason I didn't pick Satele, because I figured he was pretty much a given.  However, I think Satele's game is really going to go up several notches by practicing against a quality NT in Jason Ferguson.

He'll play at the start of the season, although he might be traded midway through

I'm going out on a limb here and saying he'll be traded midway thru the preseason when a contending team's star DE goes down with a season ending injury.

I'd have to go with Ginn. He's definitely going to be given some playing time, so he can do nothing but improve. Beck may not get the playing time, so who knows what we may see from him.

  Welcome, to Day 9 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  Today, we're talking Draft picks.  Nick Saban's draft picks to be more specific.  Here are the players that are left from his 2005 & 2006 Drafts: RB Ronnie Brown, DE Matt Roth, LB Channing Crowder, CB Travis Daniels, S Jason Allen, WR Derek Hagan, and DE Rodrique Wright.

  Here's the question, which one of Nick Saban's draft picks really needs to step it up this year?   

Wow, good question. I'd have to say "all of the above".

Ronnie needs to step it up to prove he is still the man after his injury, and the others guys need to step it up to prove the deserve to keep playing for the Fins. Jaosn Allen is porbably at the top of the list, but they all really need to step it up.

  He'll be traded around the same time Chambers was traded to San Diego.  Jason won't finish the 2008 season as a Dolphin.

  You can pick only one  ;)

  Seriously though, I can see why you could make a case for "all of the above."  I almost thought about leaving Ronnie off of this list simply because of the numbers he was producing prior to his injury.  However, I figured someone would bring up the arguement about not having played a full season.  It's hard to pick just one, it really is.  Ronnie Brown despite his incredible pre-injury numbers, still hasn't played a full NFL season.  Matt Roth was an unstoppable beast at Iowa, but hasn't lived up to the billing thus far.  Channing Crowder was a talented LB at Florida, he's made a lot of tackles, but not a lot of impact plays.  He has had the opportunity to learn from a guy like Joey Porter, and two other LB's which are bound for the Hall of Fame in Junior Seau, and Zach Thomas.  Channing needs to step up and make his own mark in the NFL.  Travis Daniels has regressed tremendously from the potential he showed in 2005.  He was injured for most of 2006, and was shuffled around in 2007.

  Jason Allen was taken over guys like Marcus McNeill, DeMeco Ryans, Manny Lawson, etc.  Allen was totally lost in 2006, and he was shuffled around in the early parts of 2007, until he finally settled in at FS and started to show glimpses of the playmaking ability he had at Tennessee.  Derek Hagan broke PAC-10 receiving records while at Arizona State, but he can't seem to hold onto the ball nowadays.  Rodrique Wright was on IR for all of 2006, but saw some playing time in 2007 and wound up with only 1.5 sacks.

  Yeah, it's hard to pick only one.  If I'm only going to pick one guy, it's gotta be S Jason Allen.  He was a first round pick, he was supposed to be a major upgrade to a weak secondary, and he hasn't lived up to that billing.  In a blog by Sun-Sentinel columnist Ethan Skolnick, Ethan had discovered that then Dolphins GM Randy Mueller wanted to draft Alabama LB DeMeco Ryans instead of Jason Allen.  Considering what Ryans has done in the NFL, it makes you wonder what Nick saw in Jason Allen over DeMeco.  Hopefully, Allen will continue to improve upon the progress he made late in 2007.

Despite the occasional flashes of near-decent play last season, Jason Allen still wears a "bustalicious" stamp on his forehead. I do think Jason Allen will find his place out on the field some day soon, but I'd bet that it's an arena league field.

Step it up and prove me wrong, Jason...

I would also go with Allen but just for the hell of being different, I'll go with Crowder. 

With no more Zach this guy's time to take the control of our once proud defense has come.  He's past the young mark and has to show what he's got now.  The games that I've watched he's shown moments of great talent and impressed me some.  I wouldn't choose him if I didn't think he at least had the ability to "step it up". This is the time for him to show it.  It should be where he'll break out and make a name for himself AND our D.  If not he'll be stuck for the next 12 years in mediocrity where only home-team fans know who he is. 

T MINUS 16 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day- Quarterbacks

Lets face it.  We need to put a revolving door on the starting QB position.  Since 2004, the starter and the top backup that season were let go the following season.  Jay Fiedler and AJ Feely in 2004, Gus Frerotte and Sage Rosenfels in 2005, Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington in 2006, and finally Trent Green and Cleo Lemon in 2007. 

Now the 2008 season unfolds with John Beck, who got some playing time last season and proved to be a disaster.  Josh McCown who has been a journeyman starter but never really proven himself in his six year career is also in the fold.  Add 2nd round draft pick Chad Henne to the mix as well. 

The big question is, who will start on opening day, and who will emerge as the starter at the end of the season?

Discuss.

Beck and Beck.

Despite what they may say publicly, there's just no way the Trifecta will throw Henne out there unless he's MUCH better than the competition.

That leaves McCown and Beck.

It's a competition that could go either way, but I really feel that if it's close in ability (and only actual games, even if it's just pre-season, will tell), Beck will get the nod. The reason is quite simple: McCown is a known quantity, both by the team and in the league. Beck, on the other hand, is an unknown with pretty much zero value outside the team. If the goal is to maximize the value for the team in the long term (and not just NOW), it makes sense to put Beck out there... if it's close (or if he's better, of course).

If Beck doesn't get the nod immediately, he'll only get his chance if McCown REALLY struggles. The problem is, Parcells - like most coaches - doesn't like changing quarterbacks. They almost universally wait until the season is COMPLETELY in the crapper. I'm not saying that's wrong or right, just that it must factor into the decision of who to start. There cannot (and will not) be any waffling on the issue. The starter in week 1 will be the starter through, say, week 10 unless the performance is consistently catastrophical.

Personally, I think the best thing might be to give all quarterbacks some real action for the first few weeks, but that's never going to happen. The only recent case of a real "qb by committee" I can think of is Whisenhunt last year in Arizona (Warner, Leinart). And, despite the tactic arguably being a success, I doubt anyone else is willing to jump on the wagon.

  Interesting that you bring up Crowder.  Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald had an interesting piece of news on him in his "Florida Sports Buzz" article.

  Jason Allen, Ronnie Brown and Channing Crowder are all excellent answers and all have alot to prove to the new regime this upcoming season.  Allen played well at times last season but needs to be more consistently good in his play.....Ronnie needs to show he can stay healthy for an entire season.....and Crowder needs to start making more big plays ( game changers) on defense.
 
 Jason Allen would be my answer, but to be different I will say Derek Hagan.  With Miami's weak WR corp, Hagan has an oppurtunity this season to show what he can do on the field.   He has dropped alot of balls over his first couple of seasons in Miami.  If Derek can get the droppsies out of his system, he will be a valuable part of the 2008 Miami Dolphins and possibly for years to come ( depending on how far along his play imroves).   If Hagan continues to struggle with catching the ball he will not be here in 2009.

As mentioned above, I think the only possibilities are Beck and Ginn.  ...so I choose Ginn by default.  I have very little faith in Beck at this point, especially under new leadership.

I've said that before, actually in a previous thread about quarterbacks.

Personally, I say Henne or Beck is QB of the future and we need to use this year to find out which one.

  Funny thing about Hagan, is that the coaches have been raving about him all offseason.  So, I'm really interested if he'll be able to get it done when the lights come on.  He has the ability to be a solid #2 receiver, but just hasn't gotten it done to this point.  Of course, consistency at the quarterback spot would help as well.  However, it'll be awhile before we found out who that guy will ultimately be.

For the "needs to step it up" questions, I choose Crowder.  He's been decent, and even good, but needs to bring his game to the next level to make up for the loss of Thomas.  He needs to step up in a leadership role as well.

Please, let Henne use this year riding the pine. Rookie quarterbacks should not be thrown to the wolves, especially on a bad team. That *never* works out well.

  That's a good point.  Usually, the MLB is the "quarterback of the defense."  Now, that the NFL ruled that one defensive player is allowed to have an earpiece in their helmet much like the quarterbacks on the offensive side of the ball.  That is going to require Channing to take even more active role in the defense.  No more relying on Zach Thomas to make the calls.  Channing has stated that he loves the new defense being put in by Coach Pasqualoni, and calls it "very simple and player friendly."  I can only hope that yields the kind of results a lot of us expect from Channing.  With the exodus of Zach Thomas and the immenent departure of Jason Taylor, the defense needs new leaders.  Channing should embrace that role, and start taking some ownership in the locker room.

  Welcome, to Day 10 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  We're already ten days into this thing!  Time is flying by, and the 25th will be here before you know it!  Anyways, I originally had just one topic lined up for today.  However, another really good question came into my mind earlier today so we'll be doing a double-dip, and it'll be a Two Question Thursday Edition of "25 Topics, 25 Days."

  NFL Training Camps are a time where jobs in the NFL can be won or lost.  It seems that every year, on every team, there is always plenty of players on the hot seat.  So, with that in mind.  Which Miami Dolphin do you feel is in the most danger of losing their job in training camp?

  Now, onto the second topic.  The NFL started recognizing the team captains with a "C" patch on their uniforms.  In 2007, our team captains were: LB Zach Thomas, DE Jason Taylor, QB Trent Green, and K Jay Feely.  Two of those players are gone in Zach Thomas and Trent Green.  It's only a matter of time before Jason Taylor leaves, and Jay Feely could be pushed out the door with a strong performance from Montana rookie, Dan Carpenter.  So essentially we could be looking at four totally new team captains in 2008.  What I want from you guys, is to predict who will be the four men that will be wearing the "C" patch for the Miami Dolphins this season.  For your first three picks, just make sure you pick a player from each phase of the game: Offense, Defense, and Special Teams.  Enjoy!

Ronnie Brown on offense.

Jason Taylor just because.

Joey Porter (because of his experience) on D.

Whoever our kicker is.

  For the Miami Dolphin that's in the most danger of losing his job in Training Camp, I'll have to go with TE David Martin.  He hardly made any kind of contribution to the team, and dropped a lot of passes.  It all started with that crucial third down pass he dropped in Washington, that stalled a good drive.  Fasano was brought in to be the main guy, and Justin Peelle, as well as Sean Ryan are more effective blockers than Martin.

  As for the 2008 Team Captains, here is how my lineup reads.

Offense: RB Ronnie Brown
Defense: S Yeremiah Bell, LB Channing Crowder
Special Teams: S Keith Davis

  Oh, just to throw in a wild card for Team Captain....  RB Ricky Williams.  Wouldn't that be something?

T MINUS 15 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day- Running Backs

The R&R Express is back!!!!!  The R&R Express is back!!!!!  THE R&R EXPRESS IS BACK!!!!!!   

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams provided a lethal 1-2 punch out of the backfield in 2005, combining for over 1600 yards.  Both backs are together again, but come in with question marks.  Ronnie was having a breakout year in 2007 before suffering an ACL tear in his knee.  Like most RBs coming off this injury, he's expected to be only a shadow of what he was in 2007 for the first few games.  Ricky has failed multiple drug tests in the past and that cost him the 2006 and most of the 2007 season.   He claims he has a new dedication to the game, and so far has stayed clean.

The new regime brought a change to the style of running.  Speedy scatback Lorenzo Booker was traded, and Jalen Parmele and Lex Hilliard, two bullish power runners were drafted.  How those two will pan out remains to be seen.

So far, it looks like the Dolphins running game will be a strong point on this team.  Any thoughts?

For the Miami Dolphin that's in the most danger of losing his job, I'd have to say it's Regan Mauia. 

Boomer Grigsby has been brought in at fullback, and in this type of offense, the fullback doesn't do much more than block.  There is a very strong chance that the Dolphins will only keep one fullback on the roster.  Grigsby plays on special teams and Mauia doesn't.  Oh, I forgot to mention that there was that little altercation at a local Ale House a few months ago that got Mauia thrown in jail.  The Tuna doesn't like players who get in trouble with the law.

My choice for 2008 team captains are:

Offense: Vernon Carey
Defense: JT if he sticks around.  Otherwise Yeremiah Bell
Special Teams: Boomer Grigsby

  A couple of people have put Jason Taylor as a team captain for 2008.  With that said, I'll throw this question out there.  With all of the issues that have surrounded Jason Taylor this offseason: Feud with Parcells, Ireland, and Sparano, missing offseason workouts, Dancing With The Stars, trade requests/denials, etc.  In spite of all of that, should he still be looked at as a team captain for 2008?

^ Absolutely.  He's been a leader on the defense, better yet, for the whole team for a long time.  His play has always been good and I don't see it diminishing all that much this coming season.  Regardless of what happened in the offseason, this guy is just a leader with superb play-making abilities.

  I agree with Dolfan619, that Tight End David Martin is the Miami Dolphin who is most in danger of losing his job during training camp.....Fasano will be the opening day starter, backed up by Peelle and Sean Ryan.  Martin will have a rough time even making the roster...which is good considering his play last season.

  As far as team captains........
  
   offense.....Jake Long, LT
   Defense .... Jason Ferguson
   Sp. Team... Keith Davis
   Team Capt... Joey Porter

 My answer to Jason Taylor being a team captain question....NO...if JT does not want to be in Miami, he should not have the priviledge of being a team captain.  

^ Damn, you'd make a rookie a captain?

I also have to throw out Regan Mauia as my most likely to be sent packing pick.  He wasn't very good last year, he doesn't seem very bright or versatile, and he has some character questions.

For the captains:

Holiday and Porter on defense.
Feely on special teams.
And I can't believe it but I think Ricky is going to get it on offense.

I think its David Martin. Although I think its already a given for him, and it won't take training camp to decide. I think he's still around because he's a healthy body,  but unless Fasano, Peelle or Ryan get hurt, Martin will be sent packing.
The other player I would say may lose his job is Feely. I remember reading that Parcells and Ireland were both very high on Carpenter.

As for captains-
Offense- if there is a clear cut, far and away winner at QB, he will be the guy. Meaning if McCown, Beck or Henne blows away the competition, as opposed to it being a tight race all thru pre-season. If its the tight race scenarion, I'd have to go with Carey or Ronnie, since they will be the senior guys on offense.

Defense- I think it'll end up being JT if he stays. It'll be Parcells' and Ireland's way of playing the PR game, as if to say "see, all is fine with us". If JT is not around, it'll be Bell or possibly Will Allen- two guys who have been around. One of those guys will probably be the 4th Captain too.

Special Teams- Like I said, Feely may be in jeopardy of losing his job, but I think it'll be whoever the kicker is.

  To be fair, both Grigsby and Mauia are one trick pony's in their own right.  Grigsby is a proven commodity on Special Teams, but very raw as an actual FB.  Whereas Mauia is a better FB, and an unknown commodity on Special Teams.  I could see the team finding a way to keep both guys.  Bill Parcells may not like players who get in trouble with law, but let's not paint Reagan in the same light as Chris Henry.  It seems that this regime is giving Reagan the same second chance that they're also giving Matt Roth, and Channing Crowder two other players who ran afoul of the law this past season.

 I think Jake Long would make a fine captain.  It is a young team.....why not pick a young guy ( who has shown maturity) to be a captain.....He is going to be the anchor of the o-line for the next 10+ years......Jake is tough as nails and a no nonsense guy.  So even as a rookie, I think Jake would do well as a captain, Guru!!!  

Good points there Rick.  I have to agree that he's showing maturity..... and showing that he knows his place for a rookie. 

He just wants to come in here and get down to some hard work.  He said it himself.

Ricky will play hard.  He always has.  He can be positive contributor.

I'm kind of glad Ronnie got hurt last year.  Saved his body from the punishment of a season. 

Booker showed me a lot last season.  I'm skeptical if Hillard and the other guy can match that

  They are high on Carpenter.  In fact it was Bill Parcells that called Dan Carpenter during the Draft and told him that he wanted him to come kick for the Dolphins.


  I think you're right about that.  However, I don't think Jason Taylor deserves the Team Captain's spot in 2008.  The mantra with this regime seems, "it's not what you've done in the past, it's what have you done lately?"  How I look at it, is Jason Taylor has pretty much done everything in his power to piss off everybody in the Miami Dolphins Chain of Command.  From Bill, all the way down to Coach Sparano.  Jason said that when Dancing With The Stars was over "he would report for mini-camp and OTA's."  He said that on national television, lo and behold he goes back on his word.  It's just one excuse after another with JT.  Jason also had said on an ESPN interview that "he leads by example."  Really?  I would say that he leads by "do as I say and not as I do."

  If Jason is not going to put in the time, effort, and hardwork that comes with being a "team captain", he doesn't deserve it.  If he's still with the team at the start of the Regular Season, he'll likely be a "team captain."  But that award will be nothing but a farce and a sham.  Leader my ass.

  Agree 100% with you 619......Taylor's actions this off-season have been disappointing, to say the least....definitely not the actions of a "team captain" and leader.....If #99 is back in 2008, he does not deserve the honor of wearing the "C" on his jersey in Miami

I agree he doesn't deserve it, but like I said, I think they will do it as a PR move.

It would be bad to not make Taylor a captain.  Whether he deserves it or not, it might cause problems in the locker room and undermine the new leadership.

  Welcome, to Day 11 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  Today, we're talking quarterbacks.  Three guys, John Beck, Chad Henne, and Josh McCown.  It's a two part question, which quarterback will start the season?  Which quarterback will finish the season?

McCown will start.  McCown will finish.

(Beck might start, but I'm thinking that the boys aren't too keen about him.)

  John Beck will start the season, but in the end I believe that it will be Chad Henne that finishes the season.  It seems that this regime is really liking what they have in Henne, and you could probably see Henne as early as late October/beginning of November.  Even if McCown winds up starting, Henne will replace him.  McCown is a servicable backup, and nothing more.  As much as I like Beck, and as much as I want too see him succeed.  I think deep down this regime knows who their guy is going forward.

McCown will start the season, and Henne will take over as the injury replacement mid-late season. He'll start the rest of the way and come in next season as the undisputed #1.

We seem to be having some overlap in the "topic of the day" discussions. The QB one was up just 2 days ago in Tommy's "Countdown to Training Camp" ( http://www.thedolphinsmakemecry.com/forums/index.php?topic=11186.0 )

Like I said there, I seriously doubt Henne will start a single game this year. Putting a rookie quarterback out there on a BAD team is suicide. I cannot think of a single case where it has worked, although I'm not quite saying it never has. Let's say we throw Henne out there late in the season and he struggles. What then? "Well, at least we know what we have." No, we won't know crap. Just like with Beck last year. It was a huge mistake to put him out there and I seriously hope the new regime doesn't intend to repeat the mistakes of the past.

In the end, or beginning rather, I think Beck will get the nod unless McCown is seen as *significantly* better. If the two are close, it just makes more sense to start Beck, even if McCown is slightly better. Why? Two reasons:

1) Maximizing long term value for the franchise. Beck has no trade value right now. If Parcells and Company believe Henne is the long-term solution for the team, great... but even more reason to put Beck out there now. It gives us a chance to see what he can actually do and establishes some value for him in the league, should they choose not to keep him as the backup (and if he shines, well, that's great).

2) Beck has more developmental potential than McCown.

McCown will start. I also think he will finish the season unless injured (which scares the piss out of me because I have never been a McCown fan).

T MINUS 14 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day- Wide Receivers

Let's face it.  The wide receiving corps has been a real sore spot for this team.  Dropped passes, receivers not getting open, you name it, it's been done.  The top two receivers for the past three seasons were Chris Chambers and Marty Booker.  Chambers was traded midway through last season, and Booker was released in the offseason.  That leaves us with Ted Ginn, who has speed and good hands but a penchant for being scared of taking a good hit, and Derek Hagan, who supposedly has worked harder than ever this offseason but has a case of the dropsies. 

Earnest Wilford was brought in through free agency and so far has proven to be a legitimate #1 threat.  Not a single wideout was drafted, however a handful of unproven guys were signed as free agents after the draft.   Two who are clearly standing out are Davonne Bess, a speedy little WR from Hawaii, and Jayson Foster, a converted QB from Georgia Southern.

How will this group fare this season?  Any thoughts?

Yeah...I wasn't sure why Tommy popped that thread up, 5 days into this "25 days thread."

I was letting it go, thinking maybe it was just me who thought they were "similar", but several people have now asked me why we have almost identical threads going.

I have thought a fair amount about this as well as our secondary question marks and in terms of the receivers there is one major component.  Simply put, all the receivers have to do is catch the ball and it is an improvement over the receiver performances we have seen in the past 5 years.

Previously, we had guys dropping easy catches and we would ignore it because they would from time to time make a spectacular catch that would blow our minds.  I feel optomistic about this year because I have seen Wilford become pretty consistant at making the catch and Ginn did a good job at the same in his rookie year.  Hagan has the biggest question mark as to consistancy but the coaching staff is probably the right group of people to improve him in this area.

So when all is said and done...  Would I like to see yards after the catch and spectacular grabs?  Of course I would like to see that.  But, if all they do is come down with the ball when they should we will still have an improvement in the passing game!

Yeah.. At first I thought it came across as a little disrespectful, but then I thought - what the hell, just more stuff to pass the time till training camp and preseason which I can hardly wait for.


As far as QB's go...  I personally would plan on playing all three this year to see what I have.  Between Beck and McCown to start it is really just a matter of what they see in training camp.  I would never start a rookie of Henne's caliber in the beginning of the season.  I would think Henne would get his shot when the playoffs are out of the question unless the team is so injury ridden that it sets him up for failure.  So, unless that scenario comes up, my best guess would be that Henne finishes the season.

Notice that I have no faith in us to make the playoffs.  Shocker, isn't it.  ;)

  McCown will start the season at QB for Miami....

   Henne starts the last 4 games of the season for Miami and all of 09 ....

     Beck only plays if McCown gets hurt or struggles very EARLY in 08

I think Ginn had a fairly good rookie season.  I only saw him drop one catchable ball in the Week 16 vs. NE.  He showed the speed to be a legitimate number one threat.

The quarterback will also be important to Ginn's ability to make plays.  Here are a couple of telling excerpts from cbs's live game blogs:

1) week 6 vs. Cleveland:

The Dolphins miss a chance for a big play as Lemon can't connect with a wide open Ginn on 3rd-and-three. Ginn ran a drag route on the play and was left alone by the Browns defense, but Lemon threw the ball behind the receiver, one of his poorest looking throws of the day, resulting in the incomplete.

2) week 7 vs. NE

The Dolphins just miss a big play on a deep pass to Ginn but Lemon over threw the ball slightly. Ginn showed why Miami made him such a high pick as he was open deep and it's only a matter of time before those just misses become big hits.

So Ginn did show some ability that didn't show up in the stats because of poor passes.

As for Hagan, well this is a make or break year for him.  He needs to overcome these dropsies and show that he can be a starting receiver

So did I.  Let's ask a mod to merge the thread

Let's try next time not creating duplicate threads five days after the original thread starts, and merging won't be necessary at all.


And...to throw this forceably back on track, a follow up question to the QB question whilst we wait for the next day's nugget to come. If Beck doesn't start this year, will he ever start another game for Miami? Or would it signal that the new regime doesn't see him as the answer?

  I would say the answer is no.  If Beck doesn't start a game this year, I think that the regime just simply didn't see enough in him to be the long term starter.  If Beck fails to be the long term starter here, he'll probably wind up as the backup for Henne, or shopped around for a draft pick.

T MINUS 13 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day-  The Offensive Line

After years of being the weak unit on the Dolphins offense, it now looks like the offensive line will be one of its strengths.  With the number one overall pick, the Dolphins drafted mammoth left tackle Jake Long from Michigan and were smart enough to have a contract agreement in place before the draft.  Long is expected to start immediately, allowing Vernon Carey to move back to his natural right tackle position. 

Samson Satele, who was drafted in the second round last season and chosen as a Pro Bowl alternate, anchors the center.  Free agent signee Justin Smiley steps in at right guard, so the only question mark here is left guard.  Will it be free agent signee Steve McKinney, or draftees Shawn Murphy or Donald Thomas?  Who will it be?  Also, what are your thoughts on this unit for 2008?   

Discuss

I would hope it would be McKinney because it worries me to have two rookies on the left side.  McKinney has an injury issue that I don't know much about so I really don't know how likely it is that he will be ready.

With that said, how much of a strength for the team can the O-line be with two rookies on the left?  The O-line could be a weak part of the team (this year) if they aren't careful.

That's what they said before the 1990 season when Don Shula drafted two rookies by the name of Richmond Webb and Keith Sims.  Look what they turned out to be.

I don't know enough about their play in their rookie year.  I agree they turned out to be very good and I would just like to say that my comments are only in regard to the rookie year and if the two rookies are next to each other on the left. 

Also, keep in mind that we will have a young quarterback this year pretty much no matter what.  Most defenses like to stack pressure on young QB's.  Be expecting plenty of blitzing from the blind side!

**Complete an udder hijack***
But when you guiy's were talking about Captains...The coaches don't have anything to do with who's the captain..it's voted upon by the other players....So no PR move for the Management **end hijack****

Damn dude.  Talk about taking someone's mojo.  I think the term "thread hijacking" has taken a new meaning.

  Welcome!  Or I should say welcome back to "25 Topics 25 Days."  It's Day 13, and today we're talking about the coaches.  We've talked a lot about the players, but it's now time to show some love towards the new coaching staff.  So, that being said, which memeber of the Miami Dolphins coaching staff will have the biggest impact and why?  

I have to think that it's Sparano.  I know pretty much nothing about him, and I think he's had the luxury of flying under the radar a little bit, while Parcells gets most of the press.  I hope that this will continue and give him some time to do his job.

I agree with Dave on Sparano having the biggest impact on this team.  He's already made his presence felt by implementing one of the most grueling offseason workout programs this team has ever experienced. And considering the players were sucking wind at the end of games last season, he had every reason to. 

He's a tough taskmaster, but he doesn't seem like the type to yell or get all bent out of shape.  This is exactly what we need.


Actually, it's more like collaborating.  Aint ever heard of it?   ;)

  I would have to go with Coach Sparano as well....after last season's embarassment of a head coach, it is important for Coach Sparano to show the skills that Camoron lacked....game planning, clock management, working the refs, when to call timeout, when to go on 4th down etc. .....Sparano and staff already have earned more respect then last years regime because they see the differences between him and last years head coach...Coach Sparano will put Miami in better position to win games this season, so his impact will be tremendous!!!!!

  Karl Dorrell will also make a big impact on this team...  he will have to given Miami's weak WR corp.... Paul Pasqualoni changing the entire defense will be huge as well!!!

  Coach Sparano will definately have a huge impact (he is the head coach afterall).  However, just to be different, I'm going to say Special Teams coach John Bonamego will have a huge impact as well.

I'd have to go with Paul Pasqualoni. The defense was in a bit of a shambles the last few seasons, with palyers always complaining it was a difficult scheem to learn, and that it was hard for younger players to catch on. Apaprently its a little more simplified now, and that will help all the young guys on the defense.

  He has been pretty much under the radar this offseason because of Bill Parcells.  That's been good in a way, because it allowed him to focus more on his job, while the attention is on Parcells. However, when Training Camp and the Regular Season rolls around, the spotlight will be squarely on Coach Sparano.

  Yeah, Channing Crowder calls it "the defense that let's players make plays."  Hopefully, a simpler scheme will make for a better defense.  Last year a lot of players were out of position and seemed lost on the field.  Too much thinking, and not enough reacting.

 

  I'll almost forgot to mention this.  Stroke, I appreciate the shout out you gave the thread on TDMMC Saturday Night!

T MINUS 11 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day- Defensive Line

With Jason Taylor's actions, one could overlook what's going on with the rest of this unit, but the fact remains, Bill Parcells has upgraded it majorly, considering it was a sore spot against the run last season. 

Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford were drafted in the early rounds, Jason Ferguson and Randy Starks were brought in via free agency, and the rest of the unit worked on getting bigger and stronger. 

Parcells is switching to a 3-4 defense, which will require bigger defensive ends and mammoth defensive tackles that can play nose tackle.  Do we have the personnel to run this type of defense right now?   Whether we do or not, how will this unit fare this season?

Discuss.

I wonder if we can go to the system Saban left behind in 2006

  Welcome back, to "25 Topics, 25 Days."  It's Day 15, and  Major League Baseball's All Star break is in full swing, so it's only fitting that today's topic covers the NFL's version of the All Star game in the Pro Bowl.  Here is the topic:  Name three Miami Dolphins that you believe are capable of having a Pro Bowl season in 2008.  Choose wisely, and enjoy!

Although football is always full of the unexpected, I'm going to go with the "sure-fire" players we have. 

1.  Jake Long - As long as he stays healthy and plays at least close to expectations, then he should be a shoe-in.

2.  Yeremiah Bell - This guy is a playmaker and I feel that Parcells and Co. will bring out the better in him.  Especially since he's out to make a name for himself AND the big bucks.

3.  Ronnie Brown - Ronnie was tearing shit up from the back-field last year until he got hurt.  I've said it since we drafted him that he needs to explode through the hole and quit playing like a pansy.  As long as he keeps that same intensity up I don't really see many other AFC running backs being much better, especially with our boy Long in front.

Satele, Brown, Bell...

no doubt we have a FEW players who possess the talent to make the all star team.

it's hard to get in as an o-liner, especially as a rookie.  OL's get in mainly on tradition and name recognition.  the player on our oline who has the best shot at the pro bowl THIS YEAR is satele.  I just don't see Long doing it his first year.  As for the rest of the O, the only skill player who could get the nod is Ronnie, but he's in a new offense and coming off a major knee injury.

for the D, if JT plays, he's obv the best shot, but if joey porter can have a nice resurgence (and i'm sure parcells will use him wisely), it could be him too.  bell wasn't quite at a pro-bowl level before his injury, so if he does have all-star capability, we probably wont see it for another 2 years (assuming he can regain his form).

SO, with all that said, here are my picks:

O - Satele
D - Taylor (if he plays, if not, Porter)
ST - Ginn (he definitely was a return demon last year, but we had the most ATROCIOUS ST ever last year.  if they can even improve a fraction, look for him to take a couple to the house this year)

I'll pick three on offense and three on defense.

Vernon Carey, Samson Satele, and Ricky Williams (something tells me he's gonna have a monster year)

Yeremiah Bell, Joey Porter and Channing Crowder.

I have to agree with Tony that it will be very hard for Jake to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie LT.
If I had to pick three players, I'd have to say Ronnie Brown, JT (if he plays), and Porter. I am a very big fan of Bell's, so I'm hoping he can return to his pre-injury form, but think it would be difficult for him to make it this season. I also think its going to be hard for Ronnie, but think he has the type of determination to do it.

 C- Samson Satele, LB- Joey Porter, RB- Ricky Williams and P- Brandon Fields

  I'm gonna say that OT Vernon Carey, S Yeremiah Bell, and P Brandon Fields are capable of going to the Pro Bowl in 2008.

The pro-bowl is primarily about name recognition as long as it pertains to production and not legal trouble.

I will say that Jake Long has the name recognition to make it as a rookie, and probably will make it if our running game produces like projected.

If JT plays than he is an obvious selection even if he doesn't have a great year.

Lastly I am going to pick Porter.  He has the name recognition and a history of being selected.  If he has the kind of year I expect with the return of the 3-4 and a few wins on the score board, I think he has a pretty good shot this year.

If I recall correctly, a young LT out of Texas A&M did it in 1990.  His name was Richmond Webb. 

I do agree that it's very hard, but it's not impossible. 

T MINUS 9 AND COUNTING

Issue of the day- Linebackers

For the past decade or so, the linebacking corps has been anchored by Zach Thomas.  Unfortunately, that is no longer the case as Thomas was released this past offseason.  With the new regime going to a 3-4 defense, the linebackers are going to play a key role in both run stuffing and pass coverage. 

So far, it looks like the starting linebackers will be Reggie Torbor, Akin Adoyele, Channing Crowder and Joey Porter.  This group does seem adequate, but lacks playmakers.  How will this group fare this season?

Discuss.

I think Porter and Torbor have a history of being playmakers, maybe not hall of fame quality but playmaking ability none-the-less.

Don't forget JT could still be a factor with this group in some sort of a hybrid fashion.

I actually think we are better off this year than we have been in recent past when it comes to our defensive front.  I love Zach, but think the team was wise and justified in letting him seek his goals elsewhere at this point in his career.

The big question is Crowder!  This is a guy in the last year of his contract that plays well but doesn't stand out.  I am thinking that he will make a big push to stand out and show some playmaking ability this year.  I definately think he is capable of being a standout and if the circumstances this year don't motivate him, nothing will.  Adoyele seems solid and comes from a winning team, perhaps he will see the extra playing time as a chance to get some attention and give him a shot at a bigger payday when that time comes.

Porter seemed to improve during the last half of the season.  I think the Dolphins changed the way they used him.  Whatever they did, they should continue with that.

Hard to give an opinion on the rest of the group until we find out about JT

If Porter can step it up this year, we will not be missing Zach.

I've always seen JT as a defensive end and not a LB

  Welcome back, to another edition of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  It's Day 17, and Training Camp is ALMOST upon us!  Anyways, yesterday in Dolphins news, we found out that QB Josh McClown...  err, I mean McCown recently suffered an injury via chainsaw to his index finger in his hometown of Jacksonville, Texas while cutting wood with his brother.  Clearly, this guy isn't MENSA material or a Rhoades Scholar.  Needless to say, this isn't what the Dolphins were expecting from McCown when he signed his free agent deal just a few short months ago.  Oddly enough, McClown's "Yakety Sax" moment brings me to today's topic.

  Which free agent do you feel will provide the biggest and most positive impact for the Dolphins in 2008?  Unlike McCown, which free agent just makes you say: "Damn, I'm really glad we signed this guy!" 

None of the FA acquisition really jump out at me. The word "solid" is probably the best description for the best of them... Smiley and Torbor, if I had to name names.

I'd have to say Justin Smiley.  A strong guy with a nasty disposition on a unit that's in dire need of a guy like him. 

  I'm going to say Justin Smiley.  A big, strong, guy that's got the versatility to play either OG spot.

  Justin Smiley is the guy who I would go with as well....he immediately improves Miami's O-Line at whichever guard spot he plays....Smiley is still YOUNG, big and strong.... so pairing him with Jake Long, Samson Satele, Vernon Carey and Shawn Murhpy (who are all very young as well)  could give Miami a great O-line for many,many years to come.  I also love the nasty streak in Justin...gotta love that in an O-Linemen!!!! :)

  Randy Starks was also a solid free agent signing....he will be a versatile DL in the new 3-4 defense....he will be a good backup for Ferguson at NT....Starks is also very young and has room to step up his game quite a bit.

 

  Great choice!  I almost forgot about Randy Starks.  You're right, he is still VERY young.  He's played four years in the league but he's only 24 years old.

T MINUS 7 AND COUNTING

ONLY A WEEK TO GO!!!!!!

Issue of the day- Defensive Backs

The Dolphins secondary has been the weak link on this defense over the past two seasons.  Compounding this problem is that almost nothing has been done to address this unit's needs.  A couple of free agents were brought in this past offseason, but not a single defensive back was drafted in 2007 or 2008.  As a result, there will be a lot of familiar faces on opening day, along with the feeling that with the same players, this unit is still not good enough. 

Additionally, the majority of the players that could start are coming off injuries.  Andre Goodman, Yeremiah Bell, Travis Daniels, Renaldo Hill were all beset by injuries last season and enter this season surrounded by question marks.  Another questionable player is safety Jason Allen who was drafted 16th overall in 2006 but has failed to live up to those expecations. 

How will this unit perform in 2008?  Will the defense be giving up a lot of passing yards?  Will they have to rely on the front seven's pass rush? 

Discuss.

I don't think there's much chance of the Dolphins' secondary being much above average. That's one area where I believe we'll be weak this year, but then that's to be expected. There's simply no way you can fix all the problems of a 1-15 team in one year, especially when you purge the roster like Parcells and Co. have done.

I'm not at all comfortable with the Crowder-Torbor side of the secondary, at least if JT doesn't wind up playing after all.

What I expect out of this secondary is a mix of good days and bad days.  I know that may sound a little obvious but I think it will play out that way.  I think it has more to do with who we play and how our defensive front matches up with them as to whether or not our defensive back performs well.

  Welcome back, to "25 Topics, 25 Days."  It's Day 19, and we're in the dog days of summer.  It's hot, humid, and soon the pads will be popping in Davie.  For many years, the Miami Dolphins have used the heat and humidity to their advantage in the early games in September, and early October.  However, some people have wondered if that advantage has gone away.  During Nick Saban's reign, he had asked for a practice bubble to be built, so the team wouldn't miss practices due to inclement weather.  Wayne Huizenga obliged, and the "Nick Saban Memorial Practice Bubble" (a name coined by Miami Herald writer, Armando Salguero) was built.  The reasons for this new structure, seemed like a good idea.

  However, when Saban skipped town, Cam Cameron came in, and used the practice bubble a little more than the Nicktator did.  Causing critics to question the conditioning standards and the types of practices that the team was going through.  Sure enough, those critics turned out to be right.  Having said all that, today's topic is this.  Do you still like the fact that the team has a practice bubble, or do you feel that is was a waste of money, and it should be done away with?

  Also, a little bit of trivia for you.  What was the hottest game the Dolphins have ever played in?  Gimmie the year, the opponent, and of course...  the temperature.

I think the practice bubble was a good idea, however, it should only be used when it is thundering and lightning.  Consdiering this area is very rainy in September and October, it would be good to practice in the rain.  However, being struck by lightning is a different story. 


Sept 1996.  Dolphins played a prime time game against Arizona in 101 degree heat in Jimmy Johnson's second game as Dolphins coach.  Dolphins won 23-10.

  DING, DING, DING!!!  We have a winner!

  I agree with Tommy.....the bubble was a good idea, but should only be used when it is thundering and lightning....considering the weather in South Florida,  it is best for Miami to conduct practice OUTSIDE in the elements (rain,heat,humidity,wind etc.)  to give themselves an advantage over teams not use to these types of conditions...only use the dome when players and coaches safety are in jeopardy!!!

  The Dolphins should practice outside as often as they can, being able to play in this stifling heat and humidity is a great advantage to have over other teams.  However, with Florida being a state that's known for a massive amount of lightning strikes, the safety of players, coaches, and other personnel is paramount.  So, yeah the practice bubble was a good idea.   Also, if the Dolphins have to go on the road to a domed stadium, then can go in the bubble and simulate the crowd noise.

OK, here's another bit of trivia.  What was the coldest game the Dolphins ever played in?

Year, opponent, score, temperature and weather conditions.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 December 12, 1977.  It was a 14-10 loss against the New England Patriots.  The temperature was 14 degrees.

That is correct

T MINUS 5 AND COUNTING!!!!!

Issue of the day- Special Teams


As we all know, last year's special teams wasn't exactly special.  The lone bright spot was Ted Ginn because of his kick return ability.  However, a lot of his long returns were negated by penalties.  Additionally the coverage units allowed long returns as well.  Amazingly, former special teams coach Keith Armstrong saw this coming.  The majority of his special teams players from 2006 were either released or allowed to leave as free agents prior to 2007. 

When Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland started bringing in their own free agents, they made sure they got some guys that were known special team aces.  Boomer Grigsby, Keith Davis, Nathan Jones, and Tab Perry are just a few of the guys they brought in.  Additionally, Parcells made sure rookie punter Brandon Fields got some work in this past offseason. 

How will this unit fare this season?  Will Ted Ginn finally break a few big ones now that he supposedly has better blockers?  Will the coverage units be able to stop other returns on a consistent basis?

Discuss.

  Since you brought it up, I'll throw out an additional question.  Would you like too see Ginn remain on Special Teams or would you rather have somebody else on returns, and let Ginn focus on his development as a wide receiver?  Personally, if a guy like Jayson Foster or Davone Bess shows that they can handle the return duties, put them back there instead of Ginn.

Ginn had a rock solid 9.6 punt return average last year.  His kickoff return average was low, but if you include the two TDs that were called back,  (AND BOTH OF THEM WERE BAD CALLS BY THE REFS!!!!!!!!!!) that average jumps to the top 10 in the league.

Ginn will be a solid return man.  We just need blockers and the refs to stop screwing us.

To answer your question, Dolfan 619, it would be a great idea to see a guy like Foster or Bess be given a shot at handling kick return duties. 

If they work out, then you can have Foster/Bess and Ginn out there on kickoffs and they can alternate on punts.  That would keep the opposing team off balance, don't ya think? 

  Welcome back, to another edition of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  It's Day 21, and yesterday the inevitable finally happened.  Jason Taylor was traded to the Washington Redskins for a 2nd round pick in 2009, and a sixth round pick in 2010.  Originally, today's topic was going to be about whether Jason Taylor would show up on time for camp.  Well, that's no longer an issue.  So instead, I would like to know how do you define Jason Taylor's 11 seasons in Miami?  How do you view his legacy as a Miami Dolphin?

I view him as arguably the best defender Miami ever had, but a little bit of a primadonna whose legacy will be slightly tarnished by the way it had to end.  one could only imagine what he could have done in a stable environment if he didn't have a new coach every other year.

He will always be a Miami Dolphin at heart.  JT was the best DE we ever had, and in a way, it's sad to see him go the way he did (as well as Zach).  But this is a business, and just like any other business, you can be a prized assett one day and a liability the next. 

  His on the field production speaks for itself.  He will probably go down as one of Miami's best defenders, and he'll be in the Ring of Honor.  However, the way he acted this past offseason really left a bad taste in my mouth, so that tarnishes his legacy somewhat.  It's unfortunate that his prime years were wasted by Wannstedt, but it is what it is.

^^^^ My sentiments exactly Dolfan619.......Good Call!!!!!!

T MINUS 3 AND COUNTING!!!!!!!

Issue of the day- The 3-4 defense

The 3-4 defense, which became obsolete back in the early 90's, is making a huge comeback.  And Bill Parcells is the type who favors it.  This type of defense requires bigger defensive linemen, and quicker, more athletic linebackers.  A lot of times, it would require someone to take a risk on a "tweener", which is someone who is labeled as not strong enough to play on the D-Line and not quick enough to play linebacker. 

Former Dolphins coach Cam Cameron attempted to run that type of defense last season, but switched back to the base 4-3 after four games because it clearly wasn't working. 

How will the defense fare this season?  What type of schemes will the new coaches run?  Which defensive ends will be converted to outside linebackers?  And most importantly, do you think Parcells is getting the right type of personnel to run this defense?

Discuss.

Here is the thing.  Now that JT is gone, we have nothing but question marks on the field this year. 

How will we do?  I can see some potential frustration against the run and deep passing.

What schemes?  None that would have been as effictive if JT was playing.

Which will be converted?  Maybe Roth (thats all).

Are we getting the right personnel?  Yes, but we have to do better.  We need better leadership!  We need a Zach Thomas type (but younger) or a Ray Lewis type and we need them sooner than later.  Can Porter fill some of that role?  Maybe, but I don't think he has the leadership skills that will motivate the whole defense.

Regardless of how his career in Miami ended, he has done more than enough to justify #99 getting retired.  I couldn't think of anyone else sporting that number.  The guy would always be remembered as one of our best players ever regardless of position. 

If you retire #99, you should retire #54 as well. 

  Welcome back to another edition of "25 Topic, 25 Days."  It's Day 23, and we're on the cusp of Training Camp!  Today's topic, is a two part question.  Who do you believe at the end of the 2008 season will be the Miami Dolphins Offensive Player of the Year and Miami Dolphins Defensive Player of the Year?

  Offense......Ricky Williams     Defense......Joey Porter

Offense- Ricky Williams or Vernon Carey

Defense- Joey Porter or Yeremiah Bell

  For the offense I would have to say Ricky Williams.  Although, Ronnie Brown could make a strong push towards the end of the season.  On defense, I have to go with Yeremiah Bell. 

I hope it's Ginn on offense, since that would imply that we'd found both a good #1 receiver AND a good quarterback...

More realistically, I think we'll have to settle for one of our 2 runningbacks. At this point I think it's a toss-up. I really hope Pothead still has "it" - and can take a pounding, but I want to see it before I believe it.

On defense, Porter is the obvious choice in my book.

T MINUS 1 AND COUNTING!!!!!!

Players report tomorrow and the first practice is on Saturday!!!  The wait is almost over!!!!

Issue of the day- The new ownership. 

Ever since Wayne Huizenga took over as Dolphins owner in 1994, the Dolphins have been in a state of decline.  They have gone through seven different head coaches, failed to make it past the second round of the playoffs, and ticket prices have gone sky high while the quality of the product on the field has declined. 

Last season, Huizenga angered many fans by raising ticket prices tremendously, in some cases as much as 400%.  He was also criticized for doing a stadium makeover that many fans feel was unnecessary, meanwhile the team went off to post its worst record in franchise history. 

Now Huizenga has sold a good portion of the team to New York billionaire Stephen Ross, and plans to sell the rest at a later date. 

What do you think of Huizenga as an owner?  How will Ross fare as an owner?

Discuss.

I think Huizenga is a decent owner. He's willing to go out and get the hot coach or GM, and then stay out of it.

The recent price-raising was necessary to cover the costs of improvements. Although most fans would probably have preferred it without the improvements (and subsequent price hike), I think this was a question of Huizenga wanting to increase the value of the team, knowing he would sell at some point in the near future.

That said, it seems like he hasn't actually spent as much money on player pay as one could have expected and this may well have contributed directly to the lack of success in recent years.

I will never forgive him for giving Wanndouche a pass his whole stay here.  Not to mention that god-damned contract extension he gave him after yet another season without a playoff appearance.

  Well....  IT'S HERE!!!  Welcome, to Day 25 of "25 Topics, 25 Days."  That's right, the day has come and it is time for the 2008 Miami Dolphins to report to Training Camp, and it's on and popping!  The big theme around this year's Training Camp is without a shadow of doubt, is COMPETITION.  This regime has preached all offseason about how competitive this Training Camp will be.  That being said, today's topic is simply this.  Which competition in this year's Training Camp intrigues you the most?

I was going to say fullback, as Boomer Grigsby vs Regan Mauia will make for an interesting battle.  Both are hard nosed blockers that can be a battering ram out of the backfield for the RB.

But with Jason Taylor now gone, I'm going to say that outside linebacker will be the most intriguing spot opposite Joey Porter. 

Charlie Anderson?  Akin Adoyele?  Kelly Poppinga?  C'mon down!!!!  Let's see what you can do!!!!

I'm going to be boring nad predictable... QB. That's the one I'm going to be watching for. And, let there be no doubt, I hope Beck wins it.

i thought akin was going to line up at inside lb? qb battle should be the most interesting to watch over the next couple of months. i'd also like to see beck emerge as the starting qb as well.

Adoyele is versatile and can play both inside and outside. 

I'm with fyo...I'll be watching the QB battle playing out, because I think that's as important as any battle in camp this season.

  Don't forget about Quentin Moses.  I'll pretty much have my eyes on the quarterbacks.  Mainly, Beck and Henne.  McClown sucks, and isn't even worth my time.  Also, I'll have an eye on the kicking battle between Jay Feely and Dan Carpenter.

  I would say the Qb position is the most important position to watch as well....but I am also intrigued by the tight end battle.....Fasano, Peelle, Ryan, Martin, Mulligan and Halterman should be interesting.  There are lots of intriguing battles taking place this year.  Its hard to pick just 1 or 2.

You're right Rick.  When a team is rebuilding, a lot of positions are up for grabs. 

QB is the most important position in football, so of course that will be the competition to watch and although I would prefer to see Beck win it, I am ok with McCown to start the season.

Other than that, it will be interesting to see who lines up opposite Joey Porter. 

Probably my biggest concern is who starts at left guard!  I wish I knew more, but it seems like nobody is predicting McKinney to be ready.  I am really worried about the possibility of two rookies on the left with a second year center and a young QB.  I don't care how good they are, other teams would smell blood and go after them big-time!

i thought smiley was going to play left guard?

From what I understand, everything they have done with him so far is at right guard.  Not to say that Smiley at left guard isn't a possibility but I don't know of anyone on the coaching staff that has publicly proposed Smiley on the left.

The good thing about Smiley is he's got the versatility to play on the left or right side.  I'd rather see a veteran like him on the left, mentoring Jake Long.  If he has to play right, then I'd want to see Sweathog's older brother on the left.

The wait is over.   Ladies and gentlemen..... boys and girls....... we have lift off!!!!!!!