Miami Dolphins Rookie Mini-Camp: Day One

[DolFan619]

 http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/05/02/rookie_camp_kicks_off_in_less.html

Rookie camp kicks off in less than 2 hours

By Edgar Thompson | Friday, May 2, 2008, 12:19 PM

At 2 p.m., No. 1 pick Jake Long and the rest of the Dolphins’ rookies will begin their NFL first mini-camp.

It won’t be a full-squad camp, only the 23 rookies (nine drafted, 14 undrafted free agents) and first-year players.

I’m not sure if there also will be players trying out, like Nick Saban allowed during his rookie camps.

This also will be our first look at Tony Sparano on the field as a head coach.

I’ll be blogging from the facility, so if there’s anything you’d like to know, just ask. I’m not sure what to expect, especially since there won’t be a full squad out there.

Check in from time to time to find out what’s happening.
 

[DolFan619]

http://dolphinsindepth.blogspot.com/

Dolphins minicamp workout postponed until 2:20 p.m.

The Dolphins have moved back the start of minicamp practice until 2:20 now. They will start with stretching so I am not going to blog about guys bending over, if you know what I mean.

I would imagine the live blog will start at 2:30 now.

Here is the Dolphins minicamp roster:

1 Dan Carpenter K
7 Chad Henne QB
11 Justin Wynn WR
14 Jayson Foster WR
15 Davone Bess WR
26 Lex Hilliard RB
27 Will Billinglsley CB
31 Jalen Parmale RB
35 Aaron Lane CB
48 Matthew Mulligan TE
49 Kelly Popinga LB
57 Titus Brown LB
60 Mike Byrne CB
61 Shawn Murphy G
63 Kory Robertson NT
66 Donald Thomas G
67 Darren Heerspink T
70 Kendall Langford DE
71 Lionel Dotson DE
73 Dan Gore T
79 Jake Long LT
84 Selwyn Lymon WR
86 Marcel Reece, WR
97 Phillip Merling DE

The team also has 15 workout players trying to earn an invitation to training camp. They are:

6 Radamez Rubio Gaytan, K
8 Willie Copeland QB
36 Rolly Lumbala, FB
38 Tim Mixon CB
40 Roger Williams S
41 Scorpio Babers CB
42 Khristopher Kasparek TE
44 Aaron Weathers S
45 Sam Juckeba LB
50 Brandon Ogletree LB
53 Brandon Renkart LB
58 Keith Saunders LB
62 Anthony Toribio NT
78 Chris Capote, G
93 Brandon Jones DE

[DolFan619]

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/05/live-blogging-f.html

Live blogging from rookie camp

Along with those participating in the Dolphins rookie camp, there are 15 players who are here for a tryout during this weekend's rookie minicamp.

I'm interested to know if any of these guys get you excited?

Kicker Radamez Rubio Gaytan, Quarterback Willie Copeland, Fullback Rolly Lumbala, Cornerbacks Tim Mixon and Scorpio Baber, Safeties Roger Williams, Aaron Weathers, Tight end Khristopher Kasparek, Linebackers Sam Huckeba, Brandon Ogletree, Brandon Renkart, Keith Saunders, Defensive linemen Anthony Toribio and Brandon Jones, and offensive guard Chris Capote.

I'm kind of surprised they didn't add a punter to compete with Brandon Fields since they talk up competition so much.

> Posted by Omar Kelly at 12:38:13 PM

[StL FinFan]

I would like to hear about the guys bending over!  Any pictures?   

[DolFan619]

  Well, this sucks.

http://dolphinsindepth.blogspot.com/

Dolphins forbid live blogging at minicamp and all camps

The Dolphins have just announced that they are not allowing any live blogging at their practices, including this minicamp.

You guys that defended the team's ridiculous new clamp down on the media, have fun. No live information for you on what is happening during today's practice -- or any practice, for that matter.

The reason the Dolphins say they are not allowing this to happen is that they've never allowed live accounts of practices before. Except they did allow live blogs last year so that is a lie. Media relations VP Harvey Greene says he conducted an unscientific survey of 15 other NFL teams and was told by 13 of them they do not allow live blogging. He did not say which teams he talked to nor did he say which teams allowed it.

Anyway, if you don't mind, so be it. If you are the least bit disturbed by the information blackout, say so. I guess we'll do it the old fashioned way -- I'll take notes and file a blog about practice, you know, after practice.

[DolFan619]

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/05/live-blogging-f.html

Live blogging scrapped by Dolphins

There's nothing better than being on the ground floor of a movement.

Who had some Z. Cavarrici pants or Capezio shoes back in junior high (Thanks Sedano for the idea. That music was giving me flashbacks). I remember I wore my Cavarrici's till they got so short my mom made them into shorts. And by the time I stopped wearing those black shorts they were gray.

Two of my proudest music scouting accomplishments was discovering 50 Cent back when Puffy was dating J. Lo, begging him to sign 50, and eating up every mixtape from Kanye West before he did Through the Wire and blew up.

I wanted to be there for you, blogging live during rookie minicamp and training camp, helping you discover the next Chris Chambers. But the Dolphins have poured cold water all over those plans. This week they put in place a new media policy that all but bans live blogging during practice. I hope this means I'll get to watch all of practice during training camp.

I suspected this was eventually coming considering how rigid the NFL has become with access. I'll make sure I give you the best recap I can once practice is over, and my story is written. It just won't be as timely....Sorry guys and gals.

I kind of understand why they've created such a policy. It'll allow me to take a full portrait of the situation, or the player, rather than a snapshot. Maybe this is for the best....

> Posted by Omar Kelly at 12:38:13 PM

[DolFan619]

http://dolphinsindepth.blogspot.com/

Early report from first Dolphins minicamp practice

Here are some initial thoughts following the end of the first minicamp practice:

*The starting offensive line for this practice was LT Jake Long, LG Shawn Murphy, C Mike Byrne, RG Donald Thomas, RT Dan Gore.

*Chad Henne, as expected, took the first team snaps at QB while workout player Willie Copeland was second. Henne had an OK day. Copeland, predictably, struggled skipping a couple of passes and overthrowing three or four.

*Jayson Foster, playing exclusively at receiver, was impressive. He has great acceleration and catches the ball cleanly which is impressive because he played QB at Georgia Southern last year.

*Phillip Merling worked throughout the practice and said he felt "no pain," despite his hernia surgery a little while back.

*Partial owner Stephen Ross watched practice from the sideline. Wayne Huizenga was not present.

*Bill Parcells watched throughout. The only player I saw him talking to was Foster, which is great for Foster because Parcells obviously thinks enough of him to even know he exists.

*Foster was also used returning punts.

*Khristopher Kasparek and Davone Bess each dropped at least one easy pass.

[DolFan619]

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/05/post-practice-q.html

Post practice quick hits

New Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne is loud. Ultra loud!

His voice can he heard all over the Dolphins practice field. It carries, and that's a good thing. Let's just put it this way. I heard every word he said behind center and never heard anything from the other quarterback in this camp.

I've heard rave reviews about Henne's leadership ability, and if his command of the huddle is a sampling of that, Henne shouldn't have a problem gaining his teammates attention. He throws a quick out pass, and seemed to be fairly accurate on day one, but his receivers didn't catch many of what appeared to be "ouch" passes.

Coach Tony Sparano said he was "pleasantly surprised" by Henne, and reiterated Henne, Josh McCown and John Beck will have a "quarterback competition" when training camp opens. Whoever gets it done will be the starter. So basically, there are no favorites.

"At the end of this we're going to find out who the best quarterback is," Sparano said.

Move the offense and score and you'll be a favorite until you stop doing it. Then they'll likely say, "Next" and move on to the next in line.

But here is a hint of what they are looking for.

"With a quarterback it's all about what he does in the huddle. It's how he takes control," Sparano said. "I've been in some situations where we've gone out there and the quarterback quite honestly couldn't get the play out of his mouth on day one. Chad was very good that way today. He took control of the huddle and managed the team fine at the line of scrimmage."

Phillip Merling participated in all of practice despite his sport hernia, said he's fine and could go "all out" if he needed to. He was warned by the coaches if he started to experience any pain to ease up, but didn't. However, he looked mighty slow to me, and it better be his injury holding him back or else the Dolphins might be looking at a future nose tackle. He needs to be explosive coming off the end, and right now he doesn't have it. But it is day 1, and he is battling a serious injury. I'm honestly surprised he was allowed to participate. And for the record, he's bigger than I expected him to be.

Jake Long held down the left tackle spot (surprise, surprise), and Shawn Murphy played next to him at right guard during this rookie camp. Donald Thomas held down the first team left guard spot. Sparano stressed he's going to start the "best five," on the offensive line, and plans to do that at every position.

During offense vs. defense team drills the defense was using a 3-4 base scheme (surprise, surprise) with unsigned linebacker Keith Saunders coming from the edge as the Jason Taylor of this group.

Bill Parcells spent a great deal of his time watching the defensive linemen work (surprise, surprise). General Manager Jeff Ireland was watching the unsigned players, especially the specialists (returners, flyers, wedge busters). Ireland was taking some serious notes.

Purdue Selwyn Lymon is a BIG receiver. He's got some elusiveness to him, but he catches the ball with his body, a lot. He's going to need to stop fighting the ball since the Dolphins already have one of those receivers on the roster.

Receivers Davone Bess and Jayson Foster are super tiny, but they have the ability to adjust to the ball, and possess the quickness needed to separate. It's going to be hard to tell how they would do against real competition because I didn't notice anyone worth mentioning in the secondary.

Recently learned Dan Carpenter punted during his college career, so maybe Brandon Fields does have competition after all.

Unsigned quarterback Willie Copeland, who happens to be a lefty, needs A LOT of work before he gets signed. Copeland threw a number of passes into the ground, but I'll give him a day to work out the nervousness.

So, what's the goal for these three days?

"We're trying to see what they can handle mentally. We threw some things at them in meetings today and during the course of the day in a bunch of meeting and see them come out here and retain some of that," Sparano said.

> Posted by Omar Kelly at 4:05:15 PM

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-0502rookies,0,4599423.story

Dolphins rookies and rookie head coach hit the field

By Harvey Fialkov
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

5:36 PM EDT, May 2, 2008

DAVIE - After months of ferreting out free agents and studying for the draft, Dolphins rookie coach Tony Sparano finally got to do what he loves best - coach.

"It was great, just excited all day,'' Sparano said Friday after a 90-minute non-contact practice session kicked off this weekend's rookie minicamp. "I didn't sleep much last night. All the administrative stuff ... I put behind me last evening and I was excited to get out here and get on the field.''

Also on the field were the Dolphins nine draft picks, including massive left tackle Jake Long and his teammate at Michigan, quarterback Chad Henne, as well as 14 signed college free agents and 15 unsigned free agents in for workouts.

Standing in the background, but casting a huge shadow was Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells, who gave Sparano room to operate, but continues to turn down all interview requests.

"I noticed him,'' smiled rookie guard Shawn Murphy. "I hustled a little more. Just kidding, I was hustling all the time.''

At one point, the 312-pound Long flattened rookie defensive end Lionel Dotson on a running play. Henne looked confident in the huddle and seemed sharp, particularly on short outs to a host of young receivers such as Hawaii's Davone Bess, Purdue's Selwyn Lymon, Washington's Marcel Reece and Justin Wynn, who hasn't played football since his freshman season at Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College.

Wynn stepped away from football to take care of his mother and younger brothers. He worked at a clothing store and as a landscaper.

Sparano made it clear that the quarterback position is an, "open competition,'' between Henne, John Beck and Josh McCown.

"At the end of this we're going to find out who the best quarterback is,'' Sparano said. "I was pleasantly surprised. I was happy with what Chad did, especially from a mental standpoint. From a quarterback, it's all about what he does in the huddle. It's how he takes control. ... Chad managed the team fine at the line of scrimmage.''

Sparano also praised the undrafted Bess, who averaged 97 catches in Hawaii's run-and-shoot offense.

"You could see his ability when you watch him catch,'' Sparano said. "When you watch his tape, he's running and catching constantly.''

The workout players included: Valdosta State quarterback Willie Copeland, Idaho fullback Rolly Lumbala, California cornerback Tim Mixon, who was cut from the Patriots practice squad, Sam Houston State cornerback Scorpio Babers, FSU safety Roger Williams, North Texas safety Aaron Weathers, Akron tight end Khris Kasparek, Arkansas linebacker Sam Huckeba, Idaho linebacker Brandon Ogletree, Rutgers linebacker Brandon Renkart, Alabama linebacker Keith Saunders (also on the Patriots practice squad last year), Carson Newman defensive lineman Anthony Toribio, Rutgers defensive end Brandon Jones, Clemson offensive guard Chris Capote and kicker Radamez Rubio-Gaytan.

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/05/02/day_1_of_rookie_camp_and_the_e.html

Day 1 of rookie camp (and the end of an era)

By Edgar Thompson | Friday, May 2, 2008, 04:42 PM

I have some bad news for you guys: No more live blogging from practice.

A tradition began by ex-Post beat writer Greg Bedard, who had a gift for the live practice blog, and continued by Ben Volin and myself during the ‘07 training camp is no longer.

The Dolphins have banned blogging during practice.

I was told by the Dolphins that the majority of NFL teams don’t allow hacks to take their computers out to the practice field and write.

So instead of getting live, up-to-the-minute updates of practice, you’ll find out how many passes David Martin dropped a little later than usual.

Once the full-squad mini-camp begins, we’ll have a plan in place to get our readers timely updates from practice.

One of us might jot down a few observations and come back to the media room and write ‘em up.

I was telling my boss about this ban earlier when he suggested I might try that today. I told him it wasn’t a good idea because what if something happened, like Chad Henne breaking his neck.

A group of four women walking by stopped in their tracks. One of them said she hopes that doesn’t happen.

Turns out it was Chad Henne’s mother, Sue.

Oops.

She was a sweetheart, and we had a laugh about it. I told her I’d send her a few copies of the article I wrote on Chad today.

Sue Henne would have traded places with me a second. Turns out the Dolphins wouldn’t allow her to come inside and see her son practice.

And Chad had a pretty good day.

He does have a long windup at times, but was accurate on many of his passes in windy conditions. He definitely throws a nice long ball.

Henne also was the victim of a lot of drops. That’s to be expected for a QB working with a bunch of jittery rookies hoping to make a good impression.

Undrafted rookie free agent Marcel Reece of Washington dropped one pass that hit him right in the hands. He also was a bit too slow to get under a couple of Henne’s bombs that should have been big plays.

Reece did redeem himself on a kickoff drill, where he made the best juke of the day.

But there’s a reason 30 of the 39 players at today’s camp, including 15 termed “workout players,” weren’t selected last weekend.

One of them did stand out - Hawaii WR Davone Bess. He didn’t get drafted despite catching 108 passes last season and scoring 41 TDs in his college career. Bess (5-10, 195) is a little small and a tad slow (4.63 in 40), but he catches everything thrown his way.

He made the best catch of the day, a diving grab on a down-and-in route thrown by Henne.

Jayson Foster also looks like he’s pretty dynamic. But at 5-foot-7, 170 pounds, the former Georgia Southern star is going to have to be something pretty special to make this team.

More than 75 percent of these guys probably won’t make it.

But a couple of the ones who are locks, other than Henne, looked pretty good, too.

No. 1 pick Jake Long is amazingly light on his feet. From a distance, you’d never know this quick, nimble athlete is 6-7, 315 pounds.

DE Phillip Merling, the first pick of the second round, looked explosive in a pass-rushing drill.

But really, what can you really tell from a bunch of rookies doing drills?

It still was enough to bring Bill Parcells out of his lair for a look-see. New co-owner Stephen Ross also came by to see what his $600 million was doing for him.

But the first day of rookie camp was a thing of beauty for one man in particular: Tony Sparano.

Sparano said he was so excited about his first practice as a head coach that he couldn’t sleep last night.

He’ll be happy to know he gets to do it again Saturday - twice.

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/05/02/0502george.html

Commentary: Parcells and Sparano play it right at first practice

By DAVE GEORGE
Palm Beach Post Columnist

Friday, May 02, 2008

DAVIE — Bill Parcells had nothing to say to reporters as he walked off the practice field following Friday's first workout of the Miami Dolphins' 2008 draft picks.

There was a smile and a quick "Sorry," in apology for declining to take questions, but that's all.

It was the best thing he could have done to draw a distinctive line between himself and Tony Sparano, Big Tuna's designee to do the dirty work in turning around the 1-15 Dolphins.

Sparano is the head coach here, but he's filling the role for the first time since 1998 at the University of New Haven.

Imagine how Tony the Toiler would have felt if he had stepped to the microphone for his initial post-practice meeting with the South Florida media and suddenly all the cameras had been ripped off their tripods to chase down a Parcells comment or two.

"I'm excited about this day," said Sparano, who was on Parcells' staff for four years at Dallas. "I didn't sleep much last night."

That's nervous energy talking, kicked off by a challenge to reporters to "Fire away," and it was good to hear for a change.

Cam Cameron, whose one and only year as Dolphins coach was a disaster, was so calm and collected walking the practice fields here that it was difficult to pick him out among the assistant coaches.

He never seemed to raise his voice or get ruffled, even later, when the season clearly was going down the drain. Even when the quarterback position, Cameron's specialty area, was in chaos.

A head coach should kick up a little dust every now and then, not only because he's in charge of everything that happens on the field but because he wants everyone to be absolutely clear on that fact, if they're not clear on anything else.

With Parcells as the celebrity supervisor, that will be doubly important for Sparano. Whether Big Bill is visible, silently watching practice off to the side as he did Friday, or invisible, staked out in his office as head of football operations, his Super Bowl shadow is always there.

Give Sparano high opening marks for steering clear of the offensive line drills, even though Jake Long, the No. 1 pick overall in last Saturday's NFL Draft, was shaking the ground over there. Sparano, coach of the O-line at Dallas and at Cleveland in previous lives, has to devote his attention to every corner of the Miami locker room.

After successfully calling plays for the Cowboys during Tony Romo's first season as a starter, Sparano clearly can do that job. He can delegate, too, which sometimes was an area of concern for Miami's last rookie head coach, Cameron.

"That's why I hired two coordinators, Dan Henning (offense) and Paul Pasqualoni (defense)," said Sparano, "so I get the opportunity to spread myself around and see both sides of the ball."

Through most of the 90-minute workout Sparano did just that, standing well away from the drills, sometimes 20 yards downfield, and referring often to the roster sheet in his hand. There are a lot of new names to learn and numbers to put with them.

It's felt like that with Miami head coaches the last few years, to be honest. After decades of Don Shula, the eternal Dolphins coach, it's all been a little disorienting.

Sparano, on first impression, is the kind of solid and stubborn guy who might just be around long enough to grow on us all.

Not forever, mind you, but for as long as it takes to make this franchise respectable again, even if Parcells retreats once more from the game, leaving his right-hand man to finish the job.

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/news/top_story.asp?contentID=5799

Tony Sparano Post-Practice Press Briefing Transcript

May 2, 2008
   
(On being out on the practice for the first time as an NFL head coach) – “It was great. I was excited; didn’t sleep much last night. All of the administrative stuff for me, from that standpoint, was put behind me last evening and I was excited to get out here and get on the field.”

(On what he has planned for the rookies this weekend) – “I think really if we get anything at all accomplished this weekend it would be to watch them, evaluate them, athletically, that way. And more importantly, to make sure we give them a once-through with the offense, the defense, the special teams and all those things so that they walk out of here with a little bit of a working knowledge of what we’re trying to do and we come away with an understanding of maybe what they’re all about, athletically.”

(On what he was looking for specifically from Friday’s practice) – “I think really just tempo and getting a chance to see some guys move around, athletically, watch them do some drill work and some individual stuff. We really wanted to get more into that today and see them move around individually. That was probably the most important thing. Maybe see what they could handle, mentally. We threw some things at them in meetings today. During the course of the day they had a bunch of meetings and then seeing them come out there and retain some of that.”

(On if anyone caught his eye today) – “No, I don’t think anything particularly caught my eye right now. I’ve got to go back and watch the film. I’m one of those guys who really needs to see it off of the tape and then come back and comment to the team. But I did some guys flash every once in a while and see some people do some good things. Probably the thing that stood out to me the most is the fact that you’re dealing with young guys who really aren’t quite ready to take this next step one way or the other or don’t really know, I should say, what this next step is all about; conditioning and those kinds of things – nothing that’s a major concern.”

(On if he’s concerned that two of his starting offensive linemen this year could be rookies) – “No. I don’t necessarily go into it thinking that way, but obviously with Jake (Long) –drafting him where we drafted him - you’re hoping that he’s going to be a pretty good player for us. At the end of this process we’re going to play the best five people. It’s what I’ve done, it’s what my history is and it’s what I know. We’ll play the best five people and we’ll see what happens when the dust settles as we get on into training camp.”

(On his first impression of Chad Henne) – “I was pleasantly surprised and happy with what he did, especially from a mental standpoint. With a quarterback, it’s all about what he does in the huddle. It’s how he takes control and how he does some of those things. I’ve been in some situations where we’ve gone out there and the quarterback, quite honestly, hasn’t been able to get the play out of his mouth on day one. Chad was very good that way today. He took control of the huddle. I felt he operated and managed the team fine at the line of scrimmage.”

(On if Chad Henne might be a little ahead because of the fact he started since his freshman season at Michigan) – “I think so, sure. I think that’s one of the qualities that you look for when you’re looking for when you’re looking for a quarterback, is that he has been involved in some of those situations before. He’s from a major program that way and I think he’s been in some of those battles before. He’s been a starter for quite some time, so those were some of the things that we were attracted to.”

(On what a veteran coach would see from a Jake Long in a practice like this with no contact) – “I think the way he moves, maybe the confidence that he carries within some of the drill work that he has out here and that he goes through. A little bit about some of his power; you’ll be able to see that throughout the course of the weekend and how he approaches the bag drills and some of those types of things. From my eye that way, that’s what I would be looking for.”

(On what separates a left tackle from a right tackle as far as the attributes that are needed) -- “One of the things that separates them immediately is the people who they play against. Obviously, in my mind in our league, the left tackle has to play against the quicker athlete and the more explosive athlete. The right tackle maybe sometimes the bigger, stronger athlete. So the guy who you’re looking for, athletically, has to be able to compete against those types of people out there.”

(On how he evaluates other linemen like Donald Thomas and Shawn Murphy, who are still learning the position) – “Again, no different, you’re looking for athletic ability, you’re looking to see their strengths, you’re looking to see how they learn, their work ethic and all those things. We’ll be able to find all those things out as we go along here. We did a bunch of homework, obviously, when we drafted them to feel like these players possess some of those qualities. But to see them out here in our environment, under the gun that way I think is real important.”

(On if Chad Henne has a realistic chance to start this year) – “We have a quarterback competition here. So from that’s standpoint, at the end of this, we’re going to find out who the best quarterback is. If it’s Chad, it’s Chad. If it’s (John) Beck, it’s Beck. If it’s (Josh) McCown, it’s McCown. But when they get in here, we’re going to have a competition, just like we are at every other position on our team. I’ve made no bones about saying that. Jeff (Ireland) has told you that as well. There will be competition all over this field. It’s healthy for us and it’s something we need.”

(On what he was able to see out of Jake Long today) – “I’m going to watch the film and see what I see that way. Just on first impressions, I see them go through bag drills, I see them do some of those things. In individual you can see some flashes of power and some of those things. We have a long way to go here.”

(On the pointers he gave to Jake Long before practice today) – “My pointers are really between he and I. There are some things, just fundamentally, with the nature of his position, I think, that Jake needs to understand are going to happen a little bit differently. One is the speed of the game; no question about it for him. Getting him in the best body position were some of the things that I think we just talked about.”

(On Justin Smiley possibly playing left guard to help Jake Long along) – “We’re kind of waiting right now just to see how some of these pieces fall out of this camp and as we get on into the OTAs. Right, left – that really doesn’t matter to me right now. Whoever we play next to Jake; Jake is a pretty intelligent guy, he’s very intelligent. He’s going to be able to handle it very well. But obviously if you’re playing a young guy out there you’d like somebody to be there that he can communicate with, one way or the other. What we need to do is we need to find the five best guys, which we will take care of in this process and then whether they’re lefts or rights. Whoever plays next to one another, they’ll develop their own language.”

(On rookie free agent WR Davone Bess and his prospects) – “We were happy to get him as a college free agent because of his numbers. He has had a lot of production that way. The system obviously is a little bit different and what he’s getting himself involved in now. You can see his ability when you watch him catch. Sometimes you can look long and hard at receivers and not see ability for a long time. With him, you see a bunch of it when you watch their tape. He’s running and he’s catching constantly. As far as making our team, I think there’s a competition at that position. We’re looking for guys to come in and compete. He’s one of our players right now, so he’s going to have an opportunity to compete.”

(On how much attention he paid to the defensive side of the ball today, particularly Phillip Merling) – “I got a chance to watch him today. It’s one of the things I want to do. It’s why I hired Paul Pasqualoni (defensive coordinator) and Dan Henning (offensive coordinator). I hired two coordinators so that I get the opportunity to spread myself around here and get a chance to see all these guys play on both sides of the ball. I want to make sure that I’m with the defense, I’m involved in the special teams and that everybody can hear me. I did see him move around today. Of course you like some of the things that they do. Fundamentally, there’s a long way to go. We’ve just got to keep working on our fundamentals at all these positions, but particularly in the defensive and offensive lines. I think that’s important.”

(On how much of a disadvantage it is for a rookie quarterback to win a competition like this) – “Through my experience, I’ve seen a bunch of different situations occur. But obviously if you’re a young guy, you’ve got to put your nose in the notebook. You’ve got to spend a little bit of extra time doing it that way. It’s probably a little bit more difficult, but what we have, it’s a unique situation in that we’re all starting over right now. The current quarterbacks on our team – Josh and Beck – are both learning as well. So nobody has the upper hand on anybody one way or the other. We’re all learning something new right now as we get on in this thing.”

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/news/top_story.asp?contentID=5800

Jake Long Post-Practice Media Availability Transcript

May 2, 2008
   
(On his first practice) – “It felt great – the weather is beautiful, putting the helmet back on, strapping the cleats up, it feels great to get back into football.

(On the weather in Michigan) – “I left yesterday and it was like 40 (degrees). It was pretty nasty so it is nice to get out here.”

(On what the team did in its first practice) – “We just went out there and did some of the plays we learned. We did a walk-through against the defense. It was pretty fun. Then we just worked on some fundamental things and then at the end we worked on team and running a few plays that we’ve learned so far. It is a fast tempo and I am enjoying it.”

(On if he expects to be the starting left tackle) – “I just expect to come in here and learn as quickly as I can, show the coaches what type of player I am and whatever they tell me to play and whenever they tell me to play, I’ll do it. It’s up to the coaches.”

(On what went through his mind when leading up to the draft people said he was more suited for right tackle) – “It doesn’t matter to me. I know what I am capable of and I trust the coaches that they are going to coach me to the best of their ability so I am going to learn from them. Whatever side they want to put me at, I’ll play, it doesn’t matter.”

(On if there is pressure being the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL) – “There is definitely pressure, but I have that over my head every single day. That pushes me to go out and work as hard as I can and prove to people that I earned that No. 1 spot and that I’ll earn the money. So I have to go out an earn it and show people why I have it.”

(On if it is déjà vu coming to Miami to play and still having Chad Henne behind him) – “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. He deserves everything he gets. He is a great player and a great person. He looked good out here. It was fun to see him back out here.”

(On if he and Henne discussed being drafted by the same team prior to the draft) – “Not really. When I was watching the draft I started thinking it could be a possibility I could see Chad again. When they drafted him I called him up and said congratulations and I’ll see you down there.”

(On his initial reaction to the Dolphins drafting Henne) – “I was excited. He deserves a good place and this is a good place. He is going to do well and I’m glad to be back with him again.”

(On what he wanted to get out of today’s practice) – “Today was just a learning curve. It is a lot faster here, a lot more fast-paced. It is all new coaches. I have had the same coach for five years so having a new coach is different. Learning from them and learning the new plays, I felt it went pretty well.”

(On if Tony Sparano talked to him at practice) – “At the beginning he had a few pointers for me, some things I need to work on, so I did warming up. I tried carrying that on through the practice.”

(On if he has reached out to any of the Dolphins veterans) – “I met a couple of them. I met Ronnie Brown, Jay Feely and a couple guys today, but not a lot of them are around right now. When I come back at the end of May, I am very excited to meet everybody and get going with them.”

(On what he thinks will make Chad Henne successful) – “Just the type of worker he is. He came into Michigan as a true freshman and led us to the Rose Bowl and started four years at Michigan. He went through a lot of adversity and he handled it. He’ll go through adversity here. He is smart and he is going to do everything he can to play.”

(On if he has been asked to change anything from a technique standpoint) – “Little things, but nothing too drastic. That is why I am excited to get out here and learn from them. They have been around the game for so long, they have so much knowledge. I am going to do everything I can to learn fast from them.”

(On what he expects tomorrow with two practices) – “I am excited about it. Today was fun. It was a short practice. I wanted to keep going. I am excited we have two tomorrow to keep putting the offense in and keep learning from them. I am very excited about it.”

(On how long it takes to get comfortable with the guy playing next to him) – “It takes a little bit. You need to learn the type of guy he is and the type of player he is. That what’s you have O.T.A.s and training camp for. It is so you can get comfortable with that guy and work all that time with him.”

(On if he has negotiated with Drew Mormino to get No. 77, which he wore in college) – “Not yet, but there probably will, but not yet. I haven’t met him yet.”

(On if No. 77 means a lot to him) – “Yeah, I wore it all through high school and all through college so we’ll see what happens. But, I like 79. My little brother wears 79 so 79 is a good number too.”

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/news/top_story.asp?contentID=5801

Chad Henne Post-Practice Media Availability Transcript

May 2, 2008
   
(On Jake Long playing left tackle for him) – “Coming out here, there is a comfort zone to have someone you know in the huddle. It is great to have him here and be a part of it.”

(On the first practice) – “I think given the opportunity, it was a great start. I think at least we got out of the huddle clean, everybody was running the right routes and the right running game. Overall, it was a good practice and hopefully we can continue that tomorrow.”

(On how much communication there is between the quarterback and left tackle) – “I think it is more knowing where he is going to be – knowing where he is going to set and where I have time. I know Jake (Long) will give me tremendous time. It’s great to have him there for all kinds of reasons.”

(On knowing Long’s tendencies) – “Jake (Long) definitely fans out a lot of defensive ends. He kind of brings me around so I know to step up in the pocket. I have a comfort zone to my left side.”

(On his shoulder) – “My shoulder is good. It is 100 percent. I have no problems with it right now. “

(On if his shoulder healed through rehab or a procedure) – “No surgery. It just healed by itself. Just time.”

(On if it is fair to say that injuries prevented him from showing everything he could do in his senior season) – “I think, definitely, the injuries hindered our season, especially myself, especially going through a separation of my right shoulder. Five games I had to get injections just to numb it up and try to play through it. It definitely wasn’t the velocity on the ball and the accuracy that I am used to, but hopefully that toughness can carry on and hopefully I won’t have an injury like that again.”

(On after being a four-year starter in high school and college, if this is a different situation for him) – “It’s definitely different, coming here to compete, especially in rookie camp. I am just going out here doing the best I can and learning the playbook. Once we get into full team, obviously I’ll come in and compete, but you never know what is going to happen. John (Beck) is a great quarterback and Josh McCown is in here. Everybody is going to compete at their best and hopefully make each other better.”

(On if has the confidence to think that he is coming in here to be the starter) – “There is definitely confidence, but you can never determine the future so you just come in here, learn as much as you can and see what happens when get on the field.”

(On if he remembers breaking the huddle and worrying about the guy rushing from the left tackle side) – “Not really. My line at Michigan had kind of a clean slate. My sophomore year we had a little trouble, but throughout my career they protected me well. You don’t really worry about that because if you worry about the rush that hinders the way you play the game and disguises and takes everything off your progression reading and everything you have to do as a quarterback.”

(On if quarterbacks coach David Lee has worked with him) – “David Lee has been great, especially learning the playbook and getting me out there, coaching me on different things with my drops, what I have to do – speed up – just different tempos of what I have to adjust to.”

(On if there was anything he did today that he didn’t do in college) – “I think the speed of the drops and the progression readings are definitely a lot faster than college. It is just an up-tempo speed at the line of scrimmage.”

(On his seeming pretty calm about that) – “As long as I get adjusted to it real quick and I feel I am on rhythm and getting the ball out fast enough, I’ll be fine.”

(On if coming from a pro-style offense is an advantage for him) – “I think it is definitely a great advantage. It is just different terminology for me – just learning this terminology, getting used to it, seeing the plays and knowing the progressions – but everything is pretty similar so I feel very comfortable with it.”

(On what he can take from his experience starting as a true freshman) – “I think from stepping in from high school to college is the leadership role as a quarterback, stepping in there right away, looking at the veterans and kind of taking hold of that offense and being the one they look up to. Hopefully my experience from that can continue through this.”

(On if there is anything besides his drops that David Lee said he wants to work with him on) – “Not so much. It is more drops and kind of getting my feet down as fast as I can and getting the ball out real quick.”

(On what he thinks of the young receivers in mini-camp) – “I think (Davone) Bess definitely showed a lot of great catches out there today and did a wonderful job. Everybody did a great job today. I think they are running good routes, especially with learning the offense very quickly and just going out there and performing.”

(On if he has spoken to John Beck since getting drafted) – “No I haven’t, but my girlfriend spoke to his wife Barbara. They keep in contact and once I get down here and kind of fit it in, I am sure John and I will communicate.”

(On if he feels it will be awkward with John Beck) – “No, not at all. I think John is a great person, especially meeting him about a month ago and kind of being with him. He is definitely a great person and we will continue to have a relationship.”

(On if he has something to prove) – “Draft status – it doesn’t even matter where you go, it is kind of what you do from here on. I think there was definitely a lot of great quarterbacks in this draft and out in the league. It is kind of just seeing how I do in mini-camps and continuing on.”