Merling, Henne await talks with Fins

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/story/532163.html

Merling, Henne await talks with Fins

BY DAVID J. NEAL
Miami Herald

Agents for the Dolphins' top two unsigned draft picks say no talks have begun on contracts for their clients, but agents for picks at the other end of the Dolphins' draft say they expect things to happen quickly.

In fact, Kenneth Zuckerman, the agent for seventh-round pick Lionel Dotson, said the Dolphins delivered an offer for the defensive end out of Arizona.

''I think [general counsel Matt Thomas] is very experienced when it comes to contracts,'' Zuckerman said. ``With the people they have, I think they feel comfortable establishing the market.''

Zuckerman also said that things are easier once a team has its first pick signed and out of the way.

The Dolphins announced the signing of offensive tackle Jake Long four days before they officially made him the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Indeed, sixth-round pick Jalen Parmele's agent, Bruce Tollner, said, ``I know they're hoping to do it sooner rather than later.

``They'll be on the front end of the signings.''

Things are progressing at a more stately pace, which is to say not at all, for the Dolphins' second round picks, Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling and Michigan quarterback Chad Henne.

Athletes First's Justin Schulman, who represents Henne, wrote in an e-mail that there have been ``no discussions at this point.''

Jimmy Sexton, the agent for Merling, said he didn't expect to get anything going on talks for Merling before he returns from his July 4 vacation.

Although training camp opens later that month, it should be more than enough time for the Dolphins to get things done with Merling. After all, the Dolphins didn't fool around once they decided on Long.

''When he signed the contract is exactly when we got the guy, but we decided that he was our guy; I would say it was about seven days ago when we decided to start negotiating with him,'' Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said in April at the announcement they had signed Long.

Last season, after early training camp holdouts by running back Ronnie Brown in 2005 and safety Jason Allen in 2006, Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga established a deadline when he said he wanted all of the draft picks signed before training camp. The Dolphins achieved that but little else in 2007.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

The top pick is signed...... they should have no trouble whatsoever rounding up all the rookies in time for training camp. 

Tranquillity in the summer doesn't always translate into victories in the fall, but it can't hurt. 

Here's a good question.  Now that Jake Long is signed, does he have to participate in all the minicamps?

[Doc-phin]

The top pick is signed....

I think this is key as to why I believe there will be less rookie hold outs this year.  I love what we did with Jake Long.  Of course the higher picks will wait as long as possible to sign contracts, nobody wants a suck ball contract just because they were the first to sign.

I foresee everyone being in camp on time.  Besides, our best leverage with the rookies is the history of Parcells and his total lack of patience and loyalty.  Nobody is going to want to play games with this front office because it puts you on their shit list and I can't think that anyone would want to be on the Parcells shit list.

[DolFan619]

The top pick is signed...... they should have no trouble whatsoever rounding up all the rookies in time for training camp. 

Tranquillity in the summer doesn't always translate into victories in the fall, but it can't hurt. 

Here's a good question.  Now that Jake Long is signed, does he have to participate in all the minicamps?

  He's under contract to the Miami Dolphins now, so the answer in my book would be "yes."  All of these rookies can participate in the minicamps and OTA's.