Countdown to Miami Dolphins Training Camp 2008: 25 Topics, 25 Days

[Philly Fin Fan]

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.

[DolFan619]

  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?   

[Philly Fin Fan]

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.

[DolFan619]

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

[DolFan619]

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.

  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.

[Sunstroke]

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...

[Guru-In-Vegas]

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. 

[YoFuggedaboutit]

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.

[fyo]

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.

[DolFan619]

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. 

  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.

The Dolphins have not responded to inquiries from Channing Crowder's agent about a new contract, and with Crowder set to become an unrestricted free agent next spring, the situation bears monitoring. Crowder's camp believes he's being seriously underpaid. With a $1 million base salary for this season, he's tied for fourth with Reggie Torbor among the team's linebackers behind linebacker/defensive end Jason Taylor ($7.5 million), Joey Porter ($4.8 million) and Akin Ayodele ($2.5 million).

[Rick]

  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.

[Dave Gray]

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.

[DolFan619]

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 improves).   If Hagan continues to struggle with catching the ball he will not be here in 2009.

  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.

[Dave Gray]

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.

[fyo]

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

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.