Anderson back on the field

[DolFan619]

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/08/anderson-back-o.html?cid=127281096#comment-127281096

Anderson back on the field

The Dolphins are getting healthier by the day as OLB Charlie Anderson returned to the practice field Thursday morning for the first time since injuring his right hamstring on Aug. 9 in the game against the Bucs.

Anderson's absence forced the Dolphins into giving converted DE Matt Roth a long look at  OLB, and Roth has responded positively. But Anderson, the free agent pickup from the Texans who has spent most of his four seasons on special teams, has been targeted for one of the OLB spots opposite Joey Porter - who also practiced Thursday but is battling a bad back and sore knee.

"He's made good gains and I think with Matt, one of the things I've always thought about was that his motor is tremendous,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said Wednesday. "I love the way the guy plays, he plays with a high motor and he runs pretty well for a guy his size. But the thing he does the best is he uses his hands and he is physically one of the strongest guys on our team. ... He can really set the edge of the defense. And I think in our defense, that term setting the edge of the defense is critical. It turns everything back inside, and when teams want to run the ball against you, if you can set the edge and get things back into the middle of that defense, you have a chance. Now you're bringing the Channing Crowder's and the Akin Ayodele's and the Jason Ferguson's into play and that's a good problem.'' ...

RB Ronnie Brown is the only player not working in team drills as he nurses a sprained right thumb.

Do you think Roth or Anderson will start at OLB?

> Posted by hfialkov at 9:54:02 AM

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/08/21/lb_anderson_back_on_the_field.html

LB Anderson back on the field

By Edgar Thompson | Thursday, August 21, 2008, 09:46 AM

Linebacker Charlie Anderson returned to practice this morning for the first time since injuring his hamstring during the team’s first pre-season game, Aug. 9 against Tampa Bay.

Since then, Anderson, who was expected to be one of the key players to pick of the pass-rushing slack left by the Jason Taylor trade, had been relegated to riding the exercise bike and working with the physical trainer during practice.

RB Ronnie Brown was the only Dolphin who wasn’t wearing shoulder pads. He continues to nurse a sprained right thumb suffered last weekend at Jacksonville.

LB Joey Porter practiced for the second day in a row. He missed two-a-day practices on Tuesday with a sore knee and back.

Rookie Phillip Merling, the No. 32 pick in the draft, worked with the linebackers again on pass drops. Merling, a defensive end at Clemson, hasn’t made the impact of Kendall Langford, a third-round pick from Hampton who has started every game.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Good to see Anderson back. 

As for Merling, he'll come around.  He played in a 4-3 defense, so it might take some time to adjust to the 3-4.