Chris Crocker to start ahead of Jason Allen

[DolFan619]

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/09/chris-crocker-t.html

Chris Crocker to start ahead of Jason Allen

Giving up some notes as the Dolphins prepare for the New York Jets:

Chris Crocker has apparently completed his passing of Jason Allen for the team's starting free safety job, coach Tony Sparano confirmed today. The coach was quick to point out Allen will nonetheless get lots of playing time.

No lie. Allen is going to be playing a lot on special teams and is in Miami's dime (six defensive backs) package. But starting? No.

Meanwhile, receiver Greg "I saved the Dolphins from infamy last season" Camarillo got some first-team snaps during the portion of practice that is open to the media. At the very least Camarillo has won the No. 3 receiver spot. In the extreme, he might have beaten out Derek Hagan for the starting job, although that is not a certainty.

I believe the starting job could be more of a feel thing for the coaches, with the player that has the best week of practice getting the nod.

Hagan, who passed Ernest Wilford for the starting job early in camp, was brutally honest with reporters about his status. He said the coaches told him Camarillo had had a better preseason than him. Ouch.

So here are the questions:

Do you have, as Nick Saban might say, faith, trust and confidence in a receivers corps that is potentially making a lineup change after the preseason is complete? How uncomfortable are you knowing one of the starters got passed by a player who started training camp just fighting for a roster spot?

Are you more inclined to see this as a positive reflecting on Camarillo or a negative reflecting on Hagan?

And on the Allen front, after being handed the starting job because of injuries late last year and being handed the starting job early in camp because he was the incumbent, does it worry you that he couldn't hold the job?

This is now Allen's third season. By any account, it is supposed to be his breakout year. Are you disappointed he's breaking out as a special teams and situational player rather than a full-time starter after being picked No. 16 overall in 2006?

Discuss...

[Dave Gray]

I don't know how to feel about stories like this.  It's a "glass half full" type situation.

Either you can see it as a negative story about Allen, or a positive one about Crocker.

[Brian Fein]

I don't know how to take it.  I liked what I saw out of Allen.  Does this mean Crocker is even better?  Or that Allen blew it?

[Frimp]

LEAVE JASON ALLEN ALOOONNNNE!!!!

 

[dolfan13]

salguero mentioned the other day on 790 that basically allen was in the fight for his life for his job. for whatever reason, the evaluation of allen has not been favorable by the trifecta. going into your third year, first round pick, and the only way you crack the lineup is on special teams??? good grief, can you say bbbbbbust...

[Dphins4me]

salguero mentioned the other day on 790 that basically allen was in the fight for his life for his job. for whatever reason, the evaluation of allen has not been favorable by the trifecta. going into your third year, first round pick, and the only way you crack the lineup is on special teams??? good grief, can you say bbbbbbust...

This has nothing to do with Allen being a bust.    They simply wanted Crocker in there & that's fine.  Its their team.   Allen outplayed him, but they signed Crocker.

 Allen needs to get himself out of Miami so he can have a career.

[DZA]

Like I said before  What the hell Saban saw in this Kid Allen 

[Dphins4me]

Like I said before  What the hell Saban saw in this Kid Allen 

Speed, height, play maker in college, not afraid to tackle.  Probably what he saw.

[dolfan13]

Speed, height, play maker in college, not afraid to tackle.  Probably what he saw.

college is the operative word in this statement. like many other nfl first round busts, this simply didn't translate to the pro game. at this point in his career his only value to a team completely rebuilding and aggressively looking to start young talent is limited to special teams.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

college is the operative word in this statement. like many other nfl first round busts, this simply didn't translate to the pro game. at this point in his career his only value to a team completely rebuilding and aggressively looking to start young talent is limited to special teams.

Plus, Saban was so fixated on the SEC that he failed to see other talent like Antonio Cromartie out there.

[Dphins4me]

Plus, Saban was so fixated on the SEC that he failed to see other talent like Antonio Cromartie out there.

  How can you take Cromartie coming out of college over Allen coming out of college?  Cromartie could not win a starting job on his college team to a 3 year starter in Allen.

Both had missed the previous year with injuries.

While all college draftees are risk, to me picking Cromartie coming out of college was a far larger risk. 

[Dphins4me]

college is the operative word in this statement. like many other nfl first round busts, this simply didn't translate to the pro game. at this point in his career his only value to a team completely rebuilding and aggressively looking to start young talent is limited to special teams.

   I think Allen will be starting in Miami after Crocker gets beat a few times on deep patterns as he did in the pre-season.

This is nothing but pure Parcells cronyism. 

Also, these guys running the show in Miami, appear to be head game players.

[Brian Fein]

This is nothing but pure Parcells cronyism. 

Agree here.  Its sad, and I'm tired of this big time.  Jason Allen played well last year and in preseason and deserves his shot.  I am annoyed to see him get screwed.

[Sunstroke]

If Parcells-Ireland-Sparano don't think Allen should be starting, it's probably due to the talent they see, rather than any "croneyism" policy they are following.

[dolfan13]

If Parcells-Ireland-Sparano don't think Allen should be starting, it's probably due to the talent they see, rather than any "croneyism" policy they are following.

for real... wilford got a big payday, don't see him in the starting lineup. keith davis, their homeboy from dallas, cut his ass. i don't see this regime as having too big an ego to not play the right guy if the talent is there. conversely, they are pretty open with cutting ties fast where they were wrong.