SB Nation - Reggie Torbor

Dolphins/Titans Friday Injury Report

Matty I — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:10:16 -0000

Both sides have key players listed on report. So let's get to it:

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Probable
Davone Bess, WR (ankle)
Vernon Carey, RT (back)
Joey Porter, LB (knee)
Reggie Torbor, LB (hamstring)
Yeremiah Bell, SS (back)

Questionable
Jake Grove, C (ankle)

Notes
-Grove was limited in practice on Friday after going full the two previous days.
-All the players listed as "probable" practiced in full on Friday except for Porter, who was limited.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Probable
Kevin Mawae, C (back)

Questionable
Vince Young, QB (hamstring)
Nate Washington, WR (ankle)
Eric Bakhtiara, DE (concussion)
Tony Brown, DT (knee)

Doubtful
Craig Stevenson, TE (concussion)
David Thornton, LB (shoulder)

Notes
-Mawae practiced in full on Friday.
-Young practiced in full on Friday and will most likely start.
-Brown did not practice on Friday, nor did Thornton.
-Washington was limited on Friday.

Big plays doom Dolphins as they fall to Patriots

Matty I — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:39:16 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Note to Paul Pasqualoni: You might want to double-team Randy Moss. He's only one of the greatest receivers of all-time.

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A lot of people will likely want to focus on the negatives in the Dolphins 27-17 loss to the Patriots on Sunday. And I'll obviously highlight some of the more glaring ones myself. But let's not sell this team short. The Dolphins went up to New England and stood toe-to-toe with a team with superior talent. And despite everything that went down, the Dolphins had the football with three and a half minutes left in the game, needing only a touchdown to tie. That's not too shabby.

Of course, there are no m oral victories in the National Football League. And I think head coach Tony Sparano said it best:

"Close in this game just doesn't get it. That's why these guys have a lot of banners out there right now. They figure out a way to win those close games. From our end, we understand where we are right now."

"We're a good football team. We're really close to being a really good football team. But we've got to get it to turn.''

Let's talk about some of the story lines from Sunday's game.

Can we get a little pressure, people?
You will look at the box score from this game and see that the Dolphins registered two sacks. But even that figure is misleading. Personally, here's the important question to ask: did the Dolphins make Tom Brady uncomfortable at all in the pocket? The answer, obviously, is a resounding "no."

How many times did we have to sit and watch Brady sit in the pocket for three or four seconds? How many times did we see Brady have the time to stand tall in the pocket and pat the football two or three times before firing a completion to one of his receivers? Far too many times, folks. Far too many.

After the game, Sparano himself acknowledged that a lack of pressure on Brady was a huge problem. But he also explained why the Dolphins couldn't just continually blitz left and right like some were probably hoping to see.

"We need to have more pressure on the quarterback," Sparano said. "Against a guy like Tom Brady, you can't come out there and just blitz the guy. This ain't his first rodeo. You've got to be able to win some of these [one-on-one] deals. You've got to win some of these five-man rush situations. We've got to do a better job of getting pressure on the passer, period."

Randy Starks was among those who echoed Sparano's sentiments.

"He had far too much time sitting back there," said Starks. "When you have the one-on-one, you've got to win."

Reggie Torbor was another Dolphin who believes that a lack of pressure on Brady was a big problem. In fact, even Brady himself said after the game that he really didn't feel any pressure, telling the media:

"There weren't too many pressures or hits, or anything like that. I had a lot of time to sit back there and make the throws."

But for some reason, Joey Porter - whose mouth I might be beginning to grow tired of - doesn't think that anything was wrong with Miami's pass rush:

"As a team we got pressure on them. But not enough. We could have made more plays out there. But it wasn't the lack of pass rush why we lost the game."

Ugh! Of course the lack of a consistent pass rush wasn't the one reason why the Dolphins lost. But it's among the biggest reasons. If Joey honestly thinks that the Dolphins got enough pressure on Brady, then I think he needs to take some time off or something because he's delusional. His head coach, teammates, and even the opposing quarterback all agree that the Dolphins really didn't do a good job at all pressuring the passer. And in my humble opinion, the lack of consistent pressure was the single biggest defensive problem on Sunday.

The 'Wildcat' and 'WildPat'
You know, maybe this Pat White experiment has some hope after all? That's what many Dolphin fans - those who have doubted White - were left saying following Sunday's game in which we saw some extensive Pat White snaps.

While White is still yet to complete a pass, we saw the kind of play-making ability White has and the new wrinkle - the spread option - that White introduces into this offense. White had a dazzling 33 yard run on Miami's first touchdown drive. And that drive was capped by a Ricky Williams 15 yard touchdown run in which White took the snap and ran the option to the right side, executing a perfectly timed pitch to Ricky, who then did the rest by powering his way into the endzone to tie the game at 10.

If nothing else, this is just another wrinkle now that opposing defensive coordinators must prepare for when facing the Dolphins. But at its best, this new wrinkle has the potential to gain some of that elusive "chunk yardage" that this offense seems to have so much trouble gaining.

White actually looked comfortable running the ball, too. He showed good vision, terrific acceleration, and even some toughness when running between the tackles. It's enough to get me excited about what this new wrinkle could become as White progresses.

All told, White took eight snaps at quarterback. On those plays, the Dolphins gained 60 yards of offense - including 52 of the 80 yards gained on that first Miami touchdown drive. Not too shabby.

On the flip side, the 'Wildcat' wasn't very effective at all. The Dolphins gained just 11 yards on 10 'Wildcat' plays. But they did lose 11 on the attempted reverse pass in which Henne was sacked. So if you take that away - which is a high risk, high reward, kind of play - the 'Cat gained 18 yards on 9 snaps. It did score a touchdown, though, when Ronnie Brown threw a 1 yard pass to Joey Haynos. And I really like the potential of more 'Wildcat' snaps inside the red zone because of Ronnie's ability to accurately throw. But the 'Wildcat' was bottled up effectively for the third week in a row.

To be fair, though, the entire running game was bottled up due to the lack of any real passing attack. Ronnie and Ricky combined for just 81 yards and averaged only 3.68 yards per carry. So it's not so much that the 'Wildcat' is dead as it is Miami's inability to run the football right now due to defenses making it a priority to shut down the ground attack.

Passing continues to be an issue with mediocre receivers
Chad Henne's stat line wasn't terrible. Of course, 42 of those yards were garbage time passing yards. But even still, I like what I have seen out of Henne thus far.

Henne continues to impress with his arm strength. There's no question that he has a cannon. His accuracy is still off at times - but I see the number of inaccurate throws going down each week it seems, which is a positive sign. But most of all, I have been impressed with his poise and toughness in tight situations.

Take that final drive with the score 24-17, for example. In a hostile environment with the game on the line, all Henne did was put the ball right on the money on to two of his receivers. But, yet again, Miami's receivers failed to make the plays that must be made to knock off good football teams. Brian Hartline dropped what was a catchable ball and would have resulted in a first down. Then two plays later, it was Ted Ginn dropped a catchable ball that would have also resulted in a first down and extended that potential game-tying drive.

Was either catch an easy catch to make? No. But Henne put the football right where it had to be each time to give only his receiver a chance to make the catch. Both passes hit the receivers in their hands. Both catches have to be made.

But more than anything else, those two plays just emphasize what the Dolphins must address in the offseason. They need that true "go-to" receiver that good NFL teams have. They need to give their young (potential franchise) quarterback some help out there. All he can do is stand tough in the pocket and put the football right where it needs to be. He did that twice on a potential game-tying drive and his receivers failed him. It's that simple.

With all that said, Henne still has issues to iron out himself. For example, he can't run backwards when under immense pressure. He needs to learn to either throw the ball away or at least reduce the negative yardage by going down rather than backwards. Obviously, his use of that "fourth timeout" was costly in a crucial moment of the game - resulting in a five yard penalty. But even still, he showed the mental toughness to put that mistake behind him and make a throw to Ginn that a good receiver has to make.

The fact of the matter remains that the Dolphins simply don't have the receivers to get the job done. And until they do, this offense will struggle. Teams will key on the run - as we've seen these past three or four weeks - and will force Chad Henne to beat them. I think he has the talent to do so. But he needs his supporting cast to make some plays.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
The Dolphins had just put together a 16 play, 66 yard, 10 minute touchdown drive to take a 17-16 lead. Leave it to this defense to give the lead right back.

On the ensuing New England possession, on the third play of the drive, Tom Brady connected with Randy Moss on a crossing route - in which Brady had a ton of time throw - and Moss stiffed-armed Vontae Davis and was off to the races for a 71 yard touchdown. The Dolphins never recovered. Without question, that play was Sunday's turning point of the game.

QUICK HITS
Some more quick hit thoughts on Sunday's game:

I know the secondary didn't perform well today. But I'm very excited about the futures of Sean Smith and Vontae Davis. Vontae's interception was a spectacular play. And he even impressed Randy Moss, who said after the game about Vontae, "Look, I'm heading out of this league. You're coming in. You're going to be a good player. Keep working."
So why was Moss single-covered so much? Tony Sparano said after the game that "you can't double them all." And that's exactly it. When the Patriots have 5 guys going out in routes, the Dolphins don't have too many options. Should they have had a deep safety more often? Probably. But a deep safety doesn't help on Randy's 70 yard touchdown off of a crossing route. And Vontae was step for step with Randy on his first big reception. He just didn't get his head around quick enough and Randy made a terrific one-handed catch. What can you do?
The Dolphins converted 52% of their 3rd downs (9/17). That's pretty damn good.
Dan Carpenter continues to earn his "DC$" nickname. Anyone want to argue about it at this point?
Joey Haynos? Ain't nothing wrong with that. I want to see some more of him in the coming weeks.
I'm still not a fan of Ricky Williams taking the 'Wildcat' snap. I think I've seen enough of it. Ronnie just has a knack for it - let's stick to him as the 'Wildcat' orchestrator.
Did the Dolphins miss Jason Ferguson and Channing Crowder or were the Dolphins just too concerned about the pass? Either way, the Pats averaged 4.5 yards per carry on the ground. Not acceptable.
Still some questionable play-calling. But the thing is - if those play-calls work, nobody would be calling for Dan Henning's head like some were during the game. He's a genius if a play works; an idiot if it doesn't. Is that fair?
With that said, I HATED the quick screen to Davone Bess on a 3rd & 19. At least take a shot deep. In fact, why didn't we see at least one deep pass attempted during the game?
Last word about the "clock" controversy before halftime: it's not a controversy. When the football hit the ground on the incomplete pass, there was still one second left on the clock. Period. Sure, if it's in Miami, the operator would run that second off. But props to Gillette Stadium's clock operator for being alert and stopping the clock as soon as the ball hit the ground. That's a benefit of home field advantage. If the roles were reversed and we were at home, I'd hope our clock operator would be as alert.

Sunday Fish Fry Part 2: Man the Longboats! Patriots offense v. Dolphin D

JohnHannahRules — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:36:34 -0000

More photos » by Matt Dunham - AP

New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson (84), left, crosses to score a touchdown game at Wembley. Pats' tight ends could play a key offense role against the Dolphins this week. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

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The Dolphins will let you score. Well, they won't let you, but teams do seem to rack up the points on Miami. Even teams with rookie quarterbacks who ultimately lose. Miami allows just over 25 points per game, good enough for 23rd league wide and a tie with Jacksonville.

Their D ranks 18th overall when adjusted for strength of schedule. Not horrid, I guess, but not scintillating either. Since playing Buffalo, the Phins have surrendered 27, 46 and 30 points (Jest, Saints, Jest). But the question tonight isn't "how good is Miami generally," but rather "How good will Miami be against New England?" On paper, at least, the answer is "not good."

According to Football Outsiders, Miami has the worst pass defense in the league against Tight Ends. They're quite good against other receivers, but simply cannot seem to locate that skinny-looking lineman when he runs out for a pass. On a per game basis, they allow almost seventy yards receiving to the TE. That's a lot.

Sticking for the moment with FO's system, New England has one of the best tight ends in the league right now and two in the top 30. Ben Watson ranks 6th overall in his value over a replacement player. His per play value over an average player ranks him first in the league. While Chris Baker doesn't rank as high as Watson overall, both players suffer in the rankings somewhat because they aren't used all that often. Expect that to change on Sunday. Note, however, that Watson is listed as questionable.)

For the first time in its history, Miami is now starting three rookies in its defensive backfield. Young cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have been thrown into the fire this year, and have been described by Coach Tony Sparano as forgetful youngsters. In other words, they're cocky SOB's who remember their successes and instantly forget their mistakes. Perfect CB material, but young is young.

At the safety position Miami entered the season with maturity, and could have felt about as good as any team about the two rangers. Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson were expected to be steadying hands on the tiller. The high-priced Wilson struggled, however, and Sparano boldly elevated rookie Chris Clemons against the Jest, the same week Davis got the full time nod due to WIll Allen's season-ending injury.

The upshot? Mark Sanchez went 20 of 35 for 265 yards. Ouch. Still, as the Phaithful will quickly remind you, they won. (Thanks, boys.) Although Smith was drafted to handle the tall guys, Cotchery torched him and now he gets Moss. There's no one in the league who can cover Welker.

Why they won is mostly to do with special teams (about which more briefly). But let's not rush to phase three. Our running game is average; their run D is average. (Though FO ranks our run game a defense-adjusted seventh, so it's more effective than given credit for.) But like I said in Part I, running isn't going to be the whole story and when Miami is on defense it isn't going to be half of the story. Injuries are why.

Nosetackle Jason Ferguson and old friend Channing Crowder are both listed as questionable for the game. Coach Sparano states confidence in Crowder's replacement, Reggie Torbor, but NT understudy Paul Soliai would be making his first start. (Bonus: Joey Porter still tender in the hamstringal region.) But those aren't the injuries I'm most interested in.

I know Matt Light doesn't have many fans anymore. But no one does very well against Jason Taylor, which is a left-handed way of saying Light does as well as anyone. Light will sit with a bum knee and rookie Sebastian Vollmer will get his second start. He did pretty well in his first shot of big playing time against Tennessee, but struggled against an underwhelming Tampa Bay from time to time. On Sunday he'll confront the toughest competition he's ever faced.

How he performs may well determine the outcome of the game. Just as safety play by the Patriots will key the defense, I think that our offensive success rides on how well Vollmer handles Taylor -- or fails to. Miami has been very frank about the need to get pressure on Tom. Indeed, it's the only way they'll likely accumulate enough of an edge to win (more, again, below). Expect them to bring the house.

Finally, the "more." The Jets dominated the game in every category last week, yet still came up short. Key plays by the defense were a big reason -- including one from JT -- but the numerical advantage came on the feet of Ted Ginn. The Patriots absolutely must contain him in the return game. If things are going well, GInn is going to get the ball a lot. New England can not afford to let him do a lot with it.

That's all I've got time for and I'm sorry. Blogging from the road isn't a joy, but I'll be back in time to watch the game tomorrow. Add your own analysis in the comments and thanks to you all for helping Marima and me keep the place warm for MaPatsFan. Family issues are front and center for him right now, so let's all hold him warmly in our thoughts. I'm sure we'll have him back before long.

Enjoy the balance of your weekend -- see you at Game Time!

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Run Defense

John B — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:42:35 -0000

More photos » by Tony Avelar - AP

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Once upon a time, the league's best rushing attack was struggling. Then came a Week 5 game at Miami. A talented offensive line kicked it into gear. The Jets ran the ball for 138 yards and 4.6 per carry. Two 300 yard rushing performances followed. In this time, the Jets have vastly scaled back their offense for their rookie quarterback. Teams have known what is coming and have stacked the box. It hasn't mattered. The offensive line has its sea legs after a slow start run blocking.

This is going to be a lot tougher than the games against Buffalo and Oakland. Despite the way the Jets ran the ball at Miami three weeks ago, the Dolphins still have a top five rush defense. Whenever the opponent plays a 3-4, a key matchup occurs between the nose tackle and center. The job of the nose tackle is to hold the point of attack and occupy two linebackers. Miami has a good nose tackle in Jason Ferguson and a developing young backup, Paul Solai. Nick Mangold's ability to contain the pair will go a long way to deciding how well the Jets run the ball.

Miami is probably going to be without inside linebacker Channing Crowder, their second leading tackler a year ago. The only thing Crowder does more than tackle is talk. Reggie Torbor will take a lot of the snaps in his place. He'll pair with Akin Ayodele, who has 25 tackles.

The Dolphins have been vulnerable on the left side of their defensive line, where Kendall Langford lines up. That's the side of the field the Jets love to pound the ball. Randy Starks is the other end in the 3-4.

We know the Jets are going to run, run, and run some more. Miami's leading tackler Yeremiah Bell will probably line up in the box. As we discussed earlier this week, Braylon Edwards and David Clowney can play a big role in the passing game. If they can stretch this defense and keep the safeties back, it will be that much easier to run. With that said, the Jets seem to match up well with Miami.

Miami Dolphins Training Camp Primer: Linebacker to be a heated battle

Matty I — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:15:08 -0000

Is CFL standout Cameron Wake really a "lock" to make the roster?

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We closed last week by focusing in on the defensive line in our most recent "training camp primer." To kick off our primers this week, we'll remain on the defensive side of the ball and turn our attention to the linebackers.

The coaches will have to make some tough decisions this year in camp. And without question, the cuts at linebacker will be among the toughest for this staff to make. There are a number of players on the bubble that possess some value to this team - either as guys possessing serious potential or as major special teams contributors. What this means is that the "bubble players" are going to have to step up their performance beginning on Sunday.

THE QUICK BREAKDOWN

Virtual locks to make the roster: Joey Porter, Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele, Matt Roth, Jason Taylor
Likely to make roster: Reggie Torbor
On the bubble: Cameron Wake, Charlie Anderson, Erik Walden, William Kershaw
Long shots: Quentin Moses, Tearrius George, J.D. Folsom, Orion Martin

THE QUESTIONS

Two players are likely to get the most attention during training camp. One is Cameron Wake. We're all going to be wondering how this CFL superstar pass-rusher handles converting to outside linebacker in the NFL. You don't tally 39 sacks in two seasons in the CFL without having some talent. But how will his talent translate to a new position against elite talent?

Jason Taylor figures to be the other most closely watched players in camp. His return has rejuvenated Dolphin fans everywhere. But we aren't getting the "'06 JT" or even the "'07 JT." We really don't know what to expect from Taylor following the worst season of his outstanding career in Washington. How will Taylor be used and how effective will he be?

Other questions that will be asked during camp include which linebackers prove they can contribute on special teams, Matt Roth's potential contract extension, and how well Joey Porter can hold up and reciprocate his outstanding '08 season.

THE NUMBERS GAME

The biggest question of all in terms of how the linebacker unit shakes up will be how many players the Dolphins decide to keep. Coming out of training camp last year, the Dolphins kept seven linebackers on the 53-man roster - and all were active on gameday. But by the end of the year, the Dolphins had ten linebackers on the 53-man roster - with eight being active in week 17.

If you assume that those listed above as "virtual locks" or "likely" to make the roster do indeed make the roster, we've used up six roster spots already. That means the guys like Cameron Wake, Erik Walden, Charlie Anderson, and William Kershaw will be battling for two - or, at most, three - roster spots. My money is on two - to be honest.

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

I'm expecting eight linebackers to make the roster, meaning either Wake, Anderson, or Walden won't make the team. So lets focus on these three for a minute.

Wake signed a 4 year, $2.318 million contract with the Dolphins back in January. The total value of the contract is on par with a late 3rd or early 4th round draft pick while the guaranteed money is on par with an early 3rd round pick. So it's best to view Wake as a 3rd round draft pick. What does that mean? It means that while it's unlikely Wake fails to make the roster, he's certainly not a lock. He has to prove that he can at least contribute right away on special teams while developing as a situational pass-rusher. He showed the outstanding ability to get down field in a hurry in kick coverage during non-contact OTAs. If that can translate well once the pads go on, Wake should have a very good shot at sticking.

Walden was a 6th round pick in 2008 of the Dallas Cowboys. The Dolphins claimed Walden off of waivers in late November and he instantly upgraded Miami's special teams play. We haven't seen anything from Walden out of the base defense, however. I wonder if he'll have to prove to be more than just a special teams guy in order to make the team over Wake. After all, waiving Walden will cost the Dolphins nothing in terms of a cap hit.

The Dolphins signed Anderson last offseason to a 3 year, $7.35 million deal. It was expected that Anderson would become a good nickel pass-rusher in Miami's defense. After struggling early on, Anderson did become a factor during the second half of the season. In the team's final 8 games of 2008, Anderson had 2.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. But is that enough to keep him around at a hefty $1.7 million salary in 2009?

THE KEY BATTLE

Obviously, the key battle among linebackers will likely be a 3-way fight for two roster spots among Charlie Anderson, Cameron Wake, and Erik Walden. You could also throw William Kershaw into the mix. But I think he'd really have to impress for him to stick.

Like I said above, special teams play and salaries could play a pivotal role in which two stick and which is handed a pink slip. If Anderson doesn't stand out, it'll be hard to justify keeping him on despite having the highest salary of the three. He is also not nearly as good as Walden on special teams and is older with less "upside" than Wake. To me, all of this is just the recipe to being cut barring a very good performance in camp and in the preseason.

With that said, the coaching staff might want to see more than just solid special teams work from Walden if he is to stick. And if Wake proves to be just "ordinary" in camp, is there a chance the Dolphins look to trade him to one of the numerous teams who were scouting him this winter?

THE PREDICTION

Like I said, I think eight linebackers will be kept on the 53-man roster. Joey Porter, Channing Crowder, Matt Roth, Akin Ayodele, Jason Taylor, and Reggie Torbor are all probably safe bets. And I'd say my money is on Cameron Wake and Erik Walden to make the final roster - with Charlie Anderson being one of the final cuts.

I'd also look for one of the two rookies - J.D. Folsom or Orion Martin - to make the practice squad.

Dolphins Depth Chart - A way to break down Miami's needs

Matty I — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:15:08 -0000

While free agency is still in full swing, I'm not holding my breath for another big signing. This front office has spent a lot of money already this offseason and I think they're going to turn their attention to the draft now.

With that in mind, the best way to quickly examine the entire roster and identify the Dolphins' biggest needs is to create a "mock depth chart." So that's what I've done.

The full depth chart can be found below (after the jump), mainly because it would take up too much room on the front page. So take a look at it and then tell us all what you feel are this team's most glaring needs.

	1st Team	2nd Team	3rd Team	4th Team
QB	C. Pennington	C. Henne	J. Beck
RB	R. Brown	R. Williams	P. Cobbs	L. Hilliard
FB	L. Polite	C. Brown
WR	T. Ginn	B. London	E. Wilford	T. Lowber
WR	G. Camarillo	D. Bess	A. Armstrong
TE	A. Fasano	D. Martin	J. Haynos
LT	J. Long
LG	J. Smiley	J. Berger	S. Murphy
C	J. Grove	S. Satele
RG	D. Thomas	I. Ndukwe	A. Alleman
RT	V. Carey	B. Frye	N. Garner
	1st Team	2nd Team	3rd Team	4th Team
DE	K. Langford	L. Dotson
NT	J. Ferguson	P. Soliai	J. Cohen
DE	P. Merling	R. Starks	R. Wright
OLB	M. Roth	Q. Moses	E. Walden	T. George
ILB	C. Crowder	R. Torbor
ILB	A. Ayodele	W. Kershaw
OLB	J. Porter	C. Wake	C. Anderson
CB	W. Allen	J. Thomas	S. Babers
CB	J. Allen	N. Jones	W. Billingsley
FS	G. Wilson	C. Bryan	E. Kilmer
SS	Y. Bell	T. Culver

Here's what I take from examining the very "rough" depth chart above:

Cornerback is probably this team's most glaring hole right now. And Will Allen is a free agent following the '09 season. Right now, I'd be shocked if the Dolphins didn't spend a first day pick on a corner.
Inside linebacker definitely needs at least a "depth" addition. Reggie Torbor was unimpressive filling in for Crowder against KC last year and William Kershaw is nothing more than a very good special teams player. The thought of Kershaw having to see time at linebacker scares me.
Assuming Donald Thomas and Justin Smiley both can make it back from injury (Thomas will definitely be ready; and the early reports are good on Smiley - but his injury was a serious one), the Dolphins are suddenly deep along the interior offensive line. Samson Satele could probably play guard if needed - and we might see him work there during camp - and Andy Alleman and Ike Ndukwe each have quality starting experience. But a solid backup tackle is needed - and I'd look for the Fins to spend a day two draft pick on a tackle to develop behind Carey and Long. The good thing, of course, is that Carey can swing to LT if he Long ever got hurt (yes - I'm knocking on wood).
Miami's defensive ends are young. But if Lionel Dotson proves to be a solid backup, this will be a very promising unit.
I don't trust Paul Soliai - and nobody else probably does, either. A young NT is a need.

Dolphins Salary Cap Analysis: Bottom Five 'Bang For The Buck'

Matty I — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:15:06 -0000

Two weeks ago, you'll remember that I did a look at the top eight 'bang for the buck" players on Miami's roster in 2008 - which was basically a look at which players had the best production to price ratio. Today I'm going to do the opposite.

What I did hear was look at the Dolphins' 2008 cap situation in its entirety and then select the 5 players from which the Dolphins received the least value - in terms of their cap cost comparative to their production on the field. So let's get to it.

#5: S Chris Crocker - $1.09 million
Crocker cost the Dolphins over $1 million in cap space in 2008. So what did they get for that price tag? They got 2 starts at safety that saw the Dolphins surrender 285 passing yards per game and 5 touchdowns through the air while allowing the opposing quarterback to complete 73% of their passes. Crocker was then replaced as the starting free safety by Renaldo Hill in week 3. He'd remain in Miami for 6 games in total - tallying 10 tackles and a pass deflection before being given his pink slip.

#4: LB Charlie Anderson - $1.83 million
Coming over from Houston last offseason, it was expected that Anderson would provide another pass-rushing force and would battle Matt Roth to start at outside linebacker. But Anderson just wasn't the player that Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland thought he'd be. But even so, Anderson did come up with a few big plays in 2008 - picking up 2.5 sacks and forcing two fumbles. He was also credited with a safety, though all the credit for that play goes to Joey Porter for sacking Trent Edwards in the endzone and forcing that fumble. However, those numbers don't add up to nearly $2 million in cap space being chewed up.

#3: CB Michael Lehan - $1.72 million
If only Lehan could have gotten over the injury bug, he might have been a valuable cornerback for the Dolphins. But he just couldn't do it. Lehan battled back from a badly sprained ankle in the preseason only to suffer a hamstring injury in practice in October. The next day, Lehan was placed on Injured Reserve. Less than two months later, Lehan was given his pink slip and released. And so injuries ate up the career of a possibly solid cornerback. In 2008, Lehan's $1.7 million price tag supplied the Dolphins with 5 games, 11 tackles, and a pass deflection.

#2: LB Reggie Torbor - $2.1 million
When the Dolphins signed Torbor last offseason, I thought it was a terrific move because he seemed like a solid linebacker to have on your roster. He spent most of '07 as a backup but, due to injuries, started for the Giants' during their improbable playoff run that led to a Super Bowl victory over New England. And Torbor wasn't a "non-factor" during that run. So I thought he'd be a solid guy to add to Miami.

But I was disappointed when he finally got his chance. Filling in for the injured Channing Crowder in that key week 16 game at Arrowhead against the Chiefs, Torbor was non-existant, picking up just 1 tackle. He just didn't seem like he was comfortable working a an inside linebacker in Miami's 3-4. Perhaps he's more suited to play outside in a 4-3. Either way, he didn't earn his cap hit of over $2 million in '08 - that's for sure.

#1: WR Ernest Wilford - $2.5 million
Surprise, surprise. The player the Dolphins got the least bang for the buck from in '08 was Ernest Wilford.

Count me as one of those who was very disappointed in this. When Wilford signed his 4 year, $13 million deal last offseason, I was very excited and thought he'd thrive as a starter here. I loved his height and thought he had very reliable hands. I was so wrong. A player who averaged 40 catches and 574 yards in his 3 previous seasons in Jacksonville - a run-first offense - tallied a whopping 3 catches for 25 yards in Miami in '08. And he couldn't even beat out undrafted free agent Davone Bess in training camp. Saying Wilford was a huge disappointment is an understatement. He's just lucky he'd cost more to cut this offseason than he would on the roster - hence the reason he still has a job.

Did you notice that 4 of these 5 players were free agent acquisitions made by this regime last offseason? Let's hope for better free agency moves in 2008!