SB Nation - Jason Allen

Dolphins at Buccaneers: What to watch for

Matty I — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:30:09 -0000

We've finally reached the "dress rehearsal" for the regular season. The third preseason game is historically when coaches decide to play their starters into the second half. Thursday's game will be no different for the Dolphins when they visit Tampa Bay. The good news for Dolphin fans nationwide? The game will air live on FOX at 8 pm eastern.

Here are just some of the things to look for on Thursday night:

OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION OUT OF FIRST TEAM
Through the first two preseason games, there's no doubt that we've seen improvement out of the first-team offense. But of the Dolphins six total offensive possessions with the first-team offense, only three have resulted with points - and only one ended with a touchdown. On Thursday, Tony Sparano plans to keep Chad Pennington in the game into the second half and plans to keep the starting offensive line together for the first three quarters. It has also been reported that the Dolphins did at least do a little game-planning for this game despite it only being a preseason game. That means we should see a more efficient and, hopefully, productive offense on the field in Tampa.

It'll all start up front, of course, with the offensive line. After a tough start against Jacksonville to open the preseason, the line put together a very strong showing against Carolina last week. Justin Smiley and Jake Grove looked much more comfortable in that second game and Donald Thomas continued to progress as he continues to make up for lost practice time. While the Bucs aren't as stout up front as Jacksonville, they have done a great job of holding opposing starting running backs to little yardage. In their preseason opener against Tennessee, Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for just 13 yards rushing on 10 carries. The following game against Jacksonville, the Bucs held Maurice Jones-Drew and Greg Jones to just 13 yards on 5 carries. So Tampa's starting defensive unit is no slouch against the run - making this a good barometer to measure how the offensive line and the ground game is coming along.

But while Tampa has been tough on the ground, they haven't been nearly as effective defending the pass. Last week, David Garrard lit up the Bucs secondary to the tune of 216 yards through the air on 10 of 16 passing, including a 74 yard TD pass to Troy Williamson to start the game. Even if you take away the long TD pass, the Bucs surrendered 9.46 yards per attempt to Garrard. Meanwhile, Chad Pennington has quietly put together a solid preseason. He's completed 12 of his 18 attempts for 143 yards and a touchdown. But if you take away his (under-thrown) 35 yard 'Wildcat' pass to Patrick Cobbs, CP is only averaging 6.35 yards per attempt. Better than Chad Henne's YPA? Yes - but not nearly as good as his current 7.9 YPA average.

WHICH RECEIVER MAKES A PUSH TO BE A STARTER?
But more important than Chad Pennington's performance - and I say this because I'm fairly confident we know what we're going to get from CP - is how the receivers perform. Ted Ginn had a solid opening game but was quiet last week against Carolina. Many fans are hoping this is the year Teddy finally breaks out - and it could be. But I'm hoping to see more consistency out of Ginn.

With that said, though, all eyes will really be on the battle to start on the other side of Ginn. Greg Camarillo, Davone Bess, and Brian Hartline have taken turns working with the first-team offense throughout camp. Bess than began the preseason as the starter. Last week, however, Hartline got the start. Tony Sparano said on Tuesday that he is getting close to figuring out who his other starting receiver will be - meaning this game against Tampa will be each player's final opportunity to make a case that he should be the starter. In particular, though, I'm interested to see how much work Camarillo gets. He only saw four plays in the opener and got in a few more plays last week. I'd like to see him get more involved in the offense as he works his way back. Regardless of if he wins the starting job or not, Greg is going to be a key contributor to this offense.

CAN SECONDARY REBOUND?
I'm not trying to say that Miami's secondary played poorly last game against Carolina. But I also wasn't impressed, either. If you look at the numbers, the Dolphins didn't play poorly against the pass. But those watching the game know that the Fins had trouble defending Carolina's tight ends in addition to surrendering two big 3rd down conversions. On the drive that resulted in the DeAngelo Williams TD run, Jake Delhomme completed a 15 yard pass on 3rd & 8 and a 16 yard pass on 3rd & 12 to keep the drive alive. Those are the kinds of situations where this secondary must step up, make a play, and get off the field.

Of cours, the return of Sean Smith will should certainly boost the unit's play. Smith was exceptional against Jacksonville in the opener but missed last week's game with a mysterious "illness." Jason Allen, who also missed, will be back, too, and should provide some quality depth to the secondary. While I'm very interested in seeing how Smith performs in his second professional game working with the starters, I'll also be paying close attention to safeties Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson. Carolina's tight ends did a number on the Dolphins last week and, generally, it's a safety's fault when a tight end makes a big reception. Last week, Carolina's tight ends combined for 7 receptions and 109 yards despite not having a single tight end who would rank in the top half of the league. That's unacceptable and I'll be looking for improved play against opposing tight ends.

MORE TO WATCH FOR
Some other quick hits on what I'll be watching:

Punt coverage must improve. The Dolphins surrendered a 58 yard return last week against the Panthers. Those kinds of mistakes are killers in regular season games against tough opponents.
Who shows the most ability as return men? I expect Ted Ginn, Davone Bess, Patrick Cobbs, and Brian Hartline to all get opportunities to return kicks and/or punts against Tampa. Let's hope some of these guys make a play and win the job thanks to their own strong play - not by default because nobody else stood out.
Consistent pass rush - that's a key for the first-team defense. We've seen that unit apply a lot of pressure on the QB during their limited action in the first two preseason games. But can they do it consistently?
After being somewhat inconsistent, Dan Carpenter has been on the mark during the preseason. He's out-kicked Connor Barth on kick-offs and is perfect on FG attempts - hitting both of his kicks from 40+ yards. One more perfect game and he could have this job officially locked up.
Third downs are key. So far through the preseason, the Dolphins have been excellent on 3rd down - converting 43% while holding opponents to just 28%. But as I said above, the Dolphins surrendered two key 3rd down conversions last week against the Panthers that kept a drive alive that resulted in a touchdown. Those kinds of breakdowns need to occur less.
Let's see some Lex Hilliard against an opposing team's starting defense!

GAME THREAD
Game time tonight is 8 pm eastern and our live thread will be up around a half hour before kick-off. The game will be televised live on FOX. So join us then!

Sean Smith and Jason Allen return to team

Matty I — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:51:15 -0000

After initial fears that cornerbacks Sean Smith and Jason Allen might have swine flu, it seems as though they are just fine.

After missing Saturday's game, both Smith and Allen are back working at practice today. In fact, Omar Kelly is reporting that Smith is back at the starting cornerback spot - the one he has been working at since the second week of camp. So it turns out that while the Dolphins did indeed inform the team that their teammates may have swine flu, they were indeed just taking precautions for a "worst-case scenario."

I'd imagine Tony Sparano will have more information for us following today's practice - which began at 2 pm. But the important info to note is that both Sean Smith and Jason Allen are back at practice - with Smith continuing to work with the starting defense.

We can all now breath a sigh of relief.

Dolphins vs Panthers: What to watch for

Matty I — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:30:09 -0000

Didn' the Dolphins just play a preseason game a few days ago? After months and months without football, the Dolphins hit the field for their second game this week as the 2009 preseason marches on. On Saturday, the Dolphins welcome the Carolina Panthers to Land Shark Stadium. And below are just some of the things I'll be watching for as the Dolphins continue to prepare for their division title defense.

OFFENSIVE LINE TO BOUNCE BACK?
Last week against Jacksonville, the Dolphins first-team offensive line struggled to get any push or open up any holes. Often times, though, it did seem like they were a block (or missed block, really) away from breaking a decent run. The Panthers don't have as talented of a defensive front as the Jaguars do. There's nobody up the middle for Carolina like Jacksonville's John Henderson. Hopefully that means Jake Grove and Justin Smiley play much better than they did on Monday night.

Donald Thomas is also expected to start with the first-team and play more than he did on Monday. He's still working to get back in shape after missing a lot of time due to the injury he sustained while training during the offseason. His first game activity since the '08 season opener went well for Thomas. He impressed me on Monday night with his ability to sustain his blocks and drive his man out of the play. But he still had hiccups with his technique - which is to be expected for a 2008 6th round pick who spent all but one game on IR last year. But with Thomas back where he should be - starting - it's time to see the offensive line start to gel.

Let's also not forget about Jake Long and Vernon Carey. I'll be interested to see how those two do when going up against Julius Peppers in a passing situation. Long had a shaky game on Monday and I hope to see him bounce back with a solid performance on Saturday.

HOW WILL SECONDARY FOLLOW A STRONG PRESEASON DEBUT?
On Monday against the Jaguars, the first-team secondary really did a terrific job at shutting down Jacksonville's passing offense. They held David Garrard to just 22 yards passing while limiting him to completing four of seven passes. Of course, the Jaguars don't exactly have big-time receivers. But Torry Holt is still a talented player and remains a savvy veteran. So it's impressive considering the questions we all had about how the secondary would perform.

But now consistency will be critical. The Panthers will be without Steve Smith. So their receiving corps, like Jacksonville's, is average at best. Therefore, the secondary, and Sean Smith in particular, will have to show some consistency. Coming off of a short week, I really think this will be a good test for the secondary as a whole - but especially for the young corners.

But the storylines in the secondary continue even after the starting unit comes out. Will Vontae Davis bounce back after a rough professional debut on Monday night? He committed too many mental mistakes and cost his team yards - a big "no-no" in the eyes of any coaching staff, especially this one.

Also, following the release of Eric Green, guys like Jason Allen and Joey Thomas will likely receive more playing time. How will they respond as each attempts to make a case for having a role on the final 53-man roster?

QUARTERBACKS, QUARTERBACKS, QUARTERBACKS
None of Miami's three quarterbacks really set the world on fire on Monday night. But it's still early and it's expected that the defenses be ahead of the offenses at this point. However, things do need to get rolling eventually.

To be honest, I'm not really worried at all about Chad Pennington. I'm fairly confident that we know what we're going to get from him assuming he stays healthy. But it would be nice to see the first-team offense beginning to get into a rhythm in the passing game.

But I'll be more interested in how Chad Henne performs on Saturday night. He's coming off of a "so-so" performance on Monday night and will enter the game off of a short work week. How much improvement will the young QB show in just a matter of days? Hopefully, we don't see as many poor decisions as we did last week (I counted at least two very bad decisions - one led to an interception, the other should have been but was dropped). To be frank, I haven't seen what others have to declare Henne a young stud QB. He's been inconsistent and, according to all reports, he hasn't had a good camp this year. Now I admit I was impressed with his performance against Arizona last year in week two. But that was late in a blow-out against an average (at best) defense. So as much as I want to believe Henne is going to be a star, I'm not ready to anoint him just yet. I hope he performs well on Saturday to erase some of my doubt.

Meanwhile, Pat White's 2/7 performance on Monday night wasn't nearly as bad as the numbers lead you to believe. Three of those passes should have been caught and he did make a play or two with his legs. But White still didn't look comfortable taking snaps from under center - looking awkward at times dropping back. We'll see how he's improved in such a short week when he takes the field late in Saturday's game.

MORE TO WATCH
Some quick hits of things to watch for:

Will Greg Camarillo get more action? He was only on the field on Monday night for a handful of plays. Speaking of receivers, let's not forget about Ted Ginn. He had a strong showing in just a quarter of action last game. Let's see if he can show come consistency - which was a problem for Ginn game-to-game last season.
How will Miami's outside pass-rush perform? Cameron Wake had a solid debut working with the second-team last game. But he still struggled to free himself once a big tackle got his hands on him. He'll need to develop more than just a speed-rush to be effective consistently. Also, will any other outside linebackers "flash" for the coaching staff?
Will Channing Crowder continue to show improved play? He blitzed a couple of times last game and, while he didn't record a sack, he did help collapse the pocket and make the quarterback uncomfortable. He also showed better ability to drop back into coverage. Let's hope we see more of that from Channing.
Will either kicker separate himself from the other?
Speaking of separation, will any of the possible sixth receivers separate themselves from the others? Many eyes will be on return specialist Chris Williams. Another strong showing by the lightning fast return man will further strengthen his case to make the squad despite limited, if any, contributions to any other aspect of the football team.
Randy Starks had a very strong game last Monday working as the starting DE opposite Kendall Langford. Can he put together back-to-back strong performances and distance himself from guys like Phillip Merling and Tony McDaniel?

GAME THREAD
For the preseason opener, we had over 1,600 comments during our live game threads. I expect a bigger turnout as we inch closer and closer to opening day. The game thread will be posted roughly a half hour before kickoff. And please remember - no posting of links to illegally watch the game and no requesting of links to illegally watch the game. Also, please do not post your e-mail address on the site and request that somebody with info on how to illegally watch the game send you the info. I was lenient last week, but violators will be banned for a couple weeks from this point on. Thanks!

Dolphins Depth Chart Bubble Watch, V. 4

Matty I — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:00:15 -0000

With one preseason game in the books and another just days away, the depth chart is starting to come a little bit more into focus. So I figured it's time to update the "depth chart bubble watch" to reflect what we saw on the field on Monday night.

Again, just incase you haven't seen this before, the idea behind it is simple - to put together a projected 53-man roster and to highlight which players I feel are on pace to just barely make the team and which just miss the cut. And it's important to note that this is not how I predict the roster will look once the preseason comes to a close. Instead, it's simply a snapshot that examines how Miami's 53-man roster might look if the cuts were to be done at this very moment.

The depth chart and some notes can be found below right after the jump...

	1st Team	2nd Team	3rd Team
QB	Chad Pennington	Chad Henne	Pat White
RB	Ronnie Brown	Ricky Williams	Patrick Cobbs
FB	Lousaka Polite
WR	Ted Ginn	Patrick Turner
WR	Davone Bess	Greg Camarillo	Brian Hartline
TE	Anthony Fasano	David Martin	John Nalbone
LT	Jake Long
LG	Justin Smiley	Andy Alleman
C	Jake Grove	Joe Berger
RG	Donald Thomas	Shawn Murphy
RT	Vernon Carey	Nate Garner
	1st Team	2nd Team	3rd Team
DE	Kendall Langford	Tony McDaniel
NT	Jason Ferguson	Paul Soliai
DE	Randy Starks	Phillip Merling	Lionel Dotson
SOLB	Jason Taylor	Quentin Moses	Erik Walden
ILB	Channing Crowder	Reggie Torbor
ILB	Akin Ayodele
WOLB	Joey Porter	Cameron Wake	Charlie Anderson
CB	Will Allen	Vontae Davis	Jason Allen
CB	Sean Smith	Nathan Jones
S	Yeremiah Bell	Chris Clemons
S	Gibril Wilson	Tyrone Culver	Courtney Bryan
	1st Team	2nd Team	3rd Team
K	Dan Carpenter
P	Brandon Fields
LS	John Denney

PUP: Matt Roth
Last 5 On: Jason Allen, Courtney Bryan, Nate Garner, John Nalbone, Erik Walden
First 5 Off: Brandon London, Andrew Gardner, Chris Williams, Ernest Wilford, Anthony Armstrong
Next 5 Off: Ike Ndukwe, Joey Haynos, William Kershaw, Brandon Frye, Connor Barth

Some quick notes on this:

The release of Eric Green made room for me to keep Courtney Bryan. The coaches like the kid a lot. He can play either safety spot and is a solid special teams player. But the Dolphins could go with six receivers instead of a fifth safety. Or they could actually bring in a free agent cornerback - there are some veterans with lots of experience currently available.
I can't say I have any real idea how the outside linebacker position will shake out. At this point, we know Taylor, Porter, and Wake will make this team. Roth will as well - but could start the year on the PUP list if he doesn't practice soon or is unable to consistently practice. As for the others, it's anyone's guess. None of the 2nd or 3rd stringers outside of Wake really "flashed" on Monday.
You can't help but wonder what happens if Chris Williams continues to get better as a return man. Could he be the 6th receiver on the roster despite only having one real role? If London or Armstrong don't show something during preseason games, I wouldn't be shocked.
I like Andrew Gardner but he didn't play much on Monday. It makes you wonder if the Dolphins are trying to hide him from other teams so they can sneak him onto their practice squad. As I have it now, Vernon Carey would swap to LT if, heaven forbid, Jake Long went down.
Ernest Wilford may have made a play on Monday night - but anyone could have really made that play. It was broken coverage and Wilford took advantage. But I was really impressed with John Nalbone's blocking while working with the second-team offense. And he's reportedly been much more consistent catching the ball in practice. Right now, I think he's got the inside track for the final TE spot.

Dolphins release CB Eric Green

Matty I — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:57:49 -0000

Many Dolphin fans, myself included, questioned the wisdom behind signing cornerback Eric Green to a two year contract earlier this offseason. He played poorly last year for the Cardinals and actually got buried on their depth chart by midseason.

Today the Dolphins showed they aren't afraid to admit their mistakes. After a poor offseason with Miami and a poor performance in Monday's preseason game, Eric Green was released today. This likely means Jason Allen's roster spot is safe...for now. He and Nathan Jones were believed to be competing for two roster spots with Green. With Green gone, both Jones - a coaching staff favorite - and Allen will likely make the 53-man squad.

This decision by the Dolphins, though, does add pressure on the two rookie corners - Vontae Davis and Sean Smith - to perform. Smith has played well and is now probably the favorite to win the starting job. Davis struggled in his preseason debut, making numerous mental mistakes. But with time and maturity, I don't expect too many of those kinds of games from Davis.

Hat tip to "VA phin Fan"

Dolphins Training Camp: Week one evaluation

Matty I — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:15:10 -0000

Well I'm back from my trip to Massachusetts. And after one day off, the Dolphins will begin their second week of training camp on Monday. But even though Sunday was an off day for the players, you better believe the coaching staff was hard at work reviewing the first week and making some decisions on how to possibly shuffle the depth chart for the second week of camp. Remember, it's not just about how the player moved up on the depth chart performs against better competition. It's just as important to see how the demoted player responds to being moved down.

So I wanted to take a look back at the first week of camp and play a game of "hot or not." But first, I did have some observations on Saturday's "stand-up scrimmage" in front of over 3,000 fans in Davie.

SCRIMMAGE NOTES
I'm sure you have all read the reports that the South Florida media has provided about the 90+ play scrimmage. IF you haven't, I'd suggest checking out this terrific article that features play-by-play of the event, this post featuring some observations on the scrimmage, and this summary of the estimated numbers in the passing game.

Quickly, here are some of my random thoughts on the scrimmage:

I don't want to go overboard about Jason Taylor. But two sacks and a QB hurry is rather impressive. And one of those sacks was against Miami's starting line. Matt Roth better be worried about his job right now. I don't think JT has won the starting job yet, but after one week, Taylor is probably the favorite.
So Chad Pennington wasn't exactly efficient. That doesn't worry me one bit. It has only been a week - it's early. Don't panic - and, for the love of all that's still good, don't start with the tired Pennington/Henne debate. When the time is right, the switch will be made. And the time isn't right.
I think Anthony Fasano and John Nalbone traded identities for the scrimmage. Nalbone made three or four catches - including a touchdown - while Fasano dropped two passes. But seriously, I'm not worried about Anthony at all. And it's good to see Nalbone perform well - hopefully giving the rookie out of Monmouth some momentum heading into week two.
The only sack that the first-team offensive line allowed was to Jason Taylor. Not a bad performance by that unit.
Sean Smith makes plays, folks. Don't be surprised if his performance on Saturday elevates him above Vontae Davis, who was beaten by fellow rookie Brian Hartline for a long touchdown pass.
When I saw Jason Allen's name in one of the reports, I got excited thinking it was going to be for a positive play he made. Instead it was about how he got beat by Anthony Armstrong in which Allen "never played the ball." Not good.
Either Will Allen and Eric Green had damn good days or Ted Ginn drank his "invisible juice." Ginn was one of only two receivers to not record a reception. The other was rookie Patrick Turner - who was reportedly having a great first week of camp. What gives?
Ronnie Brown split out wide as a receiver - get used to seeing that this year.
Nine penalites? That's not going to fly with this staff.

"HOT" & "NOT"
It's time for a new weekly preseason feature. Why? Because the coaches, in some fashion, likely did this very thing on Sunday as they made key decisions involving who will work with what unit to start the second week of camp on Monday.

Hot: Jason Taylor - It was reported early that Jason didn't look comfortable yet as a true strongside linebacker in Miami's 3-4. But things changed as the week went on. He's gotten more comfortable and, more importantly, looks as enthusiastic as ever despite his age. There were a number of questions about Taylor's skills entering camp. But it doesn't seem like his skills have diminished much right now. How he holds up as camp - and the season - wears on, though, remains a critical aspect of Miami's potential 2009 success.

Not: Matt Roth - He is yet to take part in practice following a very odd few days to begin training camp. Was he "ill"? Is his groin bothering him? Whatever it is, if Roth doesn't get back on the field, he's going to lose his starting job. It's that simple.

Hot: Jake Long - It's rare to include an offensive linemen on a list of "hot" players after one week of training camp. But Long's value to this offense cannot be understated. And it's hard for us fans to know how dominant Jake has been in practice when you don't get to actually watch. But what stands out is how quiet Joey Porter has been so far. Jake is the main reason for that. Omar Kelly, the best Dolphins' beat reporter, also vouches for Jake. Speaking about Jason Taylor, Kelly wrote, "Right now, outside of left tackle Jake Long, Taylor's the most dominant player on the practice field."

Not: Jason Allen - Jason has had a rough first week. He's made some decent plays. But as a cornerback, you can't afford to get beat consistently. Right now, Allen is doing just that. Every day it seems like we're reading about Allen getting beat for a long pass. On Saturday, it was Anthony Armstrong - a bubble player - beating Jason deep. He also had issues earlier this week lining up in the right position. But Jason has been in this defensive system for just as long as anyone else has been (two offseasons) and he's still yet to prove he belongs on this roster.

Hot: Patrick Turner & Brian Hartline - The two rookie receivers have been pleasant surprises during the first week of camp. Turner, despite not having a catch in Saturday's scrimmage, has consistently made plays each and every day in practice. The beat reporters have been raving about him. His teammates have been raving about him. And it's going to be interesting to see how he performs in the preseason. Meanwhile, Hartline really stepped up his game towards the end of last week - making big play after big play. In the scrimmage, Hartline victimized Vontae Davis on the first play of the 2nd team offense's series on an out and up route for 40+ yards. Tony Sparano has praised both rookies for their performances this week. But they can't let down in week two.

Not: Anthony Armstrong - After a strong offseason showing, Armstrong has failed to consistently make plays working with the third team offense. Even with his one big play in the scrimmage - a 45+ yard reception from Pat White, beating Jason Allen - his week one performance hasn't been enough to create any kind of separation from Brandon London for that 6th receiver spot - if the Dolphins even keep that many. He's going to have to stand out in the preseason to impress these coaches if he wants to make the 53-man roster.

Hot: Cameron Wake - After a slow start, Wake has really caught fire. He's exerting his physical prowess and getting to the quarterback. He stood out late in the week during the 2-minute drills - sacking Chad Henne on back-to-back plays. But een before that, Wake was getting pressure on the quarterback with some consistency. Then on Saturday, Cameron picked up a sack and numerous QB pressures. And make no mistake about it, Wake's performance this offseason could impact Jason Taylor's role. It was originally thought that Jason would see limited action to keep him fresh. But if Wake could step in and spell either Taylor or Joey Porter regularly, the coaching staff would probably have fewer reservations with giving Taylor the starting job and increasing his expected workload.

Not: Pat White - Though White wasn't as bad as he was during OTAs and offseason minicamps, he's still not playing as well as we all hoped. His accuracy remains wildly inconsistent and he still doesn't look comfortable taking snaps from under center (which was to be expected coming from a spread offense at WVU). But as he gets more comfortable with the offense - and as the coaches get more comfortable with him - I'm confident they'll find ways to use White, putting him in situations that will play to his strengths.

Hot: Sean Smith - Smith is a prime candidate to be one of the "promoted" when practice begins this week. He put together a very good opening week of camp, showing a firm grasp of the defense, solid technique, and excellent athleticism. And the kid's a playmaker at corner. He made the only interception of the scrimmage, picking off a pass in the endzone. While Eric Green hasn't played poorly, it might be in Miami's best interest to challenge this confident rookie.

Not: Ernest Wilford - His conversion to tight end is going to take time. But he is yet to flash in practice and hasn't really shown that he's a good blocker. Sure, he was a solid blocker as a receiver in Jacksonville, blocking smaller corners. But reports from camp indicate he hasn't shown he can block defensive ends or linebackers - someting a TE/H-back has to do.

UP NEXT
The Dolphins kick off their second week of camp with - what else - a double. The first practice is scheduled for 9 am; the second for 5 pm.

Dolphins Training Camp, Day Three: Things getting a little chippy

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

The Dolphins are now three days (and five practices) into their 2009 training camp - and tempers finally flared up. It's only a matter of time until these minor incidents happen. And that time came on Tuesday.

There were two practices today and most of the day's key information is below. One thing I won't bring up again is the Matt Roth situation. That's because there's nothing new to discuss at this point. You can click here for the latest on his saga - which will now be dubbed as "Groin-Gate."

THINGS ARE GETTING CHIPPY
For the first time during the '09 training camp, tempers flared a bit on Tuesday and some players got into minor scuffles. The most notable of the scuffles was between two starters - Channing Crowder and Shawn Murphy. All they did was exchange some words and a few shoves. But that's still something, I suppose.

Later in practice, Tearrius George and Nate Garner got involved with each other. This one seems like it was a little more violent, with George actually shoving Garner hard enough to nearly knock the big man off his feet.

But there was also some physical play involving football as well. Jason Allen hammered Patrick Cobbs and caused a fumble, knocking Cobbs to the ground. Will Billingsley took out receiver Chris Williams as he attempted to run an out. And Akin Ayodele laid out Ricky Williams.

Vontae Davis also committed an obvious facemask on Ted Ginn during a punt return drill and, according to the Palm Beach Post, "acted as if he didn't want to let go."

Afterwards, Crowder spoke about the "chippiness" that took place on Wednesday:

"Just goofier people. Training camp is training camp. I don’t know why they’re falling down. Usually the same guys fall down because they’re sloppy and they didn’t maintain their weight their whole life. ... Overweight guys - their legs get tired and they start grabbing you and pulling you to the ground and laying on your legs and taking little leg pushes because they’re mad I’m sexy. I don’t care. They get upset and start pushing. You’ll get a little slap, a little extra shove, but it's no big deal. We all love each other."

You got to love Channing and his explanation, right?

In all seriousness, though, this is no big deal. If anything, it's nice to see on occasion. Many of these guys on the field are playing for their starting jobs or their roster spots. Things are going to get heated every once in a while. In fact, I'd say it's a good sign - assuming these things don't occur regularly. I just think it's already getting to that point where these guys want to play "real" football and hit somebody. For them, just like us, August 17 cannot get here soon enough.

PASSING GAME GETTING IN SYNC
Generally, when camp begins, the defense is always ahead of the offense. Some will say that's because of the "chemistry" that has to develop on offense. I think it's more accurate to say the timing between the quarterbacks and receivers has to materialize. Five practices in and it's starting to look like that is beginning to happen.

The morning practice was highlighted by two catches. One saw Ted Ginn make a fingertip catch in the back of the endzone on a ball thrown by Chad Pennington. The other was courtesy of Brian Hartline, who made a leaping catch over fellow rookie Sean Smith - also on a ball thrown by CP.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Brandon London had another solid day, making a number of catches. He also got by Eric Green by "several steps" - according to one report - but the pass from Pat White was underthrown.

Ted Ginn also continues to impress onlookers with his route running. The Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly said Ginn "was running really crisp routes and getting open." He even beat Will Allen, who has been outstanding so far, on a 40 yard post - but just couldn't make the catch. However, hands were never Ginn's problem. Getting open consistently has been - and Ginn seems to have improved in that area.

Meanwhile Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess continue to be their steady selves. Camarillo showed how crisp route-running can be enough to beat a faster cornerback when he beat Vontae Davis on a crisp out route. The best compliement for Camarillo on Tuesday came from Armando Salguero, who wrote:

Brian Hartline had a drop during team drills while Greg Camarillo (old faithful) continues to make himself available for Pennington whenever the QB is in trouble. If Pennington is out of the pocket, he's looking for Camarillo. I would not be surprised -- and neither should you -- if after all the talk of Ted Ginn and Patrick Turner this offseason, it is Camarillo that leads the team in receptions.

Bess has seen most of his work as the slot receiver with Ginn and Camarillo on the outside. I suspect that's how he'll be used most. People like to group Camarillo in with Bess by referring to both as good slot receivers. But Camarillo is 6'1 and much more versatile than Bess. His lack of great height is made up for by his quickness and reliable hands - making him ideal for the slot. Greg, on the other hand, has the route-running ability to work the middle of the field - but also possesses the height and play-making ability to work the outside.

And just on a side note, Anthony Armstrong remains rather quiet now after five practices. I know many of you were on his bandwagon. But in another week or so, if he doesn't flash at all, you might want to find another wagon to ride.

QUICK HITS
Lots of other tidbits from camp on Tuesday:

Ronnie Brown has looked "fast and powerful" while Ricky Williams might be in the best shape of his career. While I love Ricky and all, I must say I hope Brown gets more touches than last season.
There's hasn't been too much on the play of Chad Pennington and Chad Henne - at least compared to the play-by-play we've received in years past about the QBs. I'd imagine that's because we know what we're going t o get from CP and we'll get to see a lot of Henne in the preseason.
Will Allen has been getting praised by the media since camp began and he already has three interceptions. And Tony Sparano on Tuesday confirmed that Allen has been impressive, saying "he's looked very sharp."
Sean Smith and Vontae Davis both seem to have their positive moments every practice session. But Eric Green is still keeping his hold on the starting job - for now. Look for the rookies to get a shot to work with the starters by next week. I'm not saying they'll stick with the starters - but they'll get their chance.
Haven't heard Anthony Fasano's name much until today. The PBP said "Fasano has looked good all week."
Tony McDaniel got some work today with the first team defense at defensive end. Meanwhile, Randy Starks remains working with the second team. But I'd imagine it's only a matter of time until he gets rotated in with the starters for a practice.
Shawn Murphy continues to hold down the starting RG spot. That's now five practices in a row for the youngster.
Lionel Dotson got "excellent push up the middle a number of times" according to the PBP.
Pat White looks better than he did during OTAs - but still has a long way to go according to most reports.
Jason Allen had a nice pass breakup on a throw intended for Anthony Armstrong. But a few plays later, according to the Sun-Sentinel, Allen was beat deep by Chris Williams.

UP NEXT
Just one practice tomorrow, scheduled for 2 pm. Tony Sparano also announced that Saturday's practice would feature a "stand-up scrimmage" that will last between 90 and 115 plays. He hopes to see the stands filled like last weekend. So get out there if you can this weekend.

Dolphins Training Camp, Day Two: Receivers and corners take center stage

Matty I — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:15:10 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

He's always watching. Always...

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The first two-a-day of the '09 training camp has come and gone down in Davie for the Dolphins. And two storylines took center stage. One centered around Matt Roth - and we'll touch on that in a minute. But first, let's talk about the battle between the receivers and cornerbacks.

COMPETITION BETWEEN RECEIVERS AND CORNERS HEATING UP
If I was in South Florida and attending camp, these battles are the ones I'd be watching closest. There's nothing like watching a receiver and a corner go at it one-on-one when their fighting for their depth chart position - or even their roster spot. On Monday, the receivers and corners got after one another - both in one-on-one drills and in team drills. So let's digest some of the developments.

In the battle between Brandon London and Anthony Armstrong, it seems like London has the early leg up. He had the highlight catch of the day yesterday. And after an early drop today, he reportedly looked very good catching the football - both over the middle and along the sidelines. He's 11 pounds slimmer and, according to the Sun-Sentinel's Mike Berardino, "less of London seems to be more." Armstrong, on the other hand, is yet to really stand out like he did during OTAs. It's early but Armstrong needs to flash at some point during the first week to keep up with London - especially considering Brandon is a major contributor on special teams as well.

Ted Ginn also reportedly had a good day on Monday. The Palm Beach Post says Ginn had beat Gibril Wilson deep for a touchdown pass from Chad Pennington. He also made an adjustment to catch a pass that was underthrown by Chad Henne, beating Tyrone Culver. And he also beat Will Allen for a 20-yard pass. But Ginn was unable to beat rookie Sean Smith during one-on-ones. Smith impressed by showing the ability to stay with Ginn step-for-step. And keep in mind the man is over 6'3. That's ridiculous when you think about it.

Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo also continued to be their steady selves. Bess got Mike Berardino to wonder if he ever drops a pass. Camarillo, meanwhile, participated fully in both practices - without a knee brace. He reportedly looks very good and it doesn't seem like the knee is hindering him at all. He beat Jason Allen deep (which is becoming a theme) and beat Will Allen on a square in. He also got by Joey Thomas for a long touchdown on Monday.

But I just brought up both "Allens" - so let's touch on them. Omar Kelly said Will Allen "dominated" during one-on-one drills. Edgar Thompson also raved about Will, referring to some "blanket coverage" on Camarillo's slant pattern. Allen also had an interception in the morning session - which prompted some to wonder why quarterbacks even throw to Will's side in practice. He's looked that good.

On the other hand, Jason Allen has struggled. Jas was beaten badly twice - once by Camarillo (who was reportedly five yards beyond Allen) and once by Bess on a comeback route. Bess also beat Allen for a long TD on a double-move during one-on-ones by Bess. But it's not just that Allen was getting beat. On one play, Allen was lined up wrong, causing Will Allen to stop the play and get Jason in the right position. Once he did that, though, it didn't help. Ernest Wilford badly beat Jason but was overthrown by Chad Henne. And to top it off, Patrick Turner actually blocked Jason Allen so badly he actually "lifted Allen's feet off the ground" - according to the team's official site.

I know all of you Jason Allen lovers will continue to defend him. But let's face the facts - he just doesn't seem to have what it takes to cut it at this level. Jason is officially "on notice" - don't be surprised to see him given the ax when cuts come around if he doesn't drastically improve.

THE MATT ROTH CONTROVERSY
We touched on this yesterday for a moment, but this saga is getting interesting. Here's what we know. We know that Roth failed the conditioning test given to every player over the weekend - resulting in Matt getting placed on the PUP list. Roth then met with Tony Sparano to discuss what happened. Roth claimed he was feeling "ill" in two separate meeting with Sparano. Then on Sunday night, Drew Rosenhaus said on TV that Roth was actually suffering from a groin injury - something that has plagued him for a lot of his career it seems.

Blood tests came back negative on Monday for any kind of illness. So now it's very possible that Roth does have a groin injury. According to Armando Salguero, Sparano is "upset" with Roth and thinks Matt might have lied to him two different times about this situation. Sparano and Roth were also scheduled to sit down and talk for a third time on Monday evening. So we should expect this situation to come to a head on Tuesday when Tony meets with the media. It's unknown at this point if Roth will also talk to the media on Tuesday.

But Sparano, in between Monday's two practices, told the media the following:

"I believe Matt Roth when Matt Roth is telling me that he is sick. This groin thing ... it is the first time I have heard of it. We are going to investigate it, but I have been told on two different occasions that it is an illness. [A groin injury] is not what I was told was the reason for the performance [in the conditioning test] that I saw [Sunday]."

With Sparano having publicly come out and declare his trust in Roth, things could get ugly for Matt if it turns out he did lie. We know Tony will be very angry if a player of his lied twice to his face. Now making him look like a bit of a fool in the media by providing what might turn out to be false info is only going to get Roth deeper in Sparano's dog house.

Meanwhile, Jason Taylor has been stepping up his game as he gets accustomed to playing the strongside in Miami's 3-4 defense. Some reports raved about Jason beginning to look like the Jason of old. And if that's the case, Roth is really going to want to clear this up as soon as possible and then get back on that field. Every opportunity he gives Taylor is just another opportunity for JT to make a case to either start at Roth's spot or severely cut into Matt's playing time.

But let's not down play this and just think Taylor could come in and replace Roth with ease. Roth was very good at stopping the run last year. By late in the year, teams wouldn't even run at Roth's side because of how effective he was at setting the edge and making plays on the ball carrier. Taylor was never great at defending the run and, at his age, likely is nowhere near as effective as Roth is at it. So having Roth and Sparano work this out - and getting Matt back on the field - is very important.

UP NEXT
The Dolphins have two practices again tomorrow - at 9 am and 5 pm.

Miami Dolphins Training Camp Primer: Cornerbacks to be under microscope

Matty I — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:15:08 -0000

We focused on the linebackers yesterday. Today, we will keep our attention on the defensive side of the ball and talk a little about Miami's cornerbacks.

It's clear that the Dolphins wanted to address their secondary this past offseason. They signed Gibril Wilson to compliment the re-signing of Yeremiah Bell - creating a hard-hitting safety tandem. They also spent a lot of resources on upgrading the team's cornerbacks. And there's no doubt that the cornerback position will be one of the most closely watched positions once camp begins in just a matter of days.

THE QUICK BREAKDOWN

Virtual locks to make the roster: Will Allen, Vontae Davis, Sean Smith
On the bubble: Eric Green, Jason Allen, Nathan Jones
Long shots: Joey Thomas, Will Billingsley

THE QUESTIONS

Obviously, the main question with this unit will be how quickly the two rookie corners - Davis and Smith - can develop. If one can earn a starting spot, many fans would feel more comfortable with this unit than they otherwise might. Both Davis and Smith possess tremendous talent - albeit different talents. Davis is more of a press corner and he loves to lay the wood. Smith, meanwhile, is more of a play-making cover corner. He has good hands and absolutely ridiculous size (6'3 1/2) for a corner. But will either of the two earn the starting gig opposite of incumbent starter Will Allen?

But there are other questions that don't involve the two rookies. Will free agent acquisition Eric Green improve from his very lackluster offseason? You'll remember that one of the themes of OTAs and minicamp was Green's impression of burnt toast - getting beat left and right for big plays. Will Jason Allen finally develop into a servicable NFL player? He has all the physical tools you need - but has continually disappointed.

THE NUMBERS GAME

There's a thought that the Dolphins could potentially keep six cornerbacks this season. But last season, the Dolphins kept five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster to begin the season. And, in my opinion, I think that the Dolphins would prefer to keep just five corners rather than six - keeping a roste spot open for another player at another position. But this decision could come down to how the two backup safeties, Tyrone Culver and Chris Clemons, perform in camp. If the coaching staff feels comfortable enough with potentially using Culver or Clemons as a cover corner if necessary, the Dolphins could look to again keep only five corners.

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

There's more to the cornerback competition than just who makes the team. The depth chart is far from set. Really, the only player who is locked into his spot is Will Allen. But other than that, the cornerback situation is very fluid and will likely change from practice to practice until things get settled down - making for what should be an entertaining camp for this unit.

Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, and Eric Green will all likely get long looks as a potential starter opposite of Allen. Entering camp, some might say that Green has the leg up thanks to his experience in the league. But just being "experienced" won't be enough for Green if he continues to struggle. He's going to have two very talented rookies breathing down his neck all camp long.

Based on the practices that were open to the media, it seems like it was Smith standing out as the top rookie despite being drafted 30 picks after Davis. But that was also without pads and without real hitting. Davis excels as a physical corner and he loves to lay the wood. He's also the better player in run support - based on their college performances - which will certainly be beneficial to Vontae in his bid to win the starting job.

Meanwhile, it's looking like Jason Allen and Nate Jones will be in a battle to make the team. Of course, both could make it if the Dolphins keep six corners or if they give up on Eric Green despite signing him just a few months ago. But I still believe that it's likely that the coaches will only keep five corners - and I expect Green to be one of them. That means Allen and Jones will both have to prove they belong. Jones probably has the upper hand because he was the team's nickel back while Allen ended the year recovering from a broken hand. But Allen is a good special teams contributor - he led the team in solo special teams tackles last year with 14 - and he has a much more expensive contract. In fact, Jones is a free agent following the '09 season, meaning it could be even easier to cut ties with Jones.

THE KEY BATTLE

The key battle, like I said above, will be between Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, and Eric Green for both the starting job and the job of nickel back. We know that fans will all be pulling for the two rookies to land at #2 and #3 on the depth chart, shoving Green down to fourth. But you have to wonder if the coaches would be comfortable with having rookies fill the role of both starting corner and nickel back. What I guess I'm saying is that I get the feeling Green will, at the very least, get some playing time early in the season as the team's nickel - assuming he doesn't continue to get beat every day once camp begins - while the two rookies get more comfortable.

Of course, the optimist in me is praying for both Smith and Davis to excel in camp and win those two jobs behind Will Allen. But how likely is it for two rookie corners to receive extensive playing time from day one?

THE PREDICTION

We know Will Allen, Vontae Davis, and Sean Smith will all be on the team. I also expect Eric Green to stick. If the Dolphins do keep six corners, then this is a fairly easy prediction - Jason Allen and Nate Jones both make the team. But if they don't - and I suspect they won't - then I think Jason Allen will just barely make the cut. But there's a very real chance that the '09 season is his final one in Miami.

3 Up and 3 Down

Matty I — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:15:10 -0000

Like I said last week, our new offseason Thursday feature will be "3 Up and 3 Down" - where I look at some topic and give three positives and three negatives. With today's organized team activity being open to the media, meaning we'll get another chance to hear about the players, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about how the 53 man roster might shape up.

Last year, the Dolphins got big contributions from two undrafted free agents - Davone Bess and Dan Carpenter. So let's focus on which undrafted free agents could make the biggest splash in 2009. And that will be followed by three players who were on the 53 man roster last season but whose days might be numbered in Miami.

THREE UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS WHO COULD MAKE AN IMPACT

1. Louis Ellis, NT - Measuring in at 6'2, 320 pounds, Ellis has the physical build and the necessary strength to play the nose in Miami's 3-4 defense. Undrafted out of Shaw University, a Division II school, Ellis is strong but also has the agility needed to play the position. However, he's very raw and will need technique work as well as improved conditioning if he wants to become Jason Ferguson's future replacement - a job the Dolphins desperately want to fill by 2010. Click here to check out a scouting report on Ellis from SI.com.

2. Orion Martin, OLB - Martin was a defensive end at Virginia Tech, but at 6'2, 260 pounds, he's the perfect "DE to OLB" conversion player. He's strong and has decent speed. While he tallied 14 sacks and 23.5 tackles for a loss over the past 2 seasons at VT, Martin fits more as a strongside outside linebacker (a la Matt Roth) rather than as a pass rusher. He's a smart player as well, with a good football IQ. The key stat with Martin is how unsuccessful teams were in college at throwing in the direction of Martin when Martin was asked to drop back into coverage - completing just 19% of their passes thrown into Martin's area with a 1.15 yards per attempt.

3. J.D. Quinn, G - Quinn is a guy who has a lot of talent but carries some baggage with him into the NFL. It's been well documented since the Dolphins signed him that Quinn was dismissed from Oklahoma, despite having early success as a Sooner, for accepting money that he didn't earn from a car dealership. He transferred to Montana to finish his college career. But it's pretty clear that Quinn has a less than likeable personality (see this video) and has had problems with alcohol. But you can't deny Quinn's ability to play football and, following the injury to Donald Thomas, Quinn instantly has a chance to make an impression on a new coaching staff. He'll be a player to watch as this offseason progresses.

THREE VETERANS WHOSE DAYS COULD BE NUMBERED

1. Quentin Moses, OLB - Moses will be entering his third season in the NFL and he has yet to show any kind of reason as to why he should remain in the NFL. Last season, Moses was active for 12 games - mostly as a special teamer - and recorded three tackles. With the return of Jason Taylor, the successful conversion to OLB by Matt Roth, and the additions Orion Martin and Tearrius George, there isn't really much room on the roster for a guy like Moses.

2. Jason Allen, CB - Allen is entering his fourth season in the NFL and it's getting very close to the time (if it isn't the time already) to being able to call Jason a 100% bust. This is definitely Allen's final chance to prove himself to Miami's coaching staff. With the free agent signing of Eric Green and the drafting of Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, it's clear that Allen's role in 2009 will be limited even if he remains on the roster. He'll likely be battling with guys like Nate Jones and Joey Thomas for the 5th corner spot. The Dolphins could potentially keep six corners - especially if they can made contributions on special teams. But one thing is certain about Allen right now - he's clearly on the roster bubble as training camp approaches.

3. Rodrique Wright, DE - Wright is entering his fourth season with the Dolphins and will be a free agent following the season. He missed all of the '06 season recovering form a shoulder injury he suffered in college. Last year, Wright was inactive for all 16 games, but was active for the playoff game against Baltimore. Whatever happens to Randy Starks could play a role in Wright's future in Miami, but this Dolphins regime has brought in a number of defensive ends over the past two offseasons - including Kendall Langford, Phillip Merling, Lionel Dotson, and Tony McDaniel - which could make it tough for Wright to keep his roster spot.