Everyone already knows how much of a rollercoaster we were all on this week, what with the big QB change. Then today, in the span of just one game, we had even more highs and lows.

Wonderful news.....the dolphins come back with a strong win today over a good Titans team.

Bad news...as anyone who has not been hiding under a rock knows by now, both Henne & Penne were injured and said knocks appear severe enough that neither QB may return this season.

Ouch.

Silver lining...if one can be found....we get an extended look at a young QB, just not one named Henne :-)

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Like virtually everyone not presently under a rock knows, Miami is going into the bye week on the heels of two straight home losses to division rivals....NY & NE.

No need for a football Ph.D. to see where, how, and what Miami has struggled with so far this season. You figure the two weeks with the bye give the coaches time if they want to make tactical changes and/or alter their schemes.

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So here we are, with the saints and vikings opening up the season. Yeah yeah, I know, the purists (aka 100% dolphin homers) will say it is unrelated.

C'mon though, this is the opening game of the NFL season and a pretty darn good matchup too. Anyone else watching as a dispassionate but entertained neutral?

The Saints are already up 7-0 on a sweet Brees TD pass where he moved up in the pocket and found Henderson on an out and up.

Finally, the preseason is behind us, the roster is taking its final shape, and the first meaningful game is on the horizon.

So why not have a little fun trying to prognosticate what will happen in the NFL season this year....

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First off, seminolephinphanatic posted the rankings as a fanshot but they haven't gotten much love let's say, so I'm (re)posting them here. Granted, now that I've reposted them people might be less, not more, inclined to talk about them, ha ha! Anyway, hopefully we get some discussion.

Yeah it is just July and these are of course, subjective rankings without anyone having so much as played a game, but this should provide some fodder for discussion if nothing else...

I know, I know, the whining will be loud and voiceferous given where Miami is ranked compared to the Jets. That said, can we just broaden the discussion...where should Miami be ranked (regardless of NY's place) ? Who should be ahead of us? Behind us?

And also, who do you think the, let's say, top 5 teams are?

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In hopes of breaking the seeming barrage of a certain NY team related fanposts, I'd like to take an idea from a recent fanpost but expand it a bit.

Yes, this is the offseason and June (aka, things are slow as a molasses covered snail), so do keep that in mind.

That said, who are the 5 individuals you most dislike/disapprove in sports? How about your 5 favorite individuals in sports? Let's not limit this just to players as it can extend to coaches, managers, and the like.

I'm thinking of it more as 5 people you are most/least impressed with as opposed to just your five favorite players or five least favorite players (since we know who those would be!).

EDIT: This is open to all sports, not just football so let's hear'em.

All I can say is that we need to sign this guy right now, 20 minutes ago, pronto....every second wasted counts.

We are talking about a player with all the "physical tools": rocket arm, great size........um, "rocket arm", and did I mention he's big?

Plus he's a mere 24 years old and as we all know, younger is always, always better. No need for any over 27 year old "progress stoppers" on our roster. No Ma'am indeed.

Add this kid to our roster and we'd then have 4 GREAT QB's all capable of STARTING (hooray). Best part, is Thigpen would be the old man at 26, so we might have to cut him once he gets "old" and turns, you know, 28. Oh yeah and he can be a "mentor" and "inspire" our talented Mr. Baseball  Pat White

All this guy needs is a little, wee bit of coaching to work out a few minor flaws in his game. They aren't even that big a deal and people probably haven't noticed. As I see it, these are almost trivial things this kid has to improve on. Mostly it is those darn experts at ESPN that keeping bashing him for no reason. Sure he's had problems keeping his weight under 295 lbs, a little trouble hitting a barn (from 15 yards away), plus I'll admit his lack of presence might mean he won't notice say, and a grizzly bear 20 yards from the pocket. And yeah, those sports writers make a big deal of the fact he might have seemed asleep at a meeting or two but really, he was deep in concentration and visualization. Something all the great QB's do as we all know...

Once those little things get sorted out....like I said, just a tiny bit of coaching is all he needs....then we can package him up next year to, um, the Jets for a 1st & 2nd round pick. Yeap, money :-)

So like I said, get this kid now!

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With modern satellite and communications technologies being what they are, many people have come to expect a plethora of choices in their media and television channel choices.

Unfortunately, we seem to be momentarily behind the times here on this blog. All of which makes me wonder if  I am the only one who has had (more than) enough of channel JT vs FO?? Doubtful I know, but it can feel a bit er, shall we say, odd to seemingly be one of the few who isn't vehemently condemning or condoning what's happened.

We're seeing more thn a few fanposts, one after another where people are essentially saying the equivalent of 'this sucks/rocks and anyone who disagrees with me is a moron'. Ahem...

Whether you love the move, hate it, think JT and/or the FO are horrible, the messiah, the antichrist, satan, the Leviathan, or out to lunch...........after the jump are two facts that are inescapable regardless of your position on JT & the FO...

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If it hasn't already been posted and since there were some recent comments about what Santonio Holmes had put on his twitter account, here's one from everyone's favorite 2nd round pick....

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Along the lines of Matty's recent series of posts on building through the draft (thanks for those Matty), I wanted to put up some statistics related to each team's draft records over several years.

Here are the numbers from 2004-2008:

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Here's a story from jason cole out of yahoo sports that's more than a little unflattering towards one of our more frequently discussed players: Dez Bryant

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By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports Feb 28, 10:42 am EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant is emerging as the favorite for the most dubious title in the NFL Draft.

Biggest risk.

Three sources with direct knowledge of Bryant from his days in college, where he missed the final 10 games last season because of lying to NCAA investigators, said Bryant’s antics were “consistently irresponsible.”

Bryant is expected to be a first-round pick in April. Some draftniks have predicted that he will go in the top 10, although the consensus appears to be the top 15. Whoever takes him does so at their own peril.

“I wouldn’t draft that kid unless I had someone to wake him up in the morning to get to meetings, someone to wake him up for practice and someone to wake him up for games,” one source said.

A second source said Bryant’s reputation was earned because he was consistently late to team activities. That included showing up late for games.

“We’re not just talking about being a little late for warmups, but like being late for the actual game,” a source said with a chuckle. “When you start to hear some of the stories of there, you go, ‘He did what?’ ”

Bryant recently defended himself against questions about his past by claiming he is a “great person” in an interview with NFL Network. While that may be a stretch, his episodes of irresponsible behavior aren’t considered malicious.

“Dez isn’t evil, he’s not trying to hurt anybody. He’s just goofy,” another source said. “But it does make you think, ‘If he’s like this in college, what’s it going to be like when he gets paid?’ ”

The NCAA investigation of Bryant initially revolved around illicit benefits Bryant received while in college. Among the items the NCAA examined were cell phones Bryant had for himself and his girlfriend that were being paid for by another party, although Bryant claimed he paid cash to the other person.

The investigation eventually led to a 10-game ban by Oklahoma State when Bryant lied to NCAA investigators about his interactions with former NFL star and current NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders.

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Yes, no doubt this is but one story and we are hearing from the infamous unnamed sources. Nonetheless, nobody is penning articles or raising these sorts of questions about say, Eric Berry and other potential top 10 picks.

Does it make any of you rethink your position on Bryant? I know Matty threw in his lot recently on the Bryant bandwagon and perhaps some others among you have as well. Does Dez sound like the kind of player Parcells & Ireland would draft?

Now here this....a fanpost that isn't about the draft or how we'll trade for 3 different superstars, sign the 2 best FA's, hit on all our draft picks, and win the SB in a blowout next year. (sounds fun though...)

Looks like ESPN is running a series ranking different groups. Among the ones that caught my attention though was this little number ranking AFC East Secondaries. Now bear in mind, these are not my rankings but those of ESPN (yes, yes I know, let the booing begin....).

1. New York Jets

A lot has been written about Darrelle Revis. Like many, I put him at the top of the cornerback list. He would have been my NFL Defensive Player of the Year for 2009. But he can cover only one receiver at a time.

I contend that New York’s biggest offseason need is a starting cornerback opposite Revis. Donald Strickland, Lito Sheppard and Dwight Lowery are all best suited for third cornerback duties. Lowery is my favorite of these three, but he has physical limitations.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan obviously expects a lot out of this position and an upgrade could make an excellent defense even better. Strong safety Jim Leonhard is a personal favorite of mine. The guy has some limitations of course, but he just makes plays -- especially as a coverage player. Free safety Kerry Rhodes took some criticism during the 2009 season, but I contend that he is a well above average all-around safety. Year 2 in this defense could really yield dividends for Rhodes. Backup free safety Eric Smith could leave via free agency, but he was a liability for most of the season.

Overall, the Jets get the edge as the best secondary in the division weighted heavily on what Revis brings to the table.

2. New England Patriots

While I give the Buffalo Bills’ set of safeties the nod as the division’s best pair, I’m high on the Patriots’ Brandon Meriweather. He’s the best safety overall in the AFC East. As good as he is at strong safety, Meriweather and the Patriots would benefit from an upgrade at free safety. Brandon McGowan is a force against the run, but is too often exposed in coverage. Fellow free safety James Sanders is too ordinary in both facets.

At cornerback, veterans Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs caught way too much heat for New England’s pass defense issues. Remember, this is a defense that lacks much of a pass rush. These two are still starting caliber, particularly Bodden (an unrestricted free agent).

The younger guys are the problem. Surely they will improve, but Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite collectively did little to get excited about in 2009. If Bodden is retained, the Pats squeak ahead of the Bills as the second-best secondary in the division. Without Bodden, Buffalo has a distinct advantage.

3. Buffalo Bills

When evaluating the safeties in this division, I think you have to give that position to the Bills. In 2009, safety Jairus Byrd obviously made a ton of impact plays as a rookie and was an extremely pleasant surprise. His ability to play the ball and his coverage abilities overall are very strong, but when it comes to playing the run, let’s just say that isn’t his specialty. I am a big fan of safety Donte Whitner, too. Last season wasn’t his best campaign, but he is very talented and versatile. Fellow safeties George Wilson and Bryan Scott are not household names, but both are very solid players who deserve playing time, though Scott might leave via free agency. I still have hope for Leodis McKelvin to develop into an upper-tier cornerback. Overall, the threesome of McKelvin, Drayton Florence and Terrence McGee was underwhelming in 2009.

4. Miami Dolphins

Vontae Davis and Sean Smith get a lot of ink as the Dolphins’ starting rookie cornerbacks. Smith began the season strong, but his unusual body type and struggles flipping his hips always might hold him back. To me, he finished the season as a somewhat overrated player.

But Davis could be on the verge of stardom. Like Smith, he made some rookie mistakes, but this kid has it all physically. He will be a true No. 1 cover man -- maybe as soon as next season. Third cornerback Will Allen is serviceable, but not dynamic.

Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell are both average starting caliber strong safeties. But the problem in Miami is that neither has the skill set for deep patrol. The lack of a true free safety-type hurt this pass defense and is a clear offseason need.

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Alright, alright, the best thing to do with venom is to spit it out. Now that that's out of the way, how would you all rank AFC East secondaries. Try to be semi-objective (or at least try to disguise the blatant homerism!).

Unfortunately I'd have to agree with their assessment that the jets have the #1 ranking in this category for our division. Positions 2-4 though seem quite debatable.

To not totally ignore the draft/FA angle, aside from the rankings, how and/or what do you think the fins have to do to move up the charts in this category?

Have at it.

In a variety of threads, no single one in particular, we've been talking a little bit about the nature of the game and how it is has changed or may still be changing.

Mostly there are many who feel that the passing game is becoming more & more important while defensive prowess & ability to run the football, have diminished in a relative sense.

Taking that as a starting point we then have to focus on the triggerman for the passing game, none other than the QB. The last 10 years, the decade of the 2000's has produced some very interesting demographics as they pertain to SB winning QB's.

For instance, do you know that the average height & weight of SB-winning QB's for the last 10 years? 6'4", 215 lbs

I guess we may as well count out Pat White's chances of leading us to a SB.... :-)

Another tidbit, this one goes back to the very first SB ever - so much more than the last 10 years. The winning SB QB has been as tall or taller (aka, not shorter) than the losing QB...........72% of the time. Would you place a financial, ahem, 'wager' on something if I said you'd be right 72% of the time?

California apparently has produced the most SB winning QB's (that is, as in the QB's were born there) nine all told but in 2nd place is actually Louisiana with 7. Meanwhile Texas, which has produced the most NFL players has yet to produce a single SB winner at QB.

Moreover, no SB winning QB has weighed < 215 lbs in the last 20 years.

I'll let you guys decide on the relevancy of this but fwiw,  Brees is shorter than Manning, weighs just 209, and he's also from Texas.

Since I'm hoping the saints win, underdogs I know, it'll be interesting to see if the trend of the 2000's decade gets 'bucked'.

There's much more to performance than demographics (height, weight, age) but it does seem interesting how well the data fit. Put it this way, I would say being a certain size as a QB is a likely necessary, but not in itself sufficient condition to be a SB winner. Meaning you can be a 6'5" bench warmer with a rocket arm and skittles in your pocket (hello JaMarcus Russell) or 6'4-6'5" and have several SB rings (Brady, Big Ben).

In case anyone is curious & can't remember off the top of their head...........Henne is 6'3, 230 while Sanchez is 6-2, 225. :-)

the beatdown that Herschel Walker put on last night? Yowza, we are talking a 47 year old guy whose been out of football for 10+ years. Sure didn't look like it on that mat though.

For a neophyte he looked darn good & seems light years more skilled (already) than the marketing gimmick known as Kimbo! And let's not even discuss the Canseco circus.... :-)

Don't get on me about MMA now, I mean it is practically the off-season so you know we have to find material to fill in & no, mock draft #9382, 3-1/2 months before the actual draft doesn't quite cut it....

Everybody knows how well we've controlled the clock, racked up the yards, and kept many an opposing offense off the field for large chunks of time. That's the good side of this movie.

Unfortunately, and you guys had to know that there's more to the story - our D too often allows those same offenses to dash onfield and put up a quick score. Just rewind to the Indy & Saints games and you'll get the idea.

You know that kills momentum and puts even more pressure on our offense, because those 5+ minute, 15 play scoring drives require a ton of things to go right: avoiding penalties, key 3rd down conversions, etc.

Go back to the last pats game where we put together a very impressive 15+ play drive capped with a TD. Very nice.

The problem? Just a handful of plays later, Randy Moss was putting himself in the highlight reels of Sports Center with a long TD run and catch.  Or how about when Gibril Wilson single handedly tried to guarantee Dallas Clark's pro bowl spot with his missed tackle on the first play of that game? Can you say momentum killer?

Here are some numbers:

We are tied for 5th (worst) in the league at allowing TD drives of 6 plays or less: 13 times we've done this

Against the Colts & the away Jets game, we gave up 3 such scoring drives in each of those games.

Indy & Denver have each allowed just one < 6 play TD drive - any surprise those two teams are a combined 14-2?

There are only 4 teams who have given up more such 'quick scoring drives: Detroit, Tennessee, Tampa Bay, and Carolina.

Bad News: Those 4 teams will be watching the playoffs from their couches.

Good News: This week we play the worst team in the whole league at giving up quick TD scoring drives, that being the bucs. Plus we also have Tennessee on the schedule later, the second worst team at this stat and Carolina, #3.

Diagnosis: Long, time-consuming TD drives by our offense are our MO. Now we need our D to stop opponent's offense from getting these against us.

We talk a lot about wideouts on this blog and more often than not, hands are a big part of the discussion.

Namely, who has 'em and who doesn't.

Give yourself bonus points if you can already guess we have someone near the top........and the bottom of these stats.

No surprise:

Camarillo has hauled in a whopping 83.3% of passes tossed his way. That's more than impressive, it is tops in the entire league. Not to mention he's 4% points higher than the #2 guy in the whole league, Mike Thomas of the Jags. And for extra points, note Greg has not had a single drop counted against him.

Now you probably know what is coming next...you do, don't you?

Languishing down in, er, 84th place in the entire league, Ted Ginn checks in with a wheezing catch percentage of 44.2%. Even TO is higher, ditto Braylon Edwards who everyone says has iffy hands.

The stunning thing is that Camarillo's catch percentage is almost double that of Ginn's, 83.3 vs. 44.2. Plus Ginn has 6, count'em, six drops - a few of which would have been game winning touchdowns!

Yes as well all know, Ginn's targets involve some lower percentage passes, but nowhere near the point where he should be in the 44% range and 84th in the league. Look at Randy Moss, who gets thrown plenty of deep, lower percent passes, and he still hauls in 60+% of passes thrown his way.

A few other tidbits...

Davone Bess checks in with a healthy 72%, which is 10th best in the league.

Brian Hartline leads the team in ypc/avg at 15.9

Ricky WIlliams & Joey Haynos both have higher ypc/avg's than Ted Ginn, our supposed deep threat (11.8, 12.4 vs. 11.5)

My Christmas List:

Santa Parcells, can we please have a #1 receiver in our basket?

Seems we've been taking just a tiny little bit about Ted Ginn lately. No special reason of course... ;-)

Here are some interesting metrics on him and other  wideouts:

This one is for passes thrown to 20 or more yards downfield to a receiver, look who is on top of the list?

1. Ted Ginn, Dolphins: 13 targets, two catches (74 yards, one TD).
2. Vincent Jackson, Chargers: 12 targets, six catches (254 yards, one TD).
3. Donald Driver, Packers: 12 targets, five catches (156 yards, one TD).
4. Mohamed Massaquoi, Browns: 12 targets, four catches (126 yards, no TDs).
5. Steve Smith, Panthers: 12 targets, three catches (98 yards, zero TDs).
6. Terrell Owens, Bills: 12 targets, two catches (82 yards, one TD).

And you can see real quickly what the problem is: 13 targets.........2 catches. Now deep passes are not nearly as high percentage, but Ginn has the worst success rate in this group, a measley 15.3%. The next closest is TO at 16.7% and we'd all agree TO is having a lousy year. Compare this to say, Vincent Jackson, 50% success rate or Donald Driver, 41.7% success rate.

This isn't necessarily a sign that the Fins are going bombs away ala the 07 NE offense with Brady-Moss. My guess is that while GInn has gotten the most targets of 20+ yards, there's probably very few other players being targeted 20+ yards downfiled on our offense this season - save for the occasional wildcat downfield pass.

Another area where Ginn shows up is in the number of times thrown to on third down in the fourth quarter.

1. Steve Smith, Giants: seven targets, six catches.
2. Ted Ginn, Dolphins: seven targets, four catches.
3. Mohamed Massaquoi, Browns: seven targets, two catches.
4. Bobby Wade, Chiefs: six targets, two catches.
5. Wes Welker, Patriots: six targets, one catch.

In this case, Ginn has done a better job. Presumably though these are much shorter passes as they are taking place in 3rd down situations. This is another ominous sign though when Ginn's success rate on short passes is soooooo much higher than on long passes. So to add to the fine work done in an earlier fanpost about Ginn's YAC (in short, mediocre YAC metric) - when you are a one-dimensional speed guy with bad hands, ahem, you really have to make those deep shots work.

I found this today which is about one of our newest but rather little known dolphins who many of us are putting quite a bit of our hopes on - Cameron Wake.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Former Penn State and NFL star LaVar Arrington was knocking around the Buffalo Bills' facility Sunday with his protégé, Aaron Maybin.

Arrington has been mentoring him for years. Maybin was in middle school when he met the three-time Pro Bowler, so one could understand why Arrington was wearing a Bills T-shirt a day after they made Maybin the 11th overall pick in the draft.

	AP Photo/John Ulan
	Cameron Wake collected 31 sacks during two seasons with the CFL's BC Lions.

I'll have more on Maybin and his inner circle later this week, but I also had the opportunity to ask Arrington about another Penn State pass-rusher who's entering the AFC East this year.

The Miami Dolphins in January signed Canadian Football League sackmaster Cameron Wake, who played under the name Derek Wake at Penn State.

Wake arrived at Happy Valley with comparison's to Arrington, who turned pro the year Wake got there. Wake, however, left Penn State undrafted. He got into banking, then personal training and had to reinvent himself with the BC Lions, recording 31 sacks in two seasons.

The Dolphins signed him to a four-year, $5 million deal, the richest contract ever given to a CFL import.

"That's a heck of a story," Arrington said. "He's like Cinderella Man. That's one of those stories where you've got to say 'Man, if you don't believe that dreams can come true, then he's one of those you have to look at.'

"He has to say 'If I didn't go that extra mile, if I didn't work a little bit harder, I actually cheated myself out of possibly realizing my dream.' That personifies what he represents."

Arrington remains blown away by Wake's athleticism, but pointed to a lack of dedication that often drew Joe Paterno's ire.

"He went there and was athletic as all get-out," Arrington said. "There never was a question about his athletic ability. It was a question about his desire and his intensity.

"What happened from that time when he left Penn State to when he started playing in Canada, I don't know. But it wasn't the same man. It's not the same guy. That's pretty awesome that he's getting an opportunity to play in the NFL after all that."

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You can coach a player on approach and attitude but not talent. From Arrington's comments, it sure sounds like Cameron Wake has tons of that - talent - and if it is enough to be a good player in the NFL, then our coaches/staff will get it from him.

Pretty much what we all expected but if nothing else, it is news before the draft much like getting Long locked up in advance was for us.
ESPN.com

The Detroit Lions reached an agreement Friday night with Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford to make him the first pick in the NFL draft on Saturday. According to a source, Stafford will receive a six-year, $72 million deal with $41.7 million guaranteed. The contract could be worth as much as $78 million if Stafford achieves all of his playing incentives. The guaranteed money tops the $41 million in guarantees Albert Haynesworth received from the Washington Redskins earlier this offseason. The Lions intensified negotiations for Stafford over the past three days, knowing they also could reach a less expensive deal with Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry. After Curry's agents visited Detroit's minicamp over the weekend, Lions president Tom Lewand focused on Stafford. The Stafford deal is the richest given to a draft choice in history, topping the five-year, $57.5 million contract the Dolphins gave to tackle Jake Long last season and the six-year, $72 million contract Matt Ryan received from the Atlanta Falcons. The language of the contract must still be agreed upon and approved by the management council. As the week began, the Lions were down to three choices -- Stafford, Curry and Baylor tackle Jason Smith, but the team was insistent on having a contract in place with the first-round pick before the draft starts Saturday. Detroit desperately needs a quarterback to help turn around the NFL's first 0-16 team, which has had the worst eight-year stretch in the league since World War II, and is turning to Stafford after he was a starter in each of his three seasons at Georgia. Stafford will not be able to fix all the problems associated with a franchise that has been bad enough to go 31-97 since 2001 in what has been the worst eight-year stretch by an NFL team since the Chicago Cardinals won 23 percent of their games from 1936-43. But the Lions can't afford to draft another bust.

	Matthew Stafford has agreed to the richest rookie contract in history.

"Obviously, the draft is the biggest crap shoot there is," Stafford recently acknowledged. Recent No. 1 picks have proven that. Eight of the past 11 players taken first overall in the NFL have been QBs, and half of them either haven't or didn't pan out for the teams that took them. For every Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer, guys like Tim Couch and David Carr have shown there are no guarantees. Stafford might get a chance to initially learn from the sidelines, backing up Daunte Culpepper. First-year coach Jim Schwartz has said Detroit's staff studied Stafford extensively on film. "We've seen every pass he's thrown in the last two years, and that's where you learn about his decision-making ability," Schwartz said last month. The Lions also interviewed Stafford, attended his pro day at Georgia and had a private workout with him to learn more about him as a person. Apparently, they're convinced he is the man to be the face, voice and arm of perhaps the biggest rebuilding project in NFL history. He was 27-7 as a starter for the Bulldogs, throwing for nearly 51 touchdowns and nearly 8,000 yards with a powerful arm. "I was relaxing and my hands were relaxing and the ball just shot through and hit me right in the face," Georgia teammate A.J. Green said last year. When Schwartz was hired last winter, he joked that it was about time to replace Bobby Layne, who starred at quarterback for the Lions when they were an NFL power in the 1950s. In a coincidence, Stafford and Layne both played at Highland Park High School in Dallas. John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Came across this online and thought I'd share here on the blog. It has to do with, heh, can you guess? Of course you can and that would be one Joey Porter, aka Peezy, and the run, as in run defense.

KC Joyner, whose metrics have been cited here quite often and most recently by Matty in the Jake Grove run-block post, wrote up this entry.

Here it is, in full:

What Parcells Should Tell Joey Porter

One of the underrated aspects of Bill Parcells’ coaching methods is how he was able to prod talented veterans into higher levels of performance. My favorite story along this line was how Parcells handled Harry Carson when he arrived in New York in 1979. Carson had been decorated with both an All Pro and a Pro Bowl berth the season before Parcells’ arrival, but that didn’t stop Parcells from throwing out a challenge to Carson to become an even better linebacker. Carson stepped up his game by making six All Pro and five Pro Bowl teams (and an eventual trip to the Hall of Fame) while under Parcells’ guidance.

I mention this because after reviewing the Dolphins’ defensive performance metrics for “Scientific Football 2009,” I am of the mindset that Parcells should throw down a similar challenge to Joey Porter. Porter was a second-team All Pro and a starter on the AFC Pro Bowl roster in large part because of his 17.5 sacks. That total wasn’t an anomaly; nine of those sacks were of the one-on-one variety and were achieved via an impressive set of pass-rush techniques.

What is troubling about Porter’s numbers is his run-stuffing ability.

He faced 82 Point of Attack (POA) runs in 2008 and defeated his blocker on only eight of those plays. That 9.8% POA win rate was the second lowest among the Dolphins’ defensive linemen/linebackers, and his 5.6 yards per attempt on those runs was the most of any Miami DL/LB. To put this into further perspective, consider that Matt Roth, the Fins’ other starting outside linebacker, had a 24.6% POA win rate on 61 POA runs and allowed only 3.5 YPA.

It’s not as if elite pass rushers can’t post top totals in this area, either. Terrell Suggs, one of the best pass-rushing OLBs in the league, posted a POA win rate of 33.9% and a YPA of 3.3 last year. He is the upper end of run stuffing, pass-rush specialists, but there are others of his ilk (DeMarcus Ware for example) whose run-defense metrics were also markedly superior to Porter’s.

Parcells isn’t a head coach anymore, but the Miami players say he is still a world champion button pusher whose presence is felt through the entire organization. That probably means Porter better ready himself for some kind of motivational tactic regarding his run defense, because if history is any indicator, Parcells will be sending one his way this off-season.

(You can follow KC Joyner on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/ckavry or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kcjoynertfs)

Well not quite fanning the flames but certainly expanding the discussion.

Tim Graham of ESPN posted the following blog entry. In it, you'll note some of Chad Pennington's comments and his responses. I think he understands the FO's plan and is obviously professional about it while keeping his personal options open - you can't ask for more than that really. Pennington is likely to be elsewhere in 2010 while Henne takes over.

Please see below:

Pennington knows Henne will take over Fins

March 25, 2009 10:46 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

"If you look at how everything is set up, how the Dolphins drafted Chad, how they brought me in for a two-year deal, it's not news, really," Pennington said. "It's just the way it is.

"I'm comfortable with everything that's going on right now. I feel really good about where I am as a professional. I feel really good about how I'm playing and the goals I've set for this year. With this being my 10th year in the league, I'm the first one that can tell you nothing's promised to you."

Pennington last year guided the Dolphins to one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NFL history, from 1-15 to the AFC East championship and a playoff berth. Pennington was voted Comeback Player of the Year for the second time in his career.

But the Dolphins have not expressed interest in extending Pennington's deal.

"What I do is I really concentrate on how I can better myself as a professional quarterback," Pennington said of speculating on his future. "If I'm doing that, then that's the one thing I can control and the rest of it will take care of itself, as it did in 2008.

"I enjoy Miami tremendously. I enjoy being a Dolphin. It's been a lot of fun so far, and I look forward to some other good times."

Jacobson asked Pennington if he would be willing to accept the backup role to remain with Miami.

"That'd be something I'd have to look at," Pennington said, although the tone of his voice was unenthusiastic. "It's something that's obviously out there. As a competitor, it's extremely hard to say yes to that right now because I'm used to being a starter.

"I love being in the huddle. I love leading the team. That's hard to do on the sidelines. That would be something I would have to address when the time comes."

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As Miami Dolphins, I think these two guys future's are going to be pretty short and/or trivial.

Here's what I believe may happen and I'm sure Beck and/or McCown supporters will complain, so spare me the whining....

Right now, Beck is looking like the #3 or maybe even #4 guy in this QB shuffle - McCown hasn't been much better either. By the end of the preseason we can be pretty certain that:

One of our QB's will be cut or possibly traded with the most most obvious candidates being Beck or McCown

I don't see SIP (Sprano-Ireland-Parcells) Keeping a 4th QB over a versatile player who contributes on special teams and can be a backup at a position spot.

Beck may have some minor trade value (say for a 6th rounder). McCown has pratically zero trade value.

Beck however is not a SIP player, he's a cam-cam holdover whereas McCown was signed by the regime.

McCown has a track record in the league - albeit it a poor one with the occasional good game. Beck is much more limited (last year and this year) and basically not good.

Another possibility: Trade or cut Beck or McCown. Keep the remaining guy. Then if Simms gets cut, sign him, and cut the leftover of McCown or Beck so for '08: Pennington, Simms, Henne

'09: Henne, Pennington, Simms.

So which of the two do you think will stick - McCown or Beck? Whomever stays is probably scout team material while the other is a goner obviously who will have to hope to catch on with another team.

Matty I has a man-crush on Beck!

There, I said it - now who is with me? :)

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We are in the home stretch now and rapidly approaching the first preseason game. After all the scrimmages and practices, we'll be able to see this group get on the field against a real opponent - albeit, in a game that doesn't count.

Sure I know we have a few more days of practice, but I doubt there will be a great deal of change in the QB 'rankings' (assuming the coaches are ranking them).

Here's the question...

How do all of you think the QB's should be given playing time? Who gets how much playing time and when? Who starts?

Do you have a rotation? Alternate individual series? Give a guy a certain quarter or half?

Um, not exactly but there is an amusing article on a rather innovative offense that a high school team has come up with.

You can probably guess by the title of this post that this new offense actually uses two QB's - at the same time.

As with a lot of college/high school type offenses, it probably wouldn't work in the pro's with any regularity. However it is entertaining to see it on video.

Check out the video

Yes, non-dolphin item but hey, this is still June and not so long ago there were posts on dancing contests :)

So it looks like the Giants Strahan has decided to hang it up. You have to say, he is going out on top rather than being one of those guys who tries to play one more season and usually, ends in disappointment. John Elway not included.

Any Strahan fans out there? detractors? Do you think it will affect next year's NFC races? Will the Giants falter because of this?

Text from article:

Strahan: “I’m finished with that phase”

By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports 1 hour, 19 minutes ago

Michael Strahan put the finishing touch on his brilliant 15-year career in Arizona last February, as the future Hall of Fame defensive end helped the New York Giants to a stunning upset of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

It took another four months, however, for Strahan to decide he was done.

On Monday morning, Strahan awakened in the Southern California desert and concluded that he would retire, learned in a story first reported by foxsports.com. “Woke up and decided that I’m finished with that phase,” Strahan told Y! Sports via email. “Time to move on. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile and didn’t want to prolong the inevitable.”

Like Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who ended his career after leading the Denver Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIII nine years earlier, Strahan ends his career in storybook fashion. However, Strahan resisted the temptation to try to emulate Elway by winning a second consecutive ring after a career of continually coming up short.

“I just saw Elway this weekend (at a golf tourney in Palm Springs),” Strahan wrote, “and to win two in a row is a great feat – but too hard for me to imagine.”

Strahan ends his career with 141½ regular season sacks, which is fifth on the NFL’s all-time list. He was voted to seven Pro Bowls and was the NFL’s defensive player of the year in 2001, when he set a single-season sack record with 22½. Two years later, he led the league with 18½ sacks.

In New York’s 17-14 victory over the Pats in the Super Bowl, Strahan keyed a ferocious pass rush that tormented Tom Brady all game. Strahan had a sack, two quarterback hurries, four hits on Brady and a pass defensed.

The personable and intelligent Strahan is likely to be courted as a broadcaster by numerous networks.

So Peter King of si, wrote up an article following the draft. The article basically is a preseason power ranking of all the NFL teams. He lists the dolphins at #27 and writes this about the team:

27. Miami. I don't know who's playing quarterback, who's catching the ball or if Jason Taylor will ever speak to the great and powerful Bill "Oz'' Parcells. But you ask the people who know Parcells the best, and they'll tell you they like the way he's shaking up the bottom of the roster, and he's on his way to building a team that will give the Patriots a game soon. To do that in 2009 or '10, the Dolphins have to discover if they've got their quarterback of the future on the roster now. Best chance to be The Man, of course, is second-round pick Chad Henne.

**** ***** *****

You can see the full article and rankings here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/05/02/rankings/index.html

What do you guys think of the ranking? It places us as more or less better than 5 teams though worse than 26.

Can't get enough of the draft? Still debating and discussing it? Well, seeing as the 2008 draft was such a long time ago (you know, 4-5 days), why not look at the 2009 draft? :) :)

Here's Todd McShay's 2009 Mock - see anybody you want? I won't even add the disclaimer that stuff will change from here till then as that should be obvious!

So, with the first pick of the 2009 NFL Mock Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select …

1. Atlanta Falcons -- Fili Moala, DT, USC

Atlanta finally gets its playmaking interior defensive lineman. Moala has flown under the radar to this point but he should emerge from the shadow of 2008 No. 7 overall pick Sedrick Ellis and become one of the elite defenders in college football this fall.

2. Detroit Lions -- Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech

Coach Rod Marinelli's defense is predicated on speed up front, and Johnson is blessed with plenty of that. Johnson was overlooked while playing in a rotation last season, but it won't take long for the rangy edge-rusher to make his mark in 2008.

3. Kansas City Chiefs -- Matt Stafford*, QB, Georgia

Another injury-plagued and disappointing season out of fragile QB Brodie Croyle will force the Chiefs to address the position with this high draft pick in 2009. If the supremely talented Stafford continues to progress as he did last fall, he could easily emerge as a top-five pick next April.

4. Miami Dolphins -- Al Woods, DT, LSU

At 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, Woods is a physically imposing defensive tackle with enough size and strength to anchor the middle of a 3-4 defense.

5. Cincinnati Bengals -- Sen'Derrick Marks*, DT, Auburn

The Bengals got shut out in their pursuit of an elite defensive tackle in this year's draft, but 2009 will be more kind. Marks is an undersized playmaker with the first-step quickness to disrupt as a 3-technique tackle, which is exactly what Marvin Lewis' defense needs along its front.

6. Oakland Raiders -- Andre Smith*, OT, Alabama

Smith stepped in immediately as the Tide's starting left tackle and continues to improve with more coaching and game experience. The Raiders could enlist a player with his kind of skills to take care of their most recent first-round investments in QB JaMarcus Russell and RB Darren McFadden

.

7. Chicago Bears -- Tim Tebow*, QB, Florida

It's almost certain that the Bears will need a quarterback come next offseason. Unfortunately, next year's crop of signal-callers does not look promising at this point. Bears fans won't be thrilled if the team uses a high pick on another Gators quarterback following the failed Rex Grossman experiment, but Tebow's unique blend of skills and rare intangibles might be too good to pass up. Should Tebow elect to leave school early, however, his uncommon skill set could make him the most difficult prospect at any position to grade.

8. San Francisco 49ers -- Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi

Oher, who possesses the size and athletic ability to develop into an upper-echelon starting tackle in the NFL, would make an ideal bookend opposite 2007 first-rounder Joe Staley

.

9. St. Louis Rams -- Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC

Maualuga is the top senior prospect on my 2009 draft board at this insanely early point in the process, although he wouldn't be the first senior off the board. I've never seen a defensive player take over a game the way Maualuga did versus Illinois in the Rose Bowl, and his recognition skills are clearly catching up with his rare physical tools.

10. New York Jets -- Knowshon Moreno*, RB, Georgia

Moreno burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and he should build on that momentum as a first-year starter behind a more mature offensive line during the upcoming season. The Jets were not able to land McFadden in this year's draft but Moreno would be worth the wait if he's available in 2009.

11. Tennessee Titans -- Michael Crabtree*, WR, Texas Tech

Do not pigeonhole Crabtree; he's not just a product of coach Mike Leach's pass-crazy offense. The tall, long-armed receiver could be the go-to-target QB Vince Young so desperately needs.

12. Houston Texans -- Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

Jenkins made a wise decision to return as a senior. He needs to improve his footwork and overall man-to-man cover skills to prove to scouts he's capable of playing corner in any scheme at the next level. Regardless, the Texans could use his ball-hawking skills in their secondary, no matter whether it's at cornerback or safety.

13. Denver Broncos -- James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State

Laurinaitis surprised many NFL scouts when he elected to return to Columbus for his senior season. Assuming he continues to make progress in 2008, there's no reason to believe he will fall out of the top 20 picks in next year's draft. The instinctive, high-motor inside linebacker would be a nice addition to a Denver defense in search of more stout defenders up the middle.

14. Baltimore Ravens -- Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

The Ravens need an upgrade at corner and a young playmaker like Davis, who possesses rare athleticism for his size, would be an ideal fit.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (from CAR) -- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland

The Eagles failed to land a go-to-receiver in the 2008 draft (no, DeSean Jackson does not qualify). Instead of going the free-agent route to land a weapon for veteran QB Donovan McNabb, they might as well use one of two first-round picks in '09 on a future primary target for future QB Kevin Kolb

.

16. Arizona Cardinals -- LeSean McCoy*, RB, Pittsburgh

After Arizona failed to find a complement for Edgerrin James in this year's draft, the Cardinals' need at running back will be far more pressing in the spring of '09. McCoy is a supremely talented sophomore who is draft eligible after spending a year in prep school, and he is reportedly already eyeing the 2009 draft.

17. Buffalo Bills -- Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin

Beckum could emerge as a top-20 pick if he can add 10-15 pounds to his frame while maintaining his big-play ability as a receiver during his senior season.

18. Philadelphia Eagles -- Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma

After failing to land one of the record-setting seven offensive tackles selected in the first round of this year's draft, coach Andy Reid will be craving a big fella like Loadholt in 2009.

19. Washington Redskins -- Greg Hardy*, DE, Mississippi

Hardy is flying under the radar right now despite notching 10 solo sacks the past two seasons, and the Redskins will be looking for a young pass-rushing threat after failing to land one during the latest draft.

20. Minnesota Vikings -- Percy Harvin*, WR/RS, Florida

Staying healthy for a full season would all but guarantee Harvin a spot in the first round of the NFL draft, either next year or in 2010.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Ciron Black, OT, LSU

The Bucs will be looking to enlist the services of a talented left tackle prospect such as Black, who displays quick feet for a 6-5, 315-pounder.

22. Green Bay Packers -- Max Unger, OT, Oregon

Unger, who projects as a first-day pick in next year's draft, is the type of versatile lineman the Packers typically covet.

23. Cleveland Browns -- Ricky Sapp, DE/OLB, Clemson

Sapp is an up-and-coming talent with outstanding speed and pass-rushing potential. He should fit perfectly as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 scheme like the one employed in Cleveland.

24. Seattle Seahawks -- Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma

The Seahawks are still looking for a long-term solution at left guard, so why not use this pick on the player who is at this point the top prospect at that position.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

Jackson is among the elite senior defensive prospects right now but that might not hold up for 12 full months, as he's simply not a great fit for every team's defensive scheme. At 6-5 and 290, Jackson is best suited to play defensive end in a three-man front like the one employed in Pittsburgh.

26. New Orleans Saints -- Gerald McRath, OLB, Southern Miss

The Saints will be looking for an injection of youth and athleticism at linebacker and the speedy, undersized McRath falls in line with that objective.

27. New York Giants -- Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida

The Giants could use a quick and powerful tackling machine like Spikes after failing to address that need early in the 2008 draft.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars -- William Moore, S, Missouri

Moore emerged as a playmaking machine in 2007, when he notched 114 tackles and eight interceptions. At 6-1 and 215 pounds he could be the versatile strong safety Jacksonville needs opposite FS Reggie Nelson

.

29. Indianapolis Colts -- Vance Walker, DT/DE, Georgia Tech

Walker has the right blend of tools to provide depth along the interior of Indianapolis' quick-but-undersized defensive line.

30. San Diego Chargers -- Auston English, DE/OLB, Oklahoma

English is an instinctive, high-motor player with very good speed and fluid hips for a young defensive end. He already has experience dropping into coverage on zone-blitz looks within Oklahoma's complex defensive scheme.

31. Dallas Cowboys -- Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSU

Wide receiver is the one area Dallas did not address during an otherwise promising 2008 draft. Byrd has a lot to prove as a senior but he certainly has the blend of size and deep speed it takes to emerge as a first-round draft pick.

32. New England Patriots -- Brian Cushing, OLB, USC

The Patriots continue a recent trend of drafting linebackers by using this selection on the versatile Cushing. The 6-5, 248-pounder has experience on the strong side and as a rush linebacker, which will be attractive to a New England coaching staff that likes versatility in its linebackers.

Todd McShay is the director of college football scouting for Scouts Inc. He has been evaluating prospects for the NFL draft since 1998. Scouts Inc.'s Kevin Weidl and Steve Muench also contributed to this report.

Peter King had the following in his column today (see below). It is interesting to see what the offer was and what was at stake. I think it kind of gives some insight into how teams work the phones, review offers, and make decisions.

Ironically, it is suggested that Cam Cameron played a role in evaluating the picks which is odd given his performance last year with our QB's...

**** ****

Shortly after noon, Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome offered St. Louis first-, second- and fourth-round picks this year and a third-rounder in 2009 for the Rams' first-round pick to select Matt Ryan. In essence, to move up six spots in the first round, Baltimore was offering the 38th and 106th pick this year and, say, around the 80th pick next year. Tempting, St. Louis thought. So the Rams called Atlanta, at number three, asking for a second-round pick this year to swap spots. If St. Louis traded with Atlanta, the Rams would pick up a free first-day pick and still get Chris Long. If the Rams traded with Baltimore, they'd lose out on Long, the only legit pass-rusher they liked in this draft.

Though the Rams never asked, Baltimore was unwilling to sweeten the pot. I'm told a sweetener like next year's first-round pick instead of the third- would have gotten the deal done for St. Louis. Two reasons the Ravens didn't ratchet up the offer one last time. One: New offensive coordinator Cam Cameron loves Ryan, but he also likes Flacco and Henne, and he thinks Flacco might have the traits and the arm to be special. Two: New coach John Harbaugh wanted picks. He wanted an influx of talent for this first-year coaching staff to coach, and if they had to spend a mint to get Ryan, three or four of those bright prospects -- like second-round back Ray Rice -- would never have been Ravens today.

The Rams called the Ravens back and turned down the offer about five minutes before the draft began. "It was a really hard decision,'' said one of the Ram execs in the room. "But it was more about our belief in Chris Long and the fact that we thought he was the perfect pick for us more so than anything else. Anybody else but Chris Long, and we'd probably have done it. But when we walked out of the room and made the phone call to Baltimore, we were in 100 percent agreement that it was the right decision.''

*** ****

So now we have a full slate of QB's following this draft.

We all know about John Beck who started a few games last year before going back to the bench. He'll be 27 this season and looking to win the starting job. Beck was Mueller and cam-cam's chosen QB as they specifically tabbed him as their guy.

Then there's Josh McCown signed as the nominal veteran backup. He's got oodles more starting experience than any other QB on this roster. He's been both a starter and backup in the league. While he's been on a few teams now, he's only 2 years older than Beck.

Finally we know have Chad Henne who is 4 years younger than Beck, at 22 (23 by season's opening).

Parcells has been known to favor veteran QB's throughout his coaching career. However, he has gone with a rookie, one he drafted #1 overall no less, in the form of Drew Bledsoe.

Now fast forward to the opening kickoff. Who do you think is the starting QB for the Fins? Vote and add comments to explain your selection below...