Clearing out the notebook before I refill at the NFL's Annual Meeting starting today in Palm Beach:

1. The Dolphins definitely have plans for John Beck. When coach Tony Sparano talks with his coaches and confidants about Miami's need to get leadership from younger players, he mentions the second-year quarterback. Sparano thinks great teams are ones with leaders that are in their third, fourth and fifth seasons -- guys in their prime. Sparano has been mentioning Ronnie Brown, Ted Ginn Jr. and Beck as guys that will be the nucleus of the team in the next couple of years. So don't write the QB off.
2. The Dolphins draft board is set. It was set last week. That means the Dolphins already know who they are going to draft if they cannot trade out of that No. 1 overall pick. They desperately want to trade out of that pick. By the way, don't ask me who they would pick because I've asked and the person I asked laughed at me.
3. New GM Jeff Ireland is a big believer in production. Like everyone else, he appreciates when an athlete runs a great time at the combine or at his pro day, but he appreciates more when a player performs and produces on the field. Given the choice of one or the other, Ireland will lean toward the player.
4. Ireland also isn't inclined to draft for need early in the selection process. He's more likely going to want the player with the best grade on the board. He does believe, however, that you can begin addressing specific needs later in the draft to fill out the roster.
5. The rumored trade that would send the Cowboys' two first-round picks to Miami for the right to pick Darren McFadden is dead, according to Dallas owner Jerry Jones (pictured with wife Gene and daughter Charlotte). Speaking to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Jones said "I have no intent at all of moving into the top five. A team can get crippled, and I mean seriously crippled, from a financial standpoint by being up there in the top five or six. It's a real negative."
6. Read the last quote and understand two things: Jerry Jones can be saying this as a way to lower the price of getting into the top of the first round. So take it with a proverbial grain of salt. But also understand the rising cost of drafting a player so high -- at least $30 million guaranteed for the first pick -- is becoming something of a negative considering that player has never played in an NFL game. It is the reason there have been no trades involving the top five selections in years.

Anyway, I'm off to the Owners' meetings now. I'll keep you updated if stuff happens so check back here throughout the day.

This is from Armando's blog with the Herald.  Glad to see they have confidence in Beck.  I think this shows Ryan will not be the #1 pick.  Also interesting to see that they have their guy in mind if they stay at #1.

http://www.iowa-city.org/police/arrests.asp?date=02022008

The above link shows the arrest records for Iowa City.  Matt Roth is listed as being arrested for Public Intoxication on Friday February 1st at 23:39PM.

The birthday matches his so seems reasonable to believe this is our Matt Roth.

Not a good way to start with Bill Parcells now running the show.

From Miami Dolphins website: Third-round pick Lorenzo Booker has been working out at wide receiver all week and Cameron didn't rule out using him in that capacity Sunday and the rest of the season. Booker rarely played the position at Florida State University but he did catches out of the backfield.

"I just do what they tell me to do, really," said Booker, who has been inactive for all six games. "That was obviously one of the things I wanted to do coming in and it's just another opportunity to work on some things other than tailback, I mean obviously I've been playing that my whole life so I have room to take some days off at that position."

Not being active to this point hasn't bothered Booker in terms of making him wonder what he's doing wrong because he has been told that it's more about the depth at running back ahead of him. He did say when it got frustrating was during the team prayer after the games when he was not in pads and couldn't feel like he had sweated with his teammates out there.

As far as picking up the nuances of the position, he started working on that during two-a-days in training camp by sitting down with Chambers and watching film of their one-on-ones.

"There are always tips I can get, like Coach Robiskie came up to me after practice and was wanting me to work on my stance," Booker said. "So everybody knows that I'm trying to do my best and I'm glad that everybody is trying to take it upon themselves to try and help me in whatever way they can."

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