We're now just 3 days away from the first veteran mini-camp under the new regime, which begins on Friday and runs through Sunday.  The next round of OTAs are also underway.  So with that in mind, it's time to talk about the new defensive players that I'm most excited/anxious to see on the field.

You'll remember that I gave out my offensive list last week, and you can click here to revisit that.  Below are the 6 new Dolphins on the defensive side of the ball that I can't wait to see:

Phillip Merling - Besides just being the Dolphins top 2nd round pick (and the 32nd overall), there are other reasons to be excited or anxious to see him on the field.  He was widely regarded as the best run-stopping defensive end in the draft and now he'll be attempting to learn a new position: the DE in a 3-4 scheme.  Some also think Merling might be able to transition to the pass-rushing OLB spot in a 3-4.  While I really don't see this as an option, it'll be interesting to see how he is used in camp.  And we also can't forget that he's recovering from a hernia injury, so we'll all want to see how his recovery is going.

Kendall Langford - Many Dolphin fans question the selection of Langford in round 3 by this new regime.  However, this regime is very excited about him.  And at 6'6, 287, what's not to be excited about?  He's an ideal fit as a DE in a 3-4 defense.  But since he comes out of a Hampton, many of us haven't really gotten to see him in action.  So I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't wait to see Langford on the field for the Dolphins.

Randy Starks - Starks is a very intriguing player because he's young, only 24 years old, but has a ton of experience.  He's also a player who can play anywhere along the defensive line, making him very valuable.  He can play defensive tackle when the team goes with 4 down lineman.  Then when the team runs a 3-4, Starks can play the defensive end spot or the nose tackle position.  At 6'3, 312, he's just about the same size as Jason Ferguson (well, at least what Ferguson is listed at).  He'll likely be the key backup at each DL position, but his most important role could be as the team's future replacement at nose tackle for Ferguson.

Jason Ferguson - You can very easily make an argument that Ferguson is the most important addition to this team's defense this off-season.  And I'd have a hard time arguing with you.  When you run a 3-4 defense, like Miami will likely do, you need that big run-stopping nose tackle, especially considering the Dolphins were the very worst team in the league last season at stopping the run.  And that's exactly the kind of force in the middle that Ferguson is.  When you also consider that Ferguson is guaranteeing that the Dolphins will be better against the run, I can't wait to see Jason out there in a Dolphins uniform this season.

Keith Davis - Granted, Davis isn't the best cover safety in the world.  And chances are that Davis won't even be a starter at safety, as there's actually some good competition for the 2 safety spots.  But that's not what Davis was primarily brought in here for.  No, he was brought in as a kick-ass special teams player.  And I'm simply excited to see him knock some people out with big hits like these.  Anything we get out of him at the safety spot is just a bonus.

Will Billingsley - Some might be surprised that he made my list, but let me explain.  He's an undrafted rookie from 2007 who is getting a shot here in 2008.  So right there, you got a potentially great human interest story.  And that aside, here's a player who runs a 4.4 40 and was reported to be a pleasant surprise at the rookie mini-camp a few weeks back.  So I'm very curious to see how he progresses in terms of his technique and ball skills.  He has the speed to be a solid corner in this league.  So if he can continue to work hard and improve, he has a legitimate shot at making the team as a 5th corner.  You never know.  Just like Davone Bess and Jayson Foster are my favorite undrafted offensive players to watch, Billingsley is my favorite undrafted defensive player to watch.

Just missed the list:  Akin Ayodele, Charlie Anderson, Titus Brown

So there is my top 6 new defensive players to watch.  Let me know what you think below.

And tell us all your list of new defensive players to watch.

DOLPHINS STARTING NEGOTIATIONS
The Miami Herald is reporting that the Dolphins, though they haven't reached out to either of their 2nd round picks yet, have indeed reached out to at least one of their draft picks.  The agent for 7th round pick Lionel Dotson said the Dolphins have already delivered an offer.  The agent, Kenny Zuckerman, believes that the Dolphins, with the people they have in place, are very comfortable in establishing the market if they have to.  It seems like their primary concern is getting everybody in camp.

Bruce Tollner, the agent for 6th round pick Jalen Parmele, also expects the Dolphins to come calling sooner rather than later.  He believes that the Dolphins "will be on the front end of the signings."

The most interesting of all the negotiations, though, will be with their first 2nd round pick, Phillip Merling.  The intrigue here will be the fact that Merling was the 32nd overall pick.  In any other year, that's the final pick of round 1.  In 2008, thanks to the Patriots' cheating ways, the #32 pick is the first pick of round 2.  So how exactly will Merling's agent, Jimmy Sexton, handle this situation?  One thing working in Miami's favor is that Sexton also represents Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano.  Therefore there probably won't be any bad blood.  However, it might take a little longer than usual to get this particular deal done.

Back in 2006 (yes, I'm skipping '07 because the #33 pick that year, Alan Branch, has a very complex contract with little info available to the public), the 32nd pick was Mathias Kiwanuka.  He signed a 5 year deal worth $10 million.  The 33rd pick (which was the first pick of round two), DeMeco Ryans, signed a 4 year deal that is worth $6 million.  So there's a $500,000 difference per year.  How will the Dolphins and Merling's agent Jimmy Sexton deal with this?  I'd bet that the deal will likely get done for 4 years with a total value lower than the usual 32nd pick would get but with the guaranteed money higher than the usual 33rd pick would get.  Sound fair?

MIGHT PARCELLS COACH AGAIN?
In a recent blog post, the Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly ponders an interesting question:

Ever wonder if Parcells will get the coaching itch again and want to take over the Dolphins if Tony Sparano stumbles after his first season?

While I know Parcells is digging the mentorship role he's playing, and says the NFL's now a "young man's game," watching him roam the field during the rookie minicamp actually made me think he'll eventually want to scratch that itch.

Will meddling on a daily basis do it? And will Sparano eventually turn a deaf ear to the master chef who is routinely looking over his shoulder while he's trying to prepare the meal?

It's an interesting question that deserves to be addressed.  I've said plenty of times that I'm totally against Bill Parcells as a coach.  Why?  I just don't think he's as great as everyone seems to think in terms of his coaching ability.  Why else would the Cowboys have a far more successful season with Wade Phillips than with Bill Parcells? 

But debating Bill's coaching ability isn't the point here.  The point is to talk about if we think Bill might "get that itch" again and want to coach.  If you ask me, I don't think it will happen.  And I don't think that if Sparano does struggle in year one that it will have any impact on Bill's desire to return.  I say this because I think Bill is having too much fun working behind the scenes.  He's been pacing in the weight room, keeping players on edge.  He quietly watched mini-camp practices.  Basically, he gets to do what he seems to love (building a team) without having to go through the daily grind of practices and film watching and game planning.  Oh, and let's not forget that he never has to speak to the media (which he never liked) unless he wants to.

And keep in mind that he basically hand-picked who he wanted to coach this team.  I doubt that one bad season would change Bill's mind about Sparano. 

As for Bill's "meddling" in Sparano's business, I don't see this as a problem.  And we really don't even know how much "meddling" is going on.  All indications are that Bill and Jeff Ireland are letting Sparano coach as he wants.  I recall fairly recently that Sparano said that he'll go seek out Bill if he feels he needs to, but that Bill rarely seeks out Tony. 

I think that part of this "meddling" that people seem to think is going on stems from the fact that we just haven't seen or heard much from Sparano.  But this is the off-season, which means it's the time of year for the front office guys to do their jobs.  Once training camp comes around, we'll be hearing more about Tony and less about Bill.  That will be when Sparano will rise out from behind Parcells' (very big) shadow and I think that's when we'll really get a feel for Sparano and the kind of coach he's going to be.

Thoughts?

Incase you've been living under a rock for the past 48 hours, you know that the main story of this weekend for the Dolphins was their rookie mini-camp, the first one of 2008.  And with it's conclusion on Sunday, there's really only one thing that Dolphin fans (and football fans in general) are thinking:  Football season can't get here soon enough.  All this weekend's mini-camp really did was wet my appetite for, of course, more football.  But we'll have to wait a little bit for that.

Here are some of the storylines that came out of this weekend's mini-camp:

A NEW ERA HAS BEGUN
For Tony Sparano, this weekend really marked the beginning of what will hopefully be a successful head coaching career.  And he was just as excited as anyone to get on the practice field for the first time.  On Friday, Sparano shared with the media:

"It was great. I was excited; didn’t sleep much last night. All of the administrative stuff for me, from that standpoint, was put behind me last evening and I was excited to get out here and get on the field."

And with that, a brand new era kicked off in Miami for the 2nd time in as many years.  But as Dolphin fans, we're all hoping this one is different.  And we're hoping it's long-term.

The good news is that it does seem different right now.  In all of Sparano's press briefings the past few days, he's shown us all that he is indeed a "football guy."  He's not going to put spin on anything like Cam Cameron did.  And he doesn't seem like a blatant liar like Nick Saban.  Instead, he comes off as a person who is just excited to be on the field again and who will tell it like it is.  How refreshing is that?

Take the following as a good example of this.  On Saturday, Sparano was asked what jumped out the most after watching the tape of Friday's practice.  Sparano could have said something like "great effort."  But he didn't.  He said:

"I think what I saw last night after viewing the film is I saw, clearly in my mind, we had some guys who lacked some stamina, some conditioning and some of those things. As we got on in practice, you could see that show up. And the point I just tried to make to them in the meeting this morning is that this is just a small sample of what’s going to happen and what lies ahead."

Then to further make a point about conditioning, Sparano had this to say about the signing of UDFA Anthony Toribio:

"Honestly, I think one of the things, and to his credit certainly not to ours, he came in here and he was in outstanding shape."

That's right.  It seems we got a no-nonsense, straight-shooter in Miami.  It's about damn time if you ask me.  Let's just hope things turn out differently under this head coach than they have under the team's previous 3 or 4.

DAVONE BESS IMPRESSES
One of the hot topics entering this mini-camp was which of the undrafted free agents that the Dolphins brought in would take this opportunity to stand out from everyone else.  The answer?  Hawaii WR Davone Bess.  And this doesn't come as a shock to me because, like many, I thought the signing of Bess following the draft was an outstanding move.

The Pam Beach Post writes that the Dolphins new offensive coordinator, Dan Henning, is really taken a liking to Bess:

Offensive coordinator Dan Henning, a veteran of 28 NFL seasons, likes what he has seen from rookie wideout Davone Bess. Sure hands. Sharp routes. Nice dreads.

Henning, 65, looked to narrow the generational gap when he complimented Bess' signature blond-tipped dreadlocks during Saturday's practice.

Henning, who even asked Bess for the name of his hairdresser, may have been joking. But for Bess, it was nice to be noticed again.

Even Sparano has taken notice of this former Hawaii standout:

"I see a player that has pretty good ball skills right now. He certainly needs to do some things from a conditioning standpoint. But the one thing with him is, he has been in an offense where they are running a bunch of routes every game. I think that is a positive."

I said this once and I'll say it again because I really believe it:  Davone Bess is going to be a Miami Dolphin in 2008.  Call me crazy, but I really like the idea of lining up Ernest Wilford and Derek Hagan on the outside and Teddy Ginn and Bess in the slots when Miami goes with 4 wide receivers.  I think that Bess' quick-twitch ability will really allow him to effectively work the middle of the field to get open.  Many NFL corners will have some issues with how quick Bess can get in and out of his breaks.  Just watch his Hawaii highlights and you can see a player who runs good routes and who knows how to get open.  And I don't care who it's against.  The ability to effectively get open is something that you really can't teach.  Bess just has a great feel for the game.

QUICK HITS
Here are a few other things that came out of camp:

-Chad Henne had a tough day on Sunday but that's to be expected.

-Jake Long is showing why he was a number 1 pick.   Many reports all claim that he looked so much lighter on his feet than anyone else despite being the largest of all the offensive linemen participating in camp.  It's early, but that's good news.

-Early reports are that Phillip Merling looked a little sluggish at times.  But that's too be expected when you consider he's coming off surgery and isn't in football shape yet.  He did show great strength, though, when he was taking part in drills and such.

Thoughts below...

It's Saturday, which means it's time for some videos.  Since rookie mini-camp is going on this weekend, might as well make video time feature two of the newest Miami Dolphins.

First up is Miami's selection at #32, Phillip Merling.  Notice how he is always attempting to rip the ball out of the ball carriers' hands:

Was it just my imagination, or did Merling look like an absolute monster out there?  And for a man his size, he can certainly move. 

Next up is one of Miami's 6th round picks, RB Jalen Parmele.  Parmele is likely going to have every opportunity to win the 3rd RB job.  His video is below:

Continue reading this post »

One guy we haven't really touched on yet is Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling, Miami's selection with the 32nd overall pick.  But I did want to make sure we talked about him because he really was a steal for the Dolphins at #32 overall.  He's a player who was thought to be a mid 1st round pick, but fell likely due to the recent hernia surgery he went through.  Oh, and speaking of the surgery and his recovery, there was a report  I heard on NFL Network that said if Sunday was a gameday, Merling would be listed as "probable."  So, clearly, his injury isn't a serious issue anymore.

Merling comes to the Dolphins at 6'4, 275, and as an absolute stud against the run.  Below is what NFL Draft Countdown has to say about Merling:

Strengths:
Terrific size and bulk with long arms...Great quickness...Has a non-stop motor...Is very strong and powerful...Plays with a nasty demeanor...Excellent range and he is relentless in pursuit...Natural pass rusher with a variety of moves...Can take on multiple blockers and shed the double team...Does a nice job versus the run...Has good instincts & awareness...Reliable tackler...Solid technician...Does a nice job in space...Extremely versatile...Can play a number of positions in different schemes.

Weaknesses:
May lack elite athleticism...Won't scare anyone off the edge...Does not have great timed speed and isn't real explosive...Might be a bit of a 'tweener...He can be too aggressive at times...Will get pushed back...Needs to work on his hand use...Has to work on keeping his shoulders square...Intelligence could be an issue with him.

That's kind of a mixed bag of pros and cons, but clearly was a terrific value pick at #32.

Now a lot of people are going to ask if Merling can possibly play the outside linebacker position in a 3-4 defense.  And to talk about that, and tell us a little more about Merling, I enlisted the help of Ed McGranahan, who covers the Clemson Tigers for The Greenville News.  Below is what McGranahan says about Merling:

Merling is not an outside linebacker in a 3-4, but he could be a good DE in that scheme. Some scouts think he could move inside in a 4-3 because of his size, strength and quickness.

He was at 288 for his workout last week, about 10 pounds over playing weight and though he was a bit winded it was largely due to his inactivity.

Merling was a tight end and a basketball player in high school, attesting to his athleticism. He works hard and has the skill to be a good NFL player. He'll be a good citizen and he has a quiet charm, but he does need to be loved, which sometimes doesn't play with the pro coaches, as you know.

His uncle was his position coach the last two years, but [Clemson DL coach] Chris Rumph didn't cut Merling any slack because the competition was good enough to push him.

Continue reading this post »

Well this was quite a weekend for all of us Dolphin fans.  There's a lot to get to and we will get to it all over the next few days and weeks.  Below are just my early thoughts about what the Dolphins did this past weekend.

FINS SIGN UNDRAFTED WR
The Honolulu Advertiser reports that the Dolphins, who didn't draft a receiver in any of the 7 rounds of the draft, have signed Hawaii WR Davone Bess.  And I think this has the potential to be a very solid signing for the Dolphins.

Bess, coming out as a junior, was a very productive wide receiver in Hawaii's wide open passing attack.  His 3 year career at Hawaii includes 293 receptions for 3,610 yards and 41 touchdowns.  But it's hard to base his potential on numbers when you consider the teams he played against and the offensive system he played in.

However, when you watch this guy play, you see that he's got some serious potential.  At 5'9, 194, he doesn't have good height.  And he ran just a 4.6 40, so he doesn't have great speed.  But he's very quick and possesses great hands.  In any highlight you see, you'll notice he's catching the ball out in front of him with his hands, not with his body.  He's also very quick out of his breaks, allowing him to make solid cuts, catch the ball, and then turn and run after the catch.  He's also got the ability o break arm tackles, further adding to his elusiveness after the catch.

Make no mistake about it, Bess isn't just a "camp body."  Mark my words:  Davone Bess will be a Miami Dolphin in 2008.  It might only be as the team's 5th wide receiver, but he'll be here in Miami.

THOUGHTS ON OFFENSIVE LINE
The Dolphins drafted 3 offensive lineman in this weekend's draft.  But since we've addressed Jake Long enough (for now), I want to turn your attention to the two guards that the Dolphins drafted.

At 6'4, 320, Shawn Murphy is a massive man.  He's got terrific strength and is surprisingly quick.  Some say he's still raw, but I look at that as a good thing.  A coach like Tony Sparano will be able to get the most out of him and his potential.  Coincidentally, NFL.com compares Murphy to new Dolphin Justin Smiley.

And speaking of which, in his post-draft news conference, GM Jeff Ireland said that Murphy would be placed a right guard initially and they would see what he can do there.  Ireland also went on to say that Murphy will battle for the starting spot right from the beginning.  What does this mean for Smiley?  Ireland said that this would likely mean that he moves to left guard, but said the decision is Tony Sparano's to make.  In my view, this makes the most sense, as I'd rather not have two rookies starting on the left side of the offensive line (Long being the other at LT).

As for the other guard taken, UConn's Donald Thomas, he's more of a project since he was only a one-year starter in college.  But he's got good size (6'4, 303) and good athleticism.  For now, he seems like a player destined to provide depth and eventually grow into a potentially larger role down the road.

TALKING DEFENSIVE LINE
I wanted to really talk about two of Miami's picks here because there's been a lot of debate about these two guys.

First up is Hampton's Kendall Langford.  This is a player who the Dolphins have been rumored to like for about a month now.  And other 3-4 teams also reportedly liked his ability and his potential.  He really is an ideal fit as a defensive end in a 3-4 defense.  Kendall measures in at 6'6 and, depending where you look, between 287-295 pounds.  He's big, strong, and powerful and gets a great initial push.  He also possesses top-flight intangibles.  There was a stat in one of the draft threads that I posted which reads that reads Langford had the ball run in his direction 293 times, with opposing teams only gaining 64 yards (I believe that's the exact number, but could be wrong).  Some will say that stat is misleading because it was against weaker competition.  The only way I can argue that is to say that the only reason he didn't get into a bigger school is because of some academic issues.  He was recruited, though, by at least Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Miami's pick at #32, Phillip Merling, was really a steal.  He was a projected first round pick who might have slipped because of hernia surgery.  But he's already said he'll be ready to go for the rookie mini-camp.  He's a ferocious defender who has a lot of quickness for his size.  He's stout against the run, can get to the quarterback, and plays well in pursuit.

The big question, though, is where Merling will initially play.  In his post-draft conference call, he said he thinks he's an end, but isn't against playing as an outside linebacker in a 3-4.  At 6'5, 272, I personally think he would make a better defensive end because of his lack of speed off the edge.  And his size tends to lend himself to the DE spot in a 3-4, as he can certainly stand to gain another 10 pounds, getting up in the 280 range, without taking away from his abilities. 

However, at 272, he potentially could be an outside linebacker, especially if Jason Taylor somehow ends up someplace else by the time the season rolls around.  Remember, Greg Ellis, in Dallas' 3-4 defense, plays the OLB spot at 265 pounds.  So I don't think it is set in stone yet exactly where Merling will be playing once the season rolls around.  It's a good pick, nonetheless.

Matt Roth and Vonnie Holliday are officially on notice.  Their starting jobs are certainly in jeopardy.

Continue reading this post »

What a crazy day Saturday turned out to be.  And after a few hours of getting out and not thinking about football, I think I can now better reflect on what the Dolphins did (and didn't do) on Saturday.  And I must say, I really like the direction this team is headed.  Onto a few quick nuggets:

IRELAND'S PRESS BRIEFING

The most intriguing issue of today, the decision to not trade Jason Taylor, is the first thing I want to point out.  About the trade rumors that circulated all day, Jeff Ireland said:

“I was not aware of it. I was aware of it after the fact, but obviously strictly rumor. Didn’t get any calls, so there was no discussion [of trading Taylor]."

Interesting, to say the least, especially when you consider the seemingly endless supply of rumors over the past 48 hours.  But hey, if they didn't get any offers (or at least any they liked), then I'm glad Jason Taylor is still a Dolphin.  No need to just "give him away" for poor value, right?

Other interesting tidbits from Ireland's press briefing:

(On what the selection of Henne means to Beck)
"John's got a quick release, a strong arm, and he's highly competitive. You never have enough of those guys. It’s gonna bring some competition to the position. We like both these kids, Josh McCown as well, so it’s gonna be a good battle for these guys. We like John. This has no bearing on whether we like John or don’t like John or anything like that. We’re in the business of collecting good football players, and that’s what we’ve done."

(On what he likes about Henne)
"He’s a four year starter at the University of Michigan — I like that. He’s a great leader, and he’s got an aura about him that you like about a quarterback. And in doing my homework, he had nine come-from-behind fourth quarter wins in his career, and I think that was more than any quarterback we studied."

(On the trade of Lorenzo Booker to the Eagles)
"I don’t think he really fit our system that we’re trying to put in place here. We fielded a call pretty early in the process about him, and he’s a great kid, he’s a playmaker, but at the end of the day he didn’t really fit this system that we’re putting in place here."

SALGUERO THINKS BECK IS IN TROUBLE

In his latest blog entry, the Herald's Armando Salguero writes that he thinks the selection of Chad Henne is a clear message to John Beck.  Salguero writes:

Beck is not a Parcells guy. Parcells didn't scout him, didn't draft him, didn't sign him. And that makes Beck the only one of Miami's three quarterbacks that Parcells did not pick or scout or sign. Parcells inherited Beck from the previous regime while he went out and got Josh McCown as a free agent and drafted Chad Henne Saturday.

So that puts Beck at a disadvantage. Henne and McCown are not going to get a free ride by any means, but I do believe they rate higher than Beck in the mind of Parcells -- because they were picked by Parcells.

That means any tie on any matter goes to McCown and Henne. And not Beck. For Beck to win the coming quarterback competition -- assuming he's even in the competition, by the way -- he's going to have to outplay the other two.

Give me a break, Armando.  The most negative Dolphins' beat writer strikes again!

John Beck is still clearly in Miami's plans.  He's going to come into camp and compete to start just like Josh McCown and Chad Henne are.  And no matter who actually brought these players in, the best player will earn the starting job.  And right now, my money is on John Beck.  I know for a fact that John has been working insanely hard this offseason and that he's had a chip on his shoulder all offseason.  Now, that chip only gets larger.  For a guy like John, this will not discourage him; it will only act to motivate him some more.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not hoping Henne fails or anything.  I just want to win football games.  And I firmly believe that John will show that he does give this team the best chance to win games, not just in 2008, but also beyond. 

With that said, though, let the competition begin!  It gives us, as diehard fans, something to keep a close eye on all camp and preseason long.  It will surely be an entertaining battle.  May the best man win!

MERLING TO BE DE, NOT OLB

Omar Kelly points out something that I believed from the moment Phillip Merling was drafted at #32.  He's not a potential replacement for Jason Taylor in Miami's 3-4 defense.  No, he's going to battle for a starting DE spot:

Merling will likely push Vonnie Holliday and Matt Roth for a starting spot. Maybe not immediately, but in time. And his addition likely means Randy Starks is the primary backup to Jason Ferguson at nose tackle unless one is added on Sunday.

Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland said the Trifecta wasn't concerned at all about his sports hernia. Defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers went to check him out at his workout earlier this week and liked what he saw. They picked Merling over Auburn's Quentin Groves, who would have been more suited to serve as an outside linebacker. Merling is a straight 3-4 end.

I've thought for a while that this upcoming year was a big one for both Matt Roth and Vonnie Holliday.  Not only will Randy Starks now be pushing them (he can play all 3 spots along the DL in a 3-4), but now a talented player like Merling will come in here and push to start.  Personally, I think it's Matt Roth who needs to be worried the most.

So that's it for now.  We'll have much, much more in the coming days and weeks about all the events of this weekend.

Be sure to join us here again tomorrow for more "live" coverage of day 2 of the NFL Draft.  Look for the open thread to be posted around 9:30 am.

See you all then.