JOEY PORTER'S OUT 4 WEEKS?
ProFootballTalk is reporting that a "source" has told them that Joey Porter has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery and will be out for up to 4 weeks. This all started earlier on Sunday evening when PFT received an e-mail from a reader tipping them off. Three hours later, their "source" informed them that, indeed, Porter had the scope.
If this all is true, it sucks...but it isn't the end of the world. The usual recovery time for this type of prodecure is between 2 and 4 weeks. Terry Glenn just recently underwent the procedure and is expected to be out 2 weeks according to reports. Back in 2005, Ben Roethlisberger had the same procedure mid-season and he only missed 3 games in November. So there's really no reason to think that Porter will not be ready by, at least, the regular season opener in Washington. There's even a chance he's ready before that. And as long as he's ready by week one, I'll be happy. Some say that he will be rusty then. OK, maybe he is. But this defense was the 4th ranked defense in the NFL last year with Donnie Spragan playing Porter's position. So isn't a rusty Porter better than a healthy Spragan? I'd say he certainly is.
What this injury does do is make me question the team's medical staff yet again. They just signed him to a 5 year deal where he us guaranteed $20 million. So I wonder...did the medical staff know about this issue? One year after the "Daunte or Drew" fiasco that went on, this happens. If they did know of Porter's knee issues and still signed him, then I guess the team just feels as though it won't be a long-term issue and he won't miss much time. But what if the medical staff just missed this? What if they didn't even see this coming? That's what worries me the most. It's the idea that Miami's crack medical staff yet again underestimated a knee issue. But who knows? Either way, I just hope to see Porter ready to go for week one. And at this point, I don't think that will be a problem.
MORE RONNIE BROWN TALK
There are two very good articles regarding the potential breakout season that Ronnie Brown could have under Cam Cameron. The first comes from the Palm Beach Post. One of the things that is talked about in this article is Cameron's favorite play...according to Drew Bress:
"In San Diego, defenses knew what play he was going to run. Everybody knew when they were going to use 40-50 Power, but they couldn't stop it. The wide receivers and the offensive line knew how to block everything the defense could throw at them."
Brees explained that 40-50 Power - which Brown said is termed 20-30 Power in the Dolphins' playbook - is Cameron's favorite call. It's a gap-scheme, off-tackle run in which the back-side guard pulls and the runner has as many as three holes. Precise blocking from the tight ends and receivers is critical.
When the play was mentioned this week, Cameron froze ever-so-slightly, mimicking the countless linebackers who have failed to stop 40-50 Power.
Then he laughed.
"I think the most times we've called it in a row is 18," he said, beaming. "The tailback has a three-way cut: he can cut the back door, he can go straight ahead or he can bounce it. The really good backs have the vision to attack the entire formation with that play. That's why we like it."
Brown loves running the play in practice, even when Miami's defense knows the call.
All I got to say is that if it worked in the past (and it has) and Ronnie likes it (which he does), then I'm excited to see it executed in Miami.
This article also brings up Ronnie's pass-catching ability:
"I've been surprised these first few days how good of a receiver he is," Green said. "What Ronnie's comfort zone is going to be and how Cam chooses to utilize him remains to be seen, but his receiving skills have impressed me the most."
By improving as a receiver, Brown would give defenses more to worry about and might help create more running room. Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, an analyst for ESPN, said versatility was central to Tomlinson's ground production.
"You knew LaDainian Tomlinson was in the backfield, but didn't know what he'd do," Young said. "Play-faking to LaDainian, handing it to LaDainian and sending him out to catch passes all demanded respect. Cam used them intertwined to give LaDainian more running room, and Ronnie Brown's going to find that out quickly."
Many of us are well aware of how good Ronnie is at catching the ball out of the backfield. That was one of the things that scouts raved about when he was preparing for the draft. Unfortunately, the Dolphins never really utilized that talent enough in the past. But that's going to change this year.
The other article is one from Pete Prisco. Yes, the same turd who claims Zach Thomas isn't a Hall of Famer. But his article on Ronnie is more positive. It talks about how he looked more explosive last week at practice and about how Cam's system could turn Brown into a star. Here's how he closes his article:
Some of his teammates have already talked with him about the L.T. factor. He can't let it engulf him, they've told Brown. Running backs coach Bobby Jackson and Cameron have also tried to get him to bang it inside harder, rather than dance around the hole, looking for a big run.
If Brown can do that, the Dolphins will finally be able to say they have their star running back, something they haven't been able to say since Larry Csonka walked off the field. If he does that, the L.T. factor will become an even bigger story.
Who knows? Maybe some young backs will be studying Ronnie Brown on tape in a year or two?
If Cameron's history is an indicator, that should be the case.
Then maybe he'll be like Tomlinson, needing only initials for ID. R.B. the RB. It has a nice ring to it.
It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Without a doubt, this year is Ronnie's make or break year. Let's all hope that he shows everyone why he was a #2 overall pick.