Here's what you may have missed while you were out and about this weekend:
SMILEY SPEAKS OUT
New Dolphins guard Justin Smiley was on 790 The Ticket and, among other things, had this to say about his coming to Miami:
"Parcells didn't sign Faneca. They had the cap room to do it and didn't want to do it. There must be some good things that they saw in me. I want to let my play do the talking. I'm so excited to get down there ... and get this thing turned around."
Nice! Sure, some might say that Smiley is running his mouth a bit too much, especially in regards to Faneca, who is an all-pro guard. But I simply love this. I really do. And it's for two reasons. First, Smiley is a guy who wants to be in Miami. He wants to be a part of turning around a 1-15 team. That speaks volume about the kind of person he is and the kind of leader he will be in Miami. He'll be a perfect replacement for Rex Hadnot in terms of being the vocal leader of the offensive line.
But I think what I like about this the most is the confidence Smiley is exuding. Here's a young player who has been stuck in San Francisco for the first part of his career. Maybe he feels like he hasn't gotten the attention he feels he deserves. And it seems to me like he has a chip on his shoulder and has something to prove. Those are the kind of players who will turn this thing around in Miami. Remember, to get to this level (the NFL), you have to have the talent. But I think what separates the good players from the great players is the desire to be the best. Smiley seems to me like he has that fire. I'm very excited to see what he brings to this offensive line next year and for the next 5 years!
FINS INTERESTD IN PACMAN?
The Tennessean offers up this little nugget:
Now, keep in mind that Pacman himself has come out and said on the radio that he'd love to be a Cowboy. But the fact that the Dolphins are reportedly even looking into bringing Jones aboard is something that at least demands a little attention.
Jones is a guy with all the talent in the world. However, as we all know, trouble just seems to follow him around (partly because he brings it on himself). So would you want to see Jones in Miami? If it required giving up anything more than a 6th or 7th round pick, I definitely would not. Sure, the Dolphins lack talent in a lot of areas and could use all the good players they could get. But I think bringing aboard a player who is this much of an "off-the-field" problem is not what a rebuilding franchise needs. He could be a major disruption in the locker room and on the field and is simply not worth the risk for this team at this point in time. However, I did say I would do it for a 6th or 7th round pick because, after all, value is value. Gambling by giving up a very late pick might be worth the risk, but it's not likely that the Titans asking price would be that low. So with that said, I'd say the likelihood that Jones ends up in Miami is somewhere between slim and none.
DAVIS TO VISIT MIAMI
The Dallas Morning News is reporting that safety and special teams ace Keith Davis will be visiting the Dolphins on Monday. The report also says that Davis, despite being a great special teams player, is looking for a situation where he can play more on defense as well.
If that's the case, then Miami might be a good fit for him. He's already familiar with Dolphins defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and secondary coach Todd Bowles. And god knows the Dolphins aren't very deep in the secondary, meaning he'd have a decent shot at seeing some snaps at safety if he plays well in camp. Personally, I'm not too sure if he has what it takes to be a starting safety, but I'd be all for bring Davis on board here and giving him a shot at winning a starting job. And if nothing else, he'd be yet another solid special teams player, as Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland look to solidify those units.