We are now less than 4 weeks away from the beginning of training camp. And we actually have some legitimate news to discuss from this past weekend.
RICKY MAKES PREDICTIONS
Oh that Ricky Williams. You never know what to expect from him. And any time his name comes up prior to the start of training camp, it's hard not to think of the events of 2004. But this offseason, Ricky's making different headlines. And as "LeftCoastFinFan" points out in this fanpost, he's making some bold predictions.
Prediction #1: Ricky says that the Dolphins will win "at least 9 games" in 2008. You read that right. Nine. For you non-math majors, that's 8 more wins than last season. And I know what you're thinking: what is Ricky smoking now? But seriously, in this day and age of football, anything can happen year in and year out. While I find it highly unlikely, you never know what might happen.
Prediction #2: Ricky believes that both he and Ronnie Brown will rush for over 1,000 yards in 2008. And to be perfectly honest, this might be even more unlikely than the 9 wins. This is a feat that has only been accomplished 3 times in NFL history, the last time being more than 20 years ago. Sure, the offensive line is improved, especially in terms of their run-blocking. But it's hard to imagine a feat like this being accomplished by one RB who is coming off of a torn ACL and another who has just 6 carries over the past 2 seasons.
Prediction #3: Ricky "hopes" to play for 4 more years. This is probably the most interesting prediction because he only has 1 year remaining on his contract. So what will his future in Miami hold? I don't think anyone can really be sure. But it's good news that he and Bill Parcells seem to be hitting it off. However, if Ricky was to have a solid season, would he want to come back to Miami as part of a RB combo with Ronnie or would he look for a more solid starting role? At this point, it's anyone's guess. Trying to get inside the head of Ricky Williams is something that even the best psychologist probably couldn't do. So we'll have to wait and see.
TE BATTLE TO BE INTERESTING
As "OnTheGo" points out in this fanpost, there's an interesting little nugget in Pro Football Weekly's latest edition of "whispers" in regards to Miami's tight end situation:
TE David Martin may have started for the Dolphins in 2007, but word out of South Florida is that he’ll have to fight to merely keep a roster spot in training camp. Newcomers Anthony Fasano and Sean Ryan and holdover Justin Peelle could end up being the team’s TE corps.
OK. So we all know that David Martin's first year in Miami was a rather disappointing one. Remember, SI.com had Martin pegged as one of 10 players who would break out in '07. But that never happened, and 3 reasons can be blamed. First of all, the inconsistencies regarding the team's QB situation really didn't help any of the team's pass catchers in '07. Second, Cam Cameron's offense wasn't exactly one that would lend itself to solid passing numbers. And lastly, Martin dropped a ton of passes.
Justin Peelle, on the other hand, actually made some big plays for the Dolphins last year. He's got less upside than Martin, but is also less of a risk and more consistent.
Meanwhile, the two newcomers are really unknowns. Sean Ryan is reportedly more of a blocking tight end, which is certainly not something to be taken lightly. I can recall our QBs last year getting lit up numerous times because of missed blocks by the tight ends (Martin in particular). And Anthony Fasano, while he's a guy with a ton of potential, he hasn't really shown anything at this level since being a 2nd round pick. And he's also coming off an injury, so he hasn't even taken part in team drills yet.
So as it stands now, the TE battle will be one of the more competitive battles to watch when camp kicks off in less than a month.
QUICK HITS
-The Dolphins were one of four teams to watch free agent running back Kevin Jones work out. I don't think the Dolphins have that much interest, though. I think it's more of them making sure they do their due diligence and leave no stone unturned.
-Here's a great article about the new atmosphere in Miami thanks to the new regime.
-Reagan Mauia and Paul Soliai are taking part in a Somoan football camp being run by June Jones and Greg McMackin.
So that's all for now. Be sure to leave all your thoughts below.
Also, just one day left for the Dolphins to meet Jeff Ireland's goal of signing the 3 remaining unsigned draft picks by July 1. Yeah, don't count on it. However, also don't worry about a holdout. Phillip Merling. Chad Henne, and Kendall Langford will be in camp on time.