Just like it probably was for many of you, this past weekend was a busy one for myself. But I'm back from a wedding in Pennsylvania and have caught up on all of the Dolphin news. So now allow me to do my best to catch you all up on some Dolphins news.
PAT WHITE BUZZ
Since the draft, Pat White has been a hot topic among Dolphin fans across the country. And, as expected with many decisions, the selection of White has been a hotly debated move among fans. But this past weekend at the wedding I attended, a few non-Dolphin fans actually brought up the topic of Pat White. Interestingly enough - they all seem to love it.
A combination of Jet fans, Giant fans, Cowboys fans, and Eagle fans had nothing but positive thoughts about White. In fact, these fans seemed more optimistic about him than many Dolphin fans I know. Some even seem to think that White will eventually beat out Chad Henne as the team's starting quarterback in a few years.
Now it's beyond me to sit here and say that all these opinions matter. We all know opinions are like a**holes - everybody has one and most of them stink. But what is most interesting to me is the buzz White is generating - not just from Fin fans but from football fans in general.
When was the last time the Dolphins really created a national buzz in the football community? It's been a while, that's for sure. Even last season's amazing turnaround didn't seem to generate the kind of buzz that Pat White is creating. It's going to be very interesting to see how this plays out once camp begins in July - and even more interesting to see how much national media attention Pat White gets in his rookie season.
ROSENHAUS: WILFORD "EXCITED FOR THIS SEASON"
This past weekend, courtesy of his twitter account, Ernest Wilford's agent - Drew Rosenhaus - wrote the following:
Ernest Wilford is excited about this season - he has been in the Dolphins workout program and is ready to bounce back strong this year.
Who would have thought that a player would be excited about getting cut? That's what Rosenhaus is saying here, isn't it? After all, there is no way Ernest makes this team, is there?
Let's be honest - the chips are clearly not stacked in Wilford's favor as we inch towards training camp. Ted Ginn and Davone Bess are likely locks to make the final 53-man roster. Ginn has shown flashes of ability and his ceiling is still very high as he enters the crucial third season in the league. Bess, meanwhile, only had the second greatest rookie season ever for an undrafted wide receiver.
Greg Camarillo signed a 3 year, $5.7 million extension last season before his knee injury. And in April, GM Jeff Ireland said that if camp was to open today, he and Ginn would be the team's starting receivers. I'd be surprised if Camarillo wasn't a Dolphin in 2009, though he could open the season on the PUP list if his knee isn't fully healthy.
Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline were 3rd and 4th round draft picks respectively and it's highly unlikely either wouldn't make the team. And it would be risky to try and sneak either through waivers to place them on the practice squad, though I wouldn't be shocked to see the Dolphins attempt to sneak one by. I'd say it's unlikely, though.
Brandon London has been highly regarded as a "project" wide receiver - with nearly half of the league putting in waiver claims for him last season when the Giants waived him in hopes of placing him on their practice squad. And here's the key with London - he is NOT eligible for the practice squad because of the number of games he dressed for last season. So he'll be competing for a roster spot and it would be hard to pass up a guy with his potential to make room for Wilford.
So right there you got six receivers who are probably higher on Miami's depth chart than Wilford. And I haven't even mentioned those guys like Anthony Armstrong as well as the undrafted free agents the Fins brought in.
But maybe Rosenhaus was saying Ernest was "excited" about getting cut so he can go try to make a less-talented team. Yeah - that must be it.
HOW THE DOLPHINS DO BUSINESS
Want to know how the Dolphins go about their business in terms of player personnel and their offseason training program? Barry Jackson has some inside info courtesy of the recently signed Eric Green:
How brutally honest are the Dolphins with new players? Cornerback Eric Green said that before he signed, coach Tony Sparano and general manager Jeff Ireland essentially told him, ''We rolled 80 guys through our 53-man roster last year. What does that tell you? If you're not going to play, we'll get rid of you.'' Green, who said players appreciate that honesty ''whether it's harsh or not,'' also said the Dolphins' offseason training program is so grueling that "I was throwing up lifting weights.''
Love it! This is how a professional football team is supposed to be run. And to think of all the joke coaching staffs and joke front offices we had to put up with to get to this point. A professional athlete is puking just from lifting in the Dolphins' conditioning program. Awesome!
Oh - and that whole honest, no-nonsense approach with their players? Also awesome! That's how you do it - you make every player earn their job. If they don't, "we'll get rid of you."
QUICK HITS
-Will Allen spoke with the Palm Beach Post recently. I love his attitude. He loves football and calls opening up the season with Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning, and Philip Rivers "a dream."
-Could undrafted free agent Louis Ellis be our long-term answer at nose tackle?
-Dolphins have three preseason dates and times set. We knew that the August 27 game against Tampa Bay was set to be a nationally televised game at 8 pm. Now we also know that the Dolphins will open their preseason on Monday, August 17 at 7:30 against the Jaguars. And they will close the preseason on Thursday, September 3 at 8:00 against the Saints.