Maybe I should be a little quicker to post because I had a pretty good feeling last night that Eric Green wouldn't make this football team. I didn't expect him to be cut today, but it seemed to me maybe Jason Allen was a pretty big winner on Monday night. Accordingly, when I went on Phins.com this afternoon and read the news, my precise reaction was "Wow," followed by..."Okay, makes sense."
With that said here's my take...
You have to feel pretty good about big baby Sean Smith. I read a good story yesterday in one of the papers talking about how big corners are like left-handed pitchers. Everybody needs one and it's tough to find a good one so these guys get a lot of opportunities. This isn't always a good thing; you can have a bigger corner stick around for a few years and keep getting chances because coaches are thinking, "Man, if I can get this guy's technique together he's got a skill set that can make him a real asset." The problem with that thinking is, sometimes, you're going to keep wasting a roster spot on a guy that just isn't going to develop the way you need him to.
I think they scored pretty big, no pun intended, on Sean Smith. Here's a guy that's almost 6-foot-4. He's 214 pounds, and he can run. Now, he's also showing more consistency than just about any rookie on this team and he's already running with the first team. You take what you see in practice and you throw it into the first game and he's running step for step with Tory Holt, who's a real crafty veteran. He creates a coverage sack. He doesn't really have many minus plays. And then he shows his other real standout skill and makes a great play on a route and comes up with an interception. To have a big corner that's playing like a little corner, playing like a corner with maybe more experience than he has, that's a real good thing. He's going to get tested and tested and tested this season and there's going to be some bumps in the road, I'm sure. But you get into November and December and January and you have a 6'4 kid running with the Randy Moss's and Terrell Owens' of the world in the cold weather, that's potentially a really great thing for your defense.
Vontae Davis. I liked what Sparano said about him in the presser today. What stood out from his performance on Monday is the negative stuff. The penalties on special teams, but let's not even go there right now because we're looking at this strictly from a defensive standpoint. The penalty he had on 3rd down there in the red zone, that's a decision making error and the kind of mistake coaches really don't mind. They're going to keep drilling him on technique and doing the right things, but the guy's got a real good makeup. He did some things on Monday night that were also pretty good that haven't been talked about much. His coverage was ok for a guy playing his first game. His run support was very good. He's into this whole thing from a mental standpoint. You watch the kid and feel his presence. He's physical, a lot of energy, a lot of toughness out there as a cornerback. I think the coaches feel pretty good about where Vontae Davis is right now or they wouldn't have cut an experienced guy like Eric Green. I think we're going to see a week-to-week improvement from Vontae Davis and he reminds me a little bit of a young, brash Patrick Surtain. With a guy like that, you almost want him to make some mistakes because it's a humbling thing. The more he realizes, "hey wait, I'm not in college anymore, maybe I can't get away from some of this stuff," the better this kid is going to be. He's got all of the talent and as important, I think he wants to be a special player and he's just trying to figure out how to do that. He's got the right people here to help him with that.
An underrated guy in this corner mix is Nate Jones, who's in a battle with Davis now for the third spot and frankly I think he has the experience to win it. He can cover the slot, he's got some savvy and the guy can play some different packages and come on the blitz. This guy was pretty good for us last year and I saw some of those things again on Monday. I think they're gonna build Davis up from the bottom and by the 2nd or 3rd month of the season he's going to be there in the nickel a lot more. But at the beginning I think you might see a lot of Davis and I don't think that's such a bad thing.
Jason Allen. Another one of these big, physical corners who has the tools and has the willingness to be coached and the desire. He showed some flashes last year but the mental stuff was still lacking in terms of technique and really figuring the whole thing out. This is his 2nd year playing purely cornerback and sticking to this defense and this scheme. I think the Green decision, as much as anything else, is the coaches showing some confidence in Jason Allen as the 5th cornerback on this team. He plays good special teams and I think by the time this season rolls around they'll feel pretty good about running him out there at cornerback and not dropping off a ton from the guys in front of him.
Eric Green would've made this team last year. This year, it's a whole 'nother ball game. This cornerback position could turn out to actually be a pretty big strength this year and I think the release of Green shows us the coaches know who their guys are, they're already here on the roster and we're going to go and play ball with them and feel pretty good about it.
Panthers game can't come soon enough.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Breaking down Game 1 (Offense)
The Dolphins came out of Monday night's game with no injuries and they won the football game. Accordingly, the first live contact action of the 2009 season was a complete success.
As far as evaluation and all that goes, there was a lot more good than bad out there on the field. The impression I had after watching the game for the first time was that they're right about where they should be right now. They look a lot like last year's team already and I think the new additions, the areas where we really got better will become more apparent over the next few weeks one way or the other. The best example of that is with the offensive line - I don't think it's fair to look at a few series of play, with rotation at right guard, without game planning and against an excellent run defense, and assume we haven't gotten better on the offensive line because they weren't getting real good push. Time will tell with that.
I'm watching this game for the third time now. I don't want this to be ten pages so I'll stick to what stood out good and bad and some of the things we need to know about and be aware of.
Offense - Everything starts at quarterback and all three guys played pretty much as I expected. Pennington was okay; the deep ball to Ginn really bothered me a little bit. Ginn drew the interference but if that ball is thrown correctly, that could be a real big play. It's not an arm strength thing, it's a timing thing. He has to throw that ball a little sooner and farther, the velocity isn't the issue. Mostly good stuff, moved the offense well, I'm pretty satisfied there. Ronnie, fine. Ricky, a good deal more than fine. It could be the other way around on any given week and that's what you like over there. Also, if they keep 4 tailbacks, you can do worse than Lex Hilliard. One cut and go with some power. I liked that in camp ten days ago and I liked it last night.
As far as Henne goes, he did a good job but that one interception was pretty bad. Don't need to force that one. And he had another one he threw (with good velocity, mind you) that was a throw he didn't need to make. That's kind of what separates him and Pennington. He's got the pocket presence and a great arm, he makes good progressions but he just needs to play more and feel things out more where he'll be more consistent with his decision making. Now, he's gotta take those mistakes, learn from them and move forward. I liked how he bounced back with a TD pass on the next drive. We really need to find out more about Chad Henne this preseason.
Don't let 2-7 for 14 yards and a pick fool you about Pat White. There was 3 or 4 drops, including the one that was picked off. He's a terrific athlete and he looks a lot more comfortable out there now than a month ago. But he needs to get bigger. There's something about that kid I like, I'll keep saying it, and we haven't even gotten a peak at what he's really here to do. Just a good kid to root for.
Offense line -**Donald Thomas needs to start at RG. There's just a different mentallity, a different attitude when he's in the game. If anyone has the game on tape, watch the play where Henne completes one to Martin and tell me Thomas doesn't stone wall TWO guys in the pass block. Comes off one and walls off the other. Impressive. They need to get him working full-time with the 1's as soon as possible and go from there. Other than that, the pass blocking and ability to adjust to what Jax was doing was good. The run blocking up the middle needs work. And continuity is the biggest thing there because Smiley/Grove/Thomas are all good, physical run blockers.
**Let me say this right now and I think this was one of the two or three biggest thing I took from this game. Ted Ginn is looking like a player right now. I don't mean a couple of flashes here and there and being one of the guys. I mean a serious ball player over there at receiver. He's learning. I think it's Sparano, I think it's Karl Dorrell the WR coach, I think Nat Moore has something to with it. But the biggest thing is what's happened in Ginn's mind and his commitment to becoming a top receiver. He's running very good routes, he's showing concentration and he's playing fast; not thinking a whole lot and using his speed. I'm pretty excited about what this kid can do and they need to get him 5-7 touches a game.
Other than that, you know the deal with Davone Bess and he made some catches. Camarillo, he'll probably get a couple balls his way the next week. Turner and Hartline made a couple of plays but they need to keep working on that consistency Sparano has talked about seeing from his rookies. As a group, there's good depth and maybe Ginn can be the #1.
**The second thing is what I saw from Chris Williams. For him to get that kind of opportunity returning, I feel like they must like something about him as a receiver and they wanted to see if he can offer another dimension. I think from what he did last night he's probably neck and neck at least with Brandon London as far as a 6th WR spot, if they decide to keep six. I like the way this kid returns kicks but he also can't be catching the ball on his five or fumbling one out of bounds. The most important thing about the return game, before making any big plays, is ball security and knowing your field and being smart with it. I'll be watching this kid closely, on offense and on the returns.
I'll be back with the defense later tonight or tomorrow. Thanks.
As far as evaluation and all that goes, there was a lot more good than bad out there on the field. The impression I had after watching the game for the first time was that they're right about where they should be right now. They look a lot like last year's team already and I think the new additions, the areas where we really got better will become more apparent over the next few weeks one way or the other. The best example of that is with the offensive line - I don't think it's fair to look at a few series of play, with rotation at right guard, without game planning and against an excellent run defense, and assume we haven't gotten better on the offensive line because they weren't getting real good push. Time will tell with that.
I'm watching this game for the third time now. I don't want this to be ten pages so I'll stick to what stood out good and bad and some of the things we need to know about and be aware of.
Offense - Everything starts at quarterback and all three guys played pretty much as I expected. Pennington was okay; the deep ball to Ginn really bothered me a little bit. Ginn drew the interference but if that ball is thrown correctly, that could be a real big play. It's not an arm strength thing, it's a timing thing. He has to throw that ball a little sooner and farther, the velocity isn't the issue. Mostly good stuff, moved the offense well, I'm pretty satisfied there. Ronnie, fine. Ricky, a good deal more than fine. It could be the other way around on any given week and that's what you like over there. Also, if they keep 4 tailbacks, you can do worse than Lex Hilliard. One cut and go with some power. I liked that in camp ten days ago and I liked it last night.
As far as Henne goes, he did a good job but that one interception was pretty bad. Don't need to force that one. And he had another one he threw (with good velocity, mind you) that was a throw he didn't need to make. That's kind of what separates him and Pennington. He's got the pocket presence and a great arm, he makes good progressions but he just needs to play more and feel things out more where he'll be more consistent with his decision making. Now, he's gotta take those mistakes, learn from them and move forward. I liked how he bounced back with a TD pass on the next drive. We really need to find out more about Chad Henne this preseason.
Don't let 2-7 for 14 yards and a pick fool you about Pat White. There was 3 or 4 drops, including the one that was picked off. He's a terrific athlete and he looks a lot more comfortable out there now than a month ago. But he needs to get bigger. There's something about that kid I like, I'll keep saying it, and we haven't even gotten a peak at what he's really here to do. Just a good kid to root for.
Offense line -**Donald Thomas needs to start at RG. There's just a different mentallity, a different attitude when he's in the game. If anyone has the game on tape, watch the play where Henne completes one to Martin and tell me Thomas doesn't stone wall TWO guys in the pass block. Comes off one and walls off the other. Impressive. They need to get him working full-time with the 1's as soon as possible and go from there. Other than that, the pass blocking and ability to adjust to what Jax was doing was good. The run blocking up the middle needs work. And continuity is the biggest thing there because Smiley/Grove/Thomas are all good, physical run blockers.
**Let me say this right now and I think this was one of the two or three biggest thing I took from this game. Ted Ginn is looking like a player right now. I don't mean a couple of flashes here and there and being one of the guys. I mean a serious ball player over there at receiver. He's learning. I think it's Sparano, I think it's Karl Dorrell the WR coach, I think Nat Moore has something to with it. But the biggest thing is what's happened in Ginn's mind and his commitment to becoming a top receiver. He's running very good routes, he's showing concentration and he's playing fast; not thinking a whole lot and using his speed. I'm pretty excited about what this kid can do and they need to get him 5-7 touches a game.
Other than that, you know the deal with Davone Bess and he made some catches. Camarillo, he'll probably get a couple balls his way the next week. Turner and Hartline made a couple of plays but they need to keep working on that consistency Sparano has talked about seeing from his rookies. As a group, there's good depth and maybe Ginn can be the #1.
**The second thing is what I saw from Chris Williams. For him to get that kind of opportunity returning, I feel like they must like something about him as a receiver and they wanted to see if he can offer another dimension. I think from what he did last night he's probably neck and neck at least with Brandon London as far as a 6th WR spot, if they decide to keep six. I like the way this kid returns kicks but he also can't be catching the ball on his five or fumbling one out of bounds. The most important thing about the return game, before making any big plays, is ball security and knowing your field and being smart with it. I'll be watching this kid closely, on offense and on the returns.
I'll be back with the defense later tonight or tomorrow. Thanks.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Time to reflect...
What a difference one revolution around the sun makes...
This time last year, the Phins came into camp with question marks everywhere. Gone were the faces of the franchise for the last decade-plus, Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. The QB job was wide open with John Beck (not Brady Quinn), Josh McCown (who?) and rookie Chad Henne vying for the starting role. Ronnie Brown was coming off a season ending knee injury and no one knew what, if anything, could be expected from Sticky Icky Ricky Williams. The front lines, on both sides of the ball, were an absolute mess, with free acquisitions and draft picks expected to take on critical roles. Wide Recievers? Ted Ginn (and his family), Greg Camarillo, who most of us only knew as the guy who caught the TD to keep us from going winless, and Derek Hagan, a Nick Satan draft choice who had as many drops as catches in his first two seasons, were the leading candidates.
But Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano had a vision, and they believed in themselves and their players. Those guys had Dolphins fans believing in no time as Chad Pennington came in and blew the roof off the building in his first practice (yea, Mr. Iverson, I'm talking about practice), Ronnie Brown and the wildcat offense took the league by storm and put the Patsies in their place in Week 3 and the team cruised to win after overachieving win by out-coaching, out-thinking and out-hustling opponents. What a year. And we're just getting started...
Now...Sparano looks like he knows more about each individual player than they know about themselves. Pennington is poised and looking ready for a repeat performance. Ronnie, coming off an impressive (but Pro Bowl worthy?) year, has everything in line to kick it into another gear and somehow, someway, in some (must be) alternate reality, Ricky Williams is leading by example and proving to be one of the most trustworthy players on the squad. The offensive line has a premier left tackle (Jake Long), a solid right tackle, and a fierce interior that could be truly special if (and it's a big if), Jake Grove, Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas can stay healthy. Mark my words, if these guys are healthy, this is one of the best lines in football. On defense, Taylor's back in town and looking as hungry and athletic as he has in years, ready to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks with 2008 AFC-sack leader Joey Porter on the other side. The ends are the way Bill Parcells likes them; big, powerful and athletic. Will Allen is shut down, period. Sean Smith and Vontae Davis are as physical and cocky as they are young and raw. Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell are a good safety tandem. Did I mention Pat White is on the roster in a top-secret role no one outside the team's brass understands? yet...
Ahh, there's electricity in the air in South Florida and it's not the weather; I didn't even see a single storm in the week I was down there. Unusual during the summer time down there, but not as unusual as it is for Dolphins fans to feel good about the prospects of our team going into the season, considering what the last few years have been like. That's what's creating the electric current. And I love that no one believes in these guys, still. Why should they? It's not what you did yesterday but what you're doing today and what you're going to do tomorrow. No predictions, no expectations. Just keep that current flowing, let's shock 'em like an electric eel...again and again.
This time last year, the Phins came into camp with question marks everywhere. Gone were the faces of the franchise for the last decade-plus, Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. The QB job was wide open with John Beck (not Brady Quinn), Josh McCown (who?) and rookie Chad Henne vying for the starting role. Ronnie Brown was coming off a season ending knee injury and no one knew what, if anything, could be expected from Sticky Icky Ricky Williams. The front lines, on both sides of the ball, were an absolute mess, with free acquisitions and draft picks expected to take on critical roles. Wide Recievers? Ted Ginn (and his family), Greg Camarillo, who most of us only knew as the guy who caught the TD to keep us from going winless, and Derek Hagan, a Nick Satan draft choice who had as many drops as catches in his first two seasons, were the leading candidates.
But Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano had a vision, and they believed in themselves and their players. Those guys had Dolphins fans believing in no time as Chad Pennington came in and blew the roof off the building in his first practice (yea, Mr. Iverson, I'm talking about practice), Ronnie Brown and the wildcat offense took the league by storm and put the Patsies in their place in Week 3 and the team cruised to win after overachieving win by out-coaching, out-thinking and out-hustling opponents. What a year. And we're just getting started...
Now...Sparano looks like he knows more about each individual player than they know about themselves. Pennington is poised and looking ready for a repeat performance. Ronnie, coming off an impressive (but Pro Bowl worthy?) year, has everything in line to kick it into another gear and somehow, someway, in some (must be) alternate reality, Ricky Williams is leading by example and proving to be one of the most trustworthy players on the squad. The offensive line has a premier left tackle (Jake Long), a solid right tackle, and a fierce interior that could be truly special if (and it's a big if), Jake Grove, Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas can stay healthy. Mark my words, if these guys are healthy, this is one of the best lines in football. On defense, Taylor's back in town and looking as hungry and athletic as he has in years, ready to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks with 2008 AFC-sack leader Joey Porter on the other side. The ends are the way Bill Parcells likes them; big, powerful and athletic. Will Allen is shut down, period. Sean Smith and Vontae Davis are as physical and cocky as they are young and raw. Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell are a good safety tandem. Did I mention Pat White is on the roster in a top-secret role no one outside the team's brass understands? yet...
Ahh, there's electricity in the air in South Florida and it's not the weather; I didn't even see a single storm in the week I was down there. Unusual during the summer time down there, but not as unusual as it is for Dolphins fans to feel good about the prospects of our team going into the season, considering what the last few years have been like. That's what's creating the electric current. And I love that no one believes in these guys, still. Why should they? It's not what you did yesterday but what you're doing today and what you're going to do tomorrow. No predictions, no expectations. Just keep that current flowing, let's shock 'em like an electric eel...again and again.
Allow me to introduce myself....
My name is Boris Tsalyuk and I like the Miami Dolphins more than most people like just about anything. I'm a 23-year-old sports writer who just graduated from the University of Maryland and I'm here to share my thoughts, feelings and insights on the greatest football team on Earth. Many people say this blog is long overdue because, like I said, I live and breathe Dolphins football.
The Bill Parcells-led turnaround has given new life to football in South Florida. With the right management and coaching, the new era has a strong foundation, which we saw last year with a remarkable turnaround from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 and an AFC East Crown. I just got back from a trip to Fort Lauderdale with my girlfriend and I got a chance to check out Dolphins camp for the first time in a few years. A lot of excitement and energy down there and with that, a lot to talk about. Let's roll.
The Bill Parcells-led turnaround has given new life to football in South Florida. With the right management and coaching, the new era has a strong foundation, which we saw last year with a remarkable turnaround from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 and an AFC East Crown. I just got back from a trip to Fort Lauderdale with my girlfriend and I got a chance to check out Dolphins camp for the first time in a few years. A lot of excitement and energy down there and with that, a lot to talk about. Let's roll.
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