Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Last Line of Defense, Part 2 - The Corners

It takes a lot of guts to stand one on one on a receiver out in the open field. It takes a lot of physical ability as well. You need to have 'the feet' and 'the hips', etc. But the most important aspect of a great cornerback, is the ability to use these tools without having to think about it. In fact, it's best not to think at all, if possible. Sure, your past experience can provide a boost to your game and create more opportunities for big plays, but you don't want to be thinking about your past experiences, or your footwork, or your courage once the ball is snapped.

You want to be fully prepared with all that stuff beforehand, so that once the game is on, you can just react. Because no one on the football field has to have a faster reaction time than the cornerback. In an upcoming blog article, I'm going to show everyone how Dolphins WRs Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline were able to get separation on cornerbacks in college, and with the included video you'll see just how fast the cornerback would have to react in order to prevent the catch. I hope to have that up by next Monday so keep checking back for it.

In the meantime, here are the eight cornerbacks currently on Miami's roster, with my quick assessments of them:

Will Allen, # 25.
Well, Will, you've just signed a brand spanking new contract worth millions! What are you going to do now?
"I'm going to prove I'm worth that money by doubling my career interception total in the 2009 season alone!" (note to reader: Will did not actually say this)
"oh, yeah, and as a bonus, I'm going to mentor the younger guys so that we can turn Miami's Secondary into a top 5 unit!" (not to reader: Will did not say this either, and for the record, I would be happy if they were a top 15 unit in 2009)
Okay, we all know Will's a starter and 90% of the time very solid at that position. But even aged veterans can improve their play, right? He had a couple of REALLY poor games in 2008. Mr. Consistent should try to be even more so (consistent, that is). Although some of his poor play was due to injury, and we didn't have the depth to rest him. It should be a different story this year.

Jason Allen, # 32.
Well this year is the 's*** or get off the pot' year for Allen, according to the legion of 'FA TRA JA' also known as 'Fans for the Trading of Jason Allen'. They had the same mantra last year as well. And probably the year before that. A lot of fans and media alike can't allow themselves to see that just because Jason Allen isn't Nnamdi Asomugha, doesn't mean that he should be dumped. It's like if someone offers you a free pizza and you say "um, excuse me, there's no extra cheese on this, it's only moderately cheesy, I don't want it, take it away!" Ok, Jason Allen is not free, and is not a pizza, but the argument is that we want top quality starters, and then everyone else must go. Well that's not the way championship teams work. No matter how good your starters are, they cannot play every play and they will get injured. You need depth at every position. Whether Allen turns into a full-time starter is irrelevant. He's a damn good football player. Plus, if we let him go he will end up on the Jets/Pats/Bills and wreak havoc on us twice a year.

Vontae Davis, # 24.
I'm this close to doing a 180 on my April assessment of Vontae. I originally thought he had tons of ability but was lacking in the mental aspect of the game. Now, I'm starting to feel that he may not be as good as I thought he was, but he's definitely smarter than I thought he was. Ok, he has the most annoying voice I've ever heard from a grown man, and not the largest vocabulary, but everything he's said and done since being drafted by the Dolphins has shown that he is very mature, or at least smart enough to know he needs to be mature, and each press interview he says something that blows me a way because I wouldn't expect that chunk of wisdom to come from him. This kid knows what he's doing. He's taking his time. Media reports are that he hasn't flashed anything during OTAs, whereas the other rookie has. Truth is, by not being noticeable, it means he's not getting blown up either. He is studying the game, the scheme, the players, etc. Keep an eye on Davis. I think he wants this more than any other corner on the roster. And he's going about it the right way.

Will Billingsley, # 27.
I can't think of any other player that's been given half a dozen chances in one season to make the roster like Billingsley has. He went undrafted, was out of football for a year, then signed with Miami in April 2008. Since then he was cut in August, added to the practice squad on August 31st, cut on September 25th, signed on October 6th, cut on October 9th, signed on October 14th, cut on November 21st before being signed again to the practice squad the final week of the season. He then was signed off the PS in January. What does all this mean? Well firstly, it means that the Dolphins like something about him to keep bringing him back. It also means that more than once they've thought that he was expendable. I know nothing about his play on the field, so we'll leave it at that.

Sean Smith, # 31.
Every now and then a rookie comes along and gets all the buzz during OTAs then fizzles when the pads are put on. I don't think that will be Sean Smith though. I've gone back and watched more of his play and noticed something very interesting. Besides his amazing skill-set/size/speed combo, he was allowed to do certain things at Utah because they would line up a safety noticeably close to Smith (ten yards or so). As far as I can tell, this was a safety measure as Smith would line up RIGHT IN THE FACE of his receiver and would get into the guys' shoes practically. This kind of aggressiveness can often lead to getting burned if he were to miss on the jam. I believe they put the safety on Smith to allow him to be that aggressive. If the Dolphins do the same thing, this guy could cause a lot of problems for the opposing offense. Of course it could also lead to a rookie getting beat badly time and again and heartburn in a lot of fans. Of course, there's a guy who plays for the Raiders (mentioned above) who plays this way as well, and opposing QBs and offensive coordinators don't even look at that side of the field anymore.

Eric Green, # 21.
Green has been a starter in this league and has been effective. But then he got injured, got benched, had a tragic loss, and was not allowed to dress for the Super Bowl (let's face it, if you're a Cardinal and you make it to the Super Bowl, it's probably your only chance). He seems all smiley and confident on the outside but I suspect he's not the same player he was a couple of years ago. Still, he's better than the depth we had last year. It will be strange at first seeing a #21 out there who's not Andre Goodman, especially if Green were to win Goodman's old spot.

Nate Jones, # 33.
Nate Jones is a smart guy. He's a seasoned guy. He's a fast guy. He's a tough guy. What he wasn't last year was a good cornerback. He was serviceable at times, god-awful at other times. He was OKAY on special teams, but he missed SEVERAL tackles during the season. He does have all those good traits though. He should be better than he was in 2008. What is holding him back? Just lack of playing time? Or is he not as good as the Trifecta said he was...

Joey Thomas, # 22.
When the Dolphins allowed Thomas to replace Jason Allen in the nickel package last year, I thought they had given up hope on the season and were trying to get him some experience. The reality is, we just didn't have any depth. Thomas had a decent training camp last year, followed by a decent pre-season before being cut. I thought he was going to make the roster last year and thought they were wrong to cut him and keep Jones. Well months later they re-signed him off the Arby's practice squad just to show me why they cut him in the first place. But it wasn't his fault. It was the coaches' fault for taking a guy off the street and sticking him in the game. He wasn't ready. Now he's had the time to prepare, we'll find out who Joey Thomas really is. Football player or janitor.

So those are great eight. Can you find the five who'll thrive? Or do you think there'll be six making picks?

55 comments:

  1. "Think! How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"  Yogi Berra

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  2. This is an easy one. The Allen brothers, Smith, Davis, and Green. I'd prefer we keep Jones and send Green (who should have been Bodden) packing. But due to the FA contract Green got I'd say they keep Green over Jones

    I don't think they keep 6 because they would prefer to keep more LB's over corners for special teams

    Billingsley goes back to the practice squad for who knows how long

    It would be nice to trade Jones for a 6th or 7th like they did with Daniels last year, but they'd need a suitor and it seems unlikely

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  3. Thsi is one position that you have it or you don't.  Because the responcabilty of a CB is to cover a WR and/or support on a run, that's it.  CBs are the most likely to be an impact player from the get go.  If a player has problems at the CB spot they get moved to a safety position hoping they can catch on given more time.  That is the case with J. Allen as I see it.

    I am no expert when it comes to knowing what to look for in players, So I can only comment on why someone like J. Allen, Billingsley, Thomas, or Jones,  May or may not stick with the team.  Most of that relates to Special team play.  it is my thought that if any of the few named above standout on STs play, they have a chance to make the team.  The least likely of that group could be J Allen because of his contract, and his inabililty to crack the starting line up.

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  4. The Knight who says Ni!July 8, 2009 at 5:46 PM

    We'll have good competition at corner this year.

    Vontae Davis is a very young guy with great strength and good overall athletic ability. He's a very physical corner and fits the style of play Parcells has always looked for in corners. He has a lot of upside and at the least he should be a solid corner for 10 years.

    Sean Smith is the most intriguing player on the team. Maybe second to Pat White. Smith's size and speed is rare. The negative I've heard about him is he's not a good tackler. If that's true he will get schooled on that in camp. But his ability to match up with bigger WRs is what makes him valuable. It might take awhile for him to get up to speed with the big skilled veteran WRs like T.O., Moss and others but that's expected.

    Jason Allen has to prove he's ready to be more than just a guy this year or he may be treated like just a guy when the roster has to get down to 53. I agree with Tin that he has talent. Can he put it all together now that's he's been exclusively trained as a corner for a full year? I'm rooting for him.

    These are the big three who I think have the talent to elevate our secondary to another level. The two rookies will have a learning curve, it's Jason's time to step up and be a good player. If he doesn't he's not a good player. Simple as that.

    We have good competition in the secondary this year.

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  5. The Knight who says Ni!July 8, 2009 at 6:49 PM

    I came across this little tidbit.



    Barry Jackson, of the Miami Herald, reports the Miami Dolphins have kept tabs and spoken casually with agents about a few unsigned cornerbacks, primarily free-agent CBs Mike McKenzie (Saints) and Travis Fisher (Lions), in case there are injuries in training camp or if CBs Eric Green, Sean Smith and Vontae Davis struggle.
    <div>
    </div>

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  6. I don't comment, usually ever, but I want to let you know that I read your blog Tin, and I think you do a really awesome job, I like your writing, and enjoy your opinion. 

    Keep it up. I'll be reading. 

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  7. "<span style="color: #336666; ">if we let him go he will end up on the Jets/Pats/Bills and wreak havoc on us twice a year.</span>

    <span style="color: #336666; ">...roflmao!!!! ...now THAT is the weakest excuse yet for keeping JA on the roster ...and you've given us a long list of weak excuses over the past few months.</span>

    <span style="color: #336666; ">...how about its LOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGG past time for this kid to earn a paycheck or hit the road ...I don't expect every player to start but I do expect every one of them to make the starter look over his shoulder in TC ...or hit the road, eh.</span>

    <span style="color: #336666; ">...JA has seen THREE different coaching staffs now and NONE of them thought he was starting material ...and now we hear from O and other observers that JA was constantly looking to the sidelines during OTAs for a clue on what he's supposed to be doing!!!!</span>

    <span style="color: #336666; ">...this is it ...crunch time ...win the spot on merit, not cap hit, or hit the road ...don't waste our air and tin's fantasies for another year of major dissappointment ...and I don't give a tin if the cheatriots do pick him up ...if he can't play for us in our system, kiss his ass goodby and wish him luck elsewhere.</span>

    <span style="color: #336666; ">...now that said, I actually hope JA mans up and actually earns a roster spot this year by beating out the competition ...thats a win-win for every-one, eh.</span>

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  8. The Knight who says Ni!July 8, 2009 at 8:21 PM

    lemmus, remember too that Jason Allen has been shuffled from safety to corner and back 3 or 4 times. He's now been exclusively at corner for a year in our current system. This is the biggest training camp and preseason of his career. No doubt!

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  9. Is it just me or, and I don't mean to pick on you Knight, does it bug others when you read a Captain Obvious post like remember too that Jason Allen has been shuffled from safety to corner and back 3 or 4 times.  We're friggin' on this board every day of the yr I'm pretty sure 99% of us know Jason Allen's situation, especially Lemmus.  So why the refresher?  Remember Shula was the only coach to take us to the SB.

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  10. son of a son of a shulaJuly 9, 2009 at 5:27 AM

    JA makes the team if only for his ST play, but I think he'll push for playing time in the d-backfield as well.

    My prediction- Vontae starts opposite Will Allen. 

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  11. son of a son of a shulaJuly 9, 2009 at 5:30 AM

    Tin, I also wanted to say that I thought you did a nice job not only on the CB breakdown but I thought the safety breakdown was well done also. Thanks.

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  12. The Knight who says Ni!July 9, 2009 at 7:08 AM

    <span style="font-family: Times; ">
    <div style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: #ffffff; background-position: initial initial; margin: 8px;">
    <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Steve, sorry to bug you but it didn't seem obvious to me that lemmus was aware of just how much Jason Allen was shuffled around based on his comments.
    </div>
    </span>

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  13. The Knight who says Ni!July 9, 2009 at 7:10 AM

    <span style="font-family: Times; ">
    <div style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: #ffffff; background-position: initial initial; margin: 8px;">
    <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Steve, sorry to bug you but it didn't seem obvious to me that lemmus was aware of just how much Jason Allen was shuffled around based on his comments.
    </div>
    </span>

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  14. The Knight who says Ni!July 9, 2009 at 7:34 AM

    Steve, sorry to bug you but based on lemmus' comments it didn't seem obvious to me that he was a aware of just how much Jason Allen has been shuffled around.

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  15. If anything I say we should trade J.Allen to a cover 2 team looking for a saftey.  From the get go I've always thought that scheme played to his strengths.  Not much thinking just playing center field.  I think he could fetch a mid 2nd day pick.  He has 3 more years on his contract (including this year) and is too costly to be relegated to 3rd string.  Presently I think Nate Jones is ahead of him based on his nickel and special teams play last year.  Although J. Allen played well on special teams I still say Nate. 

    I say we keep,

    Will Allen, Sean Smith, Vontae Davis, Eric Green, and Nate Jones.

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  16. Here we go with the Herald crap again.  Why is no other source covering this?  Probably because its fiction.  No offense Knight.  Not trying to kill the messenger, just sick of their irresponsibility.

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  17. Jason Allen was WAY better than Jones on S/T last year...WAY better! lol

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  18. ESPN also reported it, but they quoted the Herald. 

    Did anyone here ever watch the HBO show "Carnivale".  There's a character on it that I equate Barry Jackson to - 'Management'

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  19. son of a son of a shulaJuly 9, 2009 at 10:04 AM

    True

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  20. son of a son of a shulaJuly 9, 2009 at 10:08 AM

    Tin you seem knowledgable about the cap, I raised the following question on the SS board without reply, see if you can help me out...

    If next year is a uncapped year couldn't the Dolphins front load the contracts of Ronnie,Roth,Fasano, Pennington and whoever else so that they get their money in the uncapped year and when the cap returns they wouldn't be putting such a huge dent in it?

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  21. The Knight who says Ni!July 9, 2009 at 10:10 AM

    I liked <span style="">Carnivale, it's not on anymore though is it?</span>

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  22. also costs 5 times as much

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  23. no, it was only on for two years, but i never watched it back then, am watching it now, only have about 5 episodes to go.  But Barry Jackson's ability to just KNOW stuff without having to do any of the footwork or explanations, reminds me of the 'management' character...i forget his name...the russian guy with no limbs who lives behind the curtain...

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  24. you're very welcome.  I almost feel sad now, after finishing off the roster.  I won't be doing the special teams (kicker,etc), for obvious reasons.

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  25. There's a huge problem with that theory:

    the uncapped year 2010, wouldn't be the first year of the contract. If they signed extensions, then the original year they signed would remain the initial year.  NFL salary rules state that a player's salary cannot increase by more than 30% from year to year (it might actually 25%, not sure).  So if a guy was making $565k like Fasano, you couldn't extend him to $8 million the next year.  The only way to circumvent the rules would be to give him a sizable signing bonus, but that would be prorated over the course of the entire contract, meaning he would get the bonus for the previous years as well as that year all in one lump cap hit.  Basically it would mean he would suddenly go from a, say, $1 million cap hit in 2009 to a $15 million cap hit in 2009.  Then there's the fact that you're doling out huge guaranteed money.

    Now, if they wait until after the 2009 season, and allow the player to become a restricted free agent (if a CBA agreement is not reached, Fasano and Martin both would no longer be unrestricted), then they could start up a new contract and none of the above would matter.

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  26. oops, my bad, Martin would still be unrestricted, but Fasano would be restricted.

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  27. Jason Allen only makes TWICE as much.  ;)

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  28. The Knight who says Ni!July 9, 2009 at 10:36 AM

    The blind dude Lodz?

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  29. no, the guy who was attacked by the beast in the war and lost ll his limbs.  He was the owner/boss of the carnival, but only the little guy, Sampson, was allowed to speak to him.  He's apparently the priest's father as well.  I dunno, I've watched 20 episodes and have no idea what is going on, but I'm enjoying it anyway.  Kind of reminds me of twin peaks a bit.

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  30. The Knight who says Ni!July 9, 2009 at 11:18 AM

    Scudder played by John Savage?

    I think the draw of the show is the freakiness and anything can happen.

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  31. son of a son of a shulaJuly 9, 2009 at 11:25 AM

    I was referring to new contracts for all rather than extensions. I suppose those closely involved would find any loop hole possible.

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  32. Tin... good weblog on the corners.

    Charlie good point on J. Allen. What bothers me the most about J. Allen is that he has all the physical tools but his mind is holding him back. And I don't mean he is stupid but that I think he wants to be safety. In his head I think he wants and sees himself as a safety. And there is nothing wrong with that except that he is still relating the safety position to how he played it in college rather than transforming his game to the pros. I think he is a solid backup with definitely the potential to be a star.

    With that said my top five are Will Allen, Sean Smith, Vontae Davis, J. Allen and wait for it.. wait for it... Will Billingsley! Yeah I know it's a leap of faith but ever since watching some tape of him at North Carolina A&T I've liked him. Very fluid... besides.. I don't think Eric Green will last. And if he does he better the the Eric Green right before the injury and mishaps.

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  33. I think I accidently deleted my second to last post to you son of a son of a shula (i'll say 3-S from now on for short) so I'll just make this reply shorter this time. My opinionated answer to your question would be they could but it wouldn't be wise. No salary cap means no salary floor so why would management want to front load a player's contract and pay more money now when they possibly won't have to after the cap expires.

    What's interesting is that in 2010 if the cap expires there will be a minimum and maximum for player salaries that the owners would probably love. The minimum player salaries for 2010 will still be in effect and the maximum required payout for a 10 yr vet would be $855,000. (Salaries from a rookie to a 10 yr vet would range between 320k and 855k) So if a franchise wanted to they could terminate all player contracts and offer new ones to younger players for a considerable saving in player expenses. If you ask me a NFL with no salary cap favors the owners.

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  34. It's interesting point you bring up about J. Allen in college:
    from his bio: "Allen was a four-year letterman and three-year starter for the Tennessee Volunteers. He appeared in 43 games with 26 starting, including 12 starts at Safety (American football) and 14 at cornerback."

    I always forget this as do most people, but even in college he was asked to switch back and forth between CB and Safety.

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  35. The Knight who says Ni!July 9, 2009 at 5:56 PM

    Yeah and Napoleon talked out of two sides of his mouth as usual saying Jason Allen was never a safety or never a corner but he can do both. LOL

    This is a big year for Jason Allen. He has the tools, can he step it up and become a significant player. At 6-1 205 he has good size and he has run sub 4.4 40s. He ran those times weighing 210-215. I think the trifecta told him to lose some weight to play quicker.

    The one thing we have in the secondary are a bunch of skilled guys with upside. Davis, Smith and even Clemons were solid picks. They could be the future.

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  36. WA,SS,Vontae,JA,EG,(IF there's a 6th,I'd say WB due to upside),
    and YB,GW,CC,TC @ Safety...

    No promise for JThomas,NJones on the FA throne..

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  37. LMFAO!!!! Toooo FUNNNYYY!!!

    ""I dunno, I've watched 20 episodes and have no idea what is going on, but I'm enjoying it anyway."" 

    CAN'T stop laughing!!

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  38. ...for future reference, KN, take it as a given that I'm aware of JA's pros and cons ...and I've heard the position change excuse again and again and still ...are you not forgetting that those changes were made because he wasn't cutting it at the original one? ...three regimes and counting and still, no one likes him enough to start him ...time's up, do it HERE, RIGHT NOW or do it somewhere else.

    ...it sickens me to think that we'll do one more year of the "but he's a FANTASTIC athlete" bit while he warms the bench ...and in the meantime, we never get to see what Thomas could do in game time because JA ate his slot.

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  39. ...actually I'd love to read your take on ST, not re the PK or LS but who on the current roster plays what position, why, and their pro/cons, etc ...and how much their ST play might figure into their making the roster ...you refer to it all the time but a piece here and a bit there, you never put it together and I for one would love to see you take on it.

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  40. "The one thing we have in the secondary are a bunch of skilled guys with upside. Davis, Smith and even Clemons were solid picks. They could be the future" KN

    ...the truth and nothing but the truth :)

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  41. There is such a thing as casual fans,those that just watch the ball and have no idea of the starting roster,and/or depth chart,let-alone the fluidity it takes for 11 players on the same page to convert a succesfull play..

    Not everybody comes to these sites on a daily basis..
    Newbies pop-in everyday!!

    I'm sure that somewhere in the world,someone just today became a Miami Dolphin football fan,and perhaps it was due to one of"OUR"sites..

    Maybe some of these people have decided to become hard-core(due to the change in FIN culture),perhaps some are our eventual replacements,and want to know everything there is to know about FINS history!!
    And why some current players are where they are,and not where they could/should be,so that they could give their grandchildren an accurate analysis when they say,(I remember back in the day)..

    Maybe some of the above aren't aware of why JA's progressed slowly(even though hopefully someone mention's it daily for those not yet aware).. Perhaps today was the 1st time they had ever heard of such a scenario,and can now  come to an informed conclusion of their own..

    I think these sites are for the casual fan(trying to learn more than stareing @ the football),just as much as they are for those that have been FIN fans since the mid-60s,who religiously attend..
    MAYBE even moreso,cuz some of the religious don't need to come here cuz they they know-it-all anyway's,or aren't able to comprehend all the verses in their entirety w'an open mind..

    JUSAYIN,I'm ALL FOR JA(who's dilema I remind MYSELF of daily),getting ALL the benifit of a doubt,by the all-knowing as well as the casual/new Miami Dolphin fans!!

    JA's been hacky-sacked from position to position to position,and back again his entire NFL career,but will be on the field for us @ one pt or another this yr,inspite of it all(unless he's traded),and will someday be a legit starter in this league..  JMHO!!

    THANX for the reminder KNIGHT,keep-up the good work!!   

    THANX to TIN too!!!
    Hey,will I be grandfathered-in when you start gettin paid for your relentless efforts??
    Your doing a FANtastic job BRO!!

    GOFINS!!

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  42. Sounds like you think you can take-it-on!!
    Why don't YOU give it a shot ??!!

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  43. There ain't a better"bench warmer"anywhere in the league!!
    We have"OUR"starters,and you want to replace one of the best as you refer to him as"bench warmers"in the league w'a lesser commodity.. He play's circles around JThomas!!

    Have you not seen JThomas get worked by #4 recievers,while @ the other end of the spectrum, JA's single covering RMOSS,(and granted,getting worked),but again it's R frickin MOSS!!


    So now according to you,we need to watch for MVick,and PW replacing CP,and CH as of next yr,(ain't gonna happen),DBess,AND PCobbs possibly not making the 53,(ain't gonna happen),JAllen being a complete bust,(ain't gonna happen).. JMHO!!!

    Keep-it-up,eventually you'll pull a rabbit outta-your-azz,(EH)..

    GO CP,CH,PW,DB,PC,JA !!  GO D O L P H I N S !!!

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  44. 1) not my blog
    2) wouldn't have suggested it if I knew it already
    3) would be MY take, not Tins
    ...any other questions?

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  45. ..."ain't gonna happen" 13kvFINS

    ...hhhmmm ...that's why we have blogs ...so that differences in opinions can be aired ...but we will see who pans out and who doesn't now won't we.

    ...pre-draft the common wisdom was that the fins would take multiple LBs early ...I posted that I didn't think the trifecta would take a LB early because they had invested in three unknown quantities at LB already besides JT being available ...that they'd wait and see on LBs and pick other positions of need instead ...I thought OL but as we now know they went DBs ...point being the long line of "..."ain't gonna happen" posts from those copying the common wisdom and refusing to look at the whole picture.

    ...I called tin out when he posted to the effect that JT would almost never be used as a DE ...and got lectured by many ...but there JT was in OTAs at DE, repeatedly, so much that the media bloggers noted it ...another ..."ain't gonna happen" that is happening.

    ...there is admittedly a LOT of speculation in my assessment of what the trifecta has in mind for PW ...I think the common wisdom that he was drafted to shore up the WC is simple minded ...maybe as a 4th round pick, but not as their first 2nd round pick ...either the common wisdom is right and the trifecta wasted a big pick or the common wisdom is wrong and the trifecta took PW where they did because BP has much more in mind for PW than the WC.

    ...there have been a number of stories here and there that it was BP who took the WC to Sparano and Henning and not the other way round ...again the common wisdom says otherwise ...but remember that Parcels hired David Lee even before he signed Sparano ...why is that notable ...Parcels spent some time with Lee at Arkansas where Lee was wildly successful running the WC with McFadden taking the snap ...both Parcels and Lee were much more familiar with it than either Sparano or Henning.

    ...Parcels is on his last parade ...he has a record as a very good coach but nothing that is going to ring any bells ten years out ...not even another turn-around success ...but what if he was the next Bill Walsh? ...what if he turned the league upside down with a new offense? ...people remember Bill Walsh.

    ...Walsh's WCO was designed to keep the defense honest, force them to cover the short field and open running lanes and long pass opportunities ...and with the 3-4, the emphasis on speed, and rushing the passer, defense has finally caught up.

    ...which is why the WC worked so well at times last year ...it gave the defense fits until everyone finally figured out that RB was going to run out of it virtually every time ...but imnsho, the wc is just the tip of the iceberg ...Parcels intends to use PW to install a new NFL version of the spread, making most current defensive schemes (and the players designed for them) obsolete by taking the QB out from under center and making him a real RB option passer again ...hence my view of Penne/Henne being very short term fins ...now you can say ..."ain't gonna happen" and the odds are in your favor ...but I like the odds.

    ...as for your list of "sure things" ...maybe ...my point all along isn't that guys like Cobbs won't make the roster but that annointing them as "sure things" is foolhardy ...Sparano is in the position of having strong competition at a number of slots and some tough decisions on how many he will keep in each slot ...a number of those who made the team last year won't this year ...if there is one less RB slot this year than last because of other team considerations, that last RB slot is no longer a "sure thing" no matter who's name you put in it. 

    ...as for JA, imnsho "benchwarmer" is very complimentary ...in the entire year he got in the game only when we were desperately short of DBs [...]

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  46. We'll get everybody's take on it eventually anyway's,so why's it matter in which order one's take come's??
    My take,X bust the wedge,Y contain the perimeter,Z everybody run in a straight-line toward the end-zone,blast through any wall's in your path,and don't let the ball carrier get beyond you,STAY IN YOUR ZONE's,and make the tackle...
    The names were changed to protect the innocent,(MYSELF).. LOL!!

    Sounded to me(often does),like you thought you could do a better job than the job TIN,or BP are doing FOR US,and that you had already come to your own conclusion's..
    """you refer to it all the time but a piece here and a bit there, you never put it together and I for one would love to see you take on it."""

    My BADDD,IF I misunderstood/stand your approach!! GOFINS!!

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  47. Those are good point's,I agree w'many,and have no problem w'your approach in that post,other than the last(as usual) smartazz paragraph!!
    Apparently,by the length of your reply of my thought's to you,my cheerleading""make's plenty for discussion"" EHHH..

    Are you Canadian?? I find(EH) very patronizing!!

    When O asked way back when,"what does the D need to get over the top",I suggested a player w'the abilities of JT.. So we're on the same page there..

    I also agree that PW will eventually be more than just a WC QB,but NOT including MVick,and NOT necessairly being the fulltime QB either,but I ,(like you think he'll eventually be an imminent part of the O),@ one position or another,depending on situations..

    IMHO,they'll be times when a particular D might be able to shut-down an offense like your suggesting,and the present BP type offense would be a good change-up for those occasions..

    I don't believe he'll lock into,and only the type of O that your suggesting,(though I believe we'll see alot of what your saying)..
    But he's all about versatility,MVick w'PW would make a very versatile type of O that you speak of,but he'll alway's have an ACE-IN-THE-HOLE pocket-passing SMASHMOUTH change-up @ the ready,IMHO!!

    MVick as you know is a redflagged 30 somethin yr old who's"IT"factor has gone to the dogs..
    Henne's a 24 yr old w'10 yrs of"IT"factor ahead of him,(IF one were to ask me),or even BP/TS(pre CP) !!

    JA,DB,PC,make the 53(unless traded),IMHO!!!

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  48. lemmus, that's a good idea. I will do that.

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  49. "perhaps some are our eventual replacements"
    That's a depressing thought....like we're being put out to pasture...
    and no thanks necessary, thanks to you guys for providing the discussion and
    keeping Miami Dolphins football alive!

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  50. ...I worked in Canada for a number of years when I was much younger ...the "eh" is a natural part of my vocabulary ...just another way of expressing a point.

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  51. ""Sun is the same in a relative way but your older,shorter of breath and one day closer to death..
    And then one day you find,ten yrs are gone behind you,no one told you when to run,you missed the starting gun"" PF

    That's what happened to me anyway's,I'm pushing on the pasture gate(50 w'an 80 yr old heart),but your prime of 31 seem's like just yesterday.. So make the best of it,my friend!!  GOFINS!!

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  52. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4318894


    CB 41st pk DButler signs w'redcoats for basically 1Mill per..

    TIN,do you think that's abut half-way b/t Vontae @25,and SS @61??
    Or will Vontae get way more,and SS be in the same neighborhood??

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  53. please refer to http://tinsfins.blogspot.com/2009/05/mmmmmoney.html for my rookie contract predictions. ;)

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  54. WOWWW!!

    What's that,2.7 Mill per for Vontae,and 700,000 or so per for SS...
    Damnnn,that's quite a difference b/t 25,61,that's gonna be tough on SS psyche for the next several yrs..
    Especially IF he beats him-out this yr,it'll be just as tough for him to swallow in a yr or two when their both starters..

    C'MON Vontae,show us/SS why!!    GO Vontae,SS!!

    Appreciate the reply TIN!!

    Did some catching-up @ SS 2nght,what happened w'(don't wanna pt him out)??
    Seem's to have snapped in your behalf!! SCHISSSHH!!
    Was posting here in a friendly manner not long-ago..

    I haven't bothered posting there since O's been away,but I still read the stories,and just 2nght went through some of the comment's..

    Funny stuff,w'your Gabbo Fraggle not sounding like Tony Sporano,and Knight's saying that his wife mentioned her green flip-flops 37 time's,I was LMAO!!

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