Friday, May 7, 2010

Turning the Corner in 2010

The Dolphins secondary looks about as different as it possibly could from the end of 2008 to the beginning of 2010. Just 14 months ago, we had Andre Goodman, Will Allen, Yeremiah Bell, Renaldo Hill, Nate Jones, Jason Allen, Tyrone Culver, Will Billingsley and Courtney Bryan on the roster.

Gone are Bryan, Billingsley, Jones, Goodman, and Hill. Jason Allen was moved to cornerback officially. There's a significant chance he'll be moved back to safety this year depending on how the DB battles play out. Will Allen got a big contract, then got injured and missed most of 2009, allowing the 2009 rookie Vontae Davis to prove he's starter material. Fellow 2009 rookie, Sean Smith locked up the vacancy left by Andre Goodman's departure. Gibril Wilson was brought in to replace Hill, but is now gone, soon to be replaced by either another 2009 rookie, Chris Clemons, Culver, or 2010 rookie Reshad Jones.

The Trifecta also drafted cornerback, Nolan Carroll, and bolstered their 2010 class by signing Johnathon Amaya, AJ Wallace and Ross Weaver as free agents. They also have Nate Ness and Evan Oglesby as their developmental holdovers from 2009.

So Miami currently has 8 cornerbacks and 6 safeties on the roster. Four of the fourteen candidates have the ability to play multiple positions, i.e. corner/safety/nickel. They are Jason Allen, Chris Clemons, Nolan Carroll and Nate Ness. Taking that into consideration, here are some projected potential lineups for opening day 2010.


LINE-UP 1:

LINE-UP 2:

LINE-UP 3:



This kid Amaya (wearing #2 and playing both safety and wr in video) could come in and totally rock the boat. He is my projected 'Davone Bess' of 2010.

104 comments:

  1. i think that your 1st line-up seems the most likely. So much depends on whether Culver, Clemmons or Jones can step up and own that FS position. What worries me is that if none of them do, and we don't find any last minute acorns, the coaching staff might be tempted to move Sean or Will Allen out of position. We don't have a great track record with that stuff.

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  2. Oops, "Clemons". I should spell his name right, he is my favorite of the potentials.

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  3. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 11:24 AM

    Our secondary is an area that still makes my stomach turn.  Right now, I'm really only sold on Vonate Davis.  Smith can't tackle, W. Allen was not playing well before he got hurt,  Y. Bell was unimpressive & overrated last year (an alternate for the Pro-Bowl???) & pick a FS that can start.

    We should have never let Andre Goodman sign with the Broncos & who would have ever thought that Renaldo Hill would actually be an upgrade after last year???

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  4. Lineup 1 or 3 will probably happen with Amaya as a wildcard. It would be a nice surprise to have someone on defense step up and be "Bessish".

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  5. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 11:29 AM

    Bam-Bam,

    Agreed.  Are you sold on Smith yet???

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  6. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 11:35 AM

    Here are the 5 players on our team that I feel MUST stay healthy for us to have a decent season;

    1) Chad Henne
    2) Jake Long
    3) Brandon Marshall
    4) Karlos Dansby
    5) Vontae Davis

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  7. Bell was playing injured and in a bad scheme for most of the year and he had to have been worn down having to keep recovering for Gibril's missed plays.  He was top-notch in 2008 with the serviceable Renaldo Hill back there.  If we can get the rest of the secondary settled down, he should be able to get back into top form.

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  8. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 11:35 AM

    Will Allen was playing hurt before he went down for the season.

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  9. True, it really is all dependant on that starting FS spot because from there you are able to see who has the most upside to be the backup/special teams guys.

    For the record, I can't think of a worse idea than moving Will Allen to FS.  He is way too small, doesn't have great range and is not the last person you want in front of the end zone when a tackle needs to be made.

    If he cannot win the starting spot back from Vontae, he should move to nickel (where he played in 2008 in nickel situations)

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  10. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 11:40 AM

    Tin,

    I fully agree that Bell played better in 2008.  Same goes for Will Allen too.  I'm praying to the football Gods that Smith takes a big step forward this year.  His pass coverage skills are good but he has to improve his tackling.

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  11. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 11:41 AM

    Tim,

    Is Allen healthy yet or is he still rehabbing the knee?

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  12. If those 5 guys stay healthy and 20 other guys go down, it won't matter lol.

    Ultimately we need a repeat of 2008's health meter versus the disastruous 2009 version.  No team can survive losing 7 starters to IR.

    I will use your original list and amend the intent:

    'Here are the 5 players who must have pro-bowl stats for us to have a good season."

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  13. So Amaya can chase down a High School RB... and he can catch.  He looks like our 2nd best WR. 

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  14. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 11:47 AM

    Tin,

    Great point.  LOL!!!

    Not only do I second the amendment but I actually believe they all will.

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  15. If those 5 guys are in the running for the Pro-bowl, and Wake gets double digit sacks and we get 35 to 40 sacks from other contributors and we rush for 150 yards per game, then I'm going to go out on a limb and say we'll get to the Super Bowl... :) .

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  16. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 11:55 AM

    Tin,

    Oh no...You had to go there didn't you???  You sound like Rex Ryan.

    BTW--What is the deal with RFA like Ronnie & Fasano???  What does this June 1st date mean for them???

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  17. I think that more consideration should be put into the fact that it will be Nolan's defensive schemes this year. This should allow Allen and Bell (and frankly the entire D) to be more effective at their positions. This is especially the case for Bell, I would not be surprised if he has a much better year.

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  18. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 11:57 AM

    I'm not sure where he's at.

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  19. It was easy to see the big plays being made time and time again against our DBs.  It is also hard to think it was all their fault.  We were near the top in sacks last year, but it seemed to me opposing QBs had all day to throw.  So although we got to the qb for sacks that was about all the pressure that was generated.

    DBs look much better when the opposing QB is running for their lives and the backside of their uniform has grass stains on it.  The front 7 must do a better job than last year from the DL to the LBs all of them have to pick it up.  How are the safeties to do their jobs, when they lead the team in tackles ?

    If we want to see improvement in our safeties, we are going to have to see the guys up front doing their job.  I'm hoping the DC can help with that along with all the youth on the team..

    One thing for sure this FO will act if the people in place are not doing their jobs, and it has been a long time since any of us has seen that.

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  20. He had no problem driving after a few drinks, so surely he can do a couple of shots and get out on the field....

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  21. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 12:04 PM

    I'm looking forward to seeing all the young guys compete in the secondary. I'm not concerned about it because it's not like I feel like we have to win anything this year. The best thing we can do this year is get the young guys on the field, get them some experience and know exactly what we need in the 2011 offseason. I think we can make a run next year. That said, I'm not giving up on this year. I still want to see the team win every game. LOL

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  22. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:06 PM

    Kula,

    I think you're going to be right.  Our defense will be improved.  If Nolan was able to have the 12th best defense in terms of points & the 7th best in terms of yardage with the players he had in Denver then I really don't see why he can't have success in Miami. 

    However, Denver had two things we don't have--a FS named Brian Dawkins & a pass rusher that had 17 sacks named Dumervil.

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  23. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:09 PM

    Tin,

    Another genius.  With that said I'm still surprised about Ronnie.

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  24. hell, i will one up tin.  i say if we score more points the the other team, i say we wont lose a game.

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  25. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:10 PM

    Tim,

    Please explain this June 1st RFA date.  What happens if players don't sign their tender offers?

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  26. <p><span>WHP, I hope you are not listening to a certain foolish poster (banned here) who takes every opportunity to bash Sean Smith. Remember, rookie starting corners are rare in the NFL. To have two starting caliber CBs in one draft is a coup. Yes there were mistakes but these two are going to get better and better. Smith was barely out of position on a couple plays that would have been highlights for years. That will not happen this year as he learns to keep the receivers in his hip pocket. The corner position is the most unique on the football field and requires great athleticism as well instincts and knowledge. Sean Smith will be talked about in pro bowl terms when the 2010 season is over because he has all of those attributes.</span>
    </p><p><span></span><span>Everyone seems to think that we were desperate for a FS and missed out on a couple in FA. The reason we “missed out” is because the FAs were not any better than the players already here and were not worth shelling out the ridiculous contracts they eventually landed from less prudent management. If they really were desperate they would have stayed at 12 and picked up Earl Thomas, but they didn’t. The bottom line is the secondary is light years ahead of where it was 2 seasons ago and it will show on the field. I have the feeling Chris Clemons is going to surprise people. I don’t think athletic ability was his issue, I think he was a little slow picking up the defense. Even Troy Polamalu didn’t start as a rookie. This team is going to surprise a lot of people this year. The personnel are much better than the 11-5 team and if they stay healthy they are going to be a team that other teams do not want to play.</span></p>

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  27. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 12:19 PM

    They all have to chop down trees with a herring.  :-D

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  28. "<span>What is the deal with RFA like Ronnie & Fasano???  What does this June 1st date mean for them???"</span>

    Why don't you ask me something akin to this like what is half of the square root of pi?

    OK, I'll start by saying, I'm confused by some of the media hoop-la over this date.  My understanding is that June 1st is the deadline for the team to extend a tender to the player, not the deadline that the player has to sign the tender.  It is the deadline that the player would have to sign with another club before becoming an 'exclusive right' free agent.

    No matter whether Brown signs or doesn't sign, he does not become an unrestricted free agent unless the team releases him.  Same goes for Fasano.

    The difference is, if the Dolphins don't negotiate a new contract with them, and it gets to the June 15th date, then the players automatically get a 110% salary from the previous year.  This means Brown stands to make an extra million or so by waiting.  Fasano stands to make a significant gain by waiting, like an 50% increase.

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  29. Yeah, WHP, you are right about that. Nolan made a lot happen with a mix of a few great players and a bunch of mediocre ones (most of them ex-Dolphins).You mention Dawkins and Dumervil, which interestingly highlight our two biggest question marks. For me the success of our defense this year comes down to someone stepping up at FS and Wake/Misi being succesful as OLBs. The rest of the guys are good/great enough.

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  30. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:40 PM

    Patrick,

    I'm basing my opinion on Smith from watching him play in 16 games last year.  As the season wore on Vonte Davis continued to get better & better.  You can rave all you want about Smith's athleticism & instincts BUT if you can't tackle in the NFL then you're going to be a liability on defense. 

    Unfortunately 'Pro-Bowl CB's' by INT's which is why Asante Samuel has been chosen several times.  Great athleticism, great instincts, great INT totals but he can't tackle to save his own life.  I don't want CB's like Asante Samuel.  I want a complete CB like Revis or Asomugah or guys like Champ Bailey or Antoine Winfiled when they were younger.  I see Vontae fitting that mold of being a complete player whereas I don't see it from Smith yet.

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  31. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:43 PM

    Hmmmmm.   Okay.   Then why would any RFA sign before this date???

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  32. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:44 PM

    LMAO!!!  I'm not sure where you got that expression from but I like it a lot!!!!

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  33. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:46 PM

    Sorry meant to say--

    "Unfortunately 'Pro-Bowl CB's" are determined by the number of INT's..."

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  34. Okay, he may not be a big hitter but he gets guys on the ground... There was a certain Prime Time guy who didn't tackle much and some say he was best corner to ever play the game. I don't agree but he was pretty damn good. Darrell Green wasn't a great tackler either. Smith is going to be good and I'm sure their will be some discussions in the film room if his tackling becomes an issue.

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  35. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:54 PM

    Kula,

    LOL!!!  It's not a coincidence that I brought up Dumervil & Dawkins.  The two things leading into the draft that I wanted & for sure thought he would draft was big time pass rusher & a FS that is a sound tackler that can crush people.  Go figure...

    I'm hoping that Jones can be that guy @ FS but that's asking a lot from a 5th rounder.  As for getting another effective pass rusher to go with Wake, I have to believe that it will either be a veteran or this kid McCoy will have to be the steal of the draft.

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  36. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 12:57 PM

    Patrick,

    LOL!!!  You actually got me on those two.  Sanders was unbelievable & a one-man gamechanger.

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  37. Well, sometimes the 110% is less than the tender offer.  Sometimes the player who's tendered can negotiate an extension if he doesn't sign right away (front offices get different priorities as free agency unfolds and the draft occurs).  Sometimes a player who doesn't sign, can be replaced by the front office during the draft.  And sometimes, the tender is more of a charity issue than the team really caring if you're on the team or not.  Everyone is replaceable, more or less.  A player who just signs the tender and gets back to work is always going to look better in the eye of the front office and this may pay off in future negotiations.

    As with everything in life, there's more than one 'right' way to do something.

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  38. I've been wondering about something since we log-piled lbs in this off-season - what happens to JD Folsom? He seems very light at 230 (and not a Trifecta type even though they drafted him?) so I wondered if he has the body-type and range to make a SS (I read Kan Chancellor was an 1" taller and about the same weight)? I can't remember seeing him play, so this may be a square peg in a round hole scenario, but does anyone think it could be a possibility? You guys see way more footage than I do so what do you think?

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  39. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 1:00 PM

    In 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' the Knights who say Ni! won't allow King Arthur to pass unless he chops down a tree with a herring.

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  40. Well based on what I saw last year, Folsom was not 230, he had to have been at least 240 playing weight and he was as slow as molasses and stiff as a tree, so I don't see this ever happening.  Folsom, IMO, is a goner.

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  41. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 1:05 PM

    I haven't seen that movie in years but those guy are genuises.  Off the top of my head I'd say my favorite is 'The Meaning of Life.'

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  42. That's one thing about the Jets that should be taken into account, they were pretty lucky on the injury front, their major loss was Kris Jenkins... They have real high expectations but I can't help but look at their injuries and wonder how close last year for them was to our 2008. They were extremely lucky on the health front, We had a few major losses.

    Jets IR/PUP: WR Aundrae Allison, DL Kris Jenkins, Leon Washington, ST Larry Izzo

    Dolphins IR/PUP: OLB Matt Roth, TE David Martin, QB Chad Pennington, RB Patrick Cobbs, CB Will Allen, RB Ronnie Brown, DL Jason Ferguson, T Lydon Murtha, CB Will Billingsley, LB Channing Crowder

    2 of ours were pretty much just reserve guys. But we should be better just as a result of getting our guys healthy again, not to mention not having a gimpy interior line down the stretch. Having a full training camp with our new starters and having them practice in that role all offseason without just being thrown in to the fire week 3/11/14 or whatever. Add on to that Brandon Marshall, Karlos Dansby, our draft, dumping Gibril(it can't get any worse, can it!?)... we'll be significantly better than we were when we fell apart down the stretch.

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  43. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 1:12 PM

    From what I saw from Folsom in the preseason last year he looked like he ran pretty well. I know the trifecta drafted him because he has the frame to get bigger and he runs pretty well.

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  44. We Have PlaymakersMay 7, 2010 at 1:13 PM

    OMG....Remember this former 7th round pick by Saban???  The guy had 24 catches last year???

    "The Chicago Tribune suggests that Devin Aromashodu is a good bet to be the Bears' No. 1 receiver this year.
    Bears beat writer Sean Jensen notes that "it seems clear" Jay Cutler has a connection with Aromashodu, based on a pair of back-shoulder passes Cutler completed to him for big yardage with Charles Woodson in coverage down the stretch last year. Long, lean, and fast, Aromashodu's skill set seems to be ideal for new coordinator Mike Martz's offense. Johnny Knox and Devin Hester, though, will remain heavily involved."

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  45. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 1:28 PM

    Great stuff!

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  46. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 1:29 PM

    Their #1? LOL

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  47. Well, combining those two respected opinions, a safety he isn't!

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  48. He worked out for the Dolphins last year and they didn't even invite him to camp...

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  49. Lol Justin Smiley just got serious, hiring Drew Rosenhaus... >.>

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  50. WHP If he couldn't stick with Manning in Indy, this story needs to be taken with more than a pinch of salt with it? But who knows - if sports were entirley predictable, the bookies would be even richer and no one would watch?

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  51. Tin - are you watching live on Sunday or should I keep schtum until you've seen a downlaod?

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  52. Tim must have had the tivo on 1.5x fast forward....

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  53. I don't know if it will be on live in my neck of the woods....I'll have to
    get back to you on that.

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  54. oh, you know what, uk?  Sunday is Mother's Day, so I definitely won't be able to watch it live.  Mother's Day = Father's 'not today'!

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  55. looks like ESPN is showing the City vs West Ham game...

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  56. Imo, Folsom is competing to even make the practice squad again...

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  57. Wow - we had our MD 7 weeks ago - US schedulers obviously didn't consult the premiership schedule. lol

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  58. I'm not sure how fair that is, at least he's still on the team making a contribution in various roles/special teams... could be worse, I mean Jets didn't even have Gholston on the list and he can't even do anything on the field defense or special teams.

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  59. That's totally unfair - who do you think orders the hot dogs for Sanchez and
    Rex Ryan?

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  60. Tryp - very unfair - John Avery doesn't even get a mention. Also, one of my favourite named players (who was also a bust but undrafted) was Kirby Dar Dar. He gets an honourable mention on any list of failed prospects.

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  61. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 3:38 PM

    Nope, he looked like one of the better defenders when the 2nd and 3rd teams were out there. I think you had your tivo on pause. LOL

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  62. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 3:42 PM

    No way is that accurate. Erik Kumerow, Billy Milner, John Avery, Jamar Fletcher, John Bosa and Yatil Green have to come first. I think Jason Allen has played in more games than anyone of them.

    Shipp can't be a bust because he was a starter for years. He just wasn't as good as advertised.

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  63. What ?  Shipp was awful !!!  Didn't Bosa and Green get injuried ?  We can't judge a player as a bust when they get busted up. :)

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  64. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 4:02 PM

    Shipp started for like 3 years though. I didn't like him either but he started. Yes Bosa and Green got busted up but if you don't get anything out of your 1st round pick, it's a bust pick. Or any pick for that matter but the 1st stands out.

    There are different reasons for being a bust. Like Ryan Leaf and now JaMarcus Russell. One guy was stupid and a jerk and one guy is stupid and lazy. But they were both big who could throw the ball the length of the field. Big deal!

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  65. Tim

    I had to go check Shipp stats, and I couldn't beleive what I saw.  He played in 74 games, started in 44 of them he had 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 int returned for 7 yards.  In his 74 games he had 0 (Zero) tackles and 0 (Zero) ast. tackles.  That is a bust in anyones book. :)

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  66. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 4:14 PM

    Fang, what? 0 tackles in 74 games? LOL

    They may not have logged all the stats back then because they didn't track them like they do today. In 1983 they didn't even keep sack numbers.

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  67. tackles still are not an official stat in the nfl... in that they don't count for anything, they don't go into any record book or anything. So i'm not sure how accurate that is or where you got it... that seems... unlikely... 0 tackles and 0 assists in 74 games... just stand in place and stay low someone will trip over you in that much time...

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  68. Bold prediction......Jason Allen has a light bulb go off in his head this off-season, and Nolan uses him right, and JA wins the NCB spot........

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  69. Unless we move Will Allen to FS, which I currently don't believe we will... that's gonna be tough. Will/Vontae/Smith would seem to have the top 3 spots on lockdown. Could see either Vontae or Will in the nickle.

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  70. Tim here it is I'm still not sure I beleive this..


    <img></img>

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    Defense & FumblesGlossary · <span>CSV</span> · <span>PRE</span> · Game Log · Splits Def Interceptions Fumbles Tackles Year Age Tm Pos No. G GS Sk Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Tkl Ast Sfty AV 1984 22 MIA 50 16 0 1 1985 23 MIA LILB 50 16 11 1 7 0 7 0 2 0 0 6 1986 24 MIA LILB 50 16 14 1.0 0 1 0 0 4 1987 25 MIA LILB 50 12 12 5 1988 26 MIA 50 11 4 2 1989 27 RAI 58 3 3 1 Career 74 44 1.0 1 7 0 7 0 3 0 0 19

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  71. Man that is hard to read !!!  Look at the bottom where it says Career, the last 2 numbers before 19 show 0 0 they are tackle and ast numbers for his career. Or so says this web site.  Do a google search on jackie shipp stats.

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  72. Well that explain everything.  Tryp you must be correct with that, it's the only thing that makes sense.  Holy crap no tackles

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  73. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 6:08 PM

    Davis and Smith start at corner. W. Allen leads the group as the 3rd corner, backup and nickel. Bell is one safety, we need another starter. We know the candidates and there will be competition to fill out the rest of the secondary and to fill ST roles.

    Tighter coverage and tackling from the LBs and secondary will improve our defense quite a bit. We added a lot of speed to our defense. That was the main culprit besides youth and a patchwork group. We couldn't match up. Now we at least have the physical ability. It's time to play good football!

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  74. ...that's more brazen than bold ...JA could have a stick of dynamite go off in his head and still not see the light ...imnsho of course ...tin will leap to his defense as usual :-P

    ...Nolan is, imo, the biggest change on defense ...we know that he is going to attack from every position ...so what the players did last year in a very different scheme may well be irrelevent this year ...more than any other aspect, his scheme requires penalty free timing ...the attacker has to get the first step without killing the play ...one of the reasons I think Anderson will be gone ...and he will use DEs much more frequently in pass rushes, so that aspect of Langford and Merling's game will get a lot more focus than it did last year.

    ...with the increased pass rush, the DB's ability to cover for a few seconds becomes more of a key to who will be our safeties, more so than tackling ...I think our starting free safety hasn't been named as yet in this thread ...maybe I'm just not "solid" enough though ...or "irritable" enough, eh :-D

    ...the one thing I'm certain of is this, I'm not going to spend another season watching a solid pocket form around Ryan, Brady, Manning, Brees, et al while they wait for a receiver to get open ...if Nolan does nothing else, he will break those pockets :-$

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  75. ...I agree re Davis, not so sure on Smith ...remember that we took a pure CB in the 5th that but for injuries would almost certainly have been a top 40 pick ...and that Smith was projected as a FS on a lot of draft boards last year because of his size and skill set ...thus, if a starting FS doesn't bloom out of the group in early camp, I'd not be surprised to see Smith moved to FS, Allen to CB, and Carroll to NCB
    ...not saying I expect it but it certainly wouldn't be a JA type move, we already know Smith can play DB ...and if we don't find a starter there, Smith is a very viable option.
    ...is it considered "irritable" if I speculate just a bit outside the box everyone seems stuck in? ;)

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  76. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 6:59 PM

    As for the DL in a 3-4, 7 on game day and 8 overall.

    NT Starks, Soliai, Baker and Fergy (in game 9 - someone on the roster is gone)
    RDE Merling, Odrick
    LDE Langford, McDaniel

    A smart move by the trifecta looking at what they have, sticking with their board and working the draft. How many trades did we make on draft weekend, three?

    Like I've been saying for months, NT was not a priority. Pass defense was. 1 DL, 4 LB, 2 DB, 1 OL.

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  77. by game 9 even a lucky team will usually have someone on the IR... so it won't necessarily be anyone on the final 53 who would get cut to make room for Ferg, it could be someone pulled up for depth at Dline or even another position.

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  78. Tim The EnchanterMay 7, 2010 at 7:24 PM

    Guys, Shipp made tackles. I wouldn't even be surprised if he ad 80-100 in a season. He was not not as fast as Zach breaking down the play live. That's what Shipp lacked. He had everything else. LOL

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  79. I recall last summer that Will Allen admitted to playing hurt most of 2008.  Several injuries including maybe a groin tear?

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  80. Story aboutAmaya:
    http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/07/1619016/miami-dolphins-rookie-safety-jonathan.html

    Sounds like a great STer.

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  81. You are right.  Like tryp said they don't record tackles.  He most certainly didn't break down plays for sure.  He had great speed from what I remember, I don't remember his 40 times.  His problem was IF he ran a 4.5 40 he had an 8.2 brain.  By the time he figured out it was a running play the back was 50 yards past him.

    Jason Allen has the same problem...

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  82. Yea they all look at this time of year.  Wait until Randy Moss streaks by then we will find out how good he is..:)

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  83. Presently, I like the #1 line-up w'Amaya taking the 10th spot rather than Carroll..

    Haven't seen much of either, but I liked Amaya's effortless hip/foot speed in the Aquavision mini-camp hghlts!!
    His and Ness' hghlts were run back to back and Amaya looked much smoother/faster,IMHO!!!
    Yet to see Carrol's mini-camp hghlts!!

    Ness could be the 5th cb...
    IFF not the starting FS, and when not relieving whoever the starting FS is,
    Clemon's could be the 6th cb (IFFF need be), but wayyyyyy to soon to know anything @ all w'the new gyz as FINS 

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  84. """the one thing I'm certain of is this, I'm not going to spend another season watching a solid pocket form around Ryan, Brady, Manning, Brees, et al while they wait for a receiver to get open ...if Nolan does nothing else, he will break those pockets :-$ """



    That shouldn't be a problem, Thankfully we only play Brady ;) ...  But I get what you're saying!!!

    Weren't we like 2nd in the league in sacks,
    were ALL those sacks on play's that the receivers took 11 seconds to get open??

    I can't seem to understandd how we were tops in the league in sack's,
    and yet opposing QBs had wayyy tooo much time to find open receivers!!

    Did opponent's have sooo many more pass play's vs us b/c they couldn't run on us,
    therefore making it seem that QBs alway's  had wayyy tooo much time,
    (simply b/c of the number of time's the QB dropped back when we weren't able to get to him)??

    Tops in the league in sack's, and opposing QBs having tooo much time, doesn't seem to make sense,IMHO!!

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  85. Moss returns kicks now, too?

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  86. Tim The EnchanterMay 8, 2010 at 8:50 AM

    I think Shipp ran a 4.6 at 6-2 240 which was very fast at the time. Still is pretty fast. He just didn't have great instincts.

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  87. <span>HEY, you wanna laugh your asses off for 2+ hrs??</span>
    <span>Check-out Jack Blacks new movie (YEAR ONE),you'll get a kick out of it!!</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>It's about a caveman that gets banished from his tribe and upon leaving the woods of his home he walks through some of histories relegious times(Cane/Able, Abraham/Jews, the Romans) while mocking some of their belief's!! </span>
    <span>His sidekick Michael Cera as well as the Cane character (both from the sitcom Arrested Developement) are HILARIOUS!!!</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>VERYY FUNNNYSTUFFF from beginning to end, w'some enlightning thought's along the wayy!!! </span>
    <span>You'll laugh your ass off!!</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>In some instances,it strongly resembles Monty Python's approach @ humor!!                                        KNIGHT/Monty Python loyalist (myself included) will love it !!!</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>I've watched it 5 times, and ROTF everytime!!! </span>
    <span>But that could be b/c JB resembles my best friend in every movie he makes,and alway's has me ROTF!!</span> 

    IFFF you need a good laugh, it's playing on Starz/pay channels all month, MUST SEE TV!!!

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  88. The lineup that I would like to see out there is Davis and Smith at CB, Allen at NB, Bell at SS, and Culver at FS. Culver has good speed and my impression is that he has football smarts. I would love to see him have a break out year, I think he has it in him. I will never forget his int. against Denver 2 years ago.

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  89. ...I'd think Allen is on his way out at 32 ...playing CB is a young man's game ...if Carroll shows any of the potential he did in college, and stays injury free, I'd think he would be in that nickle slot rather than Allen.

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  90. Sorry sun, I was talking about if he was a Free Safety not a STeamer. 

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  91. You guys were talking about Jason Allen finally getting it and I couldn't help but go back and look up the video of Ronnie Brown destroying him in college.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y35c-YvCwx0

    If you've never seen it before, it's classic... The bad part is I have often thought Allen got his eggs scrambled and was never the same. The irony is they end up on the same team in the pros.

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  92. We Have PlaymakersMay 9, 2010 at 7:56 AM

    Oh the Jets had so many more busts.  How about Roger Vick & Jeff Lagerman???  LOL!!!

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  93. We Have PlaymakersMay 9, 2010 at 8:07 AM

    Patrick,

    Hmmmm.  I can see why Saban drafted Ronnie but Allen was a reach.  Chad Greenway was a safer pick.

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  94. I have to admit, I had Allen going to us that year. I even justified the Ronnie Brown video by saying he was a tough son of Biatch by sticking his head in front of that freight train. The one thing I didn't realize was he is not the brightest bulb on the tree. There is still a chance for him because eventually the light comes on when some form of coaching manages to sink in. We can only hope.

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  95. Ahh. I think the light is on as bright as it can be for Allen, it's just a dim light.

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  96. That's who I wanted Chad Greenway!!

    I liked JAllen after hopefully trading down into the 20s!!
    Saban gambled w'his heart!!

    I STILL like JA, and think he'll again be forced to start @one time or another!!
    @this pt & time,(I consider him a luxury)!!

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  97. I think Omar was worshipping at the church of Tin!!!!

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  98. Tin doesn't go to church, he's a (red) devil. lol.
    Well, he was. I expect the flag is flying half-mast at the Shaker residence today?!? :'(

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  99. I stayed up half the night watching...I should've gone to sleep...
    What can I say - it was meant to be for Chelsea this year. They could never
    really run away with it, as they were very inconsistent, either blowing
    people out or looking like amateurs. Just goes to show, a high-powered
    offense *can* win championships!

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  100. You nailed it. 103 goals is pretty impressive by any measure. The title came down to head-to-head in the end though and Chelsea took all 6 points. C'est la vie. We were without Ronaldo and Tevez, we had "old-man" Owen and "where's the goal" Berbatov and we still got to within a point of top and a goal of the semis in the CL and what could have been a fairly clear path to glory. By any stadard it wasn't a bad season, but by Utd's standard, the "League Cup" isn't something that will conjure too many fond memories over the summer. I expect some churning in the off-season and hopefully Berbie-doll will be off somewhere to find his Ken. It may be that Sir Alex tries to ink one or two prospects before the World Cup, as the prices usually go up afterwards. Btw, did you see Roon go off. Just precautionary hopefully - without him it could be a very short WC campaign.

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  101. Rooney got taken off because Fergie knew the Chelsea score - and I think
    Drogba had a hat trick - so there was no point forcing the issue. Rooney
    had a little more burst than he has in the last month, and I thought
    Berbatov has been really good this past week, except for finishing of
    course. I think he had 3 assists in 2 games. He even outran a defender
    with the ball yesterday and I've never seen him do that before. He may have
    been playing for his contract.

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  102. There was no point Rooney staying on (like the Bayern Munich game - not!) when his job was done, but when he tracked across the box looking for an opening, he seemed to do something and straight afterwards, he held his groin and asked to come off. I think he was thinking of himself and England (see below).

    Berbatov is a great player period. But we don't need another great player in his mould, we need another goalscorer to provide a two pronged threat or to sub for Rooney as a lone striker in games when R is being rested. I may be wrong and Fergie might keep him, but I think there's too much tied up there and it would be better to go in a different direction. It's a bit like Ginn - he doesn't fit so get the best you can for him. Trouble is, I suspect Fergie may be stubborn and hold on to him to try to prove people wrong (and his value will go down further) like he did with Veron and other spectaculr "free agent" misses. I think he'd be better freeing up the cash and investing it elsewhere, but we'll see.

    Striker Wayne Rooney is expected to be included in England's preliminary 30-man World Cup squad when it is revealed by coach Fabio Capello on Tuesday.
    The Manchester United star aggravated a groin injury against Stoke but boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "I don't think it's too serious, he'll be OK for England."
    England play Mexico at Wembley on 24 May and Japan in Austria on 30 May as part of a pre-tournament training camp.
    Capello will then name his final 23-man squad for the finals on 1 June.


    BBC Sport understands the Football Association sent letters to more than 30 players last week, asking them to be available for the period of the training camp.
    Capello and his assistant Franco Baldini were checking on the fitness of several players on Monday before settling on the 30 they will take to Austria.
    It is understood Capello is only prepared to pick players who are fit and will be ready for England's first match against the United States in Rustenburg on 12 June.
    Rooney, who saw Chelsea's Didier Drogba overtake him for the Premier League's Golden Boot award, limped off after 77 minutes of United's last game of the season.
    He was able to join his team-mates on a parade lap at Old Trafford following the culmination of United's season and assistant manager Mike Phelan added: "He should be OK so all the phone calls and worries can be dispelled straight away.
    "It was a precaution and I think Wayne can look forward to the World Cup."
    There is, however, a major fitness concern over Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry, who injured an ankle during his side's defeat by Tottenham last Wednesday.
    If, as anticipated, he is ruled out for three more weeks, Barry will miss the training camp and the games against Mexico and Japan.
    England received a boost on Sunday when captain Rio Ferdinand played a full 90 minutes in United's 4-0 victory over Stoke following a groin injury.
    Ferdinand's injury-hit season - along with the hamstring complaint that saw Manchester City's Joleon Lescott miss the end of the campaign - has forced Capello into considering alternative centre-half options.
    Tottenham pair Ledley King and Michael Dawson are both thought to be in the frame, while Baldini has reportedly been in talks with Liverpool's Jamie Carragher, who is also capable of operating at full-back, about coming out of international retirement.
    While Dawson is yet to gain any international experience, King has 19 caps to his name and despite being plagued by persistent knee problems, he has produced a string of superb performances in helping Spurs finish fourth in the Premier League.
    "Towards the end of season Ledley has played a lot more, proved his fitness and been fantastic," King's Tottenham team-mate Peter Crouch, who [...]

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