Full list of cuts PLUS final 53 man roster

Well, it took a while, but the cuts have finally been announced for the Miami Dolphins.

And here they are, courtesy of the Miami Herald and Dolphins.com:


WAIVED:

G Chris Barker

C Sam Brenner

WR Chad Bumphis

WR Keenan Davis

DT A.J. Francis

RB Jonas Gray

S Keelan Johnson

S Jordan Kovacs

T Andrew McDonald

WR Marvin McNutt

TE Kyle Miller

DE Tristin Okpalaugo

CB Julian Posey

CB De’Andre Presley

DT Kheeston Randall

DT Tracey Robertson

LB Lee Robinson

LB Austin Spitler

WR Brian Tyms



Waived/Injured

T Jeff Adams

QB Aaron Corp



Terminated Contracts

LB Antwan Applewhite



Final 53 man roster:



Quarterbacks (3): Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, Pat Devlin

Running backs (4): Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas, Mike Gillislee, Marcus Thigpen

Fullbacks (1): Evan Rodriguez

Wide receivers (4): Brian Hartline, Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, Rishard Matthews

Tight ends (3): Charles Clay, Dion Sims, Michael Egnew

Offensive linemen (9): Jonathan Martin, Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey, John Jerry, Tyson Clabo,

Nate Garner, Josh Samuda, Dallas Thomas, Will Yeatman

Defensive linemen (8): Olivier Vernon, Cameron Wake, Jared Odrick, Paul Soliai, Randy Starks, Derrick Shelby, Dion Jordan, Vaughn Martin

Linebackers (7): Koa Misi, Dannell Ellerbe, Philip Wheeler, Jason Trusnik, Jelani Jenkins, Jonathan Freeny, Josh Kaddu

Defensive backs (11): Brent Grimes, Dimitri Patterson, Chris Clemons, Reshad Jones, Kelcie McCray, Jimmy Wilson, Nolan Carroll, Jamar Taylor, Will Davis, Don Jones, R.J. Stanford

Specialists (3): Brandon Fields, Caleb Sturgis, John Denney


Now, it's on to the Cleveland Browns.

EIGHT. DAYS.

National perspective on Dolphins mixed; playing time uncertain for preseason finale

It's that time of year again in the NFL.  With the season looming a mere eight days away, predictions have started to roll out of the analyst community, and the national perspective on the Miami Dolphins has been, well, varied.

For instance, Peter King of SI.com has the Fins finishing 6-10, and obviously missing the playoffs.

Steve Wyche of NFL Network, on the other hand, has been very vocal about Miami's offseason moves, saying that he's 100% on the Dolphin bandwagon.

Pete Prisco, of CBS Sports, sides with King, as he has the Fins finishing a measly 5-11.

James Walker, of ESPN, has Miami finishing 8-8.

Pat Kirwin, also of CBS, has the Dolphins at 7-9.

ESPN the Magazine came out with their season predictions last week, and they have the Fins finishing atop the AFC East at 10-6.

Dave Hyde and Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, two respected Dolphin writers, each have the Fins finishing 9-7.

Dave Dameshek of NFL Network predicted a playoff spot for Miami.

Get my drift?  Absolutely nobody knows what to expect from this Dolphin team.  Nobody knows how much, if any, Ryan Tannehill is going to progress.

Nobody knows how good, or bad, the offensive line will be.

Nobody knows whether Lamar Miller will be the boom he's being hyped up to be, or the bust he could potentially be.

Nobody knows if Charles Clay/Michael Egnew/Dion Sims can replace Dustin Keller.

Nobody knows if Dion Jordan will be a factor.

Nobody knows if Mike Wallace and Ryan Tannehill will gel.

And this is why I've held off on my predictions so far.  I honestly have NO idea what this team will do this season.  I can see them going 10-6.  I can also see them going 7-9.

If you read the column I wrote last night, then you'll know what I'm going to say next:

If Ryan Tannehill PLAYS WELL, then the Dave Dameshek's and ESPN the Magazines of the world will be RIGHT.

If Tannehill doesn't produce?  Well, read the column.  It won't be good.

As far as MY predictions go?  Check back NEXT week, as I'll be doing my annual game by game predictions for the Miami Dolphins.  Last year I had them going 8-8.  They finished 7-9.  Not bad, huh?


PRESEASON FINALE

Joe Philbin declined to say how much, if any, the starters will play in tomorrow night's preseason finale against the Saints.  Personally, I wouldn't even have them dress.  With the unusually high number of season ending injuries so far this season, why even risk it?

This team is GOOD, but they aren't DEEP, and if somebody goes down it will be a huge problem for Joe Philbin.  Ryan Tannehill has looked great, as has Mike Wallace and the entire first team defense.  Rest them, keep them healthy, and get ready for Cleveland.

We'll see.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 tomorrow night from Sun Life Stadium, and there will be NO live blog.  Listen, I could do it, but it's the most meaningless game of the year, so lets just say I'll be "working" and leave it at that.

However, check back after the game for a recap.  And then, we head into regular season mode here at the Dolphinsider.

Been waiting to type that sentence for seven months now.

11 days.

With impressive preseason, expectations, and pressure, rise for Ryan Tannehill

I'll admit it, going into training camp, I wasn't sold on Ryan Tannehill.

I knew he had all the tools; he showed us that last season.  And I knew he now had the playmakers around him to reach his maximum potential, whatever that may be.

But still, I couldn't quite shake that feeling.  You know the one, we've all had it before. That pit in your stomach, that voice in the back of your head telling you that something still isn't quite right.

Maybe it's because I've done this song and dance so many times before, most recently with "check down" Chad Henne.  Maybe it's because, for every five respected analysts who praised Tannehill, there was that one who, like me, still had their doubts.

Or maybe it's because I just hadn't seen "it" yet.  Besides, before the HOF game against Dallas, the last image I had of Tannehill was that 28-0 drubbing in Foxborough.

So, I proceeded into this preseason with cautious optimism, not only towards Tannehill, but towards the team altogether, because as Tannehill goes, so will the Dolphins.

Then the games started.

Dallas was a joke.  I went in with no expectations, and came out the same way.

Then there was Jacksonville.  5-9, 75 yards, and a TD.  120.1 QB rating.  Better, no doubt about it, but he still wasn't quite there.

Then you had the Houston Texans, the same team that gave our then rookie QB a great big Texas sized welcome last September.  10-15, 141 yards, and a TD.  119.0 QB rating. A perfectly placed TD pass to Mike Wallace, following a 33 yard bomb just a couple plays before.

Eyebrows raised.

Finally, you had the home opener last Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The "dress rehearsal game," if there is such a thing.  17-27, 150 yards, and a TD.  In all honesty, Tannehill should have had another one, maybe even two more had it not been for drops by Brandon Gibson and Brian Hartline.  90.0 QB rating.

Tannehill's preseason numbers, assuming he doesn't play Thursday night, look like this:

34-56, 377 yards, 3 TD's, 0 INT's, and a QB rating that will hover around 100.

And now, after months of quiet skepticism, I'm ready to set my bar for Ryan Tannehill in 2013.

And, for better, or for worse, I'm setting it high.

After what I've seen the last three preseason games, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason for anything less than 25 TD's this year from Ryan Tannehill.  Okay, give or take a couple, but that's my bar.

There is no reason for anything less than 3,500 passing yards.  In fact, this number should be higher, but I'll set it at that.

There is no reason for more than 15 INT's.  Seem high?  Maybe it is, but if Tannehill is throwing on or around 25 TD's I'll gladly take 15 interceptions.

And last, but absolutely not least, anything less than an 85.0 QB rating simply won't be good enough for Ryan Tannehill.  To put that number in perspective, in his nine starts in 2011, Matt Moore had an 87.1 QB rating.  If Tannehill can't achieve AT LEAST an 85.0 QB rating this season, then he simply wasn't good enough.

3,500 yards, 25 TD's, 15 INT's, and an 85.0 QB rating.  That's the bar I've set for Ryan Tannehill.  That's the bar you get when you have as solid of a preseason as Tannehill has had.

Those are the expectations you create.  Those are the expectations you should WANT.

Feel the pressure building yet?

How about this?  IF Tannehill falls short of something resembling these numbers, if this team fails to get AT LEAST nine wins, then, unfortunately, I would've been right in the only thing I don't want to be right about in this article:

That Tannehill does not have "it."  And that it's time to go back to the drawing board for the 18th time since number 13 hung it up a decade ago.

Expectations and pressure.  You can't have one without the other.  Not when you're a sophomore QB for a franchise that's only been to the playoffs ONE time since 2001.

Last year, there were no expectations for Ryan Tannehill, and there was certainly no pressure.

But if his impressive preseason has told us anything, it's this:

Last year's over.

The bar has been set for Ryan Tannehill.      

Game in review: The good, the really good, and the concerning from Fins 17-16 loss

Rewatched the game in its entirety last night, from the first snap to the last, and overall I was pleased from what I saw out of the Dolphins FIRST teamers.  Lets be honest, the Fins dominated the first half, especially on defense, which is why none of the starters from either unit came back out in the second half.

Both units showed us positives that outweighed the negatives, and both accomplished MOST things I told you they must do earlier in the week.  However, we once again got a mixed bag from these Miami Dolphins, as they showed us, as the headline states, some good things, some REALLY good things, and some, well, concerning things.

I know its a day late, but here they are.


The Good:

• Ryan Tannehill.  I thought the kid had his best performance so far this preseason, and the scary thing is, it could have been SO much better had it not been for TD drops by Brandon Gibson and Brian Hartline.  Tannehill was ACCURATE, created throwing lanes for himself, and bought time to throw the football.  These are things that he had to improve upon, and he put them on full display last night.  The TD pass to Brandon Gibson was perfectly placed, as were a couple big time throws to Brian Hartline in crucial situations.  There is no doubt that Tannehill has improved in year two, and he appears ready for the real thing starting in two weeks.
• The chemistry between Tannehill and Brandon Gibson/Mike Wallace.  We already knew that Tannehill and Brian Hartline were in sync, but the real question coming into this preseason was how long it would take for the QB to establish that same relationship with his new WR's.  Well, that question has been answered now.  Tannehill, for the second game in a row, connected with Wallace in some key situations, including a couple third downs, and seems to be comfortable with his $60 million dollar toy.  As for Gibson, Tannehill has so far leaned heavily on the new slot receiver, and he's showed some big time faith in him.  After Gibson dropped a TD last night (his second drop of the night), Tannehill came right back to him on the next drive, connecting for a big time TD right before the half.  It's becoming ever more clear that with Dustin Keller done for the year, Brandon Gibson will now see an increased workload, and I think Tannehill is just fine with that.

The Really Good:

• The run defense.  Remember me saying that this unit HAD to step up this week and prove to us that they could still stop the run?  Well, message received, because this unit was absolutely dominant last night.  Paul Soliai lived in the back field, Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler were all over the place, and Olivier Vernon set the edge nicely more than one time.  Just a dominant performance.
• The QB pressure.  Olivier Vernon was in Josh Freeman's face all night, and had a big time sack. Jared Odrick added another sack, and was also disruptive for the entire first half.  Again, remember when I told you that somebody else other than Cameron Wake HAD to apply the pressure?  Well, again, mission accomplished.
• The pass protection.  Could it improve?  Absolutely.  But what we saw last night was a HUGE upgrade from previous weeks, and it has A LOT to do with the return of RG John Jerry.  The incumbent guard played in his first game of the year last night after nursing a knee injury, and his presence was apparent right from the get go.  Ryan Tannehill had ALL NIGHT to throw on some occasions, and was only sacked once.  After seeing the blood baths of the first three weeks, last night was a breath of fresh air.  If Jerry can stay healthy and solidify that offensive line, Tannehill will do BIG things this year, bank on it.

The Concerning:

• The running game.  Yikes, was this bad.  Besides a 20 yard run from Lamar Miller, the Fins were STUFFED on nearly every carry.  Miller finished with 8 carries for 35 yards, while Daniel Thomas finished with 7 carries for 3 yards. Not much else to say here...
• The run protection.... because I'll continue here.  No, I don't blame all of this on Miller and Thomas, because with how good the pass protection was, the run protection was equally BAD.  There were times when Dolphin RB's couldn't even take the handoff without being hit.  I've said time and time again, the running game will be HUGE this year for Ryan Tannehill, because without it, you lose the play action, and without that defenses will feast on the young QB.
• Special teams/turnovers.  I put these in the same sentence because, unfortunately, they went together hand in hand last night.  Nolan Carroll was uncharacteristically bad on special teams last night, as he was blocked into return man Marcus Thigpen, causing a fumble that would be recovered by Tampa Bay.  A few punt returns later, Thigpen FUMBLED the punt all by himself, and it to would be recovered by Tampa Bay.  Two turnovers in the span of one quarter.  Not good at all, especially when Joe Philbin has PREACHED winning the TO battle this season.  Not a good game for the special teams unit.
• The Tight Ends.  Charles Clay didn't look comfortable.  Michael Egnew might as well of stayed home.  Dion Sims had one catch on one target.  Better get back to practicing, because there was NOTHING going on in this department last night.

The Fins are back at it tomorrow, and will host New Orleans on Thursday night for the final preseason game of 2013.

Then, it's all systems go from South Florida.

14 days.

Dolphins, Bucs nearing kickoff; last minute news

The Miami Dolphins are readying themselves to play their FIRST home game since December 23, 2012. Just how long ago was that?

Well, I was at that game.

That's how long.

John Jerry WILL start tonight at RG for the Fins.

Jared Odrick gets the start OVER Randy Starks at DT.

The Fins are in their aqua tops and white pants, the Bucs are in all white.

The starters will play well into the second half.

And, as I said last night, there will be NO live blog tonight, so check back later for a post.

Kickoff is 15 minutes away!

Go Fins!

What the Miami Dolphins defense MUST show us Saturday night

Less than 24 hours until the Fins kick off their 2013 home opener (preseason home opener at least) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and we still have A LOT to get through.

Last night we discussed the many, many things we NEED to see from the Miami Dolphins starting offensive unit.  Things ranging from a TE stepping up, to the offensive line solidifying itself.

Now, I'd like to go over a couple things I MUST see from the Fins starting defensive unit tomorrow night.  This unit, as I've said many times, has looked extremely solid all throughout the preseason, however, there are a few things they need to clean up.

Here they are:

• First and foremost, I NEED to see this unit clean up its pass coverage, ESPECIALLY over the middle of the field, and ESPECIALLY against tight ends.  Brent Grimes has been a shutdown corner on the outside, and Dimitri Patterson has been solid on the other side, but, other than that, the pass coverage has been shaky.  Last week it was a couple easy catches over the middle for Andre Johnson.  Against Dallas it was the opening 18 yard pass to TE Dante Rosario.  These are the big plays that we've seen for years against the Miami Dolphins defense, especially the linebackers, and these are the big plays this unit MUST eliminate if they are to be successful.
• The next thing this defense must show us is their ability to create turnovers. We've started to see this in the last two preseason games, with the Brent Grimes INT last week, and the Will Davis/Nolan Carroll INT's against Jacksonville.  But they must, MUST continue this tomorrow night.  With an offense still finding itself, led by a second year QB with the weight of South Florida on his shoulders, having a short field to work with is EVERYTHING, and the more the defense can do this, the more success this team will have. Creating turnovers will be a major, major factor this season.
• I also need to see somebody on this starting unit provide the pressure on the QB other than Cameron Wake.  Many hoped this would be Dion Jordan, and it still very well may be, but until the rookie is healthy somebody else MUST step up.  Guys like Olivier Vernon, Jared Odrick, and Randy Starks have to step up and be that compliment to Wake, because, while we all know he'll try, Wake cannot get to the QB on every single snap.  And if he's the only one causing a problem, then teams will simply double team him until someone else proves capable.  I MUST see some QB pressure from the right side of the defensive line tomorrow night.
• The final thing I need to see out of this unit is for them to get back to doing what they do best, stopping the run.  For the last four seasons, this defense has dominated against the run, it's been their bread and butter.  However, this preseason has been a bit different.  The Cowboys ran well against them, as did the Texans, even without Arian Foster.  Tomorrow night they'll see one of the best young RB's in the league in Doug Martin, and if this defense were to handle him like we've seen in the past, then it would be a HUGE step.  Losing LB's Kevin Burnett and Karlos Dansby obviously hurt the unit in this department, but that's still no excuse for a step back in 2013, and we MUST see this starting tomorrow night.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 from Sun Life Stadium.  The starters will be going well into the 3rd quarter tomorrow night, and this could very well be the final time we see them until opening day in Cleveland, so this will be the last chance to clean these things up.

There will be NO live blog tomorrow night, as, like last week, I will be working at the start of the game.  So make sure to check in periodically for any updates.

Two. Sundays. Left.

Go Fins!

What the Miami Dolphins offense MUST show us Saturday night

It's crunch time in South Florida, as the Sept. 8th season opener in Cleveland looms a mere 17 days away.  Until then, the closest thing we'll have to an actual game will take place in Saturday night's home opener against Tampa Bay.  The third preseason game (or in the Fins' case, the fourth) is known as the "dress rehearsal" game, which means the starters for both teams will play well into the second half.

This means that THIS game will be the biggest gauge we have of just where these 2013 Miami Dolphins are.  So, with that being said, here's what I MUST see out of this team on Saturday night to really prove to me that they're a serious playoff contender this season.  Because, in all honesty, I have NO idea the real identity of this team yet, and with two weeks until the games start to count that's a bit unsettling.


Lets start with the offense:

• I cannot stress this point enough- this unit MUST get off to a FAST start. This has been a huge focal point all throughout training camp, yet through the first three games all I've seen is a slow, sloppy unit out of the gate for the Dolphins.  Against Dallas there was the Lamar Miller fumble. Against Jacksonville there was sack, after sack, after sack.  And last week, despite the strong offensive showing, the first two drives were DUDS.  I need to see Ryan Tannehill and company put up points on the OPENING drive; obviously a TD is preferable, but even a good, well executed drive ending in a FG will do.  If we see this on Saturday night it will put a lot of minds to ease, including the guys who do it.
• The next thing I need to see is an UPRIGHT Ryan Tannehill.  Jonathan Martin has quietly performed well thus far, but he'll even admit he could be better. However, Martin isn't even my biggest concern:  The biggest thing that has me worried is the RT position.  John Jerry has been recovering from his knee surgery, and Lance Louis has been recovering from his ACL tear a year ago. Both of these guys will play against the Buccaneers, which means the competition is ON.  Josh Samuda has been filling in, but he's been a disaster, as Tannehill is a sitting duck with Samuda in there.  Which one of these guys will step up and protect the second year QB Saturday night?  This should be your focus when the starting unit is out there.  We NEED to see a good pocket for Tannehill.
• How about the TE's?  With Dustin Keller lost for the year, the third thing I must see is a tight end step up and break away from the pack.  The candidates?  Charles Clay, Dion Sims, and Michael Egnew.  Each has his strengths and weaknesses.  Clay can catch the ball over the middle, but can he block?  Sims has excellent hands, but he's a rookie.  Egnew has the most promise out of all three, and has progressed nicely after a poor rookie year, but can he put it all together now that he has the opportunity?  One of these guys will HAVE to replace Keller if the Fins are to have success this season, and while my money's on Clay, if Michael Egnew can grab the proverbial bull by the horns here and separate himself, then this could become an interesting competition.  We'll see.
• The final thing I need to see is a tilt in the RB competition.  Listen, at this point, this has become a good problem for the Miami Dolphins.  Going into training camp, Lamar Miller was all NFL guru's (including myself) could talk about.  However, Daniel Thomas has been the better RB through the first three games.  Thomas shined last week, making some big plays both on the ground and through the air.  If you watch the film, the offense has done noticeably better when Thomas is in the game.  Now, this doesn't mean I don't think Miller is the better RB, because I do, but you can't just ignore what Daniel Thomas has done.  Mike Sherman acknowledged earlier this week that this competition is "neck and neck" right now, and also said that, if this were a regular season game, both guys would get plenty of carries.  But the best thing for this team is for one of these guys to step up and prove to us that he's the guy for the job.  So, who's it going to be?  That's what I'll be looking for Saturday night.

Come back tomorrow for the defensive segment, because, despite the strong showing thus far, there are still certain things this unit MUST show us.

See you then.

Report: TE Keller out for year

And there it is. Foxsports has just confirmed what most of us already knew- TE Dustin Keller will miss the entire 2013 season with a right knee injury. What the exact injury is is still unknown, but just by looking at it you can tell there are multiple things torn in that knee.

Obviously the worst case scenario has now become a reality for the Miami Dolphins, and all of a sudden the TE position has become an unknown on this offense. Can Charles Clay, Michael Egnew, and Dion Sims step up? Or will the Fins bring in a veteran free agent like Randy McMichael, Kevin Boss, or Todd Heap?

One has to think that the three men behind Keller will be given every opportunity to step up, but the lack of consistency will certainly be something to watch going forward.

More to come.

UPDATE: Keller tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, and dislocated his knee. Story just keeps getting worse.

Impressive showing in Houston dampened by Keller injury

Just got home from work and I'm rewatching the game from the beginning.

My thoughts:

• The first team defense could not play one more snap this preseason and still be ready to go week one in Cleveland.  CB Brent Grimes undercut a route on Houston's first drive and intercepted QB Matt Shaub.  I've said it since day one, Grimes is the best corner this team has had in over a decade.
• Cam Wake just doing his thing with another sack.  Wake, along with Vernon, pressured Shaub throughout the night.  Those two look ready.
• The two concerns I have about this defense right now are in stopping the run, and the pass coverage over the middle of the field.  The usually stout unit has been run on well now through all three preseason games, and you've got to think that losing Kevin Burnett and Karlos Dansby has A LOT to do with that. The coverage over the middle of the field has also been suspect, as many of the big plays out of the Texans offense came in the middle of the field.
• Now to the offense.  After a shaky first two drives, Ryan Tannehill settled down... BIG TIME.  The second year QB orchestrated a beautiful 7 play, 80 yard TD drive, ending in an 11 yard bullet to, drum roll please.... Mike Wallace.  Earlier in the Drive, Wallace and Tannehill hooked up for a 15 yard sideline catch, and a 33 yard bomb down the right sideline.  Wallace got behind the Houston secondary and Tannehill hit him for the long connection. The big play WR finished the night with three catches for 53 yards, and a TD. Everybody can calm down now.
• Tannehill was good tonight, and was good against a very, very formidable opponent.  He finished 10-15 for 141 yards, the TD to Wallace, and a 119.0 QB rating.  He also had a couple nice scrambles to evade a would be sack. The one thing he STILL struggles with is holding on to the ball.  The kid MUST learn to get rid of the football, because he cannot continue to take sacks like he is.
• WR Brandon Gibson had another good showing tonight.  The chemistry between him and Tannehill is growing by the game.
• The running back watch is getting ever so close, folks.  Daniel Thomas has clearly gotten better this year, and was a MAJOR factor in the offense tonight.  He ran the ball five times for 24 yards, and also had some BIG runs after catches.  Lamar Miller ran the ball five times for 10 yards.  This competition is tight right now.

And now to the big story of the night.  TE Dustin Keller.  He's looked so good this year, and the chemistry between him and Tannehill has been spot on.  He was primed for a BIG year, and was going to especially important to Tannehill in being that safety net to rely on.  Thats why this is such a big injury, folks.  If you didn't see it, I advise you to just take my word for it, because it did not look good at all.  

Tannehill hit Keller out in the flat, and threw it behind him ever so slightly.  The tight end reached back to get it and was hit directly in the right knee, bending it backwards.  Keller hit the ground, threw his helmet off, and just lied there.  He was eventually carted off the field and is currently undergoing an MRI.  It looked really, really bad, folks.  Torn ACL type bad.  Season ending type bad.  This could be a major blow to the Fins offense, not because Tannehill doesn't have other options, because he has plenty, but because the TE position has so many unknowns right now.  

Charles Clay has shown flashes, but is inconsistent.  Michael Egnew is still a work in progress, as is rookie Dion Sims.  Somebody MUST step up now behind Keller, and my guess is it will be Clay.  Regardless, this is a crushing blow to Keller, who signed a one year deal with Miami in the offseason, and is coming off an injury riddled season in 2012. Just terrible.

The drive would resume, and end with a Lamar Miller TD run.  Another impressive offensive drive for the Fins, but obviously that took the backseat to Keller.

Any updates we get on the tight end will obviously be relayed to you immediately.

Miami currently trails 24-17 midway through the 4th quarter.

Fins, Texans ready to go; last minute news

They are about 30 minutes from kickoff in Houston, Tx, as the Fins are geared up to play in their third of five preseason games.

OG Lance Louis, who the Fins signed as a free agent, is dressed tonight and IS expected to play for the first time this year.

RG Josh Samuda will, however, be getting the start in what will be a make or break game for Samuda coming off a poor showing last week.

DE Dion Jordan WILL NOT play tonight. The rookie has been battling that lingering shoulder problem all week

In regards to the rest of the starters, expect them to play AT LEAST one full quarter, if not more. With training camp ending this week, and the team starting regular season preparation following tonight's game, this will be the first real test and gauge for the starters.

The Fins are in all white, for what it's worth.

There will NOT be a live blog tonight as I cannot watch the game live, but come back tomorrow for a recap and more.

And, as always, GO FINS!

Catching up with EVERYTHING Miami Dolphins

It's crunch time here on the island of Nantucket, so I apologize for my lack of posts as of late.  Guess thats why they call it preseason, huh?

Anyway, it's also quickly becoming crunch time for the Miami Dolphins, as the opening kickoff from Cleveland is just a mere FOUR weeks away.  So far the Fins have showed us some good things, and some, well, alarming things.

Here are my thoughts:

• Ryan Tannehill impressed me on Friday night, and here's why.  The kid bounced back.  After a poor showing against Dallas, and a lackluster start to the game in Jacksonville, Tannehill rallied the troops towards the end of the first quarter to put a TD on the board.  He bought time for himself on more than one occasion, made a big time throw to Dustin Keller over the middle of the field (something he struggled with last year), and then found Keller a couple plays later in the back of the end zone.  Final stats?  5-9, 75 yards, and a TD.  Spin it however you want, but he bounced back.

• The offensive line continues to terrify, not only myself, but also the young QB as well, and it was evident Friday night.  Tannehill knows he's got a shaky line protecting him, and it's forcing him to rush the pass, not be able go through all of his reads, and, most importantly, not be able to look Mike Wallace's way.  Jonathan Martin had a solid night, as did Mike Pouncey, Richie Incognito, and Tyson Clabo, but Josh Samuda struggled BIG TIME, and was replaced by Nate Garner at RG.  This competition is WIDE OPEN right now, and the Fins need to figure it out soon, or somebody (you can guess who) won't make it 16 games this year.

• Running back is another competition that remains open.  Lamar Miller wasn't great the other night, and Daniel Thomas has had a consistently good camp. I'm not nearly as confident in Miller winning the starting spot as I was three weeks ago, and am becoming increasingly intrigued in the Thomas/Miller battle.  Another guy to watch is Jonas Gray.  The kid has also looked good all through camp, and is knee deep in a battle with Mike Gillislee for that third RB position.

• WR Richard Matthews returned to camp today after missing the last two weeks with an injury, and he looked good.  The second year man lost some valuable time in trying to earn a roster spot, but with a good showing Saturday night he could vault himself right back in the discussion.  Right now WR Marvin McNutt, Juluis Pruitt, and Chad Bumphis are also competing for the final two WR spots.

• Caleb Sturgis is HOT on Dan Carpenter's trail right now.  Not good.

• Defensively, the Miami Dolphins can run with the best of them.  This unit is absolutely loaded right now, especially the defensive line.  LB's Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler had solid showings on Friday, as did rookie CB Will Davis, who had an INT.  Davis is quickly turning into somebody to keep an eye on for that starting CB spot opposite Brent Grimes.  The big thing right now for Davis is consistency.  Can he continue to shine?  We'll see.

• Speaking of Grimes.  Haven't heard much out of him, have you?  That's because nobody has thrown his way yet.  If the Dolphins ever had a shutdown CB, it's Grimes.  Guy is a stud.

• Quick note.  Dion Jordan did not practice today for reasons not disclosed to the public.  Could he be doing some rehab still?  Probably, but we'll monitor the situation going forward.

• Speaking of practice today, it was a pretty boring session down in Davie.  A lot of special teams work.  Ho hum.

Back to the island life.

Go Fins!  

Fins lead Jags 7-0 after 1st quarter

It took the Fins starting offense SEVEN possessions, but we finally have a TD.

In what was the Ryan Tannehill to Dustin Keller coming out party, the former NY Jet hauled in a 22 YD TD pass in the back of the end zone.  Don't let me undersell it, it was one heck of a catch.  Keller also hauled in a 24 YD pass earlier in the drive.

Tannehill finished the 1st quarter 5-9 for 75 yards, and a TD.  However, no Mike Wallace connections.

The first team defense was dominant, as they should be, ending the first quarter with a Nolan Carroll INT off a tipped pass.  This is exactly what the Miami Dolphins needed tonight, TURNOVERS.

One more note, the starting offensive line was abysmal for the first two drives, as Tannehill was constantly on the run.  However, the line was MUCH better on the TD scoring drive.

To the second.

Fins, Jags ready to go; Wallace expected to play

They are about 45 minutes from kickoff in Jacksonville.

Fins are in all white, Jags in all black.

Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, and Lamar Miller are all expected to play. How long will the starting unit go? I have no idea, but id guess most of the first quarter. We'll see.

Blog starts at 7:30, so I'll see you then!

Go Fins!

Early criticism of Dolphins ignorant; practice notes as gameday approaches

“He looked awful; the offense looked awful.  What I saw early on, I would be bothered if I were a coach of the Miami Dolphins.”

-Merrill Hodge on ESPN following Sunday nights HOF game.

...What?  

Listen, I'm not going to get into this right now.  Look for a column sometime in the next day or two about my thoughts on just how IDIOTIC some of the comments have been this week regarding the Miami Dolphins.  I don't have the time or patience right now to tell you exactly how I feel about this, but just know that it's comments like this that make me weep for the broadcasting journalism industry more and more every day.

Again, look for the column tomorrow or Friday, but until then just know that even to UTTER this sentence is pure ignorance, and it disgusts me beyond comprehension.  

Read the article, this is just a preview.

PRACTICE REPORT:

• Today was a good day for QB Ryan Tannehill, especially after his worst day of practice yesterday.  The second year QB threw 3 TD's today, including a 40 yard bomb to WR MIke Wallace, who returned today for the first time in nearly two weeks.

• WR Brian Hartline dropped two passes today.  Ho-hum.

• TE Michael Egnew caught 3 TD passes today.  After a slow start to training camp, Egnew has come on in the last few weeks, but he must continue to improve as he's on a very short leash.

• CB Nolan Carroll had a mixed day, as he got burned by Mike Wallace for a long TD, but also recovered nicely with an INT of Pat Devlin, who returned to practice today after missing a couple days with an injury.

• Jared Odrick and Olivier Vernon both practiced in full today.  Expect them to be all systems go Friday night.

• Lamar Miller, who left practice yesterday with an ankle injury of some sort, was back today with his right ankle heavily taped. He started working and stopped midway through and was limping noticeably. Then he returned to practice for a couple of periods and left again near the end.

• Rookie Dallas Thomas, who played at left tackle in the preseason opener, is over at right tackle now. And he's still struggling, big time. The kid went up against Cameron Wake today, and lets just say it wasn't exactly the rookie's finest hour.. 

• Chris Clemons had a good day today with 2 INT's, as did CB Dimitri Patterson, who had an INT as well.  Patterson continues to hold down the starting spot opposite Brent Grimes.

Like I said, look for an article sometime tomorrow or Friday regarding the early criticism of the Miami Dolphins following the HOF game.  And, as always, I will have quarter by quarter coverage of the Fins' second preseason game Friday night in Jacksonville beginning at 7:30.

Until tomorrow..

GO FINS

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/06/3543890/pundits-begin-criticism-of-ryan.html#storylink=cpy

Dolphins fall in preseason opener, 24-20

Game over from Ohio.

Fins drop their first preseason game of the year, 24-20, to the Dallas Cowboys.

There were some shining stars:

Chad Bumphis, Keenan Davis, Derrick Shelby.

And, well, some cause for concern:

Lamar Miller fumble, offensive line, poor tackling.

However, I'm going to give you ALL my analysis and takeaways from this game TOMORROW, because, well, i'm tired.

Yeah, that just happened.

Until then, I leave you with this.  It's one game.  Please, pretty please, don't panic. There is absolutely nothing to get down about after the HALL OF FAME game.  If it looks like this in three weeks, then talk to me.

Until then, save it.

Until tomorrow...

GO FINS

Cowboys lead Fins 17-3 at halftime: The good, the bad, and the ugly

The good:

• Chad Bumphis.  The receiver took a 10 yard pass over the middle of the field and ran about 35 more yards down the sideline.  Bumphis has looked good in camp, especially this past week.  The guy can get OPEN.  He's certainly made an impression tonight.

• Derrick Shelby.  The defensive end has recorded two sacks.

• RB Mike Gillislee.  The rookie has looked good on a couple screen passes and runs.  The RB position may be WIDE OPEN right now, and Gillislee is making some noise.

• Same can be said for Jonas Gray, whose also had a couple nice runs and catches tonight.

The bad:

• The offensive line.  Like I said earlier, Matt Moore and Ryan Tannehill have NOT been comfortable tonight.  In-fact, Moore was welcomed to the game by a punishing hit from his blind side.  The blocker?  Rookie Dallas Thomas.

• Michael Egnew.  The second year TE has dropped more than one pass tonight.  Not good for a bubble player.

• WR Marvin McNutt.  The hopeful WR dropped a couple Ryan Tannehill passes.

• Will Davis.  The rookie CB, as I said earlier, had a crucial PI in the endzone.

• New linebacker Philip Wheeler.  Was burned by a TE over the middle on the game's first drive, and also missed a couple tackles.

• Tackling in general.  A LOT of missed chances tonight by the defense.

The UGLY:

• Lamar Miller.  The kid fumbled the first snap of the game.  Yikes.

• Chad Bumphis.  Made a rookie mistake later on in the drive, stopping short on a route leading to a tipped ball INT for a Dallas TD.

To the Third.

Cowboys lead Fins 7-0 after 1st quarter

NOT a good start for RB Lamar Miller.

The second year RB, who is still fighting for a starting job with Daniel Thomas, FUMBLED on the team's first offensive snap following a Cowboys punt.  The fumble was recovered by the Cowboys, who would eventually score.

Joe Philbin has preached winning the turnover battle all throughout camp, and, so far, the turnover margin reads:

Dolphins: +1

Not good for Miller.  However, Miller did come back nicely on the following drive with back to back runs of 10+ yards.  Still, I don't think that'll be enough for Joe Philbin to just forget about the fumble.

Ryan Tannehill and the first team offense (or tonight's version of the first team offense) exited the game midway through the third series.  Tannehill finished the night 2-5, for 11 yards.  The completions went to Dustin Keller, and Brandon Gibson.

Defensively, rookie CB Will Davis committed a crucial pass interference penalty in the end zone on a third and goal.  Davis put his arms up to block the receiver, but didn't look back for the ball.

One more thing:  The offensive line has looked SHAKY.  Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore have been on the move way to much.

However, lets remember, this is still the FIRST preseason game of the season.

Please, no panic yet.

To the second.

Dolphins, Cowboys ready to go from Canton; last minute news

They are about 30 minutes away from kickoff up in Ohio, as the Fins and Cowboys gear up for the first NFL action of the 2013 season.

Here is some last minute news:

• Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline will NOT play tonight, as both are battling minor groin and calf injuries.  The starting WR's will be Brandon Gibson, and Marvin McNutt.
• Also sitting tonight for the Fins are Jared Odrick, Randy Starks, and Olivier Vernon.  Vaughn Martin will be paired with Paul Soliai as the starting defensive tackles, and Derrick Shelby will replace Vernon as the starting right end.
• Dion Jordan will play, but will not start.
• Rookie CB Jamar Taylor will sit out tonight as well.
• Ryan Tannehill will play 10-15 snaps tonight, according to Joe Philbin.
• And, lastly, the Fins are in their aqua jersey's and white pants tonight.  The new uni's look good, if I do say so myself.

The live blog will be up and running tonight, so come back and follow along!

GO FINS!

Miami Dolphins set to kickoff 2013 preseason: What to expect and what to watch for

We are now 24 hours away from the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.

Wait, didn't training camp just start?

My, how time flies when you're having fun, huh?

So, with the Fins and Cowboys set to kick things off tomorrow night around 8, here is EVERYTHING you need to know, and EVERYTHING you should be watching for, as your Miami Dolphins get ready to take the field for the first time this season.


What you need to know:

- According to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, expect Ryan Tannehill and the starting offense to play two or three series.  The same goes for the starting defense. After that you'll see the second team offense and defense and on down for the remainder of the game.

- Jared Odrick, Randy Starks and Olivier Vernon are not expected to play.  Odrick and Starks have been battling minor injuries all week, but nothing is expected to linger to long.  This COULD mean that rookie Dion Jordan will get the start.

- WR's Brian Hartline and Mike Wallace are questionable for tomorrow night.  Both are battling leg injuries, with Hartline struggling with his calf, and Wallace with his groin. Both have expressed a desire to play, but I HIGHLY doubt you'll see them.  There's just no point in risking further injury.  Both, however, are expected to be just fine, and could play if this were a regular season game.


What to watch for:

- Look for some big time minutes for WR's Marvin McNutt and Brian Tyms.  Both have had good weeks of practice, and both are fighting for extended roles on this team going forward.

- Pay close attention to the Fins offensive line.  The unit has struggled in camp thus far, so how they do tomorrow night will be telling.

- Watch all three RB's closely, especially Daniel Thomas, who has been solid in camp and believes he can still be the starter ahead of Lamer Miller.

- How will Ryan Tannehill look in his first game as a sophomore?  Remember, he likely won't have his two top receivers, but can he still orchestrate a couple drives in his limited playing time?

- The kicking battle will something to keep your eye on.  So far Dan Carpenter has had the upper hand through camp, but Caleb Sturgis has started to come on strong.  No doubt that both of these guys will get there fair shots tomorrow night.

- TURNOVER BATTLE.  The Dolphins have made this their top priority over the first two weeks of camp.  Can they win it?

- Pay attention to rookie CB Will Davis.  He's had a strong last couple of practices, but can he shine in games?

- And, of course, can Dion Jordan make an impact?  This is what he was brought here to do, now lets see if he can.


Coverage starts tomorrow night, and, of course, I'll have a quarter by quarter blog for you guys.

Come back then, and lets start this season off right.

GO FINS!