Training Camp recap: Day one and two

The Miami Dolphins are all systems go right now, especially with the Hall of Fame game against Dallas a mere 13 days away.

The team wrapped up its second morning of practice just a few hours ago, and so far there has been plenty to report.

Here are some highlights and observations from the first two days of camp, via the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Herald, and, of course, yours truly.  Enjoy.


Sunday:

• It's becoming more and more clear why the Fins passed on FB Vonta Leach last week, when all reports indicated he wanted to be in Miami.  The first two days of practice the Fins haven't even had a FB on the field with the first team offense.  Instead, they've opted to use a TE in the back field as the lead blocker.  Sound familiar?  It should, as that is the EXACT same formation the Green Bay Packers use.  It's obvious that the Fins want as many play makers on the field at one time as humanly possible, and with so much being invested into the team's TE's (Dustin Keller, Charles Clay), this seems to be the route Miami is going.

• Second year DE Olivier Vernon has so far impressed through the first two days.  He's been in on a handful of big plays in the backfield, and with rookie Dion Jordan still sidelined with the shoulder injury, this will be a very interesting competition to watch unfold over the next month.

• Speaking of Dion Jordan, should we be concerned yet?  No.  He had shoulder surgery five months ago, it's only two days into camp, lets give it some time, folks.

• As I said last week, the two corner spots seem pretty set in stone with Brent Grimes and Richard Marshall.  Grimes has been everything he was two years ago and more, while Marshall has seemed fully healthy and has made some big plays through two days of camp.

• Ryan Tannehill and the Fins offense got off to a slow start yesterday.  The first play of the day was long sideline pass to Mike Wallace, which was overthrown.  It's clear, as expected, that those two will need some time to develop some chemistry.  Nothing to panic about, besides, which team isn't rusty on the first day of training camp?  Tannehill did connect with Brian Hartline a handful of times, and hit Dustin Keller and Brandon Gibson a handful of times over the middle.

• I'm not even going to discuss trench play, because until players put on pads (tomorrow), it's pretty much irrelevant.

• A player to watch?  WR Marvin McNutt, a first year player out of Iowa, who impressed Sunday, catching 5 passes from QB Matt Moore.

• The kicking battle?  There wasn't one on Sunday, as Dan Carpenter got all the repetitions.  He converted 10/10 FG's.  Caleb Sturgis kicked today, and we'll get to that in a minute.

The day one starting units looked like this, according to the Miami Herald:

• Defense -- DL was Olivier Vernon, Paul Soliai, Randy Starks and Cameron Wake up front. Jared Odrick spent much of his time inside at DT and also shared snaps with Starks with the first team. At LB Koa Misi, Dannell Ellerbe in the middle and Phillip Wheeler. Grimes and Marshall were at CB. Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons were at safety.

• Offense -- OL was Martin at LT, Richie Incognito at LG, C Mike Pouncey, RG John Jerry and RT Clabo. WRs were Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline in two-wide and Brandon Gibson added to the three-wide. Tight end was Dustin Keller and obviously Tannehill at QB.

Monday:

• The offense looked better today, but still waiting for that long TD strike to Mike Wallace.  Tannehill and Wallace did hook up a number of times today, but on slant routes and out patterns, nothing deep.

• Richard Marshall blew up two running plays in the backfield, he's looked good, as I mentioned earlier.

• Lamar Miller has looked fast so far, but while everybody (including myself) has already crowned him the starting RB, a Fins official told the Miami Herald today not to count out Daniel Thomas, saying that if the third year man can stay healthy, expect a big year out of him.  We'll see.

• Jared Odrick and Randy Starks were together on the first team Defensive line today.

• Caleb Sturgis converted 2/3 FG's, including a 48 yarder.  Carpenter and Sturgis seem to be alternating kicking days.

• The read option IS in the playbook.  That's all we've been told.  Take of it what you'd like.

• Rishard Matthews had a good day in the 11-11 portion of practice, as did Michael Egnew.

• QB Pat Devlin took second team snaps today, while Matt Moore worked with the third team.

• No Dion Jordan sighting today, you'd expect he's in the trainers room inside.

• Not much from the two rookie CB's yet, although Jamar Taylor did have noticeable limp today.

• Tyson Clabo has so far impressed, and seems to be the solid veteran the Fins expected him to be when they signed him.  That's good news for Ryan Tannehill.

That's all for now, check back later for anything new.  The next scheduled practice is set for tomorrow morning.

The 2013 NFL Season has BEGUN

Think expectations aren't high this year in Miami?

Think again.  And while you do that, go check out the column I posted last night.

As for today, the Miami Dolphins JUST began their 2013 season not two minutes ago! Check back throughout the morning for practice updates and more.

Sunday has just taken on a whole new meaning.

With training camp looming, Miami Dolphins set out to back up aggressive offseason

First, you had the players they parted ways with:

Reggie Bush, Sean Smith, Jake Long, Anthony Fasano, Davone Bess, Karlos Dansby, and Kevin Burnett.

Then, you had the replacements:

Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, Dustin Keller, Tyson Clabo, Brent Grimes, Dannell Ellerbe, and Philip Wheeler.

And finally, you had the rooks:

Dion Jordan, Jamar Taylor, Will Davis, and Mike Gillislee, among others.

There you have it.  This is what all of the talk throughout the NFL community has been about since early March.  This is the vision Joe Philbin, Jeff Ireland, and Steven Ross began mapping out over a year ago, and have now laid down in front of us today.

Mix in Lamar Miller, Brian Hartline, Cameron Wake, Reshad Jones, and, of course, Ryan Tannehill, and you have your 2013 Miami Dolphins.  Or, what some NFL pundits are calling, "the team that will finally challenge the New England Patriots in the AFC East."

Yeah, lets talk about that last sentence for a minute.

Because it's an awful, AWFUL, bold statement to make.

Or is it?

Welcome to the next seven months for your Miami Dolphins.

Since 1999, Dan Marino's final NFL season, the expectations have never been THIS high.  Not in 2002, the year Ricky Williams was brought in, not in 2009, the year after their only division title this century, and not in 2010, the year Brandon Marshall was brought in to catch passes from "the next Dan Marino" himself, check down Chad Henne.

In-fact, I don't think I can remember a time when the Miami Dolphins had THIS much national attention.

And that's because I was only SIX years old the last time they got any!

My point?  Jeff Ireland has (finally) done his part.  He's brought in everybody Joe Philbin, Mike Sherman, Kevin Coyle, and Ryan Tannehill could have possibly asked for.

Oh, you want somebody to throw to other than Brian Hartline, Ryan?

Sure thing, man.  Here's Mike Wallace AND Brandon Gibson AND Dustin Keller.

Oh, you want to improve upon your FOURTH worst defense in takeaways and get faster and more aggressive, Kevin?

No problem, bro.  Here's Brent Grimes, Dannell Ellerbe, Phillip Wheeler, and Dion Jordan.

Okay, maybe thats not exactly how the conversations went down, but that's how an NFL front office works in my mind.

There is absolute no doubt that this team can compete for a playoff spot.  Heck, there's absolutely no excuse for them not to.  Those excuses are gone now.  They're in Detroit, Kansas City, Cleveland, and St. Louis.  If the Miami Dolphins don't walk the walk this season, then it's going to be a much different offseason in 2014.

Jeff Ireland will be gone.  Joe Philbin, and his coaching staff, will most likely be out the door as well.  Even Ryan Tannehill, the savior, the messiah, will be walking down a road walked down once before by good ol' Chad Henne.

Get it now?  The offseason, with all of its aggression, glamor, and excitement, is over.

The pressure now shifts from the front office, to the football field.

From Jeff Ireland, to Joe Philbin.

The 2013 NFL season commences tomorrow at 8 am in Davie, FL.

And the new look Miami Dolphins will be ready to go.

For better.

Or for worse.

Training Camp CompWatch: Cornerbacks

Two. Days.

Enough said.

Lets do this thing.


The Players:  Brent Grimes, Richard Marshall, Nolan Carroll, Dimitri Patterson, Jamar Taylor, Will
Davis.

The Heavyweight(s):  Brent Grimes seems to be primed for a huge season this year. He's healthy, has something to prove, and hasn't lost a single step from his pro bowl year in 2011.  The former Atlanta Falcon has received rave reviews from his teammates and coaching staff, and all reports indicate that he will absolutely be that shutdown corner this year that the Fins have been missing since good ol' Sam Madison.

Opposite Grimes, all signs point to Richard Marshall to man the other side of the field. Marshall, coming off an injury shortened 2012 season, appears to be back to full health, and, if true, is the clear choice to fill that second CB position.  Remember, before his back injury last year, Marshall was having himself a very solid season, something he's proved he's capable of from years past.

The Contenders:  This is an absolute WIDE OPEN race.  To be honest with you, I'm not even sure who the front runners are here.  Nolan Carroll is the presumed leading candidate for the number three CB spot behind both Grimes and Marshall, but that's only based on experience from a season ago. I'm not so sure the Fins should feel comfortable with Carroll (and I'm not so sure they do), especially with some of the miserable performances last year (check the Thursday night Buffalo game). So, with that being said, look for Dimitri Patterson, last years' mid-season pick up, to compete heavily with Carroll.

The problem here lies within Patterson's contract.  The Fins are set to owe him $4.5 million this year, roughly SEVEN times what his competitors make, so, barring a dominate training camp, my guess is that Patterson is in the danger zone.

The Dark Horse(s):  Look, I wanted to put rookies Jamar Taylor and Will Davis in the above section, but I just can't until I actually see them play. The potential for both is sky high, especially for Taylor, who some NFL pundits actually had going late in the first round, but the problem here is just the fact that absolutely nobody knows what we're going to get. And don't forget, Taylor is coming off sports hernia surgery, and missed a portion of offseason workouts, so that's another variable with the rook.  There are just too many unknowns to count on these guys just yet, but believe me, Joe Philbin and Kevin Coyle would love nothing more than for both to unseat the veterans in front of them, so expect both to be given long, hard looks in the coming weeks.

Two. Days.

48 hours.

It's on.

Training Camp CompWatch: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

The countdown is down to just FIVE days until the Miami Dolphins bring in the new year down in Davie, FL.

Better get going.  In this edition of "CompWatch" I'll breakdown the, arguably, most improved area on your 2013 Miami Dolphins:

The Wide Receivers.

I'll also be taking a look at an intriguing battle between the Tight Ends, more specifically, the battle for that second and third TE spot.

Lets do it.


The Players:  Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Armon Binns, Rishard Matthews, Dustin Keller, Charles Clay, Michael Egnew, Dion Sims.

The Heavyweight(s):  Obviously, Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, and Dusitn Keller are all penned in for opening day starts in Cleveland.  Honestly, I really shouldn't even have to clarify that.  Wallace was brought in on the heels of a disastrous 2012 campaign, Brian Hartline aside, by Miami Dolphin wide receivers, and will be leaned upon heavily by second year man Ryan Tannehill.  The $65 million dollar man should open the field by leaps and bounds for Tannehill, Hartline, and other offensive weapons for the Fins.

In regards to Brian Hartline and Dustin Keller, what can you say about these two? Hartline had an outstanding season a year ago, and developed immediate chemistry with then rookie Ryan Tannehill, despite missing all of training camp.  He was brought back by GM Jeff Ireland in March, in one of the wisest moves the embattled GM has ever made, and should expect another solid year this season, especially with the addition of Wallace.

Dustin Keller was another Ireland move that I found genius.  If you've followed this blog at all in the last two years then you should know that former TE Anthony Fasano was my absolute worst enemy.  He was inconsistent, dropped easy passes, and, quite simply, wasn't a PLAYMAKER.

Look, I'm not saying Keller is Vernon Davis or Aar-, nevermind, (too soon?) but he's got good size, is a legitimate seam threat, and can make some big PLAYS.  That is a HUGE upgrade in my opinion.


The Contenders:  This is where the real battles begin.  Brandon Gibson was another key offseason signing by Jeff Ireland, and is being groomed to take over for newly departed Davone Bess in the slot.

However, Armon Binns may have something to say about that. Reports out of OTA's and mini camp had Binns coming out with the clear upper hand over Gibson, both in chemistry with Tannehill and overall plays made.  Binns has great size to him (6'3), and can be a legitimate redzone threat week in and week out.  However, it will take a monumental effort from the waiver wire pick up of a year ago to unseat the newly signed Gibson.  Look for this to be the highlight of camp day in and day out.

In regards to backing up Dustin Keller, two names come to mind: Michael Egnew, and Charles Clay. The ladder had his moments last season (check Indianapolis and Seattle), but was widely inconsistent, as he disappeared for weeks on end.  That brings us to Egnew, the third round pick out of Missouri who seriously, seriously underperformed last season  (and by that I mean he didn't even dress until WEEK 16!).  The reviews on Egnew have been improved thus far, but word is he still has quite a ways to go.  However, don't turn a blind eye on the kid just yet.  His size, and raw athletic ability have the chance to be solid NFL material if he just gets the chance to put it all together.  We'll see going into year two.


The Dark Horse(s):  Don't think I forgot about the two youngsters, in-fact, these two may excite me the most.  WR Rishard Matthews was the final pick of the Fins' 2012 draft, and wasn't expected to play much, if it all, last season.  However, injuries and poor WR play allowed Matthews to work his way onto the field, and by the end of the season the kid had built up a nice rapport with fellow rookie Ryan Tannehill.  Matthews showed us glimpses of big play ability in his 2012 campaign (December Buffalo game), and proved he could catch the football; this, combined with an already established chemistry with Ryan Tannehill makes Matthews a real threat to his fellow teammates.

Last, but not least, we have rookie TE Dion Sims.  The fourth round pick of Michigan State possess great downhill speed for his size (6'6, 285), and is a solid pass blocker. Word out of Miami is that Sims impressed during OTA's and Mini Camp, and even ran plays with the first team offense.  There is no doubt that Sims will be a bit of a project at the start, but if he continues to impress as he has thus far, don't be surprised to see the rookie on more than one Sunday (yes, I'm talking to you, Michael Egnew) this season.


Alright, continue watching the All Star game, all while keeping the fact that the NFL is set to resume in FIVE days in the back of your mind.

Until next time.

Training Camp CompWatch 2013: Running backs

One week from right now the Miami Dolphins will have officially begun the 2013 season. In-fact, they'll be about 13 hours removed from beginning it, as the team's first practice is scheduled to start at 8 am next Sunday morning.

That doesn't excite you? How about this:

Three weeks from RIGHT NOW, the Fins and Cowboys will be in the second quarter of the league's first preseason game in Canton, Ohio.

Still nothing!?

Well, how about this:

EIGHT Sunday's from now the Fins will either be 1-0, or 0-1, as they'll be just hours removed from their opening week game in Cleveland.

Essentially, this is the final Sunday until mid-February without football.

A round of applause goes out to everybody who withstood the five month offseason!

Now, with all this in mind, I'd like to begin a segment leading up to the start of training camp called "CompWatch."  If you've followed this team at all since March, you know that there has been MAJOR overhaul since they last took the field in January.

Gone are the likes of, say, Reggie Bush, Davone Bess, Jake Long, Anthony Fasano, Karlos Dansby, Kevin Burnett, and Sean Smith.  Names like, Mike Wallace, Lamar Miller, Brandon Gibson, Dustin Keller, Dannel Ellerbe, Phillip Wheeler, and Brent Grimes will be the new (and vastly improved) faces replacing those guys.

I think "MAJOR overhaul" may be understatement.

What I'm going to do for the next couple of weeks is highlight all the major camp competitions that you should be following throughout the four weeks of training camp.

And boy, is there competition.

Can somebody challenge Lamar Miller for the every down running back?  Who's going to be the slot receiver?  Is Richard Marshall's corner spot safe?  Who in the world is protecting Ryan Tannehill?  Can Dion Jordan overcome a late start to challenge Jared Odrick?  Is Koa Misi your third linebacker?  Who's going to kick the ball, Dan Carpenter or Caleb Sturgis?

Like I said, there is big time competition on this 2013 Dolphins squad.

So, to kick things off, this edition of CompWatch will feature one of the more intriguing battles in all of camp:

The Running Backs.


The Players: Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas, Mike Gillislee, Marcus Thigpen, Jonas Gray.

The Heavyweight:  The clear, heavy, heavy favorite here is Lamar Miller, the second year man out of Miami.  Miller has been praised for his speed, even as recently as this week.  It was reported that Miller is currently working out with 49ers RB Frank Gore, along with Pete Bommarito, who runs Bommarito Performance Systems.

"He's the fastest running back I've ever seen," Bommarito told the Miami Herald about Miller.

Added Gore, "he reminds me a lot of [Clinton] Portis."

Clearly, this kid has the chance to be something special.  We saw glimpses of it last season (check out the Oakland game and the December Buffalo game).  But the real question surrounding Miller is can he block for Ryan Tannehill?  This is the one thing that limited him a season ago, and with Tannehill already losing All Pro Jake Long, Miller cannot afford this to be a problem this season.

Contenders:  This is where the battle gets interesting.  Listen, barring an injury or just a complete collapse from Miller, he's already penciled in to be the go to guy for Miami this season.  They've invested a lot in the kid, and even let Reggie Bush go knowing they had Miller in their back pocket, so the second year man will be your starter this season.

However, Miller cannot and will not be in there on every single down, so, naturally, there will be a very important back up to Miller.  I narrow this down to two people:

Daniel Thomas, and Mike Gillislee.

This will be the competition to watch all throughout camp. Thomas can be a presence in the redzone, especially with his size, but he's underperformed in his first two seasons, had injury problems, and, to be blunt, can't hang onto the ball worth a lick.

Enter the rookie.  I've watched Gillislee play in many, many games being a Florida Gator fan, and I've got to say, I think the Fins got a major steal here.  The kid
impressed all throughout OTA's and mini camp, and is coming off a stellar final season at Florida.  He's quick, runs downhill, and has proven to be durable, as he carried the ball for an SEC high 244 times
                                                                            a season ago.

Many people will crown Thomas as the second string RB behind Miller, but I'm not so sure.  Don't be surprised to see a whole lot of Mike Gillislee this year.

The Dark horses:  The final two backs to watch are Marcus Thigpen, and Jonas Gray. Thigpen proved to be a huge asset last year in the kick returning department (check Houstan and Buffalo), so figure to see him there regularly.

Gray is an intriguing case.  The former Fighting Irish missed all last season with a torn ACL, but put up solid numbers in his final season at Notre Dame, carrying the ball 114 times for 812 yards with a team high 12 rushing touchdowns.  Gray is the kind of one cut rusher that Joe Philbin likes, and he's got good size to him as well (5'9, 225), so if the kid stays healthy he'll make a strong push for the second or third running back position.


One in the books, many, many to go.  Feels good to be back, Go Fins, and hang in there just a little bit longer.

Only eight to go!

Blog to return next week as Fins 2013 season begins July 21

Some people like a long vacation, especially after 100+ posts from July to January.

And yes, while I agree that some time off is needed, and welcomed, SEVEN freaking months is just way too long.

But alas, the hiatus ends in TEN days, folks.

Ten days until the Miami Dolphins officially open the 2013 season in Davie, FL with an 8 am scheduled practice.

Ten days until we really get to see just how much Ryan Tannehill has improved, and if the kid is ready to lead this team back to January.

Ten days until we get to see Mike Wallace go deep, Lamar Miller break away, Dannell Ellerbe be a force, and Brent Grimes be a ball hog.

Ten days until this much anticipated season begins to take shape.

I'll be doing my part to get us all ready, as I will be returning on a regular basis beginning sometime in the middle of next week with all new posts, analysis, predictions, and live practice updates.

It's been way too long since the last time we saw the Miami Dolphins on the field in a meaningful setting, seven months to be exact.  As the offseason draws to a close, however, I must admit it went by rather quick.

Lets hope the next 10 days goes by even quicker.

See you next week!


[Below I've posted a full 2013 training camp scheduled, released by the team yesterday]


• Sunday, July 21, 8 a.m.; • Monday, July 22, 8 a.m.; • Tuesday, July 23, 8 a.m.

• Wednesday, July 24, 8 a.m.; • Thursday, July 25, players off; • Friday, July 26, 8 a.m.

• Saturday, July 27, 8 a.m. (only season-ticket holders);

• Sunday, July 28, 8 a.m. (only Fin Club members)

• Monday, July 29, 7 p.m. (at Sun Life Stadium); • Tuesday, July 30, players off

• Wednesday, July 31, 6 p.m.; • Thursday, Aug. 1, 1:30 p.m.; • Friday, Aug. 2, 11:30 a.m.

• Saturday, Aug. 3, No practice; •  Sunday, Aug. 4, Preseason game vs. Dallas in Canton, Ohio (NBC)

• Monday, Aug. 5, Players off; • Tuesday, Aug. 6, 11 a.m.; • Wednesday, Aug. 7, 1:30 p.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 8, No practice; • Friday, Aug. 9, Preseason game at Jacksonville, 7:30 (CBS4)

• Saturday, Aug. 10, Players off; • Sunday, Aug. 11, 1 p.m. (only for season-ticket holders).

• Monday, Aug. 12, 8 a.m.; • Tuesday, Aug. 13, Players off; • Wednesday, Aug. 14, 8 a.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 15, 8 a.m.; • Friday, Aug. 16, No practice;

• Saturday, Aug. 17, Preseason game at Houston, 8 p.m. (CBS 4)

• Sunday, Aug. 18, End of training camp and end of practices open to public

• Saturday, Aug. 24, Preseason game home against Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. (CBS 4)

• Thursday, Aug. 29, Preseason game home against New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. (CBS 4).