Friday, June 27, 2008

Training Camp Schedule Released

The news is pretty much at a standstill these days, and it should continue that way right up until camp starts. Well, at least now we know when that day is. The team has released a tentative schedule for its training camp practices.

There are 20 practices in total.

Here is the tentative list of dates and times (those dates with two times listed are days with double sessions):

Sat., July 26
9:00 a.m.
5:00 p.m.

Sun., July 27
2:00 p.m.

Mon., July 28
9:00 a.m.

Tues., July 29
2:00 p.m.

Wed., July 30
9:00 a.m.
5:00 p.m.

Fri., Aug. 1
9:00 a.m.
5:00 p.m.

Sat., Aug. 2
1:50 – 4:00 p.m.

Mon., Aug. 4
9:00 a.m.
5:00 p.m.

Tues., Aug. 5
2:00 p.m.

Wed., Aug. 6
9:00 a.m.

Thurs., Aug. 7
2:00 p.m.

Mon., Aug. 11
2:00 p.m.

Tues., Aug. 12
9:00 a.m.
5:00 p.m.

Wed., Aug. 13
2:00 p.m.

Thurs., Aug. 14
9:00 a.m.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Honor Roll adds two

Earlier this week, the team announced that two more members of its alumni would be inducted into its Honor Roll.

The two inductees are former players Doug Betters and Bob Baumhower.

In order to get a better idea about how these two Dolphin greats played the game, take a look at what other Dolphins had to say about them, as well as this nice piece by Andy Cohen.

Congrats, Doug and Bob! You have represented this franchise well.

The other members of the Dolphins Honor Roll are:
  • Joe Robbie
  • Larry Csonka
  • Bob Griese
  • Jim Langer
  • Paul Warfield
  • Nick Buoniconti
  • The 1972 undefeated team
  • Larry Little
  • Dwight Stephenson
  • Bob Kuechenberg
  • Don Shula
  • Nat Moore
  • Dan Marino
  • Mark Clayton
  • Mark Duper
  • Dick Anderson
  • Richmond Webb

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Team adds WR; four personnel staff

According to the team's site, rookie WR John Dunlap, who was at this past weekend's minicamp on a tryout basis, has been signed to a contract.

According to the site:
"The 6-1, 218-pound Dunlap was a four-year letterman at North Carolina State (2004-07) where he played in 42 games with 22 starts in his career. He finished with 85 receptions for 924 yards and seven touchdowns. He started 10 of the 11 games in which he appeared as a senior in 2007 and led the Wolfpack with a career-high 45 catches, totaling 375 yards and three scores."
The team's site also announced that four player personnel staff members have been added.

They are:
Dick Haley - player personnel analyst
Chris Shea - personnel coordinator
Mike Murphy - regional scout
Joe Schoen - national scout

Haley will be in charge of special research projects, as assigned by Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland. Shea will manage the operations of the team's Pro and College scouting departments and research league-wide personnel trends. Murphy will be responsible for scouting the South region.

Monday, June 9, 2008

June 8 Minicamp Reports

SUN-SENTINEL REPORTS
Highlights:
  • WR Ernest Wilford was excused from practice so that he could catch a flight. Ted Ginn became the QBs' primary target in his absence.
  • QB Josh McCown began work with the first team.
  • LB Charlie Anderson consistently applied pressure on the QB, making several would-be sacks.
  • LT Jake Long struggled with speed rushers on the outside.
  • DTs Lionel Dotson and Rodrique Wright have done nothing to stand out.
  • CB Will Allen and SS Yeremiah Bell continue to dominate in the secondary.
MIAMI HERALD REPORTS
Highlights:
  • K Dan Carpenter showed off a strong leg on kickoffs.
PALM BEACH POST REPORTS
OFFICIAL SITE REPORTS

Saturday, June 7, 2008

June 7 Minicamp Reports

SUN-SENTINEL REPORTS
Highlights:
  • QB Chad Henne took the starter's reps in the morning, while John Beck took the starter's reps during the afternoon.
  • G Justin Smiley moved to starting LG, while G Trey Darilek started at RG. Former starting LG Shawn Murphy moved to second team RG.
  • DE Jason Taylor and CB Michael Lehan (ankle) were the only two players not in attendance. The team also brought in rookie free agent WR John Dunlap for a tryout.
  • WR Greg Camarillo made several very good catches throughout the day.
  • The players in the mix as kick and punt returners are WRs Ted Ginn, Davone Bess, and Jayson Foster and RBs Patrick Cobbs and Jalen Parmele.
  • The second team defensive line is DE Randy Starks, NT Paul Soliai, and DE Phillip Merling.
MIAMI HERALD REPORTS
  • Armando Salguero's blog reports (1, 2, 3)
Highlights:
  • The pass offense generally struggled.
  • WR David Kircus was limited in drills because of a tight hamstring. G Steve McKinney is still recovering from a knee injury and probably won't be ready to practice until training camp.
  • S Chris Crocker and CB Nathan Jones took some reps at starting free safety, which is usually Jason Allen's spot.
PALM BEACH POST REPORTS
  • Blog reports (1, 2)
Highlights:
  • RB Ronnie Brown looked stiff.
OFFICIAL SITE REPORTS

Friday, June 6, 2008

June 6 Minicamp Reports

OFFICIAL SITE REPORTS
Highlights:
  • DE Randy Starks was excused from both practices today. He is expected to be present tomorrow. DE Jason Taylor and CB Michael Lehan (ankle) also missed the practices.
  • K Dave Rayner was released.
SUN-SENTINEL REPORTS
Highlights:
  • QB Josh McCown started out practice with the first team. John Beck worked with the second team and Chad Henne with the third. Henne looked the best out of the three. Beck took quite a few would-be sacks, while McCown fumbled several center exchanges which led to him being pulled from his reps at one point.
  • As a whole, the receivers looked bad, dropping far too many balls, including presumptive starter Ernest Wilford. WR Greg Camarillo (he of 2008's season-saving catch and run) was working with the third team. WR Selwyn Lymon is also getting some work at TE.
  • Quentin Moses worked as an outside linebacker.
  • CB Will Allen continued his very strong play from last season. CB Scorpio Babers, on the other hand, was continually beat like a rented mule. Joey Thomas and Nate Jones filled in for Michael Lehan as the nickel back.
  • The offense features a lot of two tight end sets.
  • RB Ricky Williams has had no problem beating everyone to the outside on sweeps and is looking very impressive. RB Jalen Parmele is taking most of the second team reps with Ronnie Brown still sidelined.
  • P Brandon Fields has been getting work on kickoffs.
PALM BEACH POST REPORTS

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

June 4 OTA Reports

SUN-SENTINEL REPORTS
Highlights:
  • ILB Channing Crowder is only participating in conditioning and individual drills on a limited basis as he continues to recover from knee surgery. Starting at ILB were Akin Ayodele and Reggie Torbor. Edmond Miles and Kelly Poppinga worked as the second team ILBs. Titus Brown and Kelvin Smith worked with the third team.
  • S Renaldo Hill (ACL), TE Anthony Fasano (shoulder), and C Steve McKinney (knee) did not practice. RB Ronnie Brown (knee) was held out of all team work, but participated in everything else. As expected, Jason Taylor was not present.
  • Both Josh McCown and John Beck looked very good. The vertical passing attack was on full display.
  • CB Michael Lehan suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury.
  • The starting offensive line was: LT Jake Long - LG Shawn Murphy - C Samson Satele - RG Justin Smiley - RT Vernon Carey. The second team offensive line was: LT Trey Darilek - LG Ikechuku Ndukwe - C Mike Byrne - RG Donald Thomas - RT Julius Wilson.
  • The starting secondary remains CB Will Allen, CB Andre' Goodman, S Jason Allen, and S Yeremiah Bell.
  • Matt Roth and Vonnie Holliday were the starting DEs. Paul Soliai saw work at both DE and NT.
MIAMI HERALD REPORTS
Highlights:
  • DE Matt Roth saw some individual work with the linebackers.
  • The second team corners were Travis Daniels and Will Billingsley.
PALM BEACH POST REPORTS
Highlights:
  • WR Ted Ginn was the first team kick and punt returner. RB Patrick Cobbs lined up with him on kickoffs. WR Jayson Foster and RB Jalen Parmele worked as the second team returners. Foster and WR Davone Bess also returned punts.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Jason Taylor Update

So much ink has been spilled on the Jason Taylor situation, and that is not likely to end anytime soon.

Frankly, I think it's been needlessly blown out of proportion by Parcells' snubbing of Jason and Tony Sparano's misleading statements at his OTA press conference. Jason talked to the media today, and he's what we know for sure:
  1. Jason wants to play in the NFL for one more season. He will not retire this year.
  2. Jason is open to a trade to a contender, and if he had his way he would like to be traded.
  3. If he isn't traded, he is still open to playing for the Miami Dolphins this season.
  4. Jason will not attend the team's next mandatory minicamp because of his brother's graduation and a legal matter.
  5. It is still uncertain whether Jason will report to training camp.
So that's what we know now. Things can change, but that is the situation as it currently stands.

Stay tuned.

Murphy signed

Catching up with some news from late last week, the team signed rookie G Shawn Murphy.

Murphy was signed to a multi-year contract. With his signing, Miami now has only three rookies remaining unsigned.

Here is the list of draft picks, noting those six who have signed thus far in bold print:

1. (1) LT Jake Long
2. (32) DE Phillip Merling
3. (57) QB Chad Henne
4. (66) DE Kendall Langford
5. (110) G Shawn Murphy
6. (176) RB Jalen Parmele
7. (195) G Donald Thomas
8. (204) RB Lex Hilliard
9. (245) DT Lionel Dotson