Dolphins sign three players; coaching staff nearly complete

The have signed three players for 2008 - quarterback Matt Baker, offensive lineman Trey Darilek and linebacker Junior Glymph. For background information and analysis on these three newest Dolphins, plus news on the nearly-finished coaching staff, watch the following video.

Dolphins add five coaches; Crowder involved in traffic accident

The following is a video I've done on the hirings of coaches Paul Pasqualoni, Todd Bowles, Kacy Rodgers, Jim Reid and David Corrao. I also address the recent traffic incident involving Channing Crowder. Enjoy!

Dolphins add three to coaching staff

The are filling out their coaching staff, beginning with the hirings of Evan Marcus as strength and conditioning coach, James Saxon as running backs coach and Karl Dorrell as wide receivers coach. Watch the following video for some background info on each, and be sure to check back for more videos/articles as the Dolphins continue to round out their staff.

Tony Sparano Impact Report

The following is an article about the hiring of Tony Sparano for KFFL.com.

Coming off a dismal 1-15 season – the worst in the franchise’s 42-year history – the Dolphins have will now have their third different head coach in three seasons starting in 2008. Tony Sparano – an assistant under various titles for the Dallas Cowboys since 2003 – takes the reins under front-office honcho Bill Parcells and new general manager Jeff Ireland as the Dolphins look to get out of the NFL’s cellar.

Background

Sparano, 46, joins the Dolphins with over two decades of college and pro coaching experience. After graduating from the University of New Haven in 1982, where he was also the starting center, Sparano served as the offensive line coach at his alma mater from 1984 to 1987. He then served in the same capacity for Boston University for one season, followed by a return to New Haven as offensive coordinator. After running the team’s offense from 1989 to 1993, Sparano spent the next five seasons as the team’s head coach.

In 1999, Sparano made the leap to the NFL coaching ranks as offensive quality control coach for the Cleveland Browns. He held the role for two seasons, after which time he served as tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins in 2001 and then the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002.

Sparano joined Bill Parcells’ staff with the Dallas Cowboys in 2003 and held multiple titles as an assistant through 2007. He was the Cowboys’ tight ends coach from 2003 to 2004, offensive line coach/running game coordinator in 2005, assistant head coach/offensive line coach/running game coordinator in 2006 and assistant head coach/offensive line coach in 2007.

A Welcome Change

Not only was change enticing after a horrendous season, it become vital after Cam Cameron lost the whole team by season’s end. Reports of the locker room chaos were revealed after Cameron’s departure, painting a more disastrous picture than the team’s record could do alone. Cameron was too strict at times, kicking veteran defensive tackle Keith Traylor off the team to the chagrin of veterans like Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor. He was too soft at others, letting linebacker Joey Porter berate him in front of the entire team for three minutes without so much of a word in defense. By the end, change was not a possibility – it was a necessity.

Sparano appears in some ways to be the anti-Cameron – a hard-nosed, no-nonsense kind of coach who commands the respect of the players and respects them as well. While there is always optimism after a team makes changes coming off a bad experience, the reality is that things really can’t get much worse anyway.

Run, Run, Run

Cameron called the offensive plays himself in 2007 with horrendous results, though that may have been more a result of lack of talent and extensive injuries than the lack of a true offensive coordinator. In fact, a similar strategy remains a possibility during Sparano’s first season, depending on whether or not an adequate coach can be found.

With the Dolphins’ instability at quarterback coupled with Sparano’s history as a former offensive lineman, offensive line coach and running game coordinator, expect a heavy emphasis on the running game for the Dolphins in 2008. The team’s run blocking was far better than its pass protection in 2007 and the Dolphins are deep at the running back position. Ronnie Brown was on his way to a Pro Bowl season before tearing his ACL but should return to full health, and Ricky Williams remains to give the Dolphins possibly one of the best two-head rushing attacks in the NFL. Additionally, rookie Lorenzo Booker showed his versatility with a 4.5 rushing average and 28 receptions – all in the team’s final five games.

On defense, an even stronger push to the 3-4 is likely with Parcells and Ireland building the roster. The Dolphins have attempted to move toward the 3-4 ever since Nick Saban took over in 2005, but have lacked the personnel to run it as their base defense. They have the outside linebackers for the scheme in Jason Taylor and Joey Porter, but lack the bulk on the defensive line. In addition Zach Thomas, while a constant force for the Dolphins for over a decade, has had problems with injuries and is undersized for the 3-4.

Fantasy Impact

As already discussed, the lack of a quarterback will likely mean an emphasis on the run for the Dolphins offensively. As long as he gets help up front, Ronnie Brown should continue to progress and will be Miami’s top fantasy option. Ricky Williams will also be worth a roster spot, given that Brown is coming off an injury and Sparano has a history with a two-back system.

While there’s little to get excited about in the passing game, second-year player Ted Ginn Jr. is probably the most viable fantasy option at receiver. Ginn caught 34 passes for 420 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie despite working with three different quarterbacks – none of which performed particularly well.

For individual defensive player leagues, there are a few possible fantasy options. The Dolphins didn’t always use linebacker Joey Porter in the best way in 2007, but he picked it up in the second half of the season with 4.5 sacks and two interceptions after Week 10. Defensive end Jason Taylor can seemingly always be counted on for double-digit sacks plus some forced fumbles and interceptions. Linebacker Zach Thomas is still a tackling machine, while third-year linebacker Channing Crowder recorded 78 tackles in just 11 games.

Dolphins hire Maser as OL coach

The Miami Dolphins made their first assistant coach hiring under Tony Sparano and second of the offseason today, naming Mike Maser offensive line coach. Maser had previously served in the same capacity for the Carolina Panthers from 2003 to 2006, and worked with Sparano when the two were assistants for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002.

Maser replaced Hudson Houck, who recently re-joined the Dallas Cowboys after serving a Miami's offensive line coach from 2005 to 2007.

Background

Born in 1947 in Clayton, New York, the 61-year-old Maser has over 35 years of college and pro coaching experience. He was a guard for the University of Buffalo from 1966 to 1968 and then held various assistant titles for multiple high schools and colleges, including Buffalo, Marshall and Maine, through 1980.

From 1981 to 1993, Maser served as offensive line coach for Boston College. The Eagles went to six bowl games during Maser's time with the team and produced the school's only Heisman Trophy winner to date in Doug Flutie (1984).

In 1995, Maser moved to the NFL coaching ranks as offensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He held the title through the 2002 season, during which time linemen Tony Boselli and Leon Searcy earned a combined seven Pro Bowl selections. The team also had three all-rookie selections in center Michael Cheever (1996), guard Brad Meester (2000) and tackle Maurice Williams (2001). The Jaguars also topped 2,000 yards rushing in four of Maser's last five seasons with the team.

With the Panthers from 2003 to 2006, the team produced three of the five-highest rushing totals and three of the four-lowest sack totals in team history. Under Maser's tutelage in 2004, guard Mike Wahle become the first offensive lineman selected to the Pro Bowl in franchise history.

Analysis

While Maser has an impressive résumé, so did Hudson Houck when he arrived in Miami. The team's run blocking improved greatly under Houck and this progress was most evident in 2007, however the pass protection has continued to be abysmal. Since most of Maser's accolades revolve around the run, it's hard to know what to expect.

In Houck's defense, a lot of Miami's problems on the offensive line may have just been the result of a lack of talent. Vernon Carey is clearly not meant to be a left tackle, while Chris Liwienski and L.J. Shelton shouldn't be starting for anyone. Rookie center Samson Satele was the lone bright spot for the unit in 2007, and while free agent Rex Hadnot's had his ups and downs it would be wise to retain him. Yet even with Satele and Hadnot, there's still a long way to go for this group.

Very interesting info about Cameron's last days in Miami

No new content from me today (sorry, cherry up bud!), I just had to point this out. I'm sure many of you have read it already, but Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel has a very interesting blog regarding locker room tension between Cam Cameron and some veteran players toward the end of the season. If you haven't read it, I'd definitely recommend taking a look here. It's definitely good for both parties that Cam is gone, regardless of whether it's just because is in town now or not. It definitely appears he totally lost the entire team's respect by the end of it.

Link: http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/01/camerons-final.html

Dolphins add Lee to coaching staff, sign four for 2008

The Dolphins made additions to both their coaching staff and roster today, luring Ole Miss offensive coordinator David Lee to be their quarterbacks coach and signing four practice squad players to future contracts. What does this reveal about the Dolphins' search for a head coach? For the answer to that question, plus background info on Lee and analysis on all the additions to the organization, watch the following video. Enjoy!




NOTE: In the video, I mistakenly say Chandler Williams was an undrafted free agent signed by Minnesota last year. He was in fact a seventh-round pick by them. My mistake.