Dolphins at Jaguars: Thoughts & Observations (Offense)

The following are my thoughts and observations from the Dolphins Week 2 preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. At the risk of their being no pattern or organization to these random notes, I've decided to at least group them by position.

Quarterback

• Dolphins fans have to be pleased with the way the quarterbacks performed in this game. Chad Pennington, in what little passing he did, was a very efficient 5-for-6 and looked as good as any Dolphins quarterback has in a long time. Sparano might not be willing to name a starter at this point, but there's no question Pennington is the best guy for the job.
• Speaking of Pennington starting, I have to say that I am cautiously yet increasingly optimistic about the Dolphins' chances to win games this season. I do not believe they will be contenders for a playoff spot, but Pennington's ability to manage the game and avoid mistakes will keep the Dolphins in games, which could even propel them to around .500 for the season.
• Rookie Chad Henne looked very good as well and certainly didn't look like a rookie. He is very poised in the pocket and confidently delivers his throws with poise and accuracy. He knows when to use touch on his throws but has the arm to really gun it in there. All indications are he's ready to be the No. 2 quarterback out of the game.
• As for the quarterbacks that didn't get to play, it's becoming increasingly obvious that the team has little use for McCown and Beck outside of a third stringer. While I am an advocate of keeping Beck and cutting McCown lose, it certainly appears like the team is ready to part ways with Beck now if they can get something for him. There's a good argument for the move and I wouldn't be too upset, as Pennington is the now and Henne is the future.

Running back

• Ricky Williams continues to run the ball well and it is a welcome sight given Ronnie Brown's rehab. I am confident Brown will still get his touches before being eased back into the starting role in 2009 (I will address Mort's Brown rumors in a future post) and it certainly looks like the Dolphins will have a hell of a 1-2 punch at tailback.
• Boomer Grigsby continues to outplay Reagan Mauia and the second-year Cameron draft pick is in danger of not making the roster. Grigsby is a fine blocker, a better receiver and a special teams ace.

Wide receiver/Tight end

• Second-year receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. had a very impressive game (4 catches, 58 yards) and showed what he can do as a receiver when he has a good quarterback throwing to him. Ginn has a great attitude and work ethic to go along with extreme talent. He's going to prove a lot of haters wrong if the Dolphins build a good offense around him.
• Speaking of Ginn, I was disappointed to see a catch he made along the sidelines ruled in complete upon review by the referee. The play, which was a semi-long pass from Henne to Ginn down the right sideline, occurred with about 2-3 minutes left in the second quarter. Ginn made a beautiful over-the-shoulder grab and, in my view, was able to secure the ball prior to taking two steps in-bounds. While it is true that he did bobble the ball initially, he had one foot on the ground when he gained control and took another step in bounds, thus giving him two feet and possession. There is no doubt in my mind the refs blew this one.
• Derek Hagan also had a couple of good catches and appears to be the best candidate for the No. 2 job. That still isn't a good thing, however, and receiver remains a thin position for the Dolphins.
• It was sad to see Ernest Wilford playing in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars. I was a big fan of his entering free agency and glad to see the Dolphins sign him, but he's really been losing ground lately. If he didn't have so much money guaranteed and if the Dolphins weren't so thin at the position, I think he'd be in danger of losing his job. His problems might be might though because I know he has the ability to be a good NFL receiver.
• Davone Bess remains the team's best undrafted rookie receiver and will likely make the team, but Sparano isn't going to put up with careless mistakes like his false start on the second offensive play of the game.
• Speaking of which, there was no excuse for the delay of game penalty following the false start. It was a sloppy start to the game and it was nice to see the Dolphins rebound.
• The Dolphins could really be lacking any kind of receiving threat at tight end. If Anthony Fasano doesn't show he can be a starter this season, the position will be a high priority in 2009.

Offensive line

• I can't remember the last time I saw a Dolphins quarterback have time to throw like Pennington and Henne did in this game. The line started off slow early, forcing Pennington to scramble a few times as the pocket collapsed, but for the most part they really let him sit back their and let his receivers get open. A good line is the key to a productive offense and it will help mask the team's weaknesses at other positions.
• Rookie first overall pick Jake Long had another very strong performance. He had only one poor play in my view where he complete whiffed on a block and let Patrick Cobbs get eaten up in the backfield, but other than that he was very good.
• Sixth-rounder Donald Thomas also had a good showing and is seemingly entrenched as the starting right guard. He'll make some rookie mistakes here and there, but he's a massive mauler with a lot of upside.
  

Most Intriguing Training Camp Battles, No. 5: Last WR spots

With unanswered questions at quarterback and a lack of experience (and quite possibly talent) at wide receiver, the Dolphins will likely feature a run-heavy offense in 2008. That being the case, they'll still carry least five receivers on the roster because, well, that's just how things work. The top few spots are likely set, with Ted Ginn, Jr., Ernest Wilford and Derek Hagan essentially locks to make the squad. Beyond that, things are far less certain.

With Tab Perry already out for the season, the remaining two with NFL experience are Greg Camarillo and David Kircus. A Division II standout at Grand Valley State, Kircus has spent time with the Lions and Broncos since 2003. Camarillo, a special teams standout, earned national attention as the overtime hero in the Dolphins' lone victory last season.

I have been of the belief the entire offseason that the No. 4 receiving job would go to one of the aforementioned players and with Perry out of the picture, it comes down to Kircus and Camarillo. Kircus is probably the better receiver, though Camarillo does have some fill-in ability on offense and is also a standout special teamer. In the end, I think Camarillo's special teams prowess wins out. After all, Miami probably won't be going four-wide often anyway.

While teams sometimes carry six receivers (or in some cases, more), I don't see the Dolphins being one of those teams. There are too many other areas that will need extra depth and on a run-oriented team there just isn't much point in keeping six receivers on the squad only to dress four every Sunday.

Going on the assumptions that Kircus or Camarillo grabs the No. 4 job and the Dolphins only keep five total, the final spot will be given to one of five undrafted free agents on the squad. It's clear the Dolphins are hoping to find a potential hidden gem at the position, given that six of the 19 undrafted free agents Miami signed we receivers. (One, Marcel Reece, has since been cut.) Barring any additions to the team during camp, the competition will be between Davone Bess, Jayson Foster, Selwyn Lymon, Justin Wynn and John Dunlap.

The Dolphins simply signed too many for me to go into great detail here, so here's some very brief background info on each:

• Davone Bess, Hawaii (5-10, 190) - by far the most productive of Miami's UDFA receivers, start 39 games in Hawaii's passing attack and catching 293 passes for 3,610 yards and 41 touchdowns
• Jayson Foster, Georgia Southern (5-7, 175) - A former college quarterback, he's small but possesses great moves and quickness; rushed for 3,835 yards and 54 touchdowns in his career
• Selwyn Lymon, Purdue (6-3, 215) - possesses the best size of any Dolphins UDFA receiver; caught 73 passes for 1,030 yards and five touchdowns in two seasons with the Boilermakers; dismissed from team in Nov. 2007 for second drunk driving charge that year
• Justin Wynn, Grand Rapids CC (6-2, 190) - Hasn't played organized football since 2004, when he caught 35 passes for 559 yards and five touchdowns at Grand Rapids CC; instead of playing football in college, did landscaping and worked at Kohl's to support his family; played pee-wee football with Dolphins UDFA receiver Selwyn Lymon and Bills rookie wideout James Hardy
• John Dunlap, NC State (6-1, 220) - the lone player of the group that wasn't signed soon after the draft; instead latched on with the team after trying out at a June minicamp; started 22 of the 42 games he played for the Wolfpack, totaling 85 receptions for 924 yards and seven touchdowns

So who will it be? The good money is on Bess, who is easily the most experiences and polished of the group. Foster is intriguing because of his athleticism and potential special teams impact, but his size limits his potential a receiver. Lymon has great size and some of the betters skills of the group as well, but he'll be on a short leash given his past. As much of a feel-good story as it'd be, Wynn seems like a long shot given his lack of experience. Dunlap is nothing more than a camp body and has the worst chance of the group.

All things considered, the guy that initially wins the job following the preseason might not be guaranteed to stick around. Kerry Reed initially earned a roster spot after final cutdowns only to be relegated to the practice squad when Camarillo was claimed off waivers from the Chargers. With the lack of talent right now, there's no doubt the Dolphins will be scouring the waiver wires come September 1. You can't rule out preseason Keyshawn signing either.

The position(s): Final wide receiver spots

Number of spots: Two

The contenders: Greg Camarillo, David Kircus, Davone Bess, Jayson Foster, Selwyn Lymon, Justin Wynn, John Dunlap

Predicted winner(s): Camarillo and Bess

Reason: Bess has the best hands and the most experience, and although he runs in the 4.6s I feel he has enough speed to be productive in the slot. Quite frankly, I don't see why he couldn't be better than the extremely-overrated Wes Welker. As for the rest of the crowd, I'd peg Foster and Lymon as the most likely practice squad candidates, with Wynn trying to latch on elsewhere and Dunlap pretty much disappearing into oblivion.

WR Tab Perry waived/injured

The Dolphins already thin receiving corps got a little thinner this week, as fourth-year wideout Tab Perry suffered a torn Achilles' tendon and will likely miss the 2008 season. Perry, who suffered the injury during a May 24 practice, signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in March.

Contrary to what various media outlets have reported, from the Sun-Sentinel to ProFootballTalk.com, Perry has not been released and is in fact still with the team.

If I may clarify the situation, Perry has been waived/injured, meaning if he clears waivers he will revert to the Dolphins' injured reserve list. While it is quite possible ends up getting an injury settlement from the team and gets released, he is still a member of the team for the time being. It is possible another team claims him off waivers, though this is extremely unlikely as teams rarely claim guys that just suffered season-ending injuries.

Update: It seems that more than a day after ProFootballTalk.com ran their initial story about Perry being released, they've finally learned from a "league source" (as opposed to yours truly yesterday) that Perry has indeed not be cut. Considering the whole waived/injured-to-I.R. thing happens dozens of times throughout the league each offseason, one wonders how a website dedicates to following the league was unaware of how it worked.

Analysis

I've seen quite a few Dolphins fans write this news off as completely irrelevant, and while it's not a tough hit to the team by any stretch it does carry with it some significance.

First, as I'd said in videos earlier this offseason, I felt talent-wise, Perry was one of the better receivers on the team after Ernest Wilford and Ted Ginn, Jr. If he had stayed healthy, I think he would have had a very good shot at the No. 4 job, and even could have challenged Derek Hagan for the No. 3 spot.

The absence of Perry gives every other receiver one less guy to compete with, and thus a better chance to make the roster. However, I guys like David Kircus and Greg Camarillo benefit more, because I feel strongly that the Dolphins will give the No. 5, and likely final, receiver spot to one of the undrafted rookies. Therefore the No. 4 job would likely have been between Perry, Camarillo and Kircus, and the losers of that group would be cut in favor of a rookie for the last spot.

Analysis Video: Wide receiver Tab Perry signed

On March 16, the Dolphins signed wide receiver Tab Perry. Watch the following video for more info and analysis. Enjoy!

Dolphins sign WR David Kircus

The made a roster addition today, signing former Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions wide receiver David Kircus. For more background info and analysis on the move, watch the following video. Enjoy!



For more on Kircus' arrest last year, see this article.

2008 Offseason Preview: Wide Receivers

I apologize once again for this video being a day late; I've been battling the flu recently. The wide receivers offseason preview turned into two videos based on the stuff there was to talk about (or at least stuff I felt like saying) so be sure to watch both parts. The running backs video will be up tomorrow, followed by the quarterbacks video on Thursday, February 28. Then free agency begins. Well, thanks for watching and enjoy!

Part I:


Part II:


In semi-almost-Dolphins-related news, the Detroit Lions are bringing in recently released offensive lineman L.J. Shelton for a visit Tuesday. I think it's safe to say that if any team is looking for Shelton to start, even on the right side and/or at guard, then they've got problems.