Most Intriguing Training Camp Battles, No. 8: Backup RB

Assuming all goes well with Ronnie Brown's rehab and Ricky Williams'...being him, the Dolphins should have quite a 1-2 punch at running back for the coming season. Hopefully for the Dolphins, the backs behind those two on the depth chart won't see more than a carry here or there. That being said, the third running back will have to be up to the task if called upon, and just who that back will be has yet to be decided.

After Ronnie and Ricky, the lone holdover at the position from the previous season is Patrick Cobbs. An undrafted free agent out of North Texas in 2006, Cobbs has established himself as a quality special teams player over the past two seasons with the Dolphins. He's a compact guy at 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds and has shown some ability in the preseason, though he's gotten very few chances on offense in the regular season with only 15 carries and one touchdown in his career.

Cobbs' main challenger is rookie Jalen Parmele, who was drafted in the sixth round out of Toledo. In addition to being a "Parcells guy", Parmele is more talented and has more upside than Cobbs. He doesn't have blazing speed or great power, but he's solid in all aspects and will at least be a backup in the NFL.

In reality, the battle here might be more between Cobbs and sixth-rounder Lex Hilliard. With the fullback job between Mauia and Grigsby, Hilliard is going to have to shine on special teams in order to make the squad out of camp. If he can do that, he should supplant Cobbs as a special teamer and No. 4 back. While teams often keep only three backs, four doesn't seem out of the question for the Dolphins given Ronnie's injury and Ricky's unreliability.

The position(s):Backup running back spots
Number of spots: 1-2
The contenders: Patrick Cobbs, Jalen Parmele, Lex Hilliard
Predicted winner(s): Parmele and Hilliard
Reason: Cobbs hasn't much upside and is little more than a special teamer. Meanwhile, Parmele is more of a legitimate backup running back at this point and has a brighter future. If Hilliard showcases himself on special teams, his versatility at fullback and tailback will earn him the final spot over the holdover Cobbs.

Most Intriguing Training Camp Battles, No. 9: Starting FB

With Miami still lacking a proven quarterback, but in possession of two potentially Pro Bowl-caliber running backs, there is little doubt the emphasis will be on running the ball in 2008. That being the case, the Dolphins will also need a bruising fullback to open up holes for Ronnie and Ricky. Who the fullback will be has yet to be determined and it makes for quite an interesting preseason battle.

The incumbent, Reagan Mauia, was drafted by the "old regime" the sixth round in 2007 out of Hawaii. While he gained quite a bit of attention from his YouTube video where he runs through a wall, he has yet to display such power on the football field. From what I saw of him during his rookie season, he was only average when it came to power and very rarely did I see him knock guys around. Furthermore, he showed very little ability as a pass receiver and a surprising lack of power in short-yardage carries. One also cannot forget Mauia's April arrest, who may put him in Parcells' dog house and give him a very short leash when it comes to future incidents.

The "Parcells guy" in this battle is Boomer Grigsby. The 26-year-old Grigsby has spent the last four season with the Chiefs after being drafted by them in the fifth round out of Illinois State in 2004. Primarily a special teamer, he was converted from linebacker to fullback prior to the 2007 season.

As one would expect from a converted linebacker, Grigsby isn't a threat with the ball in his hands and was still primarily a special teamer last season while backing up Kris Wilson at fullback. Neither he nor Mauia seem to have any advantage (or talent) in this area, and fortunately it's not something that will play a large part in their roles the team.

The key to this battle is who can establish themselves as a lead blocker for the run-oriented offense. Mauia (6-0, 270) has the size advantage over Grigsby (5-11, 249). However, as I mentioned before, Mauia didn't show a whole lot of power on offense a rookie. Meanwhile, Grigsby is your typical hard-nosed, blue-collar [insert more clichés here] guy who has plenty of experience as a wedge buster on special teams.

There is a third player the position in sixth-rounder Lex Hilliard, though he is such a long shot to win a starting job I don't feel the need to give him much attention here. The running back/fullback will have his hands full just making the team, and his primary focus will likely be on special teams early on.

With no other candidates on the roster and none likely to be signed before the season barring injury, the battle comes down to Mauia and Grigsby. Both took reps with the first team during offseason workouts, so this battle is far from over and definitely something to keep an eye on.

The position(s): Starting fullback
Number of spots: One
The contenders: Reagan Mauia, Boomer Grigsby, Lex Hilliard
Predicted winner(s): Mauia
Reason: Mauia has more upside than Grigsby, while Grigsby is a huge asset on special teams. I feel that the organization will give Mauia the chance to establish himself as the starting fullback, because it's a place he could really thrive for years if he pans out. That being said, the Dolphins probably wouldn't hesitate to toss Grigsby in there if Mauia doesn't separate himself and get the job done.

2008 Draft Analysis: Part IV

This is the second four videos covering the Dolphins' 2008 NFL Draft selections, with this one discussing the selections of Connecticut guard Donald Thomas, Montana running back Lex Hilliard and Arizona defensive end Lionel Dotson. Be sure to check out the rest of the draft analysis videos as well as the rest of my videos from the day!

Phins Spotlight returns from spring break with a bang!

Sorry for the lack of content of late - I was on spring break and kind of busy with some stuff. When I last published, I was still lacking analysis on a handful of free agent signings from the Dolphins' early spending spree. But fear not my dear readers, because I've caught up and have four new analysis videos on all the players I hadn't done. So here there are, and enjoy!

Josh McCown


Boomer Grigsby


Randy Starks


Reggie Torbor

2008 Offseason Preview: Running Backs

Here is my second-to-last offseason preview video, this one on the running backs. The final video, on the quarterbacks, will be up Thursday. Free agency begins the following day, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of different stuff to discuss soon. Enjoy!