http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/Whispers/2008/whispers041208.htm Dolphins RB Lorenzo BookerA source close to the Dolphins said new head coach Tony Sparano can’t stop gushing about Lorenzo Booker. Although Booker is slightly built (5-10, 191), Sparano said the second-year running back jumps off the screen in game tape, with a burst that’s comparable to that of ultra-quick WR Ted Ginn Jr.
Paul, that just sounds sooo.... WRONG! Man, it must be one of those days, everything seems to have a double meaning. lol!
That's good to hear John. So many of our members had high expectation for Booker and it's nice to see the coaching staff sees that same potential.
Thank God man I hope Lorenzo Booker can find the field this year. In the games he played this year he just tore it up
When you stop and think about it, it is really quite incredible to think that Cameron didn't play Booker until almost the end of the year. If Ronnie hadn't got hurt he may not have ever seen the field at all. Wow Cameron really sucked! Thank the Lord he's gone and lets look forward to seeing way more of Booker next season!
Ronnie Brown will continue to be misused by this team. Tony Sparano is stuck on the idea that you should have multiple running backs playing. I'll be surprised if Ronnie averages 12 rushes per game and plays at all in the passing game with Tony's insistence on playing Ricky Williams and Lorenzo Booker as well. I honestly wish Miami would just trade Ronnie to a team that will use him properly by giving him 20+ carries a game and using him extensively in the passing game. It's not going to happen in Miami.
Marion Barber had 20+ carries ONE time last year. ONE! That's ridiculous! You've got a horse of a running back, and you split time with a runner that is not nearly as good. It will be equally as ridiculous if Ronnie has to share time with another back.
If Ronnie can stay healthy, I think he will get the majority of the carries, we will just have to wait and see, Did Sparano call the plays last year for Dallas?
KB I really think you get too worked up about this. There are plenty of ways Booker and his speed can be used without compromising Brown's number of carries. You can line him up in the slot, or even use him in the backfield along with Ronnie. Also ue can use him as your change of pace/3rd down back. Even if Booker does share carries with brown, I don't think it will be that bad. Many NFL teams are using multiple back systems, and they're using them effectively. Honestly, it makes it harder for a D-Coord to game plan since he won't just see 1 back the entire game. And I wouldn't go damning Tony Sparano and his decisions with the running backs until a game is actually played. It'd be silly IMO.
I started a thread on Booker in our offesne next year. I think there is potential for him to have a huge season for us. I'm telling you guys, if we use a NE quick hitter type offense with this guy like they use Welker or Faulk he's going to be lights-out! Beck will thrive and his strenghts will shine...Ginn will either have one on one deep or Booker will have an LB on him.
Team's that have runners as good as Ronnie do not use multiple backs. You don't see San Diego taking LT's carries and giving them to another back. Ronnie Brown is one of the top all around running backs in the NFL, and to make him split time with Ricky Williams and to take him off the field on third downs just to get Lorenzo Booker into the game is foolish.
KB, I agree 100%.... While I do think there will be room for Booker to get looks from the backfield as our long distance back on occasion, we simply have to get this guy in the slot WITH Ronnie Brown in the backfield. Having a 3 WR set with or without a TE with Booker and Brown in the game will open things up wide for us and put teams in a situation personel wise that they'd rather not deal with. For example, if they stay in their 3-4 or 4-3 base vs our Booker 3 WR, they will be good against our run (although still spread out a bit), but weak against our pass. If they go nickel they have the opposite dilema. To use a player like Booker we must get "Unconventional"...his values on screens, slants, seams, ins and outs will make Ronnie brown even more dangerous on all the same routes and enhance our rushing attack. We need to get Booker in the game by not only taking our Brown on occasion, but also by having him replace our TE, FB, and even WR's.
I think you are wrong on Ronnie's carries. I see us getting Ronnie his carries IF he shows he can stay healthy. That is still an issue in my mind as he needs to last a full season without going down or you have a mute point anyway.
Sparano is only seeing what we all did when Lorenzo was put into the game last year and given the ball, that makes Cam's actions last year even more bizarre. LBook ran 40's almost as fast as Ted Ginn, if he could field punts and kickoffs, I would like to see LBook do that duty and Ginn focus on being a Wr..
I agree wholeheartedly with you KB. Ronnie should be used as a battering ram getting his carries above 20 every game. Still we need to keep in mind that he is fragile and if past history is any lesson, unlikely to last 16 games so having Ricky and whoever isnt such a bad idea
Burner Turner? He was able to make some big impacts for the SD offense without taking any significant numbers from LT. Why cant we aim for the same with Booker? Now splitting carries with Rickey? Well I dont know about that, we will see if he can even play still. Hopefully Tony wont be stuck on a singular way of thinking like Cam used to do all the time. If it aint broke, dont fix it. If it IS broke, FIX IT! A concept that seems to elude many coaches.
Sort of, could be that Cam didn't want Booker showing up Ginn... At the end of the day though, we have a fine young Wr in Ginn so even if true, it is not a total loss.
I was really surprised at how little Cam used LoBook last year....I have no idea what he was saving him for????
Exactly. If Ginn were able develop into a pro-bowl WR why would it be so bad if we took him at 9. Especially when there was talk he would be taken a few picks later. Also Ginn was supposed to be another Devin Hester. Well Hester has been great at returning kicks, but his forary as a wide receiver was unspectacular. Whereas Ginn was pretty good returning kicks, but it looked like he can be a better WR then Hester. And honestly I'd rather have it that way. Hester 2007 Receiving G GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 16 0 20 299 15.0 81T 2 Ginn 2007 Receiving G GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 16 9 34 420 12.4 54 2
AMEN...... 100% correct. He will need some coaching oin that big time though. If I am not mistaken didn't they try that last year but gave up on it because LBook couldn't hold onto the ball?
I hate to say it, but Ronnie was finally being used correctly in the offense that Cam ran last year. Not that our defense could hold on to win us any games, but Ronnie was being fed the ball and made serious strides. Who knows what will happen now in the new offense.
Difference between Parcell's and Cam is that failure will not be tolerated, if Lorenzo is to return kicks, then he will just have to be coached up until he can return kicks, it is not some magical skill like throwing a ball 80 yds, he can be improved through practice, practice, practice. And keep in mind, with Ginn on the roster, there was very little incentive to improve LBook as a returner, the better LBook played, the more superflous Ted Ginn became..after all if we can have a great KR in Rd3, why did we take one in rd 1, pick #9? That Cam presser on Draft Day was bloody indeed...
I think picking a guy who could rack up 2k total purpose yards while he was on his way to becoming a polished receiver that can give us 1200 yards and 10tds in that aspect of the game is a great move. Having that home-run threat is something that other teams have to account for in both the special teams and receiving game, and that's always a good thing. As we've seen, when Ginn is on the field he's easily the fastest guy out there. Look at his returns and that great catch he made in the Giants game for proof.
I'm thinking that LBook can be Eric Metcal redux, and that Ted Ginn needs so much work on his route running that it would make a ton of sense to let him learn to be a Wr while LBook handles the "do everything" role that he would seem to be good at.... I adore the idea of putting LBook in the slot, return kicks, and be a spot back on third down, the guy makes defensive players look like they are moving in slow motion, why not use that to put pressure on the Defense and Special Teams Units? I wonder if LBook can throw a football very well?
