Commentary: First Day of 2010 OTAs - Wrap Up

First Day OTA Wrap Up

On the Brandon Marshall Injury:
What’s the opposite of welcome news? Because, that’s what this is. We should have known something was up when reports told of Marshall donning Ted Ginn’s dreaded #19 during practice. I openly blame the following development on Theodore Ginn, Jr.: Brandon Marshall had undisclosed surgery for an undisclosed ailment at an undisclosed date, and will be out of action for an undisclosed amount of time. When asked if he would be ready for the start of training camp, Tony Sparano replied “We’ll see. I would say so.” That doesn’t give me a whole lot of confidence. The Dolphins may try and downplay the injury, because they didn’t know about it when they traded two 2nd round draft choices and subsequently gave the man enough guaranteed money to hire Scrooge McDuck for diving lessons. Also, they know that his acquisition is the most high profile of the off season and the one that gives fans the most hope for the team actually doing something worthwhile in 2010.

Sparano brought up that Brandon was throwing and catching the day he had the surgery (stupid question: before or after the surgery?) but quite frankly a paraplegic could play pitch and catch, so whatever Tony Sparano thinks he’s saying by revealing this to the fans, he’s not saying anything significant. From what I saw on the highlight reel at MiamiDolphins.com (a big thanks to the folks at MiamiDolphins.com by the way, for consistently making stretching and people walking around 50 percent of all practice highlights), Marshall seemed to be pretty deliberate while walking around, and ESPN is reporting that he had hip surgery so that would make sense. No surgery is ‘routine’ no matter what a Korean prostitute tells you, but at the very least we can say that his surgery was probably not particularly intense. The biggest development is Marshall being out of action until the start of training camp. This is the time of year when I would want Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne to be attached at the hip, getting their timing down, finishing each others’ sentences, solving mysteries, starting a clothing line, you know basic football stuff. In summation, screw Ted Ginn, Jr.

On the Linebackers group:
We seem to have some disagreement between local journalists as to whether Quentin Moses worked on the strong side or the weak side of the defense. Omar Kelly of the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel says weak side. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says strong side. They both agree that Charlie Anderson worked opposite him with the first unit, and if there wasn’t already enough confusion, Charlie said after practice that he worked both the strong and weak sides. My take? Either the defense started off by having the players play left side and right side exclusively, which would mean each player could have been a strong side or weak side player on any given rep, or the defense focused their side alignments based on the offense’s initial look and then made only minor adjustments when the offense switched strength via pre-snap motion. It could be any number of possibilities. I believe that Quentin Moses and Chris McCoy have a lot in common, though Moses has been given enough time in the NFL to beef up a little bigger than McCoy. It would make some sense to me if the Dolphins moved Moses to the same position they intend for McCoy, which is the more downhill, attacking position on the weak side of the defense. With the drafting of Koa Misi, the Dolphins have signaled to me that they want a guy with genuine linebacker skills in the mold of a Donnie Spragan or Mario Haggan manning the strong side position. In some alignments, this player could be playing off the line of scrimmage. And so, it is not surprising to me that Charlie Anderson is working ahead of Koa Misi at said position. Misi is just a rookie and the Dolphins’ coaches have consistently shown that they favor experience over youth when it comes to these early depth charts. Likewise, I would not be overly concerned about Quentin Moses working first unit over Cameron Wake, because Moses has put more time in with the league and they would like to see Wake and Misi work hard and win those jobs.

The inside positions carry fewer question marks, though I find it interesting that Channing Crowder was riding a bike while Tim Dobbins was given first string reps today. Mike Nolan is going to want a good look at Dobbins because he’s the kind of hard hitting, attacking banger (insert joke here) that he wants next to a guy like Karlos Dansby, who is more of a scrapebacker and coverage player. As I watched more and more Arizona footage featuring Dansby, I came to appreciate how similar Tim Dobbins and Gerald Hayes were as players, and how well Hayes worked next to Dansby. The situation with Dobbins and Crowder is definitely one to keep an eye on. For the record, I have generally defended Channing Crowder a lot more than most, and I think when healthy he could be an excellent linebacker next to Karlos Dansby. However, health is a big issue for him (hence his Tour de France training today instead of football training), and I was a huge fan of the Tim Dobbins draft day acquisition. Many of you have seen the highlight reel I created on Dobbins, which helps explain why I gushed over the wisdom of tacking him onto the trade down that net the Dolphins Jared Odrick and Koa Misi. As for Dansby, he clarified what many of us already knew, which is that he is playing “Moe” linebacker for the team, the same position previously occupied by Akin Ayodele. That is the position he is most suited for in this defense. The Dolphins have yet to clear up the call responsibilities, and that situation will probably continue to be muddy until they get a better idea on the battle between Channing Crowder and Tim Dobbins, as well as some better looks at A.J. Edds on passing downs as a nickel linebacker.

On the Offensive Line:
I’ve been frank in my estimation that John Jerry is not likely to start this season. He has a lot of body development work to be done, and he is making a switch from the right side to the left side. Additionally, I have had Donald Thomas penciled in as competing at that Left Guard spot with Nate Garner, which gives Jerry a pretty good crowd to work through for the start. Today, Donald Thomas worked with the first unit at Left Guard while Nate Garner sat out with an undisclosed ailment. I expect this to continue, and to get more interesting when Nate Garner comes back from his undisclosed ailment, though I would also expect John Jerry to get his fair shot with the first unit. I just do not expect him onto the position.

The more interesting development was at Center, where Joe Berger worked ahead of Jake Grove. This does help light a fire under Grove, but it is more than that. Berger was more than adequate when he filled in for Grove last year. He is a guy that seems to keep coming just short of winning a starting job. He actually won a starting job in Miami under a previous regime, but lost it due to injury just before the season started. In Dallas, he had to work behind Andre Gurode. In Miami, he came in at the same time as the much higher profile acquisition, Jake Grove. Keep in mind that Stephen Ross did not foot the bill for Grove’s signing bonus in 2009, Wayne Huizenga did. At this point, Ross isn’t overly concerned with guaranteed money that would be flushed down the toilet if the team were to cut a guy they just gave a big contract to a year ago, he’s much more concerned with the money he will have to pay going forward. To that end, Grove’s contract is worth multiples of Joe Berger’s contract, and yet the talent gap between the two may not be nearly as wide. Stephen Ross has held up his end of the bargain by opening up his wallet for Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby during an off season in which most owners could be seen pinning their pockets closed, and we don’t know if the Dolphins are done as they may yet jump into the O.J. Atogwe race after June 1st. The Dolphins’ front office may be operating with a pay-as-you-go model in Stephen Ross’ eyes by cheapening the roster in various other ways, e.g. cutting Joey Porter, cutting Gibril Wilson, cutting Akin Ayodele, failing to re-sign Jason Taylor, and either cutting or trading Justin Smiley, in order to pay for these new and much needed acquisitions. Some of those cut players were guys that this regime hand-picked as recently as a year ago. Cutting them now seems like an admission that Jeff Ireland and Bill Parcells wasted money and resources on bad players, but this could be the price the Front Office pays Stephen Ross for his opening up his wallet for Marshall and Dansby (and maybe Atogwe?). Jake Grove could very well be the next in line, if the talent gap between himself and Joe Berger proves a lot narrower than the salary gap between the two. In fact, the Dolphins could view trading Grove as a means of getting Stephen Ross to pay for a player at a position of higher need, such as the previously mentioned Atogwe. Who would be Joe Berger’s backup in this far-fetched scenario? I would look to Richie Incognito, whom Tony Sparano evidently has had a man-crush on for a long time, now referring to him as “Richie Sparano”.

On the Secondary:
Today Chris Clemons started with the first unit at the controversial free safety position. I would not read too much into that. The Dolphins want to get good looks at long shots like Chris Clemons and Reshad Jones early in the process, in order to see how deep they should go down either rabbit hole. They know a lot more about Tyrone Culver than they do those younger players with more athleticism and upside. They can always default back to Culver, and due to his 603 snaps between 2008 and 2009, they know what they would be getting from him. In that way, they’re also trying to evaluate whether they need to step heavily into the O.J. Atogwe race after June 1st. If Clemons in particular shows enough during these OTAs, and Sparano specifically brought up that he needs to prove he can communicate like a free safety, then they may shy away from further roster shakeups. To me, absent an Atogwe acquisition, this free safety position will come down to a decision whether to go with Tyrone Culver as a full time 1,000 snap starter while Will Allen sees 500 snaps as a nickel corner, or whether to go with Will Allen as a full time 1,000 snap free safety starter that comes down into the slot on nickel downs, giving Tyrone Culver about 400 to 500 snaps as a nickel safety. I don’t believe that either Chris Clemons or Reshad Jones will be ready for significant action in 2010. I would look for them to dominate the snap counts early in this process (OTAs) and then take a back seat later in the process (Training Camp). Keep in mind that Will Allen is known as one of the team’s biggest film junkies, and strongest leaders. Right now the coaches have every intention of having him work at corner, because he has a rehab process to go through and they would rather have him play what he knows while going through that difficult period. However, do not be surprised if later in camp they begin to experiment with him at free safety on the basis of getting their four best players on the field.


Most Interesting Position Battles:

OFFENSE
1. Greg Camarillo vs. Brian Hartline - Starting WR
Comment: Bess should continue his slot role, and this one is about savvy versus physical ability. Hartline's burst out of his breaks should give him the advantage in this battle.

2. Nate Garner vs. Donald Thomas - Starting LG
Comment: I don't expect Jerry to seriously compete for the start in his rookie year, he'll take a redshirt season. Garner has the savvy that the coaches like but Thomas has the combination of explosion and athleticism to make him a very appealing option at Left Guard.

3. Patrick Cobbs vs. Lex Hilliard - Rotation HB
Comment: Cobbs is the furthest along of the folks that finished last year injured, as per Sparano. That could be bad news for Hilliard, because when healthy Patrick Cobbs is a veritable teachers pet.

4. Patrick Turner vs. Ryan Grice-Mullen - Roster WR
Comment: Turner was a padless OTA super-hero in 2009, but now he'll miss all of OTAs in 2010. That spells potential disaster for his bid on a roster spot, especially with RGM presenting potential return ability. Keep an eye on Taurus Johnson, though.

5. John Nalbone vs. Kory Sperry - Roster TE
Comment: Nalbone is the guy that Parcells hand-picked in the 2009 draft process, much as Parcells seemed to have his hands all over the Austin Spitler pick in the 2010 draft. I'd look for Nalbone to get the nod.

6. Andrew Gardner vs. Lydon Murtha - Roster OT
Comment: These two paired at Left Tackle & Right Tackle during today's OTA and I expect them to battle for that final OL spot on the roster. Don't be surprised if Murtha wins, as both players marry immense physical potential with raw fundamentals.

7. Tyler Thigpen vs. Pat White - Roster QB
Comment: Sparano mentioned about a hundred times that it's important for him to see these two guys throwing early. They're trying to figure out what they have in the two and this one could go to the wire.

DEFENSE
1. Phil Merling vs. Jared Odrick - Starting RE
Comment: Merling has been an underachiever but he could show up ready for business now that the team put a first rounder under him. Odrick is making a tough style switch as well, so this one is not going to be obvious.

2. Charlie Anderson vs. Koa Misi - Starting LOLB
Comment: Anderson is starting right now because the coaches tend to favor experience over talent early on in the process. I expect Koa Misi to win this job in training camp, and Anderson might receive a crack at the other OLB job over Cameron Wake before all is said and done.

3. Tyrone Culver vs. Will Allen - Starting FS
Comment: You won't see this competition play out on the field for many moons, but it will be in the back of the coaches' minds. They have seen 600+ snaps of Tyrone Culver in 2008 & 2009, and it sounds like they'll see plenty of him in practice as he will (for now) keep his role in nickel and dime formations. Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons are high upside throws of the dice, they'll see what they have early and revert to the default options later on.

4. Paul Soliai vs. Ryan Baker - Rotation NT
Comment: Ryan Baker showed some pass rush in 2009 during his VERY limited opportunities. Paul Soliai showed that he can continually get in the doghouse even if the press doesn't find out about it for six months. But, if you're in a short yardage situation, you want Paul Soliai manning that defensive line, and that will give him the advantage. He can string together two plays, but he loses focus over stretches.

5. Tony McDaniel vs. Lionel Dotson - Rotation DL
Comment: At times Lionel Dotson has been dubbed a strong pass rusher in practice by various teammates. Time to put up or shut up, and he'll compete against the guy that actually logged snaps in pass rush situations a year ago.

6. Channing Crowder vs. Tim Dobbins - Situational LB
Comment: Crowder is very likely only going to be a two-down player at most in this defense to begin with, but Tim Dobbins could eat away at even that modest amount of playing time by first taking Crowder's snaps in short yardage situations, and eventually he could take his job outright.

7. Quentin Moses vs. Chris McCoy - Roster ROLB
Comment: These two players remind me of one another in some ways, though Moses is a little bigger. If McCoy can stand out on special teams, which is something that Moses has failed to do in his time with Miami, then that would be the quickest way for him to win this one.

8. Reggie Torbor vs. Austin Spitler - Roster ILB
Comment: Spitler was hand-picked by Bill Parcells for good reason. He has at various points stood out on special teams, as a leader, and at linebacker for Ohio State. This job will probably be his, in the end.

9. Jason Allen vs. Evan Oglesby - Roster CB
Comment: Jason Allen showed improvement in 2009 as a cornerback, but he also showed some of the reasons coaches have a hard time trusting him in high pressure situations. Evan Oglesby is a guy they are familiar with from Dallas. This could be a tough one.