Official Mandatory minicamp thread, 19th, 20th, 21st, all three days open to media.

In the context that he said it, it didn't sound quite as damning as it looks in print. Seemed like he was just saying there isn't some key combination of players that would hit all the tumblers in a lock and suddenly it's xanadu. They're just trying guys out, feeling out different combinations, getting them all work, etc.

 

To be honest I do not take much in consideration when it comes to playing without pads. One reason I think Omar sucks as a reporter. He keeps on reporting as if people have pads on. What is important right now is, if people are getting the playbook down, fundamentals looks good and are players in or getting in shape.

The game is 100% once pads come on. So many receivers who have been good without pads disappear when pads come one, same with cornerbacks and even some linebackers. It is even more evident when it comes to linemen.

 

Some Mini Camp updates from this morning.

Ryan Tannehill is starting with the 1's today, getting his turn in the rotation. A little surprising to me because according to Barry Jackson's sources (and seemingly confirmed by Garrard), he's not getting as many reps with the 1's as Moore and Garrard. Tannehill is playing a segment where the defense is trying to put away the game. He held the ball too long and took a sack, and threw another one that was knocked down by Reshad Jones who might have intercepted it if the drill didn't specifically ask DBs to knock the ball down instead of intercepting.

David Garrard threw a nice 30 yard strike to Julius Pruitt in the end zone on a roll out. Omar speculates Artis Hicks might be paired up with Jon Martin at the moment because Artis is such a good teacher, he's played both positions and is a veteran. Personally I don't buy it. They're just trying different combinations in the normal course of trying to see who is going to be starting at RG and RT.

It's mildly interesting to me that there seemingly has never even been a question that Incognito would start at LG. I guess like him.

 

Gary Guyton got a sack on David Garrard (Omar). Ryan Tannehill didn't get near as many reps with the 1's as Garrard and Moore got on Days 1 & 2 (Izzy Gould). Dolphins running a fumble recovery drill (Gould). Roberto Wallace working for now ahead of Chad Johnson (Omar). Jonas Gray still rehabbing (Omar). Nolan Carroll also rehabbing today (Omar).

 

I don't like the rehabbing aspect for Gray. He might get cut before he gets a chance to show he's worth a shot.

 

The guy blew out his ACL in mid-November on a pretty gruesome hit (if you watch it in slow-motion). I don't know why anyone would expect him to be back before training camp. The Dolphins probably understood that when they signed him.

 

Incidentally Omar Kelly reports that the Dolphins finished the team segment with three interceptions, Reshad Jones, Jimmy Wilson and Anderson Russell.

 

Ryan holding on to the ball to long is really becoming a reoccurring issue.

 

I would be surprised if he didn't, especially considering the segments where he's getting caught with the ball still in his hands are high pressure segments.

There is so much we don't know about how he's being coached, and it's so early in the process, and the observations we have come from people who don't necessarily know what they're seeing and have to try and see whatever it is they don't know if they're seeing or not in such a short time frame because of the light speed practices which have forced Omar and Izzy to literally agree that one guy would watch this half of the field and the other guy that half of the field...I mean, what's the use in getting worked up about something you can't be sure of?

Much was made in 2008 of the buzzer they had installed for getting the ball out of your hands. What a great idea! Except you come to find out that no other team in the league uses one. That's when you've got to sit back and say hmmm, is there something I'm not aware of going on here? Because this buzzer contraption is not exactly a NEW invention, state of the art, fresh from an inventor's basement. If other teams saw value in that practice, wouldn't they also be using it? What if the common thought is that coaches prefer the quarterbacks to take their time as they're learning things and getting used to the speed of the game? What if the coaches don't want the guys learn to read the field by rushing through their reads, skipping over steps, and being beholden to some buzzer contraption? They don't stop the play in practice just because a pass rusher got there. The QB damn well knows he's sacked and I'm sure he feels something negative about that, but he keeps on making his read and his throw...and what if that's a good thing? What if he's gaining more by holding onto the ball in that practice rep and continuing hard to try and see the field accurately, than he would be if he were trying to rush the ball out so that he won't get sacked?

All that really matters is how these guys are going to perform in the games, and that's not something we're going to be able to tell right now in OTAs, training camp, or even preseason. Heck, Cam Newton had a 65 passer rating in the preseason. Completed only 42% of his passes, a little over 5 yards per attempt, accounted for only 2 TDs. Then in the regular season he's 60% completion, nearly 8 yards per attempt, with 35 TDs.

 

The thing Joe Philbin evidently said in press conference that has me intrigued is that the coaches are going to sit down in meetings and rank every offensive and defensive player #1 to #45.

 

Thing with Jonas Gray is iirc if you are going to pup a player, then they cannot have practiced with the team.

As for Tannehill, welcome to the big leagues rook.

 

I want to read that, plus each signed statement on what the player has to improve for training camp.

 

The fact that the latter is in writing suggests to me that it's probably limited to stuff like weight and body fat percentages, etc.

 

No decision on placing a player on PUP needs to be made before the first day of Training Camp. They cannot have practiced at all in any Training Camp sessions to be placed on PUP.

 

chad johnson on facebook

 

I didn't mean it as a bad thing. Just that it appears that every day he is taking "sacks" because he's holding on too long. Sometimes it's back to back plays. I imagine it's an issue that will be fixed in time, and I hope he does so. That is all.

 

Honestly, since this is practice for everybody and not just the QB I think it's okay. The receivers still need to work on route running and the secondary/LB's still need to work on coverage. He's mainly working on reading the defense making his progressions and passing the ball. There's no advantage in him getting rid of the ball in practice especially considering he isn't slated to start. If you think about the 11-on-11 as just joint position practices, it makes sense.

 

Looks to be the case after hearing Joe Philbin's press conference.

Still would like to read it

http://www.miamidolphins.com/media/...nference/d1454f23-17d9-4250-accb-eb2e20f7fe2d

 

I do not think we have had a coach who hasn't.

 

Eh, the team's conditioning under Sparano was questionable at best.

Idk how much the lockout accounted for it last year, but they came in to the season in pathetic shape.

 

Conditioning in previous years was praised over the two previous years.

 

The team's conditioning under Sparano was certainly questionable in 2011 but prior to that I think any problems with conditioning were due to an issue raised a long time ago about Parcells-influenced strength and conditioning programs which focused a lot on squats and heavy core exercises and not as much on stamina, stuff like that. At least that's what I recall.

Anyway Garrard had a good interview coming off the practice field. He's easily the best, most informative interviewer on the roster. He really emphasized how much freedom the quarterbacks have to change everything at the line individually, changing a receiver's route, making different calls, etc.

Honestly that's the thing that will sink Ryan Tannehill as a rookie and ensure he does not win this competition. He knows the offense but that doesn't matter because the nature of the offense is reacting to the defense. It's like asking a poet who has never used a computer keyboard before to type a poem, while another non-poet who is well versed in typing on keyboards also types a poem. Which poem do you suspect will be better?

I kind of look forward to seeing the offense in action, hopefully with David Garrard running it.

 

Absolutely agree, Ryan T knows the offense better than any other player BUT he still is failing to read the deffense, and probably that's why he is getting thos sacks. Once he reads the deffense well we'll see good improvement from him and i will be waiting for that. In the meanwhile Garrard and Moore have that advantage.

 

my favorite guy on the mic is kevin burnett, he sugarcoats nothing and takes nothing for granted, love it

 

Funny thing is, waay back when Sparano was hired and Parcells brought in Cowboys fans warned us that Parcells power lifting based approach would produce results but it also led to players burning out/falling apart physically as their joints failed them.

That is how it worked out for our OL in 2011, the Defense was just out of shape, really no excuse for it.

 

I'm thinking you love him because he straight up called out and tried to fight Omar Kelly.

 

Are you talking about Saben?

 

I miss Joe Schad.

Has there been any news about Les Brown? I do not remember reading anything about him in the last three days.

 

No news...but honestly I never expected much.

I think I had the wrong idea of who Anderson Russell was. For some reason I got it my head that he was Colt Anderson from Montana, whom I never really liked athletically and so I overlooked the reports of Anderson Russell's interceptions thus far in OTAs and Mini Camp.

Anderson Russell is the Ohio State safety. He's 6'0" and 202 lbs, ran a 4.47 at his pro day, 18 bench reps, 37 inch vertical, 10'9" broad jump, 4.16 shuttle, 6.76 cone. Had 6 interceptions his last two years at Ohio State. Son of an NFL player. Not really sure why I never took a look at him in the 2010 NFL Draft but I do remember that Kurt Coleman was very much my guy.

I think Anderson Russell had two picks this Mini Camp.

 

If you were, you would be making sense

 

Speak of the devil.

Honestly I was expecting bad news. I was surprised by the nothing.

Thanks for the info on Anderson Russell. I was wondering what his field short stats were. He was an undrafted free agent 2010, might be why you didn't play much attention to him. Good size, decent speed. So far without pads he is looking good.