With Mini Camp up next, I wanted to point out some encouraging signs that have been reported during the open to media OTA period (please take information with a grain of salt based on the reporters). 1. Mike Wallace: Everything that I have heard from the coaching staff and from the reports on him are much more encouraging this season then last. Biggest thing is the pictures of him being the last one of the practice field at the end of practice. That along with a re-newed confidence in a new offense should do him wonders. Signs are already pointing to him being used in a diverse way and shifted around the offense. This guy has speed you can't teach and a nose for the end zone, hopefully Lazor can utilize him correctly and Tannehill can get him the rock. 2. Changes to LB group: Outside of OL this group was a mess and it's funny people pondered that Koa Misi may have been better suited at ILB for the past couple season. That story is being written as we speak and the early signs are encouraging that he doesn't seem out of place. Biggest things I like about him is he has improved every season in the NFL and he is the physical style LB we need to take on blockers in the middle. Biggest questions is can he be the QB of the defense, diagnose plays, make tackles, and cover. Truthfully there wasn't much difference between Ellerbe and Wheeler both were highly disappointing. To me the move to Ellerbe outside I think will benefit him more if he can cover in the passing game and react in the run game. My real hope is that if Misi locks down ILB that Tripp and Jenkins can challenge Wheeler for a starting spot and even push Ellerbe. One thing I read yesterday was a pairing of Tripp and Jenkins in Nickel which which excites me in the fact they are our two most athletic and youngest LB's. When the pads come on I hope the competition is fierce and that coaching staff is open to play the best all around unit. 3. Growth in the coaching staff: I was disappointed when Philbin was brought back, but he is so hopefully this is a make or break year. One thing I have seen is a change in his demeanor a little bit. A little bit more open with the media, the players, and to change. The biggest thing to me is on the back end of that sentence. Our offense was so one dimensional and predictable that with our talent we should be a top 15 offense every year. Our defense was a underachievement especially in the swiss cheese of a run defense we put out every Sunday. Whether or not Philbin truly fought for Mike Sherman I could care less because he brought in a hungry and diverse Offensive Coordinator in Bill Lazor, and has given him full control. On defense the staff admits there was a problem in run defense and especially at LB. First step is admitting you have a problem and that is a good step, the fact that they are mixing and matching is encouraging as Misi might've been our best overall LB and played the least of our starters last year. Another thing is Philbin and co. have seldom utilized rookies as demonstrated by the 3rd least snap count among the 2013 rookie class. But, injuries aside Dion Jordan has put on muscle mass and is focusing on DE, Taylor and Davis are healthier and more comfortable and learning from Grimes and Finnegan, Dallas Thomas has moved back inside to his natural LG and is running with the first team. I expect those 4 to provide a lot of contributions this year and if not that is a failure of a class. 4. Offense Play Speed: I vividly remember in 2012 when Philbin first got here and Peter King stated he has never seen such a fast-pace run practice and that it should translate into game situations. Well, here we are two years later and such hasn't been the case. Big reason was in 2012 we had a lack of talent on the roster; in 2013 we improved talent but refused to adapt and scheme better as an offense. Enter in Chip Kelly's QB coach from Philly who made Nick Foles a superstar. All reports from OTA's is that Lazor is demanding and expects perfection. I love that, I felt that Tannehill may have been too comfortable with Sherman after 7 years together. Lazor has no ties to the QB but he has highlighted the biggest hurdles RT17 needs to cross to become an Good NFL QB. I think a combination of fresh blood and offense along with getting the right players in place to be the type of offense we strive to be. Having a more athletic interior line should pay off in the run game as well. 5. Players rising to the challenge. Based of the off season moves I look at the following players who have been challenged by the FO and Staff for their jobs: Lamar Miller, Rishard Matthews/Brandon Gibson, Michael Egnew, Dallas Thomas, and Koa Misi. In Lamar Miller's case he had an underwhelming 2013 but our OL was horrendous and I am in no way ready to give up on the young man. When I did some research on Lazor's scheme and background I think Miller is the ideal back for this system. Still, we needed to acquire a RB to push this unit and Knowshown Moreno was that guy. Reports are Moreno is out of shape and working with the 3rd string unit at times, those reports are also saying Miller is having a very good camp and the coaches have re-iterated that fact. If Miller can be the back his talent hints he could be this offense could be much more balanced. Drafting two WR's and adding another in FA doesn't speak volumes for the security of two integral players from 2013. Brandon Gibson was just coming into his own before a knee injury derailed his 2013, unfortunately Gibson is still limited in the OTA period so saying he has rose to the occasion if a bit premature but I dont expect him roll over. Matthews has performed when he has played especially in the TB game on Monday Night last year. But, reports are he isn't the coaching staff's favorite due to lack of maturity and taking his craft seriously. In the OTA period though he has been running with the 1st unit as the slot and in my opinion if he continues to grow could become a very solid receiver for this offense. The addition of second round pick Jarvis Landry and 6th rounder Matt Hazel tells us that the Front Office is looking for competition. It's up the staff to trust these players and for them to perform to earn playing time. I cautiously hope that Landry can come in an contribute but if the vets hold him off due to performance competition breeds success. Michael Egnew has Arthur Lynch drafted in the 5th round and Gator Hoskins UDFA out of Marshall on his heels this pre-season. I think Dion Sims will also have his spot challenged but seeing as he was a 4th round pick last year and a blocking body he may be safe. Lynch while not a amazing athlete is a big body and a solid receiving TE. With all the word stating that a ton of Two-TE sets and with Charles Clay locking down one of them, Lynch could play the role of Brett Celek like you see in Philly. Hoskins was a monster in the red zone at Marshall and we needs to score TD's rumor is he has been running with the 1st team in goal line and his versatility to play H-Back is needed. Last year I thought Dallas Thomas would challenge to start as a guard as a rookie. Well he was played at RT and was beaten like a drum, it didn't help that he was recovering from an injury like most of our rookie class and didn't have a full off season. That alone with the fact he was a All-SEC guard at Tennessee and the whole fan base knew he was better suited for LG. Nonetheless, it's nice to hear that the staff has him focusing on one position and giving him every opportunity to earn the starting spot. Yes, we drafted Billy Turner in the 3rd round but he is not a from the BCS conference and we are asking him to shift inside to guard it may take some seasoning. I can't be upset if Dallas Thomas wins the job outright even if Turner was a high round pick. I want the 5 best OL to play regardless of draft status or position. Lastly, the LB group as aforementioned was a mess, we have two overpriced LB's who we can't cut due to financial stress. Our best LB is shifting to the inside in Koa Misi and so far the results look good, either way with Jelani Jenkins getting increased playing time towards the end of last season and a full off season under his belt he could challenge for a outside spot which would've been Misi'. Also Jordan Tripp our 5th round selection comes highly regarded from a smaller school in Montana, don't be surprised if he pushes for a spot in the starting 11. Anything you guys have been encouraged by?
I too like grooming Tripp and Jenkins in nickel coverage, I have way more faith in coverage for Misi then I do Ellerbe.. I also think Ellerbe played heavy last year because he knew he was going inside, I'm hoping that he understands that and is planning on coming in lighter.
DJ, Completely agree that pairing could become effective if they can process the playbook, really hoping we can get 3 down LB's with no defencies or liabilities. I agree Ellerbe just looked sluggish compared to his play in Baltimore.
I'm happy to hear that Gator Hoskins and RB Damien Williams have looked good. I know that they're long shots to make the roster, but I like their upside potential.
Not sure this is worthy of its own thread as it's a short video, but here's Jason Taylor talking about Dion Jordan. http://www.miamidolphins.com/multim...dan_More/55be5faf-a473-4974-a2b4-6335247fb634 Nice to hear from a pro's pro that Dion Jordan is very receptive to learning. I do think JT makes a salient point about how pass-rushers use different things to make their rush effective. Says that Jordan needs to find what works best for him and then build counters off of that.
Apropos of nothing, one thing I'd be interested to see as it relates to Billy Turner is what happens with him if indeed Dallas Thomas does win the left guard spot. I say this because in one of the rookie-camp interviews Billy Turner himself said that they were focusing on him learning left guard for now, much like Thomas, but may move him to the other side once he's comfortable. I assume that obviously since Branden Albert is the left tackle they wanted to kick him inside and are keeping him on the left side as that's where his experience in college came. I'll be honest, I'm not all that sure what we have in Shelley Smith, so I wonder if that Dallas Thomas does entrench himself at LG (Who said that last year?) that if the competition down the line ends up Billy Turner v. Shelley Smith at RG. Obviously it remains to be seen if Dallas Thomas does that but I do feel like Billy Turner, once comfortable, is just an overall more talented player than Shelley Smith. Something I'll be keeping my eye on during mini-camp and training camp. Other position battles I'm interested in seeing: #2 TE - Dion Sims v. Michael Egnew v. Arthur Lynch v. Gator Hoskins. I'd assume 2 of those 4 are on the roster; maybe even 3 of those 4. Of those, strangely I feel like Michael Egnew is probably most likely to stick. #2 CB - Cortland Finnegan makes me "queasy", to borrow from Philbin. I'd really like to see Jamar Taylor snag that position. I'm also curious as to where Walt Aikens actually ends up playing. #3 RB - I feel pretty confident that Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno are safe. I also feel like concerns over Knowshon Moreno are overblown. I'm interested in seeing how the battle between Mike Gillislee and Daniel Thomas shakes out and if either Damien Williams or Orleans Darkwa have anything to offer. Marcus Thigpen - Does he stick as a kick returner/gadget player?
Why "queasy"? He hasn't violated the dress code or been late to anything... ;-) I do like his mentoring of our DB duo from last season's draft though. http://www.thephinsider.com/2014/6/10/5795358/dolphins-open-final-ota-with-goal-line-focused-work
Their defense is more akin to what Miami played in 2012, but they do operate out of true 3-4 base looks. That said, with Terrell Suggs propensity to line up with his hand in the dirt, like Wake does, made it look like Ellerbe was more like a 4-3 WLB. All in all, there's not that much difference when it comes to base packages these days. Most teams are operating out of sub-looks more than 50% of the time anyway.
I saw the kid playing on the outside shoulder of the one and only Ray Lewis, every time I saw him play well, he was on the outside while ray was roaming the blood zone..ray Lewis made everyone look good.
Shelly Smith can be let go with minimal dead money after 2014, so if Turner and Thomas both shine, I could see them both being starting guards in 2015 in a best case scenerio. Because of that, I think that he'll be kept at guard this season regardless of who starts.
