Well, we are almost at the start of Training Camp, so now is a good time for us fans to pick which longshot(s) make the team:

http://www.miamidolphins.com/team/roster


2 Brandon Fields P 6-5 245 26 4 Michigan State
5 Dan Carpenter K 6-2 225 24 3 Montana
6 Pat White QB 6-0 190 24 2 West Virginia
7 Chad Henne QB 6-3 230 25 3 Michigan
10 Chad Pennington QB 6-3 225 34 11 Marshall
11 Julius Pruitt WR 6-2 206 24 1 Ouchita
14 Marlon Moore WR 6-0 190 22 R Fresno State
15 Davone Bess WR 5-10 190 24 3 Hawaii
16 Tyler Thigpen QB 6-1 224 26 4 Coastal Carolina
17 Ryan Grice-Mullen WR 5-11 180 23 1 Hawaii
18 Roberto Wallace WR 6-4 225 24 R San Diego State
19 Brandon Marshall WR 6-4 230 26 5 Central Florida
20 Tristan Davis RB 5-10 212 24 1 Auburn
21 Vontae Davis CB 5-11 203 22 2 Illinois
22 Kory Sheets RB 5-11 206 25 2 Purdue
23 Ronnie Brown RB 6-0 230 28 6 Auburn
24 Sean Smith CB 6-3 214 23 2 Utah
25 Will Allen CB 5-10 195 31 10 Syracuse
26 Lex Hilliard RB 5-11 240 26 2 Montana
27 Evan Oglesby CB 5-11 182 28 5 North Alabama
28 Nolan Carroll CB 5-11 204 23 R Maryland
29 Tyrone Culver S 6-1 210 27 5 Fresno State
30 Chris Clemons S 6-1 210 24 2 Clemson
31 Nate Ness S 6-1 190 23 1 Arizona
32 Jason Allen CB 6-1 200 27 5 Tennessee
34 Ricky Williams RB 5-10 230 33 10 Texas
35 Reshad Jones S 6-1 214 22 R Georgia
36 Lousaka Polite RB 6-0 245 28 6 Pittsburgh
37 Yeremiah Bell S 6-0 205 32 7 Eastern Kentucky
38 Patrick Cobbs RB 5-8 205 27 5 North Texas
40 Jonathon Amaya S 6-2 190 21 R Nevada
43 A.J. Wallace CB 6-1 195 22 R Penn State
44 Austin Spitler LB 6-3 234 23 R Ohio State
45 Ross Weaver DB 6-1 203 23 R Michigan State
46 Rolly Lumbala FB 6-2 238 24 1 Idaho
48 Chris McCoy LB 6-2 245 23 R Middle Tennessee State
49 A.J. Edds LB 6-4 246 22 R Iowa
50 Erik Walden LB 6-2 250 24 3 Middle Tennessee State
51 Tim Dobbins LB 6-1 246 27 5 Iowa State
52 Channing Crowder LB 6-2 250 26 6 Florida
55 Koa Misi LB 6-3 251 23 R Utah
56 Charlie Anderson LB 6-4 250 28 7 Mississippi
58 Karlos Dansby LB 6-4 250 28 7 Auburn
59 J.D. Folsom LB 6-3 230 25 1 Weber State
60 Andrew Hartline OL 6-5 300 24 2 Central Michigan
61 Cory Procter G 6-4 311 27 6 Montana
62 Travis Ivey DT 6-4 325 23 R Maryland
63 Andrew Gardner T 6-6 305 24 2 Georgia Tech
64 Jake Grove C 6-4 300 30 7 Virginia Tech
66 Donald Thomas G 6-4 310 24 3 Connecticut
67 Joe Berger G 6-5 315 28 6 Michigan Tech
68 Richie Incognito G 6-3 324 27 6 Nebraska
69 Ray Feinga G 6-4 337 24 1 Brigham Young
70 Kendall Langford DE 6-6 295 24 3 Hampton
71 Lionel Dotson DE 6-4 290 25 3 Arizona
72 Vernon Carey T 6-5 340 29 7 Miami (Fla.)
73 Dimitri Tsoumpas G 6-4 315 24 R Weber State
74 John Jerry G 6-5 328 24 R Mississippi
75 Nate Garner T 6-7 325 25 3 Arkansas
76 Lydon Murtha T 6-7 315 24 2 Nebraska
77 Jake Long T 6-7 317 25 3 Michigan
78 Tony McDaniel DT 6-7 305 25 5 Tennessee
79 Ikaika Alama-Francis DE 6-5 290 25 4 Hawaii
80 Anthony Fasano TE 6-4 255 26 5 Notre Dame
81 Joey Haynos TE 6-8 270 25 3 Maryland
82 Brian Hartline WR 6-2 186 23 2 Ohio State
83 Greg Camarillo WR 6-1 190 28 5 Stanford
84 Patrick Turner WR 6-5 220 23 2 USC
85 Kory Sperry TE 6-4 238 25 2 Colorado State
86 John Nalbone TE 6-4 255 24 1 Monmouth
89 Taurus Johnson WR 6-1 205 24 1 South Florida
90 Ryan Baker DE 6-5 295 25 2 Purdue
91 Cameron Wake LB 6-3 250 28 2 Penn State
92 John Denney LS 6-5 255 31 6 Brigham Young
93 Quentin Moses LB 6-5 260 26 4 Georgia
94 Randy Starks DE 6-3 305 26 7 Maryland
96 Paul Soliai DE 6-4 355 26 4 Utah
97 Phillip Merling DE 6-4 295 25 3 Clemson
98 Jared Odrick DT 6-5 304 22 R Penn State

My perception of which roles are open:

-2 Guards
-Swing Tackle
-Kick Returner
-Wr #5
-Te #3 or FB #2
-Rb #4
-ST 4 players needed for 4 core duty
-Dline #5, #6, maybe #7
-Lb #9 (and even then, that is a longshot)
-Qb #2 and #3
-Starting Free Safety
-Nickel Corner Back

Thoughts?

 

You two crazy kids!

I do think there are 6 starting roles up for grabs:

-2 G's, to me people tend to pencil Incognito into a starting role perhaps a bit too early.

-Free Safety..

-Nickel Corner, this one is really up in the air

-Both OLB spots.

As for my longshot picks:

-Roberto Wallace, 6-4 225 4.4 40 for Wr #5 or practice squad

-Korey Sheets we run the ball first and foremost

-Rolly Lumbala primarily for St play

-RGM-KR if Wallace doesn't make it.

 

Same here, and toss T Johnson and J Pruitt into that mix as well, we have a plethora of fast, big Wr's on the outside looking in.

Except for Grice, he's fast, and not big..

I'd toss in the backup G/T prospects as well, from Garner to Gardner, there is some talent in that mix.

Something Thiggy and White will appreciate in the preseason, as at least they have their chances behind good 2nd and 3rd stringers on the Oline, ditto Sheets and say Tristan Davis as well, they will have their shot behind a decent Oline.

I expect a Alleman/Ndukwe type of trade in September to move out the surplus of G's and T's types.

Sheets, RGM, Davis, Wallace, those are the offensive skill players I want to see what they have in the preseason.

Yep, they are betting heavily on Koa, ditto Clemons, but Koa is a conversion player...does the name David Veikune ring any bells?

I also really like David Amaya's chances, he may have that nose for the football that a Safety needs to succeed.

 

Veikune is a player I liked very much in draft 09 and followed his development in Cleveland, Mangini asked if anyone could design a effective blitz and DV stepped up to the chalkboard and drew a proper blitz package up.

And even then, he couldn't see the field if he bought a press pass, there is a danger in just assuming a conversion player will step in Day 1 and get it.

 

I do, if Veikune's football IQ was that high and he never saw the field for a woeful Browns team, what would make Misi more likely to succeed early in Nolan's more complex defense?

 

Granted I'm playing Devil's Advocatus Diaboli here, there does seem to be a lot of assuming going on with Koa Misi.

I hope Chris McCoy comes out of nowhere to shine in TC, he is a good athlete from a small college so his performance is hard to project, but I suspect the last 90 days of intense weight training, if taken seriously by him, could make a huge difference.

God bless MTSU, however I suspect there is a huge difference between a NFL caliber solely for football weight training scheme, and the MTSU strength and conditioning scheme.

 

Hah!

Come on now KillahP, you've never seen Tsoumpas play have you?

Be honest now...:D

 

Does he push out Dotson?

One long shot that I do like is Ikaika Francis, the reason why is he has enough physical talent that if he just flashes a bit, he will really flash, with that much talent any improvement magnifies itself out on the field.

Odd thing about him, he had a good 2008 season, playing 300 snaps and PFF had him rated as the Lions best Dlineman:

http://www.profootballfocus.com/by_...&season=2008&surn=Alama-Francis&playerid=3674

http://www.profootballfocus.com/cst...ason=2008&teamid=11&stats=d&stype=r&playerid=

 

The Cam Wake argument from last season around this time.

Omar Kelly is still trying to live down the "Cameron Wake on the roster bubble" line of thought he had last yr at the end of OTA's.

Now I'll grant there is a more difficult projection to be made for a CFL Olineman to jump to the NFL due to the 1 yd neutral zone in the CFL, but one has to admit (reluctantly to be sure) that CFL to NFL crossovers are having more success than they've had since the late 60's to the 80's.

Better athletes and more Canadians playing NCAA ball then playing in the CFL.

The real question with Stump will be answered when the pads come on, ditto Lumbala and RGM.

 

I can't get a feel for N Carrol, from what I've read (via CK) he was either really good in man to man coverage, or he was not physical enough a tackler.

Jones not only was the Nickel, he also was the leading ST tackler, to me that suggests Jason Allen fills that role, barring something extraordinary.

I really like AJ Wallace's game, but I don't really see a place on the roster for him unless he is in the mix to return kicks, which if he can play the Nickel or Dime, would make him really valuable.