The Phins Report

Kevin Jones went through a workout Saturday while four NFL teams watched the running back sprint and cut just five months after he had major knee surgery.

Dr. D.S. Ping, who has been helping Jones rehabilitate his right knee, said Miami, Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Detroit sent representatives to the workout in Saline, Mich.

The Lions cut their former first-round pick in March with one year left on his contract after he hurt the knee late last season, adding to the injury woes that have stunted his success in the league.

The Cleveland Browns also called, Ping said, and asked for a video of the workout.

Jones did a shuttle run on wet grass in 4.3 seconds, ran around cones and caught passes.

“All the teams basically said they were amazed by what Kevin can do,” Ping said.

Jones missed the first two games last season recovering from a foot injury that also sidelined him for the last three games of 2006. He ran for at least 70 yards in five games, including a season-high 105, before hurting his knee Dec. 23 against the Chiefs.

A few months later, the Lions released him. The franchise was interested enough, though, to send director of pro personnel Sheldon White about 45 minutes west of Detroit to witness the workout.

“Sheldon said what impressed him was Kevin’s burst after standing still,” Ping recalled. “He also liked how Kevin picked himself up and finished a drill when he slipped on the grass that was really slick because of a lot of rain.”

Ron Hughes, the Steelers’ college scouting coordinator, was also impressed.

“Ron told me he thought Kevin ran really well,” Ping said.

Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery on Jones’ right knee in January and told him it would take up to 10 months to get back on the field. Jones, though, expects to go through non-contact drills during training camp with the team that signs him.

“I honestly feel like I’m ready to play right now,” Jones insisted earlier this month.

Jones has said several other teams have also shown interest. He’s vying for a job along with free agent running backs such as Shaun Alexander, Chris Henry, Ron Dayne and Cedric Benson.

He ran for 3,000-plus yards in four seasons in Detroit, including 1,133 yards as a rookie in 2004.

Well I’m not sure I really understand why we worked him out with 5 other running backs on the roster. But I guess it goes with the Ireland philosophy of leaving every stone unturned when trying to make the team better.

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Jeff Ireland was on WQAM in a pretty good interview and the Sun-Sentinel broke it down for us, So the less the work the more time we get to write, So I’m fine with that. The sticking point of this interview was that Ireland said that everybody was avaialable but heres the Sun-Sentinels breakdown…

WQAM’s Dolphins Tonight program has taken a shot of The Juice lately, providing some pretty informative interviews with Dolphins executives, coaches, and players over the past month. It’s turning into must listen programming.

On Wednesday night Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland spent about 12 minutes touching on various topics, and he provided a decent amount of insight into the Trifecta’s thinking, their concerns, and their hope for where the Dolphins are, and where they hope to be headed in the coming seasons.

I plan on giving you a summary of what Ireland said, but if you want to listen to it yourself just click here.

The most controversial think Ireland said came from Jimmy Cefalo sidestepped into a Jason Taylor-ISH question about every player on the team having a trade price.

“Every player is for sale,” Ireland said close to the end of the interview.

While that bold statement might be controversial, it’s not surprising. Pat Riley put it best one time during my stint covering the Heat. He pointed out that, to executives of a professional team players are poker chips.

“You’ve got to have a lot of good chips to play the game right,” Riley said during the Brian Grant, Eddie Jones era of Heat-land. And by the game, he was talking about personnel management.

The point is, some chips are worth plenty, like Jake Long, who one might think is untouchable. However, let Dallas offer up Tony Romo or have Cleveland dangle Derek Anderson, a quarterback the Dolphins did have interest in, and see how fast that trade starts getting worked on.

So, in professional sports, everyone has a price. Ireland just admitted it.

Moving on….Ireland couldn’t put a time frame on how quickly this 1-15 franchise can be turned around, but he hinted that three seasons was something they are shooting for. According to Ireland, how fast depends on 1. momentum, 2. leadership, 3. chemistry, 4. the ball bouncing the right way. That’s typically GM talk.

He pointed out the he’s still addressing areas of concern on the roster, and plans to continue doing so throughout the season by raiding other teams cut downs, searching the waiver wire.

“No doubt about it, we will be spending a ton of time in training camp, in the 53-man cuts, to try to steal a couple of players off waivers,” Ireland said.

He said the next “prime trade window” is right around the end of camp, when teams have discovered what they’ve got, and don’t have from the exhibition games, which exposes strengths and weaknesses to the coaching staffs and front office personnel.

As for the present concerns, he admitted to working out a receiver on Wednesday and said the Dolphins presently have “decent depth” there, but seemed concerned about how young the group was. It seems like the Dolphins would like to find some veterans leadership at receiver.

He also singled out David Kircus, Jayson Foster and Davone Bess as young receivers who impressed him during OTAs. I second the Kircus endorsement. He speculated that Bess might be a young receiver they can “hang your hat on for a little while.”

Ireland also admitted to making a call inquiring about free agent center LeCharles Bentley, who was recently released by the Browns. Ireland said his philosophy is to turn over “every rock that comes your way to see what there is,” gauging interest levels.

He also said the scouting staff evaluates AFL, CFL players on a regular basis, and every NFL teams current roster, and players have grades that are usually no older than 9 months. When one becomes available their recent games are evaluated, they are investigated, and the grades get updated.

Ireland also touched on the team continuing to explore playing in a 3-4 defensive scheme, and said he thinks Jason Taylor would fit perfectly in it, especially since he’s done it already in the Nick Saban era, winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year honor in a role as a pass rushing outside linebacker.

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With Players and Coaches taking their vacation, Not much is going in Dolphins World so heres a few odds and ends. One involving Will Allen, The other concerning Training Camp.

Dolphins cornerback Will Allen is being sued by his former agency, which alleges Allen failed to make payment on a settlement agreement made earlier this year.

According to the complaint, filed June 17 in the Circuit Court of Broward County, Allen did not pay agent Tom Condon and his agency commissions due on the salary, signing bonus and incentive bonuses for the four-year contract he signed with the Dolphins in 2006.

The dispute between Allen and Condon, who Allen hired in 2003, was submitted to an arbitrator, which is customary in NFLPA disputes over compensation.

But before the hearing was scheduled to take place in February, the suit alleges, Allen agreed to pay CAA Sports $195,500 in fees, together with additional sums based upon his 2008 and 2009 salary.

As a result of the settlement agreement, the arbitration hearing was canceled. But the lawsuit claims Allen breached the settlement when he failed to pay the initial installment of $50,500 by March 4.

The lawsuit filed by CAA Sports, LLC, is seeking $195,500 for past agency and marketing fees, $75,000 for 2008 agent fees and $90,000 for 2009 agent fees. It also seeks to factor in any escalators or bonuses Allen might receive from performance, and attorney fees.

“My client has a contract and a settlement agreement from Mr. Allen. It looks pretty clear cut to me,” said Neil Frank, the attorney who filed the suit on behalf of CAA. “He was suppose to start making payments and didn’t do so.”

Once Allen has been served with the lawsuit, he has 20 days to respond. Allen’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, declined to comment.

Not the biggest of news but it does show Allen may not be good with alot of people. First the arrest for gun charges in a problem with money and now this. Hopefully he does not get in any more trouble.

Guys, it’s not official yet, but it looks like the first day of Dolphins training camp is July 26. Of course, these sessions are open to the public but you better not be on your cell phone giving away strategy or Bill Parcells will be in your face. Just kidding. I think.

Media is not allowed on cell phones or computers during practice sessions. Although at times they’re lax about the phones. So don’t expecte running blogs.

Like said but its not official yet but Training Camp will begin on July 26th, hopefully all JT rumors are done by then.

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With the news in the Dolphins off-season slowing down until training camp, I guess it would be time to get a list post going. And We’ll go with the top 10 Dolphins players of All-Time. These were determined on my knowledge of Dolphins football and what they have done for the team. Honorable mentions for this list are Norm Evans, Jake Scott, Jason Taylor, Richmond Webb and Mark Clayton. Now to the list…

10.) Safety Dick Anderson

Dick was the leader of the Secondary for the ‘72 Dolphins and earned three Pro Bowls and 3 All Pro Selections during his tenure with the Dolphins. Anderson was the all-time take away leader in Dolphins history. As well as helping the secondary he was a solid Special Teamer as well. He brought home the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1973, after the Dolphins second Super Bowl win.

9.) Linebacker Nick Buoniconti

Nick was the heart of the No Name Defense of the 70’s for the Dolphins. Buoniconti was the teams MVP 3 years during his span with the team and was a Pro Bowler 2 times (AFL All Star 6 times). Nick was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001.

8.) Linebacker Zach Thomas

Zach Thomas although not on the best of teams even with Dan Marino, He was the soul of the Miami Dolphins defense through the 90’s and 2000’s. He amassed 7 Pro Bowls with the Dolphins, as well as 7 All Pro team selections. Thomas was tagged as undersized at his position going into the draft in 1995, but now is a future Hall of Famer.

7.) Quarterback Bob Griese

The leader of the 70’s Dolphins offense, Although he did not win the Super Bowl in ‘72 he did put forth alot into the season. He was a 6 time pro bowler and a 2 time All Pro. He was named the team MVP six times as well. He was considered the cornerstone of the Franchise by Don Shula, and his number is now retired and is apart of the Dolphins Honor Roll. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

6.) Center Jim Langer

Langer was discovered as the great center he is the undefeated season in ‘72, From there on he was selected to 6 Pro Bowls and had 6 All Pro selections. Langer was one piece of the amazing Dolphins line in the 70’s and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

5.) Offensive Guard Larry Little

Little was apart of the ‘72 undefeated season although originally drafted by the Chargers. Little helped the rushing attack of Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka on the way to the undefeated season. Little was a 4 time Pro Bowler (one time AFL all star), Named All Pro 6 times and was named offensive lineman of the year 3 times straight. In 1993 Little was inducted into the Hall of Fame and would go on to be proclaimed one of the Dolphins Best Guards in team history.

4.) Fullback Larry Csonka

One part of the two headed monster of Morris and Csonka, Csonka is the all time leading rusher despite being a fullback. Csonka was a 5 time Pro Bowler and the MVP of Super Bowl VIII. He was a very powerful runner and Jim Langer had this to say about him.

You could be in the middle of your block, and you could tell when he hit the line. Everything went forward two or three yards.

Csonka’s number was retired and as well he is apart of the Dolphins Honor Roll. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

3.) Center Dwight Stephenson

Stephenson can be considered one of the best Centers ever despite knee injuries that ended his career.  Stephenson had 5 consecutive Pro Bowl and All Pro Selections, and in 1985 was the Walter Payton Man of the Year. He leas a platoon which allowed the least ammount of sacks in the NFL for 6 straight years. Dwight was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1998.

2.) Wide Receiver Paul Warfield

Although only a Dolphins for 5 years in between stints with the Cleveland Browns, Warfield made the best of it by winning 2 Super Bowls with the Dolphins. Warfield was a Pro Bowler every year he was with the Dolphins and an All Pro Team selection 3 years. Warfield was a threat with the Dolphins who used their run game the most. Warfield was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1983.

1.) Quarterback Dan Marino

No surprise to anybody but the best Dolphins player of all-time is Dan Marino. With a career spread over 17 years with countless MVP’s, Offensive player of the year awards, Pro Bowls and All Pro selections Marino is now the face of the history of the franchise. Marino holds many NFL passing records as well as most of the Dolphins records. Marino led the Dolphins to one Super Bowl but failed to win one, mostly because of the lack of defense on the Dolphins. Marinos number is retired with the Dolphins, He is on the Dolphins honor roll and He entered the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2005.

Some Pictures and Information taken from The Sun-Sentinel

The Packers might have at least some interest in trading for Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, but the curiosity isn’t mutual at the moment. The Packers are not on the lengthy list of teams Taylor would like to join in a trade, according to multiple sources close to the situation. And it doesn’t appear they’ll be added any time soon. “I don’t see it happening,” a source close to Taylor said Friday.

So it seems we can put this Jason Taylor rumor to rest and move on to the next one. Anybody want to take guesses when the next one will be?

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A day after I reported the Packers were interested in Jason Taylor, Now it seems they are not all that interested.

ESPN’s John Clayton considers a Jason Taylor-to-Green Bay trade unlikely.

Clayton seconds the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s report that talks with the Dolphins haven’t gotten to the productive stage. Clayton also says GM Ted Thompson is more worried about upgrading at defensive tackle than end with projected starter Johnny Jolly and third DT Justin Harrell both injured.

Also not a very big story but apparently Vernon Careys rims were stolen while out on a cruise.

Dolphins RT Vernon Carey returned from vacation this week and found his Mercedes GL 550 on blocks with the tires and rims gone.

The vehicle was still in Carey’s driveway, so at least the thieves were nice enough to leave Carey his ride. The 22s on Carey’s Mercedes were valued at $6,000. “Sometimes they take them to the Swap Shop and re-sell them,” said investigating Lt. William Coyne. No other items were taken.

Another day another Jason Taylor rumor and this time it comes all the way from Wisconsin in Green Bay. The Packers have inquired on how to get Jason Taylor, supposidely before the draft they inquired but nothing went down. The Packers apparently are willing to give in to the Dolphins demand of a 2nd round pick only if Taylor will play more than one season. However this is still all speculation as Harvey Greene of the Miami Dolphins has said that he will not comment on it and there is no word out of the Packers Camp. The Sporting News comment on this trade was…

Even if the Packers aren’t the team Taylor lands with, don’t expect the chatter surrounding him to lighten much as training camp nears. Instead, as more teams evaluate their depth at certain positions while also dealing with injuries, Taylor’s services could become more valued as the season nears.

Although the Dolphins continue to field calls, word coming out of the facility is that Miami might actually prefer to keep Taylor around, since the team needs all the solid edge rushers it can get.

The Dolphins have denied Taylor’s request to shop himself for a trade, which could be the most obvious sign the team wants him back. If Taylor shopped himself, there’s a belief he could increase his trade value by potentially agreeing to play more than one year (going against what he previously has stated).

That would seem to benefit the Dolphins as well — unless they believe the best place for Taylor is in South Florida

Basically all Dolphins fans will have to deal with Jason Taylor rumors for another month or so till training camp occurs to see if he will actually show up to camp, and then some more through out camp. I really wish at this point Taylor will either be traded or just say hes coming back to the Dolphins. But really neither is likely to happen and it will be a summer of Jason Taylor drama.

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Scouts Inc., A subsidary of ESPN just came out with their rankings of all NFL teams offensive line and the Dolphins came in 18th. Considering the Dolphins were one of the worst offensive lines in the league last year it is a vast improvement with the additions of Jake Long, Justin Smiley and Shawn Murphy/Donald Thomas/Steve McKinney. Now still it is not one of the best in the league.

Jake Long the first pick in the draft although promising still has not shown that he is the man to protect the blind side. He has yet to play a down of pro football so we can’t say anything about his ability and how he will do, so for the most part he is a question mark. LG, C and RT are all non problems with Smiley, Satele and Carey all taking up those positions. But the other question mark is the Right Guard position, Murphy and Thomas have yet to play an NFL down. While McKinney is a veteran and has gotten the job done. There is no telling what he will do at this age. The line is very promising but untill we actually see how the group does we’ll have to assume we have question marks on the line. Here is what Matt Williamson had to say…

18. Miami Dolphins
Obviously, the new powers in charge are putting a lot of emphasis on rebuilding the offensive line. This is a great strategy, and the Dolphins’ line should be much better this season. Jake Long, the No. 1 overall selection in April’s draft, might not be a left tackle prospect like Tony Boselli or Orlando Pace, but he is a nasty run-blocker with great size and technique. He should be very solid on the left side, and his addition allows Miami to move Vernon Carey to right tackle, a much better fit for his skill set. They could rank among the top tackle pairs in the league within the next few years. As the clock struck midnight on the opening of free agency, Miami locked up Justin Smiley as its starting left guard. Smiley needs to stay healthy but should fill a tremendous void between Long and up-and-coming second-year center Samson Satele. Satele should be a fixture in the middle for years to come, which leaves right guard as the only real question mark. Overall depth also is a concern, but this unit has come a long way in a short period of time. It also should not be overlooked that Miami’s front five of a year ago did an admirable job of run blocking, particularly when Ronnie Brown was toting the rock. It should be even better this year. There will be growing pains, but the foundation certainly is in place up front.

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The Dolphins have already signed more draft picks then most other NFL teams but now Ireland wants to get them done most likely before most NFL teams. The players yet to be signed are Chad Henne, Philip Merling and Kendall Langford, 2nd and 3rd round picks. Henne wants to be signed before camp and Langford was drafted before he most likely even thought so, So those two are most likely shoe ins to be signed by July 1st. Merling who on the other hand was thought to be drafted in the first round will most likely demand more than some 1st round picks. But Jeff Ireland does not believe so.

He believes that just because Merling was 32nd and in years past that would’ve been the last pick of the first round but not this year because the Patriots forfeited their pick due to Spygate that won’t have a bearing on getting him locked up. It doesn’t hurt that Merling’s agent is Jimmy Sexton, who happens to be the agent for coach Tony Sparano and team czar Bill Parcells. Come to think of it, he was the Nicktator’s agent, too.

“Not really, we got the slot because we were at the top of the second round,” Ireland said. “We’ll get it done.”

With those words by Ireland it feels that Merling will be signed by the deadline and will get in for training camp. Parcells will have some leverage so no way he arrives late to any mandatory offseason activity. All in all this shows how determined the front office is to get the players on the team and to get this team clicking. Good thing to see with many horrific management decisions in the past.

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Well Some good information in it but if you like cards, This is your interview!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MOplNMt45M&hl=en]