The Phins Report

Dolphins defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday, a friend and teammate of Jason Taylor’s since 2005, doesn’t know how the team will replace the six-time Pro Bowl stalwart.

“It’s definitely going to be weird not having 99 out there,” Holliday said. “He’s a great player, a great friend. I’m certainly sad to see him go and I don’t quite understand the move.

“I don’t see how it helps us in the immediate future. If we were getting something today that’d be different.

“It kind of puts a little bit of taste in your mouth like the Chris Chambers deal four games into last year. What exactly are we doing? I can’t wait to get back to find out, and hopefully they’ve got a plan to pull some rabbit out of a hat or have something up their sleeve to prove otherwise.”

Not sure what there is to be confused about clearly the Dolphins are a team in a rebuilding phase. He couldn’t tell by cutting Green, Booker or Thomas? Vonnie more than likely the starting LE is going to make the team, but him not knowing his place is not good. This team was 1-15 last season and an improvement of 6 to 7 games to compete for the wild card is somewhat out of the question.

This process, will take more than 2 years, maybe one if next off-season the Dolphins get a high pick and hit Free Agency well. This year is a prove it or get cut year for the veterans because Sparano, Ireland and Parcells will all be here next year. And to make this team better they will have to keep the good veterans and get rid of the waste of space ones. Vonnie has 3 more years left on his contract and his pay goes up $1.15 million next year so this could be a make or break year for him, with Merling, Langford and possibly Dotson coming along to take over his spot.

Thank the dear baby lord Jesus the drama between the Dolphins and Jason Taylor has ended and all of the players from the Jimmy Johnson era are gone. It was surprisingly good value for a player who has said he will only play one more year in the league, a 2009 Second Round Pick and a 2010 6th Round pick. This paves the way for either Charlie Anderson or Quentin Moses to start in JT’s place. This also means that somebody will have to step up in the leadership spot. Will it be Channing Crowder, Will Joey Porter regain his old self, Will another player come out of nowhere? It’ll be an interesting training camp to see what goes on with the young talent and we will keep you updated.

The Redskins acquired Jason Taylor from the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins will receive a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010.

According to ESPN.com’s John Clayton, Taylor told the Redskins he did not need to renegotiate and was willing to play for the final two years of his contract. He is scheduled to make $8.1 million this season. With around $9 million of cap room, the Redskins were able to work the trade quickly.

The Dolphins had been waiting for an opportunity to trade Taylor, who asked to be moved to a playoff contender at the beginning of the offseason. Before the draft, the Dolphins were asking for a first-round draft choice. They lowered the demand later to a second-rounder.

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Its a little bit old but here it is the NFL Networks lookout on the Dolphins

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ynhoMyO9Q8&hl=en]

Seems little Luke and Big Josh were out in the wild 2 weeks ago and well Luke had very bad aim (nothing new). Seems Luke missed the piece of wood with a Chainsaw and cut Josh’s hand open and Josh had to get stitches. Josh said nothing is wrong but it still brings up doubts about how he will perform. This does make Becks chances better for the starting job but the Dolphins feel it won’t make much of a difference.

I am told it is not a recent injury, it happened almost two weeks ago. I am told the wound is healing nicely. I am told Josh McCown should be ready for the start of training camp practices July 26th.

But it is true. The guy almost got the index finger of his right (throwing) hand hacked off in a fire wood chopping accident in Texas.

McCown needed six stitches to the index finger on his right hand a couple of weeks ago when he was injured while chopping wood with his brother Luke.

According to an Associated Press report McCown told Tyler, Tex. television station KETK that he was holding the firewood and his brother, a backup quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made the mistake of cutting his finger instead of the firewood.

McCown told the station of the incident/accident during a recent interview. Again: He is fine. He shouldn’t miss any training time. But that speaks only about his hand.

My greatest concern now is how is McCown’s head because it cannot possibly be working very well when it allows him to put his hand in the path of a chainsaw knowing that the only way he makes a living is using that hand to throw a football.

Update: The Dolphins are aware of the accident and are not worried about it because they believe it is not serious.

Like Armando Said, although I’m not his biggest fan. Who knows what this hand injury will do to his mentality. Will it change his throw? Will it do anything? But heres what McCown had to say.

Quarterback Josh McCown said he’s ready to compete for the starting quarterback job, despite suffering a cut on the index finger of his throwing hand two weeks ago that required six stitches.

“Everything’s fine. It’s a non-issue,” McCown said today. “I could have played the day it happened. Now, it’s like it never happened.”

McCown admitted he “was a little concerned” about his right index finger at the time of the injury.

But to make sure he was OK, McCown said he grabbed a football moments after leaving the hospital and played catch with his brother Luke in the parking lot.

McCown said the finger was sore for five or six days. “But now it’s back to normal,” he said.

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The Miami Dolphins on Friday signed defensive end Kendall Langford to a multi-year contract.

Terms were not disclosed.

A third-round selection - 66th overall - in the 2008 draft, Langford recorded 236 tackles - 110 solo - with 23 1/2 sacks during his collegiate career at Hampton.

The 6-6, 287-pound Langford became the first defensive lineman to earn three consecutive All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selections since former Dolphins defensive tackle Ike Readon (1987) was named All-CIAA from 1983-1985.

It wasn’t by the July 1st deadline but the Dolphins got him in before the deadline, So 2 more to go in Merling and Henne. Henne more than likely will get done by training camp, Merling will probably be a problem with him wanting 1st round money.

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There was a good post by Omar Kelly over at the Sun-Sentinel. And He broke down the whole offense. Its a pretty good idea and wish I jumped on it during my mini vacation this weekend.

It’s never too early, or too often to take a look at a breakdown of the Dolphins roster.

Breaking down the roster allows me and you to continuously get a glimpse of how many players - at what position - make the 53-man roster in an ideal world (which means everyone stays healthy, which is a dream scenario). And it also allows you an opportunity to identify holes on the roster, and separate the sure shots (draft investments, possible starters, special teams demons) from long-shots (mostly the leftovers).

Here is my latest depth chart, which includes a breakdown at each position heading into the start of training camp later this month.

QUARTERBACKS - Proposed spots on the 53-man roster: 3

Sure shots: Josh McCown, John Beck, Chad Henne

Breakdown: According to the Dolphins coaches, all three quarterbacks will have a fair shot at winning the starting job during training camp, and the exhibition season. More than likely, unless the initial winner of this QB battle is winning games (another dream scenario), each quarterback will likely get a shot to unseat the starter. One of these three will have to run the scout team unless a practice squad spot is used on another quarterback.

RUNNING BACKS - Spots: 4

Sure shots: Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams

Even money: Lex Hilliard, Jalen Parmele

Uphill battle: Patrick Cobbs

Breakdown: Brown and Williams will likely share the workload early, and they both are perfect fits for the power running game the Dolphins will likely feature. Cobbs is considered a small back by Trifecta standards, but if he’s productive as a change of pace back, and special teams contributor, Cobbs could earn one of the two vacant roster spots. Both Hilliard and Parmele can be stashed on the practice squad if they don’t churn out yards in the exhibition season because it’s unlikely that another team will snatch up either player. Both must become head knockers on special teams to earn a 53-man roster spot. If a quality back becomes available after the first and second round of roster cuts don’t be surprised if the Dolphins front office pounce.

FULLBACK - Spots: 1

Even money: Boomer Grigsby, Reagan Mauia

Breakdown: There likely won’t be much use for a fullback in this offense because it’ll likely feature a lot of two tight ends, and three receiver sets. The fullback will primarily be used for short yardage situations. That means whoever finds a home on the 53-man roster needs to be a special teams demon, which makes Grigsby the front-runner unless Mauia turns into a bulldozer during the exhibition season. Both tight ends are very one dimensional.

TIGHT END - Spots: 3

Sure shots: Anthony Fasano

Even money: David Martin, Justin Peelle, Sean Ryan

Uphill battle: Aaron Halterman, Matthew Mulligan

Breakdown: Fasano likely makes the 53-man roster because the Trifecta has a high opinion of him based on the second-round pick they used to take him back in their Dallas days, and the fourth rounder they used to acquire him and linebacker Akin Ayodele the night before the 2008 draft. It’s anyone’s guess which other two tight ends survive the cut downs. Each has strengths and weaknesses, but all will need to produce, and provide efficient contributions in the running game, passing game, and on special teams to stick around. Peelle’s salary, the highest of all the tight ends, is a bit bloated, which likely puts him at a slight disadvantage. This position can handle a cut back to make space for the three unsigned rookies.

RECEIVER - Spots: 5

Sure shots: Ernest Wilford, Ted Ginn Jr.

Even money: Derek Hagan, David Kircus

Uphill battle: Greg Camarillo, Davone Bess, Selwyn Lymon, Justin Wynn, Jayson Foster, John Dunlap

Breakdown: Wilford is the only Dolphins receiver who can’t have the YOUNG and UNPROVEN label stamped on him. And Wilford just barely graduated out of that label. Ginn will likely serve as a stretch the field receiver, but the Dolphins need to identify another deep threat. They also must find a slot receiver. Hagan seems to be the front runner, but he must become more consistent to maintain trust from the coaching staff and quarterbacks. This position will also likely receive an injection of talent once the first round of cuts arrives. It’s likely that two unproven receivers will have a spot reserved for them on the practice squad. That’s what Bess, Lymon, Wynn, Foster and Dunlap are likely battling for unless someone starts tearing it up in the exhibition season. One (Bess or Foster) could earn a spot on the 53-man roster if he’s an elite kickoff and punt returner.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE - Spots: 4

Sure shots: Jake Long, Vernon Carey

Uphill battle: Julius Wilson, Dan Gore, Daren Heerspink

Breakdown: There is a shortage of depth at the tackle spot, which will likely be addressed after the first few waves of roster cuts. While Wilson possesses promise and the size to succeed, it’s hard to predict this second-year undrafted player is ready to become the utility guy that gets called on when/if Long or Carey go down. Gore and Heerspink, who are both rookie free agents, are long shots to make the 53-man roster, but they could be developed on the practice squad (along with Wilson, who spent most of last season there) if they prove to be dependable.

OFFENSIVE GUARD - Spots: 4

Sure shots: Justin Smiley, Shawn Murphy

Even money: Donald Thomas, Trey Darilek, Ikechuku Ndukwe

CENTER - Spots: 2

Sure shot: Samson Satele

Even money: Steve McKinney

Uphill battle: Mike Byrne, Matt Spanos

Breakdown: Whoever steps up and becomes the starter opposite Smiley immediate gets upgraded to the “sure shot” category. Players like Darilek, McKinney and Ndukwe, who have the versatility to play guard and center, have an upper leg on the rest of the competition because they provide roster flexibility. I suspect versatility will be the key to determining which interior linemen get kept. If Thomas doesn’t prove he’s ready to handle the caliber of NFL players he could be stashed on the practice squad initially, which would allow the former Connecticut walk-on to receive some much needed grooming.

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Well surprisingly I found a Post by a fan on The Phinsider that was pretty good here it is

Just to settle some of the arguments made supposedly “proving” why John Beck shouldn’t start, or why he sucks, or anything people come up with to say he’s no good.  These are points that various people have made about Beck that simply are not true.  I’m not one of those blind political supporters that think Beck should start even if someone is clearly better, but I think he deserves his shot, and I think he’ll prove he CAN be a starter.  On to the Myths

Myth - “John Beck has small hands.”

Fact - Beck has a bigger hand size than 3 of the top QB’s in this year’s draft, including our 2nd round pick, Chad Henne.  Beck’s hand size is 9 3/4 in.  Compared to Matt Ryan’s 9 5/8, Flacco’s 9 1/2, and Henne’s 9 3/8, Beck will not have a problem fumbling the ball because of “small hands.”  His fumbling problem will disappear with better protection, because he won’t be getting killed every time he drops back.

Myth - “John Beck doesn’t have the arm strength to be an NFL QB.”

Fact - Beck’s velocity at the ‘07 combine was higher than every drafted QB except for Russell and Quinn, who didn’t throw.  He threw it 61 mph, 3-5 mph better than Troy Smith, Drew Stanton, and Trent Edwards.

Myth - “Beck is not a good decision-maker, and Henne is more accurate.”

Fact - At BYU, Beck’s career completion percentage was 62.4, including his senior year in which he completed 69.3% of his passes.  In comparison, Henne never completed more than 61.9% of his passes.  Beck also had 32 TD’s compared to only 8 INT’s his senior year, compared to Henne’s 17 and 9.  This isn’t to say that Beck will definitely be better than Henne, but it also doesn’t bode well for people saying Henne is CLEARLY the better player.

Myth - “John Beck is not tough.”

Fact - Beck is plenty tough enough to be an NFL QB.  In ‘04 he separated his throwing shoulder, only to play anyway the next week.  He played most of 2006 on two sprained ankles, and reinjured his right ankle during the season.  All he did that season was finish with the highest completion%, TD’s, and yards of his college career.

Bottom Line is, let’s just stop with the misinformed arguments against Beck.  You can say you don’t think he’s a good QB, or you don’t think he deserves a chance to start, but at least give a good reason why you feel that way.  More than likely, Beck will be our starter come Week 1, and I think he’ll perform well enough to keep the job throughout the year.

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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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