For Dolphins, minicamp perspective requires cautious optimism

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, May 05, 2008  |  Comments( 3 )

Miami Dolphins
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!
Every year around this time, a new crop of rookies takes the field during the first round of NFL minicamps. Usually, a handful of unknown and unheralded youngsters capture the imagination of fans and media pundits alike, eliciting all sorts of conversation and rhetoric. At the same time, a couple of the more well-known rookie draft picks falter a bit, resulting in plenty of doom and gloom.

For the Miami Dolphins, this year is no different.

Former University of Hawaii wide receiver Davone Bess seems to be getting the bulk of the hype, based on positive comments from the coaching staff as well as an impressive mix of hands and route running, but he’s not the only one enjoying the love fest. Guys like Anthony Toribio – a local product and Central High School graduate – BYU linebacker Kelly Poppinga and even Mexican-born kicker Rubio Gaytan are also making headlines and generating fan interest.

On the flip side, high-profile rookies Chad Henne and Phillip Merling are both suffering through a bit of bad publicity; Henne's is because of a poor showing on the final day of camp, and Merling has caught heat thanks to a slight limp that is being attributed to the same groin injury that hampered his pre-draft preparations.

But, before getting caught up in all of the media fanfare and accompanying fan frenzy, ask yourself: How many times has this happened before? Every time, actually.

Each year, a new batch of rookies participates in this opening session of minicamps, and each time there are a couple of unknowns who are hyped up to be anything from a sure-fire starter to the next Hall of Famer. And for every Wes Welker – a guy who lived up to his rookie camp promise – there are literally dozens of also-rans who never even sniff the 53-man roster.

The same goes for guys like Merling and Henne who came out of the gate a little slow; typically, it will take two to three years or longer to determine if they’ll live up to their draft pick pedigree, not two to three days.

Feel free to pour through the camp footage and peruse the camp reports being offered up by the various media outlets, then. Heck, feel free to chime in on the South Florida airwaves or on one of the popular fan forums.

However, remember not to put too much stock in this weekend’s outcomes one way or another. September is still a long way off.
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (3)

About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report
CommentsComments: 3  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
JimmyD		09:18 AM
05/05/2008
I agree, it's so hard to tell in the first weeks without pads. One would hope that Bess comes out of camp ready to play because...
No.2
jgranger		09:44 AM
05/05/2008
Many of these guys have to put it all on the line just to get invited back to training camp as cannon fodder, so they may be...
No.3
Joe		08:24 PM
05/05/2008
Don't count Bess out just yet granger; he kicked bass in Hawaii. As for Merling he still has time to get back into game shape and...
Team News  |  View All Dolphins Content
Henne takes baby steps, Wake...
In a game filled with mental mistakes and execution errors, the Miami...
1 year, 3 months ago   |   Henne takes baby steps, Wake takes giant strides in Dolphins win over Packers ( 4 )
For Dolphins, it’s not how t...
Dolphins fans are fretting because of Miami's two-game slide, and with...
1 year, 4 months ago   |   For Dolphins, it’s not how they start, it’s how they finish ( 1 )
Wait until the Dolphins’ off...
As exciting as a second straight road win is for the Miami Dolphins, w...
1 year, 4 months ago   |   Wait until the Dolphins’ offense catches up with the defense ( 2 )
Random observations from Dol...
If there's one thing I've learned over the years it's that a win is a...
1 year, 5 months ago   |   Random observations from Dolphins’ Week 1 win at Buffalo ( 11 )
Dolphins Ginn in New York
Returning a kickoff for a touchdown is a very rare thing in the NFL. W...
2 years, 3 months ago   |   Dolphins Ginn in New York ( 1 )