Update on 08 for ‘08

By Joe Mayes  |   Thursday, August 07, 2008  |  Comments( 10 )

Miami Dolphins
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On April 30, just days after the 2008 NFL Draft, we at RealFootball365.com posed eight questions as the Miami Dolphins prepared to open their first minicamp of the 2008 season. Three and a half months later, with nearly two weeks of training camp in the books and just days before their first preseason game, it's time to find out if the Dolphins are any closer to discovering answers to those eight questions.

01. People, I just want to say, you know ... can we all get along? (Taylor v. Parcells)

STATUS: Answered.

The battle of wills between Dolphins football capo di tutti capi (executive vice president of football operations) Bill Parcells and defensive end/outside linebacker/mambo king Jason Taylor is over, as is Taylor’s time in Miami. It’s hard to say whether Parcells or Taylor won this high-stakes staredown. You could say Parcells emerged triumphant because he didn’t give in to Taylor, but the reality is that Taylor actually has a chance to get to the playoffs in 2008 as a Washington Redskin. Consider it a Pyrrhic victory for Parcells.

02. Joe Thomas or Robert Gallery? (Jake Long: Boom or bust?)

STATUS: Mostly answered.

So far, Long looks like the real deal. Head coach Tony Sparano installed Long at the left tackle position and the No. 1 overall pick from Michigan has performed well thus far in camp. Though there’s still a ways to go until the Sept. 7 opener against the AFC East rival New York Jets, Long looks poised to be more Thomas than Gallery as the Dolphins' left tackle.

03. John Beck, Josh McCown, Chad Henne, or wait until next year?

STATUS: Countdown to the 2009 draft.

Though the team’s initial depth chart lists newcomer McCown as the No. 1 quarterback, Sparano indicated that's purely a function of seniority in the league, not a reflection of who’ll open the season under center. None of the three quarterbacks in camp have run away with the job and the situation is still so unsettled that Parcells & Co. brought in former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Quincy Carter for a workout. If Carter is the answer as the signal-caller, it’s hard to imagine what the question is.

04. Whoever throws the ball, who’s going to catch it?

STATUS: To be determined.

Second-year wideout Ted Ginn Jr. has performed as expected; however, free agent Ernest Wilford hasn’t looked particularly impressive in camp, resulting in much-maligned Derek Hagan earning the top spot on the early offensive depth chart. Tight end Anthony Fasano has impressed both catching and blocking, while Boomer Grigsby looks poised to take the starting fullback job based in part on his ability to be a receiver out of the backfield. A large part of new coordinator Dan Henning’s offense seems to be built on getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hand quickly and into those of the running backs. Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown and rookie Jalen Parmele have all been impressive catching the ball in space and getting up field. While the wide receiver position remains unresolved, a running back-centric passing game is in the making.

05. Are the running backs back?

STATUS: Answered.

So far, so good. In addition to catching the ball, Brown looks solid coming off surgery to repair his injured ACL, though he has admitted to having reservations during some drills. Williams looks even better than expected and a pleasant surprise is that he has emerged as an on-field leader with his work ethic and focus (words one would have hardly expected to read about Williams just a few years ago). Parmele has impressed as the third back, giving the Dolphins plenty of options both carrying and catching the ball -- good things given the unsettled situation at quarterback and receiver.

06. Will the Dolphins be able to stop the run?

STATUS: Unclear.

While no official announcement has been made by Sparano or defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, it’s pretty clear with the release of the Dolphins' first depth chart that the team will run a base 3-4 in 2008. Jason Ferguson looks immovable at nose guard and veterans Vonnie Holliday and Matt Roth, along with second-round rookie Phillip Merling, have all impressed so far (at this point in training camp, though, the defense almost always looks better than the offense). The linebacking unit, unfortunately, has yet to gel. Newbies Charlie Anderson, Akin Ayodele and Reggie Torbor join returning backers Joey Porter and Channing Crowder in the defensive front seven. If the linebackers don’t come together quickly in camp, opponents may repeat 2007’s per-game rushing average of 153 yards per contest against the Dolphins.

07. Will fixing one problem reveal another?

STATUS: Unknown.

With safeties Yeremiah Bell and Jason Allen teaming with corners Will Allen and André Goodman, there seems to be plenty of talent in the defensive backfield; however, Bell played just one game in 2007 and Goodman missed the team’s first two contests with his second shoulder surgery in as many seasons and did not perform as he had in 2006. That means the team will have a largely untested unit defending the pass. The only potential good news for the secondary could be that the rush 'D' may be bad enough to give the pass defenders time to gel, though Sparano and Pasqualoni would much rather see the talented defensive backfield tested early by offenses that are struggling to run the ball.

08. Will the Dolphins hire a staff chiropractor?

STATUS: Mostly answered.

Despite the omnipresence of Parcells on the practice field, there looks to be no question in the minds of the players and other coaches whose team this is. To a man, each player touts Sparano, not Parcells, as the fire driving the Dolphins. Though Parcells has pulled guys off to the side to offer instruction, it’s Sparano who is running the practices and to whom the players look for direction. Of course, if the team stumbles out of the gate in ’08, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see rookie skipper Sparano starting to glancing over shoulder.

Training Camp: An entirely new kind of fantasy game!
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About Joe Mayes

Joe Mayes is an award-winning writer with credits ranging from national sports columns to local newspapers and commercial and technical writing. Joe is the host of "The Morning Wrap," a morning drive-time sports talk radio show on WTKE-FM in Northwest Florida.
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