Depth chart taking shape for Dolphins

By Kareem Shaker  |   Thursday, August 21, 2008  |  Comments( 7 )

Miami Dolphins
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After three weeks of training camp and two preseason matchups, the Miami Dolphins' roster is starting to take form.

After an impressive first-team showing against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, it’s clear that Chad Pennington -- who went 5-of-6 for 55 yards and accrued a 104.9 passer rating -- will be a much-needed improvement at quarterback.

Even more shocking was Ricky Williams actually being, well, Ricky Williams. He scored a touchdown in the win against the Jaguars and finished with 10 rushes for a solid 43 yards.

Ronnie Brown will be backing up Williams after having corrective surgery during the offseason to repair his right knee. Brown left the Jaguars game after just two carries for 2 yards with a sprained right thumb, but his knee seemed to hold up fine.

Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. looked like a first-round pick for a change, playing a solid first half and finishing with four receptions for 53 yards. Ginn’s most impressive play came on 43-yard pass from Chad Henne that he slightly bobbled on his way out of bounds.

Henne, meanwhile, looked talent-rich as a rookie leading the offense. The second-rounder from Michigan took most of the snaps and finished 17-of-26 for 133 yards.

The presence of No. 1 overall pick Jake Long, the team's left tackle, really opened up holes for Williams in the running game and helped the Chads keep their shirts clean. At a position where there really is no definitive stat to rely on, Dolphins fans will just have to pay close attention to see his contributions on the offensive line.

On the defensive side of the ball, depth will be key with head coach Tony Sparano and D-coordinator Paul Pasqualoni planning to run several defenders in and out during every play. Sparano moved rookie end Kendall Langford up to No. 1 on the depth chart alongside nose tackle Jason Ferguson and DE Vonnie Holliday for Saturday's third preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Another rookie, Philip Merling, will be backing up Holliday. Sparano has expressed several times the importance of depth on the defensive line and is not afraid to use rookies to eat up snaps.

Utilizing rookies may prove to be risky because the Dolphins have combined for 16 penalties in the first two preseason games, mostly thanks to mental mistakes.

Against the Chiefs this weekend, pay attention to Miami's linebacker and cornerback positions, which are pretty much still up for grabs.

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