Familiar theme at Dolphins’ first night practice

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, July 31, 2007  |  Comments( 9 )

Miami Dolphins
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As far back as I can remember, dating back to late Dan Marino years, Miami Dolphins training camp has always had one integral and underlying theme: The defense dominates the offense.

And Tuesday night was no different.

Fans flocked to Dolphins facilities in Davie, vying for a chance to witness the team's first training camp session under the lights. It almost didn't happen, though, as lightning forced the team to scurry off into its practice bubble. After about 30 minutes of uncertainty, the team returned to the outdoor fields, eliciting cheers from the crowd as head coach Cam Cameron gave his assistants the signal to bring everyone back outside.

What transpired in the next hour or so was as predictable as it was depressing for Miami fans. As soon as the offenses and defenses combined for team drills, the first-team 'D' immediately went about the task of thoroughly dominating its counterpart. Ronnie Brown found it difficult to eek out any running room; Trent Green was pressured and picked off; and the receivers found it difficult to make even conservative gains.

The culmination was an ill-fated pass by a hurried Green that landed squarely in the hands of cornerback Travis Daniels. It was the type of pass Dolphins followers have grown accustomed to seeing from guys like Jay Fiedler and Joey Harrington, and it looked as if it would have been a touchdown the other way had it been a real contest.

OK, that's enough doom and gloom for now. Let's get to some positives:

- Despite the overall ineffectiveness of the offense in Tuesday's evening practice, it was quite apparent that Green will be a welcomed upgrade if he can stay healthy. The veteran signal-caller made several impressive throws, bounced back well from mistakes and just seemed to exude a calming presence when given the reins to the offense.

- Wide receiver/return man Ted Ginn Jr. is really, really fast. The ninth overall pick spent a lot of time working with the second team, showing some evidence of polished route running, which was a major question mark coming out of Ohio State. Don't be surprised to see him get immediate playing time once the regular season rolls around.

- Though still working on his technique and experiencing some growing pains, last year's first-round pick, defensive back Jason Allen, looked pretty good on Tuesday night. He had several nice displays of talent at the cornerback position, including one play in which he went stride for stride with the aforementioned Ginn down the left sideline.

- John Beck made a handful of very impressive throws, including a touchdown pass in which he fitted a ball in between a handful of defenders. Questions regarding his arm strength seem to be ill-conceived. The BYU product can make all the throws required of an NFL quarterback.

- Rookie fullback Reagan Mauia plays the way he talks. The Hawaii product, made famous by his YouTube video in which he proclaims himself to be the "F***ing juggernaut, b*tch" looked like a mini-battering ram during team drills. It's still too early to tell, but it appears as if Cameron may have found himself a Lorenzo Neal clone.

- The beleaguered secondary was surprisingly solid. Abovementioned third-year corner Travis Daniels is finally healthy and seems to have rediscovered his rookie form; therefore, when starter Andre Goodman gets back from injury, the position might actually become a position of strength. Safeties Yeremiah Bell and Renaldo Hill aren't Pro Bowlers, but they're not stiffs either.

It's still very early, but thus far, there appears to be plenty of reason for optimism. However, if the Dolphins are to mount anything close to even resembling a postseason push, the offense will have to catch up with the defense.

Hopefully for the Dolphins' fans, that phenomenon will occur sooner than later during training camp. They have to be tired of seeing the same old defensive dominance each year.

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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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CommentsComments: 9  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
kevin		05:16 AM
08/01/2007
im going to have to disagree on the yeremiah bell comment, aside from 1 game, bell didnt get beat all year, everytime the guys on ...
No.2
Anthony		05:17 AM
08/01/2007
Were you expecting anything other than Defensive dominance? They just started playing in a new system with a plethora of new guys ...
No.3
Marshawn=OROY		06:00 AM
08/01/2007
Ive been telling you guys about how you need an oline but they dont have on dominating player on that line. Have fun facing ...
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