The Miami Dolphins Have A Really Good Chance At Winning Their Season Opener

Our Starter

I just read an article by SI that talked about the Dolphins wanting to win their season opener.

The Miami Dolphins haven't been able to do it the last four seasons, so it seems like it will be a challenge. But it actually won't be as bad as other seasons.

That is because the Dolphins will be playing the Buffalo Bills in the opener. No team is an automatic win, but some teams sure are easier to win. One of those teams is the Buffalo Bills.

I think that Miami will be able to break their streak. The Bills are not exactly a very good team, and the Dolphins are.

A good start is exactly what the Dolphins will need, too. The past two seasons have been especially hard to come back from because the Dolphins started off badly for more than just the opener. It took a lot of wins later in the season to even have a respectable record, and last season wasn't exactly respectable.

Winning the opener is extra important because it kind of sets the tone for the season. While winning the season opener doesn't cause a team to have a good season, there is a strong correlation between the two.

It would be a huge thing for the Dolphins to win their opener. It does not matter whether they beat the best team in the league or the worst team. An opening season win will be huge.

Let me know what you guys think will happen in the opener. What is your prediction for the game?

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Miami Dolphins TE Joey Haynos Gone Leaves Anthony Fasano In An Even Better Position

Joey Haynos

The Miami Dolphins have just cut Joey Haynos just days after he was injured in the Dolphins preseason game against Atlanta. Haynos was the second string TE. He totaled 169 receiving yards and two touchdowns last year.

While Haynos' injury isn't great for the Dolphins, it is a good thing for Anthony Fasano. Haynos gone means that Fasano will get even more targets than usual. This further supports my belief that Fasano will have a great year this season.

Before the Dolphins would use multiple Tight Ends and switch them in and out. They still do that with David Martin and John Nalbone, but not nearly as much as they would have with Haynos.

In one of my bold predictions for Fasano I said that I thought he would get 50+ receptions. Now that he won't be sharing as many receptions with other TEs he should be able to get the 50+ receptions.

I still think that he could have gotten the 50 reception mark with Haynos in, but I am even more confident now that he won't share as much.

Please let me know what you guys think. I am open to your opinions.

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Why Is There Even Discussion About Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne?

I thought I was the person who read too much into the preseason games, but there are apparently people who read a lot closer into it than me.

An article was written recently by the Miami Herald that told Miami Dolphins fans not to "write Miami Dolphins' Chad Henne off too quickly." I am just curious as to why there is even talk about writing him off.

The article was fine, and it was also correct. Fans are writing him off way too quickly. Just read the comments on the article for proof. A lot of the fans are commenting by saying that we should have Pennington starting. Here is a link to the article so you can read it and the comments:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/28/1796113/dont-write-henne-off-too-quickly.html

Before Friday's game I hadn't heard one complaint about Henne. There was not anybody calling to bench him for Chad Pennington. I didn't hear a single person say that Pennington should be the starter.

But, after what should have been a meaningless game that means nothing, fans are calling for Pennington, all of the sudden. News flash for some of you fans out there:

THE PRESEASON MEANS NOTHING

There is no reason to write Henne off already. If I recall, Pennington lost all three games he played in last year, and it was Henne's job to clean up the mess. AND, he did a pretty good job of cleaning it up too. Henne had a winning record in his first season as the starting QB.

I understand that a lot of you out there are not calling for Pennington to replace Henne, and I am right there with you. Henne was our guy before, and one PRESEASON game won't change that.

Also, don't get me wrong, I like Pennington a lot. He is a great leader and QB. I am glad that we have him in case something happens to Henne. BUT, I do not want him to be our starter. Henne should be.

People are overreacting to something that they should hardly have any reaction to. Henne was our man before Friday. Why is he no longer our man after a preseason game?

That's all I've got. I know I promised not to talk about that preseason game anymore, but I had to because of everyone's reaction.

Let me know what you all think, and please let me hear your comments because I want to know what my readers actually think. I will not criticize you, I promise.

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Bold Predictions For The Miami Dolphins - How Anthony Fasano Will Do This Year

Anthony Fasano

I am continuing my bold predictions series for the Miami Dolphins, and today I will deal with Anthony Fasano.

I recently wrote about Fasano, who did great two seasons ago but didn't do great at all last season. I think he is going to do very well next year, and here is what I think he will be able to achieve:

1. Eight or Nine Touchdowns

Fasano had seven touchdowns two years ago, and that was when the Dolphins ran the ball a lot. Now, I believe Miami will throw a lot more than they have the past two seasons. That means that Fasano will get a lot more opportunities to score.

He had two touchdowns in one preseason game this year, so he should be able to get at least one touchdown for every two regular season games. Chad Henne will need somebody to dump the ball off to whenever he is in trouble, and that is where Fasano will be most helpful.

He is primed for another break-out year, and most teams won't be expecting it. That is going to be what really helps him. Defenses will be so focused on Brandon Marshall, Ronnie Brown, and Ricky Williams that other players like Fasano will get more opportunities.


2. 50 Receptions

He had 34 two seasons ago, and I think he will get the ball a lot. All of the same reasons as above for this one. It just seems to me like Henne will dump it off to Fasano a lot this year, padding his catches.

I don't think that he will only get the dump-off passes, but they will be pretty frequent in my opinion.


3. Top 10 Tight End

Fasano did it two years ago, so I think he will be able to do it again. I don't know how you will classify the Top 10 Tight Ends, but however you do it he will be on that list.



That's all for now. Let me know how you think Fasano will do this season.

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Not A Very Good Showing From The Miami Dolphins First Offense

Chad Henne

The Miami Dolphins preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons was an ugly one, and it was especially ugly for the Dolphins offense. The only thing that seemed to work for the Miami offense was the short dump-off passes to the running backs, but even those didn't do anything really special.

I am still waiting to see a big connection between Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne. It has not been there so far, and I am hoping it will develop soon. Marshall will still be able to do well, but not as good as he is capable of if he does not click with Henne. I am counting on the Marshall-Henne connection to not really be much of a problem. They should be fine, but I just thought I would mention it.

Not only was the passing game bad, but the rushing game was even worse. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams just seemed unable to get anywhere. The most significant run came from rookie WR Marlon Moore on a reverse hand-off, and he was able to run the ball deep into the red-zone. Moore was one of the few bright spots from the game. He is really doing well this year, and he has a good shot at making the team.

On the other side, the Miami Dolphins Defense did better than the offense overall, but their performance was still pretty average. There were two good things I noticed about the defense, though. They seem to be pretty good at forcing turnovers, and Vontae Davis is really, really good. He had a great night in terms of coverage, and he also was able to force a fumble, too.

These are the types of games that we just want to forget and move on from. Let's hope this was just a rare occurence. Maybe our offense will be back to "normal" next week.

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Will Anthony Fasano Perform Like He Did Two Seasons Ago For The Miami Dolphins?

Anthony Fasano

Anthony Fasano has been up and down the past two years.

Two seasons ago he did extremely well and was an instrumental part of the Miami Dolphins successful turnaround. He was also one of the top performing tight ends in the league. But, last season wasn't nearly as good of a season for Fasano. He didn't perform nearly as well and was not among the top tight ends in the league.

One reason for Fasano's dip in performance could be because Chad Henne became the QB and didn't use him as much, or as well, as Chad Pennington did. Henne is still young, and the Dolphins were forced to run the ball even more than they would normally to take some of the load off of Henne.

Now, that isn't so much of a problem. Henne has more experience, and he also has better weapons. The addition of Brandon Marshall helps Fasano more than it hurts him.

Yes, Marshall will take away some receptions from Fasano, but he will also require double coverage a lot. That extra man will have to come from somewhere, and he may be the person that normally covers Fasano. I know it normally isn't that simple, but double coverage will help Fasano at least a little bit.

My reason for talking about Fasano is because of how well he performed in the most recent preseason game against the Jaguars. He had two touchdowns and 66 receiving yards. While that doesn't indicate exactly how he will do this year, it does give me a little bit of hope.

Those are some of the reasons why I do believe Fasano will return to his form from two years ago. He has all of the help he needs, and now he just needs to use it to his advantage. I really believe he has the potential to do very, very well this year.

Fasano is a very talented TE, and we need him to do well this year. Tight Ends are becoming increasingly important in the pass-first offenses of today. The Miami Dolphins should be no exception. And, I think he will be a Top 10 TE this year.

He was two years ago, so why wouldn't he be again?

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What? Why Would The Dolphins Trade Away Greg Camarillo?

Too Bad We Won't See Him In This Uniform Again

The Miami Dolphins traded WR Greg Camarillo to the Minnesota Vikings for CB Benny Sapp.

You may not know this, but Greg Camarillo was my favorite player on the Miami Dolphins offense. What I liked about him so much was the fact that he was so consistent and we could always count on him to play well. Even when the Dolphins weren't that great, Camarillo still did well.

That is why I am very, very disappointed that Miami traded him away. What really gets me, though, is that they traded him away for a cornerback.

The Miami Dolphins already have a lot of young, talented CBs. We don't need any more. Camarillo made a difference in the games. He caught some pretty important passes last season, and you know he will be able to do it again.

Too bad he won't be doing it for the Dolphins.

This is probably the biggest mistake the Dolphins have made since last season. Jason Taylor was good, but we didn't really need him too badly. Camarillo is a consistent player that can do whatever is required of him.

I don't understand why we would trade him for a player that we don't really need right now.

I understand that we have Brandon Marshall now. He will be a huge help to the passing offense and he reduces the amount we need Camarillo, but he still doesn't eliminate the fact that we need Camarillo.

It is very possible that he could be the next Wes Welker. Welker was traded to the Patriots from Miami a few years ago, and then he flourished into a great receiver. I almost don't want Camarillo to do well because it would mean the Dolphins made a bad move, but I would rather he does because he was my favorite Dolphins offensive player.

Good luck to Camarillo, and I will be rooting for him. He is a great player, and it is a shame to see him go.

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As A Miami Dolphins Fan, I Want Them To Lose Their Next Two Preseason Games

Chad Henne

Ok, I'll be honest I don't really want the Miami Dolphins to lose any game. But, hear out my reasoning anyways.

The Miami Dolphins have won their last 9 preseason games. That sounds good, but following those preseason wins are early regular season losses.

The Dolphins went 3-1 two years ago, and they went on to lose their first two regular season games. Just a year ago Miami went 4-0 in the preseason, but they then went on to start 0-3 in the regular season.

I know it sounds like just superstition, but it is kind of interesting. How can a team who is able to win so well with all of their players not be able to win with their starters?

Does it mean that we had a lot of depth, and just not good enough starters? I'm not really sure, but it is something to think about.

I do like to think that it does add depth, though. The Dolphins have always seemed to have great depth on their roster. They may not have always had the best starters, but you can be certain that Miami will have good depth.

I do believe there is a good chance that winning in the preseason won't mean early regular season losses because we have a lot of starting talent as well as depth.

I am curious to see what happens in these last two games and the regular season. I understand that preseason scores don't matter, but it is still fun to see your team win. Let me know what you all think.

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Pat White's Impact On The Miami Dolphins Was Minimal, So His Release Is Not A Bad Move

News has surfaced that Pat White is not going to play Friday against the Falcons, which most likely means that he will not make the team.

I was one of the people that supported Pat White and said that the Miami Dolphins should give him another year, and I still think he can do some pretty good things. But, it looks like that is not going to happen so I have to analyze what his release would mean.

Though I don't think that we should release him yet, his release is still helpful. It opens up a spot for one of the Dolphins players with a lot of upside. It can give the Dolphins more depth at a position of weakness instead of a fourth quarterback. White would probably only play during trick plays, so we do not need him as much as another position.

The thing I was thinking Miami could do with him was that he could run the wildcat if Ronnie Brown ever leaves and Ricky Williams retires. I know he may not be the best at running the play, but he could get really good if he works at it a few years with the team that brought the play to the NFL.

They did it with Ronnie Brown, so why wouldn't they be able to with White?

Oh well, it probably isn't going to happen. So, now we will be able to just focus on getting a new player. I know he isn't gone yet, but the writing is on the wall. He will be.

That's all for now. Let me know what you think about White. Is Miami better off with or without him?

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The Miami Dolphins Preseason Week 2 Offensive Performance Is Very Encouraging

Anthony Fasano TD courtesy of Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

Last night's offensive performance by the Miami Dolphins was very fun to watch. I don't care if it does not really mean too much because it is preseason. It was just fun to see our passing game work out so well.

Imagine if our passing offense can be just like that this season.

Brandon Marshall had a few great catches and two great blocks, but we already expect that from him. He was not too much of a surprise.

No, the biggest surprise was Tight End Anthony Fasano. Fasano had two receiving touchdowns. One was a relatively short reception with a long run following. The other was a great grab in the air inside the endzone.

It was also good to see Chad Henne do so well. He was 11 for 14 with 151 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and a 151.2 passer rating. It seemed like everything he threw was right on target and he was comfortable with the offense.

The best part about it was that Miami didn't really even have to rely on the running game. It is good to see that we will not have to worry as much about the passing game this year. The running game will no longer be the crutch that we lean on. Just another weapon we can use at any time.

Another fun thing to watch was how well Pennington did. If, knock on wood, Henne is injured and unable to play we will have Pennington ready to step in.

I know I have said before that we do not really need Pennington, and I honestly still do not think he is an absolute necessity. But, he sure can run the offense. The Dolphins offense won't lose much if he does have to step in.

So, be thankful that things are going well in the preseason so far. Now let's hope it translates into the regular season.

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Bold Predictions For The Miami Dolphins - How Chris Clemons Will Do This Year

I will follow up the article yesterday about Chris Clemons with another of my bold predictions.

Clemons is a player with a lot of upside, and he should see a bunch of opportunities to make plays. He will do especially well early in the season, and the reason for that is included in my prediction below.

So, without further ado. Here it is:

Chris Clemons

1. Chris Clemons Will Have 6 Or More Interceptions

While these aren't extremely huge number, they are still pretty big numbers for a first-year starter. To do that he will have to continue to improve a lot, but I think he is capable of it.

He has already surprised a lot of people by how well he has played so far, so why wouldn't he continue to surprise during the season. He has probably gotten more experience and repetitions than any other FS in the NFL. I don't know that for sure, because there isn't a stat for it, but you would be hard pressed to find another FS who gets as many repetitions as Clemons does.

Another reason I think Clemons will get at least 6 picks is that a lot of offenses will try and throw the ball a lot against the Dolphins early in the season. They know that Miami wasn't good at covering the pass at all last year. So, they may try and throw a lot more than they normally would trying to beat the Miami Dolphins secondary.

That is where Clemons should be able to make his move. When the opposing quarterback throws the ball long Clemons will be ready to pounce and pick the ball right out of the air.

I know it sounds too simple for Clemons to just be able to come from out of nowhere and intercept the ball, but it is a pretty good possibility. Quarterbacks will be told to watch out for CBs Vontae Davis and Sean Smith because those two are the known threats in the Dolphins secondary.

Because of that, the quarterback will not be watching for Clemons. He can then surprise them with an interception.



That's my prediction for Chris Clemons. Let me know what you guys think of him.

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The Miami Dolphins Best Surprise From Training Camp Was...

Chris Clemons courtesy of AP Photo/Phil Coale

There were a few questions we had this year coming into training camp and the preseason. Perhaps the biggest of those questions was how well the free safety position would perform, and whether they would be able to help the Miami Dolphins improve their terrible passing defense of last year.

We now have that answer. Chris Clemons is the answer, and he was the best surprise from training camp.

Clemons has done really well already and has been receiving high praise from Tony Sparano. He turned what was once a huge concern to me and many other Miami Dolphins fans into a cause for excitement.

Clemons has gotten more repetitions in practice than any other player on the Dolphins, and for good reason. It really was a position of concern. So, to hear that Clemons is really doing well is very encouraging.

Him and Yeremiah Bell have apparently been great together at the safety spots. It would be pretty cool to have a pair of safeties that work well together along with the pair of cornerbacks we already have that work well together (Sean Smith and Vontae Davis).

I don't know about you, but I am excited to see how well our passing defense can do this year.

Not that Clemons has already emerged as a star and one of the best free safeties in the league, but he sure has the potential to be one.

Don't be surprised if Clemons has a really great year, and if he can do well then the Dolphins passing defense should be a lot better. A lot of pressure is on this kid's shoulders. Let us hope he doesn't notice it.

Be sure to check back Saturday morning for my bold predictions for Chris Clemons.

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Bold Predictions For The Miami Dolphins - How Ronnie Brown Will Do This Year

Ronnie Brown

Today I am going to start a new "series."

I will make predictions for players on the Miami Dolphins. Some predictions may be stronger than others, but I will stand by whatever I predict.

You may agree, and you may not. All I ask of you is to keep an open mind and respond to what I say with your comments. I enjoy writing a lot, but I also enjoy discussing just as much. You could even make your own predictions if you want.

Now that I have introduced my new series, I will start with my first set of predictions.

Ronnie Brown


1. Ronnie Brown Will Not Have A Single Injury Problem The Entire Season

Yep, I said it. Everyone who knows Ronnie Brown knows he is an injury concern. He missed the end of last season due to a serious foot injury.

It may sound ridiculous to believe that somebody with injury concerns like Brown has won't be injured, but here is what I am thinking:

The Dolphins will not need to hand the ball off to Brown as much as last year, or any year that Brown has been in Miami.

The Dolphins are now more of a passing team. More so than any other year that Brown has been with them. Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne are the main reasons for that. The Dolphins had been struggling to find a QB, until now. They also haven't had a superstar receiver in a very long time, until now.

Now that the Dolphins have more of a passing threat than ever before, why would they hand the ball off like they have before? If you add the fact that Brown will be splitting carries with Ricky Williams, you can see that Brown won't get nearly as many touches as he is used to.


2. Ronnie Brown Will Rush For 1000 Yards And 10 Rushing Touchdowns

I believe that Brown will reach two milestones this year: 1000 rushing yards (but not more than 1100), and 10 touchdowns (but not more than 12).

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have both said that they want to get 1000 rushing yard each, and I believe they can both do it. They are both completely fine with sharing carries.

If you look at just Brown's skill level, you can tell that he is capable of having much more than 1000 rushing yards. The problem is his injuries, which is why I don't think Miami will give him the ball too much.

He will do great things when he touches the ball, he just won't touch the ball a whole lot. Between splitting carries, injury concerns, and the Miami Dolphins new passing game I just don't see Brown surpassing more than 1100 yards.

BUT, he will still get 1000 yards. He is capable of it, and with the yards will come the 10 rushing touchdowns.



That is it for now. Let me know what you think. Please leave a comment with your reactions or your own predictions. I would really like to know what you guys think Ronnie Brown will do.

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Miami Dolphins RB Ricky Williams Wants To Return For More Than This Season

Ricky Williams

For any of you that have been following Ricky Williams these last few years since he has returned, you might remember that he had said that he planned on retiring after this season.

Well, in a recent report Ricky said the following:

"I would like to get a year extension with the Miami Dolphins, play this year and next year and then really focus on my schooling"

I don't know how many of you know, but Ricky enjoys a lot other things than football. He does meditation a lot, and cares very much about getting more of an education. It isn't that he doesn't have a good education, either. He just wants to further it.

So, with all that in mind, I wasn't really sure whether he would want to return. He is a very busy man, and I didn't know if he wanted to play longer than this year. To my relief, though, he wants to play an additional year.

Now, it is up to the Miami Dolphins to give him the extension he desires. Technically, they don't have to worry about his contract until next off-season. But, I think it would be a good move for the Dolphins to give him an extension.

Doing so will show Ricky that the teams wants him around. An extra vote of confidence will give Ricky even more desire to play well. He is the type of player who cares about the people around him, so he will definitely want to do well for the team who trusts him.

I know it may sound unimportant to you, but I believe that he really would do better with an extension now.

I, for one, am just glad to hear that Ricky wants to return. He is a valuable player, and we could really use him running the ball. Ronnie Brown is good, but he can't carry the running load himself due to injuries.

So, let us see what happens. Don't be surprised if the Dolphins don't give him an extension, but you should definitely be excited if they do. Ricky is an important part of the team, and I would hope that Miami treats him like that.

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The Miami Dolphins Suffer Another Injury Setback

The Miami Dolphins injuries continue to pile on with the news of guard/tackle Nate Garner out for 8 weeks due to a surgery on his foot, which he broke last week.

The news of Garner's injury come less than a week after news of Will Allen having to be out for the preseason, and in the same preseason that the Dolphins have lost two players for the entire season.

We can only hope that the Dolphins don't have to worry about any more injuries. I know that I say this every time we have an injury, but I just hope that each time is the last time. The Dolphins also had injury problems last year, which was a big problem.

That's about all I have for today. I am sorry that the post was so short and I posted so late. I had internet problems and was unable to get on until it was fixed.

I promise I will have some good posts in the near future.

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Miami Dolphins CB Nate Ness Is Looking Promising

Nate Ness In College

One thing the Miami Dolphins don't have a shortage of is young, talented CBs.

The most recent to emerge is Nate Ness, who had a very good outing during the Dolphins preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday.

He made a bunch of great plays, including a stop on 4th and goal late in the game. And, while the preseason doesn't matter that much, the Dolphins would have probably lost if Ness hadn't made the play.

Along with that play he also forced two fumbles and had multiple tackles and broken up passes. Ness showed he is a very good player with a lot of potential. My hope is that he stays with the team, and hopefully works his way up.

Miami already has 4 very good cornerbacks, so there is a possibility that Ness doesn't even make the team. But, I think it is only a very slight possibility. In all likelihood Ness continues to do well and makes the cut. 5 cornerbacks may seem like a lot to some people, but it is necessary because injury problems can really drain a team.

Dolphins fans don't have to be really concerned when one of our starting CBs goes down now, because we will have others to take their place and do just as well.

Anyways, Ness looks really good, and you should definitely watch out for him. He has already improved a lot from playing on the practice squad last year. He can (and will) only get better from here.

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After One Miami Dolphins Preseason Game We Haven't Learned Much

Cameron Wake courtesy of Palm Beach Post

If you are at all concerned with how the Miami Dolphins played in last night's mud bowl, then please, don't worry one more minute.

I know it looked like the Dolphins didn't do too well, and the offense wasn't really able to produce. While it may look that way, don't give their performance last night another thought.

The reason I say not to worry is that this is the preseason. It is never an indication of what the season is going to be like. The New England Patriots went 2-2 in the preseason before they had their almost perfect season.

The preseason means nothing.

Not even Brandon Marshall's dropped passes matter. Both of them were simply because the ball and/or his hands were wet. They weren't an indication of things to come in Miami. Brandon Marshall will be a beast for the Dolphins, two dropped passes won't change that.

If there was anything we learned, it was this: we have a pretty good secondary this year. Apart from them giving up a touchdown, our secondary played really well. Sean Smith got an interception, which was really exciting to me.

But, one player that sticks out to me that you don't normally hear about is CB Nate Ness.

The guy did great against Tampa Bay, and showed great skills. I think he has a great chance at making the team. Not only was his coverage really good, but he also forced two fumbles. Watch for him during these next three preseason games (that don't matter at all).

In the end, don't sweat this game. It means nothing and doesn't affect anything. Coaches are putting in new players all of the time to see how they do. They are not at all concerned about winning.

Miami will still be great, and this is what Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross said when asked during the game about his guarantee for this year:

"I already told you, we're going all the way"

I'm just glad the season has already started. Let me know what you all thought about the game.

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Get Ready For the Miami Dolphins Preseason Game

The first Miami Dolphins game is finally here, and I am ready to watch.

Everyone be sure to tune in to the game, because you will be able to learn a lot about your team and all of its players.

I will be watching the game, and I will also try and post highlight of the game on youtube. I just recently created a Dolphin Shout Youtube Channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/DolphinShoutChannel

Be sure to keep checking back on the channel because I will have as many highlights as possible that are important to the Dolphins.

I don't have much else to say today, so just be sure to check out the channel after the game to see some of the highlights.

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Miami Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall Wants To Play In The NBA: Cause For Concern Or Not Really A Problem?

Brandon Marshall

If you haven't already heard, Brandon Marshall said during an interview with ESPN that if the NFL had a lockout and the 2011-2012 season was canceled, he would play in the NBA.

Marshall is absolutely serious, and while I don't know if he would actually make a team this is still a cause for concern.

The fact that he would even consider leaving the Miami Dolphins is a huge concern to me. He should be thinking about football this year, but instead he is worried about what he will do if there isn't any football.

Instead of saying what he did when asked about next season, he should have said something along the lines of "I'm not concerned with next year, just this one".

Something like that, but instead he became a distraction to others and himself by talking about being in the NBA. He turned what could have been a simple question into a big story covered by everyone.

Maybe that kind of attention is something he loves, and normally I don't mind that as long as it doesn't hurt the team. But, something like this can hurt the team, and it can be a distraction.

I normally am a huge fan of Marshall, and this is really the first time I have ever said anything bad about him on my blog. I just wish that he would focus on just football with the season so close.

Miami is paying him good money to play football, and not to think about playing basketball. I just hope this doesn't affect his play.

Hopefully, he will never have the opportunity to play in the NBA, and whoever is involved in the possible lockout agrees to whatever terms necessary for a season next year.

Hopefully, Marshall isn't really distracted too much and is able to focus on the season at hand, because we need him to do well. Keep your fingers crossed Miami Dolphins fans.

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Miami Dolphins CB Will Allen Will Be Missed During Training Camp

News of the Miami Dolphins CB Will Allen's arthroscopic surgery has just recently surfaced, and while he will only miss training camp, he will be missed none the less.

The surgery was apparently a clean up from his surgery last fall.

I know that Allen isn't the starter at CB, but having him helped the starters a lot. He was added depth at the position, and depth made the competition better.

It motivated Sean Smith to perform better at the scrimmage after Allen was put in the 1st-string defense during the previous practice. Competition brings out the best in players, and losing Allen takes away some of the challenge.

Thankfully, Miami's other rookie CB Nolan Carroll is still there to add some competition. He has done really well and should keep the competition up, but not as much as Allen.

Just hope that Allen can recover as quickly as possible. We need him back to help keep up the competition.

Depth is the key, and competition will create a champion

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The Miami Dolphins New Defense Will Be Officially Introduced Saturday

Jared Odrick

The Miami Dolphins first preseason games is this Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It is also the debut of the new defense against another team that Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan has installed in Miami.

Miami will change their philosophy from a conservative mentality to a more aggressive one, and that will hopefully produce big plays defensively. Nolan has apparently preached during practices for the Dolphins to be more aggressive on defense, and we will see how it works out.

The Miami Dolphins defense is also dealing with a lot of new starting personnel on the defensive line and with the linebackers.

The Dolphins drafted DE Jared Odrick and LB Koa Misi in the draft this year, and they will probably make a big impact on defense. Odrick seems to be the one making the biggest impact, and you should expect to see him do very well this year.

Miami also added veteran LB Karlos Dansby, who should help lead the team and get them going in the right direction.

My favorite change so far, though, has been the Miami Dolphins attempting to use and develop LB Cameron Wake. Wake is an extremely athletic player who has an incredible ability to get to the quarterback and pile up sacks. His only problem before is he lacked in other skills like pass coverage, which is why the Dolphins didn't use him too much last year.

Well, hopefully he has developed his pass coverage so we can see him in more often, because he is an explosive player.

He will be the most interesting person to watch this offseason.

So, sit back and enjoy the game. Hopefully our new defense will make it even more enjoyable.

Thanks for reading my Miami Dolphins blog. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about how our new defense will do.

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The Miami Dolphins Madden 11 Ratings Are Somewhat Disappointing

Brian Hartline

I just got finished playing a little bit of the recently released Madden 11, and I was a little disappointed with the ratings for the Miami Dolphins receivers.

Brandon Marshall's 96 overall rating was right, but that is probably the only receiver I agree with.

The Dolphins next three receivers are what disappoint me. Davone Bess' overall is 74, Greg Camarillo's overall is 73, and Brian Hartline's overall is 71.

Bess and Camarillo don't bother me as much, but Hartline's is the one I disagree with the most.

I understand that there are a lot of players, and it can be hard to get everyone exactly right. But, you think they would have the depth chart right at least.

Madden rates Camarillo and Bess above Hartline, which isn't the case in real life. Hartline is a better playmaker, and he can do the most with the ball. I just wish they showed that in the game.

I think I've said this before, but I think EA Sports should have an expert from each team. It would make things a lot more accurate because you don't miss the second and third string players as often.

Just a thought. Anyone else played the new Madden? Let me know what you think about it and about the receiver ratings.

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How Much Better Is Miami's Defense This Year Than Last Year?

Vontae Davis

Last year's defense was pretty bad.

The Miami Dolphins gave up way too many big pass plays, and put their offense in a hole early on in games. It was obvious that that group needs to improve if Miami wants to be a top team in the NFL.

My question is: have they improved, and if so, how much have they improved?

First, I want to say that they have definitely improved. The loss of Jason Taylor and Joey Porter wasn't the best thing that could have happened, but it was also not the worst thing.

Miami replaced Joey Porter with another talented LB who can get 100+ tackles in Karlos Dansby. Dansby is also a veteran who shows great leadership ability, which isn't really something we had with Joey Porter. Porter was somewhat of a leader, but not as much as Dansby can be.

Koa Misi is one player who will be able to replace Taylor this year. While Misi is only a rookie, he has had a very good training camp so far.

And while I do like Misi a lot, I don't like him as much as Cameron Wake. Wake was the Canadian Football League defensive player of the year two years ago before he came to Miami. The man is an absolute beast, and is able to get to the quarterback extremely well. He didn't even play that much and he still had 5.5 sacks last season.

I like Wake to replace, and surpass, Jason Taylor as an OLB this year.

The weakest part of the Miami Dolphins defense was the secondary, though. There aren't many new faces that will most likely be starting in the secondary, but that doesn't mean they will be as weak as last year.

Both of the Dolphins main starting CBs of last year, Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, are back, and they are more experienced than last year when they were only rookies thrust into starting spots against the best receivers in the NFL.

The experience has got to help, and another thing that I think will have an impact on their development is the fact that they have two other backup cornerbacks ready to take their spots: Will Allen and Nolan Carroll.

Allen is a veteran CB who has been in the league for 10 years. Carroll is a rookie drafted in the fifth round of this years draft. Carroll has been a very pleasant surprise during training camp as he has been able to make a lot of great plays so far.

And, for those of you that think that Ted Ginn Jr. never did any good for the Miami Dolphins, well you are wrong. The Dolphins traded Ginn to the 49ers for the fifth round pick that they used to draft Carroll. Wierd, huh?

The last, and biggest, concern is the safeties. Miami seems pretty set at Strong Safety with Yeremiah Bell. The problem is the Free Safety spot. But, I am not nearly as concerned about that now as I was before training camp started.

The current leader at FS is Chris Clemons, a second year safety out of Clemson. Clemons has gotten the most reps in training camp so far and, according to Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano, has made only one mental error. That sounds pretty good since Clemons has had well over 200 repetitions.

I think Clemons will be the biggest surprise this year.

So, to answer the question of whether or not Miami's defense will be better than last year, I have to say they will. I just don't see anywhere where the Dolphins have gotten any worse, just better.

Let me know what you think. I am eager to hear your opinions.

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Don't Be Worried About The Miami Dolphins Offense After Saturday's Scrimmage

Photo courtesy of: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

There are some people that might be a little worried about the offense of the Miami Dolphins after Saturday's scrimmage, and let me just tell you to not be one of them.

At first glance it may seem like the performance was a bad sign, but that isn't really that bad. The Dolphins were just coming off of their first week of training camp. They haven't really worked with 11 men on the field since the end of last season.

You can't expect a team that has never worked together fully to be able to work together perfectly the first time. The offense just needs time to work together and to be in sync.

So, don't worry about our offense. They are going to be fine. They just need some tiem to work together.

That is what preseason is for. That is also a reason why I am opposed to taking away preseason games. If you give teams more time to work in the preseason, which is valuable for teams. I know it seems like I am going off topic, but I figured I would include that because I really oppose the extended schedule.

Back to Miami, though. One really good thing about the scrimmage was the defensive performance. The Dolphins defense did really well, and let's hope that carries over into the regular season because that was our biggest weakness last year.

I can't wait to see how they do with their new and improved.

So don't worry about the offense, and get excited about the defense. Everything will fall in to place soon enough.

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Miami Dolphins CB Sean Smith Was Struggling, But Now Appears To Be Doing Better

Sean Smith During Preseason Last Year

This post was originally going to be talking about CB Sean Smith, who some of you may know is my favorite player on the Miami Dolphins defense, not doing so well in the Miami Dolphins training camp.

Now, after Saturday's scrimmage I am much more excited to talk about his success today.

Smith was able to deflect the first practice of the scrimmage intended for Brandon Marshall today. That is great because Miami's coaches had him practicing with the second string Friday.

Smith had been going up against the newly acquired Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall for most of training camp and had been beaten most of the time. Maybe the Miami staff was trying to spark him into playing better.

I don't know for sure, but hopefully it has worked.

Smith started all 16 games as a rookie last year. While that is a major accomplishment, he still has a ways to go if he wants to be one of the best, which I think he can be. He has the size to match up with most receivers, and if he is able to stay focused and continue to develop he will be one of the best.

I am hoping the Dolphins will have Sean back in at 1st string CB, because he is a really talented cornerback with a lot of potential, and I think Miami would do better to have him in.

Just my opinion, but I really believe he will help the Miami Dolphins succeed. The defense is coming along really well, and Smith will help it come better.

What do you guys think? How good can Smith be? Let me hear it.

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Miami Dolphins FS Decision: Should The Dolphins Continue To Give Chris Clemons More Reps Or Not?

Chris Clemons

If the Miami Dolphins want to have a solid player at the FS position this year, they will need to make sure their player gets a lot of repetitions in practice.

The only problem with that is that you don't want to give your player too many reps and risk injuring him.

That is the current dilemma the Miami Dolphins coaching staff faces with second year FS Chris Clemons. Clemons is the most likely candidate to start at FS this year, so the Dolphins coaches have given him more reps than any other player on the team.

238 to be exact.

It is great that they are working him and giving him as much experience as possible, but I am not sure how much longer they want to push him this hard. An injury is the last thing Miami needs at Free Safety.

Tony Sparano and Mike Nolan will have enough trouble using what little they have at the position. Imagine taking away one of the potential starters and having to start preparing another player.

I am not saying that the Dolphins need to stop giving Clemons reps, and I am also not saying that they should reduce his reps.

I honestly don't know how well he is holding up. Maybe he is doing fine and isn't really affected by all of the work he is doing. We can't be sure. The only people that know that are Clemons and the people in the Dolphins organization.

So hope that Clemons doesn't get hurt, but also gets all of the practice he needs.

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Greg Camarillo Suffers Minor Injury, And Adds On To The List Of Miami Dolphins Injuries

The Miami Dolphins have already had a few injuries this training camp, and it only started a week ago.

I don't know about you guys, but I am scared to read about Miami's training camp everyday for fear that there will be news of Miami losing a big time player.

Thankfully, all of the injuries sustained so far are either very minor, or were to players that Miami could live without. I'm not saying that the injuries to A.J. Edds and Kory Sheets don't affect the team, I'm just saying that the team is not a whole lot worse off without them.

And news out of training camp is that Greg Camarillo has a minor groin injury. Hopefully he will be back soon because I like Camarillo, and I want to see him catch everything that is thrown at him.

Injuries are frustrating for everyone, so cross your fingers and hope that no other Dolphins have a serious injury during training camp. They will be a lot more fun to watch if they can avoid them.

Thanks for reading, and please be sure to check back tomorrow morning. I have another post scheduled for then.

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The Miami Dolphins Randy Starks Move Is High Risk, High Reward

Randy Starks making a tackle

I was reading an article on Miami Dolphins DE/NT Randy Starks yesterday, and it got me thinking.

The Dolphins are being very, very risky by going against what most people consider common football knowledge. They are putting in somebody smaller at the Nose Tackle position than most teams would even dream of doing.

It is a risky move, and it could either spell out huge success and possibly the creation of a new way that teams view Nose Tackles, or it could be a huge disaster and make the Dolphins staff look really bad.

Think about it. Miami took one of their most successful defenders last year, Randy Starks, and moved him to a position he had never played before in the NFL. The expression goes: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

So, why would Miami move a very successful defensive end to the nose tackle position where he has never been and is considered too small by normal standards?

Here is an answer for you right from the mouth of Randy Starks courtesy of the Miami Herald:

"Some of those bigger guys might not be as strong so they need the extra weight to hold the point. They need to be 320 or 340 pounds. I can be 305 and still be effective."

For those of you that don't know, the point is the very middle of the line, basically right across from where the center snaps the ball.

It is a good thing that Starks is confident in his abilities. I do think this will end up being a good move.

The only problem I see with it is Starks will most likely take a hit in statistics. Nose Tackles don't have as good of stats as other defensive lineman because their main job is to occupy as many blockers as they can so other defensive players can get through the line.

But, that is only a problem if Starks makes it. Hopefully, he will understand that the team needs him there and take the hit in stats to help the team win.

Let's hope this risk pays off, because I would love to see a new revolution at the Nose Tackle position. It think it would make the NFL more fun to watch because you will have more explosive NTs in the game. It would make defense even more fun to watch.

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