Shout Out To Miami Dolphins TE Anthony Fasano

Today I wanted to dedicate a post to a Miami Dolphins player who doesn't normally get a lot of attention despite how much he contributes to the team, and that player is Anthony Fasano.

Fasano might be the most underrated Tight End in the NFL.

Because of his past two seasons with Chad Henne not throwing him the ball nearly or accurately enough his numbers are not as close to as high as they can be, but you can't just look at the numbers. Most people who don't like Fasano are strictly looking at his numbers and assuming that he isn't good enough when he actually is.

Just looking at numbers when judging a tight end or a receiver is usually a mistake. The biggest reason for Fasano's lack of production was his connection with Henne. Thankfully, the chemistry between the two is becoming less of a problem. When I was watching film I noticed a nice connection developing between Fasano and Henne as the season went on. It was very encouraging to see them working so well together, and hopefully they will continue to work and develop together and Fasano will get the kind of numbers that he is capable of.

One other thing that I like a lot about Fasano is the passion and intensity that he plays with. When Henne would make a bad throw Fasano wouldn't be afraid to tell him. I noticed a couple of times where Fasano was yelling at Henne after a bad pass or a bad decision on a pass and Henne would argue back. I am encouraged by that. Partly because Henne is showing emotion, but also because It shows me that they both care about what they are doing and aren't afraid to make sure that the other is doing what it takes to win. I know it sounds weird to like when a receiver is arguing with his quarterback, but that is a lot better than the receiver not even bothering to communicate with his quarterback because he's given up on him.

Fasano is just a lot better than he is given credit for. He will be a very dangerous threat to defenses once he and Henne are on the same page and really start to work well together.

Thanks for reading, thank you to Adam for giving me this great idea for a post, and please leave your comments about Fasano, because I know some of you don't really like him and some of you do.

Which Miami Dolphins Players Do You Want Me To Study?

I am going to be studying individual players on the Miami Dolphins similar to what I did with Chad Henne, and I would like your recommendations on who to study.

If you have a player you would like me to study either email me at paul@dolphinshout.com or mention me on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

Thanks for stopping by, and let me know who you want.

You Tell Me: Are The Miami Dolphins A Few Players Away Or Not?

"You Tell Me", do the Miami Dolphins need to make "wholesale" changes or one or two changes in order to be successful?

Big Bopper gave me an idea for this You Tell Me in a comment of his that I disagreed with, so I want to see what you guys think, too. I am not at all calling out Bopper, I am just saying that his and my disagreement gave me the idea to ask other people their opinions as well. I appreciate your comment Bopper and hope that you continue to return here. We like to have as many differing views as possible because it makes things more interesting.

Back to the question, though. Do you think the Miami Dolphins need to make wholesale changes and change a lot of personnel, or just a few changes to a few personnel? I would like to hear your thoughts on this one, because it will show me where you think we are as an organization.

Also, if you would like to go a little deeper, please also include the positions that you think need fixing.

Thank you guys for stopping by, and let me know what you believe needs to happen.

Ronnie Brown Leaving The Miami Dolphins Is A Shame

All signs seem to be pointing to Ronnie Brown leaving the Miami Dolphins once free agency starts.

I hate to say that it makes sense for him to go, but it does. The Dolphins need a speedy running back, and Brown doesn't really fit that mold. I don't want to say that he and Daniel Thomas are the same type of running back, but they aren't much different speed-wise and their running styles probably wouldn't work together.

The problem here is what the Dolphins did in the draft. They knew that Brown would like to come back to Miami, yet they still traded up and drafted Daniel Thomas in the second round.

Will Thomas do well in the NFL? Most likely, but why did the Dolphins have to draft him so high when they already had a similar running back who wanted to play for them. They could have just planned on re-signing Brown and signing another free agent back, but instead they used a second round pick that could have been used on someone else (and I'm pretty sure you guys know who that someone else is).

This isn't the worst mistake that Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano have made, but I still think it could have been handled better. I can understand that they weren't planning on Ricky Williams wanting to come back, but they knew that Brown wanted to and still passed him up.

I especially hate it for Brown, because he has not complained at all. He has been consistently saying that he would like to stay in Miami, yet they have blown him off like he is nothing and hasn't done anything for them during his time there. I wish him the best of luck wherever he goes, and I really hope he doesn't go to New England or New York.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about Brown, Ireland, Sparano, and the whole situation.

Chad Henne Should Get Another Shot As QB For The Miami Dolphins

There, I've said it. Agree or disagree with me all you want, but Chad Henne took much more blame than he deserved this past season.

I have watched every pass Chad Henne threw this year, and yes, he absolutely has a lot to work on, BUT, he has made a lot of progress that we don't give him credit for because we want wins right now and we don't want to see any mistakes in the process.

I have been on the anti-Chad Henne bandwagon following the Miami Dolphins loss to Cleveland, and it sure didn't help that they ended up losing three out of the next four after that.

What I didn't take into account, and what I really didn't study during the season was how much he had improved. My impression was that he regressed as the season went on, but I was wrong. He improved in a lot of important categories. Here is a little list of some of those:

-He got A LOT better at checking down from his primary receiver and finding another receiver, and he also didn't stare his receivers down nearly as much.

-He went from scrambling as soon as he saw a defender within five feet of him to staying poised in the pocket and looking to deliver the ball instead (for the most part). A lot of times he would scramble way too soon and end up being sacked any way.

-Most importantly, he learned to throw the ball away instead of trying to force it in there. That is something that I know was very important to Bill Parcells and Henne finally seemed to realize it. He still forced it later in the season, but not nearly as much.

Chad Henne has a drive to win. He is an extremely hard worker, and I feel like that is taken for granted. If he didn't work so hard, he would have never been able to improve so much.

Henne had more pressure on his shoulders than any second year starter should have to worry about. His running game was inadequate, the man calling his plays was inadequate, and his owner put unnecessarily high expectations on him. It was too much to ask from such a young and inexperienced quarterback.

Yes, Henne does have a bunch of things he needs to work on. Things like throwing the ball ahead of his receiver instead of behind, throwing better deep balls with better touch, learning to anticipate better instead of waiting to throw until he actually sees a receiver open for a second or two, and just plain playing better once he gets into enemy territory.

He will improve on those things, though. He was able to progress a lot last season, so he will be able to next season as well. I am confident that he will be much better next season, and that goes for the entire Miami Dolphins offense.

When the Dolphins had a terrible defense in the 2008-2009 season they were able to go in the draft and free agency and completely turn it around. Why can't they do the same thing again this year with the offense? We joke around a lot about Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano's incompetence, and while they do make some pretty boneheaded mistakes they have shown that they can turn things around and they do know football really well.

Back to Henne, though. I believe that he deserves at least two games next season to show us what he's got, UNLESS Kyle Orton comes in. Of all the quarterbacks available to the Dolphins, Orton is the only one that I would want to start over Henne immediately. Anyone else, and I would like Henne to get at least two games to show us that he is still improving.

Thank you guys for reading, and I would like to end this with some random notes and things that I noticed while watching the game. They are mostly about Henne, but not all about him. They are in no particular order. I just wrote them down as I thought of them.

-Chad Henne and Anthony Fasano have a surprisingly good connection. I always thought that Henne's inaccuracy was the reason that Fasano's numbers have dropped, but it is actually because he doesn't target Fasano enough. If Henne learns to really use Fasano, we could see Fasano return to top TE status like three seasons ago with Chad Pennington.

-Brian Hartline had a surprising number of mistakes. Many more than I had originally thought. He almost always followed a mistake of his with a great play, though.

-I also think that Hartline likes Chad Henne the least of all of the Dolphins receivers. Don't go quoting me on this because I cannot be positive, but I just don't see any connection between the two and I feel like Hartline would get the angriest at Henne. He didn't express his anger like Marshall, but I think it is there. ONCE AGAIN, I can't be positive about this. It is just a feeling I got while watching him. I don't even want you guys to believe me on this one until you hear it somewhere else because it is simply a hunch.

-The wildcat is an absolute momentum killer. We talked about this during the season, and I have to bring it up again. Dan Henning just didn't know when to call it. Henne would be on a roll getting a few first downs, and then all of the sudden the wildcat would come in and stall the drive. Hopefully Brian Daboll will know when to call it if the Dolphins try it at all next season.

-Jake Long really is a beast at LT. There has been a lot of talk about him recently because he was the highest ranked LT in a NFL Network players poll, and he really deserves that honor. I truly hope he stays a Dolphin for life.

-Ronnie Brown did a lot better than we give him credit for. Defenses put a target on him, and they made sure he didn't get anywhere with the ball. It's too bad we probably won't see him here again next year.

-I think that the Dolphins need to keep Richie Incognito at the guard spot and put Mike Pouncey at center. He wasn't as good of a center as I thought, especially when it came to snapping the ball from shotgun.

-Tyler Thigpen isn't as good as I had thought. I still think he deserves a chance to compete for the starting job, but I highly doubt he would ever win it.

Miami Dolphins 2010-2011 NFL Season Defensive Highlights [Video]

So, with all of this talk about the Miami Dolphins offense, I figured we could get a little more positive video of the Dolphins defense.

I found this video on YouTube. I'm sure some of you have seen it, but I bet a lot of you haven't so I will put it up here. It was made by PhinsRockProductions, so be sure to check out his other Miami highlights as well.

Here is the video. I hope you guys enjoy it.



Thanks for stopping by. I am going to post my thoughts on Chad Henne Sunday, so stay tuned for that. I won't be posting anything tomorrow for personal reasons, so sorry about that.

Miami Dolphins Pick'em: Kyle Orton or Vince Young?

I have been surprised to learn that a lot of fans want Vince Young over Kyle Orton for the Miami Dolphins.

I'm not saying that those fans are wrong, but I do think that Orton is the better overall QB.

With that being said, I want to know who you guys would rather come to compete for the Dolphins starting job with Henne and why?

I am a Kyle Orton supporter, but don't let me influence your decision. I want to know who you want.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think.

Latest news on the CBA

I would like to share an article with you written by ThePhinsider.com. I have put the article below, but please be sure to check out the actual page here.

Credit for this goes to the Phinsider.


Sources reveal a few key terms of the proposed CBA as NFL lockout inches towards a conclusion

We might finally be getting somewhere after all.

That seemed to be the prevailing feeling from various sources around the league as the owners wrapped up a meeting in Illinois on Tuesday - a meeting that could have lasted a day longer than it did if that was necessary. However it appears as though there is "no significant dissent" from any of the league's owners regarding the direction that CBA negotiations are taking - meaning the owners did not stick around for a second day of meetings.

So just how quickly can a "new league year" begin? A report from Jason Cole says that the NFL could be back in business by July 15, if not sooner. A source on the owners' side told Cole, "That kind of timeline is altogether possible."

Cole also notes the body language of some of thee owners today as a positive sign. Writes Cole:

Furthermore, the wide grin on New York Giants owner John Mara’s face was a pretty good tell about the state of the talks. In recent months, Mara’s face has been etched with a dour look, such as in March when talks between the owners and the players broke down, and the CBA expired.

That same source on the owners' side even said the terms of a new CBA could be completed by the end of the week.

"At this point, you could probably have the terms drawn up by Friday if you wanted to really hurry the process, but two weeks is probably more realistic," said the source. "Two weeks for the paperwork is pretty reasonable."

What about the key terms of a new CBA? Various sources, including ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, has some info on the proposed agreement. Three of the very interesting - and important - nuggets in this proposed CBA are as follows:

• Unsigned players with at least four years of service will be unrestricted free agents. This is as it was before last offseason, when the league operated under "final league year" rules which made any player with less than six years of service a restricted free agent.
• Players will receive 48% of all revenue. Interestingly enough, no longer will money be taken off the top before the players get their share. Under the previous CBA, the players received 60% of the total revenue after $1 billion was taken off the top - which resulted in an actual take of about 53% for the players.
• Teams will be required to spend 90 to 93 percent of the salary cap. That's a very high salary floor for teams to meet but will ensure that players actually see the money allotted to them under the new deal.

What this all means for the Miami Dolphins as well as every other team is that they will need to be prepared for some fast and furious action once a new deal is reached. If you estimate the possible salary cap for 2011 based on the figures that have been thrown around, a logical guess would put the cap in the $135 to $140 million range in 2011. But with total revenues expected to double between now and 2016 (thanks in large part to a new Thursday night television package being discussed), that cap number could really skyrocket to well over $250 million over the next five years.

As it stands now, one report from ESPN claims that the Dolphins are currently looking at a current cap number of around $103 million. So Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano will have some money to throw around once free agency does finally begin this offseason.

But with teams having to reportedly meet a high salary floor, a number of teams will be looking to spend big in free agency - meaning competition for some of the most sought-after players on the market will be fierce. The good news is that with free agency reverting back to "pre-2010" rules, the pool of unrestricted free agents is much larger than some had feared it would be.

With guys like DeAngelo Williams, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Michael Bush now unrestricted, we may have seen the last of both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in Miami. But D. Williams and Bradshaw - the top running backs on the market - will be heavily sought after. The bidding for DeAngelo in particular, widely regarded by Dolphins fans as the team's top target in free agency, could get out of control in a hurry.
The Broncos are very high on Williams and are now coached by DeAngelo's former head coach in Carolina (John Fox). The Panthers, meanwhile, maintain that they do want to re-sign Williams and might be as much as $70 million under the projected salary cap. With that rumored new salary floor in place, the Panthers will have to use up that money.

Bradshaw, meanwhile, might be the better fit in Miami because of the skill set he possesses. He'd be a much better complement to Daniel Thomas than Williams would be. He's also younger and will probably be less expensive. It's also worth noting that Bradshaw changed agents last month and is now represented by Drew Rosenhaus, who of course is based in South Florida and has a great working relationship with the Dolphins.
Of course, we'll cross these bridges when we come to them. For now, take solace in the fact that both sides finally seemed motivated to get a new CBA completed sooner rather than later. With a little luck, we could be breaking down signings and trades in less than a month.

Lets all hope he is correct. Wow, look at the numbers in all of this. No mention of a rookie cap, nor an 18 game season.

Thank you Phinsider.

Credit:
http://www.thephinsider.com/2011/6/22/2236509/sources-reveal-a-few-key-terms-of-the-proposed-cba-as-nfl-lockout

Rate The Performance Of Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross

Today I am going to start a new idea that Gary gave me. I will give you guys a player or staff member of the Miami Dolphins and I want you to rate that person's performance on a scale of 1 to 10.

I would like you guys to rate the performance of Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Consider his entire body of work since he became the owner in Miami. Keep everything in mind.

I hope you guys enjoy this idea, and be sure to thank Riverdog for it. I have added the poll to this post, so give him your rating here.

Also, I know I said that I would have my evaluation of Chad Henne by the end of last week, but it is taking longer than I thought. I promise that I will have it soon, though.

Thanks for reading, now give Ross your rating.

Rate Stephen Ross' Performance Thus Far

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Miami Dolphins Pick'em: Ronnie Or Ricky?

Imagine for a second that you are Jeff Ireland, GM of the Miami Dolphins.

Now, Stephen Ross (your boss) has told you that he wants either Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams back for the 2011-2012 NFL Season, BUT he doesn't want both (he doesn't tell you why he only wants one, but you suspect that he is just being cheap and doesn't want to give both a contract).

Which back do you take?

Do you take Ronnie, who is 29 years old, is your main wildcat back that has put together a lot of successful seasons, but also has injury concerns?

Do you take Ricky, who is 34 years old, has a year or two of good production left in him, and averaged 4.2 yards per carry last season?

Make sure that you consider the current backs you already have on the team and the backs you could add from free agency.

Thanks for stopping by, now let me know what you would do.

Are Ronnie Brown And Ricky Williams Not In The Miami Dolphins Plans?

A couple of days ago I told you about Miami Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland's comments about the running back position and who he was looking to add to the position.

What I didn't think about at the time was that he did not mention Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams at all, and he didn't seem like he cared to have either back.

I am a little bit disappointed in this, to be honest. I think that the Dolphins should at least try and sign Brown. I have been watching film on the Dolphins this year, and Brown has actually been pretty good. He just had some trouble because of his poor offensive line. I also like that Brown knows how to use the wildcat, which will add to his value.

The thought of Brown going to another team where they could use him for the wildcat is a scary one to me. Imagine a team with a great offensive line picking him up and implementing the wildcat into their offense. I can honestly see the New York Jets trying to get him and then running the wildcat. I think they could use another back, and they have run the wildcat pretty successfully with Brad Smith. Imagine what they would be able to do with the most experienced wildcat back in the NFL.

Brown to the Jets is a scary thought to me, but it is something the Jets would do. Partly because they see what he would be able to do, but also because they would love to capitalize on a Miami mistake.

I would also like them to at least consider bringing Williams back as well. Ricky did a good job with the amount of carries he was given. I think he deserves a chance. He has recently said that he would like to come back to Miami, too.

Thanks for stopping by. Let me know what you think about the two and the Dolphins not seeming interested in either.

Chad Pennington To Take Year Off And Work For FOX Sports

Chad Pennington, starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins three seasons ago has announced that he will be taking the year off and working for FOX Sports, according to a report by Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post.

Pennington left open the possibility of returning for the 2012-2013 season, but I hope for his sake that he doesn't actually try and return. Pennington has injured his shoulder four times and just recently tore his ACL this offseason. He just cannot avoid injuries, and I don't want him to subject his body to the beating it will take in the NFL again.

It is a shame to see him go to FOX, though. I really wanted him to take some sort of coaching job with the Dolphins. I think he would be a tremendous coach. It's basically what he did when Chad Henne was starting, so it would have been cool to see him actually get the official title as a coach.

I also want to make sure that we remember how he helped lead the Miami Dolphins to a 11-5 record during the 2008-2009 NFL season. He helped end that terrible playoff drought, and he gave us fans a lot of optimism.

I wish Chad the best, and hopefully he will have a very successful broadcasting career.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you guys thought of Pennington and his career.

You Tell Me: DeAngelo Williams Or Ahmad Bradshaw

The Miami Dolphins are going to be adding another running back. This we know.

What we don't know is who that running back will be.

So, I want you guys to tell me who you would rather have: DeAngelo Williams or Ahmad Bradshaw, and why?

Thanks for stopping by, now let me hear your thoughts.

Also, YouTube has removed my Chad Henne interception video for copyright reasons even though there are a million other highlight videos on it. If you haven't seen it yet or would like to see it again just email me.

Thanks again.

Report: Miami Dolphins Will Go After Another Running Back

The Miami Dolphins are going to be adding another complementary running back once the lockout is lifted, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel.

Ireland said this about what he is looking for:

"I'm interested in having another back, whether it fits the description of a scatback or not, we’ll have to see what's available. You can't corner yourself into just a scatback. We need another complementary back who complements Daniel (Thomas) and Lex (Hilliard). We do have somewhat of a scatback in Kory Sheets that we haven't seen yet, so I'm still hoping he can develop."

I'm glad that Ireland mentioned Kory Sheets, even though he seemed to have him ranked below Hilliard.

That's not the point, though. He is going to add another RB to compliment Thomas. Omar Kelly suggested, and I agree with him, that Ireland is being so open with this information because he wants to catch the attention of players like DeAngelo Williams, Ahmad Bradshaw, and other Free Agents.

Ireland did a similar thing when he said that he was going to add a veteran QB to the team. He was likely trying to catch the attention of veteran Free Agent quarterbacks.

I want to hear what running backs you would like the Dolphins to go after. Here is a list of the main prospects that will get consideration:

DeAngelo Williams
Ahmad Bradshaw
Darren Sproles
Michael Tolbert
Kevin Smith
Reggie Bush
Michael Bush
Willis McGahee


That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Just a heads up. I am going to be doing a good amount of research on Chad Henne for the next couple of days so I can formulate a final opinion of him. Expect my thoughts at the end of this week or early next week.

Every Chad Henne Interception From The Miami Dolphins 2010-2011 Season [Video]

I have finally finished the video that I hope you guys have been waiting for: the video of every Chad Henne interception from last season with the Miami Dolphins.

I know it took me a pretty long time to make this one, but I have figured out a good system for putting the videos together, so I should be able to put future videos together more easily.

Here is the video:




I hope you guys enjoyed. Please share the videos with other Dolphins fans. Here is the url to the video that you can email them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu_cdC2aDEg

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you guys liked the video. I have created a YouTube channel for Dolphin Shout called DolphinShoutChannel, so if you have a YouTube account please feel free to friend and/or subscribe to me.

Also, I just realized something. Chad Henne threw 19 interceptions last season. Brandon Marshall's jersey number is 19. Coincidence? You tell me.

How The Lockout Has Helped The Miami Dolphins And Chad Henne's Leadership

First, I want to say that I absolutely want the Miami Dolphins to add another quarterback by either free agency or trading. Chad Henne and Tyler Thigpen are not enough, and the Dolphins should add a player with some previous experience to compete for the job.

Now that I have said that, I now want to say that I have been very impressed with Chad Henne this offseason. He has been charged with showing the rest of the Miami Dolphins offense to the players, and from what I can tell he has been doing well at it.

Henne's ability to hold these player workouts has been a reflection of leadership qualities that I never knew he had, and frankly I wouldn't mind him starting next season simply because of how much he has been able to work with his players this offseason.

As much as you would expect the lockout to really hurt a team putting in a new system, I honestly think it has helped the Dolphins offense. I know it must sound crazy for me to suggest that a team would be able to implement a brand new offense using one player's knowledge of the offense without any coaches around better than if they did have coaches around teaching the offense themselves, but hear me out on this.

The players have had an extended amount of time to put the offense together. Instead of lessening the amount of time that the players have to work together, the lockout has increased their time together working on the offense.

The players have also been able to learn the way that they want to learn and focus on what they want to focus on with the offense and haven't had to worry about their coaches getting in the way. I love the idea of the players having the chance to do what they want to do with the offense. If they see something that needs fixing they can make that change and then tell OC Brian Daboll once the lockout is lifted. I'm not saying that coaches are bad because they aren't, but I do think that it is good to let just the players work together by themselves and see what works best, and this lockout is allowing them a lot of time to do just that.

I know I seem like I am doing a complete 180 with Chad Henne, but I thought a lot about it yesterday and I feel like Henne makes much more sense as a starter than Tyler Thigpen and a lot of the potential QBs that Miami could add. Henne knows the offense the best and has had a lot of time to learn and work on it.

There are only two players that I would want the Dolphins to start over Henne and a third that I think would have about a 50% chance of starting. The two starters are Kyle Orton and Carson Palmer, and the 50/50 guy is Vince Young. Orton is my hands-down favorite option and Palmer is another option that I would trust to lead the team. Young is a wild card who could either be great or awful. I tend to lean towards him being great if he came to Miami, but he could just as easily be awful.

I want to know what you guys think. I hope you liked and were able to follow what I was trying to say on today's post. Please let me hear your reactions with a comment (or two) below.

Thanks for reading.

Why Do The Miami Dolphins Not Give Tyler Thigpen More Of A Chance?

I am constantly getting the impression that the Miami Dolphins are not giving Tyler Thigpen a fair opportunity for the starting spot.

That really disappoints me because I believe that Thigpen could be a great quarterback for Miami, and I am very confident that he can be much better than Chad Henne.

Why? You ask. Well, he does not get scared and he is confident in his abilities. Two things that Chad Henne cannot say about himself. Thigpen is ten times the playmaker that Chad Henne is. Thigpen could actually bring some life to the Dolphins football team.

Do any of you remember the Week 10 game against Tennessee? Thigpen played great. He made things happen with his feet, and he ended up with a 141.7 passer rating. Thigpen was awesome that game, but he didn't seem to get enough credit for it. What people remember is the following game against Chicago where the Thigpen-lead Dolphins were unable to score a single point and were shut out.

The game against the Bears was not even close to Tyler Thigpen's fault. It was the fault of the Miami Dolphins injury-plagued offensive line. Thigpen didn't even have an opportunity to make a play because they were constantly being blitzed and he had no time to do anything. Chad Henne would have been even worse because he has no legs at all. I want you guys to try and imagine how he would have been. Not good, right?

If Michael Vick were starting for Miami against the Bears he wouldn't have been able to do anything with that line either, and that's saying something because he plays behind a below average line already.

Want more proof that Thigpen deserves a fair opportunity for the starting spot? Here is a quote from him recently on Omar Kelly's radio show that I just love to hear:

"If I was given opportunity to be starter, I could help (Brandon Marshall) get back to being an All-Pro again"

That is something that Chad Henne would never say in a million years, because I don't think he would be able to do it. Thigpen can, and he has the confidence to do it as well, another thing Henne doesn't have.

One last thing that I like about Thigpen is that he realizes how good of a receiver Anthony Fasano is. Fasano was a top scoring TE when Chad Pennington was his quarterback. His numbers only dropped when Chad Henne became the starter. Thigpen realizes the weapon that he has even more than the Dolphins coaches do, and I know he would be ready to use Fasano successfully instead of sparsely like Henne.

That's all I've got. Let me hear what you guys think about Tyler Thigpen and if you think he deserves and/or is getting a fair shot.

Thanks for reading.

You Tell Me: Do You Want The Miami Dolphins To Pursue Terrelle Pryor?

Terrelle Pryor recently decided to try and enter into the NFL instead of go to Ohio State for his senior year.

So, I want to know if you guys want the Miami Dolphins to try and bring him to Miami.

In all honesty I don't know much about Pryor because he wasn't a player I did much research on, so hopefully you guys will know more than me about him and can give me an idea of whether or not he would be good for the Dolphins.

Thanks for stopping by, and let me hear your thoughts on him.

Report: Miami Dolphins Not Interested In Pursuing WR Plaxico Burress

The Miami Dolphins are not interested in pursuing Plaxico Burress according to a report by Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

Salguero said that a source of his told him that the Miami Dolphins are "absolutely not" interested in Burress.

This puts the Plaxico discussion to rest, and I am glad that the Dolphins aren't going to try and get him. He just wasn't needed and would have further crowded a very talented WR group.

Hopefully this lockout will be over soon. According to this report the NFL and NFLPA are pushing for a deal in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about all of this.

I also want you guys to know that I am working on the Chad Henne interception video, and then I will be able to work on the other videos as well.

I Need Your Help To Interview Miami Dolphins RB Kory Sheets

It could happen...

Today I have a special treat for all of you Miami Dolphins fans out there. I am going to be doing an interview with Dolphins RB Kory Sheets.

What I want you guys to do is to give me some questions that you would like me to ask him in the interview.

If you have a question for Kory please either email me at paul@dolphinshout.com, tweet me @PaulDSmythe, or post the question in the comments below. I will try and get in as many questions as possible, so there is no limit to how many questions you can send me. I can't guarantee that I will use all of your questions, but I will do my best.

Please, tell your friends about this and invite them to send me questions as well. I would really like as many Miami Dolphins fans as possible to be able to ask him a question. Please email them this post, and let them take the chance.

I believe Sheets is going to break out very soon, so wouldn't you want to be able to say that Kory Sheets answered a question of yours before he had broken out?

I am excited about this interview, and I hope you are too. Remember, to send a question email me at paul@dolphinshout.com, tweet me @PaulDSmythe, or post your question in the comments below.

Thanks for reading, now let me have 'em.

Revisiting Plaxico Burress And The Miami Dolphins

Plaxico Burress was released from prison yesterday, so I wanted to start back up the discussion of whether the Miami Dolphins should pursue him or not.

Plaxico has not really ever been a superstar receiver, but he has still been great. He could be a big threat that defenses would have to pay constant attention to, and I think we can all agree with that. The thing is, I don't really think that the Dolphins actually need him.

Good receiver or not, Miami just doesn't need him. They've got Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Brian Hartline, Edmond Gates, Roberto Wallace, and Marlon Moore. There is no reason to take Burress in as well.

I wouldn't mind if they brought Burress in, though. Honestly, I think he would be a help. I just don't believe it would be necessary to bring him in. I want Miami to focus on more important positions to spend their money like QB and OL. Save the money that they would have spent on Burress and give it to a player in a more needy position.

Let me know what you think. I know it seems like every team is having this discussion right now, but I think it will be an interesting one. I left the Mark Sanchez, Chad Henne debate up for an extra day because I didn't want to end the discussion, and I am pleased with how it turned out.

Thanks for reading, and let me hear it.

You Tell Me: How Does Chad Henne Compare To Mark Sanchez?

There has been some comparison recently of Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne and New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez.

If you guys will remember, most people thought that Henne was better than Sanchez at the beginning of the season. Now, I get the feeling that the popular opinion is that Sanchez is better.

I want to know what you guys think of both quarterbacks. Try and put your anti-Jet bias aside. I want you guys to evaluate them according to their talent, not the jersey that they put on.

Here are a few questions to get the discussion started:
-Who is the better quarterback?
-Which quarterback would you rather be on the Miami Dolphins?
-Which one would you trust the most leading your team?

Let me hear your answers now. Thanks for reading, and I am looking forward to today's answers. If the discussion seems pretty strong I may leave this up as the top post for tomorrow as well.

Matt Moore To The Miami Dolphins? That Better Not Be The Case

Recently I have heard a few rumors/suggestions connecting Panthers QB Matt Moore to the Miami Dolphins.

I just wanted to come here and say that I think bringing in Moore would be a very bad idea. He has not exactly had a great NFL career so far with 16 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, and 2640 yards from 392 attempts. Sure his numbers aren't awful, but I don't want him to be the quarterback that Miami brings in to compete with Chad Henne.

I will say that I wouldn't mind the Dolphins obtaining him to be a 3rd stringer. I believe that he could be a good backup, just not a starter.

The starting QB that Miami should bring in should be someone more like Kyle Orton or Vince Young. Those players have a good bit of upside and potential. In my mind, Moore's potential is very similar to that of Chad Henne's: limited. Neither player strikes me as anything great.

Stephen Ross needs to be ready to open up his pockets for a big quarterback if he ever wants to put a good "product" on the field. If he really wants to make money, he needs to put together a winning team by spending money, not saving it.

We'll see what he does. Let me know what you guys think about Moore. Thanks for reading.

Should I Still Post Every Day?

Today's post isn't exactly about the Miami Dolphins, but it is about this Miami Dolphins blog.

In a comment yesterday @13kvFINS said that some of the discussions from posts on previous days tend to disappear once a new post is up, and I believe he is right

So, what I want to know is if I should continue to post every day or should I start to post every other day? Do you guys want more discussion on certain topics and less topics given by me or do you want less discussion and more topics to read about?

Let me first say that I do not mind either way. I am more than happy to post every day if that is what you guys want. If you guys enjoy the discussion more when I leave the same post up for a while, then that is just as good.

You guys give me your input. If you want to email me your input instead of commenting below feel free to mail me at paul@dolphinshout.com.

Thanks for reading and keeping this blog alive in the offseason.

When Do You Think The NFL Season Will Start?

Today's post is more about the entire NFL and not just the Miami Dolphins, but I think it will be a good one. Gary gave me this idea, so you guys can thank him for it.

My question is, when do you think the NFL season will FINALLY start?

I'm sure there are going to be a wide range of answers. I am going to say that I don't expect it to start until we have missed a couple of weeks worth of games.

I think that mostly because Executive Director of the NFLPA DeMaurice Smith seems very stubborn and he looks like he is out to prove a point. I understand that he wants to look tough and all, but I think he is taking it too far. I understand some of you guys won't agree with me because I am just saying all of this based on this feeling I have.

Let me know what you guys think. I do have some good news. John and I flipped a coin to decide the fate of the lockout, and the coin said that we will have football this year. So, we can all relax and prepare for it to start. Go ahead and buy everything you need to prepare for the games (joking).

Thanks for reading, and let me hear it.

What Should The Miami Dolphins Do With Charles Clay? (Fan Question)

Today's question is a fun one from Tom in Texas, or TXDOLFAN. Thanks again for the question Tom, I loved the question and I believe the Miami Dolphins are trying to decide the same thing.

If anyone else has a question please see how to ask it at the bottom of this post. I love your questions, and I would like to get as many as possible to survive this darn locked out offseason.

Here is his question:

"If given the choice as the Offensive Coordinator, would you play Clay as an H-back or a Tight End?"

I would use Clay primarily as an H-back.

I'm sure he is a good tight end, but I am still among the group of fans who believe in Anthony Fasano and what he is capable of doing. Fasano was great when he had a TE friendly QB in Chad Pennington. His numbers have dropped off these past two seasons because he has had Chad Henne throwing the ball. Fasano is a great NFL TE, and I am hoping Miami is able to get him a QB that can hit him with the ball.

I think Clay would be great catching the ball out of the backfield. No he isn't especially fast, but he seems to be able to pick up a lot of yards through receptions. My hope is that he could be similar to Danny Woodhead of the Patriots in the sense that he is another receiver that teams will have to account for. He may not be as fast as Woodhead, but the impression I get is that Clay can catch just as well as him.

If I were Brian Daboll, I would train Clay to be the best possible blocker he can be. From what I hear, he is an average blocker. If Daboll can develop him into a great blocker, then he could be extremely helpful in the passing game. He could go out as a receiver, he could block, or he could hit a defender once like he was blocking and then go out for a reception while the defense isn't expecting it.

I said it once or twice before, but I really like the Charles Clay pick. He is very versatile, so he can be used in multiple places and defenses will have to make sure they cover him well.


Thanks for the question Tom. That's all I have for now. If anyone else has a question please email it to me at paul@dolphinshout.com or ask me on twitter at @PaulDSmythe. I love these questions, and I hope you guys enjoy me answering them.

Thanks everyone for reading.