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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Jake Long Is A Beast, Which Is Why Cameron Wake Beating Him Is A Really Good Sign

Cameron Wake

Most of you probably know Jake Long, the Miami Dolphins Left Tackle.

You should also know that Jake Long is a beast, and he has rarely been beaten in training camp this year. If you read any training camp reports on Long, you will see that he just doesn't get beat very often.

He has been in the Pro Bowl in his only two seasons in the NFL, and that is why I was so surprised when I read about Cameron Wake beating Jake Long three times in a row during training camp.

Wake has been doing well so far in camp, which is evidenced by the training camp performance.

When he was in last season he showed flashes of greatness when he did play, which wasn't too much. Hopefully he will be in as a starter this season, because he could be dangerous to opposing quarterbacks and running backs.

Head Coach Tony Sparano has been saying good things about Wake so far and praising how few mental errors he has been making.

Hopefully that can carry on to the season when we need him now more than ever at the LB spot. We will see how he does during training camp.

I will be sure to keep you guys posted.

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Miami Dolphin Injuries Are Piling Up: Kory Sheets Is Out For The Season

Just a day after the Miami Dolphins lost LB A.J. Edds, they also lost RB Kory Sheets.

While Sheets was a backup, I believe that he had a lot of potential. Some people disagree with me on that, but I really did think that he could have done pretty well this year.

Oh well, we will have to wait another year to see how he does, but that is if Miami even decides to keep him. He was also a contender for the kick return position, so who knows how he could have done with that.

The injury was a torn achilles tendon and he will be out for the season. It is a shame to see to players out for the season in back-to-back days of training camp. Let's hope Miami can stay relatively injury free for the rest of the year.

How about you? Do you think the Miami Dolphins will keep Kory Sheets for next year?

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While The Rest Of The World Mourns Brett Favre's Retirement, Miami Dolphins Fans Can Rejoice

The news of Brett Favre supposedly leaning towards retirement has come out today.

I will operate under the premise that he actually will retire and assume he will no longer play football in the NFL.

Things could change, but I don't see Favre changing his mind yet again.

Image courtesy of Vikingvigil.com

Anyways, while a lot of people in the NFL are sad to see Favre go, Miami Dolphins fans should be very, very happy, and that is because Miami plays the Vikings in Week 2 this season.

The Dolphins once extremely daunting early schedule now seems a little less harsh. I am not saying that the Vikings game will be easy, because it won't. I just think that it will be easier because they don't have to deal with Favre. The Vikings are still talented, they just don't have as much talent.

The Dolphins have also started their season slowly the past two years and dug themselves in a hole before the season had hardly begun. Miami's first two games are against Buffalo and the Vikings.

Now that Favre is out, the first two games look a whole lot easier.

Don't look now, but the Miami Dolphins may start off their season 2-0 instead of 0-2 or worse like they have the last two years.

Also, on a different note, I am glad that Brett Favre retired simply because I don't like him much. I have rooted against him for a while now, and I am kind of glad that he is finally gone. I am not glad that he is having injury concerns, because I never want anyone to be in pain or injured, so don't try and make me look like an evil person.

I'm just tired of him. That's all.

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Hey Dez Bryant, Us Miami Dolphins Respect Our Elders

So, I know I am a little late with this, but I still think it is hilarious. Miami Dolphins DT Travis Ivey carried a couple teammates pads in a recent training camp practice. Here is a picture courtesy of the Miami Dolphins In Depth Blog Of The Miami Herald:

This picture made my day

This picture normally wouldn't be too funny, but what made it so funny is the fact that Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys refused to carry his teammate's pads.

Now, who do you think is liked more by his teammates as a result of pads?

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The Miami Dolphins Misssed The Playoffs Because...

I have an assignment for all you Miami Dolphins fans out there.

I want to hear from the Dolphins community about our biggest concern for this year. I am talking something that would keep us from making the playoffs. Let me know what you think will be Miami's achilles heel for the 2010-2011 season.

It could be anything from lack of leadership to Chad Henne falling apart(God forbid).

Whoever sends in the best answer with the best reasoning, examples, etc. will have their answer posted on the blog. I will give every credit to the writer and take none of it for myself.

Email your answers to this email address:
paul@dolphinshout.com

Use a format similar to this:

Name:
Location(City, State, Country):
Website you would like to promote(optional):
Your answer:

For the subject of the email put this: The Miami Dolphins Misssed The Playoffs Because...


If you do not want to write a lot, please still send an email or leave a comment below saying what you think will be the biggest problem. All you have to do is say one or two words like: pass defense. I will be tallying the results, so every answer helps.

I thought of this idea because I am curious about what the majority of Dolphins fans think is most likely to go wrong. It is easy to get caught up in what is going right in the organization, and I sometimes overlook big problems.

Thanks for reading everyone, and my email again is:
paul@dolphinshout.com


Image courtesy of: J Pat Carter/AP

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The New Miami Dolphins Are Finally About To Arrive

If you read the Sun Sentinel, writer Ethan Skolnick describes the Miami Dolphins situation best: just about everything is unknown. Starting with the Owner making statements like Joey Porter, down to looking for a new identity.

The old group of players that didn't do much for us (as far as wins and losses are concerned) are gone.

Finally!

And, taking with them a dark hole that we as fans were so accustomed to. Yes, some of those players had a lot of talent, but they had no idea what it took to win. What is worse is they had us fans caught up in the "wait until next year" pattern (just like cubs fans have).

Enough of that junk, toss it out the window and never look back to that dark hole again. This is a new team with different players looking for new leaders and a new identity.

I don't expect a big season this year because of the huge turn over on the defensive side of the ball.

What I do expect are guys that have learned to compete from the first day of training camp. This team is going to be fast, big, and young. Because the old group is gone they have no one to teach them how to lose, and they can look to themselves and find out how to get the job done.

That's how you find Leaders and Identity. It comes from action, making plays when they are needed, those are things this team needs to learn.

We haven't seen that in some time down here. Isn't it about time we did?

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As Good As Miami Dolphins Running Back Ronnie Brown Is, I Would Never Draft Him For Fantasy Football

I was participating in a draft last week, when I saw that Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie was available. I considered drafting him, but then passed him up.

I don't remember who I got instead, but the people I was drafting with were surprised that I didn't get Brown. Partly because I am a Dolphins fan, and partly because they considered him to be better than who I picked instead.

As blasphemous as that sounds, I knew it was better for my team for one reason: Ronnie Brown is a fantasy football nightmare. He could score 5 touchdowns in a game when you don't see it coming and then hardly do anything in another game that you expect him to do really well in.

He is unpredictable, and that is any fantasy owners nightmare.

Fantasy owners look for consistent production week in and week out. That is what Ronnie Brown is unable to do, and that is why he isn't drafted among the best of the backs in the NFL.

As much as I am a fan of Ronnie Brown, his fantasy points are going to decrease even more than last year because Miami now has more of a passing threat. His numbers weren't that great last year, and they won't be any better this year.

Yes, he is a great player and he helps Miami's offense a lot whenever he is in. He just isn't a good fantasy player.

As a matter of fact most Dolphins players aren't great for fantasy football. Let's hope that trend changes for Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall because I have both of them on my team.

I hope you guys like the picture. I am going to try it for a while and see if it works.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave a comment.

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An Eye For An Eye: The Miami Dolphins Take DE Marques Douglas Before The New York Jets Can

I think we can all agree what is going to happen to Miami Dolphins DE Phillip Merling.

The Dolphins just agreed to a two year deal with unrestricted free agent Marques Douglas. There was talk that the veteran Douglas was going to go to re-sign with the Jets, but when they didn't show interest Douglass went to their rivals.

Sound familiar?

The Jets signed veteran Jason Taylor, who had been with the Dolphins for the majority of his life, and while Douglas hasn't been with the Jets for very long it is still great to steal a player from the enemy.

The addition of Douglass is a good one because now Miami has multiple starting options at the defensive position. Douglass will compete with rookie Jared Odrick. Everyone knows how the Dolphins staff likes to always have competition for the starting spot.

Douglas is a 33 year old veteran who should be able to last a few years while Odrick is able to develop. He had 64 tackles last year, which is really good. Now, the decision will be whether Miami wants to go with the pass rushing Odrick or run-stopping Douglas.

It will be interesting to see who wins the starting spot. We will see how each does during training camp.

Let me know what you guys think, and please feel free to email me a question to answer in my blog. My email is:
paul@dolphinshout.com

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Miami Dolphins DE Phillip Merling Is All But Done Now Because Of Injury

In a post a few days ago I answered a question on whether I thought the Miami Dolphins would release DE Phillip Merling because of an assault charge.

I wanted the Dolphins to release him, and I still do. But, I didn't think they would because they haven't shown any signs of wanting to get rid of him. Well, now they have another reason to cut him.

He apparently has an injury to his Achilles Tendon injury and will be out for an unannounced amount of time.

This is just another reason for Miami to cut him, and I would be extremely surprised if they don't. Not only will cutting him clear up another roster spot and give the team a better image, but it is also possible that the injury wasn't football related. If that is the case, then it is possible that Miami will also not have to pay Merling his salary of $600,000 from last year.

Normally, you wouldn't want to get rid of a starter, but thankfully Miami went for Jared Odrick in the draft. Odrick and Merling were competing for the starting defensive end spot, so we know Merling can be replaced.

Aren't you guys glad that Miami traded down in the draft and was still able to get Jared Odrick?

Let me know with your comments.

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Dolphin Shout Miami Dolphins Fan Question - Phillip Merling from Anthony

We have another question from our man in the heart of enemy territory. Anthony Bertolini from New York has a question about Philip Merling. So, here it is:

Paul I have a tough time dealing with 6' 4" 305 pound Phillip Merling hitting his pregnant girlfriend. Do you think if he's found guilty Miami will cut him automatically?

Paul I'm far from an angel myself but hitting a pregnant woman, or any woman for that matter is inexcusable.

Thanks & Regards as Always,
Anthony

My Answer

I, like you, am not on Phillip Merling's side on this one. Hitting a woman is never acceptable, but hitting a pregnant woman is five times worse.

While I would like Miami to get rid of him if he is guilty, I am not really sure if they will. They really didn't say or do much when the story first came out. I don't think they will do a whole lot more, either. They may suspend him for a certain amount of time, but that won't be likely for one reason: the NFL will probably get to him first.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell enjoys giving out big fines and suspensions. That is why the NFL will probably suspend Merling for at least part of the season and hand him a nice fine.

While he deserves all of the suspensions and fines, I think the one thing he deserves most (being cut from Miami) might not happen. Merling is a talented player, and with Randy Starks moving to Nose Tackle Miami may try and keep him because of his skill. It may not seem right, but it is a possibility.

Let's hope that Miami does cut him. I would rather just depend on Kendall Langford and Paul Soliai than having to follow Merling. We will see, though.

Thanks for the question and keep them coming guys. Also, don't forget about my fantasy football league. Email me for details about it or to ask a question about Miami at this email address:

paul@dolphinshout.com

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Looking For People (Not Just Miami Dolphins Fans) To Join The Dolphin Shout Fantasy Football League

Hey everyone. I am looking to host a fantasy football league with yahoo sports, and I am looking for people who are interested in joining.

If you are interested in joining, then email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. Also, if you have any friends that would be interested then let me know in the email.

I'm not sure whether I am going to do a money league or not. It all depends on what you guys want to do. When you send me the email, let me know if you would be willing to do a money league or not. If enough people are interested, then I would definitely be willing to.

The entry fee wouldn't be more than around $10, and the pot would be divided with the majority going to first place, and then a little to the runner up.

The scoring would be pretty normal. If you have any preference of scoring just mention it in the email. Also, I don't really want to do really hard scoring unless pretty much everyone wants to. Just putting that out there.

Basically, email me with your interest, the above things, and anything else you may have to say. I would like to do the money league, but I would be more than happy to do non-money too.

So, I look forward to hearing from you guys. I just can't wait to see how far Brandon Marshall lastst among a bunch of Dolphins fans. Once again, my email is:
paul@dolphinshout.com

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Michael Lombardi Is My Hero Miami Dolphins Fans, And Here's Why

Since there isn't much news about the Miami Dolphins, I figured that I would write about something I recently read on NFL.com written by Michael Lombardi.

Lombardi wrote about the AFC picture and gave each team a ranking between super bowl contender and no chance to win at all. Here is a link to the article: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8191ab4e/article/breaking-down-afc-picture-has-dolphins-making-big-jump

Lombardi had three teams in the top category of super bowl contenders, and guess who was one of them.

Yep, the Miami Dolphins.

Not many people have given the Dolphins credit this year, which is why I was surprised that Lombardi included Miami among the elite. But, what he said is very, very true.

He praised Miami's execution and their consistency. He also mentioned their size and mental toughness. All of which I agree with, but it is just great to hear from an NFL analyst.

He then finished by saying:

"If the Dolphins stop the big plays, make a few of their own, and find a way to close out games, J-Lo and Marc Anthony might have a stake in a Super team."

Thank goodness for Michael Lombardi and thank you to him for recognizing what Miami has. What do you guys think about what he said let me know with your comments.

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Dolphin Shout Needs New Miami Dolphins Questions From You

Hey everyone. I am looking for new questions about the Miami Dolphins. It can be anything relating to the Dolphins, so feel free to fire away.

Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com with your questions. Try to answer in a format like this:

Name: Your name
Location: City/State where you live
Website you represent(optional): give your website some publicity
Question: You question about the Miami Dolphins


I am sorry, but I am unable to post anything more because I am still getting over a migrane and it hurts to look at my screen. Thanks everyone for reading and I look forward to your questions.

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Dolphin Shout Miami Dolphins Fan Question - Jason Taylor's Legacy from Victor Huesca

Next is a question from Victor Huesca. All of our questions have been on the east coast until Victor. He lives in California, so it is good to hear from fans across the country.

Who knows, maybe the next question will be from a different country. Anyways, here's the question:

I'd like to say great job and keep up the good work.

I bleed Aqua and Orange and I can't help think how Jason Taylor has tarnished his legacy with the Miami Dolphins Organization by signing with the good for nothing Jets.

Am I the only one who has burned his Jersey and condemned him to the Jets Hall of fame? Is this a case of me being too much of a die hard fan?

My Answer

Thanks for reading and I appreciate the question.

I too bleed aqua and orange, and I do agree that Jason Taylor has tarnished his legacy with Miami. He will never be the same in the eyes of Miami fans, and that is for sure.

I can also say that you aren't the only one to burn Taylor's jersey. Many other fans feel the same way you do, and I am one of them. I would have rathered him retiring then to play in New York.

Not everyone feels the same way you do, though. The Miami Dolphins are still going to honor him by adding him to some honor roll. So, while many fans agree with you, the Dolphins organization definitely isn't burning any jerseys.

That's about all there is to say about Jason Taylor, but I will leave you with a video from a Miami fan. I will warn you that there is some foul language, but since most of our readers are 18+, I think it is ok that I post it.

Just so everybody knows, this is not me in the video. Thanks for the question Victor, and keep them coming everybody.



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Why Are The Miami Dolphins Looking At RB Harvey Unga?

Throughout the past couple of seasons, there was always one thing the Miami Dolphins could count on.

That was the running game.

It didn't matter what the passing game or the defense was like, you always knew the running game would come through. In a recent post I discussed whether the Miami Dolphins really needed Ronnie Brown. While I believe that Brown is a really great running back, I also believe that the Dolphins do not absolutely need him.

They have enough talent behind Brown at the RB position led by Ricky Williams. Williams is a great back that should be able to give the Dolphins a couple more great years.

Yes, Ricky is old, but he should be able to last long enough for the Dolphins to find a real starting back, and this is all assuming that Miami doesn't keep Ronnie Brown.

But for now, pretend that Ronnie Brown will not be a Miami Dolphin for much longer and Miami is searching for a back:

According to a report by sunsentinel.com, the Miami Dolphins are among the most interested teams looking at BYU running back Harvey Unga, who would be in the supplemental NFL draft on July 15.

I am wondering why they would be even remotely interested in Unga.

Williams will last the Dolphins for at least another season, which will enable them to pick up a running back in the NFL draft next year if they really need it. Then they could develop that back into a starter.

But, instead they are looking at Harvey Unga who, from what I can tell, isn't all that great of a running back. Sure, he rushed for 3,455 yards and he gained 1,085 receiving yards in three seasons for BYU, but if you watch his highlights he isn't very impressive.

He doesn't really have breakaway speed like most of the most successful running backs. He may be powerful, but that can only get you so far in the NFL. Speed is everything for a professional running back, and he just doesn't seem to have enough of it.

Unga does have a pretty good repertoire of moves that help him get past a defender, but the problem is that once he makes a move the defenders will still end up catching up to him before he scores. That could sometimes be the difference between a field goal and a touchdown.

If anything, Unga is more suited to be a fullback, which the Dolphins don't need right now either.

Maybe the Dolphins staff sees more in him than I do, but I can't really tell what that would be.

I believe that the Dolphins can find a better back than him next year, but I don't even think they will need to next year. Brown will, most likely, come back for the Dolphins and play for many more years. I just see it as unnecessary to even bother looking at the kid.

What do you guys think about Harvey Unga? Let me know with your comments.

I will also post a video of Unga when he played for BYU, so be sure to check that out.

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Talk All You Want Nick Saban, But This Miami Dolphins Fan Doesn't Care

Nick Saban essentially apologized to the Miami Dolphins in an interview recently.

Nick Saban was the Miami Dolphins Head Coach for the 2005-2006 season when he helped the team to a 9-7 record. There were rumors late into the season that Saban might become the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Saban constantly denied these rumors and said he would stay with the Dolphins. But, when the end of the season rolled around in Miami, what did Nick Saban do?

He rolled out.

He became the head coach for the Crimson Tide.

Now, according to the Shutdown Corner Blog on yahoo.com, when Saban was asked about the situation with the Miami Dolphins he said that next time if he could, he would "manage it differently" and that he apologizes "for any professional mishandling that might have occured."

You can apologize all you want Saban, but I don't care. You lied over and over about staying in Miami, and then you just left.

The worst part is that Saban is apologizing now. Instead of apologizing soon after the whole incident, he decided to wait until four years later to apologize. He waited until his team had won a national championship game and he had fans all over Alabama supporting him.

It's easy to talk from a high-horse. Let's see how much he apologizes when he isn't winning.

I'm willing to bet that pretty soon the fans in Alabama won't be so gung-ho about their coach in a year or two. They may love him now, but don't be surprised if he starts to lose and they start hating him. But by that time, he will have probably left the team for another program that is willing to pay him with a fatter contract.

Let's just hope he doesn't return to the NFL and ruin another team. Unless, of course, he joins the Jets or Patriots. Then, we can count on either team falling apart and then our schedule will be a little bit easier for a few seasons.

Let me hear your opinions on Saban, just leave a comment below.

Also, I am sorry about not posting these last few days. I was out of town for the weekend and got back late Sunday.

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A New Way to do things

So up until now, I have been posting everything I wrote on my blog and also adding the article to Bleacher Report. Well, I am going to partially change the way I do things in order to make the content of my blog a little more unique.

From now on I will be posting things on my blog that I don't post on bleacher report. I will still add the articles to bleacher report, but from now on I will also have content that is only available at my blog.

So, please keep checking back to see what is new.

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