Miami Dolphins vs. Carolina Panthers: Random Observations

The Miami Dolphins were forced to battle the elements of a South Florida summer for the second straight week, but they prevailed yet again as they beat the Carolina Panthers 27-17 and advanced to 2-0 in the preseason.

Once again, I won’t be doing a video recap of the game as I do in the regular season. Instead, I’ll just list my observations of players’ performances and any stock changes from after the game. Enjoy!

• The wildcat was hit-or-miss against Carolina, but we saw a couple examples of how successful it can be when executed properly. The team clearly doesn’t view that package as “trick” or “gadget” plays, but rather just like any other part of their offense.
• Chad Henne had an impressive performance, and is looking more and more like a leader on the field. He’s also got a laser arm that Miami hasn’t had in a decade.
• The Dolphins’ top running backs were good as usual and got more help from the offensive line than they did against Jacksonville. Nothing to worry about there as the line does their job.
• Patrick Cobbs had a quality game all around, and you can see why he’s a Sparano favorite. His long reception on the wildcat was very reminiscent of one his touchdowns in Houston last year. He’s not feature back material, but he’s a versatile guy you love to have on your team because he does a lot of little things well.
• Lex Hilliard was more impressive last night than I’ve ever seen him since he was drafted. He ran hard and showed off some good moves, even if it was against the Carolina third-stringers. The problem is, I don’t know if there’s a spot for him on the team. He might go the way of Jalen Parmele and get picked up by another team if he keeps running like that though.
• Good job by recently-signed fullback Joe Kowalewski on the touchdown grab. He probably isn’t going to supplant Lousaka Polite for a spot on the roster, but he’s got some potential at fullback and could be worth bringing back in the future or in the event of injury.
• We didn’t see as much of the receivers as we did last week. No one really stood out there, though it’s not a real cause for concern because the offense moved the ball.
• Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline each had their ups and downs, which is to be expected from rookies. Both should play in 2009, but I don’t anticipate a ton of production from either early on.
• For the second straight week, Jake Long got beat badly by a rusher. Last week it was Quentin Groves, this week it was rookie Everette Brown. Granted, both of those guys are talented players, but we pretty much never saw that kind of thing last year. I’m inclined to think this sort of thing is an aberration and not cause for concern. Long should only get better.
• The notion that Shawn Murphy had a chance to win the right guard job hasn’t been more laughable than it is now. Donald Thomas is a monster out there and was a key part of many of the team’s big plays last night. If he stays healthy, he’s going to be a good one.
• Connor Barth and Dan Carpenter continue to split the games about evenly, but I’d like to see Barth get a chance to kick a field goal from a longer distance. Both of his conversions so far this preseason have been under 30 yards, though this is likely because the halves each would play have been predetermined.
• I thought the defense did okay against the run, outside of that ridiculous scoring play by DeAngelo Williams. The weather seemed to play a part in some missed tackles, as some guys’ hands just seemed to slip off the ball-carriers, but you have to tackle better than that regardless of the conditions.
• The Dolphins are going to need a young, long-term answer at nose tackle in the next year or two, but overall I am very content with the entire defensive line and feel it’s one of the most sound units on the team. Ferguson’s still got it and the defensive end is very deep.
• I was impressed with some of the younger guys fighting for spots on the defensive line, such as Lionel Dotson, Louis Ellis, Ryan Baker and Tony McDaniel. At least a couple of them should make the team and rotate in. I have my fingers crossed Ellis can be developed as the nose tackle of the future on the practice squad. Ferguson was a seventh-round pick once upon a time!
• Nice to see Joey Porter make some plays against the run, because that’s been a huge hole in his game in recent years. We’re going to need Porter to be more of a complete player, especially if the shenanigans with Matt Roth continue.
• Good showing by Quentin Moses, though I don’t know if it’ll be enough to justify keeping him after he’s been pretty much invisible for a few years now.
• Cameron Wake was cheated out his second sack in as many games, but what’s important is how he played. He’s looked good on special teams and show good pass-rush ability, and I’m becoming more optimistic about him every day.
• I was a little perplexed with the cushion Miami’s defensive backs were giving Carolina receivers in this game. I can understand Nathan Jones and Joey Thomas struggling in coverage, but Will Allen had some busted plays as well. No one did anything to pass Sean Smith, that’s for sure.
• After a shaky performance in his preseason debut, first-round cornerback Vontae Davis had a very strong showing this week. He made some plays in coverage and really put his strength and athleticism on display with some good tackles at the line of scrimmage. You have to love his physical tools and can see why Miami drafted him.
• Gibril Wilson, as advertised, continues to be a little rough in pass coverage and better against the run. It’s a somewhat odd pairing with the similar Yeremiah Bell, but hopefully the front seven takes the pressure off them.
• Chris Clemons was in the right place at the right time as he recovered a fumbled punt, but he also had some missed tackles on special teams. He’ll make the roster, but he needs to get better on special teams because that’s where he’ll be playing most of the time.
• After flashing some speed against Jacksonville, returner Chris Williams took a step back last night. He’s got the ability to take one back all the way, but he hasn’t been consistent enough to earn a roster spot. Remember, since he won’t be playing on offense (like Bess last season), Williams will have to earn a spot purely as a returner, which makes his task much harder.
• As athletic and fast as he is, Chris Williams sure goes down easy once you hit him. That’s what happens when you weigh 170 pounds in the NFL.
• With his speed, I’d always wondered why Anthony Armstrong didn’t get more of a chance to return kicks. He had one chance last night but didn’t do much with it. I consider him a long shot to make the team at this point.
• We haven’t really seem recent CFL pickup James Robinson given a shot, and he doesn’t really have a shot to make the team. Still, with his blazing speed, I’d like to see him get an opportunity to return kicks.

Miami (2-0) will travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers (1-1) this Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. The game will air nationally on FOX.

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Random Observations

It wasn’t pretty, but the Dolphins prevailed in their 2009 preseason opener last night, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 12-9. The team will take on the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, Aug. 22, when they’ll have the extra motivation of trying to win one for my birthday.

I’m not going to be doing videos for the preseason, but instead just listing some random observations I had about certain players during the game. I was going to do a sort of “stock watch” thing as well, but after I wrote the quick hits, I realized most of what I would say in the stock watch was already there.

Now, the quick hits. Here comes the header:

Quick Hits

• This one certainly looked like a preseason game. The offensive line was a mess at times, there were some busted plays, and the fourth quarter was played by a lot of guys that will be working fast food in September. Those rough patches are to be expected and isn’t really cause for concern unless it persists throughout the preseason.
• The offensive line certainly isn’t there yet. The pass protection was troubling at times and the running game was never able to get going.
• Speaking off the offensive line, while Shawn Murphy got the start at right guard, Donald Thomas seemed to play most of the first half while Murphy didn’t play until much later. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If he’s healthy, I can’t imagine Thomas not winning the job.
• Despite getting no help from the offensive line, the Dolphins’ backs ran hard. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams looked good and should be fine.
• It was nice to see Ted Ginn, Jr. have the performance he did. He made some quality catches, ran good routes and drew a big pass interference call like a veteran. The third year is when most NFL wideouts break out, so keep an eye on Ginn in ’09.
• Chad Henne was shaky at times, but I still see him as starter material. He looks like a leader on the field and throws a good ball. He should be fine.
• Nice to see Ernest Wilford make a play there. You had to feel good for the guy, even if it did come in a preseason game. We got to see a glimpse of the kind of stuff he can do as a pass catcher from the tight end position and I’m intrigued by his potential there. Still, with that contract, he’ll have to be more than just a third tight end to make the team.
• I saw Anthony Armstrong really going all out on some special teams plays, even getting in on a tackle. He needs to play well there, because his biggest competition is Brandon London and that’s what London does best.
• It’s certainly a change of pace to have an athletic guy like Pat White behind center, but he’s a long way off from contributing and being ready to run an offense.
• You have to feel for guys like Anthony Kimble. He had virtually no chance to make the team anyway, but to see a guy really mess up his one chance by dropping a pass and causing an interception is rough. Guys in his position have to be flawless during the few times they get on the field.
• Lex Hilliard runs hard, but it’s hard to evaluate his performance when he was facing the Jaguars’ third-team defense. He has no chance to crack the top three backs and is really auditioning for his own practice squad spot, but running like that helps.
• Chris Williams got an extended look at both return spots, and he had his ups and downs. He certainly has home-run potential with that speed though. I just don’t know if he’ll be able to prove enough to earn a roster spot solely for his return skills, because he’s not going to be playing on offense.
• I expect Connor Barth to give Dan Carpenter a legitimate run for the kicking job, and the fact he got into a game shows you it’s a real competition. Camp legs rarely play in the preseason.
• I thought the first-team defensive line did a good job. Tony McDaniel played well and should earn some playing time in rotation during the regular season.
• Vontae Davis had a very rough night, though it’s nothing to worry about this early on.
• Eric Green was brought in as a potential starter, but he was pretty awful last night and I’m close to predicting him to be cut. If he can’t show anything on defense, there will be no reason not to keep Jason Allen as the fifth corner for his special team’s ability.
• I think J. D. Folsom might have a real shot at beating out William Kershaw, who wasn’t particularly impressive on defense. I still think Folsom is more practice squad material at this point, but he’s making the most of his opportunity.
• I’m wary of Gibril Wilson‘s coverage skills, but it’s nice to see him acting like a leader in the secondary.
• Sean Smith (a favorite of mine and the guy I projected us taking in the first round) has performed above and beyond expectations. He’s got great ball skills. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to start opposite Will Allen, especially with the struggles of Green and Davis.
• Nice showing by Cameron Wake. It’s impossible to know at this point how his CFL performance translates to the much tougher NFL, but he’s a physical specimen, plays extremely hard and looks like he has potential as a pass rusher. He won’t be asked to do much as a rookie anyway.

Remember—I’m tweeting during games now and did so last night, so you can get this kind of analysis as things happen in-game. (And who would want to deny themselves that?) You can find in-game analysis and all kinds of little blurbs of Dolphins news and info throughout the day at www.twitter.com/phinsspotlight.

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Miami Dolphins Sign Fullback Joe Kowalewski

With only one fullback on the roster following the departure of rookie Matt Quillen, the Miami Dolphins have signed former New York Jets tight end Joe Kowalewski to a contract.

Background

A Syracuse, N.Y. native, Kowalewski played for his hometown Syracuse Orangemen in college. Originally a defensive end and linebacker, Kowalewski was moved to tight end for the 2002 season and finished his collegiate career with 33 catches for 441 yards and three touchdowns.

After going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft, Kowalewski received tryout offers from the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. He opted for the Jets, and was eventually signed by the team on May 15.

After spending his entire rookie season on the Jets’ practice squad, Kowalewski made the team’s active roster in 2007. He went on to appear in 13 games, starting two and catching five passes for 18 yards and a score.

Kowalewski was waived by the Jets on April 28, 2008, and spent the entire season out of football. He remained unsigned until being picked up by the Miami Dolphins on August 11, 2009. He likely signed a one- or two-year deal for the league minimum.

Though primarily a tight end in his professional career to date, Kowalewski will play fullback for the Dolphins. He has been assigned No. 40, which he wore during his time with the Jets.

Analysis

It’s no surprise to see the Dolphins add a fullback here, as at least one more was needed to prevent starter Lousaka Polite from being overloaded in camp. Running back Lex Hilliard has the ability to fill in at the position, but the team seems to prefer him at tailback.

Kowalewski has tight end size at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. He’s a solid blocker but doesn’t offer much in the passing game outside of your occasional short or goal-line reception.

What’s interesting about this signing is that, unlike Chris Brown or Matt Quillen, Kowalewski is not eligible for the practice squad. He lost that eligibility playing in 13 games for the Jets in 2007. It can be a difficult obstacle in a player’s career, when they just aren’t good enough to get on an active roster, but talented enough to be worthy of a practice squad spot.

But if Kowalewski can’t be placed on the practice squad, why is he here? After all, even though Chris Brown and Matt Quillen had no chance of beating out Polite and probably weren’t going to make the roster, at least they could be groomed on the practice squad and serve as a backup from there.

As I see it, there are two reasons for the Kowalewski signing. First, he was brought in to back up Polite during camp and allow Hilliard to play his normal position.

Secondly, I believe Kowalewski is “auditioning” for consideration in the event of a Polite injury. Essentially, he’ll get an extended look from the Dolphins staff in hopes he can impress them to the point where they’ll look his way again should Polite go down in the regular season.

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Miami Dolphins Bring In Well-Traveled Wide Receiver, Kicking Competition

With four open spots on the roster entering today, the Miami Dolphins moved to remedy that by signing wide receiver James Robinson and second-year placekicker Connor Barth. Both likely signed two-year contracts for the league minimum.

James Robinson

Robinson (6-3, 193) played his college ball at Butler Community College in Kansas. From there, he went on to play two seasons for the Miami Morays/Florida Frenzy of the National Indoor Football League.

Robinson attended training camp with the Arena League’s Las Vegas Gladiators in 2007, but was released on March 20. He landed with the South Georgia Wildcats of af2 later that year, racking up 77 catches for 1,168 yards and 27 touchdowns his rookie season.

Robinson’s impressive performance in af2 landed him a spot on the practice roster of the Toronto Argonauts in 2007. He then went on to play for the AFL’s Kansas City Brigade in 2008, catching two passes for 11 yards and a score.

After the 2008 AFL season, Robinson re-joined the Argonauts and make the team’s active roster. He hauled in 25 passes for 381 yards and a touchdown during his first season with the Argos.

Robinson began the 2009 CFL season with the Argos, catching five passes for 56 yards. He was released by the team on Aug. 5.

Robinson, who first practiced with the Dolphins on Monday, will wear No. 14 for the Dolphins. He becomes the 10th receiver on the Dolphins roster, replacing undrafted rookie Brennan Marion (torn ACL), who previously donned No. 14 before his injury.

Connor Barth

A Virginia native, the 23-year-old Barth enters his second NFL season following a stint with the Kansas City Chiefs as a rookie in 2009. He initially lost out to Nick Novak in the placekicker competition in Kansas City last preseason, but was re-signed on Oct. 21.

Barth performed well for Kansas City as a rookie, going 10-for-12 on field goals and 24-for-24 on extra points. Both his misses came in a Week 15 game against the San Diego Chargers, which the Chiefs lost by one point.

Although he was expected to compete for the Chiefs’ placekicking job again in 2009, the team opted to go with rookie seventh-rounder Ryan Succop and consequently released Barth on July 28.

Barth joins fellow second-year man Dan Carpenter as one of two placekickers now on the roster, which stands at 78 players after today’s two signings. The team has two more open roster spots they can fill before they reach the current 80-man limit.

Analysis

Say hello to Todd Lowber, v2.0.

Robinson bears a striking resemblance to the former Dolphins wide receiver (waived June 1) as a prospect. He possesses good size at 6-3 and nearly 200 pounds, but is lacking in the route-running and hands departments.

However, Omar Kelly reported today that Robinson ran a 4.29 40-yard dash during his workout with the Dolphins. After that kind of showing, it probably took less than 4.29 seconds for the Dolphins to offer Robinson a contract.

Despite his blazing speed, Robinson is an extremely long shot to make the team. He was very inconsistent in the CFL, and the fact that he was let go by a league with a much lower talent level than the NFL doesn’t bode well for his chances of thriving at this level.

With Robinson’s physical tools, he’s likely competing with players like Anthony Armstrong and Chris Williams for a spot on the team’s practice squad. I certainly wouldn’t call him the favorite though, as Armstrong’s been around for a year now, is having a good camp, and runs pretty well himself.

Now on to Barth.

As I said in my Aug. 9 final roster predictions, I would prefer the team having some competition for Dan Carpenter at placekicker. Looks like I got my wish, as Barth is just that.

Barth doesn’t possess the leg Carpenter does, posting only four touchbacks during his time with Kansas City and averaging nearly six yards less on kickoffs than Carpenter did last season.

Nevertheless, Barth is a fairly accurate placekicker, and that has to come first when evaluating the position. According to some reports coming out of camp, Carpenter has missed more kicks already this year than he did all of last year.

Now I’m not saying Barth’s going to win the job. Carpenter’s probably the better all-around player and is certainly the favorite as the incumbent. Despite his recent struggles, Carpenter was more than adequate last season, and that has to count for something.

Still, Barth’s no slouch and it’s nice to see the Dolphins used one of their four open roster spots on some competition for Carpenter. At the very least, they’ll get a closer look at another kicker in the league, which will come in handy should Carpenter suffer an in-season injury.

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

FB Matt Quillen Becomes Third Player to Leave Miami Dolphins This Week

Okay, now this is just getting ridiculous.

First it was undrafted offensive tackle SirVincent Rogers. Then safety Ethan Kilmer. Now, recently signed fullback Matt Quillen has become the third player in the past week to walk away from the Miami Dolphins.

Quillen was the newest member of the Dolphins, signing just three days ago after the team waived fullback Chris Brown. A New Mexico product, Quillen was competing for a backup fullback/special teams job and auditioning for a potential practice squad spot.

With the departures of Rogers, Kilmer and Quillen, plus Brennan Marion going on injured reserve, the Dolphins are four under the current 80-man roster limit. If they don’t add anyone else, they’ll need to release just one player to reach Sept. 1’s 75-man limit.

That being the case, the team figures to fill at least a few of the spots with camp bodies, even if they don’t get all the way back up to 80 the rest of the preseason. Another receiver seems likely, as does another fullback, as Lousaka Polite is the only one left on the roster.

Second-year fullback Chris Brown, who was waived to make room for Quillen, cleared waivers and is now a free agent. It is possible he could be brought back, though it’s unknown at this point if either party is interested in a reunion.

In all, none of these departures has really hurt the team, as none of the players involved were likely to stick around past the final cuts anyway. It’s also likely a coincidence that it has happened this many times in such short span, as each of the players that has quit did so for personal reasons.

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Updated Miami Dolphins Final Roster Predictions: Aug. 9

We’re a week into camp and less than 10 days away from the team’s first preseason game, so I thought it might be a good idea to revise and update my predictions on how the Dolphins’ final roster will shake out.

The team currently has 77 players with open roster spots left by Brennan Marion, SirVincent Rogers and Ethan Kilmer. They will have to cut down to 75 players on Sept. 1 and eventually to the final 53 players on Sept. 5. This is my current projection of that 53-man roster.

Keep in mind, it is almost certain not all of the players on Miami’s eventual 53-man roster are with the team now. They will likely claim a few players off waivers from other teams’ cuts, and that’s a little too difficult to predict.

Notes:
-The number in parentheses next to each position is the number of players kept at the position.

-Italics indicated a player I predict will win a starting job.

For reference and comparison, you can see my initial predictions here.

Quarterback (3)

-Kept: Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Pat White
-Cut: none

Comments: Not exactly difficult to predict when no one’s competing, is it? Miami’s three quarterbacks are already present and nothing will change that in 2009. Given the way White has struggled in camp thus far, I think it’s safe to say he won’t be threatening Henne for the backup job any time soon.

Running back (3)

-Kept: Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs
-Cut: Lex Hilliard, Anthony Kimble

Comments: Another position where there isn’t much mystery. Brown and Williams are far and away the two best backs on the team, and Cobbs has shown too much ability to lose out to Hilliard or Kimble. The way I see it, the latter two are competing for a practice squad spot.

Fullback (1)

-Kept: Lousaka Polite
-Cut: Matt Quillen

Comments: The Dolphins may have opted to bring in Quillen over recently released Chris Brown, but he’s in no better position now than Brown was a week ago. Polite pretty much has the job nailed down, and as the team prefers to only keep on fullback, Quillen doesn’t have much of a shot to stick unless he proves to be absolutely indispensable on special teams. He’s auditioning for a practice squad spot.

Wide receiver (5)

-Kept: Ted Ginn Jr., Greg Camarillo, Davone Bess, Patrick Turner, Brian Hartline,
-Cut: Brandon London, Anthony Armstrong, Chris Williams

Comments: This is one position where my predictions have changed. I initially had Armstrong making the team, but I just can’t see Miami keeping six receivers. If Brian Hartline can show ability on special teams, there will be no reason to keep someone like London around. I could be wrong here and the team could keep Armstrong or London as the sixth guy, but it seems unnecessary and thus unlikely.

Tight end (3)

-Kept: Anthony Fasano, David Martin, Joey Haynos
-Cut: Ernest Wilford, John Nalbone

Comments: Fasano’s a lock and Martin shouldn’t have any trouble making the team given the way he played in 2008. The real battle here is for the third spot, which as I see it is entirely up for grabs. Haynos, as the incumbent, likely has the best chance, but he is by no means a lock. If fifth-round pick John Nalbone progresses quickly enough, he could potentially beat out Haynos. You also can’t rule out Wilford here, since he costs less to keep ($3 million) than he does to cut ($4.5 million) and provides the versatility to back up both receiver and tight end.

Offensive tackle (3)

-Kept: Jake Long, Vernon Carey, Andrew Gardner
-Cut: Nate Garner

Comments: Garner failed to get activated as a rookie in 2008, and I’m just guessing the team prefers Gardner and his higher ceiling. The team will likely only keep three pure tackles, so someone had to go.

Offensive guard (4)

-Kept: Justin Smiley, Donald Thomas, Shawn Murphy, Andy Alleman, Brandon Frye
–Cut: Ike Ndukwe, Mark Lewis

Comments: I’m still not sold on Shawn Murphy’s seemingly miraculous turnaround, and I have to imagine Thomas will still win the starting right guard job if healthy. Still, the mere fact Murphy is in the mix (and supposedly the front-runner right now) means he should be able to make the team. Ike Ndukwe has pretty much peaked in my view and, while he can play all the line positions, he can’t play most of them well. I expect the team will go with the younger prospects in Alleman and Frye.

Center (2)

-Kept: Jake Grove, Joe Berger
-Cut: none

Comments: Berger isn’t a lock here, and I believe he and Alleman could be competing for one roster spot. Both have the versatility and experience to play center and guard and could quite possibly both make the team. Still, if the team opts to keep another guard like Ndukwe, Alleman or Berger might be shown the door.

Defensive end (5)

-Kept: Kendall Langford, Phillip Merling, Randy Starks, Tony McDaniel, Lionel Dotson
-Cut: Rodrique Wright, Ryan Baker

Comments: I think it’s a given that Langford, Merling and Starks all make up a three-man rotation at the end spots. I also don’t anticipate any surprises with the backups either, as McDaniel and Dotson are likely held in higher regard than Wright and Baker.

Nose tackle (2)

-Kept: Jason Ferguson, Paul Soliai
-Cut: Joe Cohen, Louis Ellis

Comments: The only question mark here is the backup job, and Soliai has to be the favorite. He’s been in the team’s doghouse a number of times, but he’s certainly the most talented of the three competing. He also seems to be having a solid camp and should be able to hold off Cohen and Ellis for the job.

Outside linebacker (6)

-Kept: Joey Porter, Matt Roth, Jason Taylor, Charlie Anderson, Cameron Wake, Erik Walden
-Cut: Quentin Moses, Tearrius George

Comments: It’s quite possible the team only keeps five here, but it’s difficult to pick those five so I’m playing it safe. With Roth’s injury and Taylor’s age, it seems possible they could keep six around. Wake and Walden are primarily special teamers right now but have potential as pass rushers, while Anderson was too valuable as a situational guy last year to cut loose.

Inside linebacker (4)

-Kept: Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele, Reggie Torbor, William Kershaw
-Cut: J. D. Folsom, Orion Martin

Comments: Although Torbor is extremely overpaid, I don’t see the point in cutting him here and there’s really no one to replace him as the top backup. The real battle here is for the fourth and final spot, which is between Kershaw and seventh-round pick J. D. Folsom. Kershaw has more experience on NFL special teams and Folsom’s probably better suited for the practice squad at this point, so I’m giving Kershaw the edge.

Cornerback (5)

-Kept: Will Allen, Sean Smith, Vontae Davis, Eric Green, Nathan Jones
-Cut: Jason Allen, Joey Thomas, Will Billingsley

Comments: Some believe Jason Allen will make the team because of his special team prowess, but I just don’t see it. While I agree Allen has been strong in that area (and only that area) I simply don’t see room for Allen at cornerback without keeping more than is reasonable. Green and Jones are the only of my five kept that could possibly be cut, but both are bigger contributors on defense than Allen and have to get the edge over the first-round disappointment.

Safety (4)

-Kept: Gibril Wilson, Yeremiah Bell, Chris Clemons, Tyrone Culver
-Cut: Courtney Bryan

Comments: With Ethan Kilmer now out of the picture, Chris Clemons has no real competition for the backup free safety job and is close to a lock to make the team. The top four safeties are pretty much set, with Courtney Bryan being the odd man out. It’s possible he could make the team as a fifth safety if he proves to be too valuable on special teams to part with, but he’s certainly not going to crack to top four at safety and make the cut that way.

Special teams (3)

-Kept: Dan Carpenter, Brandon Fields, John Denney
-Cut: none

Comments: All three are uncontested at their positions, so there’s nothing to guess here. I would have preferred some competition for Carpenter and I’ve read he’s struggled some in camp, but he was good enough last season that the team must feel comfortable with him.

Practice Squad (8 – made up of our cuts)
-RB Lex Hilliard
-FB Matt Quillen
-WR Anthony Armstrong
-TE John Nalbone
-G Mark Lewis
-NT Louis Ellis
-LB J. D. Folsom
-Will Billingsley

Comments: If Armstrong continues to impress, it’s possible he might not even be available for our practice squad. If he is though, I have to imagine he’ll be there if he’s still willing. Hilliard and Billingsley are here, though ideally I’d like to replace them with more talented players from other teams’ cuts. Nalbone and Ellis are some intriguing prospects whose development is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Miami Dolphins Safety Ethan Kilmer Quits Team

A day after undrafted rookie SirVincent Rogers quit the team and opted for retirement, another Miami Dolphin has followed suit. This time, it’s safety Ethan Kilmer, who the team signed as a free agent in January.

Background

A former walk-on at Penn State, Kilmer saw action at wide receiver, cornerback, safety, and special teams with the Nittany Lions. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of 2006 NFL Draft.

Kilmer recorded 19 tackles while playing in every game for the Bengals his rookie season. The highlight of the season, and perhaps his career, came in a game against the New Orleans Saints, when he intercepted a Drew Brees pass and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown.

Injuries forced Kilmer to miss the entire 2007 season, and he spent the first half of the 2008 season on injured reserve before being let go by the Bengals in October. He spent the rest of the season out of football.

The Dolphins signed Kilmer to a two-year contract on January 20. He was competing for a role on special teams while also battling fifth-round pick Chris Clemons for the backup free safety job behind Gibril Wilson.

Analysis

Without knowing all the facts at this point, it’s hard to know what exactly Kilmer’s reasons were for quitting. He has been on injured reserve the past two seasons, so it’s possible his body just wasn’t going to allow him to play at a high enough level. It’s also possible Kilmer just didn’t like his prospects in the NFL at this point and decided to move on.

This isn’t a huge loss for the Dolphins as I considered Kilmer the underdog for the backup free safety job all along. If things were close between Kilmer and Clemons, the team was always going to opt for the younger and Miami-drafted player.

Despite being a fifth-round pick, I for one believe Clemons has the potential to be a starter down the line. He should at least be sufficient as a backup in his rookie season, especially considering he’s not likely to see the field much except on special teams.

A few other things to consider in my mind:

• With Kilmer being the second player in as many days to quit the team, one has to at least entertain the possibility that the Dolphins could be one reason for this. Is the team or staff doing something that is turning off these players from the game? It’s impossible to say at this point, though I would consider the scenario unlikely. Players around the NFL do occasionally quit for various reasons, and usually those reasons are personal more than anything else.
• With Kilmer leaving, Clemons is essentially uncontested for the backup free safety job. While it’s true they could bring in someone else, it’s likely they’ll pick someone up off the street that would have a realistic chance of beating him out. Competition brings out the best in everyone, so ideally this rookie would at least have someone to battle. Let’s hope he has enough self-motivation to succeed without it.

 

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Miami Dolphins Waive OG J. D. Quinn, Deactivate TE Jared Bronson

With draft picks Pat White and Chris Clemons signing contracts on the eve of training camp, the Dolphins needed to clear two spots to get down to the 80-man limit. To that end, the team waived undrafted rookie guard J. D. Quinn and placed undrafted tight end Jared Bronson on the Reserve/Did Not Report list.

A former Oklahoma Sooner who transferred to Montana, Quinn was signed in early May after going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft. Bronson was signed with the team’s original crop of undrafted rookies out of Central Washington on April 30.

Neither move comes as much of a surprise. The Dolphins have a large number of guards on the roster, and neither Quinn nor Oregon’s Mark Lewis had/have much of a chance to make the squad, so it makes sense to let one of them go at this point.

Bronson’s specific situation is more unclear without talking to someone with direct knowledge of the situation, but it’s not hard to guess what’s happened.

Every so often you’ll have an undrafted rookie change his mind about pursuing a professional career (because they are an extremely borderline prospect) and just opt to not show up. Virginia Tech nose tackle Kory Robertson did just that after signing with the Dolphins last year.

Bronson will not count toward the team’s 80-man roster limit while on the Did Not Report list. The reason for not outright releasing him is to prevent Bronson from “forcing” his way off the roster by not showing up just so he can sign elsewhere.

This way, should he ever change his mind about playing, he can’t simply go to another team as Miami still owns his rights.

Roth placed on PUP list

The Dolphins made another transaction today, placing starting outside linebacker Matt Roth on the Active/Physically-Unable-to-Perform list. According to head coach Tony Sparano, Roth failed his conditioning test due to an illness.

On the Active/PUP list, Roth still counts toward the active roster and should be activated in a day or two when he’s feeling better and is cleared to practice.

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Potential Sleeper Wide Receiver Among Dolphins’ Undrafted Rookies

The Dolphins have added three more undrafted rookies, bringing the grand total to eight. Newly signed are Temple center Alex Derenthal, Stanford running back Anthony Kimble and Tulsa wide receiver Brennan Marion.

Alex Derenthal

A four-year starter for the Temples Owls, Derenthal started all 47 games possible during his collegiate career and earned second-team All-MAC honors as a senior in 2008.

As reported earlier on this site, Derenthal worked out for the Dolphins in late March. He was ranked the 719th prospect in the draft by NFL Draft Scout.

Anthony Kimble

Kimble’s numbers steadily improved in four seasons for the Stanford Cardinal, rushing for 244 yards and two scores as a freshman and capping things off with 717 yards and six touchdowns as a senior. He finished his collegiate career with 1,940 yards on 415 carries (a 4.7-yard average) and 18 touchdowns.

This offseason, Kimble just barely cracked Draft Countdown’s list of running back prospects, ranking 27th out of 29 total backs.

Brennan Marion

A two-year starter at Tulsa after transferring from DeAnza Junior College in 2007, Marion was a tremendous deep-play threat for the Golden Hurricane, breaking the NCAA record for yards per reception as a junior at 31.9!

Topping 1,000 yards both years at Tulsa despite never catching more than 43 passes in a season, Marion finished his collegiate career with 82 receptions for 2,356 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Marion tore his ACL on the final offensive play of the Conference USA championship game in December 2008, which likely hurt his draft stock and could impact his availability in the Dolphins’ offseason activities.

Interestingly, Draft Countdown had Marion as the 37th-best wide receiver prospect in this year’s draft—one spot ahead of Dolphins fourth-round pick Brian Hartline.

Analysis

Of the three players discussed in this article, Marion is clearly the most talented and thus has the best chance of sticking around. He’s only six months removed from the torn ACL suffered at Tulsa, so he’s likely destined for the practice squad or stashed on injured reserve in 2009. Still, there’s no denying his talent and he could end up being a steal for the Dolphins down the line.

Kimble’s best chance at staying in Miami is on the practice squad, where he’ll have to beat out 2008 sixth-rounder Lex Hilliard for a spot. Neither one of them has a realistic chance at jumping Patrick Cobbs for the No. 3 tailback job.

As it stands, Derenthal is the only other pure center on the roster behind starter Jake Grove. However, guards like Joe Berger and Andy Alleman can play center and have a lot more ability than Derenthal, so he has quite a few bodies in his way if he wants to make the team.

Derenthal is extremely borderline pro prospect and doesn’t stand much chance of sticking around. He’s got experience but is simply limited physically and probably doesn’t have what it takes to make it in the NFL.

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Miami Dolphins Sign Undrafted Offensive Tackle SirVincent Rogers

The Dolphins have signed their sixth undrafted free agent, inking Houston offensive tackle SirVincent Rogers to a contract.

A Conference USA All-Freshman selection in 2004, Rogers started at tackle for the Cougars until midway through the 2006 season, when a knee injury forced him out of action for the rest of the year. The same injury would keep him out of the 2007 season as well.

I’m assuming he resumed starting as a fifth-year senior in 2008, but who really knows because that information was essentially impossible to find.

At Houston’s Pro Day in 2009, Rogers measured in at 6’5″ and 306 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.34 seconds, the short shuttle in 4.75 second, and the three-cone drill in 7.39 seconds. He posted a29″ vertical and an 8’7″ broad jump.

Rogers has his work cut out for him to make the team, as he’ll have to beat out second-year man Nate Garner and 2009 seventh-rounder Andrew Gardner, among others, for a backup tackle gig. Offensive tackle is one of the thinnest spots on the team depth-wise, however, so it’s not inconceivable.

Remember Dolphins fans, you can now get up-to-the-minute on Dolphins news and new site postings on twitter!

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

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