Kaspers Korner

The Miami Dolphins signed quarterback Chad Pennington to be the present of the team with 2008 second round pick quarterback Chad Henne to be the future.  Come training camp the future could be now.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinnel, via ProFootballTalk.com, Henne ran the first string offense, which head coach Tony Sporano stated he did a good job at.

The more interesting part is the growth of his ability to recognize defenses in a practice that was purposely planned to be almost like a game.

The author of the article, who is Omar Kelly, reported this observation of Henne practicing, “The practice didn’t feature many highlights or low points. But watching Henne make checks at the line of scrimmage, routinely calling audibles into better plays, showed the coaches and his teammates exactly how far the 2008 second-round pick has come in one full year.”

The key for a quarterback to be successful in the National Football League is the ability to recognize defenses that way he can put wide recievers in a better position to play, thus minimizing the potential for interceptions.

This is especially crucial with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick who’s defenses eat young quarterbacks who are not good at reading defenses alive.

With Bill Parcells heading up the football side of the Dolphins, if Henne gives any inkling that the Dolphins have a better chance at winning with Henne Parcells will not be afraid to tell Sparano to make the move.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan has been saying things that have caught the attention of Miami Dolphin players.  If these players knew what was best for the team they would shut up.

National Football League players save their trash talking for on the field, but sometimes that can spill over into the media.

Ryan’s antics have already caught the attention of Dolphins linebackers Channing Crowder and Joey Porter.

Porter is known for trash talking in the media, which goes all the way back to his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, there is a certain point where the trash talk becomes a huge dsitractiong.

When playrs start talking trash in the media it attracts additional medai members, because it is always a good story.

The eventually they start asking other members of the team about this, which a lot do not care for.

That is when it becomes a problem as players get out of their work routines due to the distractions.

Take for instance Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco who has been asking for a trade request for several years now.

Last year it upset him so much that he could not get past the distraction of not being traded, which caused him not to work out.  That ultimately caused his production to drop last year.

So, if the Dolphins knew what was best for them they close their mouths and if they cannot do it themselves then someone needs to do it for them.

You can bet on that happening with Bill Parcells vice president of football operations for the Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins are facing a big decision with their pick at 25th spot.  Their pick should be a cornerback.

The AFC East now have two teams that have dual threat wide receivers in the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills.

Also, cornerback Will Allen is in the last year of his deal.  Evem at 31 next year Allen will get a pretty sizeable contrac that the Dolphins will most likely not want to play.

This is the best route for the Dolphins to take, because there is always one cornerback near the end of the first round that turns out to be solid every year.

With Bill Parcells at the helm of the Miami Dolphins draft the Dolphins have a good shot at getting it right.

The good thing about cornerbacks is that they usually do not take long to develop into starters.

Their first year rookie cornerbacks serve as the nickle and dime cornerback, which seems some action each game.  Then in their second year they take over as the starter.

So, cornerback would be the ideal scenario for the Dolphins, but do not discount them trading down as they are still building.

Yeremiah Bell S unrestricted resigned with team four year $20 million $10 guaranteed
Vernon Carey OT unrestricted resigned with team six year $42 million $15 million guaranteed.
Patrick Cobbs RB restricted

Channing Crowder LB unrestricted resigned three year $20 million, contract set up to protect Dolphins in case Crowder hurts knee again.
Andre’ Goodman CB unrestricted signed with Broncos five year $25 million $10 million guaranteed.
Renaldo Hill S unrestricted signed with Broncos four years, $10 million, three million guaranted
Tab Perry WR unrestricted

It was learned sometime ago that Miami Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells had an out option in his contract to walk away from the team when Wayne Huizenga sold the team.  The transaction of the sale was finally completed recently, but Parcells has opted to stay with the team.

Parcells leaving the team could of meant a total upheaval for the Dolphins.  With Parcells staying the Dolphins can continue to grow, which is bad news for the rest of the AFC East.

The next question is what areas will the Dolphins address this offseason?

Offensively, the Dolphins do not need to address any of the skill positions, because of recent draft picks, along with left tackle with the pick of tackle Jake Long who they picked first overall of the entire draft.

Defensively, the Dolphins picked defensive end Philip Merling in the second round last year, and has Joey Porter at the outside linebacker position.  Porter second in the National Football League in sacks this past regular season with 17.5.

Basically, the Dolphins really need to address the lines on both sides of the ball.

How they will do just that remains to be seen.

The Miami Dolphins are one win away from completing a amazing turn around from their 1-15 record last year.  So, many people are now wondering what is the key to Miami’s success?

The Dolphins turn around by many experts look at the signings of Chad Penninton as the main catalyst to their turn around.  However, the key to the turn around is the Dolphin’s head coach Tony Sparano.

The Dolphins hired Bill Parcells in the offseason to lead the Dolphins turn around in the front office.  Parcells then hired someone that he was familiar with, which turned out to be one of the best hires of the season in Sparano.

The Dolphins are tough physically, and mentally, which is a image of their head coach. That is the key to success in any franchise as the team mirror’s the mental characteristics of its head coach.

A team can have loads of talent, but are not going to use it all if they are not pushed to do so.  People get lazy, because after a while of working so hard even players want to sit back, and relax.

The football season is long, and grueling as players are working six days a week.  Five of them preparing, and the game itself.  If a coach does not set standards, and push his players, then the coach will lose.

The best example of this is the Buffalo Bills.  Before the season they were picked to sneak in the playoffs.  They even looked like a sure thing after starting the season 5-1, but head Dick Juaron does not push his players, and it shows as they looks soft at times.

The Dolphins will most likely make the playoffs, because they simply have a that will push them to their limits, and beyond.

The Miami Dolphins suffered a big setback in trying to make the playoffs with a loss to the New England Patriots.  At second glance the loss is even more costlier than thought.

The Dolphins suffered injuries to two key offensive players.  Them being offensive tackle Jake Long, and wide receiver Greg Camarillo.

While the injury to Long is not known, and will not be until Sunday the way teams are, the injury to Camarillo is known.  Camarillo’s season is done as he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. 

Camarillo was the Dolphins leading receiver with 55 catches for 613 yards, and two touchdowns.  So, what happens now with Camarillo done for the season.

What it means is that the Dolphins could start a losing streak, even with three teams with bad records.  The reason is that the passing game has been carrying the team, and now will most likely start struggling.

The reason that the Dolphins will start to struggle is that teams will do two things to the Dolphins.  First they will double team wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., which will be quarterback Chad Pennington’s main target.  Also, teams will play the Dolphins passing game aggressively, with blitzes, and man to man press coverage.

Injuries happen in the NFL, and it is better to have them early.  The reason being that they will comeback in time for crucial games.  The Dolphins are starting to get their injuries at the wrong time, which will cost them.

Going into the season the Miami Dolphins were thought of to be a walk over in divisional play.  That has proven to be not true as they are one game behind the rest of the division.

The reason for their resurgence this year.  The resurection of the careers of quarterback Chad Pennington, and outside linebacker Joey Poter.

Pennington is on pace for a career high in passing yards.  Through eight games he has 1,991 yards passing with seven touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Simply, he has got a line in front of him that is doing a good enough job.  Also, he has an outlet in the passing game in Anthony Fasano.

Fasano is in his first year with the Dolphins, as well as a starter.  The last two was spent as a back up on the Dallas Cowboys to tight end Jason Witten. 

Fasano has 21 receptions for 288 yards receiving, and three touchdowns.  All three are career highs already.

Poter has been the reason for the Dolphins defensive success.  The reason for his resurgence is that the Dolphins have switched to a 3-4 defense, which Poter was in for his entire time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When you start doing the basics very well things start falling into place.  With Dolphins head coach Anthony Sparano being from the Bill Parcells tree you can be assure he is empathizing that.

Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams has been an enigma as he has considered life outside of football more important.  However, that has all changed as Williams has been rewarded with an outstanding training camp with a contract extension, and a pay raise.

ESPN’s Tim Graham was writing for the Miami Herald just before he joined ESPN.  He stated in an interview that Williams looked better than ever.

So, what is the main reason for the turn around?  The answer to that has two parts.

First, the money is to good to pass up.  Outside of football the only way that you are going to make the kind of money that you get in the National Football league is if you own your own business.

Secondly, is his leagacy, which is a surprise.  Williams is concerned with the way people will look back at him.

Williams is only 31 years old, and with running back Ronnie Brown he can easily play at a high level for four more years.  Former New York Giant running back Tiki Barber retired at age 32, and he was still in his prime when he retired.

What Williams also has going for him is that he has not played in two years.  Most running backs hit the wall just after turning 30, beacause they have taken such a pounding by that time. 

With the addition of quarterback Chad Pennington during the preseason, thanks to the stupidity of the Jets, the Dolphins could present a much tougher opponent than first thought.

Chad Pennington for all purposes looked to be in the twilight of his career after having two shoulder surgeries.  However, the trade to the Miami Dolphins has looked to breathed new life into Pennington.

In his first game as a Dolphin Pennington went five for six for 55 yards, and scrambled twice both being for nine yard gains.

What was more impressive was that Pennington completed a deep pass over the middle of the field for 22 yards.  That shouldn’t come as a surprise, because statistically Pennington is a better deep ball thrower than even Brett Farve.

What makes him a effective deep thrower is that he knows when to pick his spots. 

Also, it looks like ESPN’s TIm Graham was right in an interview on a Buffalo, NY radio station. 

In the interview he went on to state that Dolphins running back Ricky Williams looks determine to change the way people will remember him. 

Williams in a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars gained 43 yards on 10 carries.  Also, it was against the Jaguars first team defense, which makes it an impressive number.

The way things are shaping up the AFC East is starting to look like a division that is going to be tough to play in this year. 

The team that will come out on top will be the team that has the survives the war of attrition.  Meaning the team that gets injured the least will win the division.