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Dolphins News: Mini-Camp Starts
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Dolphins News: Mini-Camp Starts
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*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Apr 25, 1997: -- Mini-Camp Starts --

** First Mini-Camp Starts

The Dolphins started their first mini-camp of the 1997 season today at their training facility in Davie Florida. Mini-camp will be closed to the public this year because of construction at the facility.

Joining the Dolphins for the 3 day camp will be all the new draftees and rookie free agents that the Dolphins have acquired in the last week. Also, new quarterback Damon Huard is expected to be present to show what he can do.

Following the mini-camp this weekend, the Dolphins will hold a week long "quarterback school". This is not exactly a school for quarterbacks Dan Marino and Craig Erickson, but is really an extension of mini-camp to allow the new players to get used to catching passes from Dan Marino.

** Dolphins agree to terms with QB Damon Huard

The Dolphins announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to contract terms with quarterback Damon Huard. Huard was the all-time passing leader with the University of Washington Huskies and, at 6'3" and 220 pounds, is a big, strong player.

He graduated in 1996 and in last years draft, went undrafted and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent. However, he didn't make it through training camp with Cinci and spent the 1996 season out of football.

** Dolphins Sign Tim Jacobs

Right after the draft ended, the Dolphins re-signed free agent cornerback Tim Jacobs to a one year deal for a league minimum salary of $275,000. Last season, Jacobs was primarily a special teams player, and recorded 15 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 1 pass defensed.

** Dolphins Offer Emtman A Contract

According to a report in the Miami Herald this morning, the Dolphins have offered former Dolphin Steve Emtman a contract for a minimum salary plus numerous incentives for playing time and performance. Emtman was cut right before the free agent period began to be allowed to pursue other potential offers, but he has said that he expects to be re-signed by Miami in the near future.

My Comments:

Well, the real work begins today as JJ begins to put the new kids through their paces in South Florida. JJ has said that he plans to have 3 players competing for each 2 starting positions. This is particularly true of wide receiver, where draftee Yatil Green, OJ McDuffie and Fred Barnett will compete for 2 starting spots.

Some other interesting battles will be the contest for the starting right cornerback spot, with the overweight Calvin Jackson competing with Sam Madison and Clayton Holmes for a starting position and the competition between George Teague, Corey Harris and Shawn Wooden for the two starting safety spots.

The signing of Huard may be a real effort to find a third quarterback or it may just be an attempt to put a third passer on the field during mini-camp, since the Dolphins' other quarterback Spence Fischer is currently unavailable because he's playing in the WLAF right now.

Signing Jacobs is a no-brainer, because according to Mike Westhoff, he's a special teams standout and a 1 year deal for a minimum salary doesn't cost the team much of anything except a little time.

As for Steve Emtman, I don't really have much preference, either for or against. He'll never be the force that he was supposed to be coming out of college, but he's a good, steady player and if he signs a minimum salary contract, it doesn't do the team any harm.

For those interested in Mike Crawford, who is the linebacker out of Nevada that JJ compared to Zach Thomas on draft day, check out today's Miami Herald article on him. It's pretty neat.

I will be posting as much information on the mini-camp and the quarterback school next week as I can, but I'm obviously somewhat limited up here in New England, so I'd be grateful for any information that any of you folks out there here, especially any reports on who is looking good and who's not.

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Curt Fennell, curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New England
     
   

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Curt Fennell
curt@phins.com
DOLFAN in New England