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Dolphins 2007 Training Camp: Day 1 - Saturday, July 28th |  | ||||||||
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TODAY'S SUMMARY: Training Camp 2007 got underway for the Dolphins this weekend with two practices on Saturday at the Dolphins' training facility in Davie. Changes to training camp this year have included moving the morning sessions to 8:30 AM to try and miss a little of the heat and working without pads during both sessions on the first day to ease the transition for the players from the off-season into full training camp. Also, for the first time in several years, the Dolphins had every member of their draft class signed and in camp on the first day. First round pick Ted Ginn, Jr was the final draft pick to sign a contract with the team on Friday, but his deal got done in time for him to participate in both practices on Saturday. The general tone of training camp so far has been less rigid and more relaxed than under Nick Saban. Saban's practices were very intense, with players running between stations at whistle blows and coaches screaming at small mistakes. This year, Coach Cameron brings a more business-like attitude to the field, treating players more like adults and less like college students. Guard Rex Hadnot summarized Coach Cameron's attitude when he said "If you're being a pro, he won't have anything to say to you,". The morning session consisted mostly of individual drills with some 7-on-7 work done in the last 15 minutes of practice. There were no full team drills run on Saturday morning. Players worked hard on individual technique and there were some nice receptions by the receivers, but without full pads, it was hard to get a feel for players' abilities to block or tackle. The QB depth chart looked as expected with Trent Green first, followed by Cleo Lemon, John Beck and Gibran Hamdan. Rookie center Samson Satele continues to occupy the number one spot at center, with Chris Liwenski at left guard and Vernon Carey at left tackle. On the right side of the offensive line, rookie Drew Mormino and Anthony Alabi lined up as the starting right guard and right tackle respectively. However, the press was assured this was just a temporary arrangement and did not mean that Rex Hadnot or LJ Shelton were in danger of losing their starting jobs. Ted Ginn, Jr brought forth a few "Oooo's" from the crowd with a one-handed reception in the endzone from QB John Beck. Overall, the reviews were positive for Ginn on the first morning. As for Beck, the reports were mixed. Some onlookers said that he had a good day, showing good accuracy, strength and command of the offense. However, Palm Beach Post reporter Edgar Thompson said that Beck was late on nearly every throw. On defense, there was little to note from the morning practice without hitting, but Jason Allen did stand out in a good way, managing to run step-for-step with Ted Ginn on several coverage assignments. Zach Thomas and Joey Porter both got a lot of work in pass coverage and generally did very well staying with the running backs. Other players who stood out included rookie free agent WRs Kerry Reed from Michigan State and David Sutton from Texas El-Paso. Sutton is an interesting prospect because of his 6'6" size. Rookie punter Brandon Fields has shown a very strong leg, booming punts 70 yards, but has some work to do on technique and sometimes shanks his kicks low. He has been working very hard with kicking coach Steve Hoffman to correct these problems and will be a great punter if he can get his technique to be more consistent. The afternoon practice began at 4 PM and was also done without pads, but more attention was paid to full team work. The players participated in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 team drills towards the end of practice, but the defense clearly got the better of most of those drills. Given the relative experience levels of the offense and defense, this is not surprising. Highlights of the afternoon were provided by WR Marty Booker, who made a leaping grab over CB Michael Lehan and appears to be set to keep his starting job. Rookie WR Kerry Reed provided another great catch, stretching out full length over the middle to snag a pass. On defense, Will Allen, Michael Lehan and Kelvin Smith picked off passes from Trent Green, John Beck and Cleo Lemon. One player mentioned for the first time in eyewitness reports on Saturday afternoon was DT Paul Soliai, the 4th round draft pick of the Dolphins. He is a huge player at 6'4" and 344 pounds, but he is very quick and did a great job getting off blocks in 1-on-1 drills. It remains to be seen how well he works when full pads are put on, but his quickness bears watching when the pads go on. The experiment on the offensive line continued throughout the afternoon with G Drew Mormino and T Anthony Alabi lining up at starting right guard and right tackle respectively. However, with no pads and limited hitting, it is still just an experiment and doesn't mean that there is going to be a change in the starting offensive line at this point. Overall, the first two practices of training camp went about as expected, with no major surprises. The veteran defense, with a year of working with Dom Capers under their belts clearly got the best of the offense, who are trying to learn Cam Cameron's new system. But that is to be expected and should not cause any major concern.
The experiment with the right side of the offensive line drew attention and speculation from the press about the future of Rex Hadnot and LJ Shelton, but until full hitting starts, it's still just a temporary arrangement and probably doesn't mean a serious change in the offensive line. Still, it looks like the offensive line is the most unsettled unit on the team. There were no significant surprises at any other position. Barring injuries, QB Trent Green will be the starter despite speculation of a "wide-open" battle at quarterback. Surprising rookie WRs Kerry Reed and David Sutton are making a case for playing time, but as undrafted free agents, their likely final destination is the practice squad, not the regular roster.
Just before training camp started on Saturday morning, the Dolphins cut DB David Lofton and signed former Raider TE Courtney Anderson, who was waived by the Raiders last week. At 6'6" and 270 pounds, Anderson is the kind of big tight end that Cameron likes and has drawn comparisons to Antonio Gates - at least, as a physical specimen. Anderson has caught 62 passes for 763 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons with Oakland and started 11 games last year. It's difficult to know how good he might be playing for Cameron, but it's unlikely he will be a major force on the offense.
The Dolphins have only two players officially on the PUP (Physically-Unable-to-Perform) list - OL Joe Toledo and CB Andre Goodman. Both players worked with trainers during the day and rode stationary bikes on the sidelines. FB Kyle Eckel, while not on the official PUP list, also worked with trainers and rode the bike. He is reportedly having hamstring problems. And Keith Traylor took the afternoon session off to rest his 38 year old, 340 pound body.
There are a number of excellent eyewitness reports available on-line:
Sun, July 29th: 4 PM
Mon, July 30th: Morning - 8:30 AM
Tue, July 31st: Morning - 9:30 AM Wed, Aug 1st: Afternoon - 3:30 PM
The first day of training camp went about as well as can be expected. The signing of Ted Ginn, Jr on Friday is a good sign and there should be no excuses for him when the regular season rolls around. Obviously, the defense, with it's level of experience, is way ahead of the offense at this point and that situation will likely continue for the next week or two. As I said, I think that the offensive line changes we have seen are just temporary. When full hitting starts, I believe we will see Rex Hadnot and LJ Shelton back in the starting offensive line rotation. The reports on almost the entire rookie class are positive so far and while it is still early, I think that this rookie class will be far superior to any we have seen in Miami in a long time. Already, players like Ted Ginn, John Beck, Samson Satele, Drew Mormino, Kerry Reed, David Sutton, Lorenzo Booker and Paul Soliai are making their presence felt. If they continue to progress as they should, they will have a significant impact on the team this year.
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