*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Apr 29, 1999: -- Quarterback Camp 1 - Update --
The Dolphins first quarterback school got underway on Tuesday
of this week, but even though the school is open to the press and
public, there is very little real news coming out of the school.
That's probably because there isn't much going on down
there. The team practices only about an hour each day, in the morning
from 10:30 to 11:30. The rookies have been sent home, because an NFL
rule says that the rookies can't come back to practice until after May
17th and the veterans are practicing without pads, meaning the only
thing they can work on seriously is passing routes and timing and may
a little bit of pass coverage.
Which is why they call it a quarterback school.
The only real news to report doesn't have anything to do with
the practice sessions this week. Trace Armstrong broke a small bone
in his hand on the last day of mini-camp on Sunday and will have his
left hand in a cast for about 4 weeks.
That will effect his weight training somewhat, but shouldn't
hinder him in training camp this summer. He'll be fully healed by the
time the pads go on.
The other news worth reporting is that two of the Dolphins
most important players are about to get contract extensions. Dan
Marino and OJ McDuffie's agents are both working on contract
extensions for their respective players.
Marino is expected to get a 2 year extension, while the
Dolphins are working on a 4-6 year extension for McDuffie. In both
cases, the contract should actually lower the salary cap hit for each
player this season, while avoiding any kind of salary disputes next
year when both OJ and Dan are scheduled to become free agents.
In both cases, however, the contract negotiations will likely
continue for some time and may not get done until after the start of
the regular season.
In the case of Richmond Webb, who is the Dolphins' franchise
player, the team will not sign him to a contract until the July
franchise deadline has passed, like they did with Tim Bowens last
year.
One other small tidbit worth noting is that John Avery will
get a chance to return punts this year. It's been talked about since
Avery came to the Dolphins last spring, but he didn't return any punts
last year. This year, however, he's been working on his punt fielding
and will get a chance to return a few this summer. If he's good
enough, he will probably take the job full time this fall.
My Comments:
No news is good news, as the saying goes. Yatil and Larry
Shannon are still practicing, Tony Martin is getting his reps in and
Tyrone Wheatley is getting his chance to learn to catch Marino's
passes out of the backfield.
In other words, it's good at this time that there's no news
worthy to report out of Miami.
The rumors are all pretty positive right now. Yatil and
Shannon are rumored to be looking good - Tony Martin hasn't lost any
speed and Tyrone Wheatley has caught JJ's attention with his size,
speed and power.
And Kevin Gogan has been exerting his leadership qualities
along the offensive line. Read today's Herald article on Gogan
putting Grey Ruegamer in his place during practice this weekend.
Of course, you'd have to be as big as Gogan to put someone
like Ruegamer in his place.
So I think that it's fair to say that things are going as well
as we can expect at this point.
Unfortunately, the Herald's Armando Salguero is still writing
like a tabloid reporter, dealing in rumors, half-truths and innuendo,
but at least the Herald finally got smart and hired Jason Cole away
from the Sun-Sentinel, so now at least half of the Herald's columns
are worth reading.
Not that I'm biased or anything....
I like the fact that John Avery will get a chance to return
punts. It's a long overdue development. I also like the fact that
he's been working hard in the weight room. If that kid can grow up
some this year, he can be very effective.
And Karim Abdul-Jabbar continues to soldier along, like the
trooper he is. I think that cutting or trading him, regardless of
talent level, would be a mistake. You can get better talent in this
league, but you can't find a guy with a better attitude. And you need
guys with good attitudes on a team to set the example at least as much
as you need guys with 4.3 speed.
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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