This One's a Doozy

I'm not sure what to make of this rumor -- one that derives from a Chris Mortensen report.

That rumor involves Ronnie Brown and the possibility that Phin Brass will cut him loose... like real soon...like sometime this season.

From Salguero's blog, "Dolphins In Depth" :

"Mortensen was asked about Ricky Williams and while talking about how he would "swim," he went on to say that the Dolphins are so pleased with Williams he "would not be surprised if Ronnie Brown sinks," to the point where "he is playing with another team this season."

Mortensen's reason for Brown being out of here is that the player is "struggling" this preseason."

Mortensen isn't just some Woody-Paige clown ass. He's legit, but Salguero makes an interesting point: Why drop such a huge headline in a silly, time-killer?

Think of an expendable Dolphin. You could probably name 10 players. Is Ronnie Brown one of them?

Let's Do This Thing

(Yawn)

Ok, What's new?

Cam's canned. Mueller's out. Sparano hired. Parcells knighted. Green gone. Booker gone. Basically, the entire 2007 offensive unit let go. Thomas gone. So-so free agent signings. Great draft. JT's traded. Pennington's a Phin. Henne looking solid. John Boy hanging by a thread. 

That's got us up to today.

Some thoughts from the offseason:

Chad Pennington. Seriously?

OK. At first, I was a tad confused with this signing. A nearly broken down QB getting nearly $11 million over two years (...though it's not REALLY $11 million. Lots of goals to be attained before collecting that amount) from a Miami team that's seeking youth under center. To me, it seemed like a fruitless move, another stop gap, another Gus Frerotte, another Trent Green. The Phins aren't really playing for 2008, are they? So why the move?

First thought: McCown, Henne and Beck must be absolutely SUCKING in camp. Sure enough, they kinda were. Second thought: Now, who gets cut? As of today, there is talk, more like a whisper, of a Beck trade. That leaves Henne as our guy, to hold a clipboard and leave Pennington to work under an incredibly young yet potentially dominant offensive line.

Speaking of the O-line. Looks like it's shaping up as Long, Smiley, Satele, Thomas and Carey. A lot depends on the rookie left side. That goes without saying. I'll never pretend to be an offensive line guru but words like "gelling" and "cohesiveness" get thrown around when referring to offensive lines with new faces. The Phins have three. 

Speaking of big question marks:

Wide receiving corps looks awfully thin, like anorexic. The Ernest Wilford signing didn't make a ton of noise, but the thought was that he'd be No. 2 beside Ginn. Now, in camp, he's getting beat out by Derek Haggan? And David Kircus? Yikes.

Is Ronnie Brown healthy? This, to me, is the team's main concern. Sure, Ricky is a, dare I say it, dependable option, but a lot of the team's success rides on Ronnie's legs. And can we say with certainty that Ricky's healthy enough to take on the bulk of the carries? Couple these issues with that young O-line, and the Phins offense could be, well, pretty shitty. 

And we haven't even mentioned the defense. Matt Roth's transition to LB is looking good from what I've read. Joey Thomas has impressed. Paul Solial, who appeared to be out of a job, had the game of his life last Saturday. Rookie Philip Merling is practically invisible. I do like the linebackers: Roth, Crowder, Ayodele, Porter. Quentin Moses and Reggie Torbor provide some depth, too. The secondary doesn't seem nearly as dreadful as the injured-plagued 2007 squad, and it's good to see Jason Allen improving. It looks like he's finally ready to step into the starting free safety spot. It's been a long time coming.

Phins got the Chiefs on Saturday. 

First Post of '08

Nearly everyone coach associated with the 2007 Dolphins season was canned this week, including Cam, and Jeff Ireland will be our new GM. Cam first. Honestly, Cameron's chances of retaining his job didn't look too good when he was left out of all discussions involving Parcells. Well, that and only earning one win. I figured he'd get another shot, and, no, not because Bobby Knight is pals with both Parcells and Cameron. Seriously, nearly every prognosticator mentioned Knight as the reason why Cameron would keep his job, as if that f#$ing mattered even a little bit. As far as Ireland goes, cool. I got to read up on the guy.

Things are moving quickly, and it appears this will, in fact, be a truly exciting offseason. Lots of picks, $25 mill in cap space, Chad Johnson to Miami? (A steal or Joey Porter Part II?) Tony Sparano is said to be the leading candidate for the head coaching job, but I'm a little disappointed Jason Garrett isn't mentioned nearly as much. A former coach in Miami, a young, Parcells "guy" -- it sounds perfect.

Posts will be sporadic for the time being, which, considering the pace Parcells is dealing with things, doesn't speak well for my dedication. Deal with it, Rubberneck.