Report Card Grades for Miami Dolphins Positional Units so Far This Preseason

Now that all of the Miami Dolphins positional units have made their debuts, it's time to check in and issue some grades. 

These grades have fluctuated wildly in the last week. The Dolphins lost starting quarterback David Garrard to a knee injury, released starting wide receiver Chad Johnson and saw some surprising and disappointing performances from select players against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday. 

However, this report card reflects each positional unit's body of work throughout the preseason—not just their performances on Friday night.

The Dolphins' preseason debut was the most important factor in generating these grades, but, remember, the offseason began all the way back in May. 

Quarterback

Grade: B-

David Garrard was fastening his grip on the starting QB job before suffering an abrupt knee injury last Friday. While his two-to-four week recovery timetable keeps him in contention to start Week 1, it puts his chances in serious jeopardy.

This nugget from Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post won't help his cause:

"

Source close to the Dolphins QB competition shed an interesting light on David Garrard, who had been leading the battle after 2 weeks. While Garrard looked the best of the three QBs, he also had some trouble grasping the playbook. When the Dolphins run their no-huddle, up-tempo offense in practice, Garrard would sometimes need QB coach Zac Taylor to call in the play two or three times, or have a teammate explain the play to him, before recalling the play and everyone's responsibility. 

"

It's okay for a player to hit speed bumps while learning a new system, but a quarterback entering his 10th NFL season shouldn't be struggling with the playbook this late in the offseason. That being said, don't blow this out of proportion. The regular season is still a month away and Garrard will have time to master the playbook during his rehab.  

Garrard was generating a whole lot of buzz before he injured his knee—some went so far as to draw Chad Pennington parallels—but perhaps we let our expectations run rampant. 

Incumbent starter Matt Moore looked decent in Garrard's place on Friday night, completing 7-of-12 passes for 79 yards and an interception. His numbers may be underwhelming, but Moore was in command running Miami's new no-huddle offense; and he looked poised and comfortable taking 3-step drops and delivering quick passes, dispelling some concern that he isn't a fit for the West Coast offense.

Were it not for Chad Johnson's inexcusable, drive-killing drop, Moore's night could've ended on a much higher note. Ultimately, though, he did little to fend off Ryan Tannehill, who impressed in his debut. 

The eighth overall pick completed 14-of-21 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown, but numbers don't tell the whole story. 

Tannehill made typical rookie mistakes—forcing passes, staring his targets down, and throwing off his back foot. And this was all against Tampa Bay's backup defense. Those clamoring for him to start this week's game should temper their enthusiasm, but there's no doubt he earned the right to take reps with the first team—if not start—against the Carolina Panthers.  

Now, we'll get to see what Tannehill can do against a first-team defense, and we'll see how good Moore looks against a backup unit. 

Given Garrard's alleged learning curve, Moore's underwhelming performance and Tannehill's rapid progression, the quarterbacks receive a B-. 

Running Back

Grade: C+

Considering the Dolphins only ran the ball 13 times last Friday, it's difficult to pass judgement on the running backs. But, considering they mustered only 23 rushing yards on those 13 attempts—a dismal 2.9 yards per carry average—it's safe to say they don't deserve high marks. 

The Bucs jumped out to an early first quarter lead and never looked back, which forced the Dolphins to play from behind and abandon the run early. 

Reggie Bush was the only running back to register double digit rushing yards, finishing the game with four carries for 17 yards. Meanwhile, Lamar Miller, Steve Slaton and Daniel Thomas combined for six yards on nine carries.

Just awful. 

The offensive line is certainly at fault for some of the rushing attack's struggles—which I'll touch on more in slide six—but there's really no excuse for such a poor statistical output. 

Friday night's performance is a disappointing step in an otherwise mediocre offseason. While select players from other positional units are having noteworthy camps, the same can't be said for any running back.

Granted, it's way too early to start worrying about the running game, it's an appropriate time to start taking a more critical look at the position. 

Wide Receiver

Grade: B+

Remember, I'm not grading positional units based on projections or talent, I'm grading them based on offseason performance. The wide receiver corps suffered a devastating blow when the Dolphins released Chad Johnson, but, collectively, it has exceeded expectations this offseason. 

For starters, Davone Bess looks like a natural fit for the West Coast Offense. With Brandon Marshall and Chad Johnson out of the picture, he is the best wide receiver on the roster, and is primed for a career-year.

But, nobody expected him to struggle. 

However, there was no shortage of skeptics who doubted Legedu Naanee—a talented, gifted underachiever—and Roberto Wallace—a former UDFA who, despite a deadly blend of size and speed, hasn't contributed in his first two seasons. 

Both have already silence those critics. Naanee has solidified himself as a starting wide receiver and Wallace reeled in four receptions for 71 yards in Miami's first preseason game. There's a chance, albeit a small one, that Wallace cracks the starting lineup for Week 1 of the regular season. 

And then, there's Julius Pruitt, who was an anonymous camp body a few short weeks ago. Now, he's on the cusp of securing a roster spot. Not only is he a special teams stud, but he's also establishing himself as a viable NFL wideout. 

Unfortunately, not wide receiver has performed up to par this offseason.

Clyde Gates has been on the roster bubble since the outset of minicamp, and he's done little to garner a roster spot. Meanwhile, Marlon Moore hasn't shown as much development as the team would like, and rookies Rishard Matthews, B.J. Cunningham and Jeff Fuller have been mostly quiet. 

Tight End

Grade: A-

Charles Clay is the only tight end who has made headlines this offseason, but that doesn't mean the others are doing anything wrong. 

It'd be out of character for Anthony Fasano to attract media attention (with the exception of his Hard Knocks protest). He's not a flashy player, but rather a consistent and reliable one. The emergence of Charles Clay may curb Fasano's targets, but we can expect the steady production he has delivered in his four seasons with the Phins.

The Dolphins desperately need an athletic tight end who can slip behind linebackers, pose a seam-threat, and consequently expand the passing game. Clay's outstanding—though sometimes inconsistent—play this offseason suggests he's ready to fill that role, as does his three reception-49 yard-one touchdown performance against the Bucs. 

Third-round draft pick Michael Egnew needs to blossom as a blocker before he becomes a regular contributor, but there's no question he has some pro receiving skills. He made an acrobatic 31-yard catch last Friday, and also tacked on another six yard reception.

Egnew needs to be consistent on the practice field before the Phins give him a significant role, but there's plenty of time for him to improve before the regular season. Hopefully, Friday's game will catalyze his growth. 

Finally, Les Brown and Jeron Mastrud round out the tight end corps. Brown is visibly talented, but also visibly raw, particularly as a blocker (if you watched Hard Knocks, then you know what I'm talking about). His potential is tantalizing, and he should find his way onto the practice squad. 

Mastrud is essentially a polar opposite from Brown. Though he won't contribute in the passing game, he's a solid blocking tight end whom the Phins should keep on the 53-man roster given Michael Egnew's blocking inefficiencies. 

Offensive Line

Grade: B-

Quarterback isn't the only positional unit stuck in a never-ending carousel. The offensive line is, too. During Tony Sparano's four-year tenure as head coach, there was constant churning along the o-line, which prevented it from meshing and thriving. 

Things didn't change this offseason. Two new starters entered the fold, and Joe Philbin implemented a new zone-blocking scheme. 

Artis Hicks, the leading candidate to start at right guard, is a 33-year-old journeyman who hasn't been a full time starter since 2006. And, Jonathan Martin, Miami's second-round draft pick, is a rookie stepping into a starting role. 

The offensive line didn't surrender a sack against the Bucs, which is a positive and promising development. But, teams generally don't blitz heavy during the preseason as a general rule and courtesy. So, ultimately, their sack-free game isn't all that great.

On a more depressing note, the Phins' running backs mustered a measly 43 yards rushing behind this line—not so positive nor promising. 

This group deserves time to develop cohesiveness and adjust to the newly implemented zone-blocking scheme. But, if things don't change soon, then the Dolphins are in serious trouble. 

Defensive Line

Grade: B+

It's difficult to issue the defensive ends a grade given their inconsistency. 

For example, free agent acquisition Jamaal Westerman burst onto the scene with a three-sack practice earlier in camp, but he was listed as a third team defensive end on Miami's latest depth chart. 

Similarly, seventh-round pick Kheeston Randall was mostly invisible throughout the offseason, but he was an impact player on Friday night, generating penetration and disruption. 

We don't need to worry about consistency from the two starting defensive ends, Cam Wake and Jared Odrick, however.

Although Wake looked a little bit suspect against the run on Friday—struggling to set the edge, which opened holes for some big Buccaneers runs—its a perfectly rectifiable issue. He's thrived in a 4-3 defense before, and he shouldn't have any problems terrorizing quarterbacks like he has in years past. 

The emergence of Derrick Shelby gives the defensive end's grade a boost. An undrafted free agent from Utah, he took first-team reps in practice last week, and leapfrogged Westerman on Miami's latest depth chart. 

On the interior, Paul Soliai and Randy Starks should wreak havoc against opposing offensive lines. If Kheeston Randall, Chas Alecxih or Ryan Baker impresses in these next few weeks, then Tony McDaniel and his $3 million salary may become expendable. 

Linebacker

Grade: C+ / B-

Miami's linebackers have been awfully quiet this offseason, which is both a good and a bad thing. 

See, sometimes, no news is the best news. No Dolphins linebacker is having a particularly poor camp, so they've manage to avoid critical media coverage. 

But, none are having a great camps, either—and that's what bothers me. 

Karlos Dansby and Koa Misi both had huge questions to answer this offseason. 

Thus far, Dansby has not lived up to his $43 million contract—which made him the highest paid inside linebacker in NFL history at the time (2009). He showed up to camp 25 pounds overweight last season, and while he arrived in shape this year, he still hasn't become the domineering presence he ought to be with that kind of income. 

Misi, meanwhile, regressed in his second NFL season, casting doubt about his future prospectus. The team's transition to the 4-3 allots him an opportunity to rejuvenate his career, but he's yet to display significant progress.

Kevin Burnett didn't play on Friday night, opening the door for free agent acquisition Gary Guyton to start. The defense clearly missed Burnett, but Guyton played serviceably enough.

Miami's three other linebackers—Austin Spitler, Josh Kaddu and Jason Trusnik—all need decent camps to secure roster spots. Trusnik is the only one who shined against the Bucs, registering a team-high six tackles. His performance puts pressure on Spitler and Kaddu to elevate their games. 

Cornerback

Cornerback: D+

This should be the year Vontae Davis and Sean Smith mature into lockdown cornerbacks, but things aren't going according to plan so far. 

First, Richard Marshall supplanted Davis on the depth chart just days into camp. Then, Davis' immaturity and poor fitness were exposed on Hard Knocks. And, most recently, he struggled against the Bucs, yielding a 23-yard reception to Tiquan Underwood. 

Joe Philbin also left Davis in for nearly a whole half

Sean Smith also surrendered a big play to Tiquan Underwood, his a 44-yard yard reception. 

On a brighter note, Richard Marshall showcased his physicality, registering two tackles. He has great awareness, and it's easy to see why Joe Philbin placed him above Davis on the depth chart. If only Davis and Smith could realize their potential, then this cornerback corps would be a topflight unit. 

It's time for Nolan Carroll and the group of cornerbacks competing for the fifth spot on the 53-man roster to start elevating their performances and appeasing discomfort about this unit's depth. That group of cornerbacks feature Jonathan Wade, Vincent Agnew and Quinten Lawrence, none of whom have separated themselves from the others. 

Safety

Grade: B-

The safety position was one of concern heading into the offseason, and it remains one as the regular season approaches.

Reshad Jones is the defense's offseason MVP, turning heads all summer with a consistent flow of impact plays. He wasn't that playmaking presence on Friday night, though. He let Tiquan Underwood catch a 23-yard catch pass in front of him, failing to recognize the pass quickly enough and break from his deep-half coverage.

He fared well otherwise, but he has big expectations to fulfill in the remainder of this offseason. 

It initially looked like Jimmy Wilson and Tyrone Culver could challenge Chris Clemons for the starting free safety job. Now, Clemons appears to have a firm grasp on the job. He has run with the first-team all summer (barring a few days of camp he missed due to injury), and played decently on Friday. 

Plus, Wilson (who ran with the first-team when Clemons was injured earlier in camp), failed to breakup a 44-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky to Tiquan Underwood. Rather than attack the football at its highest point, Wilson let it come down, allowing Underwood to make the catch. That's a fundamental error that an NFL player shouldn't commit. 

The safeties have performed better in practice than they did against Tampa Bay, hence their B- grade. But they need to step it up against Cam Newton and the Panthers, who will provide them with a challenge.