Miami Dolphins Camp Notes: Post Scrimmage

What a perfect time to evaluate the Dolphins: a day off after Saturday's scrimmage.

Yeah, that scrimmage—the one that drew over 3,000 fans. Many of them were on top of a parking garage across the way from the stadium or peering through the only part of the chain-link fence that isn’t blocked out by Dolphin sun-screen paraphernalia.

That parking garage brings a tear to my eye. It is where I used to park in 2000 when I covered the Dolphins as a sports radio host on WAFN.  Jay Fiedler was the quarterback, which should tell you how long ago that was.

Where are we now?  Definitely too early to tell, but there are some signs—positive and negative.  Matt Roth’s injury has allowed Jason Taylor to become comfortable on the strong side, and he was credited with three sacks in the scrimmage.  CFL cult hero Cameron Wake is getting to the quarterback on a consistent basis. 

So there is Porter, Taylor, and Wake, but who—who—will be the fourth-best pass rusher?

We all know the term running back by committee, but I believe the Dolphins will use corner back by committee. One corner is perhaps the most impressive player to date—Will Allen. His job is locked in the third stone from the sun.

This writer believes the other corner spot will be a case of hot potato—Eric Green, Vontae Davis, and Sean Smith will rotate until one gets a grasp on it.

Ted Ginn looks great, but he doesn’t look like a No. 1 wide receiver.

Greg Camarillo is smooth and tough.

The Patrick Turner and Brandon London grouping will be fun to watch.

The starting safeties are a strong unit.

The Dolphins might have the best place kicker in the NFL.

Will Channing Crowder ever live up to the hype?

Most importantly, can Miami run a basic offense and the Wildcat while establishing rhythm and balance?

What if Chad Pennington's success last year was a fluke?

What if Chad Henne get thrown to the wolves and eaten?

Can the defensive line form the base that lets all of the other playmakers do their thing?

Anyway, Here is the depth chart for the first preseason game against Jacksonville.

OFFENSE

QB: Pennington ... Henne ... White

FB: Polite ...

RB: Brown ... Ricky ... Cobbs ... Hilliard ... Kimble

WR: Ginn ... Hartline ... Armstrong ... /Williams ... Robinson

WR: Bess ... Camarillo ... London ... Turner ...

TE: Fasano ... Martin ... Haynos ... Nalbone ... Wilford

LT: Long ... Gardner

LG: Smiley ... Frye ... Lewis

C: Grove ... Berger

RG: Murphy ... Alleman ... Thomas

RT: Carey ... Ndukwe ... Garner

DEFENSE

LE: Langford ... Starks/Baker ...Wright

NT: Jason Ferguson ... Paul Soliai ... Ellis ... Joe Cohen ...

RE: Merling ... McDaniel ... Dotson

SLB: Taylor ... Moses ... George ... Roth ...

ILB: Crowder ... Torbor

ILB: Ayodele ... Kershaw ... Folsom

WLB: Porter ... Anderson ... Walden ... Wake

LCB: Allen ... Davis ... Allen ... Thomas

RCB: Green ... Smith ... Jones ... Billingsley

FS: Wilson ... Culver

SS: Bell ... Bryan ... Clemons

SPECIALISTS

P: Fields

K: Carpenter ... (Barth wasn't listed as he signed too late)

KO: Carpenter

H: Fields

KOR: Ginn ... Williams

PR: Bess ... Williams

LS: Denney