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| Zack Levine. 24th August, 2010 - 1:23 am
 With two preseason games now in the books, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano, GM Jeff Ireland, and football czar Bill Parcells have been able to get a good feel for their young players and offseason additions.
The Miami front office was certainly successful in adding highly talented players to help develop and fill out its roster. The blockbuster trade that brought elite wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins immediately transitioned the offense from predictable to versatile.
His first appearance in a Dolphins? uniform ended in two drops and no catches in a rainy and mud-laden game against the Buccaneers. While it was certainly not the performance the home fans were looking for, worrying about a preseason outing from Marshall seems impractical. Especially when he followed up that poor showing by grabbing four receptions for 65 yards against Jacksonville.
The mediocre show from newly acquired inside linebacker Karlos Dansby shouldn?t be a concern either. He has only produced three tackles in the games against Tampa Bay and Jacksonville, but there is little doubt he will be the perfect centerpiece for a young and aggressive defense. When the season officially begins in Week 1 at Buffalo, both Marshall and Dansby will be ready to play and perform at elite levels.
Miami also had success in selecting hard-working and talented rookies to replace lost veterans. After impressive performances in training camp, the Dolphins are confident that their first two picks, Jared Odrick and Koa Misi, will be solid players in the league for years to come.
Still, the uncertainty at their positions of outside linebacker and defensive end looms. Will two promising rookies be able to emerge from the shadows of departed pass rushers Joey Porter and Jason Taylor? Misi has played his role well in the first two preseason games, but Odrick has failed to make a single tackle. Neither has produced a sack.
Perhaps for insurance, the Dolphins have quietly signed defensive ends Charles Grant and Marques Douglas during the offseason. Although these players flew under the radar during free agency, both were important components of teams that reached the Super Bowl and AFC Championship Game, respectively.
Grant contributed 44 tackles and 5 ? sacks for the New Orleans Saint, and Douglas was fourth on the Jets with 64 tackles last season. Both have been solid in the first two preseason games, so don?t be surprised to see one or both of these veterans work their way into the starting defensive end spots.
Although there is uncertainty at defensive end and outside linebacker, the Dolphins? roster is still left with a much more pressing concern:
They have no proven free safety.
After flirting with big name free agents like Antrel Rolle and Ryan Clark, Miami settled with 5th round pick Reshad Jones out of Georgia. While he made big plays in college, his performance at the beginning of training camp was less than average.
When one defensive veteran was asked about the progression of the rookies, he answered enthusiastically about Odrick, Misi, and cornerback Nolan Carroll. When the questions targeted Jones, he replied, ?No comment.?
Recently, however, the rookie safety has been making strides toward becoming a solid contributor. Jones has been progressing in camp and proved it by making five solo tackles and scooping a fumble recovery in Miami?s win over Tampa Bay. A week later against Jacksonville, he added five more tackles.
Whether or not he will be able to overtake second-year player and penciled starter Chris Clemons is still unclear. Clemons has been rather inconsistent in the first two preseason games, missing tackles and blowing coverages on multiple occasions. Still, seeing Reshad Jones start on opening day would mean the rookie has immensely improved.
Even without acquiring a sure starter at the safety position, Miami still had one of the best offseasons in the league. A solid draft and the addition of game changing free agents have given the Dolphins a good opportunity to produce a winning record in the upcoming season.
There are still roster questions, but the Dolphins? newcomers will continue to develop and perform as they have done in the first two preseason games. Although their division is crowded with strong teams, there is no reason to believe that Miami hasn?t done enough to contend for a playoff spot this season. |
