Reggie Bush, given a fresh start with the Dolphins, is working hard to earn respect from his critics. Bush has often remained on the field long after Miami's practices have ended, catching balls and running 30-yard sprints. "I'm all about respect, about earning respect, and the way you do that is hard work," Bush said. "That's one of the things I wanted to show [teammates] right from the start to make people realize, 'Oh, he's not just here for glitz and glamour. He's the hardest worker out there.' That's what I always try to be." Bush looks hungry, sounds hungry and has the work ethic to show he senses an opportunity with the Dolphins. "I've been told what I can't do for a while by many people," he said. "'You can't do this, you can't do that.' All that's done is motivate me. I want to show what I can do."

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis says Miami's tandem of cornerbacks hasn't earned the right to call themselves the league's best. Dolphins defensive back Vontae Davis said this week he and Sean Smith are "the best [cornerback] tandem in the league." Revis smiled when he heard the comments. "He's got to play a couple more years before he's saying all that," Revis said. "They're a good tandem but they have a lot of work to do." Davis said, "I'm going to go out on a limb and say we're the best [cornerback] tandem in the league. That's what I'm going to say. You can name all of [the other tandems] across the league, I'll put it out there: We're the best tandem." Revis said he spent time with Davis and Smith during the NFL lockout and encouraged the two of them.

Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis believes Miami has the best cornerback duo in the NFL, which may come as news to the Eagles, Jets and Packers. The Dolphins drafted Davis in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft, while taking Sean Smith in the second. "This is Year 3, and it's time for me to take over," Smith said. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say we're the best tandem in the league," Davis said. Neither has made a Pro Bowl appearance in their brief career. "They need to play with swagger," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "There was a point in time here where they were kind of deer in headlights. They were just learning. They got thrown in there early on, and they had to sink or swim. Right now, I think they both have pretty good confidence."

Reggie Bush is seeking to re-establish himself as a premier running back in the NFL. Bush was traded from the Saints to the Dolphins earlier this month. He has yet to start more than 10 games in a season and over the past four years missed 20 games due to injuries. "I don't look at it as an ego blow at all," Bush said. "Obviously, I would have loved to have played in New Orleans for my whole career. In this day and age, the chances are slim and none that you'll see that. We had some great times in New Orleans, some special things happened there. We helped rebuild the city, and we were able to bring a Super Bowl to the city. So nothing about that situation is a letdown for me. This is a business." To facilitate the trade, Bush inked a two-year, $10 million deal with Miami. "I have some extra motivation to do what the doubters don't think I can do," Bush said. "That was one of the reasons I came here — to have a leadership role and an immediate impact as an explosive player. I'll get a chance to show more of what I can do ... to prove that I can be a solid back in every phase."

The Dolphins have signed Larry Johnson as insurance at the running back position. Johnson knows he must quickly make a good impression, including off the field, where repeated missteps derailed his career. "It's kind of hard to convince anybody with my colorful background that, yeah, I've changed," said Johnson. "But you change with every situation you go through. You know that you can't get many more shots. You do the best you can with your opportunity and ride on out to the sunset."

The Dolphins have signed Larry Johnson to a contract. In the process, Miami has waived fellow running back Kory Sheets.

Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton will start in the team's preseason game against the Dolphins on Friday. Carolina coach Ron Rivera says Newton's start is "pretty much following the line of what we had planned throughout training camp and that's to go back and forth" with Newton and Jimmy Clausen.

Former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder abruptly retired earlier this offseason, but he hasn't ruled out a return to the NFL in the future. Crowder plans to sit out this season because his wife is about to have a baby, but he'll likely return to the NFL in 2012 or 2013. A week ago, Crowder said he decided to call it a career after being cut by the Dolphins. His announcement was greeted with skepticism because he's only 27 and has a reputation for kidding around. "There's still an itch to play," Crowder said. "It wasn't so much about football as it was about family and my new wife and my child on the way."

The Dolphins have signed veteran linebacker Marvin Mitchell after spending four seasons with the Saints. Mitchell, a former seventh-round draft pick from Tennessee, played mostly on special teams for the Saints.

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano has issued public support of quarterback Chad Henne despite his poor showing in the team's first preseason game against the Falcons. Sparano said Saturday that there is no quarterback controversy going on in Miami. "I wouldn't say there's a battle right at this second," Sparano said. "To me it takes more than a few outings, a couple of practices, any of those things. I thought Matt did some good things. On the surface it's going to look like Matt did way more good things than Chad, maybe to your eye, but there was enough things in there in Matt's 36 plays that needed to be corrected, as well."