FinAtic8480
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The play was over, and Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall had ignited the crowd at Friday's first practice of training camp for the third time. This one, he did so by finagling himself around a well-positioned Sean Smith for another sweet grab.
As Smith, a promising second-year cornerback, trotted back toward the line of scrimmage, Marshall hustled over to him, spoke a few short words and patted him on the back before the two headed opposite ways.
``He just told me to keep my head up,'' Smith recalled afterward. ``He said, `You'll have your days, and I'll have mine.' ''
This day belonged to Marshall. And after a brief but telling look into his first full practice with Miami, it seemed clear this wouldn't be the last one he owns -- against Smith and against plenty of other cornerbacks.
The evidence was hard to miss. Only a few minutes earlier, Marshall made a move on Smith five yards off the line of scrimmage that might have been the highlight of the whole practice, leading to a wide-open catch.
``You can tell when you've got a really good guy out there who can just glide,'' quarterback Chad Henne said.
It might have been a bit much when the crowd erupted into cheers after Marshall caught a 35-yard pass completely uncovered without running full speed.
It's only one practice and only a few catches. But it did help confirm a few important points.
First, Marshall's surgically repaired hip, the one that forced him to miss the team's minicamp and several organized team activities, seems to be just fine. He was cleared to play at full speed, and it showed.
Coach Tony Sparano noted that Marshall's rehabilitation ``went very well.'' That should be comforting to Dolphins fans because this marks the second time in two years Marshall has undergone surgery on different hips.
``I already forgot about it,'' Marshall joked.
Marshall's ability to immediately impress isn't a surprise. He was awarded a $50 million contract in April after the Dolphins traded two second-round picks to Denver for the eceiver in the prime of his career.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/30/1754248/brandon-marshall-shines-in-miami.html#ixzz0vEE5cb3X