Merged: Chris Shashaty offseason observations

[phinsfan1221]

http://www.phins.com/chris/column_070507.html Some general thoughts and observations as we muddle through the slow offseason (Training Camp starts on July 22 for rookies, July 27 for veterans):



· With the release of Randy McMichael, Marcus Vick, Manny Wright, and Fred Evans, all talented players tainted by past character and/or behavioral issues, there can be little doubt of the fate that awaits Ricky Williams when/if he is reinstated by the NFL.



· I have no actual idea what will come of Daunte Culpepper’s arbitration hearing, which will determine if the Dolphins have been fair in excluding him from offseason mini-camps. I do, however, have a feeling that the Dolphins are in the wrong on this one.



· One of the biggest reasons for Miami’s offensive struggles this decade has been a lack of stability. This season the Dolphins will be implementing their fourth new system in the past four years, together with their fourth different season opening quarterback. Oh, and they’ve had six offensive coordinators since 1999. Six! This is why Cam Cameron got the job, to help bring stability so that players can develop.



· One of the smartest things a team can do when implementing a new offensive system is to have a veteran quarterback on the roster with direct experience. That’s why it says here that Trent Green will be to Cameron what Gus Frerotte was to Scott Linehan. That’s good news for rookie John Beck, who gets a season to learn what it takes to play well in the NFL.



· The biggest gamble of this offseason wasn’t passing on Brady Quinn. It is moving Vernon Carey to left tackle, a position he hasn’t proven he can handle. Cameron and line coach extraordinaire Hudson Houck believe that Carey will do better the second time around. If they’re right, a huge piece of the championship puzzle is in place. If they’re wrong, and Green suffers another concussion, the team will be drafting in the Top 10 again.

 

[LarryFinFan]

http://www.phins.com/chris/column_070507.html Some general thoughts and observations as we muddle through the slow offseason (Training Camp starts on July 22 for rookies, July 27 for veterans):



· I have no actual idea what will come of Daunte Culpepper’s arbitration hearing, which will determine if the Dolphins have been fair in excluding him from offseason mini-camps. I do, however, have a feeling that the Dolphins are in the wrong on this one.



· The biggest gamble of this offseason wasn’t passing on Brady Quinn. It is moving Vernon Carey to left tackle, a position he hasn’t proven he can handle. Cameron and line coach extraordinaire Hudson Houck believe that Carey will do better the second time around. If they’re right, a huge piece of the championship puzzle is in place. If they’re wrong, and Green suffers another concussion, the team will be drafting in the Top 10 again.

1. What exactly do you think the Fins have done to conclude they were wrong ?? Have they locked him out of the camps ?? (NO). Have they not allowed him to rehab and work in individual drills ?? (NO). Were they guilty of telling him that he was not in their plans for the future and that they were trying to work out a trade ?? (YES). It seems to me that they have been above board in dealing with him. Did Cam encourage Cpep to continue his rehab and get ready to compete in March and April ?? (YES). You could say that he may have mislead Cpep into thinking he'd be part of the future, but realistically, what other option did he have ?? Should he have told Cpep in March that they were going to get Green and he'd be traded or released ?? That would have been rather stupid on their parts for both the business (potential trades) and personal (Cpeps psychy) aspects of the situation. I don't really see where the Fins have done things incorrectly here. It's a situation that naturally Cpep is disappointed in and rightfully so. But to react the way he has and allege wrongdoing on the parts of the Fins is also wrong...in this case...

2. Carey is better adept at LT than anyone we have on the roster right now. He didn't fail when put there initially, if you remember correctly, he was moved to RT because Big Mac couldn't handle any other position adequately. Carey has the athletic ability to play the position. What has always been his Achilles is his ability to learn the position quickly enough. He has always been known as not the sharpest tool in the shed and tends to react adversely to having his position changed. Will that happen again ?? Don't know. But he's better prepared to make the transition than in the past and than anyone else on the roster....

 

[dlockz]

http://www.phins.com/chris/column_070507.html Some general thoughts and observations as we muddle through the slow offseason (Training Camp starts on July 22 for rookies, July 27 for veterans):



· With the release of Randy McMichael, Marcus Vick, Manny Wright, and Fred Evans, all talented players tainted by past character and/or behavioral issues, there can be little doubt of the fate that awaits Ricky Williams when/if he is reinstated by the NFL.



· I have no actual idea what will come of Daunte Culpepper’s arbitration hearing, which will determine if the Dolphins have been fair in excluding him from offseason mini-camps. I do, however, have a feeling that the Dolphins are in the wrong on this one.



· One of the biggest reasons for Miami’s offensive struggles this decade has been a lack of stability. This season the Dolphins will be implementing their fourth new system in the past four years, together with their fourth different season opening quarterback. Oh, and they’ve had six offensive coordinators since 1999. Six! This is why Cam Cameron got the job, to help bring stability so that players can develop.



· One of the smartest things a team can do when implementing a new offensive system is to have a veteran quarterback on the roster with direct experience. That’s why it says here that Trent Green will be to Cameron what Gus Frerotte was to Scott Linehan. That’s good news for rookie John Beck, who gets a season to learn what it takes to play well in the NFL.



· The biggest gamble of this offseason wasn’t passing on Brady Quinn. It is moving Vernon Carey to left tackle, a position he hasn’t proven he can handle. Cameron and line coach extraordinaire Hudson Houck believe that Carey will do better the second time around. If they’re right, a huge piece of the championship puzzle is in place. If they’re wrong, and Green suffers another concussion, the team will be drafting in the Top 10 again.

I truly doubt Marcus Vick's past hurt him, I guess Cam did not feel a need to have him. i would have actually like to have seen alittle more from Vick and he seemed like a decent project.

 

[dolpns13]

Good read. I like the optimism about the secondary but I just dont share it. I dont think they are as bad as everyone thinks, but, I dont think they are as good as he states...Man, if Allen doesnt pan out, what a waste that was! I think we are ok at DE as long as there arent any injuries. Taylor, Roth, Holliday, Wright (who is now being placed at LB) and Biamila should be enough...Hopefully..And we could still make some more additions before the season

 

[t-dubya]

"AFC East rivals have had a bad time trying to contain Jason Taylor. Over the past two seasons in the 3-4 scheme, he has amassed a collective 11 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and a large assortment of other play-ruining disruptions."

Does it mean just against the AFC East? Cause he had more than that just last year..

 

[dolpns13]

"AFC East rivals have had a bad time trying to contain Jason Taylor. Over the past two seasons in the 3-4 scheme, he has amassed a collective 11 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and a large assortment of other play-ruining disruptions."

Does it mean just against the AFC East? Cause he had more than that just last year..

he means just in the 3-4 defense alone he had 11 sacks and 4 forced fumbles, not the 3-4, and the 4-3 combined...

Although the number does seem pretty low

 

[bkbuffet]

The Dolphin's would have had no negotiation leverage to get Green if they had told DC anything different before Green was actually signed. That is the only thing remotely wrong that they did, but football is a business and it was handled as a business decision. DC needs to step up and act the part of a pro-bowl caliber QB and understand that, not whine like a kicked puppy. DC could be a great peice to an offensive puzzle for some offense somewhere, but he just does not fit into Cam's puzzle.

I'm also getting a bit frustrated with everyone talking about how Carey was such a failure at LT... which was in his ROOKIE YEAR. He's had time to acclimate to the speed of the NFL and even shown he can be very good on the other side of the line. He has the ability and now the experience. I sincerely hope he performs as well as I know he can this year so he can make all these nay-sayers shut up about him.

Ohter than that, there were some good observations. Thanks for the link!

 

[dlockz]

The Dolphin's would have had no negotiation leverage to get Green if they had told DC anything different before Green was actually signed. That is the only thing remotely wrong that they did, but football is a business and it was handled as a business decision. DC needs to step up and act the part of a pro-bowl caliber QB and understand that, not whine like a kicked puppy. DC could be a great peice to an offensive puzzle for some offense somewhere, but he just does not fit into Cam's puzzle.

I'm also getting a bit frustrated with everyone talking about how Carey was such a failure at LT... which was in his ROOKIE YEAR. He's had time to acclimate to the speed of the NFL and even shown he can be very good on the other side of the line. He has the ability and now the experience. I sincerely hope he performs as well as I know he can this year so he can make all these nay-sayers shut up about him.

Ohter than that, there were some good observations. Thanks for the link!

I would not say that Carey was a failure because they pulled the plug real fast, I would say he was not a success because you dont make the left side nediocre to man the right side. Its hard to comment on a guy that has started one real game at LT in his career and that was his sophmore year in college.

 

[rvicious]

1. What exactly do you think the Fins have done to conclude they were wrong ?? Have they locked him out of the camps ?? (NO). Have they not allowed him to rehab and work in individual drills ?? (NO). Were they guilty of telling him that he was not in their plans for the future and that they were trying to work out a trade ?? (YES). It seems to me that they have been above board in dealing with him. Did Cam encourage Cpep to continue his rehab and get ready to compete in March and April ?? (YES). You could say that he may have mislead Cpep into thinking he'd be part of the future, but realistically, what other option did he have ?? Should he have told Cpep in March that they were going to get Green and he'd be traded or released ?? That would have been rather stupid on their parts for both the business (potential trades) and personal (Cpeps psychy) aspects of the situation. I don't really see where the Fins have done things incorrectly here. It's a situation that naturally Cpep is disappointed in and rightfully so. But to react the way he has and allege wrongdoing on the parts of the Fins is also wrong...in this case...

2. Carey is better adept at LT than anyone we have on the roster right now. He didn't fail when put there initially, if you remember correctly, he was moved to RT because Big Mac couldn't handle any other position adequately. Carey has the athletic ability to play the position. What has always been his Achilles is his ability to learn the position quickly enough. He has always been known as not the sharpest tool in the shed and tends to react adversely to having his position changed. Will that happen again ?? Don't know. But he's better prepared to make the transition than in the past and than anyone else on the roster....

I could care less what happens to DC, but correct me if I'am wrong. The dolphins did not lock out DC from the facilities, but they did however prohibit him from taking snaps with the rest of the team, especially the first unit. I read somewere, that they were afraid that he could set back his injury and you and me know that the real reason for doing something like that, is to make sure that he didn't reinjured himself, making him worthless in any trade scenario.
I think the fins FO could have done a much better job at handling this thing, lets hope it dosent burn us.

 

[PhinGeneral]

I could care less what happens to DC, but correct me if I'am wrong. The dolphins did not lock out DC from the facilities, but they did however prohibit him from taking snaps with the rest of the team, especially the first unit. I read somewere, that they were afraid that he could set back his injury and you and me know that the real reason for doing something like that, is to make sure that he didn't reinjured himself, making him worthless in any trade scenario.
I think the fins FO could have done a much better job at handling this thing, lets hope it dosent burn us.

Unfortunately I don't think their argument of being afraid to set back his injury will amount to a whole lot if, as has been reported, the team doctors did give him clearance to practice. The team doctors might very well be some of those witnesses that Duante wanted at the hearing.

 

[PhinGeneral]

I truly doubt Marcus Vick's past hurt him, I guess Cam did not feel a need to have him. i would have actually like to have seen alittle more from Vick and he seemed like a decent project.

I think it did, even though it doesn't seem as if Vick committed any indiscretions in the past year (at least that we know of). I believe this because I don't think most coaches would just release a player without at least seeing first hand what he could or couldn't bring to the table.

 

[cnc66]

I would not say that Carey was a failure because they pulled the plug real fast, I would say he was not a success because you dont make the left side nediocre to man the right side. Its hard to comment on a guy that has started one real game at LT in his career and that was his sophmore year in college.

the right side was a disaster dlockz... it was "literally" a turnstile, we had no one else on the roster that "could" play r tackle, we "did" have someone who could play L tackle at an adequate level...sort of. There were some good breakdowns last year here about the surprising successes that Cary was having on the left side... vindication if you will for the high cost we paid for him.

 

[dlockz]

the right side was a disaster dlockz... it was "literally" a turnstile, we had no one else on the roster that "could" play r tackle, we "did" have someone who could play L tackle at an adequate level...sort of. There were some good breakdowns last year here about the surprising successes that Cary was having on the left side... vindication if you will for the high cost we paid for him.

Hey nobody would love for Carey to be a good left tackle for us more than me, I just don't think he has the feet or mental part of the game for it. He was supposed to be the LT of the future at Miami and got beat out by a lesser prospect. I do agree more than anything that he is probably our best player to put at left tackle we have on the roster right now. I have been pleasantly suprised at Carey's development at RT over the last 2 years because up till that point he seemed a slight bust. I think he will be solid at LT just think he is better suited to be a top level right tackle. I think it would have been awesome to have Levi Brown and Vernon Carey at the tackles.
Another problem for carey is that if the rest of the line does not play well it will make things much harder for him, with lack of support.

 

[Geforce]

Hey nobody would love for Carey to be a good left tackle for us more than me, I just don't think he has the feet or mental part of the game for it. He was supposed to be the LT of the future at Miami and got beat out by a lesser prospect. I do agree more than anything that he is probably our best player to put at left tackle we have on the roster right now. I have been pleasantly suprised at Carey's development at RT over the last 2 years because up till that point he seemed a slight bust. I think he will be solid at LT just think he is better suited to be a top level right tackle. I think it would have been awesome to have Levi Brown and Vernon Carey at the tackles.
Another problem for carey is that if the rest of the line does not play well it will make things much harder for him, with lack of support.

Cam Cameron doesn't agree with you.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/Dolphins/

"I talked to Vernon this week and said, 'Based on what I've seen the studies I've done, there's no reason that you can't have a heckuva season as our left tackle,'Â " Cameron said. "He's excited about that opportunity."

Hudson Houck also doesn't agee with you
http://www.finheaven.com/boardvb2/showthread.php?t=197235

Here is how certain Houck is about Carey's ability to play left tackle: Houck would have been fine with the move a year ago.
''If Damion McIntosh was not here last year, we would've moved Carey over the to the left side,'' Houck said. ``We ended up with McIntosh at left tackle because that's where he was most comfortable. [Carey] has all the skills to be a Pro Bowler. The only questions are will he be able to refine his technique and can he play every play as if it's his last one?''

What it will eventually come down to is Carey losing the weight to get down to about 330 and proving all of his doubters wrong...again.

 

[dlockz]

Cam Cameron doesn't agree with you.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/Dolphins/


Hudson Houck also doesn't agee with you
http://www.finheaven.com/boardvb2/showthread.php?t=197235


What it will eventually come down to is Carey losing the weight to get down to about 330 and proving all of his doubters wrong...again.

Well obviiously I have been wrong before but so has Houck and Cam. Cam was wrong alot last time he was a head coach.