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Merged: Sports Buzz: 8-18

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Several Dolphins developments on a Monday afternoon:

### The Dolphins began practice moments ago (1:50 p.m.) with a new first-team right guard, and it's the same player they originally figured would fill the position.

Shelley Smith replaced Dallas Thomas as the starting right guard to begin team drills, two days after Thomas was dominated by Gerald McCoy against Tampa Bay.

Smith was the Dolphins' first team right guard throughout May and June practices, then switched to center (a short-lived experiment) to start training camp. After Samson Satele was signed to fill in for Mike Pouncey at center, Smith was moved to second-team left guard. Until Monday.

### Charles Clay, Daniel Thomas and Harold Hoskins returned to practice today, though it's unclear yet whether they will participate fully. Still, it's an encouraging sign because none of them practiced last week.

### Six players were added to the injured list and will miss multiple practices: Sam Brenner (shoulder), Jalil Brown (thigh), Terence Fede (knee), Anthony Johnson (shoulder), Caleb Sturgis (groin) and Marcus Thipgen (thigh).

Sturgis' injury increases the chances of John Potter earning a roster spot as the Dolphins' kicker, though that still must play out. Potter kicked 48- and 51-yard field goals against Tampa.

Thigpen's injury could put him at risk, especially if Jarvis Landry impresses as a returner against Dallas this weekend.

With Brenner out, Nate Garner assumed backup center duties.

### AJ Francis, Mike Gillislee and Mike Pouncey all remain sidelined with injuries.
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Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/#storylink=cpy
 
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Sports Buzz: Dallas Thomas out of starting lineup

The Dolphins began practice moments ago (1:50 p.m.) with a new first-team right guard, and it's the same player they originally figured would fill the position.
Shelley Smith replaced Dallas Thomas as the starting right guard to begin team drills, two days after Thomas was dominated by Gerald McCoy against Tampa Bay.
Smith was the Dolphins' first-team right guard throughout May and June practices, then switched to center (a short-lived experiment) to begin training camp. After Samson Satele was signed to fill in for Mike Pouncey at center, Smith was moved to second-team left guard, a position he held until Monday.

Charles Clay, Daniel Thomas and Harold Hoskins returned to practice today, though it's unclear yet whether they will participate fully. Still, it's an encouraging sign because none of them practiced last week.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/#storylink=cpy
 
### One Dolphins player said one reason the move of Koa Misi to middle linebacker was needed was that Dannell Ellerbe, now playing weakside, made mental errors and wasn’t quick enough in diagnosing plays and changing the calls at middle linebacker last season.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/#storylink=cpy
Click to expand...

So Ellerbe wasnt making the correct calls last year...
 
Sturgis is done. Also, keep an eye on the kicking battle in KC.
 
I am not gonna lie and say that I have watched tons of film on Thomas or that I know what the hell I am talking about, but the other night it looked to me like Thomas is a waist bender. Of all things, I think an OL should look to correct it would be his posture. Otherwise, I would think, you loose the advantage of leverage and put your body at higher risk for injury. I realize these things take time and he may need a little more time developing his core strength. I still think it is worth keeping him around to develop.
 
Update:


Two days after Dallas Thomas was overwhelmed by Tampa Bay All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Dolphins tinkered with their offensive line on Monday, giving another look to the veteran free agent addition they originally expected would emerge as a starter.

Shelley Smith replaced Thomas with the starters at right guard during Monday’s practice, returning to the position he held throughout May and June practices.

But coach Joe Philbin said afterward that Smith has not been anointed the starter, the job remains an open competition and he does not know who will start at right guard in Saturday’s third preseason game against Dallas at Sun Life Stadium.

“We don’t have a first-team right guard right now,” Philbin said.

Philbin said left guard also remains open and he doesn’t know who will start at that spot, either. Daryn Colledge has started at left guard for the first two preseason games and played most of the first-team snaps at practice.

“We don’t have clarity at those two positions yet,” Philbin said. “We are going to have a good week of practice and make the determination of who that’s going to be. Just because that person starts, he may start the next week, may not.”

There is also some measure of uncertainty at center, where a timetable on Mike Pouncey’s return from hip surgery remains undetermined. Pouncey, who hasn’t been cleared for practice, said Monday he hopes to return by the fourth game of the season, Sept. 28 against London in Oakland, a game that is followed by a bye week.

One thing is clear: The Dolphins need much better blocking in the running game. The Dolphins, who averaged 4.1 yards per rush last season, averaged 2.5 yards per carry in their preseason opener at Atlanta and 1.8 in the Tampa game.

“There was too much penetration,” Philbin said. “That was problem number one. Problem two is we didn’t break a lot of tackles.”

The Dolphins had entrusted Thomas with first-team right guard duties before Saturday’s disaster, when he allowed a strip/sack, a quarterback pressure, committed two penalties and also was beaten on two negative running plays.

On Monday, Thomas took snaps at backup right guard. Rookie third-round pick Billy Turner, who had been the backup right guard, played behind Colledge at left guard.

Smith, signed to a two-year, $5.5 million contract in March, was the Dolphins’ first-team right guard throughout offseason workouts. He began training camp at center, filling in for Pouncey, but had several errant snaps.
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After the Dolphins signed Samson Satele, Smith was shifted to second-team left guard. That finally changed Monday.

“Shelley is going to be a heck of a player for us,” Pouncey said. “He does a heck of a job in the zone scheme, gets underneath the defenders.”

Asked Monday if he was pleased to be with the starters again, Smith said: “You never know what’s going to happen. I’m ready to go wherever needed. We’ll see how it shakes out.”

Smith played left and right guard in his three seasons in St. Louis, which included eight starts.

“It will take some reps to get back in the swing of things on the right side, but I feel comfortable there,” he said.

As for Pouncey, he said Monday he’s “just praying that they don’t put me” on the physically unable to perform list to start the regular season, which would require sitting out the first six games and also would prohibit him from practicing during that time. He said he’s not sure when he will be cleared for practice.

“In my head, right now I feel I can [practice] because I’m a competitor,” he said. “But they’re taking the safe route and make sure I won’t have any relapses when I come back. I appreciate them letting me get stronger every week. I’m thinking I’m ahead of schedule. I feel really good. I can’t wait until they set me loose.”

KICKER ISSUES

The Dolphins’ kicking situation has become more interesting than anyone expected, to the point that Philbin said Monday he’s not sure who will be his kicker for the regular-season opener against New England.

Caleb Sturgis, who had been sidelined with a groin injury earlier in camp, re-aggravated the injury before Saturday’s game and will miss multiple practices. John Potter remains in contention to win the job after hitting 48- and 51-yard field goals against Tampa.
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