1. Maybe it’s not Shawn Murphy’s job to lose, after all.
The right guard position looks like it could be up in the air again.
Tony Sparano said the job was Murphy’s job to lose. But Wednesday, journeyman Joe Berger, the team’s back-up center, worked with the first unit, though coaches might just want to get someone else some reps.
Meanwhile, Donald Thomas, who opened 2008 as the starter at right guard, took part in his first contact drill since he broke his foot in the opener vs. the Jets.
The competition for the one spot up in the air on the O-line might just be heating up.
2. Defensive Phillip Merling looks like he’s ready to take the next step.
The past couple of days, Merling has been sharing first-team snaps on the right side with Tony McDaniel, a fourth-year pro acquired in an off-season trade with Jacksonville. But this might have less to do with what Merling isn’t doing than coaches hoping to get a look at McDaniel.
Merling, the No. 32 in the 2008 draft, comes into camps in much better shape than a year ago when a sports hernia injury cost him draft spots and several months of training. He said he’s up five pounds to 295, burning a good bit of baby fat and adding muscle.
