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Movers and Shakers for Week Two

ckparrothead

ckparrothead

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1. Sean Smith moved up a spot to first string RCB
2. Randy Starks moved up a notch to first string RDE
3. Mark Lewis moved up a notch to second string OC
4. Donald Thomas moved up a notch to second string RG
5. Cameron Wake moved up a notch to second string WOLB
6. Lex Hilliard moved to second string FB

And the corresponding players moving down...

1. Eric Green is now second string RCB
2. Phil Merling is now second string RDE
3. Andy Alleman is now third string
4. Ikechuku Ndukwe is now third string
5. Not sure who is getting bumped down at Wake's expense, perhaps Charlie Anderson
6. Matt Quillen quit the team

Also some incidentals...Joe Berger shifted over from second string OC to second string LG, not a demotion, just a move to see how much versatility he has. Tony McDaniel got moved from second string RDE to second string LDE, again not a demotion, just a move that gets Randy Starks back onto the first string where he belongs. Davone Bess had begun to take reps at first string WR before week one was done, I assume he is still doing so.

This is all shaping up as I would have thought.
 
Cameron Wake moved up? He can't play in the NFL!! This is an outrage!!
It wouldn't surprise me if McDaniel ends up starting on the right side against Atlanta.
 
Lots of good news there... Several young guys moving up the charts. Sean Smith has us all extremely excited.

I'm happy that Randy Starks is doing well... People just assumed that Merling was a lock but Starks was very very good last year and is still extremely young. I bet the Titans which they still had him now that Haynesworth is gone.
 
ckparrothead said:
1. Sean Smith moved up a spot to first string RCB
2. Randy Starks moved up a notch to first string RDE
3. Mark Lewis moved up a notch to second string OC
4. Donald Thomas moved up a notch to second string RG
5. Cameron Wake moved up a notch to second string WOLB
6. Lex Hilliard moved to second string FB

And the corresponding players moving down...

1. Eric Green is now second string RCB
2. Phil Merling is now second string RDE
3. Andy Alleman is now third string
4. Ikechuku Ndukwe is now third string
5. Not sure who is getting bumped down at Wake's expense, perhaps Charlie Anderson
6. Matt Quillen quit the team

Also some incidentals...Joe Berger shifted over from second string OC to second string LG, not a demotion, just a move to see how much versatility he has. Tony McDaniel got moved from second string RDE to second string LDE, again not a demotion, just a move that gets Randy Starks back onto the first string where he belongs. Davone Bess had begun to take reps at first string WR before week one was done, I assume he is still doing so.

This is all shaping up as I would have thought.
Click to expand...


does that mean Gardner is back with the 2nd team at LT? or do we give Garner a look there?
 
This was something that you could expect as a result of players' progress over Week One of training camp.

IMO, I think Sean Smith has moved up to the first string for good. I don't believe he'll relinquish the spot. I think he is this year's Donald Thomas/Kendall Langford in that regard. Sean Smith is claiming this job not because of his physical ability, but because of his quick thinking and mental ability. He learns quickly, his eyes are fantastic and he is very decisive. He will make mistakes but he will learn from them.

I think Mark Lewis is being given the opportunity to show his versatility as a result of his fine work during the first week of camp. I've been touting the guy for a long time now, he's a very smart, versatile guy that played all but one of the line positions at Oregon, he has natural instincts and quick feet for getting into good leverage positions, some strength to him, a physical mentality to where he loves to get his hands on people in any way possible, and a willingness to finish blocks. His body needs to be hammered into something more athletic, which can happen with time.

Randy Starks may have been the team's best DE a year ago and IMO he should have been starting from the get-go at RDE, but I can understand if the coaches wanted to see just how much Phil Merling has grown. I thought it was stupid to talk about the DE spots and only talk about Kendall Langford and Phil Merling, without mentioning Randy Starks. The guy defeated 27.0% of the blocks on runs that came his direction last year, according to KC Joyner. That is a stellar number. Other guys like Langford and Holliday were in the mid-teens, and Merling was unusually low. Starks also provides pass rush.

IMO, it is only a matter of time before Donald Thomas reclaims his starting RG spot. I think that Shawn Murphy probably HAS improved dramatically, but I'm not buying that he improved as much as the coaches are trying to let on. I am with Omar Kelly on that one. There was no buzz about Murphy whatsoever from the players and then all of a sudden Sparano was naming him as one of the 3 most impressive players from the spring? Not seeing it. I think that was a motivational ploy aimed at making sure Donald Thomas is serious about competing for his job and isn't just assuming it is his by right. I don't think Donald Thomas is very happy with the staff about how they've been holding him back from an injury rehab standpoint and I think they're doing their best to keep him acting like a good soldier and doing whatever they say in hopes that he can get his starting job back.

Cameron Wake is getting first string reps at WOLB while Joey Porter takes it easy. That's a tremendous development for him. He use to be third string and now he's a second string guy that they're getting reps at first string. This is a direct reward for his turning it up a few notches during the second half of Week One. Now he gets to face Jake Long some more and we'll see how that goes because Long is one of the best in the NFL.

With Matt Quillen leaving the team, Lex Hilliard is moving over to fullback instead of just signing another fullback. This is a great sign for Hilliard. The only way he could hope to make this team as a fourth tailback would be as a combination player that could also serve as Lousaka Polite's backup at fullback. You have to be able to do a lot of jobs to win a roster spot under this staff. I said before this all began that I think Lex Hilliard will have a good camp and make cutting him difficult. I still believe that, and I think moving over to fullback is a great sign because they're allowing him the ability to show versatility.
 
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Very nice DE rotation with Merling and Starks at RDE and Langford and McDaniel at LDE.

Like that a lot. How is Dotson doing ?
 
People need to understand that last week was the first week Cameron Wake ever played OLB in a 3-4 defense.

Give the guy time for christs sakes. He was obviously thinking too much out there for the first few days as his new responsibilities are all new to him. But he is smart, and once he gets it, WATCH OUT !!!

I told you all months ago, and I will tell you again-- Cameron Wake will be a difference maker on this team.. I saw him plenty in the CFL and this guy is easily a starting caliber player in the NFL. He is worlds and moons better than Charlie Anderson for example... NO COMPARISON.
 
Keep in mind that Cameron Wake isn't doing anything by default, either. Quentin Moses and Charlie Anderson are both heating up and not making it easy for Wake to move up the depth chart.

I don't know if he'll be special but I certainly didn't buy any of this nonsense that he must suck because he was quiet for the first three days of training camp.
 
The Dolphins could be a very dangerous team with the recent development of Sean Smith, Patrick Turner, and Cameron Wake.

*Sean Smith has all the physical tools to be a very, very good corner in this league. He has great ball skills and seems to be a play maker that our secondary has lacked for some time. He has tremendous size but that doesn't limit his ability to drop his hips and back peddle in coverage. He is so fluid in his movements and I agree with CK 100% when he says Sean Smith will NOT lose this job. Our secondary played solid last season but ultimatly was a weak point for this team. We improved this position this off-season; not only did we draft a gem in Sean Smith but we got a guy in Vontae Davis who will develop into a very good corner in this league. This guy is a physical masterpiece who is very solid in coverage. He has the ability to lay the lumber as well. He hasn't had as strong of a camp as Smith but he is not far off by any means. Like him or not Eric Green is very good for depth purposes. Gibril Wilson hasn't shown me much at camp just yet but he is an upgrade over Renaldo Hill. This group as a starting unit and in terms of depth should be much stronger in 2009.

Patrick Turner brings that red-zone threat to a group of receivers that will surprise some people. Ted Ginn Jr.'s development has been very promising, Greg Camarillo's recovery has been promising, Davone Bess has flashed signs of greatness, and Patrick Turner has been impressive and at times dominant. He is tearing up the secondary even Will Allen showing great hands and exceptional route running. People think we lack talent at this position but they are sadly mistaken. Not to mention that Brian Hartline has been making big plays on offense and special teams.

Joey Porter was flat-out dominate last season without a legit pass-rusher playing opposite of him. With the return of Jason Taylor and the presence of Cameron Wake our pass rush is much stronger than last season. Wake has been getting more pressure on the Quarterback than anyone in camp thus far. He will need to learn and develop some skills that will help him finish his pressure to equate sacks but I have liked what I have seen. I see a high motor player who gets a great burst off the ball. Overall the talent here is much better. Jason Taylor is a Hall of Famer IMO and is showing that he has plenty left in the tank; Matt Roth better get back out there if he wants to see the field.
 
I loved Sean Smith before the draft. When we were picking at #56 I threw a plastic cup at the wall when I heard we traded down.

Every pick I was biting my nails hoping no one would take Smith.. And when we took him at #61, I was crying tears of joy.

I would have never made that trade with the risk of losing Sean Smith. Who in my opinion will turn out to be a very special player and probably the best corner in the whole draft.
 
Good info, it's early in the TC process and you will see plenty of movement for the few 1-2 weeks. The real tale of the tape will be after the 1st Preseason game is played which I think is this coming weekend.......
 
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