BLITZKRIEG
~LACUNA LEGIONS~
Sorry I wasn't able to post this sooner, I was out late last night....
I wasn't able to get any play by play notes because I forgot my stuff, but I'll give you my opinions thus far...
First off, there was over a thousand fans in attendance, there were even people up in the parking garage overlooking the field!!. We're talking packed!!!This had to be the biggest turnout of Phinz fans at any training camp session I've ever been to over the last 10 years. No question....
As for the start of the sessions, they always do the positonal drills, and there really not much to talk about when you watch that portion of the practice session. That's usually the best time to overlook the roster, and get familiar with who is who on the field. It's boring most of the time, and only warm-up level stuff....
It is interesting watching all of the coaches working with their units during the drills, and seeing Saban stalking around. He keeps the tempo going at at a nice pace, and he's a vocal teacher on the field. These coaches are on top of everything, and I'm very pleased with what I've seen from all of them thus far. There's a level of confidence being displayed when they're all out there working together. Saban has done a great job in that department this offseason....
Positional Breakdowns
================
QB - Let's get to this position first....
QB D. Culpepper - Try to envision Chambers breaking away deep, and the pass hitting him in full stride for a 50 yard TD. That's the kind of arm / accuracy we're going to be seeing from Culpepper this season in my opinion. Why do I say this???....He's been doing it at the mini-camps, and now he's doing it during training camp. He's also shown he can hit somone deep other than Chambers. Booker / Campbell have been getting their share of deep balls as well....
He's running around out there, he's highly energetic, and is showing no real signs of lingering pain on the field. Some may say he's limping alittle, but if he is, it's pretty hard to notice any effects from it when he throws the ball. He's dropping back well, and making the plays we've been use to seeing him make. He seems very confident in his knee, and that's a great sign in my opinion....
The bottom line : Culpepper looks great thus far. Every Phinz fan on the planet is going to love what this guy will bring us at the QB position. That's my opinion on Culpepper so far from what I've seen. He's a true top caliber QB, and he's stoked to be in Miami. What else could any Phinz fan ask for??....
As for QB J. Harrington, I think he's looking better today than he did during the mini's. He completed some very nice throws early on, and looked much more confident in his decisions. There were a few poor throws here and there, but that's going to happen from time to time when matching up against the defenders we have out there. It's only the first day of training camp, so Harrington still has some decent time to improve within the offense. Bottom line : I walked away pleased last night. Harrington wasn't great, but he was good enough for a first day session. He's got time, and very good competition to keep him on his toes....
Speaking of his competition, QB C. Lemon is looking good as well. I like his mobility, and his roll-out abilities. His arm isn't half bad either. This is a player that is brimming with exciting possibilities for the future. When he's on the field, and a play breaks down, he can make things happen with his feet, and that's what seperates him from Harrington when comparing the two at this stage. I really like what he brings to the QB position for us, and you will all see exactly what I mean during the pre-season. He and Harrington will be battling it out until the end in my opinion.....
Running Backs
---------------
RB R. Brown looks quicker, and bigger than he was a year ago. I'm really excited to see him in real action this year. He's going to be great this year in my opinion. He looks stronger all around....
RB S. Morris is also another one of those hard workers, and will fight for every inch when his number is called. Regardless of those who say we need another back-up, I think Morris can handle the job. If you could see this guy practice, you'd understand why we need him on this team, and how he fits into what we're building. Thus far, Morris has shown that he deserves the back-up RB job in my opinion....
There's also RB KJ Harris, who has actually looked pretty good this off-season. He caught my eye a few time last night, and I had to do a double check. he could battle Minor for the #3 spot if he shows more improvement during the rest of the off-season. Speaking of Minor, he's been the same old Minor he's always been, not much to talk about....
Overall, our RB position is in very good shape. Maybe Saban will bring in someone to battle for the back-up job with Morris, but overall we have some hard runners back there to move the chains....
Wide Reciever
--------------
I love our WR corps this year. Chambers aside, I'd like to talk about how well Booker is coming along within this offense. He's certainly making more plays for us, and last night he was on the other end of another long Culpepper TD strike. Booker is starting to show more confidence, and he could have a big year with Chambers getting all the attention...
Speaking of Chambers, he and Culepper together should become a very dangerous combo. They're getting more and more familiar with eachothers moves, and tendencies. Chambers is loving his new QB, and who can blame him after years of dealing with mediocre talent at QB in the past. I see greatness in Chambers future now that we have Culpepper....
At the #3 WR position, we have a nice little log-jam. WR K. Campbell is really catching my eye, and he and Culpepper have history together. You can tell when they're playing out there too. Cpep likes Campbell from the way the two are connecting. Right now, I'd have to say WR K. Campbell is the best option at the position. Watch him closely, because he could turn out to be a steal for us....
WR D. Hagan was kind of quiet last night. He didn't really get recognized from what I witnessed. He's got a long way to go at this level, but there is a chance he chould start to emerge once he gets his confidence up. I like his chances to push Campbell during the pre-season....
WR W. Welker is still in the running as well. He's always been quick, and his hands are very solid as well. He's almost like a poor man's Chrebet if you will, and he finds ways to get open in crucial situations. I wont dismiss Welker winning the #3 spot due to his experience / production he added on offense a year ago. No matter what, Welker is a very safe bet to be on the field during all 3rd down / passing situations in 2006. He'll make this roster, I'm just not sure where he'll end up on the depth chart.....
Offenisve Line
-------------
The minute they came out, I was seaching for OG B. Anderson. I couldn't find him, and later found out he was dismissed due to a family matter. as for the others, here's how it looked....
LT - LJ Shelton - This guy is huge. I was very impressed with his size compared to the LT's we've had out there in the past. I can see why Houck was interested in adding him. I will say he's alittle slow footed at times, but overall, he should provide an upgrade at the position. He's hard not to notice that's for sure....
LG - J. James is looking just fine. He's always been a solid player in my opinion. With him at LG, we should be in very good shape. I have no worries when it comes to James stepping up. Solid....
C - R. Hadnot has now cemented himself as the new starting Center. That's great news too. He'll bring more aggressiveness, and attitude to the line. He's also a much better blocker than McKinney in my opinion. He's looking very comfortable at C thus far, and we upgraded the position by making the switch....
RG - This position is up for grabs. It would seem that the addition of OG B. Anderson would be the logical choice based on his size alone. He's huge. But there's also S. McKinney who is fighting for a starting job now that Hadnot has taken over at C. I think McKinney plays hard, and the only downfall to his play, is his lack of size / strength. He gets mauled alot when he's matched-up against the bigger DT / NT's we have. He could be a solid depth player at OG, but I don't think he'll be able to keep Anderson from winning the starting job once he shows up....
RT - V. Carey looks like an NFL OLman this year. In 2005, he looked like a college player. I think he's made the most progress of any OLman we have this year. I think he'll end up starting at RT, and will only get better with experience. He's smart, quick on his feet, and can run block well when need be. His future is bright in Miami as long as he continues to gain confidence under Houck.
Let's not forget about some of the solid depth players we have. Guys like McIntosh / Pearson / Smith / Berger / Alibi / ect ect. There is some decent depth in Miami this year along the OL in my opinion. All of them are getting solid work right now, and I feel confident in what we've got behind the starters. Houck knows best.....
Defense
========
I want to make this portion of my report short and sweet.....
Don't quote me, but in my opinion, the 2006 Miami Dolphins defense is going to be one of the best we've seen in years. They we all over the field last night. They were also all over the QB's / RB's during the closing 11-11 drills. They were breaking up plays quite often, and making the offense rush their timing. I would give last nights performance to the defense without question....
That's not saying our offense looked bad, they connected on a few nice plays, but the defense really stood out in my eyes. Guys like Poole / Allen / Bell / Daniels / Cooper / Hill / all did a very decent job in locking down the WR's and breaking up pass plays. I see a solid corps coming together back there, and once J. Allen comes into play, it should only get stronger....
I think with Capers / Saban on top of the defense, we're going to be a strong force to deal with. I see a blitzing defense, that swarms it's opponents. That's what they we're doing to Culepper and Co. last night, and it worked to perfection. Bottom line : Our defense looked great....
In closing, I'll be going to the 3:00pm session today, and this time I'll do the play by play version. Hope you enjoyed this one.....
PHINZ RULE!!!!!
I wasn't able to get any play by play notes because I forgot my stuff, but I'll give you my opinions thus far...
First off, there was over a thousand fans in attendance, there were even people up in the parking garage overlooking the field!!. We're talking packed!!!This had to be the biggest turnout of Phinz fans at any training camp session I've ever been to over the last 10 years. No question....
As for the start of the sessions, they always do the positonal drills, and there really not much to talk about when you watch that portion of the practice session. That's usually the best time to overlook the roster, and get familiar with who is who on the field. It's boring most of the time, and only warm-up level stuff....
It is interesting watching all of the coaches working with their units during the drills, and seeing Saban stalking around. He keeps the tempo going at at a nice pace, and he's a vocal teacher on the field. These coaches are on top of everything, and I'm very pleased with what I've seen from all of them thus far. There's a level of confidence being displayed when they're all out there working together. Saban has done a great job in that department this offseason....
Positional Breakdowns
================
QB - Let's get to this position first....
QB D. Culpepper - Try to envision Chambers breaking away deep, and the pass hitting him in full stride for a 50 yard TD. That's the kind of arm / accuracy we're going to be seeing from Culpepper this season in my opinion. Why do I say this???....He's been doing it at the mini-camps, and now he's doing it during training camp. He's also shown he can hit somone deep other than Chambers. Booker / Campbell have been getting their share of deep balls as well....
He's running around out there, he's highly energetic, and is showing no real signs of lingering pain on the field. Some may say he's limping alittle, but if he is, it's pretty hard to notice any effects from it when he throws the ball. He's dropping back well, and making the plays we've been use to seeing him make. He seems very confident in his knee, and that's a great sign in my opinion....
The bottom line : Culpepper looks great thus far. Every Phinz fan on the planet is going to love what this guy will bring us at the QB position. That's my opinion on Culpepper so far from what I've seen. He's a true top caliber QB, and he's stoked to be in Miami. What else could any Phinz fan ask for??....
As for QB J. Harrington, I think he's looking better today than he did during the mini's. He completed some very nice throws early on, and looked much more confident in his decisions. There were a few poor throws here and there, but that's going to happen from time to time when matching up against the defenders we have out there. It's only the first day of training camp, so Harrington still has some decent time to improve within the offense. Bottom line : I walked away pleased last night. Harrington wasn't great, but he was good enough for a first day session. He's got time, and very good competition to keep him on his toes....
Speaking of his competition, QB C. Lemon is looking good as well. I like his mobility, and his roll-out abilities. His arm isn't half bad either. This is a player that is brimming with exciting possibilities for the future. When he's on the field, and a play breaks down, he can make things happen with his feet, and that's what seperates him from Harrington when comparing the two at this stage. I really like what he brings to the QB position for us, and you will all see exactly what I mean during the pre-season. He and Harrington will be battling it out until the end in my opinion.....
Running Backs
---------------
RB R. Brown looks quicker, and bigger than he was a year ago. I'm really excited to see him in real action this year. He's going to be great this year in my opinion. He looks stronger all around....
RB S. Morris is also another one of those hard workers, and will fight for every inch when his number is called. Regardless of those who say we need another back-up, I think Morris can handle the job. If you could see this guy practice, you'd understand why we need him on this team, and how he fits into what we're building. Thus far, Morris has shown that he deserves the back-up RB job in my opinion....
There's also RB KJ Harris, who has actually looked pretty good this off-season. He caught my eye a few time last night, and I had to do a double check. he could battle Minor for the #3 spot if he shows more improvement during the rest of the off-season. Speaking of Minor, he's been the same old Minor he's always been, not much to talk about....
Overall, our RB position is in very good shape. Maybe Saban will bring in someone to battle for the back-up job with Morris, but overall we have some hard runners back there to move the chains....
Wide Reciever
--------------
I love our WR corps this year. Chambers aside, I'd like to talk about how well Booker is coming along within this offense. He's certainly making more plays for us, and last night he was on the other end of another long Culpepper TD strike. Booker is starting to show more confidence, and he could have a big year with Chambers getting all the attention...
Speaking of Chambers, he and Culepper together should become a very dangerous combo. They're getting more and more familiar with eachothers moves, and tendencies. Chambers is loving his new QB, and who can blame him after years of dealing with mediocre talent at QB in the past. I see greatness in Chambers future now that we have Culpepper....
At the #3 WR position, we have a nice little log-jam. WR K. Campbell is really catching my eye, and he and Culpepper have history together. You can tell when they're playing out there too. Cpep likes Campbell from the way the two are connecting. Right now, I'd have to say WR K. Campbell is the best option at the position. Watch him closely, because he could turn out to be a steal for us....
WR D. Hagan was kind of quiet last night. He didn't really get recognized from what I witnessed. He's got a long way to go at this level, but there is a chance he chould start to emerge once he gets his confidence up. I like his chances to push Campbell during the pre-season....
WR W. Welker is still in the running as well. He's always been quick, and his hands are very solid as well. He's almost like a poor man's Chrebet if you will, and he finds ways to get open in crucial situations. I wont dismiss Welker winning the #3 spot due to his experience / production he added on offense a year ago. No matter what, Welker is a very safe bet to be on the field during all 3rd down / passing situations in 2006. He'll make this roster, I'm just not sure where he'll end up on the depth chart.....
Offenisve Line
-------------
The minute they came out, I was seaching for OG B. Anderson. I couldn't find him, and later found out he was dismissed due to a family matter. as for the others, here's how it looked....
LT - LJ Shelton - This guy is huge. I was very impressed with his size compared to the LT's we've had out there in the past. I can see why Houck was interested in adding him. I will say he's alittle slow footed at times, but overall, he should provide an upgrade at the position. He's hard not to notice that's for sure....
LG - J. James is looking just fine. He's always been a solid player in my opinion. With him at LG, we should be in very good shape. I have no worries when it comes to James stepping up. Solid....
C - R. Hadnot has now cemented himself as the new starting Center. That's great news too. He'll bring more aggressiveness, and attitude to the line. He's also a much better blocker than McKinney in my opinion. He's looking very comfortable at C thus far, and we upgraded the position by making the switch....
RG - This position is up for grabs. It would seem that the addition of OG B. Anderson would be the logical choice based on his size alone. He's huge. But there's also S. McKinney who is fighting for a starting job now that Hadnot has taken over at C. I think McKinney plays hard, and the only downfall to his play, is his lack of size / strength. He gets mauled alot when he's matched-up against the bigger DT / NT's we have. He could be a solid depth player at OG, but I don't think he'll be able to keep Anderson from winning the starting job once he shows up....
RT - V. Carey looks like an NFL OLman this year. In 2005, he looked like a college player. I think he's made the most progress of any OLman we have this year. I think he'll end up starting at RT, and will only get better with experience. He's smart, quick on his feet, and can run block well when need be. His future is bright in Miami as long as he continues to gain confidence under Houck.
Let's not forget about some of the solid depth players we have. Guys like McIntosh / Pearson / Smith / Berger / Alibi / ect ect. There is some decent depth in Miami this year along the OL in my opinion. All of them are getting solid work right now, and I feel confident in what we've got behind the starters. Houck knows best.....
Defense
========
I want to make this portion of my report short and sweet.....
Don't quote me, but in my opinion, the 2006 Miami Dolphins defense is going to be one of the best we've seen in years. They we all over the field last night. They were also all over the QB's / RB's during the closing 11-11 drills. They were breaking up plays quite often, and making the offense rush their timing. I would give last nights performance to the defense without question....
That's not saying our offense looked bad, they connected on a few nice plays, but the defense really stood out in my eyes. Guys like Poole / Allen / Bell / Daniels / Cooper / Hill / all did a very decent job in locking down the WR's and breaking up pass plays. I see a solid corps coming together back there, and once J. Allen comes into play, it should only get stronger....
I think with Capers / Saban on top of the defense, we're going to be a strong force to deal with. I see a blitzing defense, that swarms it's opponents. That's what they we're doing to Culepper and Co. last night, and it worked to perfection. Bottom line : Our defense looked great....
In closing, I'll be going to the 3:00pm session today, and this time I'll do the play by play version. Hope you enjoyed this one.....
PHINZ RULE!!!!!
:jk:
