Sparano's extra focus on special teams due to Pat White's role?

[arydolphin]

Ok, here me out on this one. First of all, this excerpt is from Peter King's MMQB on si.com (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/08/23/mmqb/3.html), just basically substitute Pat White's name in where Michael Vick's name is listed since King sums it up much better than I can, and the Dolphins are in the same situation as the Eagles:

I think the Eagles are likely to use Michael Vick as a third quarterback this year in most games -- but not as the 46th, emergency-only backup. If they do the latter, they'd be creating a major personnel problem. Here's why. The NFL allows teams to dress a 46th player, but only if that 46th player is the third quarterback dressing that day. Philly has a decision to make about Vick and how he will be accounted for on the roster. It wouldn't be smart to use a situational quarterback as the emergency quarterback because if the player is used in the first three quarters, then the first and second quarterbacks are ineligible to play from that point on. So when the Eagles play Vick, it's likely they'll do so as a legitimate third quarterback -- and thus will likely take one special-teams-type player out of the lineup on that particular day. It's risky, and it'll make the job of special-teams coordinator Ted Daisher a vital one as the Eagles go forward.
Having Vick run around and make magic is all well and good, but if Andy Reid picks Vick to dress over, say, a defensive back who is an excellent gunner on the punt team, that decision could result in a long punt return. Interestingly, we'd probably never know it because Reid would never say, "We had Michael active today at the expense of Player X.'' But internally, it could be a hot potato on the coaching staff, with some assistants feeling that Vick is preventing a good kick-team player from performing.

Now, look at what Sparano has been saying recently about certain players on the roster. He knows that the #4 and #5 wide receivers on the roster have to be special teams players, and he's also saying that Lex Hilliard is going to have to earn his spot on special teams, no matter how well he runs the ball. He also loves Patrick Cobbs because of his versatility, which includes special teams. I think that Sparano and his staff are really focused on the special teams this preseason not only because special teams was arguably the worst unit on the team last year, but because he knows that they effectively have 1 less roster spot to use for a special teams player because Pat White can't be used as the "emergency" 3rd quarterback. Thus the guys at the bottom of the roster are going to have to be versatile, not just special teams aces like Larry Izzo in the past, because they'll have to contribute if the starters get hurt as well.
​

 

[chillwill3000]

this topic was discussed a few days ago.