Dolphins Gab

Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown said in an interview with CBSSports.com that his injured foot is doing “pretty good,” and he’s on track to return for the start of the 2010 season. Brown was placed on injured reserve in November with a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot. “Everything feels good,” Brown said. “The doctor said everything looks good. From that standpoint I think it’s going on as scheduled.” Brown said not playing a full year in 2009 was “tough,” and he’s looking forward toward playing a full season in 2010. “The toughest part of being injured is not being able to participate and go out there,” Brown said. “To suffer an injury and not being able to go out there and help your team, it was hard for me. I used what happened this season as fuel for next season.”

For the second straight off-season, the Dolphins brass will have to deal with an off the field problem, this time with Tony McDaniel, a defensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins.

McDaniel was taken into custody on a domestic violence charge.

McDaniel was seen, and heard, fighting with his girlfriend, Alaina Smith, when McDaniel supposedly pushed her to the ground.

While nothing is for sure yet, McDaniel was in court yesterday morning, and was indeed charged with an account of domestic violence.

While myself and DolphinsGab do not condone this behavior whatsoever, McDaniel would be a nice player to see back just for the depth that he brings.

McDaniel can play both defensive tackle, and defensive end.

With Super Bowl Weekend finally upon us, the next two days will drag.

This is the weekend that pretty everybody who is anybody has been waiting for. Football fanatics, regular passive fans, the non-football fans, the clueless girlfriends, the clueless period.

You get the idea. Pretty much everybody will be watching the Super Bowl this weekend, if not for the game itself, for the hilarious commercials, the halftime show, and the national anthem.

The Super Bowl provides something for everyone, which is why it is so appealing to all of America.

The Super Bowl may indeed, be the ONLY television broadcast where you cannot find the power within yourself, to get up off of your butt, to even get food, because of all of the features that go along with Super Bowl Sunday.

Everything, and everyone involved in the Super Bowl hype is glamorous. The weeks leading up to the Super Bowl feature some of the biggest and best parties that you will find in the whole world. It also features some of the biggest media gatherings of the season, on Media Day.

The fact that the NFL is the only league where the champion is decided with one game just adds to all of the excitement.

Even the best of the best get nervous for the Super Bowl. This may be that players, or teams, only chance at being crowned as the best team in football ever. Look at some of the teams that have not even been close to a Super Bowl in their history:

The Jacksonville Jaguars, the Houston Texans, even the New Orleans Saints have not tasted the success that one feels when finally getting to that Super Bowl.

For the players that finally make it, it may very well be their only shot at getting a championship.

The raw emotion that goes into the whole 60 minutes of play is what the true die-hards crave. This is what they do not get to see in the regular season, the two best teams in the league playing in the last game of the year, to be known as the best team in the league for that year.

So you get the picture, the Super Bowl is the biggest, and baddest fad this nation has seen that is televised. So without further ado, let me take you on a tour of how I see the game, between the Indianapolis Colts, and the New Orleans Saints, and read, as I give you my take on the matchups, and who I think will get the win, and be crowned as this years champion of the NFL.

Continue reading DolphinsGab Weighs In On Super Bowl

Just in time for Super Bowl XLIV, it’s official: Gardein Classic Style Buffalo Wings are the best faux chicken wings in the land. But don’t take our word for it. Just ask Miami Dolphins star running back and longtime vegetarian Ricky Williams, who hosted a taste test yesterday at his Miami Beach eatery, Proof Restaurant and Lounge, and declared Gardein the winner out of a whole flock of delicious meatless chicken. Williams and PETA want football fans across the country to take a page from Williams’ playbook and give nutritious faux wings a try at their Super Bowl parties this year. As Williams knows, there’s no better way to tackle cruelty to animals than simply to stop eating them.

A video of the contest—featuring an exclusive interview with Williams—can be seen here: http://blog.peta.org/archives/2010/02/ricky_williams.php?c=pfrwws10. The interview was conducted by PETA director and sports buff Dan Shannon, and the food was expertly prepared by renowned vegan chef Lex Townes.

Reports are saying that injured Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington is willing to come back to the Miami Dolphins, even if it means that he will be backing up current starting quarterback Chad Henne.

The Dolphins will need to see that CP10 still has that pin-point accuracy in his arm, but I fully expect that he will pass that test.

With Pennington pushing himself back into the quarterback equation, what does this mean for the rest of the quarterbacks? Here is a rundown of the likely scenario for each quarterback that will be effected by the presence of Pennington on the roster next year, if the Trifecta gives him a new contract.

Chad Henne:

Henne will with no doubt in my mind be the starter for next season. There is no quarterback out there right now that the Dolphins would want to run their offense except for Henne. Well, almost none, there is of course Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Pat White:

White may be the guy most impacted if the Dolphins were to re-sign Pennington.

White would then be pushed to the third string quarterback spot if Pennington were to come back, which would mean that he would not be able to enter the game without having to be the quarterback for the rest of the game. Both Henne and Pennington would be ineligible to re-enter the field of play if White were to sub in at some point in the game.

So where would White move to? Wide receiver? Running back?

The answer to that question is unknown. Heck, the answer to whether Pennington will even come back is still unknown, because it is not all about the players wanting to come back, sometimes, the front office has to think highly of the player, as the player thinks highly of the organization.

White should be back next year, but at what position. If Pennington were to come back to the Fins, I do not think that he would be listed as a quarterback on gameday. This would add yet another element to the Wildcat because of the versatility that White possess.

Halfback pass anyone? End around passes?

Tyler Thigpen:

To state it bluntly, Thigpen most likely will be gone after the off-season is over and done with. If the Dolphins were to keep Thigpen around, that would mean having four quarterbacks on the roster. I do not believe that the Dolphins would be willing to sacrifice that extra roster spot, where they could use to activate another player, such as a wide receiver, or linebacker, especially when both White and Thigpen have some of the same capabilities.

Whether or not Pennington is re-signed or not, there will be changes in the quarterbacking staff. Some decisions will need to be made on what to do with young Pat White regardless, so why not bring in Pennington if nothing more than for that all important leadership that he provides the team.

Joey Porter has said a lot of things recently about his future with the Dolphins, but none may be as big and foretelling as this quote that he used on ESPN’s Jim Rome Is Burning:

“I won’t accept it no more, you know what I mean? I accepted it last year because I’m a team guy. I just want to play, have fun and win football games.”

“When you’re winning, all of this stuff is (swept) away. But after seeing how last year went, asking me to come back and play that role again, I can honestly say I won’t come back to do that. I can’t be happy about coming back playing that role.”

(when asked about being traded)
“I mean, it would just kind of be the smart thing to do. `Why keep a guy there that you want to make a role player? You’re paying me enough money as a starter. So why pay me all that money and make me a role player”

“If you make me a role player, it’s saying you really don’t want me, right? I mean, I just gave you 17.5 sacks last year.”

Get this guy out of here. He has just said that he wants out, and that he cannot see why any team would want to keep a player like him, so let him walk, and play for a team like the Raiders, or the Lions, and let him stink on a team that stinks.

He has shown his true loyalty to this team, and while he has gone through some rough patches throughout his tenure as a Dolphin, I no longer would like his selfish services on the team, when we have a class-act like Jason Taylor bending over back to win, and give up his position of choice to Joey, so the team can win.

I just do not get why guys get like this all of a sudden, right when you think that they are finally starting to buy into the system that the coaches are selling.

Taylor and Cameron Wake would provide better, more consistent options as pass rushers penetrating from the outside at this point, plus, Taylor provides the leadership quality that “Peezy” seems to be lacking at this point in time.

While I will miss seeing Joey’s emotion on the field, I know that they’re are better options out there, that can help this Dolphins team out more than Porter can.

So long “Peezy” good luck the rest of your career!

It looks like Joey can no longer smile while he is in Miami.

This past week has featured not only the Dolphins coaching staff teaching the seniors from the South the ropes of what will be to come in the NFL, and Yeremiah Bell and Dan Carpenter practicing with the best of the best in the NFL, but also there has been some mild rumors swirling regarding some defensive players that are on the Dolphins, and around the league.

From Joey Porter reportedly not wanting to come back, to Jason Taylor undecided on his future. One thing is certain. One of the two pass specialists will not be back next year, and the way Porter is bringing the media into this, I think it is safe to say that “Peezy” will not be the one “ordering players back to the sidelines who come to sub in for him.”

The Dolphins have reportedly been walking around on eggshells for a rather long time here regarding this issue. And untrue to form, it seems that the Trifecta has been letting Porter take advantage of them in this situation.

Since when has Bill Parcells, or Tony Sparano for that matter, been known to let their own players control what they do on gameday? Especially during a season that was shaky to say the least.

I applaud the Dolphins and Joey for somehow keeping this under raps, despite the one game suspensions on Porter midway through the season.

The news that Joey said on a radio show in his hometown of Bakersfield, California, that he does not want to be back in a Dolphins uniform next year, was rather shocking, considering the fact that Porter has NO room to come out and make those kinds of demands after the inconsistent season that he has had.

We might not be seeing "Peezy" do his thang next year in a Dolphins uniform.

Porter only had 9 sacks this year, and 34 tackles, both steps down from his stat-line last year. Porter also had only one forced fumble this year, three less than his four last year.

With that being said, does any player have the right to pretty much demand their way off of a team? What kind of leadership does that show the other, younger players on the team? Porter was thought of to the younger players as an elder to look up to for guidance, and leadership. And now he goes and does this? I do not think that there is any reason for the Dolphins to keep him around, and are only saying that they are still on the fence about it to keep what is left of his trade value.

With all of the drama of whether Joey Porter will be back next year or not, what was lost in translation somewhat was the fact that Jason Taylor may, or may not, be back next year.

JT has given mixed signals so far this week, saying to the Associated Press that he would like to return next year, specifically to the Dolphins, but only hours later, saying this to the Miami Herald’s Jeff Darlington:

“I never close the door, so I’m not going to be committal here on anything,” Taylor said. “I’m enjoying my time now. When the time comes, if teams want to start talking to free agents, it will be time to talk.”

What I think this means, is that Jason is willing to wait and see if the Dolphins bring Porter back, or not. I cannot imagine that Taylor will be willing to play second fiddle to Porter for what will likely be his last year in the league. Taylor did not enjoy that very much last year, as the Dolphins chose to slide Taylor to the strongside linebacker position, instead of his natural post, the weakside linebacker (this is where Porter lined up).

JT's future might depend on Joey Porter's future.

In Jason’s mind, I’m sure that he wants to end his career where it started, in Miami, but I think at this point in his career, he is not willing to swallow his pride to play a position that is not what his whole career is all about. Jason is a weakside pass rushing beast, and while he may have improved in the run game this year, he is known for his pass rushing prowess.

If the decision were up to me, I would pick Taylor over Porter for several reasons, one being they are both pass rushing beasts, but also because Taylor provides better leadership while also providing some of the emotion that we would be missing if Porter would be to be let go.

The final rumor that has been circulating around the league this week has been of that possible free agent defensive tackle, Vince Wilfork of the New England Patriots.

Wilfork stated this week that he would like to come down to play for a Florida team, most notably, the Miami Dolphins, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Will Wilfork be doing his dance in Miami next year?

Tampa Bay would make sense for a possible landing spot, but if Wilfork’s only way out of New England was  a trade, there would be no way that the Patriots would trade away arguably their best defensive player to their division rival, who they play twice a year. So I guess you can throw the idea of Wilfork lining up in the teal and white next year into the trashcan.

The Dolphins have some decisions to make regarding their defensive unit, even before free agency starts, and what they get in return, whether it be in trading Joey Porter, or letting Jason Taylor retire, and trading Porter, will be the final stepping stone in how we judge the Dolphins final needs before the draft, and how they will go after some defensive depth on the free agent market.

ESPN.com reports that the Fins now have a Pro Bowl kicker, as Dan Carpenter has been added to the AFC roster:

Miami Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter is a Pro Bowler.

The AFC needed a proxy because San Diego Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding, last seen missing three field goals in a playoff loss to the New York Jets, pulled out of the game.

Carpenter was summoned easily enough because the Pro Bowl is being played in the Dolphins’ stadium.

His 89 percent success rate on field goals ranked third among AFC kickers with at least 20 attempts. His 112 points ranked seventh within the conference.