Bills preparation begins with Long, minus Crowder

The Dolphins are working out today, with an 11 a.m. practice, and the view during the open media session offered both a bit of good news and bad.

The good news is that, as expected, offensive tackle Jake Long is practicing. Long suffered a knee injury in the preseason finale and there was some question about his availability for the regular-season opener against Buffalo.

The fact he is working, at least on a limited basis, suggests he will indeed play against the Bills.

The news on Channing Crowder is not quite so positive. Miami's starting inside linebacker is still not practicing today. He was off to the side doing rehabilitation work for what has been reported as an abdomen injury.

The injury report will be out later today and we'll have a full update on that once it is in, including the details of Crowder's injury.

Finally, no surprise in that the Dolphins announced the signing of kick returner Clifton Smith. Smith is a former NFC Pro Bowl special teams player as a kick returner. He averaged 27.6 yards per return for Tampa Bay that year. He had a 97 yard KO return TD and a 70-yard punt return TD that year.

Smith is in his third season. He was cut by the Bucs  after he spent the end of last year on the injured reserve list with concussion problems.

The Dolphins cut offensive lineman Joe Reitz to make room for Smith on the roster. Reitz was with Miami two days.

By the way, Bill Parcells was at practice today. It was in the bubble and Parcells was at his usual chair along the sideline one day after he stepped back from the executive vice president job and became a consultant.

Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey was just on conference call here and was asked what effect the Bill Parcells change would have on the Dolphins and he doesn't really buy Miami will be affected at all. "At 1 o'clock on Sunday it will be a moot point," Gailey said.

[Blog update: Check back later for a full update of what happens in the locker room and during the Tony Sparano press conference.]

Comments

[Pat D.]

Losing Crowder is not a big issue with this team. If you focus on Crowder during games, he gets hung up in traffic too much and doesn't seem to have a nose for the ball.

[Neezzybaby]

Ah crowder. You disappoint me. Let's go long!

[okim]

Pick up Leigh Torrence, he was just dropped by NO.

[Gian]

Crowder is trading material. AJ Edds will have such great impact next year.

It's great to have Long back. There are no excuses for this Sunday. Just play to win!!

Let's Go Dolphins!!!!!

[koamisi]

want to see amaya!

[ALoco]

ARMANDO, i must say you r getting better on your radio show .today was a good show , a lot of football .the best 10 minutes were about the steeler guy who won't sign with fins b/c of IRELAND .

[NHFINSFAN]

See ya Chowda...never really liked ya.

[finfaned]

we havent won in Buffalo since 2003. its time to end the drought.

Dolphins-24
Jills-10

[BennyV]

Dolphins in a blow out:

34-6

[NHFINSFAN]

If we can score 24 pts per game this season there is no reason we cannot win 12 games.
The team with the most points wins and we need an EXPLOSIVE offense to get into the playoffs....none of this checkdown crap...hit your big receivers after you've established the run...a receipe for WINS!

[BoulderFinFan]

this is a must win at buffalo. They better not take buffalo lightly.
BTW I may need to evacuate my home today because of the wild fire in Boulder.

[ALoco]

dolphins........... A win in buffalo means .......playoffs

[DC Dolfan]

Luckily we have Dobbins. Hope Dansby is the same impact player he was in Arizona. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY!!! Tomorrow's game will be interesting too, hope Favre gets hurt (then we won't have to face him next week).

[DC Dolfan]

Boulder, sorry to hear that dude, stay safe, and don't forget your DirectTv, or else how will you watch the game (got a bar nearby that shows Dolphins)?

[ALoco]

BRADY IS GOING to sign a 3 or 4 year contract worth...60 or 80 million .

[MojoMark]

Crowder:
"Stop breaking down, baby, please, stop breaking down."
-RS

[finfaned]

oh damn boulder. my orayers and thoughts are with ya man. i love the Dolphins but something like that really puts things in perspective as to what really is important. best wishes.

[mikeoliver1313]

the season has not started yet. and we have a must win already. wow

[ALoco]

buffalo is a must win or the season will be a soup .

[Andy NJ]

I'm happy to hear Long is practicing. I hope there are no long term effects from this injury.

Crowder is still Chowder. He is all talk and no action as always. I was hoping he was a suprise cut. I like Micah Johnson a lot. His injuries and poor combine numbers left him undrafted. He is a tackling machine and a great thumper to go with Dansby who makes tackles but should be dropping back more then taking on lead blockers.

Absolutely a must win for Miami. Miami's early road games vs. Minn, GB, Balt and Cinn are all tough places to play save Cinn. Some say the Bill are the worst team in the league if Miami doesn't win this game we might be in a for a long season.

My prediction Miami 24 Buffalo 16

[odinseye]

Crowder? I don't even want to hear about Crowder. He's an aging, often injured, average LB.

We have Dansby and Dobbins who are both better than Crowder right now and by tomorrow Micah Johnson will be as well.

Crowder is taking up a roster spot we could have used for Will Allen. I know the same arguments can be made about Allen, old, injured, etc, etc. But I'd still rather have Allen over Crowder. We're good at ILB, we could have used the help in the secondary.

[Yan]

Buffalo game is a must win, with Vikes, Jets, Pats and Pack coming right after that.

Smith is a good signing, although our problem is more defending the KR/PR.

Crowder will be out for a long time, it's obvious. Bad news. Dobbins was a backup in a so-so LB unit in SD, so we must be prepared for the worst.

[ALoco]

if we don't win in buffalo , we will lose in min and the season will be a noodle soup .but if we win we will win in min and the season will be a grilled snapper .

[mrmikejohnson]

Armando, you hear anything on these Carl Peterson rumors? NFL Network was saying that that idiot who destroyed the Chiefs organization for a decade might be coming to run the Dolphins because he's buddies with that other idiot Stephen Ross. God, I hope that's not true. The biggest idiots in the NFL this past decade were:

1. Matt Millen
2. Karl Peterson
3. Dave Wannstedt

We don't need another moron in a high position here.

[Fish Boy]

i am relieved to hear that jake Long is back at practice!! No worries about Clam Chowder, the blood thinned awful quick from his dad Randy (reminds me of Richard and Kyle Petty). Dobbins will be far better. All the Phins have to do is stop 2 players...C.J. Spiller and Lee Evans. If they accomplish that...Bills are out of bullets. Oh and one last thing.....as always....RUN RICKY RUN!!!!

GO PHINS!!!

[kris]

Boulder....

Hope everything works out for you. Ever since the housing market crash, I wish my house would burn down.

Heres to you and your family staying safe.

[DC Dolfan]

LOL kris, that was funny (unless you're boulder)!

[cowkilla]

Good Luck Boulder! if all else fails take your dish, receiver box, and a smaller more portable tv, and a satelite signal finder...then you can pretty much setup anywhere you have a power source to get that sunday ticket rolling outside style

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

I'm one of those whose a bit sad about the Crowder injury. I'm sure Dansby would of made Crowder a better player. Just like Hartline and Bess will become better players because of Marshall. Incognito will be better because of Jake Long, etc etc... Oh well...

[Fritz]

Need more info on the Steeler guy who won't sign with the Dolphins because of Ireland. Who and why?

[Andy NJ]

I don't think Crowder playing is a big deal. He should've been cut anyway. Playing next to a leader and player like Dansby makes it easier on Dobbin and Johnson.

I'm nervous about this game. Miami never plays well in Buffalo. Buffalo isn't a good team at all. Bad O-line and no pass rush in thier new 3-4 D. Miami should be able to make some plays in the passing game. Buffalo has a good secondary but you can only cover for so long on a play when there is no pass rush.

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

Don't tell me it's that safety dude again, Clark I think his name is... Good Lord, when is this story going to end? He didn't want to come here? Big deal. We'll see how well he does against us now that we have Marshall...

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

Andy, why should Crowder get cut? I could name at least 10 guys from last season that sucked a lot more than Crowder.

[Luis Morales (PUERTO RICO)]

Cut the crap if crowder cant play that doesent matter good to know JAKE LONG its practicin at least go DOLPHINS go and kick some butt on the buffalo bills on sunday

[pistol]

Good luck to you Boulder.

[Craig M]

Enough about Crowder. We couldn't count on him last year or the year before and it looks like the same pattern again this year. Actually the guy is pretty lucky he hasn't suffered the same fate as Will Allen. We don't need guys like this on the team. This will be Crowder's last season in Miami.....and thank God for that!!

I'll be at the game Sunday in Buffalo and I'm pretty concerned that things aren't going to go well.

[Cuban Menace]

Crowder out for sundays game??? Hummmmmmmmm, Seems this guy is constantly out...ohhh well..

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

Crowder got a nice $$$ contract from Bill Parcells, the guy who everyone believes is the Miami savior. So I guess he can't be that bad...LOL!

[#1 Dolphin Fan in Montreal]

Did Ireland ask Clark if his mom is you know what? Is that why he's so upset?

[Fritz]

Oh, if you're talking about Clark, then that's old news. I thought there was something new.

[ALoco]

clark said in ARMANDO'S RADIO SHOW .....he loves PARCELLS but he didn't sign w the fins b/c he didn't like IRELAND at all .i wonder why ?

[Nathaniel Dodsworth]

Some observations:

1) Channing Crowder always lets me down when he's in the game. Yet when he's injured, the Dolphins defense always seems to fall apart.

2) Boy that Lindsay Lohan is good looking. What a waste. I'd like her to just stop drinking, stop doing drugs, wash her face, eat more so she fills out like she used to be, and then come visit me. I don't think that's too much to ask.

3) When I moved from Canada to the U.S., my old phobias about the dentist kicked in, and I didn't go to the dentist for 5 years. I just went, and thank God, no cavities. Don't fret, Cuban Menance, I'll be going every 6 months from now on.

4) My summer hiatus is over. I'm back, baby. I know you all missed me. The long national nightmare is over.

[ALoco]

DID YOU GO TO JAIL NATHANIEL ?

[greg z.]

ireland wants to be like parcells but he hasnt really earned that respect that parcells has around the league. as a gm he might demand it without earning it. could be a bad omen. i sure hope he can relate to the fans and players;he probably came across badly to dez bryant and the steeler safety clark. hope he learns;parcells might not be there to back him up.

[Cuban Menace]

Ahhhh My old friend Nathaniel. Good to see you posting once again, and mayI add I too hope Lindsey goes back to guys.... Such a pretty girl with a nasty looking lisbo....COME ON LINDSEY,DROP THE CHICK AND GET ON THE DICK!!!!!!!!!!

[carl peterson]

wasnt carl peterson the guy who made the chiefs a consistant playoff contender throughout the 90's?

[Cuban Menace]

BTW, the "DODDSWORTH/MENACE 2016"Presidential bid Is gaining momentum....

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

no marty schot was

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

this was by far parcells worst stop. he made all kinds of awful moves

[carl peterson]

no marty schot was the guy who never won the playoff games with the teams peterson helped build. marty never wins in the playoffs.

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

marty always wins in the regular season. peterson had 15 years and failed

[Cuban Menace]

Marty Schottenheimer was the worst coach this side of Dave(No nut sack) Wannstedt... IMHO...

[Mrs. McNabb]

I'm just Canning Chowder myself. Campbell's® Chunky™® Clam Chowder is a hearty chowder loaded with big chunks of potatoes and lots of tender clams in a nice creamy broth that Big Mama jest love all over.
It about the only thing from New England I like. (Hell ya'll I don't even like Philly no mo'). But lissen up yungins- I ring dat dinner bell and my boy Donavan come runnin out da bushes like a crazy man who be chased by DeMarcus Ware wit a spear and a damn bone in his nose yellin 'I comin right dere Mama' - hold da door!!

[jeff]

Ireland does seem like a tool.

[carl peterson]

so if i understand you correctly. . youre saying that marty schot takes the players carl petersons picks and wins the regular season. then carl peterson fails to get them to the superbowl once the playoffs start?

[Cuban Menace]

Mrs McNabb, Has Jeff Ireland ever asked what you do for a living besides hawk "Chunky's Soup" ????? Just wondering.....

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

carl drafted poorly, never took a young qb, signed over the hill guys and told marty to win with them. deberg,krieg,montana,bono,grbac garbage

[jimfin]

Dolphins will show up Sunday. Fins 28, Bills 7
Pre-season is over. Time for the real deal.

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

jimfin no way. have u seen our defense. they will move ball on us. fins win 19-17

[bobbyd12]

This is going to be the topping on the sundae for Parcells. He has built a solid nucleus and good peripheal players. Since he will be here DAILY throughout this season his input will continue to be great. I hope and pray all you fakes jump off a bridge but I know you will be jumping on the bandwagon instead. We crush Buffalo, not even a game 31-17