Wednesday afternoon potpourri of notes

Remember I told you a couple of weeks ago the Dolphins had a competition for the starting wide reciever job opposite Brandon Marshall?

They still have a competition going for that starting wide receiver job. I asked coach Tony Sparano today if he had decided on the winner of the competition yet.

"Not yet, no, yeah, to me, it’s still open with, you know, that group of there, you know, that’s there and, you know, we’re going to play them a lot in the next couple of weeks," Sparano said. "We're going to play them a bunch this week, as much as we can play them and get a couple of guys up in the rotation this week, but you know, they’re going to play all those guys a lot in the next two weeks.”

The players vying for that starting job are Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and Clyde Gates.

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The pressure is mounting on Will Allen to get on the field the remainder of this preseason and perform. He probably has to do it this week and next week without an injury setback to make the team. Oh yeah, playing well would also help.

 “I tell the team this all the time: It’s a show me game, at some point I have to see it," Sparano said. "I got to see it on the practice field. I got to see it in the game. It took me two days out here with JT (Jason Taylor) to figure out once he got here in pads it took me two days to figure out he’s still got it.

"So now I can control his practice pace. You know JT didn’t work yesterday and I can go to JT and say you’re down today.  I’ve already seen it … I know it.  I kind of know what this guy needs to get ready to play.  He knows what he needs to get ready to play. In Will's case particularly, and Will wouldn’t be upset with me for saying this, it's just I need to see it and more importantly Will needs to see it.

"He needs to know that he can go into the game and he can do this at the rate that Will was able to do.  I give Will, I give him a lot of benefit of the doubts if you will because he’s a smart player, really smart player, probably the smartest guy I have back there and I’ve seen him do it a couple years back.  But not having him last year and really limited a little bit prior to that -- that has been a long period of time that passes.  We just need to see these guys do it at a high level.  He’s had a couple good days out here right now in a row so I’m hoping to be able to get him to the game and be able to put him in those positions."

Look for Allen Saturday against Tampa Bay.

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I told you a while back that Reggie Bush is a monster when it comes to working.

The Dolphins go through their walk-thru and he's there and then comes the two-hour practice and he's there and then the practice is over ... and he's still there!

Today, like most, was a 30-minute session for Bush post-practice. He was the last guy off the field.

He ran sprints by himself. Then he went over to the JUGS machine and standing a mere seven yards from the thing and caught passes slung at him at 22 MPH. By the way, when most receivers catch from the JUGS they stand 12-14 yards away. So try the closer distance sometime without breaking your nose or dislocating a finger.

Afterward, Bush jogged over to the blocking sleds and pushed them around for about 10 minutes.

The man's work ethic is beyond reproach so far. But don't believe me. Check out the video I took.

Comments

[Marooned on a Deserted Island]

Odin, I agree, Bess is quite a baller. He should earn a few pro bowl appearences down the road.

I wont comment on the other thing. Just not my cup of tea...

I ain't critizing (to each his own). Nor flattered.

[odinseye]

Marshall and Bess have established themselves.

If Gates can knock the top off of the defenses, Bush will be sitting back waiting for them to pick their poisons!

I good feeling for the first time in a long time.

[Busted AGAIN!]

Ta-Dah!!!!

PS: BAM!!!!

[Geronimo]

You guys are GOOD!

[Oscar CaSnausages]

I don't care any longer, on the 24/7 internet dog food can be cherries

[russ-ell]

Henne sucks

Sporono will be fired

3-13-wait no, 2-14 Ha Ha!

I hate my Mommy and Daddy, they suck, they never loved me

[PhinsFanPA]

Wa-Whooooooooooooo

Look at me go, look at me go.................

[odinseye]

.....and that's a wrap ;)

[BoulderFinFan]

nice video mando. thanks

[Mama]

Imawriter, no one cares about all that black man stuff regarding LJ. U don't need to worry about how black people feel about other black people.

[Daddy]

Hold yo tongue women

Whud I say? Whud I say?

I done told yo a s s bout talkin ta strangers

[Daddy]

Imma tell yeuh how it is

he gone bust sum heeds for a brother

he aint do dat fo a cracker, huh uh

Done told ya, fin ta die like a sold-jah

[Tracy474]

Odinseye,
Yep! Probably. Haven't heard Mando fawning over JT since he's been back on the roster. Maybe Reggie has replaced him. But, I'm sure we'll hear all kinds of gushing and squishy-feeling stuff when the season's over and Jason Taylor retires as a Dolhin.

[ray]

Hey I think if We can get a 80% of the old probowl player that LJ was it's worth signing him but I hear he still has speed and toughness, it's a no risk no guarantee no nothing risk....so it might work or it might not that's the chance you take, but starting with me personally when any other team sign players with a rap sheet or worst people say ah what a great move the Pats made The jets Made the 49ers made etc etc etc but when the PHINS sign a player like that with a f u c k up past the PHINS are idiots stupid what in the hell they thinking!!! Right!!!
So let's past on judgement until LJ prove otherwise...

[odinseye]

Tracy,

It's no coincidence we signed Bush on Tuesday, on Wednesday Armando got a Trim, a Shave, and a Wax.

PS: On Thurdays he re-upped his defunct Nutri-System account.

I LOVE ME SOME BUSH!!!!

[Darryl Dunphy]

...Anyone see the end of that game? Yard Pipe..Walk Off Jack. 1 more, and the kids from Billings get to play for the cup!! AWESOME GAME...

Go Phins!

[dusty bottoms]

347 fans at reds marlins game

[oscar canosa]

Davone Bess is not a wide receiver, he is a slot receiver.

[wanko]

he is both you dumb yuck.

[oscar canosa]

Shula always said it was a good problem for him when he had to decide which talented player to keep and which one to let go.

[oscar canosa]

yuck you, yambo. Let's see if we can reason and decide who will get the position and who will be let go. I'm in an educating mode tonight.

[wanko]

hartline gets it. he is taller and faster. bess stays in the slot. gates won't be a starter.

[oscar canosa]

And what happens to Roberto Wallace, Marlon Moore, yucky?

[wanko]

moore gets cut. gates essentially replaces him, he is a faster moore. wallace stays, another big body receiver that they hoped turner would have been.

[oscar canosa]

In the same vein, what will happen to lex Hilliard who, even if Sparano doesn't consider him as a RB worthy of this Team, is a very good ST player?

[oscar canosa]

Can the Team keep 5 receivers?

[ray]

I believe you put your best players on the field best play makers!! If it's a rookie so be it...but get the best player available

[dusty bottoms]

has gates ever done anything?

[oscar canosa]

What is definition of best player, ray?

[wanko]

we kept 5 receivers last year. with lex polite lj, who knows what they will do.

[oscar canosa]

Thankyou yanko.

[oscar canosa]

That kid safety we have is a much better playmaker than our present FS,however, he will get us beat this year by being out of position and getting beat over the top.

[ray]

Play makers that's my definition.... Look guys TS can't beat around the Bush!! LOL.. he has to take chances no matter what!!

[dusty bottoms]

lj wont make this team

[oscar canosa]

Yeah, ray, but calculated chances.

[oscar canosa]

How many RB's can we keep?

[DyingBreed]

Sparano interview says wr Moore is doing a decent job on st's, only he, Bess and Hartline knows all 3 wr positions. So IMO, if Moore solidifies his st's position as well as continue to progress as a wr he sticks.

UDFA Phillip Livas on the other hand must prove he wasnt just a preseason game 1 flash in the pan. He totally disappeared in preseason game 2. If he doesnt redeem himself in preseason games 3 and 4, he'll definitely be cut to make room for Moore as a st's returner.

Remember, Moore doesnt have to neccessarily make the roster listed on the wr depth chart. He can also make the 53 listed on st's and still be available on game days.

[oscar canosa]

In the end, the objective is to win Games.

[DyingBreed]

So Oscar, We can keep Moore by keeping 5 wr's. Or we can keep Moore, listed as a return man on st's. Either way I think Moore sticks on the 53 barring a huge unseen regression in his play.

Sparano says like Bess and Hartline, Marlon Moore plays all 3 wr positons. That in itself increases his team value and chance to stick.

[oscar canosa]

That's good to know, DB.

[oscar canosa]

I pity Shula when he had to make those very difficult cuts from the great Teams he had.

[odinseye]

I think we'll keep 6 WR's this year.

Marshall, with Wallace backing him up. Similar body types and skill set.

Bess who can play inside and out.

Hartline who is better on the outside with deep speed and can also back up Bess on the inside.

Gates who I think SHOULD start from day 1.

Phillip Rivas who I think edges out Moore because of ST's contribution. I'm hoping anyways that Rivas becomes at least a poor man's Devin Hester in the return game.

My projected depth chart at WR:

1. Marshall

2. Gates with a caveat. Bess in two receiver sets and Gates in multiples(3 or more). Gates should be no. 2 hands down but he needs to prove himself quickly. Bess is just too good to not have on the field. The obvious answer to this conundrum? Run A LOT of 3 receiver sets!

3. Bess(slot)

4. Hartline

5. Wallace

6. Rivas

[ray]

Oscar conosa!!! Good abservation LOL..I didn't know that...HAHAHAHA Just playing all for fun, but.... We play to win the game!!!
LMAO.

[dusty bottoms]

odinseye what has gates ever done

[dusty bottoms]

"From a fundamental standpoint, he has a long way to go," Sparano said. "With all due respect to where he played college football, he played at a little bit lower level and he was a big fish in that pond. So he has a lot to learn, but a good group to learn from."

k

[ALoco]

ODIN,

GOOD POST @ 11;19 PM... AGREE WITH YOU ON ALL POINTS .

[DyingBreed]

Oscar,

IMO, though Marlon Moore isnt a threat to be on anyone's preseason pro bowl list. He still far to valuable to cut for absolutely nothing. There's at least one team out there he would start for right away.

Im sticking my neck out right now to say no way he gets cut. If nothing else we can keep him stashed on the roster in case later on in the season before trading deadlines end get draft rd value of some sort for him.

Never know during the regular season what team's wr becomes devastated due to injury. If a team gets desperate enough his trade value could soar past what it actually is. But no, he isnt garbage that you toss out the back door just yet.

[GulfDolphin]

The line is TB 4 point favorite this Saturday. My son and I will be in the stands. He is a Buc fan, but might convert to the Fins after this next pre-season squirmish.

At any rate, Danial Thomas needs to use a freakin stiff-arm. Watched a bunch of film on the rookie and am flabbergasted the dude doesn't utilize that weapon. Sheets used it nearly every single run. But he had to.

Imagine Thomas trying the stiff arm when it meant something.

Larry Johnson, teach that rookie the stiff-arm, please.

[ALoco]

DB,

DON'T OVER STATE YOUR WORDS ...... (( I'AM STICKING MY NECK OUT RIGHT NOW )) ..... MY FOOT .

[oscar canosa]

Even in the aspect of deciding who to cut Shula was "lucky". I remember after the Perfect Season, the LDE was hurt severely but Shula had Vern Dern Herder who took over and became better than the other guy, who was cut.

[odinseye]

UDFA Phillip Livas on the other hand must prove he wasnt just a preseason game 1 flash in the pan. He totally disappeared in preseason game 2. If he doesnt redeem himself in preseason games 3 and 4, he'll definitely be cut to make room for Moore as a st's returner.

Posted by: DyingBreed | August 24, 2011 at 11:09 PM

DB, at the risk of sounding like NJ Fin Fan: EXACTLY!

Moore ain't nothing to sneeze at. I think he's made big strides towards becoming a contibutor.

Still, I find myself leaning towards or at least hoping Rivas becomes that return game Phenom we've been so desperately needing.

I think Moores future in Miami depends almost solely on Rivas. Freaking numbers game, Grrrrrrrrrr!

Anywhoo, finally we'll actually be cutting some guys that others teams will surely be interested in. As much as that sucks, it's a good sign.

[ALoco]

OSCAR,

HOW OLD ARE YOU ?

[DyingBreed]

Odin,

I say if 6 wr's are kept the 6th would be Moore not Rivas. Rivas will be kept only as a k/o and punt returner only. He also needs to prove his 1st preseason game as a returner wasnt a fluke. Rivas was barely plain ordinary as a returnman in preseason gam 2.

Rivas needs to step up his return game over the next 2 games to become a lock on the 53. Also he's well under 6 feet tall and weighs under 180 lbs. Honestly I dont think he's big enough to get off of the line of scrimmage against nfl corners playing at the wr position.

[oscar canosa]

I beg to differ, DB. Marlon is just a slower Clyde. I have seen him drop balls and run wrong routes. Also, have not felt him(as TS says) on ST's. I say he goes.

[oscar canosa]

173

[DyingBreed]

Odin,

Moore does so much more then Rivas. If deciding between keeping Moore or Rivas, the no brainer is to keep the more versatile Moore.

As I staed in the previous post, Rivas is smaller than Ginn. That's one of the reasons he went undrafted. NFl gm's dont see him as a guy that can consistently get off the line of scrimmage against much bigger nfl corners.

Rivas was drafted graded as a returnman, not wr. The nfl doesnt draft returnmen unless they're just truly exceptional at thier ability to return kicks. Then no more than a 6th-7th rd'er is used then.

[oscar canosa]

So will we looking at final cuts from good Teams, odin.

[odinseye]

odinseye what has gates ever done

Posted by: dusty bottoms | August 24, 2011 at 11:21 PM

Well, I heard he stole a kids lunch money in third grade and ran all the way without anyone catching him.

I'm not sure what you're asking. I mean, he's learning a new offense and hasn't even played in a real game.

He faced press coverage last week(against 2nd and 3rd stringers)in the red zone. Fought off the bump and caught a NICE TD from Moore.

In college(Div. II), he straight up dominated.

I'm a little more interested in what he CAN DO as opposed to what has he done.

[DyingBreed]

Oscar,

What you're saying and what Ive recently read Sparano said about Moore with my own eyes are totally different. Go to SS and read the most recent interview as to what Sparano's saying about him.

Know one saying he's a threat to make the preseason all-pro list. Just saying what Sparano has recently said suggests the guy is to valuable to chuck away like yesterday's newspaper.

[GulfDolphin]

another suggestion, and this goes to Henne. (trickle down effect) I do hope you get this memo:

Johnson teaches Thomas to stiff-arm, and you learn how to freakin' pump fake and fake hand offs with better illusion.

Because if you don't this season and stink like many predict, I will disown you.