Miami Dolphins In Depth

Dolphins check in on Routt but signing not likely

The Dolphins have made an inquiry with the agent for cornerback Stanford Routt, NFL sources are telling me. But ...

The Dolphins are not interested at this time.

The team reserves the right to change its mind in the future. Things can change with player injuries and level of play, etc. But the club has no plans to sign Routt any time soon.

So there's that.

Routt is an interesting player because he has so much potential and the Raiders and Chiefs have paid handsomely for that potential. But both have been disappointed with him to the extent they both cut him.

The Raiders drafted Routt in the second round of the 2005 draft after he ran a 4.27 at the scouting combine. In February of 2011 he signed a three-year contract that included $20 million in guarantees over the first two years.

But Routt didn't last with the team into that second year. After starting 15 games in 2011, he was released after a season in which he didn't play up to his price tag.

Seeing an opportunity, the Chiefs last February signed Routt to a three-year deal, this one worth $19.6 million. But the Chiefs stink and Routt was apparently not fitting in well with the defensive scheme. So, yes, he was cut November 5.

Routt, I'm told, is best suited for man press technique. He apparently struggles to learn zone concepts and sometimes has blown coverages on calls.

Having said that, he's out there. The Dolphins checked in on his status because Richard Marshall is on injured reserve and they just gave up 433 yards passing to the Colts.

But nothing is going to happen with him here any time soon.  

Stephen Ross is becoming a pretty darn good owner

Stephen Ross has come a long way.

It wasn't that long ago that Dolphins fans had to cringe at the idea of Ross being the Dolphins owner. He miscalculated badly on that flight out to see Jim Harbaugh, and that caused friction within the organization. He allowed some embarrassing missteps such as Gator Day. He often spoke of being an inexperienced ownder.

And, against the will of many fans, he retained general manager Jeff Ireland when the public sentiment was not flowing in that direction. (Not flowing like the Niagra Falls don't fall up).

But Ross today is looking a lot better as Miami's owner.

He recovered nicely after failing to get Jeff Fisher by hiring Joe Philbin. Ireland has found a good starting quarterback, suggesting Ross made a good call in retaining him. The club doesn't have an soap opera issues as it had the past couple of years.

Things are looking better.

And then this:

Ross, the Miami Dolphins and Related Companies on Wednesday donated $500,000 to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York to support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. 

In addition, the Dolphins will donate the net proceeds from the sale of general individual game tickets for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans that are purchased between 9:00 AM Thursday and kickoff on Sunday to the American Red Cross South Florida Region to exclusively support the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

Ross, by the way, has made sure all Dolphins game have been televised locally regardless of sellout status and the team announced Wednesday that it had taken the necessary steps to ensure that Sunday's game will be televised locally.

“The devastation of Hurricane Sandy knows no boundaries, and I know I speak for the Dolphins and Related in expressing our dedication to help those in need during this difficult time,” said Ross in a statement. “We saw first-hand the damage the storm caused to our community, and with the close ties South Florida has with the Northeast, the Dolphins certainly want to support those families who are dealing with Sandy’s aftermath.

"But no matter where we live, our hearts go out to the people who suffered losses as a result of the storm, and we are committed to help them recover from the tragedy.”

Good stuff. Commendable.

Add that to the growing list of things Ross is getting right. He's growing in stature.