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Training Camp: A Star Search Begins

July 24, 2008

Presented By
Andy Cohen

So who are the stars of the future? Who are the players on this Dolphins roster who will someday pick up where Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor left off? This is one of many subplots that add a measure of intrigue to this training camp.
   
There are no guarantees. Nobody, at this point, is stamped with a “sure thing” tag. By the time August turns to September, we still won’t know for sure. But we will have some clear indications.
     
Back in 1996 when Zach showed up, and a year later when Jason came aboard, there were some signs that these players had special talents. The same for Sam Madison (1997) and Patrick Surtain (1998). All young players. All with mesmerizing potential. All coming in while some past-their-prime veterans were moving out.
     
It took a few years to know for sure, just as it will take a few years with this group. But the seeds have to be planted sometime and this, in part, is what the summer of 2008 is all about.
     
Look up and down the roster of players that will take the field beginning on Saturday morning. Check out their pedigrees. Listen to what they’re saying. If only we could have bought stock in Jason and Zach back when nobody knew they were going to amount to something special. If only we could buy stock now in players like Jake Long and Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling.
     
The Dolphins haven’t been this young in years. And they’re going to get even younger, especially when next year’s draft class unites with this year’s class. The second round pick in 2009 acquired in the Jason Taylor trade is faceless right now. Nobody knows what will materialize. But if you believe in the track record that has taken Bill Parcells this far, you’ve got to know that a good player will come out of it.
   
We didn’t know what the trade to San Diego for Chris Chambers really meant until the Dolphins used that pick to select quarterback Chad Henne. Now? This summer will start filling in the blanks. There are no guarantees at this point. There never are.
     
Who should we have our eyes on over the next six to eight weeks?  It’s a tough call because you just know someone we don’t know much about is going to make a name for himself. It happens every summer. But I’ll tell you who I am going to focus on:


Ted Ginn, Jr: We just saw glimpses a year ago. A long punt return. A nice catch over the middle. But we didn’t see enough. The second year should be different. He knows the routine. He has a comfort zone. On a team void of flat-out burners, Ginn offers hope. I want to see him take his game to another level. I want to see him play with confidence. I want to see him justify the confidence the previous regime placed in him.
 

Jake Long: If any player comes with huge expectations, it has to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. It’s just part of the deal. But now Long is grouped among many trying to take his game to another level. I want to see how quickly he can become a leader, how quickly he can adjust to the rapid pace of an NFL game. I want to see if he needs time or if he has the raw skills to be a dominating presence in his first summer. He won’t be hard to follow. He’ll be the most imposing figure on the practice field.
   

Kendall Langford: You don’t hear many people talking yet about this speed rusher from a small school (Hampton), and that’s good. Hate to make comparisons, but Jason Taylor showed up here from Akron and nobody knew what to think either. Langford comes with some great stats and a motor that won’t quit. He’s also about 40 pounds bigger than Taylor. The Dolphins surprised some people with this third round selection. But Parcells has a history of finding gems in small schools. Watch him this summer. He should play a lot.
   

Phillip Merling: This was the Dolphins first pick in the second round, so the expectations are high here as well. Word has it he would have gone in the first round if not for an injury at Clemson. He is the prototypical defensive end in the 3-4 defense. I want to see how quickly he emerges in the starting defense. I want to see his pass rushing skills and his ability to drag down a running back from behind. The Dolphins need Merling to be a factor his rookie season. How much of a factor remains to be seen.
   

Chad Henne: I love the attitude of this coaching staff, that the best quarterback will play regardless of his age. Henne will get his chance this summer. He’ll get a huge chance. Focus those binoculars early and often on this imposing talent from Michigan. See if he picks out the right receiver. See what kind of presence he has in the huddle. See if he looks overwhelmed by his first NFL training camp. The door is jarred open. It is up to Henne to determine how much he will play as a rookie.
   

Anthony Fasano: Acquired in a draft day trade with Dallas, Fasano is a third year player who is still waiting for his shot as a No. 1 tight end. He’ll surely get that shot this summer. The Dolphins need a star at tight end. They need someone who can catch the ball in traffic, who can make big plays and who can support the running game with his blocking. They didn’t get that a season ago from any one player. I hear good things about Fasano. I hear he wants to succeed in the worst way. He’ll get his chance in this long, hot summer.
 

Finally, there’s That Unknown Kid: He is there every summer. He’ll make a play, then another and another. We’ll have to check the media guide to see where he played in college. Someone will ask Jeff Ireland how this kid went undrafted, how they were able to find him among a long list of names and 40 times. Could be a receiver. Could be a cornerback. Could be a linebacker. I remember when Jimmy Johnson declared years ago in training camp that someone named Larry Izzo had made the team. Larry Who? All Izzo did was become one of the best special teams players in the league.
   
So this is where we are with the start of training camp now here. On a star search of sorts, wondering who will be the big stories, who will be the disappointments. With a new boss in Parcells, a new GM in Ireland and a new coach in Tony Sparano, I can’t remember a training camp that arrived with so many unknowns. But that’s about to change.
     
Now, finally, we get to really put last season in the rearview mirror.