Weekend minicamp gives first-year talent a chance to impress

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-flspdol02sbmay02,0,7717228.story

Dolphins rookies hit practice field

By Harvey Fialkov
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

11:37 PM EDT, May 1, 2008

They flew in from all over the country, and beginning today at 2 , approximately 28 Dolphins rookies will get their first taste of what's in store at the next level.

Michigan left tackle Jake Long, the overall top pick, will be one of nine draft picks and 14 signed college free agents participating in this weekend's rookie minicamp. There will also be at least four college free agents in for tryouts, and recently signed cornerback Will Billingsley, who was undrafted in 2007, is also expected. They'll go through a non-contact practice today and Sunday, with two sessions on Saturday. All sessions are closed to the public.

The minicamp marks the practice-field debut of Dolphins coach Tony Sparano.

"You're a new staff coming in, and the one thing I've told every one of our players, and I hope they hear this loud and clear, is that it's a show-me game, and at the end of this we're going to watch what they do every single time they walk through the door in our building," Sparano said last month. "We want to see them and we're evaluating them, so, starting Day 1, show me."

The 6-foot-7, 312-pound Long, a Michigan native, will learn firsthand how South Florida humidity can turn his tree-trunk thighs into jelly.

"I'm not used to playing in that type of weather, but that's why I'm going down [there], to start to get used to it," Long said last week. "It's so much faster at this level, and that's one of the biggest things I'm going to have to learn very fast and pick up on."

The rookies will most likely be scrutinized by Dolphins Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells, who loves prowling the practice fields in search of unsuspecting players he can needle.

"I know he's going to be a great man and that he's a legendary coach and a person who's hard," said defensive end Phillip Merling, a second-round pick. "And I like that type of coaching, someone who is going to get on you."

The undrafted rookies know their college statistics mean nothing.

"I need to learn the system, the playbook, give it my all and open some eyes of the coaches," said Hawaii receiver Davone Bess, who averaged 97 catches and 1,204 yards over three seasons.

Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland is a believer in first impressions.

"I think it is important that these guys compete and have a good first impression," Ireland said. "You can't loaf, you can't make mental errors, so you have to come in working hard, giving everything you've got because the microscope is on them and we are looking for tough, smart, disciplined football players."

[YoFuggedaboutit]

OK guys, we get to see the newbies in action for the first time.   Well, the media does anyway. 

http://www.miamiherald.com/588/story/518015.html

Dolfan619, our resident live blogger, please put those blogs in this thread. 

[Philly Fin Fan]

Tommy- Please see if a thread has already been started before starting new threads. Also, no need to bark out orders to Dolfan619. If you want something done, there's no reason you can't do it.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Tommy- Please see if a thread has already been started before starting new threads. Also, no need to bark out orders to Dolfan619. If you want something done, there's no reason you can't do it.

Two things.

1.  I don't recall seeing the other thread.

2. I'm asking him nicely, not telling.  He's our resident live blogger and has access to a LOT more media outlets than I do.