Miami Dolphins training camp preview: 5 questions; 5 players; 5 positions

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Miami Dolphins training camp preview: Five questions; Five players; Five positions

By EDGAR THOMPSON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, July 24, 2008

A new-look Miami squad reports to camp Friday and takes the field for the first time at 9 a.m. Saturday. Staff writer Edgar Thompson offers a look at what's ahead.

FIVE QUESTIONS

1. Who will start at quarterback in the opener Sept. 7 - John Beck or Josh McCown?

The background: McCown has more experience and athletic ability; Beck is a better pure passer. McCown, a sixth-year pro with 31 starts and 35 TD passes, has shown he can rally a team around him and put the ball in the end zone as an NFL starter. Beck, who had one touchdown pass in five games as a rookie, went nearly 14 quarters without engineering a scoring drive and routinely came unglued under pressure. His pass-fumble miscue at Buffalo epitomized the Dolphins' 1-15 season. However, by the time he made his first career start Nov. 18 at Philadelphia, he was hamstrung by a patchwork lineup.

The answer: McCown. If the competition is close, the Dolphins might want to find out now if Beck, who will turn 27 on Aug. 21, can even play in the NFL. But to have a chance to win now, the run-oriented Dolphins will need a quarterback who manages the game and can make a play here and there - in other words, McCown. (Rookie Chad Henne is not a candidate to start - yet.)

2. Can the Dolphins depend on Ricky Williams?

The background: Last season, after being reinstated by the league, he tore a pectoral muscle Nov. 26 in his first game back. Today, he appears to be in fantastic shape at 31. He's even made friends with Bill Parcells, who loves a hard-nosed running back like Williams. But his off-the-field history, including five violations of the league's substance-abuse-policy, is enough to keep any coach or team executive awake at night. As always with Williams, it's best to remember two words: Buyer beware.

The answer: Yes, because of Parcells. Williams seems to respond to people he respects and who respect him. Williams doesn't want to disappoint the Dolphins' new head of football operations. Williams also might be tired of disappointing himself.

3. Will Ted Ginn Jr. eventually develop into a No. 1 receiver?

The background: His size (5-11, 178) and route-running skills remain question marks, particularly for a player drafted ninth overall. His 4.3 speed, sure hands and open-field running ability give him a chance to become more than a return specialist and complementary receiver. But Ginn, who caught two touchdowns and had only three catches longer than 25 yards as a rookie, has a long way to go simply to become a dependable receiver.

The answer: No. Carolina's Steve Smith (5-9, 185) and Santana Moss (5-11, 200) are the only No. 1 wideouts who have Ginn's size - and each is more powerfully built. On a team with no star-caliber receivers, Ginn will get a chance to become the go-to guy. But Miami's best hope is that Ginn becomes a dangerous No. 2 and the team eventually finds someone with more size and skill to be the featured receiver.

4. Will strong safety Yeremiah Bell have the same impact he had before injuring his Achilles' tendon?

The background: Last season, the Dolphins lost their leading rusher (Ronnie Brown), leading tackler (Channing Crowder) and starting quarterback (Trent Green). But losing Bell in the opener might have set the tone for the 1-15 season, robbing the defense of its only big-time playmaker in the secondary. Bell, a former steel mill worker who got a late start in college, came into his own in 2006 with a team-high 12 passes defended, two sacks, two forced fumbles and 65 tackles). Two seasons later and at 30 years old, Bell has to prove himself again.

The answer: Yes. During the spring he again looked like a strong, quick ball-hawker. He should help the Dolphins improve on their 2007 total of 22 takeaways, third-fewest in the league.

5. Will rookie Jake Long live up to his billing as the No. 1 pick in the draft?

The background: It's the NFL's $57.5 million question. Everyone, including Commissioner Roger Goodell, will be watching to see if Long, the league's highest-paid lineman, is the building block of a franchise or another No. 1 pick who doesn't earn his keep. There is no question about the physical gifts of Long, who is 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds with the body-fat percentage of a linebacker and speed and agility of a tight end. But there are few positions in sports more demanding than left tackle in the NFL.

The answer: Who knows? Many draft analysts wondered if Long, who plays a power game, is better suited to the right side in the NFL than the left side, which requires more finesse. Long might not become dominant, but dependable will do. He doesn't have to be the next Anthony Munoz or Orlando Pace. He just can't be the next Robert Gallery or Tony Mandarich.

FIVE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT

1. OLB Charlie Anderson: He started only five games in four seasons with the Houston Texans, but the free-agent signee will get the first crack at filling the void left by the trade of pass-rusher Jason Taylor. Anderson, primarily a special-teams player in the past, has only three sacks in his NFL career. But at 6-4 and 245, he has the tools necessary to blossom at 26.

2. OLB Joey Porter: He made more than $2 million a sack last season, having earned $13 million with 512 sacks. (On top of that, he had only 112 sacks entering December.) Back in a 3-4 scheme, Porter needs to pressure passers the way he did in Pittsburgh if the Dolphins are to weather the loss of Jason Taylor.

3. WR Derek Hagan: At 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, he has all the necessary physical tools - except for good hands. If he keeps dropping passes, Bill Parcells will be dropping Hagan during the off-season.

4. FS Jason Allen: The 16th overall pick in 2006 didn't do much as a rookie and looked like a bust well into his second season. He began to change that perception with 46 tackles and three interceptions during the second half of last season. Allen has the size (6-1, 213), speed and toughness to excel, but his coverage skills need to improve or he'll be a target for offensive coordinators.

5. MLB Channing Crowder: He is a three-year starter who flashes Pro Bowl talent, but he has shown poor off-the-field judgment, including abandoning his truck in January after wrecking it on the Florida Turnpike. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Crowder, 24, will be expected to get focused and put his physical gifts to optimum use.

FIVE KEY POSITION BATTLES

1. Right guard: The offensive line is set at every other spot. Of the three candidates at right guard - Ikechuku Ndukwe, Trey Darilek and Steve McKinney - only McKinney has started an NFL game. And McKinney, who has 133 starts in 10 seasons, is coming off a major knee injury suffered last season while with Houston.

2. Right cornerback: Will Allen is set on the left side, with Andre Goodman and Michael Lehan duking it out on the right side. Goodman, who ended the past two seasons on injured reserve, struggled last season, but he flashed the speed and skills this spring that he showed as the team's top corner in '06. Lehan had the inside track until he suffered an ankle injury in May. He is expected to ready for training camp.

3. Tight end: The starting job likely will come down to a battle between incumbent David Martin and Anthony Fasano, who was acquired from Dallas. Martin averaged less than 9 yards a catch and dropped several passes in his first season with the Dolphins. Fasano might be a more complete player and was drafted by Bill Parcells in Dallas in '06. Sean Ryan, another ex-Cowboy and a good special-teams player, has the inside track on Justin Peele and Aaron Halterman.

4. Left defensive end: There are plenty of candidates to line up opposite Vonnie Holliday in the new 3-4 scheme. Matt Roth, a second-round pick in 2005, and 312-pound Randy Starks, a free-agent signee from the Tennessee Titans, are the front-runners. Roth bulked up from 272 to 285 pounds and knows his time in Miami could be running out. Rookies Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford also could be worked into the rotation at end.

5. Fullback: This competition between Boomer Grigsby and Reagan "The Juggernaut" Mauia has the makings of a steel-cage match. Coaches want a player who can flatten a linebacker, bust a wedge and catch passes out of the backfield. During training camp, teammates should know where the 249-pound Grigsby and 270-pound Mauia are at all times - or else.