Yesterday Sparano made some good points when talking about how tight ends like Fasano will benefit from the addition of Marshall to the team. Basically what he said is a guy like Marshall will more often than not be double teamed to stop him from scoring; so now teams don’t really have the option of stacking the box to defend our running game because by doing so they leave a guy like Marshall wide open and he will score. When you go from stacking nine guys in the middle of the field to only being able to stack seven then all of a sudden there are holes to sneak by, but are the tight ends the only ones that will be able to do so? No, the running backs will benefit from this as well. We all knew that Marshall was going to help stretch the field, but now we are beginning to see exactly how the coaches plan to take advantage of the “Marshall Effect,” so let’s take a look at the guys who will be taking advantage of these newfound opportunities.



TEs


Back in February I attributed Fasano’s decline to the heavy focus on the running game and the lack of a true number one receiver. I also stated that acquiring that number one receiver would stretch out the defense and provide him with more opportunities to score so yesterday morning as I was listening to Sparano’s press conference I almost felt as though he had just read my blog! All kidding aside though, Fasano has a great opportunity this year to come out and become an even better player than the one he proved to be in the 2008 season. In addition to being good with his hands, Fasano is also great at blocking and that’s something that the Dolphins will continue to take advantage of.
Fasano has been doing well in camp and has made a few good plays every day as the Dolphins continue to work him more and more into the mix which is something I’m happy to see. This might be a bold prediction, especially because I know there are a lot of people who aren’t too sure about him, but I honestly think Fasano will have his best season yet this year.


Part of the reason I believe Fasano will have such a great season has a lot to do with a familiar face returning to camp just a few days after it started. David Martin donned his Dolphins uniform again for the first time a week after the start of camp having just signed a new contract and ready to fight for a spot on the team. Although the depth chart currently has him listed as fifth in the position he is considered to be the number two guy and has been playing with the first team ever since he returned. Martin who is coming back from a knee injury he suffered during camp last season is looking good during training and although he admits he still has to get his running legs back he feels like he is ready to go. A source close to me has told me he looks to be back to his old self and continues to work in the two TE sets with Fasano, he is sure to be a factor this season.


Having Martin back significantly improves the tight end position and leaves the other three guys who play this position battling for just one spot in the roster. Joey Haynos is the guy with the most experience and will probably be the one to lock up the spot but he definitely needs to show something more than he has during these preseason games. Although Martin represents a threat to him when it comes to earning a spot, I believe he could benefit a lot from his addition, since he is a veteran who’s been around for a while.


Kory Sperry and John Nalbone complete the list of guys competing for the final tight end position, and although both have been talked about and seem to be coming along according to Sparano, they both seem like long shots to make the team as of now.


RBs


Despite not having signed a contract as of yet, Ronnie Brown has reported to camp every day and is listed as the number one running back on the depth chart, he has clearly expressed that the lack of a contract at the moment is not a sign of a disagreement over whether or not he will play or how much money he wants but simply a matter of him trying to work out a longer deal. Brown who suffered a broken foot last November which cut his season short shows no signs of a nagging injury and has said he feels confident he’ll be able to rush for over 1000 yards this upcoming season.
During camp the running game has not been as heavily featured as the passing game, but when it has been used Ronnie has proved that he is ready to get the job done. Brown has also been used almost exclusively during practice when running the wildcat and has thrown out of the formation a couple of times, so I expect that as predicted we will still see the wildcat make an appearance at times during games and I do believe as long as we have Ronnie it will continue to be successful.


Another player who has also said he will rush for 1000 yards this upcoming season is Ricky Williams. Ricky had an outstanding season last season and I believe he is ready to take on a more prominent role next to Ronnie this season. While I believe it will be extremely difficult for both of them to deliver on this 1000 rushing yard goal, especially with the addition of Marshall to the team, I like the confidence they express and I believe there will be plenty of opportunities for us fans to scream Run Ricky Run during the games. There is no doubt in my mind Ricky and Ronnie will continue to be one of the most feared rushing duos in the league.


Patrick Cobbs was back out on the field Tuesday after pulling his hamstring during practice Saturday and sitting out during Monday’s practice. Cobbs who suffered an ACL injury last season started camp by making a strong impression; he was out on the field running faster and stronger than I’ve ever seen him before and I expect to see him get a little more action this upcoming season. If he can maintain the consistency on the field that he has maintained while active at camp I believe he’ll be able to secure the spot as Williams’ successor when he retires at the end of the season.


Lousaka Polite will continue to be our go to guy for those 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 situations. He will continue to hold his spot as the team’s fullback, a job he does better than anyone else. Polite has been consistent during camp and has secured his spot on the roster. The only other fullback on the team is Lumbala who at one point prior to the signing of Martin had been tried out as a tight end.


The other two RBs present at camp are Lex Hillard and Tristan Davis. I haven’t really heard much about how they’ve been doing in camp so I will have to wait and see what they can do during the preseason. Hillard showed promise during the last season though so I hope that they will continue to develop him.


Also, for those of you that haven’t heard Kory Sheets who seemed like a strong candidate to become the team’s punt returner due to his speed is out for the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.


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I want to give special thanks to the Dolfan Bandits and Marky Marc from WQAM for the updates they have been providing on the page and which have been invaluable in adding to my camp information on the days I haven't been out there.


Also, I recently started a facebook page for the blog so if you enjoy reading I hope you'll join:http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Phins-2-Phins/144135708947740?ref=ts