Saturday, August 14th @ 7pm, Sun Life Stadium.
Its not a Practice.
Its not a Walk Thru.
Its not a Scrimmage.
Its a Game, a Real Game. A Preseason game, but still a real game.
What to Watch for:
First off, don't get too excited. Henne & the Boys you know will only be seeing between 1 to 3 drives. If the drive is successful, most likely they'll only be on the field for 1 drive. If it stalls, you may see 2 or 3 drives Max.
However, the Preseason isn't about those guys. We already know Henne can throw a bomb, we know Ronnie (when healthy) can plow over folks, we know Bess is sneakly little bastard in the slot, we know Dansby is a fantastic Linebacker, we know Wake is a monster, and we are pretty sure that Hartline is on his way to being a helluva 2nd receiver. Preseason isn't about these guys, its about our Depth Guys.
Its about watching the guys that are fighting to stay on that 53 man roster. Its about the guys that will bail us out, god forbid when someone gets injured. I say WHEN, because its not an IF in the NFL. Its when they get injured.
So, while you are watching the game on Saturday, after the stars have had their drives, watch the other guys. Too many fans whine about not being able to see Marshall take a 10 yard slant to the house, and they miss out on the plays from our possible future starters.
People to watch for:
Nolan Carroll: If there is one name that you've heard a lot about from Training Camp, its this 5th round pick. Thats right, the Ginn (cue Nationwide Spokesperson GAG commercial). Each and Every day there is news about Carroll in practice. Karlos Dansby himself, said "he keeps making picks...i'm eager to see him play." If Dansby wants to see him play, so do you. He could be our Nickel back, so get to know him.
Roberto Wallace: 6 foot 4 inches, 225 pounds. This wide receiver seems to be pushing hard to be the 5th guy on the roster. He's been impressing coaches a lot, especially stretching the field, which is something we currently don't have. If he doesn't make the roster, its likely we'll try to stash him on the practice squad, however, I wouldn't be shocked if someone stole him from us in that scenario.
Patrick Turner: See the name above? That name scares Patrick Turner. Our 3rd round pick from a year ago has been looking good in training camp. From all accounts, Turner has improved greatly getting off the jam, and catching the ball. If his route running improves, and he continues to shine in all four of the preseason games, its likely he saved his career with Miami. If he stumbles, its likely he'll be shipped out.
Koa Misi: Yes, its expected he'll be a starter. Problem is, he's not doing anything to stand out to anybody as of yet. Members of the media have said he's not doing anything wrong, but he's not doing anything great either. We need him to play more than average if he's going to be starting. I expect he might get a few more drives than most starters, to see how he handles guys not dressed in Aqua and Coral.
Chris Clemons: We didn't have a Free Safety last year. There may have been one on the roster, but fans will argue that we never saw one on the field. Is Clemons the answer? Maybe. According to Sparano, he's had over 400 reps with just one mental lapse. He is another player that has been described as "invisible" in training camp, but in his case, "invisible" means he's not giving up the huge plays that killed us last year. He's consistent, he's not flashy, but he isn't costing us points.....
Julius Pruitt/Taurus Johnson: These guys are fighting for their lives. If they expect to make the team, its likely it'll be on special teams where we need returners. Johnson appears to have gotten more reps as a kick returner lately, so hopefully he can perform.
Miami Dolphins Trainers: If these guys get on the field, we could be in trouble. Lets hope we don't see any major injuries. I'd sacrifice a slightly used virgin if we could make it thru the rest of the preseason without losing another player for the season.
(the obligatory Pat White Comment) - In all likelihood, we'll see a lot of Pat White and Tyler Thigpen on Saturday. I imagine we'll see a lot of them for each of the preseason games. Consider this the equivalent of the Miami Dolphins Infomercials. I can hear it now:
These QB's can run, pass, slide, let them play and sustain a drive. But wait, thats not all! Buy now, and we'll throw in free shipping. One of these QBs can be yours, for the low price of a middle round draft pick!
Thats right folks. One of those 2 QBs won't be on the roster come Week 1. And I have no doubt that we'll be show casing them (especially Pat White) over the next few games as much as possible in hopes of finding a buyer. As soon as another team loses their starting or backup QB, the call will come.
There is plenty more to watch on Saturday, but I'll leave it to you. What did you see? Who are you excited to watch?
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