Dolphins News

"Even though Ronnie Brown says his surgically repaired right knee feels strong, the Dolphins plan to ease the tailback into his return from his season-ending ACL injury. Coach Tony Sparano said on WQAM (560-AM) that the team will "sprinkle" Brown into contact work during training camp, which opens Saturday. Meanwhile, the Dolphins worked out former Rutgers offensive tackle Pedro Sosa on Tuesday. Sosa, who is 6 feet 4, 300 pounds, started 38 games for the Scarlet Knights. He was a two-time second-team All-Big East selection. He entered his senior season projected as an early second-day draft pick, but tore the patella tendon in his left knee during the season. He finished out the season ..."

"The single greatest defensive player in 42 years of Dolphins football is the description I would choose. And it isn't even close. Broadening the frame to include all players, I would depose that only Dan Marino was better or more accomplished at what he did."

"Even though training camp opens on Saturday the Dolphins front office hasn't stopped working to improve the roster. On Tuesday the Dolphins worked out former Rutgers tackle Pedro Sosa, who started 38 games for the Scarlet Knights, and was a two-time second-team All-Big East selection. The Dolphins, which were the first of six teams to show interest in Sosa, will likely wait for the results of a physical before determining whether or not to sign the versatile lineman."

"Jason Taylor wore a different uniform today with a different number and worked alongside different teammates in his first practice as a member of the Washington Redskins. But Taylor felt right at home when the morning practice ended early because of a thunderstorm. "That's nothing new to me," Taylor said afterwards, without mentioning to the D.C. media that the Dolphins built a practice bubble three years ago for this very reason. "It was nice to see that nothing has changed up here." Taylor, traded to Washington on Sunday for two draft picks, stepped on a football field at 8:30 a.m. today for the first time since the Dolphins' Dec. 30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. ..."

"Bill Parcells isn't sure where he's going to sit and watch the Miami Dolphins play this season. He's not even sure if he's going to travel with the team because he doesn't like to fly. What he does know is he will not be calling first-year head coach Tony Sparano with suggestions during a game. "No, absolutely not. You'll never have to worry about that," Parcells told Andrea Kremer of HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" in an interview that will air tonight at 10 p.m. "That will be one thing anybody who knows me knows, you don't have to worry about that.""

"Jason Taylor characterized his split from the Dolphins as amicable as he was officially introduced as the newest member of the Washington Redskins. The defensive end, who was acquired from Miami for two draft picks the day before, arrived in town Monday and underwent a physical. The Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round choice in 2010 for Taylor, who had been with Miami for all of his 11 NFL seasons. "As an athlete, you want to win," Taylor said. "The reason I play the game is to win, and I think the organization here and the Washington Redskins give me a great chance to win this year.""

"Former Dolphin Jason Taylor started a team-record 130 games. Cornerback Will Allen now leads Dolphins' defenders with 21 consecutive starts. Taylor had 117 sacks, or 114 more than his possible replacement, fourth-year outside linebacker Charlie Anderson. No member of Miami's defense has been selected to the Pro Bowl as a Dolphin, much less to six of them like Taylor. But add it up and Taylor's trade Sunday to Washington for two draft picks (a 2009 second-rounder and 2010 sixth-rounder) makes the Dolphins - the NFL's worst team last season - worse."

"Jason Taylor is one of the good guys. He has done much for the South Florida community in terms of charitable work, and was a star athlete of the highest rank for more than a decade from his defensive end/outside linebacker position with the Miami Dolphins. He is personable and engaging in conversation off the field, and a fierce competitor well-respected by teammates and opponents alike on it. But let's also remember how Taylor - both by word and deed - pushed for the trade the Dolphins made Sunday night in sending him to the Washington Redskins. He wanted out."

"In an HBO profile that will be broadcast Tuesday, Bill Parcells makes clear that he will not offer input to Dolphins coach Tony Sparano during games and reiterated he won't coach again. Asked by Andrea Kremer if he will call down during games, Parcells said ''no.'' How about checking in at halftime? ''No, absolutely not,'' he said during a recent interview that airs on Real Sports at 10 p.m. Tuesday. ``You'll never have to worry about that. That will be one thing anybody who knows me knows you don't have to worry about.'' But in the piece, Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning indicated Parcells, the Dolphins' executive vice president/football operations, offers occasional ..."

"The cameras stopped clicking. The glitzy introduction had ended. And now, in a much quieter moment, Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor was standing outside the doors of his new team's training facility Monday, about to hop into a gold Chevy Tahoe that would whisk him to a place where he would attend his first team meeting. ''I feel like we're sending you off to your first day of school,'' said Seth Levit, the person largely responsible for the success of Taylor's charitable foundation in South Florida. Taylor's agent, Gary Wichard, joked: ``It's like you're back at Akron!''"

"Standing so close to three Super Bowl trophies he's longed to caress, former Dolphins defensive star Jason Taylor on Monday bade farewell to Miami and hello to the Washington Redskins, his new employer since Sunday's stunning trade. Taylor, acquired by the Redskins for a second-round draft pick next season and a sixth-rounder in 2010, continued to deny any rift existed between him and Bill Parcells, the Dolphins' vice president of football operations, over Taylor's participation in the Dancing with the Stars television show. "There was no animosity, no hard feelings, no negativity," said Taylor during a news conference Monday at Redskins training facilities in Ashburn, Va. "The ..."

"Joey Porter has Jason Taylor's Pro Bowl pedigree. Quentin Moses' height resembles Taylor's lanky build. Charlie Anderson and Reggie Torbor have most of Taylor's athleticism. And Akin Ayodele has his good looks and charisma. Combine those attributes and collectively these linebackers might help ease the departure of the Dolphins' top defender and face of the franchise for more than a decade. At least that's the hope the Dolphins take into training camp, where one of the team's top priorities is finding a suitable substitute for the double-digit sacks the defensive end/ linebacker produced for six of the past eight seasons before his trade to Washington on Sunday for two future draft ..."

"Jason Taylor is a Washington Redskin. That didn't take long once NFL training camps began to open, now, did it? The Dolphins traded Taylor in a hurry Sunday night for a second-round pick in the NFL Draft next year and a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft the year after that. Right. They didn't get much. The Dolphins, of course, will counter with the fact that Taylor, a Pro Bowl defensive end, was a third-round pick by Miami once upon a time. They'll further counter that star linebacker Zach Thomas - now gone to the Dallas Cowboys for a bowl of TexMex cooking goodies - was a fifth-round Miami pick once upon a time, too. Let 'em talk."

"It would be very easy to rip Jason Taylor right now. It would be easy to presume one of the first thoughts the now former Miami Dolphins defensive end had when he found out he was being traded to the Washington Redskins was to wonder how soon he could set up lunch with one of owner Daniel Snyder's good friends -- Tom Cruise. Because it's no secret Taylor has his eye on Hollywood. Just like it was no secret the last thing he wanted to do in 2008 was put on a Dolphins uniform again. I understand what Jason was doing. He didn't want to look like the bad guy who didn't want to go through another rebuilding project in Miami and wanted to go play for a winner. Blame him for that, or ..."

"The drama of whether Jason Taylor would be a Miami Dolphin in 2008 played itself out for seven months. But in the end, it only took a couple of hours -- and a couple of Washington Redskins defensive ends getting carted off the practice field Sunday -- for Taylor's time in Miami to come to an official end. Miami traded the six-time Pro Bowler to the Redskins Sunday for a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010. He is expected to report for training camp today."

"Jason Taylor is leaving the only NFL team he has known, his wish to be traded to a contender granted Sunday. The Washington Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round selection in 2010 to acquire the six-time Pro Bowler, who had spent 11 seasons anchoring the Dolphins' defense."

"The Dolphins rid themselves of their biggest offseason headache and what promised to be training camp's most uncomfortable drama. Jason Taylor is gone to the Washington Redskins in a trade. And yes, that means the 2008 Dolphins suddenly got a whole lot less talented Sunday in the hour or so Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato said it took his team to work a trade. Gone is the team's most productive defensive player the past 11 seasons. Gone is the consistent pressure he generates against opposing quarterbacks. Gone is Miami's biggest-name player."

"It was smart and it was sad, all at once, the Sunday evening trade that all of a sudden turned Jason Taylor into a former Miami Dolphin. Just like that. Eleven NFL seasons of No. 99, instantly put to past tense. The pragmatic side of the mind argues with irrefutable logic that the deal is good for Miami. The Washington Redskins are giving in return a second-round draft pick in 2009 and throwing in a sixth-rounder the year after. And that seems more than fair for a soon-34-year-old defensive end who wanted out of here and who -- smitten by Dancing With the Stars and dreams of Hollywood -- seemed about done with football, anyway. And surely a Miami team bent on rebuilding, after six ..."

"Jason Taylor is leaving the only NFL team he has known, his wish to be traded to a contender granted Sunday. The Washington Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round selection in 2010 to acquire the six-time Pro Bowler, who had spent 11 seasons anchoring the Dolphins' defense. "We're fortunate there was a guy that caliber on the market when somebody got hurt," Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato said. "Normally, in most years, there's not a guy of that caliber on the market.""

"His grandfather sat at a Smith-Corona typewriter each New Year's Day and pecked out annual goals that he'd then read to the family. Jason Taylor inherited that idea. He arrived as a no-name Dolphins rookie in 1997 and wrote three goals on an index card that he leaned against his nightstand lamp. That way, he saw them first thing in the morning and last thing at night: 1. Make the team. 2. Improve each day. 3. Start on opening day. Let's remember that today. Let's remember how his Dolphin time began as we get swamped by its ending. Let's note how Taylor achieved those early goals, then added bigger ones each year. Become the team's Most Valuable Player? Lead the franchise in ..."

"At sunrise, it was still an unresolved mess that had lasted months and appeared destined to last even longer. At sunset, it was done. And one of the greatest defensive players in Dolphins history was gone. The long, twisted soap opera involving Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor rapidly cleaned itself up Sunday when a perfect suitor, the Redskins, suddenly were desperate for the Pro Bowler's skills after a severe injury to one of their own. As a result, Miami got its price, receiving a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010 for Taylor. And Taylor got his wish, landing with a playoff contender in a major market."

"Talk about a dramatic first day of training camp. Less than seven hours after losing starting defensive end Phillip Daniels for the season with a torn ACL during the first practice, the Washington Redskins filled that void - and then some - by acquiring six-time Pro Bowl end Jason Taylor from the Miami Dolphins. "We had to act after losing Phillip," said Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato, adding that he hadn't talked to the Dolphins less than two hours before engineering the trade in which he gave them a second-round pick in the 2009 draft and a sixth-rounder in 2010. "We're fortunate that a guy of his caliber was on the market. The timing was right.""

"Bill Parcells made the boldest move yet in his remaking of the Miami Dolphins, shipping the team’s best player, defensive end Jason Taylor, to the Washington Redskins on Sunday for a second-round draft pick in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010."

"The end of the Jason Taylor has arrived. The Dolphins have agreed to terms with the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick, two sources told The Miami Herald. Taylor, perhaps the greatest defensive player in team history, is expected to arrive in Washington at some point Monday for the team's training camp. The rapidly moving negotiations were the result of a severe knee injury suffered by Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels."

"Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels suffered an injury Sunday to his anterior cruciate knee ligament, according to a source, a potentially season-ending injury that could lead to Jason Taylor coming to Washington. Daniels hurt the knee during the team's first practice. He tried to jump over a teammate and came down on his knee. Daniels had to be carted off the field. Preliminary reports from the initial MRI indicated damage to the ACL and possibly more, according to a source. Following the morning practice, the Redskins started working on trade discussions to replace him. According to another source, talks are underway with the Miami Dolphins for Taylor, who started the offseason by ..."

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"Though Josh McCown is considered by many to be the front-runner because of experience, the Dolphins have told NFL people the battle remains competitive with John Beck, and preseason performance will determine the winner. Several players thought McCown was better in May/June drills, but another starter favored Beck. Chad Henne remains an underdog, though nobody would be shocked if he was starting at some point this season. According to sentiment inside the Dolphins, McCown -- who is OK after his wood-chopping accident -- has impressed with athleticism and mobility."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"As he reached the sidelines in the season opener, Yeremiah Bell sensed something wasn't right with his left leg. Little was right again for the Dolphins in 2007. "It didn't really hurt, so I was hoping it wasn't that bad," Bell said of Sept. 9 in Washington. "They say when you tear your Achilles' [tendon], it rolls up. But I tore mine higher. So it didn't roll up, it just snapped." If that hadn't happened, maybe the Dolphins defense still would have snapped. Maybe opposing offenses still would have rolled up points. Maybe the 1-15 embarrassment was inevitable: suspect talent, amateurish coaching, horrible luck. Maybe. Or maybe Bell's injury was a catalyst for the collapse."

"Please, Jason Taylor, don't get too cute with this Bill Parcells growl-off and wind up not playing at all. Dolphins training camp starts in eight days, and you're all over the map. Conciliatory one minute. Then bristling and leaving us wondering if you're ready to light out for Hollywood the next. Please don't get into a Brett Favre-like standoff. Just remember two names: Tiki Barber and Carl Edwards. Barber, the former Giants running back, grumbled about his coach, said he was tired of the pounding, and retired to go for the entertainment gold. Giants: Won the Super Bowl the next year. Barber: Picked among one of the worst eight studio hosts by an aol.com blog. You can decide for ..."

"Quarterback Josh McCown said he wasn't worried for long about a cut on the index finger of his throwing hand that required six stitches. Moments after leaving the hospital a couple of weeks ago, McCown said he grabbed a football and played catch with his brother Luke in the hospital parking lot to make sure the finger was OK. "Everything's fine. It's a non-issue," McCown said Wednesday. "I could have played the day it happened. Now, it's like it never happened." McCown said he'd be ready to compete for the starting quarterback job when training camp opens July 26."

"Dolphins quarterback Josh McCown has decided to quit using chain saws, which should please his team. A brush with a chain saw two weeks ago left McCown with a cut on the index finger of his throwing hand that required six stitches. But he expects to be ready for the start of training camp next week, said his agent, Mike McCartney."He has been throwing the football, and he's even playing golf," McCartney said. "He's fine."The accident occurred at McCown's home in Jacksonville, Texas, while he and his brother, Tampa Bay quarterback Luke McCown, were cutting a tree stump."

"Entering his 11th NFL season, Jason Ferguson has come to be known for many things. At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, he's a prototypical space-eating 3-4 defensive nose tackle. He's also a locker room leader, and an excellent mentor for younger players. But when Ferguson's name comes up in association with the three stops he has made in his career, there is usually another kind of moniker attached to him. Jason Ferguson . . . is a Bill Parcells guy. "That's my dude," Ferguson grinned."

"Ricky Williams looked every bit the best player on the field the last time the Dolphins were together for one of their offseason practices. He ran with authority, he showed quickness, and he never let himself shift out of top gear, even in drills that didn't mean much. Williams, with cartoon superhero muscles bulging out of his jersey sleeves, caught the eyes of anyone paying attention. No wonder he was the only player Dolphins football czar Bill Parcells congratulated with a fist bump as he was coming to the sideline after one workout."

"Dolphins quarterback Josh McCown vowed to quit using chain saws while he's still an NFL quarterback, but that pledge appears to be a few weeks too late. McCown, whose family owns a sawmill business in east Texas, cut the index finger on his throwing hand during an accident involving a chain saw July 3. The injury happened when McCown and his brother, Tampa Bay quarterback Luke McCown, were trying to clear brush and tree stumps surrounding the family's lakefront home in Jacksonville, Texas."

"The Dolphins will begin selling four-game mini-plan packages on Wednesday. Starting at 10 a.m., fans will be able to choose from two separate four-game ticket packages. Each includes a game against a division rival. The aqua package features home games against the Jets in the Sept. 7 season-opener, Ravens (Oct. 19), Raiders (Nov. 16), and 49ers (Dec. 14). The orange package includes regular-season contests against the Chargers (Oct. 5), Bills (Oct. 26), Seahawks (Nov. 9), and Patriots (Nov. 23)."

"The New England Patriots didn't do much this off-season, which is why not much has changed in the American Football Conference. New England did lose All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel, but otherwise looks like the same team that went 16-0 last season. The Patriots have won 20 regular-season games in a row, dating to a 21-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 10, 2006. They have broken their own NFL record of 18 consecutive victories set in 2003-04. The Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't change much in the off-season, either, which is why they are given the best shots to challenge the Patriots for AFC supremacy this season."

"There also has been speculation he could go to the Dolphins for disgruntled defensive end Jason Taylor, the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year. But according to a source close to Favre at Hattiesburg, Miss., the veteran is unlikely to have any interest in the Dolphins as a free agent. He would be more interested in a team with a good chance to contend for the championship immediately. "Favre remains the property of the Packers," a Dolphins spokesman said, "so it would be inappropriate to comment on him or his status at this time.""

"The Dolphins signed defensive end Kendall Langford, leaving defensive end Phillip Merling and quarterback Chad Henne as the only unsigned draft choices. Langford received a four-year contract, said a source. Getting Merling and Henne signed could be delayed because of a grievance filed by the NFL Players' Association against the NFL Management Council based on some inconsistency in the Collective Bargaining Agreement language. That grievance will be heard by a Special Master next week."

"Former Dolphins executive Bob Ackles died Sunday in Canada of a massive heart attack. The 69-year-old Ackles was in charge of personnel for the Dolphins from 1996-2000, working for former coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt. At the time of his death, Ackles was president of the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League. He retired after leaving the Dolphins but was convinced to become the Lions president and CEO in 2002."

"On a busy Monday on the NFL broadcast front, Dan Marino officially lost one of his two TV gigs, as expected, and Dan Patrick rejoined former ESPN ''tag-team'' partner Keith Olbermann, this time, at NBC. The details: ? Inside the NFL, moving from HBO to Showtime, unveiled its new cast: CBS studio host James Brown, NBC's Cris Collinsworth and CBS lead analyst Phil Simms. Collinsworth is the only commentator accompanying the show in its move from HBO, whose Inside the NFL cast also featured Bob Costas, Marino and Cris Carter."

"Brett Favre seems like he wants to parachute back into the NFL. They ought to be drawing a big ''X'' in the middle of the Dolphins' huddle and coaxing him to a soft landing right here in Miami. (Dear Brett: You may have heard. Our weather is somewhat kinder to old bones than Green Bay's. We average about one inch of light snow every 35 or 40 years down here. And don't worry about that pay cut you'd probably have to take. We lead the nation in retiree-pleasing Early Bird specials.) I know that some of you out there are saying of Favre becoming a Dolphin, ''It could never happen.'' But it could, and I'll tell you why. I know some others are saying, ''It should never happen.'' But ..."

"This was coming from the moment Brett Favre said he was done and wished he wasn't. He wasn't going to get away clean, because he was only fooling himself about wanting to get away at all. But he should stay retired. If he doesn't, the Green Bay Packers for whom he was such a superstar should tell him to take his job application elsewhere. And, please, don't even get started on involving the Dolphins. Don't so much as whisper a Jason Taylor-for-Favre trade scenario. Because the Dolphins don't need - and shouldn't want - Favre."

"Among the most encouraging Dolphins stories has been the accelerated recovery of Ronnie Brown, who is optimistic he will be 100 percent by the start of the season. But other standout running backs who also tore their anterior cruciate knee ligament have been reaching out to Brown with cautionary advice. ''Don't rush,'' said Edgerrin James, who speaks often to Brown. ``You can't go out there expecting to be exactly the way you were in the beginning. Don't let the fact it's starting to feel good let you disregard [rehabilitation].'' Three-time NFL rushing leader Terrell Davis, an NFL Network analyst, also urges Brown to proceed slowly and said Ricky Williams should begin the season ..."

"Dolphins rookie left tackle Jake Long uses Jason Taylor-like dance steps to dodge questions about which side of the offensive line he prefers to play, but coach Tony Sparano never minced words when discussing the future location for his top draft pick. "We see Jake as a left tackle. Left tackle is our need, and that's where he's going to be playing for us," Sparano said the week after the draft. Sparano, General Manager Jeff Ireland and Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells ignored all the pre-draft chatter from pundits such as NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock, who is convinced the 6-foot-7, 315-pound Long will dominate as a run-blocking right tackle but will struggle ..."

"Kevin Jones went through a workout Saturday while four NFL teams watched the running back sprint and cut just five months after he had major knee surgery. Dr. D.S. Ping, who has been helping Jones rehabilitate his right knee, said Miami, Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Detroit sent representatives to the workout in Saline, Mich. The Lions cut their former first-round pick in March with one year left on his contract after he hurt the knee late last season, adding to the injury woes that have stunted his success in the league. The Cleveland Browns also called, Ping said, and asked for a video of the workout."

"Beginning July 25, the start of training camp, Dolphins fans have 20 opportunities to take a sneak peak at the 2008 team. The team has opened up 20 practice sessions to the general public, and admission and parking are free. The morning practices will begin at 9 a.m., while the afternoon workouts during two-a-day sessions will start at 5 p.m. Practices held on days with only a single workout begin at 2 p.m."

"Dolphins cornerback Will Allen is being sued by his former sports agency, which alleges that the player failed to make payment on a settlement agreement made earlier this year. According to the complaint, filed June 17 in the Circuit Court of Broward County, Allen did not pay agent Tom Condon and his agency commissions due on the salary, signing bonus and incentive bonuses for the four-year contract Allen signed with the Dolphins in March of 2006."

"Dolphins cornerback Will Allen's name has surfaced yet again in another off-the-field matter over money, this time as a result of a complaint filed against him in the Broward County Clerk of Courts for what has been alleged as ``contract indebtedness.'' The complaint, which was filed June 17 by the sports agency that formerly represented him, claims Allen never began making payments on a settlement that resulted when a lawsuit was scheduled to go to court alleging Allen never paid for the agency's services. When Allen settled out of court with CAA, he agreed to pay nearly $200,000 in past-due commissions that stemmed from a four-year contract signed with the Dolphins in 2006, a ..."

"Miami Dolphins right tackle Vernon Carey returned from a cruise vacation this week only to find his Mercedes GL 550 up on blocks on his driveway at his Davie home with the tires and four Asanti rims gone. Carey reported the theft to the Davie police on Tuesday after a friend informed him of the robbery. According to the police report, the 22-inch rims were valued at $6,000. Nothing else was taken."