Training Camp: Top Five Position Battles (#5)

Kicker

This is Bill Parcells favorite position, not. In all seriousness though, the job of kicking has become increasingly important as most teams have good return men and special teams units. Also, bad teams rely more on field position battles during the game. Missed field goals and bad kickoffs can ruin your mood and put your defense in a bad spot.

Jay Feely is the incumbent but we have seen that doesn't mean much to Parcells and Co. Feely was about as good as you can ask last year (21-23 FG's, the only two misses coming on the swamp of Heinz Field and the slipper pitch of Wembley, but we lost both of those games by 3). Feely's problem was kickoffs. He doesn't have the strongest leg and doesnt get many touchbacks. Because of that, he had to do a lot of pooch and squib kicks which are stupid and unsuccessful.

Playing the role of underdog is Dan Carpenter. He was signed as a free agent out of the University of Montana. He has a very strong leg and was quite good at FG's over fifty yards in college. The problem is his accuracy. He improved each year in college but is still not close to being equally as money as Feely. Plus, he is a rookie, so if he wins the job, we may have to deal with rookie jitters and mistakes which we really can't afford. He has a solid chance to win the job if he proves that he is accurate enough to be relied upon.

My Odds

Feely: 1-3
Carpenter: 4-1
Both: 10-1

Jason Taylor Traded

I'll make this brief since I'm way late on giving my thoughts, and you have probably heard countless writers and reporters tell you why this was or wasn't a smart move and you don't need me to echo that.


Pro's

• The 2nd Round Pick: Asking a first round pick for JT was unrealistic. I thought we would ultimately have to settle for a 3rd rounder if we did trade him, but we lucked out when Washington had a starting DE lost for the year and they had needed to replace him. Most people will argue that this pick would have been better had we acquired it before the draft in April so we can use it this year. I disagree. You can only draft so many players and only so many of them actually make the team. This isn't a one year rebuilding process. It will take a few great drafts to build a foundation for us to be successful. As it stands now, we are guaranteed to have three of the first sixty-four picks next year. I'm not complaining.
• Circus Has Left Town: The media coverage of all things Jason Taylor was ridiculous. There was way too much speculation and hysteria over what would happen between him, Parcells, and the Dolphins. Who do we think we are? New York? Philadelphia? At least now we can focus on issues on the field and how the team will do this season. All the questions about Hollywood can be redirected to our nation's capital.

Con's

• The Defense: Duh. Our defense was actually looking really good with JT around. He and Joey Porter would be the edge rushers with Super Bowl champion Reggie Torbor manning the middle with Akin Ayodele and Channing Crowder. Now someone has to slide outside and Charlie Anderson may be thrust into a starters role. Taylor was the cornerstone of the defense and with him gone everything changes.
  
• Jake Long: Going against Taylor every day in practice would make him much more prepared for the best pass rushers in the league. Now he gets to test his skills against average and marginal NFL players. Now, he will be doing the most learning on Sundays.
  

Top 3: People Who Should Give the First Pep-Talk of the Season

Players report to training camp tomorrow and will begin practice on Saturday. Let's face it, Miami will need a lot of motivating and belief instilled in them because their talent level is not up to par with most of the NFL. With that being said, here are the top three people I would hire, if I were in charge, to give the players the first motivational speech of the 2008 campaign.

Herm Edwards

Sure he coaches the Chiefs, who need a good pep talk of their own, but maybe we can join forces and listen in.

"You play to win the game! Hello! You don't play, just to play it."

This will be news to the Dolphins players, as most them will nod and smile having finally understood what the objective is out on the field on Sundays. Step one, knowing the goal, literally.

Mike Ditka and Phil Weston

Highlights include:

• "Break peoples clavicles!"
• "New gameplan guys, get the ball to the Italians."
  
• "Don't listen to Phil."
• Mike Ditka: "This is going to be the hardest thing you've done in your entire lives, but when it's over, you will be champions! Now go kick some ass! Phil Weston: "Okay guys, on three...one...two...three...Let's have fun!" Mike Ditka: "Let's have fun? What the hell is the matter with you?"
• "Everything good starts with a brat"

Bill Walton

"Guys, never before in the history of western civilization has a group of men come together with more to prove and everything to accomplish. Get ready to build, it's going to be an unbelievable year! We are going all the way, from the bottom to the top! Like Jack climbing the gigantic beanstalk! You guys need to play with the romanticism of Beethoven's Third Symphony and joy of Jerry Garcia who would deliver the most powerful of performances with the Grateful Dead. We will embarrass the other teams and expose them for the pathetic hapless souls that they are, all the way to the Super Bowl!"