Joey Porter Finally Practicing
by:  Robert Henderson  on July 29, 2008, 12:45 am
[ Category: Injury ]

Sun-Sentinel - Linebacker Joey Porter practiced with the Dolphins for the first time on Monday, testing out the sprained left ankle that kept him from taking his mandatory conditioning test last Friday.

Porter passed the conditioning test Monday morning and contributed two sacks in the afternoon's practice, showing no lingers effects of the ankle injury he suffered working out on his own.

"I told you it was something minor, but no use of me rushing out there with my ankle still tender," said Porter, who is projected as one of the two starting outside linebackers in the Dolphins 3-4 scheme.

The defense the Dolphins are installing is a similar scheme to the one Porter excelled in playing for the Steelers for eight seasons, and the three-time Pro Bowler couldn't have seemed more at ease in his debut.

"The 3-4 scheme. It's what I've been waiting for," said Porter, who contributed 65 tackles, two interceptions and 5 ½ sacks last season. "We've got it now and I'm going to try to put pressure on a lot of different offenses."

Last year Porter, 31, missed all but a week of training camp after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He sat out the exhibition season but played in every regular-season game.

Porter said he intends to participate in all of the Dolphins exhibition games this season, and hopes to help the young linebackers - Charlie Anderson and Quentin Moses - in their understanding of this defense.

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Jason Taylor Going to Washington D.C. for two Draft Picks
by:  Robert Henderson  on July 20, 2008, 9:01 pm
[ Category: Transaction ]

Associated Press - Jason Taylor is leaving the only NFL team he's known, going from the Miami Dolphins to the Washington Redskins in a trade Sunday. The Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round choice in 2010 for Taylor.

The six-time Pro Bowl defensive end — who was the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year — fell out of favor in Miami after spending his offseason on the TV show "Dancing With the Stars" rather than working out with teammates.

The deal came about nine hours after starting defensive end Phillip Daniels was carted away from the practice field at Redskins Park with a season-ending left knee injury on Day 1 of training camp. It also came only about 1 1/2 hours after Washington executive vice president Vinny Cerrato told reporters: "We haven't talked to anybody about anything."

Cerrato said Taylor is expected to report to training camp on Monday.

"We're fortunate there was a guy that caliber on the market when somebody got hurt," Cerrato said. "Normally, in most years, there's not a guy of that caliber on the market."

The 33-year-old Taylor has played 11 NFL seasons and he's started every game each of the past eight years.

He had 11 sacks during the 2007 season, giving him 117 over his career.

"His play speaks for itself. I think it's easy to talk about Jason Taylor. He's got statistics and everything else to back up everything that he's done," Cerrato said.

Taylor has said he planned to play only one more season.

But Cerrato said Taylor has two years left on his contract and added: "I'm 100 percent positive he'll play longer than one year."

The Dolphins declined comment even after the Redskins announced the deal.

"Right now we're not prepared to confirm that," Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said.

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McCown says his Finger is OKAY
by:  Robert Henderson  on July 17, 2008, 1:13 pm
[ Category: Injury ]

Palm Beach Post - 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.

A six-year veteran, McCown, 29, has an edge in experience over second-year pro John Beck and rookie Chad Henne. In 31 NFL starts, McCown has 35 touchdown passes.

Beck threw one touchdown in five games as a rookie.

"It was sore to touch for five or six days," McCown said of his injured finger. "But now it's back to normal."

McCown said he suffered the injury while cutting wood with his brother, a back-up quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The McCown brothers had cleared trees in a lot near a lake back home in Texas and decided to cut some into firewood.

McCown was holding the wood when his brother grazed his finger with a chainsaw.

"It was kid of some miscommunication about where we were cutting," McCown said.

They headed to the hospital for stitches. Following the treatment, McCown said he grabbed a football out of the back seat of his brother's car and began tossing passes.

"I was a little concerned," McCown said.

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Dolphins offering 4-game packs before Single game Tickets
by:  Robert Henderson  on July 17, 2008, 1:09 pm
[ Category: Transaction ]

Sun-Sentinel - 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).

Mini-plan tickets start at $188, and each holder saves a minimum of $10 per ticket off the individual game prices. Individual game tickets will go on sale later this summer.

To purchase season tickets, or the four-game mini-plans in the lower or upper level call 1-888-FINS-TIX or visit MiamiDolphins.com.

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Will Allen Being Sued for $200,000
by:  Robert Henderson  on June 24, 2008, 11:34 pm
[ Category: Other ]

Miami Herald - 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 person within the sports firm said.

The source was not yet aware of whether Allen has been served with the complaint, but the attorney representing CAA, Neil Frank, has filed the papers with Broward's civil division circuit court, according to the Clerk of Court's Web site.

Agent Tom Condon of CAA Sports Inc. represented Allen when he signed the four-year deal with Miami in 2006, but agent Drew Rosenhaus is Allen's current representation. Allen was not immediately available for comment.

Condon's firm, CAA, is one of the most powerful agencies in the world of sports and show business.

Allen is currently also involved in an investigation by the Davie Police Department as a result of an incident that took place in a shopping center parking lot between Allen and an unidentified man. It is not yet known if the matters are related.

Lt. William Coyne, a spokesperson for the Davie Police Department, has said the conflict between Allen and the unnamed man is over money either owed or invested. Allen has not been charged with any crime, but merely gave a voluntary statement to the Davie Police Department.

A local television station later reported that the incident stemmed from gambling debt, which has not been corroborated by Allen, the police department or any other media entity. Allen has not commented publicly, but he has told others privately that gambling has nothing to do with the parking lot dispute.

It is not known whether that incident, which is also allegedly over money, is at all tied with the current complain filed by CAA. Once Allen is served with the current lawsuit by CAA, he will have 20 days to respond.

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Miami quickly adds 8 College Free Agents
by:  Robert Henderson  on April 28, 2008, 3:28 pm
[ Category: Transaction ]

Sun-Sentinel - After not drafting a receiver with any of their nine picks, Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland said he expected to add 8-10 college free agents Sunday night, including a couple of receivers.

He wasted no time in signing junior receiver Davone Bess of Hawaii and Georgia Southern quarterback Jayson Foster, who will be converted to a receiver.

They also added Portland State tackle Daren Heerspink, Delaware tackle Mike Byrne, Boise State tackle Dan Gore and Montana kicker Dan Carpenter.

According to The Associated Press, the Dolphins also signed Maine senior tight end Matt Mulligan to a two-year deal.

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The QB Competition adds one more as Dolphins make Chad Henne 57th pick
by:  Robert Henderson  on April 27, 2008, 1:09 am
[ Category: Draft ]

Sun-Sentinel - The Dolphins went to the familiar well, picking Michigan quarterback Chad Henne with it's second of two second-round picks.

Henne becomes the second player from Michigan the Dolphins have selected in the 2008 draft, which opened with the Dolphins taking Wolvernines offensive lineman Jake Long.

Henne was initially thought to be a strong possibility for the Dolphins to use the No. 32 selection on. But when Clemson defense end Phillip Merling, a first round prospect, fellow to them the organization pounced.

The Dolphins were surprised to see Henne still on the board when pick No. 57 rolled around. Henne was taken one spot after Louisville's Brian Brohm, who was drafted by Green Bay.

"It was definitely a rollercoaster, kind of going up and down," Henne said of his draft day. "It was a great opportunity to wait this long and get with a good organization."

He was the fourth quarterback taken in the first day of the 2008 draft, following Boston College's Matt Ryan, who Atlanta selected with the third pick o the draft, and Delaware's Joe Flacco, whom Baltimore used the No. 18 to nab.

Henne, a four-year starter who threw for 1,938 yards and 17 touchdowns in his injury-shortened senior season, will likely compete with veteran Josh McCown, a free agent addition, and John Beck, last year's second round pick, for the starting spot in training camp.

Henne, who is 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, possesses one of the strongest arms in this draft, and has run a pro-style offense since taking over as a freshman starter.

Henne, who most analysts felt was the second best quarterback in this year's draft, said he's excited to continue playing with Long. Long spent his entire career blocking for Henne, who has started 47 games at Michigan.

"It's a wonderful feeling to play with Jake. He's a good friend and great person," said Henne, who threw nine interceptions last season. "I'll be glad to spend a couple more years with him."

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