Tonight marks the kickoff of the 2011-12 football season for the Miami Dolphins. Tonight th Dolphins will go to battle against the Atlanta Falcons in their first of four preseason games. The Fins are in Atlanta as we speak preparing for the game.
What we know from camp this past week is this: the Dolphins have not spent that much time game planning for the Atlanta Falcons, nor have they really been worrying about tonights game. The starters will barely play, and the sole purpose of tonights game will to get a feel for the bottom tier of the roster. That means we’ll be seeing more of Kevin O’Connell more than Chad Henne, that means we’ll be seeing more of Lex Hilliard and Kory Sheets than Reggie Bush and Donald Thomas.
So with that, let’s look at some of the players you should keep an eye out for throughout the game:
Charles Clay: Clay has been impressing the coaches during training camp so far, and they want him to eventually be able to play both the tight end and full back postitions. But for now look for him to be lining up in the backfield as an H-Back. Yes the Dolphins do have Lousaka Polite as their starter, but the Dolphins are eager to see what Clay can do to opposing linebackers. Clay should present mismatches out of the backfield all night.
Jimmy Wilson: Wilson was the teams 7th round pick this year, and like Clay has been showing the coaches he can play. Wilsons stock plummeted after he was acquitted of murder not long ago. Wilson would not have been a first round pick if not for the false conviction, but he would have been a solid mid round pick. Wilson has been playing both corner and safety so far in camp so look for him to be lining up in various spots tonight.
John Jerry: Only in his second year, and Jerry is suddenly fighting for a roster spot. He was slated as the starting right guard for the Dolphins last year only to lose most of his rookie campaign to injury. This year Jerry reported to camp out of shape and found hat his job had been taken by former right tackle Vernon Carey. So tonight marks the first job interview that Jerry will have in order to keep his spot on the team. If he dominates the competition like he coaching staff thinks he can, and he can do it for most of the preseason, he likely will save his job, but if not, the Fins won’t hesitate to kick him out the door. Just ask Justin Smiley, Jake Grove and Samson Satele.
Clyde Gates: The rookie speedster has shown glimpses so far in camp and tonight is the next step for him. We know that he gets behind the corners with ease as well as with consistency, but can he dominate the secondary enough and make the catches to be a contributor on this team come the regular season? That is what we’ll be looking for tonight.
A.J. Edds: After losing his whole rookie season to a torn ACL, Edds will be looking to make an impression tonight. This will be his first real test in the pros, and with a pedigree in pass defense like Edds, it will be interesting to see exactly what this kid brings to the table. I was excited when we drafted him last year, so tonight will give me a good idea of some of the raw talent and skills he brings to this team. I expect to see him a lot this preseason.
Matt Moore: Moore was brought in to compete with starter Chad Henne at quarterback. So far in camp Henne has won the battle head and shoulders. Tonight could be Moore’s chance to show the coaches he deserves to still be in the coversation.
Kory Sheets: Sheets was also lost for the season last year. He has been boasting his confidence through Twitter all off-season, and if he wants to get any reps during the regular season, he has to make plays tonight. Sheets is a speedy tailback who brings something to the table similar to Reggie Bush. He is a versatile weapon the coaching staff wants to give a shot at making the roster. Sheets is in a battle with Lex Hilliard for the 3rd string running back job.
So, tonight is merely a chance to see if our subs are better than the Falcons subs. You will not be seeing much of the starters, but tonight is a chance to watch more of the individual players more than the team as a whole.
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