Dolphins Ready for some Live Action

by Chris Shashaty, Phins.com Columnist

Ever watch one of Nick Saban�s press conferences?

I�ve watched (and attended) most of them. The first thing that usually strikes me is that Saban is there out of obligation, not desire; an unpleasant chore to be tended to. Mostly polite, though sometimes testy and usually vague, Saban will fulfill his commitment and then gladly depart.

His approach is very understandable. In his opinion, anything he says publicly could be used to harm the team�s competitive chances.

As such, it is usually up to the fans and media to draw their own conclusions as to how good, or bad, the 2006 Miami Dolphins will be.

The first preseason game against the Jaguars will strip the veil away for the first time.

Obviously, preseason games are meaningless in terms of won/loss records and final score. However, they are incredibly valuable in terms of evaluating talent and judging the sum of the parts of a football team.

Training camp sessions are not as revealing. That�s because the practices are conducted under controlled conditions.

Don�t get me wrong; I am a big fan of Saban�s training methods. I don�t believe I�ve seen a training camp more dedicated to teaching. Every square yard of the field is committed to a specific learning activity, all of which are conducted at a brisk pace by coaches who are actively engaged with their players.

Mistakes are quickly identified and corrected. Little is wasted. I like that.

One cannot help believe that the Dolphins will, overall, be better as a result.

Now, in order for the Dolphins to learn what they must about their players, live game conditions are needed. There are still many questions to be answered.

Will Daunte Culpepper be ready for Opening Day on September 7? Maybe I am just being a skeptic, but I am not ready to get overly excited about his progress just yet. We need to see how he holds up under full speed, live contact conditions. That�s the next major step for him. As such, I think Saban is correct in starting him against Jacksonville.

Indeed, what we�ve seen thus far is most encouraging. Still, there�s a ways to go yet before the Steelers game.

Can Ronnie Brown carry the full load at RB? Everything we�ve seen thus far tells us that he is ready to accept the challenge. Clearly, he�s a better player this year. His comfort level is higher and his conditioning is superior. It�s his time to step up and get the job done.

Will Jason Allen make a big difference in 2006? Right now, I have a hard time being positive about his chances in this regard. He is badly behind in all respects due to his ten day holdout. While I think it�s great that he worked out in the sun and watched voiced-over DVDs, that�s not football conditioning and it�s not in-house teaching. In reality, this talented player has a ton of work to do to be productive in 2006.

Yes I do believe the Dolphins will start Allen, mostly out of need. But I can�t help but think that Bill Cowher has already drawn a big red target around the free safety spot on the Dolphin defense, whether Allen starts or not.

Do the Dolphins have enough talent at WR? The signs thus far are positive. Chris Chambers and Marty Booker are locked in as the starters and are having a good camp, as is slot man Wes Welker. Also positive are the early returns from rookies Derek Hagan and Marcus Vick; the next step for them is to man up in a game and make some plays.

We must also factor in TE Randy McMichael to the receiving equation, having earned some lofty praise recently from Saban (who is generally economical in such matters).

Are L.J. Shelton and Vernon Carey capable? Is Joe Toledo the man to get the job done at RG? It�s just too hard to tell at this point, though it is always impressive watching line boss Hudson Houck teach. The preseason games will be incredibly important to the entire offensive line.

The same goes for the young defensive linemen. Saban says that DE Matt Roth is improved; we need to see it on the field. At DT, Kevin Vickerson continues to plug away as does the surprising Fred Evans; both are hard-working.

An out-of-shape Manny Wright is now on a personal leave of absence (depression). It is tough right now to see how he can make a positive return to the team, though I suppose it is not out of the question.

The veteran defensive linemen look as good as ever, though Jason Taylor�s balky back is a new issue, hopefully non-lingering. Let�s wish good health to all of them.

The secondary still makes me nervous. In addition to Allen�s tardiness and Will Poole�s injury setback, the lack of quality depth is troubling. I get the feeling that Saban and Dom Capers will be using plenty of smoke and mirrors this year to cover the flaws. For Jacksonville, expect the Dolphins to keep it simple.

By simple I mean that the looks they will show will be pretty generic. Overall, don�t expect a game plan for this first contest. The idea is to execute basics as a team against an opponent.

After two weeks of facing their own, getting after another colored jersey is a welcomed event for the players, coaches, and fans alike.

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It�s time.