Lockout To Henne To Sims-Walker
By Brian Miller
Here is what little bit of news is going around on this Monday, May 23rd.
CHAD HENNE
It was reported in the Miami Herald that Chad Henne doesn’t believe the starting job is his and fully expects to have to compete to earn it. While he also said that he doesn’t plan on changing the way he plays he did acknowledge that he needs to improve. Henne also said that he feels very comfortable in the Brian Daboll offense and that there is still so much that they need to implement. He said this offense uses three, five, and seven step drops. Last year he said they only used 5 and 7.
MIKE SIMS-WALKER
Sims-Walker will be a free agent WR when the lockout finally ends and he is not backing off his earlier statements that he wants to play for the Miami Dolphins. MSW is a Florida boy who wants to remain in FLA but he is also best friends with Brandon Marshall. The big question is whether there is room on the team for both of them. While they could form a formidable WR tandem on the field, their attitudes could just as easily add more chaos to an offense that simply needs no drama.
For those hoping that MSW ends up with the Dolphins and that GM Jeff Ireland finds a way to get him here, the Dolphins have a plethora of young talent at WR and none of them are really tradable. Brian Hartline is entering his third season and coming off an injury, Davone Bess is a slot specialist who has the only real value in terms of a trade while Marshall mans the number slot. The addition of Edmund Gaits will stretch the field until he learns to run routes consistently leaving Julius Pruitt, Marlon Moore, Roberto Wallace, and Patrick Carter trying to find a roster spot. MSW would make the 5th WR on the roster as the Phins would likely cut Pruitt, Moore, Wallace, and Carter to fill out the roster. Unless someone offered something for one of the others.
MERCURY MORRIS
Mercury Morris spoke with “The Finsiders” on MiamiDolphins.com regarding the recent NFL.com story regarding the 72 team being the number 1 “Diva” that “should just go away”. Morris was quick to point out that the Dolphins have only “popped” champaign twice in that 39 years and that the media has made it out to be far more than what it actually is. Which of course is 100 percent accurate.
In case you didn’t know, the lockout is still in full throttle mode with no end in site. Indy Colts owner Jim Irsay has said that the league and the players reps need to do something by the Fourth of July or it will become increasingly difficult to have a full season. I agree with that. When you factor in a period of free agency that will include a yet to be determined number of veterans as well as undrafted rookies, it’s unlikely that teams will be able to get that portion of their off-season concluded in a matter of one or two weeks.
Then factor in all of training camp, pre-season games, and of course the opening Thursday night game and you start to wonder if there is enough time to get all this done. After all, most teams start to report to camps at the end of July. At this rate, it’s not going to happen. Leverage or no leverage both sides need to get back to the bargaining table. That however won’t likely happen because frankly, the reps for the players don’t really want to negotiate.
It was recently reported that DeMaurice Smith spoke at the commencement for the University of Maryland where he stated that the players had been planning this for two years. Not prepping for the possibility of the lockout but that they “made a decision two years ago on what they wanted to be”. It’s also being assumed in some circles that they plan to completely fight this in the courts and may petition the Supreme Court on the lockout if it is ruled against their favor.
“IF” and I say “IF” in case you think I’m simply being too one-sided…I am…this lockout doesn’t get resolved soon, by both parties speaking about a new labor deal, then the season will soon see games starting to come off the schedule.