Where in the world is Lorenzo Booker?
By Brian Miller
He is fast, he is shifty. Ask Channing Crowder the Miami Dolphins OLB and he will tell say, “Booker? Hell, I’m still looking for my shoes”. So where in the world is Lorenzo Booker?
I have pulled out the little magnifying glass, searched all over for the little guy with the big round glasses and the striped red and white…oh wait, sorry wrong guy.
Lorenzo Booker was the media darling of mini-camp. He was the media darling of light contact training camp. Pre-season goes into its 3rd weekend tonight and so far, Lorenzo Booker has been the NFL equivalent of the disappearing man.
In his first exhibition game, Booker got a few touches on the ball, mostly on special teams. He did nothing with his short time. In KC, he never hit the field. Tonight, Cam Cameron has said that we would see more of Lorenzo.
So I have wondered what all this means. I have read several mainstream media reporters squawk about how once the pads came on for real that Booker wasn’t. I read that Booker is the sleeping giant that Cameron his holding onto close to the hip so that he can shock and surprise and unknowing Washington Redskin team. Seems to be a lot of secrecy going on down there. The media just loves it….sort of.
The real story however is likely a little less CIA. In fact, it’s probably not a story at all. It really just borders on common sense. But common sense does not sell papers, and it surely doesn’t make for good headlines.
Lorenzo Booker was used primarily on special teams in game 1 because that is where Cam Cameron felt that he would best be used…returning kick-offs. It makes sense given the fact that Brown will be the starter and Chatman the back-up. So Booker sees the STs’ in his first year where he will be able to contribute the most while spelling the other two backs at RB.
Simple. It makes the most sense. Cameron does not have to say this, nor should he. Booker should be a solid contributor for years to come, but this year, as a rookie, behind Brown…even for a 3rd round pick, Booker can contribute here.
So we move on to KC where…DUN DUN DUN DUN….Booker doesn’t play. The question marks fly. The soft whispers of “training camp failure” and even softer “maybe he is a bust” start to make their rounds…once again as reporters try and sell their stories. Ahhhh, reality.
You will find a small blurb in most newspapers about him that something close to “missed a lot of practice time to witness the birth of his son.”
That’s it. Right back in most cases to “so what has happened to Lorenzo Booker?’
The small little sentence speaks louder than any of the rhetoric that has been spilled in his abscense. Lorenzo Booker missed most of practice the week prior to KC to witness the birth of his first son.
Why would he play? He was not prepared, he was not at practice, he was at a hospital. That is more than likely the “real” reason we did not see Lorenzo Booker in game 2.
Forget all the CIA covert operations that has become the talk of Cam Camerons first year as Dolphins HC. The reality is something far more simple. Lorenzo Booker missed practice time. Excused, but missed nonetheless.
Tonight we get to see what Booker is. What he has. Cameron has said that he will get carries behind at the RB spot. He will get some of the KR duties. In short, this is the season precursor to the regular season. The whole vanilla offense that Cameron is using this pre-season. If I were a betting man, I would say that tonight we see some Lorenzo Booker. Whether or not he is as good as originally made out to be, will be up to him.