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#Post#: 3559--------------------------------------------------
Dolphins' pass defense taking first steps on road to recovery
DIR By: Fish Fiend
Date: May 21, 2013, 6:43 am
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Dolphins' pass defense taking first steps on road to recovery
They haven't been ranked higher than 25th last two years but
could now be stocked with talent
By Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel
2:18 PM EDT, May 20, 2013
[left] The Dolphins' defensive backs know the regular-season
schedule.
They know beginning in Week Two they have four consecutive games
against some of the NFL's best quarterbacks – Indianapolis'
Andrew Luck, Atlanta's Matt Ryan, New Orleans' Drew Brees and
Baltimore's Joe Flacco.
They also know they need to find two starting cornerbacks, a
starting nickel (fifth defensive back) and dime (sixth defensive
back) to join incumbent safeties Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons
on the NFL's 27th-ranked pass defense in 2012.
The search begins Tuesday when the Dolphins open their three-day
OTA (Organized Team Activities).
"We've got a great run-stopping defense with our defensive
line," said safety Jimmy Wilson, who figures to contend for the
nickel and dime jobs. "We've just got to step it up a little bit
more in the secondary."
The Dolphins have big questions at cornerback but they also have
big hopes because in the best case scenario they could find
themselves stocked with talent.
Richard Marshall, Brent Grimes and Dimitri Patterson, who had
injury-shortened seasons a year ago, are healthy. And Nolan
Carroll, who started 10 games, is back along with R.J. Stanford,
who got meaningful playing time.
The Dolphins drafted two cornerbacks – second-round pick Jamar
Taylor and third-round pick Will Davis – fairly high so they
should also contend for playing time.
Behind them are three longshots among returnees Julian Posey and
De'Andre Presley and sixth-round pick Don Jones.
Marshall, a starter for the first four games until a back injury
sidelined him for the rest of the season, has been cleared
medically for full participation. It's been a long road back for
Marshall, who at one time lost 30 pounds.
"I was in so much pain I wasn't eating," said Marshall, who had
17 tackles, five pass deflections and one interception last
season. "I couldn't walk. I was on crutches. My left leg got
smaller that my right leg because of the nerve damage in my
back."
Grimes, signed from Atlanta, missed the final 15 games after
tearing his Achilles tendon in the opener last September. He's
been participating in the off-season program and expects to be
ready for the regular season.
"It's a six- to nine-month recovery," said Grimes, who had six
interceptions in 2009 and five in 2010, "so there you go."
Almost every player under contract will be in shorts and
T-shirts for these non-contact OTA workouts.
Rookie defensive end Dion Jordan, the first-round pick from
Oregon, won't attend because NFL rules prohibit rookies from
participating in workouts until their academic year concludes.
Oregon ends next month. Jordan wouldn't have participated anyway
because he's recovering from shoulder surgery to repair a torn
labrum.
Rookie left tackle Dallas Thomas, the third-round pick from
Tennessee, won't participate because he's also recovering from
shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum.
But all the defensive backs, and specifically the cornerbacks,
are healthy for the first time in months. The time they spend
together now honing their craft could help a pass defense that
hasn't ranked higher than 25th in the last two seasons.
"You know you're going to get beat sometimes," Jones said. "You
know you're going to win a couple of battles. But it always
comes down to the DBs. I think we'll be ready for the
challenge."[/left]
HTML http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-dolphins-otas-0521-20130520,0,5592355.story
#Post#: 3616--------------------------------------------------
Re: Dolphins' pass defense taking first steps on road to
recovery
DIR By: Mordekaiser
Date: May 29, 2015, 12:26 am
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Read listen and think on it
#Post#: 3665--------------------------------------------------
Re: Dolphins' pass defense taking first steps on road to
recovery
DIR By: Nathapong
Date: November 27, 2018, 11:21 pm
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It's a story I like to read very much.
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