Will Allen out until opener after arthroscopic knee surgury
All indications were pointing to another serious setback today, when the Dolphins sent Will Allen to a specialist to get the knee, which suffered the torn ACL last season, checked out. Allen reportedly tweaked his left knee earlier in the week, and struggled to play through the pain.
The thought of Allen possibly re-tearing the ligament in that knee likely had many fans holding their breath until the prognosis was discovered this evening. Fortunately for Allen, the depth at corner, and the nickel package, all that was required was a relatively minor arthroscopic surgery to clean out any unwanted fluids that were causing him trouble. And even though the procedure will likely sideline him for the duration of the preseason, I think it’s safe to say this is a relieving outcome given that some were speculating Allen’s year could be prematurely over once again.
And really, assuming Allen can now return to 100% with that knee cleaned out, this could very well turn out to be a blessing in disguise. This means we are going to see a whole lot more of Nolan Carroll- a fifth-round draft pick who has reportedly had an outstanding camp, and will take Allen’s place as the nickel corner. This also opens up some speculation as to how many corners the Dolphins will now keep. Before Allen’s surgery, it was basically a given that only five corners were going to make the 53-man roster.
Now, though, the uncertanity of Allen’s health could lead Miami to keep an extra guy. That would probably come at the expense of a borderline outside linebacker or defensive end, but a player like Nate Ness may be a necessary insurance policy to keep around.
Taurus Johnson cut, Ray Feinga re-signed, and Kevin Hobbs signed
So much for Taurus Johnson’s chances as the team’s kick-return specialist. Many were rooting for Johnson to make an impression staring Saturday night returning kicks, but the Dolphins had other plans. Yes, Johnson may have some big-play potential, but even if he did have some nice returns in the preseason, he still wouldn’t of had much of a chance at cracking the roster with Patrick Turner in the midst of a solid camp.
Johnson’s roster void likely led to Miami bringing back guard Ray Feinga. The disappointing play at both guard positions likely led to bringing Feinga back, but outside of an injury, I still don’t see him sticking around when the final cuts are made.
Evan Ogelsby’s ankle injury is as serious as feared. The team chose to put Ogelsby on the IR this morning, and replaced him with Kevin Hobbs. Hobbs has four years of experience under his belt, and produced his best season last year in Detroit, where he tallied 37 tackles and started two games.
Brandon Marshall to the NBA?
In case you didn’t get to see Sports Center tonight, the training camp tour bus arrived in Davie today, as Adam Schefter sat down with Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall. Unfortunately, most of the talk centered around basketball. The discussion opened with mention of the LeBron James and Chris Bosh addition to the Heat, which led Marshall to confidently predict he will be playing in the NBA next year if there is a lockout.
Maybe I am just being picky, because Marshall has stayed out of trouble off the field and has kept his mouth shut until now, but is he seriously talking about the NBA when we are mere weeks away from one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory for this franchise? I don’t want to make a bigger deal of this than it has to be, but let me just quote the fine folks at ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, by saying “C’mon man.”
Dolphins trying to trade Pat White?
This is purely speculation at this point, but the Sun-Sentinel’s Mike Berardino offered his opinion on why Pat White received 25 of the team’s 41 reps in team drills this evening. Berardino seems to think that the Dolphins are going to showcase White on Saturday for a possible trade.
When you add in the fact that Chad Pennington reportedly won’t play, Berardino may be on to something here. At this point, given how bad White has reportedly looked so far in camp, I would be ecstatic if the Dolphins were able to get any sort of compensation for riding themselves of what was now obviously a waste of a second-round pick.
Injury Report
Vernon Carey: returned to practice after missing some reps last night with an apparent minor leg issue
Patrick Cobbs: rode the exercise bike (hamstring/returning from ACL)
Tim Dobbins: joined Cobbs on the bike (ankle)
Nate Garner: missed session (foot)
Sources: Mike Berardino, Omar Kelly
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