Dolphins rookie camp notes (1 Viewer)

[Jene Bramel]

Omar Kelly's blog

Phillip Merling participated in all of practice despite his sport hernia, said he's fine and could go "all out" if he needed to. He was warned by the coaches if he started to experience any pain to ease up, but didn't. However, he looked mighty slow to me, and it better be his injury holding him back or else the Dolphins might be looking at a future nose tackle. He needs to be explosive coming off the end, and right now he doesn't have it. But it is day 1, and he is battling a serious injury. I'm honestly surprised he was allowed to participate. And for the record, he's bigger than I expected him to be.

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During offense vs. defense team drills the defense was using a 3-4 base scheme (surprise, surprise) with unsigned linebacker Keith Saunders coming from the edge as the Jason Taylor of this group.

 

[Chaos Commish]

Merling was one of the more befuddling picks of the draft, imo. I understood he had a high grade and became a value pick (supposedly), but I didn't get his spot in a 3-4. He isn't the typical tall DT converted to the end spot. He isn't the oversized powerful DE being placed in this defense. He isn't the explosive tweener that moves to OLB. He's a nice prospect for the strongside of a 4-3.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Merling was one of the more befuddling picks of the draft, imo. I understood he had a high grade and became a value pick (supposedly), but I didn't get his spot in a 3-4. He isn't the typical tall DT converted to the end spot. He isn't the oversized powerful DE being placed in this defense. He isn't the explosive tweener that moves to OLB. He's a nice prospect for the strongside of a 4-3.

I'm an idiot and the last person who should be questioning Parcells and I didn't get this at all either. Of all the 3-4 schemes in the league, Parcells is nearly exclusively a 2-gap front. Whatever explosiveness he was supposed to have had won't be used in this scheme anyway. His job is not to rush the passer. He doesn't even fit the planet theory. Kendall Langford is another story. But Merling is a gnat compared to the guys Parcells usually drafts to play end.