There’s a place in the NFL away from the gridiron that players rarely talk about in public and that fans hardly notice. It’s a place without stats or the crushing sounds of the gridiron. No refs whistles or cheering fans. Yet players find themselves in this kind of limbo. That’s where I found former Texan defensive end Eric Powell. Because Eric was so open about his experience we can get an inside look at the Texans as a team. Who is Eric Powell? He was signed by the Texans to a reserve/future contract on January 02, 2008. He was released July 22, 2008. The Texans coaching staff liked him because he was a big man who could move. Earl Cochran helped recruit him to the Texans.   He’d been training for months to compete for a spot on the Texans active roster. During OTAs he tore some connective tissue in his hip. This didn’t outright end his season, rather it thrust him into a strange limbo. From the moment he was released numerous conflicting options blossomed. Several NFL teams and even Arena teams called to inquire about his availability the day he was cut. He could go play for any of those teams, but he would have to sign an injury waiver so if he couldn’t play because of pain or further aggravation of his injury the team he signed with might not owe him any compensation. Because his injury occurred while he was under contract with the Texans, he could take an injury settlement and get paid for this season. He could also be moved to IR if the Texans decide that he is part of their plans for next year.   Despite these options, what Eric Powell wants most it to get back to the field. He’s been in Houston since March training non stop. When other players left on vacation, he stayed at the facility and trained and then trained some more. Football is a passion for the player called Eric Powell.   Now that you know more about who he is read after the jump to get a closer look at the Texans.   In the time that we talked there was nothing more thrilling than to hear about the Texans work ethic as a team.  Eric Powell has a unique insight into teams training camps.  Professionally, he’s been in training camps with the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills as well as the Colone Centurions.  He said that he has never seen a team work as hard or be as focused as the Texans are in camp.  He said that the Texans had 100% attendance at all team offseason activities.  From the stars to the scrubs, everyone was there.  When the team ran, everyone ran.  When they lifted, everyone lifted.  He said that there is an intensity about the team.  We talked about several players on the Texans. Mario Williams - He said he’s never seen anyone that big move that fast.  We’ve all heard that Mario is a beast, but to hear it from one of his teammates brought the fact home once again.  He also mentioned Mario’s extensive car collection.  He said that he’s been to Mario’s home and seen a Cadillac Escalade, an F-350 Dualie, a Hummer, a Ford GT, a Maserati, a Ranger Rover, a Dodge Challenger and a Lamborghini Diablo.  Mario even has a Semi rig.  He also has 4 ATVs and at least 6 remote control cars. Ahman Green - We talked about his knee.  He said that he’s seen Ahman doing box jumps on one leg - his left leg.  He was doing them to the point where Eric wanted to know what Ahman Green’s vertical jump was.  He’s seen Kevin Jones and Willis McGahee rehab injuries.  He feels that Ahman will be able to go full speed this year. Dunta Robinson  - You’ll probably never find someone more into his rehab.  Before he was released, Eric went into to rehab every day for 45 minutes to an hour.  He said Dunta is in rehab every day for 3-4 hours.  Our favorite hard hitting CB is working harder than ever to get back on the field. We talked about some of the off-field stuff that the Texans are into.  He said that several Texas are also businessmen.  He named Ephriam Salaam, N.D. Kalu, and Amobi Okoye as some of them.  One of the businesses Eric Powell has started is Powell Travel .  The really interesting thing about all this business talk is how tightly knit the Texans are.  Whatever you want to get into: restaurants, real estate, stocks, pretty much anything there’s a player who can introduce you to people and help you get started. The Texans will probably be without Eric Powell on the field this year, but he was part of their push for the playoffs.  Through his eyes we’ve seen a team that’s hungry and ready for a playoff run.

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Powell speaks

Both of the Lions’ two practices yesterday were held outdoors and in helmets and shorts (shells).  To some people in Michigan, the fact that the morning practice was outdoors comes as a surprise as a nasty storm system went through the lower thumb area around 7:00 a.m. yesterday.  It was north of the Allen Park area (I think), though, so that’s why the practice was outdoors. The Lions signed kicker/punter Eddie Johnson to add depth to both positions.  As I said earlier this week, any kickers and punters not named Jason Hanson or Nick Harris strictly are in training camp for depth purposes and will be gone by the end of August. To make room for Johnson, the Lions released wide receiver Eric Fowler.  Fowler, who is from the state of Michigan and played football at Grand Valley State, was just signed on Sunday. Rod Marinelli explained why the Lions didn’t practice in pads at all on Wednesday. “I’m conscious of the 80, really it’s not even 80 when you get down with PUP’s, we’re down to about 70, I’ll let you ask Dean (Kleinschmidt) exactly the numbers-71 or 72. But we just got bumped up in the offensive line a little bit yesterday. Hey, I’d like to get back in them tomorrow, I just have to space it out a little bit more right now. I don’t like getting out of them. I think if you’re trying to run the football, that’s something important to have. We’ve got to be smart, too. We’ve got a game in a week, too, that we’ve got to be able to finish with second and third groups.” Defensive tackle Langston Moore sprained his right shoulder on Monday and is basically day-to-day.  Ernie Sims’ injury isn’t improving a whole lot, and he will miss the Lions first preseason game.  Also, Dominic Raiola missed his first Lions practice in eight years due to a sprained ankle. Speaking of Detroit’s first preseason game, it is a week from today, which is hard to believe.  Then again, it’s hard to believe it’s nearly August already. Tom Kowalski wonders why Daniel Bullocks is still on the PUP list and believes Calvin Johnson is going to have a big season. Rookie linebacker Jordon Dizon picked off a Jon Kitna pass thanks to being in the wrong place at the right time. Offensive linemen Manny Ramirez and Chris Patrick missed practice due to injuries.  Ramirez could be out as long as a week or so, and Patrick may be done for the entire preseason. Receivers Devale Ellis and Mike Furrey collided during a punt return.

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Thursday Notes: Lions Release Eric Folwer, Sign Eddie Johnson

This is a reminder post about the SB Nation fantasy football league that I blogged about last week . Thursday July 31st is the last day to register for the random drawing to be in the SB Nation FanHouse league. Click here to register . We just need your name, email, and pick Acme Packing Company as the league. I want this to be a great league. I promise a Packers related prize of some sort to the winner. Thanks.

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SB Nation Fantasy Football

I’ve been keeping quiet since news broke that Packers’ team President Mark Murphy was flying down to meet Favre and his agent in Mississippi. What the hell was he trying to accomplish by meeting Favre in person? I had no idea. Now it’s come out that the brilliant idea was to offer him $20 million to stay retired . This really pissed me off. It’s not like this is a new idea. In 2000, Bill Walsh offered 38 year old WR Jerry Rice $1 million to retire , Rice said no way and went on to have two more great seasons in Oakland. Apparently they thought Rice was blocking WR J.J. Stokes from greatness, or something, and they had enough 1000 yard receiving years from Rice. At the time, I was no great fan of Rice or the 49ers, but I thought it was awful that they would want an all-time NFL great to retire, even though he could still play, just to help their salary cap and open up a starting spot for an inferior player. When the 49ers and Rice couldn’t agree on a retirement bonus, they released him . Now I’m pissed that they want to force Favre into retirement at any cost. I know this isn’t the same situation as when the Packers released S Darren Sharper and let K Ryan Longwell leave in free agency, and they quickly signed in Minnesota, but this stuff happens all the time. A team thinks they can find a better, cheaper player somewhere else. They want to start QB Aaron Rodgers instead, so just release Favre, deal with the consequences, and move on. The Packers should be looking for any personnel move that can, in some way, make them a better team, and instead they refuse to bring back one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL because they felt they’ve moved on. He doesn’t deserve a chance to compete for the starting job? They have no use for an experience quarterback at all? Poll Should The Packers Pay Favre To Retire? Yes No   25 votes | Results

Continue here: Packers Offer Brett Favre $20 Million To Retire

When Mark Teixeira approaches the plate in the first inning of tonight’s game in Boston, he will be the 819th player to play for the Angels franchise and the 20th to wear #25 on his jersey. THE FEELINGS Yes this is a bummer losing a good Angel. It is weird for fans of the team as we are not used to big trades, especially during the season. It must be kinda queasy for some longtime Angels who have gone through this ritual far less than the average baseball player. I always liked Casey Kotchman , loved hearing the stories about him taking BP with Garret in the minor leagues instead of doing his 4th grade homework, etc. The biggest worry over Paul Konerko’s free agency a few years back was not signing the aging slugger, but knowing that doing so would make Kotch expendable. THE PAST 2005 was the warm up for what was supposed to be the breakthrough – but mononucleosis would stall him for 2006. There is no doubt in my mind that a healthy Kotch would have made at least 4 games difference in the AL West race in 2006. Finally, we got one very good season, 2007, out of Casey and 2/3 of a very good season this year. That is his legacy. His 71 doubles as an Angel in 1,265 Plate Appearances is good for 37th on the all-time franchise list. THE PRESENT Moving forward, the deal we made is a decent upgrade over Kotchman for two months. Teix’s defense is superb, like Kotch’s, Teix is faster on the basepaths. He hits for more power, and gets on base more often and in more ways than Casey. This is pretty much obvious to the casual as well as the sophisticated fan. Many stat-wonks are saying the upgrade is mild, almost cosmetic. They support this with some of the outlier, peripheral stats; they dance around the fact that they are discussing what amounts to microscopic measurements. Stat wonks also ignore the human element. Teix’s status will affect the perception that opposing managers and pitchers have about the Angels lineup during the game. It is no knock on Kotch that he was recently still having to adjust – still – to the way the league was pitching him. It is no knock on Kotch to say that while he is universally respected, his bat in the lineup was not feared upon mention at anywhere near the level that Teix’s is. If stat-wonks can speak with authority regarding outlier “fip” -type measurements that describe less than one quarter of one percent of a player’s game, than the unquantifiable impact of a player as a personality and known entity amidst a lineup has to enter the picture. With all of this considered, Teixeira’s presence in the lineup and the field for 1/3 of this season balanced with Kotchman’s absence is a bigger plus than I, a big Kotchman booster, would have initially admitted or ever felt. FUTURE Here is where it gets interesting. The pundits insist that we only “win” this trade if we lock up Teixeira. Wrong. Like popular Angel Orlando Cabrera blocking Erick Aybar, the well-liked Kotchman has been blocking Kendry Morales . While Kotchman is 3 years younger than Teixeira, he is 4 months older than Kendry Morales. While Kendry is behind Kotchman developmentally, he is catching up. He is a little faster on the basepaths and can be projected to be hitting for more power. He matches up well player-to-player as a comparable to Kotchman, plus he is cheaper and under club control for longer. Teix leaving as a free agent leaves the Angels with Morales (a comparable alternative to Kotchman that is cheaper) and two early draft picks as compensation. Teix re-signing with us gives us a player who should be better than both Kotch and Kendry for 3-5 of the likely 7 year deal he signs. In fact, free agency will be a win-win. Not re-signing Teix immediately provides the cash to re-sing Frankie. Signing Teix gives us the green light to trade Morales as part of a package for a quality reliever to bolster the pen in Frankie’s absence. POST-SEASON Teixeira is no guarantee of anything in the post-season, but neither was Kotchman. A numbers-cruncher can come up with an obscure stat to split a hair better here or there as much as a psychological assessment could give the middle of our present order a “fear factor” in regards to opponents being nervous. BOTTOM LINE If we do not win it all, the trade might look like a failure, but if Morales is raking at this time next season or even in 2010, the judgment of this deal will have to be re-opened for consideration.

Continue here: Mark Teixeira Trade Analysis

Driving to the game tonight I was listening to Andy Masur’s interview with Greg Maddux.  Greg admitted that he didn’t know if he’d be a Padre by Sunday. He also said he tipped his hat to the fans just in case it was his last start as a Padre.  There was some debate last night whether he tipped his cap because he broke into the top 10 strikeout list or the that he might be leaving the team.  Now we know.  It’s official I don’t want him to leave under any circumstances.  I hope that he stays the season and decides to play with the Pads in 2009, we’re a better team with him here. I don’t want to complain because it’s my own fault.  I swore I’d never go back, but I was hungry and thirsty.  The concessions are absolutely terrible at Petco Park.  I spent two full innings in line to get a hot dog and a coke.  Does that sound reasonable to anyone?  There were approximately 15 people in front of me.  I saw someone dressed as a fan taking notes on the what was going on in the kitchen.  I asked if she was a secret shopper because the service is unbearably slow.  She said she wasn’t, but then I saw her in the kitchen a few minutes later.  She worked for the Padres in some capacity.  I worked in food service and  I realize it’s not easy but Petco Park definitely needs someone to fix their concession system. Chris Young pitched an excellent game.  Starting the game with 6 strikeouts got the crowd amped, but the real thrill was the Gerut’s bases loaded deep fly ball.  I was sitting behind the Petco Porch and everybody in right field thought it was gone because we lost sight of the ball.  It was electric for about 5 seconds, I’m just going to pretend that it was a grand slam. Pad Squad Kelly was the stand out squadder again out in right field. Five Pad Squadders all chatting amongst themselves in a little clique while Kelly was the only person talking to fans the entire time she was out there. You know the Jerome’s best show in the house game where Weisbarth asks a fan a question and the answer is always a Padres player?  Well the game is very similar to Wheel of Fortune in the way that they give you a group of letters and you just fill in the blanks for the answer.  Today’s question was “Who was the 1987 saves leader?”  The answer was “_an_e Mc_ul_er” or something like that.  I didn’t know the answer it was Lance McCullers , but I thought that if they give you the letter “C” somewhere in the answer than they give you all of the “C’s” in the answer like the Wheel of Fortune rules. I guess you just need to know that we aren’t playing official WoF rules. A lady sitting next to me thought I was a genius.  She asked me what the numbers over the batters eye were.  i told her and she asked if I knew the players.  She was amazed that i knew that.  Not a big deal, but then we saw this huge moth flying around.  People thought it was a bat and she said “there are no bats in San Diego!” and I told her “Actually there are 22 different species of bats in San Diego”.  By some weird coincidence I looked that up on google this week.  She was getting freaked out that I knew two facts.  Glad she didn’t ask any other questions.

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A night at the ballpark

Tuesday wrapped up day five of Houston Texans training camp . Again temperatures in Houston reached well into the mid 90s. Sweltering heat aside, the Texans continued to focus on improving individually as they work towards building the best team in franchise history. Texans on the Mend Nick Schenck - Image courtesy of  HoustonTexans.com CB DeMarcus Faggins sat out another practice with hamstring issues. CB Jamar Fletcher and rookie CB Antwaun Molden are picking up his reps. Kubiak called it “a very competitive situation”. G Fred Weary was also held out of practice with a troublesome hamstring. Training camp has been the first action of the offseason for Weary who did not participate in OTAs. He was still recovering from the broken leg he suffered in the December 2nd game against the Titans . Gary Kubiak said,” Fred’s kind of going through, basically, his offseason in a lot of ways because he’s behind the team from a physical standpoint. So we just took him out of there this morning. We’ll continue to be smart with him when he practices. He practices in the morning.” WR Jacoby Jones and T Scott Jackson both sat out with foot problems. While Kubiak noted that Jackson’s recovery could be a ways off, he seemed optimistic about Jacoby’s prognosis saying, “… (Jacoby) checked out OK. We’re going to be day-to-day and we’re going to get him right.” Kubiak also added that Jones’ absence give the coach an opportunity to take a closer look at some of the younger receivers. RB Chris Brown hasn’t done much during training camp to shake his reputation for being injury prone. As Brooke Bentley noted , this is the sixth practice that Brown has missed due to back spasms. Gary Kubiak wouldn’t commit to saying he was worried about the time that Brown has missed but he did say he was concerned. “You’ve got four backs going, guys really working hard. He needs to get on the field and catch up with football team, but we’ve got to deal with the issues.” I have a feeling that if Chris Brown doesn’t resolve his “issues” that he will be a roster size casualty. Alex Gibbs Making an Impression When Alex Gibbs arrived in Houston, everyone knew he was going to bring a fiery style backed by his no-nonsense attitude. Despite Gibbs’ assertive demeanor, his players are enthused about his coaching style. G Chester Pitts said, “(Alex Gibbs) just wakes up and he is like a firecracker, but its fun to me. I enjoy his energy. He’s out there always having fun and all he wants is for us to get better. All he wants is for us to be successful and do well. What more can you ask for? I love the guy now.” Not only does Chester Pitts love Alex Gibbs, apparently so does LT Ephraim Salaam . “I love Alex” said Salaam. “I’ve always said Alex will make you good or he’ll make you gone. That’s his favorite thing to say is getting good or get gone. And he definitely knows what he’s doing; he’s been doing this for a long time. He’s had some of the best offensive linemen, the best running backs the best offense in the league hands down year round, every year and you got to love it. I love it; I love it. Me being an older player, I can relate to him. I love him.”   RT Eric Winston also appreciates Gibbs approach to coaching. In Eric’s words, it’s all about having fun. “Football is fun and it should be fun. It is not all pressure and you don’t have to be serious all the time. You can have fun while you’re working out here. I think that is what (Alex Gibbs) is really bringing too. With everything else he is bringing, I think he is bringing a sense of ‘Hey lets have some fun while we’re working. Let’s work hard but let’s have fun. Let’s not kill ourselves out here stressing out about things we can’t control. Let’s go out there, work hard, and get better, but at the same time let’s have some fun.” Adding that taking stuff from Alex Gibbs is “… all in good fun and we’re having a lot of fun while we are doing it.” Yes. You read that right. He used the word fun eight (8) times. For an offensive lineman to use the word fun in the midst of summer two-a-days is an amazing testament to Eric Winston’s attitude. Rookie Spotlight Rookie DT Frank Okam continues to learn the nuances of playing pro ball. According to his head coach, he’s been up and down, but he thinks Okam can contribute. “He’s pretty good, don’t get me wrong there, but there’s another level for Frank,” Kubiak said. “We’ve got to keep pushing. We’re playing him at both spots, the nose and the three, so that may have something to do with some of the indecision that’s been going on. But he’s got a chance to help this team.” Eddy Matchette - Image courtesy of  HoustonTexans.com Okam, who helped anchor the line for the Texas Longhorns , is adjusting to his role in the NFL. “I’m fitting in pretty good,” said Okam. “I’m playing both tackle positions. At the nose, you have to try to stop the run. At three-technique, you have to make plays. I’m used to trying to make plays and being on the field. So, just being out there and making sure I know what I’m doing and not messing up. That’s the most important thing as a rookie is knowing your playbook and executing it.” Okam continues to lean on the veterans for advice. “Really, watching Amobi (Okoye) and Mario (Williams) , Travis (Johnson) has really been helping me a lot off the field and Jeff Zgonina , who’s been in the league forever, has been giving me a lot of tips,” said Frank. “It’s the mental part of the game that’s different and the little tidbits of techniques that the wily veterans use to make themselves more successful than the younger guys. You can see the little subtle things they do that I’m trying to pick up on so I can put in my game and make myself better.” With the coaching staff pushing Frank to learn both the NT and DT (three-technique) positions, it’s apparent that they are getting him ready to be a part of the line’s rotation. Being a big body who can make plays allows him to be an effective part of the line as well as provide valuable insurance should one of the starters go down. Parting Shots From WR Kevin Walter on the biggest difference he’s seen this year so far: “Confidence. I feel like we got a lot of playmakers. This year we’re executing better and we’re playing faster. This is our third year in the system under Coach Kubiak and I think everyone feels more comfortable and if you’re more comfortable you can go out there play like you’re hair is on fire.”

More here: Talking Texans Training Camp: Day Five

On their sixth day of training camp (yesterday), the Lions practiced in full pads in the morning and were in shells for a special teams session in the afternoon. Yesterday’s two practices were open to the public, and there was a good showing of fans at the Lions’ practice facility (around 500 for the morning practice).  Players and coaches stuck around after each practice to sign autographs and chat with fans, so it had to be a fun experience for those that went.  The next pair of open practices will be on Friday.  The morning session begins at 8:35 a.m., and the afternoon special teams practice starts at 3:30 p.m. Center Dominic Raiola sprained his ankle and missed Tuesday’s morning practice.  Raiola has started 96 consecutive games, so it was a rarity that we saw the Lions’ backup centers on the field for an entire practice.  Raiola’s absence was evident, by the way, as the backup centers combined for six fumbled snaps during the practice. Ernie Sims is not likely going to play in the Lions’ first preseason game against the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants. Defensive tackle Langston Moore, who has looked good in practice as of late, sprained his shoulder and had an MRI yesterday. Rookie fullback Jerome Felton put a huge hit on linebacker Buster Davis. No changes have been made to the PUP list. Lions cornerback Leigh Bodden will make more money in 2008 than Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. Defensive tackle Chuck Darby is glad to be on a team that Rod Marinelli coaches. Kicker/punter Paul Ernster was waived by the Lions.  He signed with Detroit back in April to only be a training camp body.  Every year there are kickers and punters that are on the Lions’ roster during camp, but only Jason Hanson and Nick Harris are left by the time the season starts. Rookies Jordon Dizon and Kevin Smith are writing training camp diaries on the Lions’ official website. Below is some info on the players being honored during the Lions’ 12th annual kickoff luncheon that will take place on August 27. The entire team annually attends the luncheon and awards from the 2007 season will be presented. Players receiving awards will include: Most Valuable Players Dominic Raiola (offense), Ernie Sims (defense) and Alex Lewis (special teams). Other awards will go to Gerald Alexander, Jared DeVries, Mike Furrey, Stephen Peterman, Cory Redding and Keith Smith. MLive , the Free Press , and the News all have photo galleries up from Tuesday. Emmitt Smith has been replaced on ESPN’s NFL Countdown by Cris Carter.  The move is long overdue as Smith was terrible on the show, but it will be sad to see him go as he unintentionally provided so many laughs on Sunday mornings.  The former Cowboys running back will still be on Monday Night Countdown. Brett Favre has officially filed for reinstatement , meaning he is now un-retired.  As Terrell Owens would say, get ya popcorn ready, because things are about to get very interesting in Packers country .

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Wednesday Notes: Dominic Raiola Sprains His Ankle

The numbers aren’t pretty; 3-12 record, 2.53 runs scored/game, a collective .210/.269/.325 triple slash line entering Tuesday night’s game. The White Sox Suck in Domes Things appeared a little different at the start of Tuesday’s contest. The Sox productive outed their way to a run in the first after an Orlando Cabrera single and a balk, then added two more in the second when Josh Fields hit a double down the left field line for the Sox only hit on the night with Runners in Scoring Position. With the exception of a couple of solo-shots from Konerko’s Kaddies (Anderson and Swisher), the Sox bats were largely silent for the rest of the evening. Clayton Richard appeared to be making easy work of the Twins through the first 4 innings. In fact, he had me checking out the Pitch F/X data to see how he was doing it, because I was a bit unsure myself. He was getting by on almost exclusively fastballs, with only a smattering of changeups and a couple of show-me breaking balls. That lack of a major league repertoire game back to bite him in the 5th inning, when the Sox luck ran out. It started with a bloop single that bounced out of a diving Brian Anderson ’s glove, and ended, 5 runs later, with a screaming, 2 out, bases loaded line drive from Justin Morneau . In between, Richard got ahead of most batters–acting as if 1-2 was a dangerous count–but gave up a couple of walks and had a hard hit 2-out grounder ricochet off his leg into foul territory for a hit. A half-inning later, Alexei Ramirez hit a similar ground ball, but the ricochet off of Glen Perkins foot came to rest just in front of the pitcher’s mound for an easy out. It became blindingly evident that it just wasn’t the Sox night when Dennys Reyes deflected a Jim Thome shot through what appeared to be a vacated hole in Minnesota’s shifted defense, but Brendan Harris was there to easily make the play well on the first base side of second. Somehow, the balls always seem to bounce the wrong way on the turf. Blow up all the domes, I say. Blow ‘em up tomorrow! On Clayton Richard’s Future While I was unimpressed by Richard’s overall performance Tuesday, there is certainly a lot to like about the 24 year-old southpaw. He induced a lot of weak contact with that sinker during his first two trips through the order, and, when needed, he showed the ability to dial up his fastball, while not sacrificing much control. His changeup looked like it had the ability to be an above average major league pitch, but, with the exception of 4 straight pitches to Delmon Young , he didn’t have the ability to consistently throw it just out of the zone to get hitters to chase. His low 3/4 delivery, and the inability to throw anything but a sweeping breaking ball from that angle, however, may hold him back from becoming a true major league starter. In other words, his next start at the bigs should be his last this year. And if the Sox are serious about contending for AL Central crown, and more, they should be looking for more than just a reliever on the trade market.

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Doomed in the Dome

This must be a sign that our humble little Dolphin site is becoming more and more credible.  I recently got the opportunity to ask Michael Lombardi five good questions about our Dolphins.  Lombardi is a former NFL exec with over 20 years of experience and who has worked with guys like Bill Walsh, Ernie Accorsi, Jon Gruden, and Mike Shanahan (just to name a few).  Now, he writes for SI.com as well as running his own blog, Lombardi On The NFL .  You’ll also see him featured on the NFL Network at times. Below are the questions I asked him followed with Michael’s answers: Matty: What should Dolphin fans expect to see from this new coaching staff - and from Tony Sparano and Dan Henning in particular.  Will the offense as as run-heavy as some are predicting?  Might it possibly be too conservative? Michael: I think the Fins staff will be smart and attack each team’s weaknesses as the game plan would suggest.  They will be broad and diverse enough on offense to utilize their talents.  But they wont be a run team, or a pass team label. Matty: The biggest storyline entering training camp for the Dolphins is obviously the QB competition.  What are your thoughts on it? Michael: I like Henne.  I think he has the skills and the leadership to be a very good player.  And he is very smart.  He needs to prove he can be very accurate with the ball and keep working on that skill.  Matty: While I’m still in favor of the trade that send Jason Taylor to Washington because of the long-term effects of it, the short-term effects do have me worried.  How do you think the Dolphins will replace Taylor and compensate for the loss of all those sacks? Michael: Taylor is a great player, but he is a player that needs the right offense to highlight his skill set.  I think Charlie Anderson or Quentin Moses will have to fill in and the scheme will have to provide some pressures.  But on all third downs, it will be hard to replace Taylor right now.  In the short term it hurts, but in the long term it will be the best thing.  Matty: What are your thoughts on Ted Ginn?  I know many, myself included, still feel that he was drafted too high in ‘07.  But there’s nothing we can do about that anymore.  I’ll admit that I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from him so far, but do you think he can ever develop into a true #1 receiver for the Dolphins? Michael: He will need to prove he has the quickness and the hands to be a full time player.  Right now, he is a track speed player, one speed.  And it takes a while to build speed. Matty: You said in a recent article that you feel the Dolphins will have a better record than Washington.  That surprised many people - Dolphin fans included.  So how do you see this season playing out for Miami? Michael: As I said in my blog posts and other columns, the Dolphins are a fundamental team and all fundamental teams get better and better as the season goes along….they will be well coached, and they wont beat themselves… A huge “thank you” goes out to Michael Lombardi for taking the time to answer these 5 questions. I think what stands out to me the most is the respect that this new regime (both the front office and the coaching staff) is getting from NFL insiders.  Lombardi is one of the many who are predicting Miami to be a very “fundamental team.”  This is a far cry from what we saw last year, and that’s the most exciting part of this entire thing.  Good coaching goes a long way in this league.  Hopefully Tony Sparano proves to be the long-term solution at head coach for this team - providing some much needed long-term stability and success.

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Phinsider Exclusive: 5 Good Questions with Michael Lombardi