Is Ted Ginn a bust?

Over the past few days, there has been a firestorm of criticism in Miami surrounding wide receiver Ted Ginn after another lackluster performance agaisnt the New Orleans Saints.

The numbers tell a grim story: Four receptions for 77 yards the past four games, with 53 of them coming on a TD catch against the New York Jets.

He has also dropped several passes, and seemingly shied away from contact.

Against the Saints, Ginn dropped two passes, with one of them a bobble that ended up in the hands of safety Darren Sharper for a 42-yard TD that aided the New Orleans comeback.

It's been that type of effort -- or lack thereof -- that's marked Ginn's career.

And now, with the heat being turned up by the local media, Coach Tony Sparano finally admitted after Wednesday's practice that Ginn has competition for a starting job that once seemed to be his for the next few years.

For the first time all year, Ginn actually shared first-team reps with another receiver.

After two seasons, it's become evident that Ginn is simply a speed receiver, a straight-line runner who does not like to go across the middle or take punishment. Add to that his propensity for drops, and you have the makings of a bust.

Against the Colts in Week 2, Ginn had his finest day of the year, catching 11 passes for 108 yards. But he also showed why the Dolphins have not been able to rely on him in the clutch, as he let a Chad Pennington potential TD pass bounce off his hands in the end zone late in the game.

If Ginn catches that pass, the Dolphins go ahead 30-27, and force Peyton Manning to rally his Colts with less than a minute to play.

The scrutiny is nothing new to Ginn, who has been under a microscope since he was drafted in 2007.

The old regime of former coach Cam Cameron and general manager Randy Mueller passed on Brady Quinn with the ninth pick (in retrospect probably a good decision) to take the speedy Ginn. In the second round, Cameron gambled on BYU's John Beck, who the Dolphins released this preseason and who is now the third-string quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, making Ginn and Beck possibly the worst first two picks in the last 20 years for Miami.

And that's saying something, considering the Dave Wannstedt-Rick Spielman draft-busting efforts that resulted in the franchise's freefall from perennnial playoff contender to 1-15 in 2007.

But back to Ginn.

His arrival on the Miami sports scene was hardly auspicious, as for the first time I can remember since following the team in 1986, he was actually booed during the introductory press conference in Miami.

That sort of thing just doesn't happen here, where the only person worthy of that kind of sentiment is current Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Usually, a player or coach is given the leeway to fail before the fans respond so lustily.

That moment said two things: One, that the fans were tired of the constant draft fiascos that resulted in the Dolphins missing out on players like Randy Moss and Drew Brees over the last 11 years, and instead getting players like Jamar Fletcher and John Avery.

Also, it didn't say much for what they thought of Ginn, another in a line of Ohio State wide receivers who were long on speed (Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn), but short on toughness.

And Ginn has never been a good fit for the current Sparano-Bill Parcells regime.

Parcells once famously said, "They let you cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries," in response to management selecting Glenn high in the draft over his objections.

Parcells does not believe in drafting skill players high. In fact, in another interview, he was quoted as saying you should never draft a running back with one of your top picks, because history has shown you can find just as good a back later in the draft.

Parcells and Sparano are meat-and-potatoes guys, while Ginn is clearly garnish: Pretty to look at and having lots of style, but ultimately, little substance.

So, with the emergence of fellow Buckeyes receiver and rookie Brian Hartline, who has caught six passes for 121 yards and a TD in the last three games (and was drafted in the fourth round, a spot Parcells would prefer to take a receiver), you could see the writing on the wall.

Now the question is, how does Ginn handle a possible demotion? Does he sulk, or does he work his hardest to regain his former position?

This may be a good thing to have happen to him, to re-ignite his competitive fires and make him into the player Dolphins fans and management hope he can be.

Or, this may prove to be the death-knell to his career here.

Either way, the answer won't be revealed for a few weeks, when we find out just what type of character and resolve Ginn has.

(Photo: Yahoo Images)

Chiefs cut Thomas; next stop: Miami?

Last week, a rumor circulated saying former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas was set to retire.

Agent Drew Rosehaus denied it, but it may become a reality sooner than Thomas thinks. Sunday, the seven-time Pro Bowler was cut by Kansas City after failing to appear in any preseason games.

The question is: What now? Does Thomas hang up his cleats, and hope to one day hear his name called for the Hall of Fame?

Or, does he decide on one more regular season run, perhaps with the Dolphins?

Miami made its final 12 roster cuts over the weekend, with the most prominent names released being wide receiver Brandon London, defensive tackle Rodrique Wright and offensive lineman Nate Garner. Tight end David Martin was also placed on injured reserve.

But if you take a close look at the roster, you'll notice the Dolphins are only carrying three inside linebackers: Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele and Reggie Torbor.

Crowder is the starter at Mike inside linebacker, Ayodele is the Mo inside linebacker, and Torbor backs up Ayodele.

Ayodele is also Crowder's backup, which means an injury to him would be especially devastating to the team.

Provided Thomas has fully recovered from an undisclosed injury -- and Rosenhaus said he was close to returning to the field last week -- wouldn't he fit right in at his old position, backing up and mentoring Crowder as he did when the former Gator first entered the league?

Thomas was cut last year by the Dolphins, in one of the first big moves in the Bill Parcells-Tony Sparano era.

But, if Parcells and Sparano were willing to take back Jason Taylor this year after the soap opera that played out last preseason, wouldn't they be willing to take back Thomas, who was still a functional player after tallying 65 tackles and 29 assists with the Cowboys in 2008?

And you know Thomas would like to return to the team he started his career with, especially with the Dolphins becoming winners again.

It would be the perfect ending to a great career, and he and brother-in-law Taylor could ride into the NFL sunset together.

Will it happen, though? At this point, it's pure conjecture. It would be a great story, to be sure. And judging from the Dolphins depth chart, perhaps a necessary move as well.

Smith starring
One thing is certain as the Dolphins prepare for opening day against Atlanta, rookie Sean Smith will be the starting cornerback. Smith topped a good preseason with an outstanding one-handed interception against the New Orleans Saints last Thursday, in Miami's 10-7 win.

The play has already hit You Tube, and it cemented Smith's place as the most intriguing rookie on the team this year. It was the second interception in three preseason games for the former Utah star, who started college as a wide receiver.

At 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, Smith is exactly the type of big, athletic corner the Dolphins need, now that they have to tangle with Terrell Owens and Randy Moss twice a year.

Also, with the current trend in the NFL towards big receivers, Smith may be the first in a wave of big corners defensive coordinators will look to in an attempt to stem the tide.

SI picks Dolphins second
The current NFL preview issue of Sports Illustrated picks the Dolphins to finish second in the AFC East, behind the New England Patriots.

Peter King projects the Dolphins will finish 8-8 and out of the playoff picture, while New England will go 13-3 and win Super Bowl XLIV.

I'll have my own prognostication later in the week, but I've written before that the Dolphins could have a better team and finish with a worse record by virtue of their tough schedule.

Williams re-signs
Ricky Williams re-signed with the Dolphins for one year, $4.35 million. That's a substantial raise from the $3.4 million he's scheduled to make this year as Ronnie Brown's backup.

Williams plans on retiring after next year to pursue a career in holistic medicine. Williams, 32, averaged 4.1 yards per carry last year, and gained 659 yards rushing. He also caught 29 passes for 219 yards and scored five combined TDs.

If he does decide to retire after next year, it's safe to say Dolphins fans will have mixed emotions, and wonder what might have been.

Williams only had four 1,000-yard seasons, with his apex coming in 2002, his first year with the Dolphins. That year, Williams set a team record with 1,853 rushing yards, and he scored 16 TDs, another Dolphins record for running backs.

The following season, he had another big year with 1,372 yards and nine TDs.

But carrying the load took its toll, and Willliams famously "retired" prior to the start of the 2004 season, taking with him all hopes for a Dolphins Super Bowl run, and eventuially costing Dave Wannstedt his job as head coach.

Williams was burned out and needed to recharge, and in doing so may have cost himself a chance at true greatness on the football field.

His career will always provide one of the great "what ifs" in Dolphins history.

(Photo: Yahoo Images)

Dolphins cut Green

Well, this is the initial post on the Dolphins Watch blog, and I hope to provide you with analysis, commentary and observations from this Miami Dolphins season. This is a new and exciting venture, and I hope to make the most of it.

Just by way of introduction, my name is Mario Sarmento and I have been a sports writer for the past nine years, in both print and the Internet. I've covered high school, college and pro sports, with the highlight of my career undoubtedly being when I covered Super Bowl XLI two years ago in Miami between the Colts and the Bears.

As far as this blog goes, I will offer commentary of Dolphins' moves and games during the season, with the occasional interview mixed in. If needed, I'll also comment on some of the larger issues in the NFL, and I'll add notes about fantasy football and anything else I think you might find interesting.

Since there are so many other outlets covering the Dolphins and the NFL, I will try to provide a different spin on the team's coverage, while keeping up with and commenting on any team news.

But, enough about what I plan to do, and let's get down to the big news of the day.

As you've probably read elsewhere, the Dolphins made a surprising move today by releasing cornerback Eric Green, who the team signed as a free agent from Arizona.

According to published reports, Green was likely a victim of being too comfortable on a Tony Sparano-coached team.

Like his mentor, Bill Parcells, Sparano believes being comfortable leads to complacency, and complacency leads to losing football games.

Thus, an early message was sent to any malingerers that anyone is expendable on this team (are you listening, Matt Roth)?

The other message this sends is the Dolphins must be very high on rookie cornerbacks Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, both drafted this year, to have made the move at all.

Smith has played well in training camp, and he had an interception in the Fins' 12-9 win over Jacksonville in the opening preseason game Monday night.

Right now, he is the starter opposite veteran Will Allen. But this is the NFL, where change happens quickly.

Davis struggled against the Jags, picking up three penalties -- two on special teams. But, he is a first round pick who will be given every benefit of the doubt in this battle. Expect it to last right up until the end of preseason.

Also, Green was victimized by Jacksonville backups for three straight completions Monday, which apparently was the continuation of a trend started in training camp.

Still, will the Dolphins only rely on the rookies when they have to face Terrell Owens and Randy Moss in division play? Or will the loss of Green hurt when the Dolphins need veteran savvy in the secondary? The answers to those questions will come starting Sept. 10.

As for Roth, the fifth-year player who was supposed to start at oustide linebacker, there are conflicting reports as to his absence in training camp.

Sparano said he failed the team's first conditioning test due to illness, while his agent Drew Rosenhaus said Roth failed because of a groin injury.

Whatever the reason, Sparano has made it clear the team is moving on without him, and Jason Taylor is now starting at linebacker until further notice.

As for the rest of the team, it looks much improved from the 2008 team that shocked observers by going 11-5 and winning the AFC East for the first time since 2000.

The Dolphins overhauled the secondary in an effort to improve a pass defense that only ranked 25th last year, adding the rookies as well as former Oakland safety Gibril Wilson.

Offensively, Miami acquired new weapons in the form of second round pick Pat White, recruited to run the "WildPat," and rookie receivers Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline.

Add those players to reigning Comeback Player of the Year Chad Pennington, third-year receiver Ted Ginn and fellow wideouts Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess, and the offense should improve on last season's pedestrian average of 21.6 points per game.

The problem is, the team may in fact be better than last year, but the Dolphins could end up with a worse record.

Part of that is due to the strengthened AFC East, with Tom Brady back in New England and T.O. taking his show to Buffalo, as well as the new look New York Jets.

The other part is a brutal schedule that sees the Dolphins face six playoff teams, including three straight to open the season.

But, as we all know, preseason expectations are usually hyperbole. After all, no one expected a playoff year in 2008 after the Dolphins won just one game the previous year.

And, if there's anything we've learned in the NFL, it's that each year there seem to be new teams rising to the top. Look at how Atlanta turned its fortunes around last season, and of course, the Cardinals surprised everyone by making the playoffs and advancing to their first Super Bowl.

So, that means we don't know anything at this point, try as we might to prognosticate. And that's the beauty of sports.

Fantasy angle: The Dolphins have the potential to improve this year, but not from a fantasy football perspective. The Dolphins defense may just be the best bet this season, as Taylor and Cameron Wake should complement Joey Porter nicely in the pass rush, and we've already mentioned the secondary upgrades. Offensively, there are a lot of pedestrian fantasy players, with running back Ronnie Brown being the best of the bunch. He's two years removed from ACL surgery, which means he should be back to his pre-2008 self. But I wouldn't spend higher than a fourth round choice on him, unless you are desperate for running backs. Ginn is another possibility, since he is entering his third season and that's when wideouts typically start to flourish. But if you take him, buy low, as I've already mentioned the other receiving options he must compete with. And remember, Pennington likes to spread the ball around, and he prefers to throw short passes. As a deep target, this is not a good fit for Ginn. Pennington and Camarillo also merit consideration as backups.

Misc: Dan Marino is back, but no, it's not what you think. This is not a Brett Favre unretirement. Marino is being featured in this month's McFarlane SportsPicks NFL Legends collection, a group that includes Barry Sanders, Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, Archie Manning, Bart Starr and Joe Montana. McFarlane has been making NFL figures for the last eight years, and they are incredibly realistic. Marino was already featured in the Legends 3 lineup, wearing his home white uniform and looking like he did as a rookie. This version is the older, bulkier Marino from around 1994 or '95, I'd say. He's wearing his road green jersey, and you can see the bulge in his leg from the knee brace. It's a highly accurate figure, and a good buy at $11.99 for the Dolphins fan in your life. You can pick him up at any retail store that sells toys.

Well, that's it for the initial Dolphins Watch. I'll return with more news and notes later.