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Friday, March 06, 2009

Ted Ginn Jr. "only going to get better and better"





By Harvey Fialkov

March 4, 2009

Former Dolphins WR Nat Moore believes receiving corps is just fine

Caught up with former Dolphins receiver Nat Moore and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino at first Fins Cup Pro-Am charity golf tournament at the PGA on Monday and asked them if the Dolphins needed a prime-time receiver?

Moore is a fan of Ted Ginn Jr. and believes he's only going to get better and better. Here's Moore unfiltered with Marino's two cents thrown in at the end.

Moore on Ginn – "He's not a polished receiver yet but he scares defenses when he's on the field you have to account for him regardless. That allows all the younger guys to have an opportunity so I'm not big on going out finding these free-agent receivers because once you get him you have to feature him, otherwise you have an unhappy camper. That means the other guys might not be in the game plan. …

"I like what we got. We were 1-15 and we were 11-5 with the talent that we had every week what did we see? Progression. They got better and there were no petty jealousies, guys were just lining up playng for each other and if you go back and look at the '72-73 team that’s what they were all about. It didn’t matter who got the glory. You got Merc, Kiick, Csonk. Most people forget Larry Csonka when he first came over without a great offensive line he was broken up every week. It's all about that offensive line controlling the line of scrimmage and if you notice that’s what Bill, Jeff Ireand and Tony are focusing on offensive and defensive lines. Then you start to focus on guys that could make plays for you.

I’m not big on spending money on a marquee receiver. No.

Ginn? I think Ginn is an unpolished receiver only going to get better. What do you think the percentage of balls he came down with it? If the guys not dropping the ball and is learning to run routes where he's getting open with the opportunities he’s getting why replace him?

When you talk about stretching the field in today’s game, it’s very difficult because the pass rushers are speedsters so the ball has to come out real quick. You don’t see many quarterbacks taking 7-step drops and throwing it 65 yards anymore. Everything’s 3-step, 5-step and the ball’s gone. I don’t care who it is, five steps the ball’s gone. One thing I can guarantee when you go back and look at the film when Ted Ginn is on the field the safety in the middle is deeper. When Ted Ginn isn’t on the field he doesn’t have to play as deep. What he does is help create space for all those people working inside, the tight ends, the backs etc… When I look at Ted Ginn, who just finished his second year, if you remember one of the things that Cam [Cameron] said when he drafted him is he was going to be a return specialist and that he was a two-year project, well he just completed his second year, what did we see? Is he ahead of schedule? One thing about football is we want instant gratification and success. It doesn’t happen that way. Very few receivers tear up the league right away.

For as talented as we were with Dan Marino, we had the Marx Brothers, two very talented receivers, but we also had Jimmy Cefalo, Joe Rose, a conglomerate of receivers where you know what if you want to take those guys away fine, we’ll beat you inside. It’s all about chemistry. Look at the Cowboys, what did they win? They got marquee receivers all over the place. Look at Cincinnati, they got marquee receivers all over the place. If you don’t have chemistry you don’t win. It’s not about you getting open, it’s whatever the defense dictates, how you get somebody open in the system. … What we saw last year was a group of receivers who worked well together. When you have a marquee receiver that the whole game plan depends on gets hurt, now what do you do?

Dan Marino has a slightly different perspective.

“Any quarterback wants a big-time player at the wide receiver position and I was blessed for many years with the Dolphins. I got to say that having Chad Pennington kind of fall into their laps right there before the season was such a positive thing. He did a terrific job and they’re just going to continue to get better,’’ Marino said.

Marino said that he trusts in Bill Parcells and isn’t concerned that the Dolphins haven’t broken the bank for a prime-time free agent receiver or any other position.

“Coach Parcells knows what he’s doing. If he had to go out and get a big-time free agent that’s a lot of notoriety he would’ve done that. I’m sure he’s getting the guys he wants to get. You see the progress they made last year. You got to believe in what they believe in. You see the results. I’m sure that will continue.’’

What do you think? Agree with Moore? Or do you want Boldin...Chad Johnson...etc..

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