Interview with Dave Razzano by Dewey Hammond.
Dave Razzano is a former NFL scout and Playmaker Mobile correspondent with more than 22 years of professional scouting experience with the San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals under NFL coaches including Bill Walsh, George Seifert, Chuck Knox and Dick Vermeil. He's been a part of five Super Bowls with three Super Bowl wins (49ers, 1989, 1990; Rams, 2000).
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Q: What was Miami’s best offseason move?
A: They added a top 5 receiver in Brandon Marshall. That’s huge for them because they needed a go-to receiver, but even more important than that was adding to the front seven. They were already a good defense and they added linebacker Karlos Dansby, and drafted defensive tackle Jared Odrick and linebacker Koa Misi. Three very good players to an already strong front seven. Those are outstanding moves for the Miami Dolphins.
Q: How well do you think Brandon Marshall will gel with the offense?
A: He'll be fine from the get go. He's a big guy, works hard. The team likes him and is impressed by his work ethic. He's had 100 catches three years in a row and I don't expect that to decrease much. He may fall into the 90s but he'll be their go-to guy. They don't have a guy to compliment him. That's why he'll be their primary target on a heck of a lot of routes this season.
Q: Davone Bess, out of Hawaii, coming into his third season at receiver. He hasn't gotten in the endzone much but he's put up respectable numbers.
A: I can see Bess having a very successful season in the slot. He's like a poor man's Wes Welker. He's one of those quicker than fast guys. He has a knack for getting open underneath. The guys who concern me are Brian Hartline and Greg Camarillo. Those guys are sort of fourth and fifth types. I expect Bess to have a solid season, at receiver and punt returner as well.
Q: What about this year's running game?
A: I like the run game. I like Ricky Williams a lot. Ronnie Brown is a capable backup. You know, Ricky Williams is one of those ageless players. He missed a few years in the middle of his career but he's still quick and powerful, and he finishes. He works good and is in shape. Their run game will be very solid this season.
Q: Do you think Ricky Williams will get the bulk of the carries this season?
A: I think so, yeah. As a matter of fact, I have Ricky Williams as a top tier-two fantasy guy this season. He's ageless, still at the top of his game. I don't see any slowdown with him at all.
Q: How do the Dolphins stack up against the rest of the AFC East?
A: I think it's going to be a three-way race with the Jets and Patriots on top and the Dolphins maybe a wild card. I wouldn't be surprised to see them compete for the AFC East, which is suddenly one of the most competitive divisions in football. The Dolphins have really improved, with Chad Henne in his second season and those rookie corners from last year getting another year under their belt. So they'll be that much better, Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. They could surprise some people this season.
Q: What is your biggest concern with the Dolphins?
A: Their offense is a little conservative. They're not going to outscore anybody. They're going to win with defense and a conservative run game. They don't have enough receivers. They have pretty good offensive line depth but they've always been a little conservative on offense, never really scored a ton of points. I think they're pretty deep except at receiver and tight end. They don't have the tight end they need when the QB gets in trouble.
I agree that the Dolphins will be in the mix this year, but not because of the defense. I'm expecting a replay of the Marino years where we score a lot of points but so do our opponents. We will be vulnerable to the pass again this year, and it may be that we have to play grind 'em out offense just to keep the defense off the field for as long as possible. Hope I'm wrong, but the defense is a concern.
Posted by: Daddy995 | 08/22/2010 at 01:27 PM