Dolphins' thin secondary takes hit with Marshall out; QB Tannehill probable

DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins cornerback Richard Marshall has been ruled out of Sunday's game at Cincinnati with a back injury, putting a further strain on the team's week secondary.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was added to the injury report Friday with a right thumb injury. He participated fully in practice and was listed as probable.

Nolan Carroll or R.J. Stanford will likely replace Marshall in the starting lineup. Carroll is listed as probable with an Achilles tendon injury.

The Dolphins (1-3) rank third worst in the NFL in pass defense, while the Bengals (3-1) rank eighth in passing.

Other Dolphins listed as probable include running back Reggie Bush (hip), linebacker Kevin Burnett (foot) and defensive tackle Paul Soliai (ankle). All participated fully in practice.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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Revis ready, will play vs. Dolphins; Keller (hamstring) questionable for Jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Darrelle Revis is fully recovered from a concussion and will play for the New York Jets after practicing fully for the second straight day.

The All-Pro cornerback is listed as probable on the team's injury report Friday, meaning he'll be back in Rex Ryan's secondary on Sunday in Miami after he missed last week's game at Pittsburgh. Revis suffered what the team called a "minor concussion" in the season opener against Buffalo.

Tight end Dustin Keller (right hamstring) is questionable after missing last week's game, as is defensive back Ellis Lankster (lower back).

Ryan says fullback John Conner (right knee) and linebacker Bryan Thomas (hamstring) are doubtful and unlikely to play. Tight end Konrad Reuland would fill in for Conner if he can't go.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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QB Garrard's roster spot with Dolphins in danger

DAVIE, Fla. -- Quarterback David Garrard signed with the Miami Dolphins in March, climbed to No. 1 on the depth chart a month ago and now wonders whether he'll still be on the roster at the end of this week.

Garrard somewhat gingerly returned to practice Monday, three weeks after he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery that forced him to miss the entire exhibition season.

The veteran is one of four quarterbacks on the roster, stirring speculation he'll be released or traded. Garrard said Dolphins officials have given him no hints regarding their plans.

"I honestly don't even know what's going on," he said. "There are still enough teams in this league to play for if it is not here. But I'm excited about here. I'm excited about being on this team, and hopefully I'll still be here."

Rookie Ryan Tannehill will start Sunday in the opener at Houston. The Dolphins' other quarterbacks are Matt Moore, who started their final 12 games last year, and Pat Devlin, a second-year pro who has showed promise but has yet to take a snap in a game.

The Dolphins might decide against keeping Garrard a backup because of his $2.25 million salary -- guaranteed if he's on the roster for the opener -- and uncertainty about his left knee.

He conceded he's not yet 100 percent.

"I'm still trying to get my strength back in that leg, which is what I'm really fighting through right now," he said. "I'm just trying to be smart, as smart as I can without delaying myself too much. But I'm not going to force myself to do anything to hurt myself for the long run, if it's here or somewhere else."

Also nursing a sore knee was Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long, who has been sidelined for the past week and again sat out practice. His status for the opener is uncertain.

Following a flurry of moves to reach the regular-season roster limit, the Dolphins have 11 rookies -- four undrafted -- and eight other newcomers among their 53 players. The newcomers include four players who practiced Monday for the first time since being acquired off waivers -- receiver Anthony Armstrong, safety Troy Nolan, cornerback R.J. Stanford and linebacker Sammy Brown.

"They're swimming a little bit," coach Joe Philbin said. "I'm sure they're not practicing at the speed they hopefully will, due to the mental things that are going on."

Armstrong had 44 catches for 871 yards for the Washington Redskins in 2010, and the Dolphins hope he can provide the deep threat that has been missing in their receiving corps.

"They told me they brought me here to play," he said. "I've just got to learn the offense, get caught up to speed and be able to get on the same page as Tannehill and those guys."

After his breakthrough year in 2010, Armstrong played much less last season, when he made only seven receptions for Washington.

"That's not the type of receiver I am," he said. "I'm more focused on the guy that I was in 2010."

Davone Bess and Legedu Naanee will likely get the most snaps among the wideouts in the opener. Veteran Brian Hartline returned to practice Friday but is behind because he missed the entire exhibition season with a calf injury.

Even with running back Reggie Bush projected as a frequent target, offensive coordinator Mike Sherman conceded pass-catching has been worrisome so far.

"It's a work in progress, and will continue to be until we have solved that problem," Sherman said. "I wouldn't say it has been solved. We had an addition with Armstrong, but it has got to get better for us to be successful."

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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Dolphins owner expects Matt Moore to be starting QB

Posted: 09:06 PM ET May 21, 2012

By Ryan Wilson | NFL Blogger

Tannehill won't start in Week 1. (Getty Images) One of the benefits of going to an NFL team that recently hired your college head coach as its offensive coordinator is that you'll have a pretty good handle on the playbook before any of your new teammates. And for a rookie -- especially a rookie quarterback being groomed as the franchise future -- that's huge.

That's the situation for Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins' first-round pick in last month's draft, who said after the three-day minicamp in early May that he already has a handle on 85 percent of the playbook since it's basically the same one Mike Sherman used at Texas A&M.

That, along with the Dolphins' 6-10 record from a year ago and the immediate need to jumpstart a floundering franchise made it reasonable to think Tannehill might be the starter in 2012. If not in Week 1, shortly thereafter. But owner Stephen Ross, who was reportedly "infatuated" with Peyton Manning when he hit the open market, gets the sense that the coaches aren't in any hurry to put Tannehill on the field.

"I don't think they're going to rush (Tannehill) into anything," Ross told NFL Network's Jeff Darlington. "He's going to have to win the starting job. I think Matt Moore will probably be the starter, and I wish him the best."

The biggest knock against Tannehill coming out of college was that he had just 19 career starts. And for some analysts, that lack of experience would mean that Tannehill's rookie season would be a redshirt year to learn the nuances of the job at this level. Because even though he may have a handle on the playbook, he has never seen a real live NFL defense.

He seems to realize as much. “Yeah, I think it's going to take some reps," Tannehill said during a radio interview earlier this month. "Whether it's in the classroom, watching it on film or out on the practice field, I'm going to have to see those things a few times. I'm excited to learn from the guys that have been there. I feel they have a lot of experience that I can learn from.”

In addition to losing out on Manning, Miami also watched Matt Flynn sign with Seahawks before eventually landing David Garrard, who missed the 2011 season after the Jaguars cut him and subsequently underwent back surgery. Moore, to his credit, played well down the stretch last season and appears to be a capable starter in the short term.

For now, though, it sounds like the organization won't rush Tannehill. “We drafted Tannehill because we thought he'd be a great franchise quarterback," Ross said over the weekend, according to the Palm Beach Post's Ben Volin. "He has all the intangibles, (he's) a great athlete. The important thing is not to have great expectations up front and bring him along. See how it works for him. He certainly has the talent, and you don't want to get a guy down early. We've seen that before. So it depends on each individual. Obviously, there's a big competition for the quarterback slot. We're not going to rush him into it, that's for sure.”

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Tags: David Garrard, Matt Flynn, Matt Moore, Peyton Manning, Ryan Wilson, Miami Dolphins, NFL

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Dolphins' Marshall on Revis' 100-yard pick: CB benefited from 'Jordan Rule'

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Brandon Marshall thinks Darrelle Revis has something in common with Michael Jordan.

No, not jaw-dropping dunking ability. The Miami Dolphins wide receiver told New York reporters on a conference call Wednesday that the Jets' Pro Bowl cornerback receives preferential treatment from officials.

Revis was defending Marshall on Oct. 17 when he intercepted a pass from Matt Moore and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown in the Jets' 24-6 win. Marshall, who'll face Revis again Sunday at Miami, implied that Revis committed a defensive pass interference penalty on the play.

"My technique could've been better, but at the same time, I think they gave him `the Jordan Rule,"' Marshall said. "You get a little close to Michael Jordan, they're going to call a foul. It works that way in football. Some guys you know they are scared to throw the flag on, and he may be getting that rule."

Marshall added that one would've been thrown "nine times out of 10" if someone other than Revis covered him.

"I am one of the faces of football, but it's not as big as Darrelle's," Marshall said, "so when they have to pick, they pick Darrelle."

Marshall has 77 catches for 1,177 yards and six touchdowns, and was selected for the Pro Bowl. He said he has noticed in his film study that teams appear to be throwing in Revis' direction more than in previous years.

"Darrelle is one of the best corners in the league right now, but he's still human," he said. "I look at my matchup against Darrelle and it reminds me of a boxing match. It's 12 rounds. It's a fight. We're both physical players, we're both tough, smart players and it's fun. I love competing versus the best and look forward to the challenge again this week."

Marshall added that he and Revis have a "cool" relationship off the field and they "go at each other" during games, but don't cheap shot each other or talk trash.

The Dolphins wide receiver clearly isn't afraid to speak his mind, though. When he was asked about how much the loss of safety Jim Leonhard means to the Jets' defense, Marshall said Brodney Pool and "No. 33" were doing a good job in his absence.

"What's 33's name?" Marshall then asked.

He was told it's Eric Smith, and was then asked what he thought of his play this season.

"He's got to get Cruz on that play, man," Marshall said, laughing. "He's got to make that play."

Marshall was referring to the 99-yard touchdown reception last Saturday by the Giants' Victor Cruz, who hurdled a diving tackle attempt by Smith on his way to the end zone.

Before the teams' last meeting, Marshall promised to get kicked out of the game by getting into a fight. Instead, he played the whole game - and he has no grand plans for this one.

"I was thinking about getting kicked out again, but I'm looking forward to next season," Marshall said. "I don't want to start the home opener at home suspended."

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Panthers RB Williams hopes Dolphins 'come after me'

Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, scheduled to be a free agent when the lockout ends, was a guest on Miami radio last weekend.

Williams was in town to participate in a charity triathlon. There has been speculation linking Williams to the Dolphins and when asked about it, he said, "I've heard rumors that I may be at the top their ... board this year."

On the show was Sun-Sentinel reporter Omar Kelly, who said, "It's a little more than rumors."

Williams added, "This is a place I'd like to live. I hope I'm at the top of their list and they come after me."

He also said he will make his decision in part depending on what each team has at the quarterback position.

"It's all going to boil down to quarterbacks," he said. "In this league, the running game is all predicated on if you have a quarterback or not. If you don't have a quarterback, teams stack the box and they force you to do what you do best."

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