The Dolphins are still looking for a running back, and might take a look at ReShard Lee of the Cowboys. They could probably get him for a late-round pick, which is cheaper than what the Browns are asking for James Jackson, who has been linked to Miami. If the Dolphins open the season with A.J. Feeley at quarterback, it is not a good sign for Dave Wannstedt. The belief inside the Dolphins is that Wannstedt wants to go with Fiedler, a player he feels more comfortable with. But there might be some pressure from above to play Feeley, who came over in a trade from the Eagles. Neither player has lit the preseason on fire, which is why it makes sense to go with the incumbent Fiedler. But GM Rick Spielman is the one who made the move to trade for Feeley.
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Ravens building RB depth
The Ravens have two of the top 15 preseason rushing leaders on their team, but neither is Jamal Lewis. Chester Taylor is fourth with 184 yards on 21 carries, with Musa Smith 16th with 125 yards on 38 carries. The Ravens, who could use receiver help, would likely be dangling one of those two in trade talks if there wasn't the legal cloud hanging over Lewis. But with Lewis facing drug charges and a trial set to convene in November, the Ravens have to hang on to those two players. Miami would certainly be in the running to make a deal if Baltimore were willing.
Jags' Taylor ready for regular season
All the Fantasy Football players who are having drafts this week need not worry about Jaguars running back Fred Taylor. His foot injury is nothing serious, and Taylor said last week he could have played against Green Bay if it was the regular season. "No big deal," Taylor said. "It's really nothing." Taylor will not play again until the regular-season opener in Buffalo. By the way, all the jokes about Taylor's injury history are old now. He hasn't missed a start the past two years, which is currently the fourth-longest starting streak for any back in the league. Fragile Fred doesn't apply anymore.
Spurrier speculation for South Florida
File this one away for next January: Steve Spurrier to the Dolphins. Word is that Spurrier has his eye on that job if Wannstedt is let go. It would be just downstate from his home in North Florida, but it also would give him a chance to prove that he can be successful in the NFL. Although most have Spurrier heading back to college, he has told some close to him that he is intrigued by the Dolphins job. Miami owner Wayne Huizenga will likely seek out a big name if Wannstedt is let go. Spurrier is certainly that in a state dominated by University of Florida alumni.
Delhomme no fake this preseason
Carolina's Jake Delhomme is off to a good start in proving what a dope I am by giving him the Jake the Fake moniker. Delhomme is having a heck of a preseason, completing 33 of 52 passes for 398 yards and two scores. He looks much more comfortable in the Panthers offense, which could lead to more early down throws. We're still not convinced he's the real deal, but remember this: We've been wrong about quarterbacks before (see Rob Johnson and Doug Johnson.)
Allen getting back to form for Cowboys
The Cowboys' best offensive lineman during the summer has been veteran guard Larry Allen. The staff is thrilled with his play, which is saying something considering he was nearly traded at the draft. But Dallas couldn't work out a deal with the Lions and the Raiders, so Allen stayed. He has been a model citizen, getting in shape, and has played better even than Pro Bowl left tackle Flozell Adams. Allen is arguably the best guard of the past 20 years, but his play tailed off the past two seasons because of laziness and weight issues. With that in the past, Allen should again be a dominant player. Too bad the right side of the Cowboys line isn't as settled with Andre Gurode at guard and Torrin Tucker at tackle.
Jaguars do right thing (after doing wrong)
The Hugh Douglas situation earns the Jaguars both praise and scorn. By releasing Douglas this week, the Jaguars made the right move, a move many teams would not have made. They admitted a mistake. Douglas had done little in the preseason, showing no burst off the corner. So instead of keeping him around based on his past, the Jaguars cut him and saved $3.3 million in salary. The scorn comes for signing Douglas in the first place. That was a desperate move by a team in need of pass-rush help. Most of the time, those moves backfire. The Jaguars will now go with a group of youngsters in trying to generate a rush. One player to watch is seventh-round pick Bobby McCray out of Florida. He has displayed some speed off the edge, which is what coach Jack Del Rio wants. Playing outside of defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson, the ends will get a lot of single blocking. They have to win for the defense to be better.
Blame for Anderson injury lies with Broncos staff
The Broncos lost running back Mike Anderson last week in large part because of a bonehead move by their staff. Anderson was playing on special teams inside of two minutes in the team's game with Seattle when he suffered a groin injury that put him out for the season. Blame can be aimed at special-teams coach -- but ultimately the blame lies with Mike Shanahan. As head coach, he is responsible for everything that happens on the field, including preseason substitutions. Losing Anderson will hurt the running back depth, and he would have been a nice change of pace from Quentin Griffin.
Woodson deal to be kept under wraps
Word making its way through the league is that Oakland has agreed to a long-term deal with corner Charles Woodson but won't announce it for a week or two. The reason? If they had agreed to a deal before he signed the one-year franchise tender, they would lose the franchise tag for the duration of the contract. So when the team openly talked about an offer it made to Woodson last month, the league sent out a memo warning officials to watch what they were saying publicly, with the idea the franchise tag would be lost if the players association pushed to make that happen. Either way, look for a new deal for Woodson in the coming weeks.
