From: chf0@newshost.gte.com (Curtis Fennell)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Dolphins Plan B results
Date: 17 Apr 92 17:30:54 GMT
Reply-To: chf0@gte.com
Organization: GTE Laboratories, Waltham, MA


*Note: All information contained here comes from the Dolphin Digest*

In the past, Miami has had some decent acquisitions via Plan B,
notably Mark Higgs, Marc Logan, Tony Paige, Cliff Odom and Mike
Reichenbach.  Overall, they've made some good choices through Plan B
and have only been hurt badly once or twice. This year, they managed
to hold on to the people that they wanted most and added some depth to
places where they needed it. The only player that they lost of any
consequence was Mike Reichenbach.

PLAN B ACQUISITIONS:

1. Robert Clark (Wide Receiver, Detroit): Clark caught 47 passes last
year for 640 yards and 6 TD's.  According to the digest, Shula said
"We talked to some of our defensive players and they thought he gave
us an awful lot of trouble and they felt he would help us".  Clark
played well under the Silver Stretch in Detroit and Miami needs a
steady third/fourth receiver to back up Clayton and Duper. 

2. James Saxon (Fullback, Kansas City): Saxon comes in to backup Tony
Paige at Fullback from KC, where he played behind some of the best
backs in the league.  Unfortunately, that means that he only carried
the ball nine times in the last two years.  However, he was second on
the team in special teams tackles and can certainly make a
contribution there.  It's tough to tell how good he might be if he
played more often, but the Dolphins coaching staff thinks he can do
everything well that they would ask of a Fullback.

3. Gerald Nichols (Nose Tackle, Tampa Bay):  Nichols has been mostly a
backup during his 5 years in the league, but with Miami's defensive line
being what it is, they are happy to get anyone with experience in
there.  His best season was 1990, when he had 51 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

4,5,6:  Bruce Alexander (Cornerback, Detroit), Tim Downing (Defensive
End, NY Giants), Brain Jones (Linebacker, Indianapolis):  These three
guys were brought in to see if they could help Miami's sagging
defense, but none of them has significant experience and Downing and
Jones have been cut in the past, only to be brought back later.

All in all, it looks as if the Dolphins added some depth on the
offense and didn't do much on the defense.

PLAN B LOSSES:

The only player of any impact last year that was lost was Mike
Reichenbach, who started 15 games last year, when Offerdahl went out
with an injury.  He went to San Fransisco.

The other losses were Donnie Gardner (DE, jets), Marc Logan (RB, San
Fran), Stevon Moore (S, Cleveland), James Parrish (OT, San Diego),
Terry Price (DE, San Diego).  Marc Logan has showed a lot of promise
in the past, but last year he did virtually nothing.  Moore, Price
and Parrish were out all of 1991 with injuries and Gardner was waived,
signed, waived and re-signed throughout the season, was never regarded
well. 

The most significant NON-loss was John Grimsley.  Grimsley was
acquired by Miami last year on Plan B and they had planned to have him
start at left inside linebacker opposite Offerdahl, but he was injured
in training camp and was out all year.  He was left unprotected
because of his injuries, but the Dolphins breathed a sigh of relief
when no one else picked him up.

All in all, not a bad year for plan B.

Curt "I always pick the Dolphins - even against Buffalo!"  Fennell
			DOLFAN in New England.             
'72 Dolphins - The perfect team in the perfect season - 17-0