*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Dec 02, 1997: -- Phillips Signs With Dolphins --
According to a report from ESPN, troubled running back
Lawrence Phillips was signed by the Dolphins this evening less than 2
weeks after he was cut by the St. Louis Rams. According to the ESPN
report, Phillips' contract will be for the remainder of this year and
for next year for undisclosed financial terms. Previous reports have
stated that the contract will be for the league minimum salary of
$164,000 plus numerous incentives.
Phillips was cut by the Rams 2 weeks ago, presumably for
missing a team meeting. Some reports say that Phillips has been fined
as many as 40 times this year by the Rams for various rules
violations.
Before he was cut by the Rams, Phillips led the team in
yardage, gaining 633 yards in 10 games and scoring 8 touchdowns. At
6'0" and 223 pounds, Phillips is considered to be more of a power back
than a finesse runner. He played his college football at Nebraska
after rushing for a career 2777 yards on 449 carries with 30
touchdowns.
The Rams drafted him with the number 6 pick in the 1996 draft
after he came out of college following his junior year.
In order to sign Phillips, the Dolphins have placed safety
Bracey Walker on injured reserve because of his broken leg that
occurred during the Oakland game this past Sunday.
My Comments:
Well, I guess you already know that I think that this is a
waste of JJ's time. Of course, JJ has already laid down the law to
Phillips about what will be expected of him and I'm sure that JJ will
not tolerate any bad behavior on Phillips' part, so the risk to the
team is relatively low.
Still, I don't think that Phillips is in the same category as
a Roosevelt Potts or a Clayton Holmes. This kid has been nothing but
trouble for everyone he's played for and I doubt that JJ's additional
discipline will turn Phillips around.
I hope that I am wrong. A true power running back could do a
lot for the Dolphins' running game. And, it's barely possible that
Phillips could be that running back.
Even if he stays with the team, don't expect to see a lot out
of him this year. It will take him more than just 3 weeks to pick up
the offense and even if he does manage to learn his running
assignments quickly, he still has to learn the blitz pickups and other
blocking assignments to help him protect Dan Marino.
As I said - I hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid that this is a
colossal waste of time for the Dolphins.
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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