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Dolphins News: Copeland Waived
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Dolphins News: Copeland Waived
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*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Nov 05, 1998: -- Copeland Waived --

** Horace Copeland and Ray Nealy Released

The Dolphins announced yesterday that they have released wide receiver Horace Copeland from the regular roster just a month after they signed him to a 2 year deal on October 1st. Copeland was signed to help boost a receiving corps that was depleted even more when Charles Jordan was placed on injured reserve.

However, during his time with the Dolphins, he played in just 2 games and didn't make a catch. He dropped one of the passes thrown his way and was unable to get open the other time Dan tried to throw to him.

Copeland was a rookie sensation with Tampa Bay in 1993, but has steadily declined over the years and after missing the entire 1996 season with a serious knee injury, has not returned to his previous form.

Ray Nealy was also waived injured off the injured reserve list. Nealy was originally picked up as an undrafted rookie free agent in 1997 to be a fullback. After being impressed with his running ability in training camp and on the practice squad, the Dolphins moved him to the regular roster last year.

The year, Nealy was in the running for one of the regular roster spots as a running back, but never came on as strong as the coaches were hoping and was put on the practice squad this fall before he was injured.

** Denis Montana and Barry Stokes Sign

The Dolphins have signed wide receiver Denis Montana and offensive lineman Barry Stokes to 2 year contracts to take the vacant roster spots left by Craig Erickson and Horace Copeland. Montana was drafted into the CFL in 1996 by Montreal and has played there for the last 2 years. Last summer, he went to training camp in Houston but was cut in August and this summer, he was in training camp with the Patriots, but was cut again in August.

During his 2 year stint in the CFL, the 6'1", 200 pound player has caught only 8 passes for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns. In his 4 years of college at Concordia University in Montreal, he caught 53 passes for 1,016 yards and a touchdown.

Barry Stokes has been on the Miami Dolphins' roster for 2 years, signing as a free agent last spring and making it through training camp last year to the practice squad. This year, he survived most of training camp but was cut in August. Stokes plays mainly at the offensive tackle spot.

** Mark Dixon to Replace Richmond Webb - Maybe

The latest reports out of Miami say that the Dolphins are planning on moving Mark Dixon to Richmond Webb's left tackle spot and plugging backup guard John Bock in at left guard. That is, if Mark Dixon can get enough reps in practice this week with his strained neck.

Jeff Buckey is the normal backup for Webb, but he is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Colts with a back problem. He has not been practicing this week and will probably not be ready to start on Sunday.

So that leaves Mike Sheldon and Brent Smith as the two backups with experience at tackle. However, Mark Dixon also has experience playing left tackle, where he spent the majority of his CFL career. And John Bock has proven to be a reliable backup at the interior line positions, having filled in well for Tim Ruddy last season at center.

As of today, Brent Smith is getting all the practice reps at left tackle while Mark Dixon rests his strained neck. If Dixon doesn't get enough practice this week at the left tackle position, Brent Smith will most likely start on Sunday. If Smith does a good job, Dixon will stay at guard and Smith will stay at tackle.

However, if Smith has trouble on Sunday, Dixon will move to the left tackle position next week and John Bock will move into the guard position. My Comments:

Horace Copeland has proven to be a disappointment. It was hoped that he might have enough ability in him to help out the Dolphins passing game, but that has proven to not be the case. With the Dolphins' passing game as anemic as it has been, Copeland must really be playing (and practicing) poorly for the Dolphins to cut him so quickly.

The cutting of Ray Nealy is more of a surprise. I thought he showed some promise this summer as a bruising running back with some speed, but the Dolphins apparently didn't think that he's make the team when he came back from his injury.

The funny part about the signing of Denis Montana and the return of Barry Stokes is that the headline on the Dolphins Endzone read "Dolphins Release Copeland; Sign Montana and Stokes". When I saw the words "sign Montana", I had a weird moment in which I thought about the fact that the Dolphins may be looking for an experienced quarterback and about a certain quarterback who is currently retired.

But then I figured that there could be more than one Montana in the world and that the Endzone was probably talking about some other Montana - and I was right.

As to the move of Dixon to tackle and Bock to guard while Webb is out, I have only one thing to say - why didn't I think of that? Now that it's being proposed, it seems like it's easily the best solution to the problem.

With Dixon's experience and level of play this year, he's probably the best player on the team to move to the left tackle spot. And Bock played well in relief of Tim Ruddy last year against the Jets. He played well enough, in fact, that some people proposed that he might replace Ruddy in the starting lineup.

Fortunately for the Dolphins, the Colts' defensive line is not the best in the world and that will give the Dolphins a chance to try out Brent Smith at that left tackle spot if they want to. This will be Smith's first chance at playing in an NFL game.

Personally, I would feel much more comfortable with Dixon at left tackle, but who knows? Maybe Brent Smith will turn out to be a really good replacement, but I kind of doubt that he'll be as good as Dixon.

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Curt Fennell, curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
     
   

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Curt Fennell
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DOLFAN in New England