4 Miami Dolphins

WHAT'S NEW

> After former Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron replaced Nick Saban as Dolphins coach last January, one of the priorities was to create a more open and collegial environment--starting with the locker room at the team's Davie, Fla., practice facility. Before this summer, a maze of walls and locker stalls segregated players by position, like office clones in (somewhat smelly) cubicles. Now the walls are gone, the positions are intermingled, and couches, chairs and flat-screen TVs in the center of the room see regular use. The renovations made for a more welcoming atmosphere, just in time for the arrivals of quarterback Trent Green, a Chiefs castoff; free-agent linebacker Joey Porter, late of the Steelers; and rookie wideout Ted Ginn�Jr., the No.�9 pick, out of Ohio State. But don't think the new approach means Cameron is soft. "When we first reported," says receiver Marty Booker, "he gave us a test where we had to know running plays, protections, pass plays--all that�stuff."

Versatility will be especially important on defense, as the Dolphins continue to work in a hybrid 3-4/4-3 scheme meant to take advantage of athletic front-seven players such as Porter and All-Pro end Jason Taylor, who drops into coverage as effortlessly as he rushes the passer. What's more, Taylor's cameo in a pass-catching drill that also included second-year defensive back Will Allen indicates that Cameron might play around with personnel combinations on both sides of the ball. Ginn as a cornerback? Booker at QB? "Everybody," says Booker, "has to know everything."

WHERE THEY'RE HEADED

> Miami's willingness to experiment is borne of necessity, and nowhere is the need greater than on the offensive line. That the Week�1 unit could feature rookies Samson Satele ( Hawaii) at center and Drew Mormino ( Central Michigan) at right guard doesn't bode well for the 37-year-old Green, who missed eight games with a concussion caused by a devastating hit in last year's season opener. But it's worth noting that Cameron's line in San Diego was similarly inexperienced before coalescing into one of the league's most impregnable units. The Dolphins' blockers have to do likewise--only more�quickly.

The first coach in Miami history whose expertise is on offense, Cameron, who'll pull double duty as offensive coordinator and play-caller, brings a Don Coryell-style downfield passing attack from San Diego in hopes of sparking an offense that ranked fourth to last in scoring in the NFL last year. Green, who was acquired in a June trade with Kansas City, already has considerable experience in the system; he learned it in Washington, where Cameron was his position coach, and excelled in it in St. Louis and K.C. The only major adjustment will be new terminology. "In Kansas City we'd call a 50�Bob; here it's a 50�Slant," says Green. "[Otherwise] it's the same exact concept."

Like the Chiefs' Tony Gonzalez and the Chargers' Antonio Gates, Pro Bowl tight ends who have thrived in the system, the Dolphins' David Martin should become a primary target. The free-agent pickup from Green Bay is big (6' 4", 265 pounds) and nimble--and like the other two, was once more interested in basketball. In Martin's case his high school hoops coach insisted that all his players take up another sport in the off-season. After a breathless stint on the cross-country team as a sophomore, Martin switched to football in his junior year, figuring he'd "sit on the bench and get through it until basketball season."

Instead he developed into one of the most sought-after receiver prospects in the nation, signing with Tennessee and starring at wideout. After being drafted in the sixth round by the Packers in 2001, Martin was plagued by an assortment of injuries, which prevented him from unseating Bubba Franks as the starter. When he was healthy, Martin proved adept in the Packers' West Coast scheme; when he was hurt, he spent a lot of time studying Franks's blocking technique. "That was the one part of Gonzalez's game where he improved," says Green, "but David is a lot more comfortable with it."

And if Cameron wants players who can do it all, Martin's eager to fulfill the coach's wish. "A lot people wonder, Is he a blocking tight end or is he a receiver?" the 28-year-old Martin says. "I don't want to be the guy they take out at the goal line when it's time to block, or the guy they take out on third down when it's time to pass. I want to be the whole package."

He'll have plenty of opportunity to make his case to Green, especially now that their lockers adjoin. And while even a prolific effort from Martin isn't likely to elevate the Dolphins much above last year's 6-10 record (they're tied for the league's eighth-toughest schedule), the changes on and off the field should set them up well for the future.