Time for Dolphins to Begin A-Ginn
Ted Ginn continues to prove you never draft a special teamer with your first round pick
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 3:45 PM EDT, Mon, Sep 28, 2009
For as terrible as Cam Cameron was as a coach, he may have warned all Dolphins of what Ted Ginn Jr. was destined to be.
A special teamer.
"You're going to be thrilled every time you watch him as a punt returner because he is going to be a great returner for us," Cameron said amid a chorus of boos at a draft party in 2007.
Unfortunately in the NFL, drafting a special team player with your top draft pick never quite works out. Shame on us for thinking the ninth overall pick should blossom into a No. 1-quality receiver.
We shouldn't be mad that Ginn can't seem to catch anything, including the swine flu. That's not why the Dolphins drafted him.
Who cares if he couldn't get open even if he worked at a 24-hour convenience store or that he gets about as much separation from a DB as a snail does from its shell.
That's not who Ginn is or who the Dolphins envisioned him to be. He's a return man.
So far this season, Ginn has dropped two touchdowns, including a potential game winner. And on Sunday, with the Dolphins in dire need of a play from a playmaker, Ginn had his number called twice and decided to remind the coaches of just who he was.
A return man. Coach Tony Sparano and Offensive coordinator Dan Henning must have forgot. Two drops in a row will quickly jog the memory.
For the past three years, coaches have described Ginn's stride in practice as effortless. We just didn't know they were also talking about his work ethic on the field. Ginn hasn't improved his route running and his hands seem to get harder with every ball thrown his way.
But what do you expect from a player that barely has over 100 catches in his career and four receiving touchdowns in 35 games?
By the way, Ginn has one return touchdown and that was during his rookie season, but he didn't return kicks last season because Bill Parcells didn't get the Cameron's final memo as Dolphins head coach.
"In case of offensive emergency, do not break glass. Do not make Ted Ginn your No. 1 receiver."
Ginn was drafted ahead of players like Patrick Willis, Marshawn Lynch, Darelle Revis and Anthony Gonzalez for his ability to return kicks.
So don't get mad at him because he can't catch the damn ball.
First Published: Sep 28, 2009 2:08 PM EDT
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