Cameron already feeling Miami Heat
A midday, midweek workout is just under way, and the Miami Dolphins are practicing punting. The snap is waist high, the blocking is solid and a booming kick sails all the way to the goal line.
Cam Cameron stands off to the side and applauds, eager to commend his team for doing something right.
The Dolphins have punted poorly this season, and that's the least of their problems. Miami is tied for the league's worst record at 0-5, extending a two-year losing streak to eight games, which matches the longest in franchise history.
And Cameron is still seeking his first win as an NFL head coach. He'll try again Sunday when Miami plays at Cleveland.
"We've got to do things better, plain and simple," Cameron said. "I offer no excuses."
He could cite injuries and the lousy luck that always hounds bad teams. Or he could offer an even better alibi: The roster he inherited this year from Nick Saban was short on talent.
A decade of bad drafts has left the Dolphins in need of upgrades at almost every position. They've missed the playoffs the last five years, matching a franchise record, and there's no sign of a turnaround.
Cameron declines to blame previous regimes, but general manager Randy Mueller, who is in charge of Miami's personnel for the first time, discussed the need for roster repairs in his column in this week's Dolphin Digest magazine.
"There is no shortcut to retooling or reshuffling a roster that has been in the state that this one has been in," Mueller wrote. "You could make the case that this should have been done a few years ago, but it wasn't, so this is the hand we have to play. It's going to take a little time, and we all knew that going in."
Still, Miami's miserable start has reinforced skepticism regarding whether Cameron is up to the job. He's 18-42 as a head coach, including five years at Indiana.
He landed the Dolphins job following a successful stint as offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers. Mentors Marty Schottenheimer and Bobby Knight sing his praises, as do his former players.
"I think Cam has the intangibles as a coach to get his players to play for him," Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "I think he just needs the right personnel that he can work with. Then, he'll be able to get it done."
Green encouraged by tests: Miami Dolphins quarterback Trent Green returned to South Florida after undergoing tests in Kansas City for a severe concussion, his second in 13 months.
Green was encouraged and feels good, coach Cam Cameron said Thursday, but the Dolphins are awaiting additional results from specialists.
"We just need to let some time go by here," Cameron said. "They recommended some rest. They just all want to let the thing settle down and make sure we know what all took place."
The 37-year-old Green was knocked unconscious with a Grade III concussion, the most severe, in Sunday's loss at Houston. He's out indefinitely, and it's uncertain whether he'll play again.