Taylor dinged

Jason Taylor was on crutches with a boot on his foot on Monday, but the defensive end told the Miami Herald his foot was just "nicked" and that he anticipates playing in Week 16 against the Patriots. The Dolphins will need a heckuva lot more than just Taylor if they are to even keep the score respectable against the Pats this weekend.

Chatman should be fine

Cam Cameron didn't shed any light on the condition of running back Jesse Chatman's injured ankle on Monday, but the Palm Beach Post reports that Chatman is expected to play in Week 14 against the Bills. Chatman wouldn't be a bad play against a mediocre Bills defense under normal circumstances, but he has been unable to finish the last three games because of ankle and neck injuries, which makes him a risky fantasy option in Week 14. We'll find out more about his status when the Dolphins return to practice on Wednesday.

NFL to rule on Williams soon

The Dolphins are expecting a ruling on the status of suspended running back Ricky Williams as soon as Wednesday, reports the Miami Herald. Even if Williams is reinstated by commissioner Roger Goodell, the Herald speculates that the team would not activate him this season. The Dolphins obviously still own Williams' rights, but it's believed they don't have a desire to let him re-join the team and create a distraction to the team so late in the season. Fantasy owners shouldn't be too concerned with Williams, who faces an uphill battle just for reinstatement, let alone getting into playing shape and back on the field with the Dolphins.

Future arrives with Beck

Rookie John Beck will make his NFL debut for the Dolphins as the starting quarterback on Sunday. Two sources told the Miami Herald Beck will get the nod over Cleo Lemon in a move that is expected to be made official later on Wednesday. The future is now for the Dolphins. Beck has reportedly been less than impressive in practice, but they have little reason not to throw Beck into the fire and see how he reacts. Needless to say, he should not be anywhere near your fantasy lineup.

Beck's time coming?

After falling to 0-8 with a loss to the Giants, the Dolphins will analyze their quarterback situation during the team's Week 9 bye. "We're all being evaluated and that will be something that wouldn't be any different than any other position," coach Cam Cameron told the Miami Herald when asked about a possible switch to rookie John Beck. "We're going to evaluate all our positions." Cleo Lemon has been nothing short of mediocre in his three starts since taking over for an injured Trent Green, and the team clearly has nothing to lose by inserting Beck, a second-round draft pick, to see if he has the potential to be their quarterback of the future. No matter what happens, Miami remains a fantasy wasteland.

Green placed on IR

The Dolphins placed quarterback Trent Green on injured reserve on Saturday. He suffered a severe concussion in Week 5. "At this point, this is the best thing for Trent and the team," coach Cam Cameron says in a statement released to the AP. "The doctors have prescribed rest for now. No long-term decisions regarding Trent's future have been made." It's very clear at this point that the Dolphins are all about the future, and Green is not a part of their long-term plans. Cleo Lemon is currently the starting quarterback, but we wouldn't be surprised if John Beck took over before the end of the season.

Thomas plans to play through sore toe

Zach Thomas is nursing a toe injury that has him listed as questionable for Sunday's game. However, he said he expects to play, according to the Miami Herald. The Dolphins will need as much help as possible as they face the juggernaut Pats in Week 7.

Secondary switcheroo executed

The Dolphins have moved converted safety Travis Daniels back to cornerback and will try second-year pro Jason Allen at safety, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In a further shakeup to the secondary, the team cut Lamont Thompson and declared that Donovin Darius is healthy and fit enough to start at safety in Week 6. Daniels started the year at corner, his natural position, but was switched to safety after getting burned several times in the season opener and because starting safety Yeremiah Bell was lost to a season-ending injury. Clearly, the experiment did not work, so Daniels will return to corner. Allen, last year's first-round draft pick, has been a colossal bust and must do something to turn his rapidly deflating career around. Despite their issues in the secondary, the Fish rank third in the NFL in allowing just 171.6 passing yards per game; however, that is primarily a function of the fact that they also rank 31st versus the run, surrendering a whopping 174.2 rushing yards per tilt.

Green taken off on stretcher

Quarterback Trent Green tried to throw a block for receiver Ted Ginn, and took a knee to the side of the head. Green was strapped to a stretcher and taken off the field. Cleo Lemon replaced Green at quarterback. Green is certainly done for today's game, and maybe more. The impact of the hit caused Green to lay motionless on the field for a few minutes before he was strapped to a back board.

Thomas active

Linebacker Zach Thomas is active for Week 5 after missing two games due to a concussion. Miami's run defense was bad with Thomas, but horrible without him. This knocks Ron Dayne's status down a peg or two.

Thomas a game-time decision Sunday

Zach Thomas took part in Friday's practice. However, it was a non-contact session, so his status for Sunday is uncertain, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Thomas is recovering from a concussion, and a decision on his availability for Sunday's game will be made just before it starts.

Thomas awaits medical clearance

Zach Thomas has been limited at practice for two days as he tries to come back from a concussion suffered in Week 2. According to the Miami Herald, Thomas wants to play against the Raiders on Sunday, but he doesn't know if team doctors will give him clearance. "I want to play," he said. "It's going to be a medical decision, not my choice. I've got to be cautious and go with what they say." A reeling Dolphins defense desperately needs Thomas back on the field. Big-money free agent Joey Porter has been a non-factor, Thomas has been hurt, and Jason Taylor hasn't played up to par. A defense that ranks 29th in the NFL against the run must figure something out to stop LaMont Jordan and the Raiders on Sunday.

Martin limited

Tight end David Martin was limited in practice on Wednesday due to an injured toe. It's unclear how serious this issue is, but the fact that Martin was able to take part in practice on a limited basis is a good sign that his injured digit won't affect his status for Week 4's dust-up with the Raiders. Martin has gradually been getting more involved in the Dolphins' offense, but is not worth a starting spot on fantasy rosters at this time.

Porter guarantees victory

Linebacker Joey Porter brashly guaranteed a win this week when the 0-3 Dolphins take on the 1-2 Raiders. "We're forced into a situation [where] our backs are against the wall," Porter told the South Florida Sun-Sentinenl. "This is a must win for us. Write it how you want to write it. We will win on Sunday." It's likely up to Porter and an aging Dolphins defense that has been horrible through the first three games of the season. Trent Green has led the Fish to an average of 20 points per game, so if Porter puts his money where his mouth is the Dolphins might manage to squeak out a victory over the fearsome Raiders.

Thomas returns to practice

Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas practiced on a limited basis Wednesday for the first time in over a week, according to the team's website. He missed last week's game with a concussion. "It's about the medical people just making sure that (the concussion) had run its course and they felt awfully good about things so far," head coach Cam Cameron said. "They wouldn't put him out there in pads ready to practice and going through a significant amount of practice if they didn't feel good about it. We're just going to stay with that classification as limited all the way up to almost game time." Thomas is obviously a key part of the Miami defense, so getting him back will make things a bit tougher on the Raiders this weekend.

Chambers to make plea deal

Chris Chambers will plead guilty to a speeding charge stemming from his arrest in July, but will be able to avoid charges of driving while impaired and reckless driving. According to the Miami Herald, Chambers will not have to attend a hearing scheduled for Wednesday and will face fines and court costs. Prosecutors reportedly determined there wasn't enough evidence to pursue the more serious charges, noting that his blood alcohol level was below the legal limit and he passed all but one of the field sobriety tests before being arrested for refusing a breathalyzer test. This issue should not have any further affect on Chambers.

Thomas to miss game with concussion

The Dolphins will not have Zach Thomas in the mix for Sunday's game due to a concussion. "They say defining the severity [of the concussion] can be difficult at times," coach Cam Cameron told the Miami Herald. It will be going day-to-day. They brought back the MRI, and they didn't see anything on that. But they'll do further testing." We'll have to wait and see how he feels next week before considering his status for Week 4, but obviously the NFL is stressing caution for players dealing with concussions.

Chambers has strained calf

Chris Chambers is nursing a calf injury he suffered "about a week ago," according to the Dolphins official website. He has been deemed day-to-day and was not listed on Thursday's official injury report. Considering his absence from the injury report, this doesn't sound like anything to worry about.

Headaches likely to sideline Thomas

Zach Thomas hasn't suffered all week due to a series of migraine headaches, and the linebacker's status for Sunday's matchup with the Jets is in question. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Thomas felt lightheaded after the Week 2 loss to the Cowboys and visited a neurologist on Thursday to determine if he suffered a concussion. "Obviously, we're going to be smart as we would be with anyone," coach Cam Cameron said. "He didn't miss a play in the game, never lost conciousness, but there was something that he didn't feel right about after the game. Thomas, who pondered retirement during the offseason, is almost certainly out for Week 3. IDP leaguers take note, and those who employ Thomas Jones might catch a break with the stud linebacker out of action.

Brown to get more carries?

Ronnie Brown has received just 11 carries in each of the Dolphins first two games, but that could change on Sunday against the Jets. "You always want to run the ball better," coach Cam Cameron told the Miami Herald. "Give a choice against certain defenses, you'd like to run the ball more, but falling behind really contributed to [Brown's lack of carries]… We need to run the ball better, and I think it's very obvious. It's no fault of anybody. It's the way the [first] two games have played out." Conveniently, Brown had two of his best games last year against the Jets (40 carries, 237 yards, one touchdown in two matchups), so this could be the week he finally gets off the schneid.