By Steve Sheiner
July 23, 2009 4:01pm CDT

When I hear that name Ted Ginn, one word always springs to mind: REACH. For some reason that will probably always be unknown to you and I, the Dolphins decide to take Ginn with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft instead of Brady Quinn. Quarterback was a major need at the time and all the local media outlets were reporting how thrilled the team would be if Quinn fell to them at nine. And sure enough, he was there for the taking. But Cam Cameron and his brain trust decided to go with Ginn, the 5'11", 185 lb. kick returner/wide receiver out of Ohio State. It was one of the biggest surprises of any draft in recent history and still boggles the mind to this day.

With his diminutive stature and all-world speed, it's hard to imagine Ginn as anything more than a slot receiver and kick returner. The reviews out of OTAs were mixed, citing both the areas in which he's shown improvement as well as those in which he continues to struggle. But he's entering that magical third season where receivers are known to either break out or bust. In his first two seasons Ginn has 90 receptions for 1,210 yards and four total touchdowns. It's pretty hard to justify using such a high pick for that level of production. And it's make or break time for Ginn. Miami used two of their first five picks in this year's draft on receivers. Clearly the team feels the position needs upgrading. While Ginn may be one of the starters this season, his future may be in jeopardy if he doesn't take the next step in 2009.


NFL CAREER

Year	Games	Games Started	Receptions	Yards	YPC	TDs
2007	16	9	34	420	12.4	2
2008	16	14	56	790	14.1	2

TEAM SCENARIO

The Dolphins had one of the most improbable turnarounds in NFL history last season, recording an 11-5 record and a division title just one year removed from an abysmal 1-15 season. They were the beneficiaries of a very kind schedule in '08, one they will not be so fortunate to have in 2009. In fact, the Dolphins will face the toughest schedule of any team in the coming year. The AFC East is a very tough one, and it received an influx of talent this offseason, both offensively and defensively.

Chad Pennington, fresh off his Comeback Player of the Year award, will lead the offense once again. He'll be backed up by youngster Chad Henne and rookie Pat White. Pennington finished second in the NFL with a 97.4 passer rating last season, completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Henne is the heir apparent, but keep an eye on White. He should make an impact as the Dolphins continue to utilize the Wildcat formation.

Ronnie Brown is now fully recovered from ACL surgery and is expected to be the lead back. Ricky Williams has spent his offseason studying hard, but it's not been football that's been the subject of his attention, but rather massage therapy as he prepares for his post-football career. Brown and Williams combined for 1,575 yards and 14 TDs (10 for Ronnie, four for Ricky). Brown is reportedly in the best shape of his career and is heading into a contract year so he'll have plenty of motivation to play well. Williams is 32 years old and is no longer the explosive player he once was. He'll still contribute, but he's no longer a fantasy target in any but the deepest leagues.

Ginn will likely start opposite Davone Bess, who has also been receiving rave reviews this offseason. Though he's only slightly bigger than Ginn, Bess seems more likely to develop into a true No. 1 receiver for the Dolphins. Greg Camarillo returns from a knee injury to rejoin the team and will fight for a return to the starting lineup. My prediction would be to see more of Ginn playing out of the slot to get the ball in his hands and use his speed in open space. Bess, however, did rack up 54 receptions for 554 yards last season, and most out of that came from playing the slot. Rookie Patrick Turner has been turning heads this offseason and at 6'5", he could be involved in red zone packages.

Anthony Fasano is the starting tight end, and he looks to build on his '08 season in which he caught 34 balls for 454 yards and seven touchdowns. David Martin, Joey Haynos, and John Nalbone will all fight for playing time behind Fasano. Receiver Ernest Wilford will attempt to cling to a roster spot by transitioning to tight end. Hopefully he blocks better than he runs routes and catches passes. Miami loves to utilize the tight end, so Fasano could be a nice sleeper this season. Dolphins' tight ends caught 67 passes for 926 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

The defense welcomes back Jason Taylor, who will be more of a pass rush specialist at OLB. He'll back up Joey Porter, who's coming off a Pro Bowl season with a career-high 17.5 sacks. The LB core is a deep as the Dolphins have had in years and the secondary received an influx of talent and youth via free agency (Gibril Wilson) and the draft (Vontae Davis and Sean Smith). The Dolphins did surrender 100 or more rushing yards in nine games a year ago, so the D-Line needs to step up this season. However, it wouldn't be a surprise to see this unit as a whole return to upper echelon and surprise a lot of teams in the coming year.


2009 UPSIDE

Sparano called Ginn one of the Dolphins' most improved players this offseason. "Ted Ginn is in the top two. I've seen in some situations him be pretty dominant. The offense has started to slow down for him. I really have seen him be, in some situations, pretty dominant. You can see his confidence really is at a high level right now. He's running better, playing a little bit stronger and really understands what's going on around him." Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland called Ginn a candidate to break out this season, saying he looks like "a different player" in spring practice. And while much of this may just be offseason coach-speak, it's always good to hear praise from coaches. Ginn has the speed to excel in space, the talent to be the team's primary weapon, and the supporting cast to have a breakout year in 2009.


2009 DOWNSIDE

The Dolphins would reportedly like to see Ginn show improvement in knowledge of coverage so he can play faster and improve on his run after the catch numbers. Sparano wants to see Ginn fight for more yards and not run out of bounds too early. His size has proven to be a hindrance at the line of scrimmage, as he struggled to get off press coverage often last season. Ginn also struggled with drops last season. His route running needs improvement and he's got plenty of competition among a deep core of young receivers. His speed gives him an advantage, but he can outrun any ball Pennington can throw, limiting his use downfield.


OVERALL FANTASY IMPACT

The pressure is on for Ginn this season. Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland is calling on him to take a major step forward in 2009. "Teddy is going into his third year and I think it's time for him to really show what he was drafted here to do," Ireland said. As the ninth overall pick, his production to date has been disappointing to say the least. Looking at his division, their schedule, and his performance to date, it's tough to consider Ginn anything more than a third wide receiver for your fantasy squad. While the third year can be a breakout for many young receivers, the stars just don't seem like they're going to line up that way for Ginn. Take him with caution and expect many weeks of boom or bust.