Here's Bess' answer when asked what it is about Sparano that "inspires" the Dolphins:

"He just means business, you know?  When you're a head coach, you've got to be somebody your players can respect.  You can't just be a pushover.  He's has respect from every single player.  And it's a trickle-down effect from (Bill) Parcells and it comes on down to Coach Sparano, and from Sparano to the other coaches.  That's what the ultimate goal is, getting all the players to buy into what the coaches are talking about and to believe in them.  After that, it's just going and applying it to the field and making it work." 

The rapidly improving Miami Dolphins receiver is in Hawaii this weekend with his agent, Kenny Zuckerman, chilling out a bit with the start of training camp almost three weeks away.

Also, had this update on Randy Starks and his upcoming arraignment on Sun Sentinel.com. The wheels of justice sure move slowly, don't they? Are you concerned about the potential distraction this could still be for Starks and the team?  

Be sure to check out Omar's fine feature story on Paul Soliai and his battle of the bulge, something most of us can relate to on some level.

Finally, look for the latest installment of Ask Mike! on the Dolphins page here at Sun Sentinel.com by noon or so. Getting tons of questions, which we greatly appreciate. We'll get most of them answered eventually as I prepare to start a two-week vacation on Monday.

And, as always, you can follow me on Twitter.

At that point productivity is the only currency that counts. Paul Soliai, and a number of Dolphins, have reached that landmark in their NFL careers.

The Dolphins' coaches see some promise in Soliai, the former fourth-round pick. But if he doesn't start maximizing on his physical ability, accompanying it with what coach Tony Sparano desires, which is some "professionalism," the overweight nose tackle will find himself churned soon.

During next month's training camp the Dolphins are hoping Soliai, the last Samoan standing, will prove he's more than just another fat guy. The offensive linemen claim he's the most difficult defender to move, but will he improve his work ethic enough to prove he deserves to spend another season as Jason Ferguson's understudy, and can potentially serve as Ferguson's replacement.

Here's a look at a couple more Dolphins who are entering a poop or get off the pot season.

CB Jason Allen - This former first-round pick has finally run out of excuses. Superior athletic ability has taken him this far. It's now time for Allen, who has collectively spent an entire year at cornerback, to master the technique and assignments needed to become a reliable member of the secondary. Allen was decent when called on to serve as the nickel cornerback last season (just omit his lackluster performance against Randy Moss in the second Patriots game), but then he broke his hand and never resurfaced. He's presently playing behind the two rookie cornerbacks.

DE Phillip Merling - The former Clemson standout is presently penciled into the starting defensive end spot created by Vonnie Holliday's release this offseason. But does the 2008 second-round pick deserve it? His stats from last season certainly don't say so. The Dolphins are banking on the belief an elevated role for Merling will produce and elevated level of production. Merling's showing during training camp, and the exhibition season must be good enough to keep Randy Starks, one of last year's most productive players per snap, as a reserve.

CB Nate Jones - Jones was overlooked for much of last season, but when he was finally called on to serve as the nickel cornerback the former Cowboy excelled, contributing the bulk of his 23 tackles, three sacks and one interception in the final six games. Considering the Dolphins' stable of cornerbacks has gotten much younger, and more athletic through the addition of Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, Jones must prove he can still fill a role on the team to land the final cornerback spot.

WR Anthony Armstrong - The practice squad is designed to help young players develop so they can eventually contribute as a member of an NFL team's 53-man roster. Based on the buzz this Arena Football League veteran has created this offseason, the team's second fastest receiver might be at that point. If he continues to contribute in a way that can't be overlooked by the coaches (and finds a special teams role) Armstrong might get the promotion he seeks. He's presently pushing Brandon London for that final receiver spot.

Which of these five players do you think the Dolphins will be able to count on the most in 2009? And who are you pulling for?

Ireland hit on several topics in a brief conversation by the No. 8 green, but he refused to bite when I raised one of the strangest Dolphins rumors to circulate in recent weeks:

Later, asked his response to former NFL coach Denny Green's recent prediction that Michael Vick would end up with the Dolphins, Ireland just smiled during his round at the Blue Monster.

“No comment on that,” he said. “That’s not my deal.”

That apparently was an allusion to the fact Green credited the “creativity” of Dolphins football operations czar Bill Parcells as his primary reason for predicting the recently paroled quarterback would land in South Florida.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is already on record saying he believes Vick deserves a second chance to play in the NFL, but that’s a long way from actually signing him and adding Vick to an already crowded quarterback mix.

OK, as the great, fictitious Linda Richman would say, talk amongst yourselves ...

But of all the talented tight ends under contract to the Miami Dolphins, Fasano is the one who seems best-positioned to make the leap to the upper echelon at his position.

He more than doubled his previous career high for receptions in a season with 34 last year. His seven TD catches were the most on the AFC East champions, and that total matched the franchise mark of Keith Jackson (1994) for most by a tight end.

So as Fasano, 25, enters the final year of a contract that will pay him $535,000 this season, it's a little surprising to hear through an NFL source that no talks regarding an extension have taken place.

The Dolphins haven't approached Fasano's people, and Fasano's people haven't broached the subject on their end. Apparently, both sides are content with seeing how this year works out.

It's a calculated risk on both sides, of course. If 2010 is played as an uncapped year, as is looking more and more possible, Fasano would have to wait another year beyond this season to reach free agency. From the Dolphins' perspective, should a new labor agreement be forged in time to keep the salary cap in place for 2010, Fasano could get really expensive should he build on his breakthrough year.

Texans tight end Owen Daniels, entering his fourth year out of Wisconsin, reportedly has his eye on becoming the game's highest-paid at his position. He plans to play out his contract this season and hit the open market next spring, at which point he will take aim on the $6.9 million annual average Dallas Clark pulls down with the Colts.

Daniels, mind you, has seen his catch total increase from 34 to 63 to 70 in his three NFL seasons. However, he has yet to exceed five TD catches in a single year. His three-year total is just three more than the seven Fasano pulled down last year.

A report in the Houston Chronicle last month said the Texans had already offered Daniels a contract that would have made him the game's second-highest paid tight end, which would have put him somewhere between Clark's deal and the $6.5 million average for Kellen Winslow with the Bucs.

Profootballtalk.com said the offer was more like No. 4 among tight ends, which would have put Daniels somewhere between Tony Gonzalez ($6.25M) and Daniel Graham ($6.0M).

According to PFT.com, the remainder of the top eight at the position are Jeremy Shockey ($5.1M), Chris Cooley ($4.8M), Jason Witten ($4.6M) and Antonio Gates ($4.4M). 

Obviously, Fasano isn't in their company yet. But after the improvement he showed late last season -- with five of his 11 catches in the final four games of the regular season going for scores -- it wouldn't surprise anyone if he went out and pulled down 50-plus balls in 2009. 

Question is, what would happen then? Would Fasano be too expensive to retain on the open market as a restricted free agent? Or would the Trifecta, having already drafted him in Dallas and traded for him in Miami, find a way to keep an emerging young target?  

If we can't be sure the person we're "following" is really that person, how soon before fans lose interest in that part of the phenomenon? And, if it's this easy for idiots like the La Russa parodist and the Davone Bess imitator "Lambo_Weezy" to libel someone or spew filth and ridiculous/offensive statements while taking on that persona, how long before athletes and stars distance themselves from the medium?

A pretend match race with Chris Johnson of the Titans is one thing. It's quite another when a fraud is inviting clueless young women to meet him at certain nightclubs while impersonating an NFL receiver.

Speaking of which, Kenny Zuckerman, the agent for Bess (pictured), told me in an email he "[does] not foresee any lawsuit with Twitter or L_Sleazy." It's not just the La Russa outcome, it seems, but the fact such an action "is not really Davone's style," Zuckerman wrote.

Of course it isn't. Davone Bess is a humble, hard-working, fast-rising member of the Dolphins' underrated receiving corps. He isn't a diva receiva', and he would never be caught saying the things his impersonator did online in his name.

For now, however, it seems there's little he (or any other famous or semifamous person) can do to stop the next whack job from dragging his name through the cyber-mud via Twitter, 140 characters at a time. Which is strange considering the general blogosphere has become fertile ground for lawyers seeking damages for their dissed clients.

It will be up to us, the followers, to root out such frauds as quickly as possible. (And kudos to Matt Infante of www.phinsider.com for being the first to expose Lambo_Weezy as a fake Bess.)

Do you agree? Or am I taking this all too seriously? 

I doubt it. Just the same, though, I still invite you to, uh, follow me on Twitter.com/MikeBerardino.  

You know the old saying: If you can't sue 'em, co-exist with 'em.

Yet the Miami Dolphins coach doesn't fare as well as you might assume in this ranking of the 32 active coaches in terms in relative job security.

I know, I know, it's only one man's opinion.

But a lot of people look at Scout.com, so it's got to be a little annoying for Sparano loyalists and Dolfans in general to see their man come in behind the likes of Mike Smith (again!), Jim Schwartz (the Lions, for crissakes!) and Andy Reid, who, for his gaudy winning percentage, seems to come up short of expectations every year.

Sparano, in fact, is in the "No Worries" group, but he's there along with four first-year head coaches and Reid.

At least this ranking gaves Sparano a little more perceived job security than Rex Ryan, but it was only two spots' worth. TWO SPOTS! For a guy who'd better win fast or he just might talk his way right out of New York.  

Where would you put Coach T on this list?

So sharp he's one of the NFL's most accurate quarterbacks of all-time, completing 66 percent of his passes his entire career.

Without a doubt Pennington has the team's confidence based on what he achieved last season as a leader, and the success he brought as the starting quarterback.

But how far can Pennington REALLY take the Miami Dolphins?

Can this 33-year-old lead the Dolphins to another playoff appearance, and possible take his squad a round deeper? Could this team get to the Super Bowl with the two-time Comeback Player of the Year pulling the trigger?

That's the question management must decide this season before determining if Pennington's stay should be extended (G.M. Jeff Ireland said the Trifecta HAS NOT ruled it out), or whether it's time to hand over the keys to the other Chad.

Will Pennington trump the 3,653 yards and 19 touchdowns he passed for last season, and continue to limit his turnovers (seven interceptions last year), which made the Dolphins an extremely efficient offense in 2008?

Could he possibly take this offense, which received an infusion of new weaponry and a better O-line this offseason, to another level, helping the unit blossom?

Or will he stumble out of the gate, prompting the fan base to start calling for Chad Henne, his understudy with the superior arm, but inferior understanding of the team's offense?

Will Pennington stay healthy enough to play all 16 games in his 10th season? He's only managed that feat twice in his career. And as we all know, he's not getting any younger.

Throughout his career Pennington's consistently been better than average, but has regularly fallen short of getting to that next level, much like his deep throws. Who out there isn't wondering if that trend will continue?

Had a number of enlightening chats with members of this 256-player draft class -- not all 256, mind you, but a number of them. Look for that material to be doled out on this blog throughout the course of July as we work our way up to Aug. 1 and the start of training camp.

In the meantime, Vontae Davis comes to these classes with a unique perspective after his strange week in the wrong kind of spotlight. Also, third-rounder Patrick Turner (pictured), the big WR out of USC, has come to terms on a four-year deal. See what his former QB, Mark Sanchez of the Jets, had to say about him today.

With Turner in the fold and fifth-rounder Chris Clemons, the speedy safety out of Clemson, on the verge of signing -- as reported here last Friday -- the Dolphins are steadily working their way up the draft list. Talked with seventh-rounder J.D. Folsom, the ex-Weber State LB, but he said his agent and the Dolphins are still talking.

Wouldn't be surprised if he signed soon considering all the activity in that round.

I usually only have time to monitor what's being discussed on this web address. And considering I'm suppose to be on vacation I'm REALLY not paying attention to what's being discussed by the diehard Dolphins fans. But when a message board threat that featured me definitely saying Wake, a former CFL standout, wasn't going to make the team was brought to my attention, it was REALLY disturbing.

For one, I didn't say that!

What I DID say is the Dolphins will likely keep eight linebackers, five of them outside linebackers on the 53-man roster. And I DID say Wake will be in a VERY competitive battle with Charlie Anderson, Erik Walden, Tearrius George, and Quentin Moses for one of the final two outside linebacker spots in that unit.

In my follow up chat last week I admitted Wake didn't really flash to me during rookie minicamp, OTAs and the team's minicamp. For the record, it wasn't just me in the media contingent who sparingly noticed Wake, the ex-CFLer, who is trying to make a tremendous leap from the minors to the majors. But keep in mind I also admitted it's nearly impossible to evaluate that position considering it's one that's very dependent on contact, which hadn't taken place thus far.

My point was, and still is: Wake has a tough battle heading into training camp, and needs to be a reliable special teams contributor to get one of those final two spots because Anderson and Walden presently are.

While many of you irresponsibly pointed out the financial commitment made to Wake just about guarantees he makes the 53-man roster, I'll point out to you this regime would prefer to take a financial hit than keep an inferior player on a special teams coverage unit.

And exactly why is it some of you think Anderson's a goner if it comes down to him and Wake, and money is a factor (which it's not)?

This regime invested A LOT MORE money in Anderson compared to Wake. Anderson signed a 3-year deal worth $7.35 million in 2008. He received a $2.5 million signing bonus, and is due $1.7 million this season, and $2.2 million in 2010.

And for the record, Anderson, who contributed 27 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles last season as the pass rushing specialist who entered the game in the nickel and dime package (a role that will likely be Jason Taylor's in 2009), is further than Wake in the two-year transition to becoming a 3-4 outside linebacker.

That was the point I was trying to make about the former CFL standout when projecting my roster numbers, and pointing out some of the tougher decisions the Trifecta must make at the end of training camp. All I did was bring the masses the facts so nobody is blindsided.

Based on everything I've heard, and some things I've seen, Wake supposedly has elite athleticism and strength, a good first step, a tremendously long arms.

All those elements should make him a very good athlete. But it doesn't guarantee he'll be a good football player in the NFL. That was the point I was making, and we won't know that until maybe the exhibition season, when his production (and every other linebacker's production) will have to speak for him.

Remember, despite his CFL numbers and success (that league is viewed by NFL people, including Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland, as football below what's played at major division I football conferences) there is no guarantee Wake will make an immediate impact. That's why Taylor was added, to hedge the Trifecta's bets on a serious team need.

Wake should be viewed as nothing more than a 27-year-old rookie for the Dolphins. And one who wasn't drafted. There's no guarantee he'll be an immediate, or future stud. And as I stated in the initial blog, which got twisted around and around, there is also no guarantee he makes the 53-man roster.

That prized spot is something he'll have to earn by dragging down quarterback, or running down field busting up wedges just like two dozen other players on the back end of the Dolphins' roster.

Throughout the course of the season (and the offseason) I usually say a lot of bold things that I back up with facts, stats, analysis and observations. Plenty of it is easy to find, just like this recent interview with me about the Dolphins. Be my guest and critique me on those things all you'd like. But don't pick me apart about something I didn't say.

Deuces.

Players report on Aug 1st, but that's the day they get their weigh in, and conduct their conditioning test, which features a 300- yard timed shuttle. Fail that test, which has a different time designation for each position, and there's usually a price to pay.

Last year offensive tackle Julius Wilson failed it and got cut before sunset. It'll be interesting to see if the Trifecta is willing to make a similar bold statement in year two.

“The offseason is the same thing every year. You get scared. I’m scared of the weigh in and the run test," said Jason Ferguson, who is entering his 13th NFL training camp. "After that, everything’s good because it’s football. Once I get through with the run test and the weigh in, which is what all big guys are scared of, it’s all good. Then when you put the pads on, that’s when you know where we’re at. Who can play, and who can't."

After day one, the action is fast and furious as the team begins with a two-a-day session, practicing at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2nd.

Here's the rest of the schedule for the open practices.

Aug.    3   (Mon.)      2 p.m.

Aug.    4   (Tues.)     9 a.m.                                

Aug.    5  (Wed. )      2 p.m.                                            

Aug.    6   (Thurs.)    9 a.m.  &    5 p.m.       (TWO-A-DAY)

Aug.    7   (Fri.)         2 p.m.                                

Aug.    8   (Sat .)       2 p.m.              

Aug.    9  (Sun.)       PLAYERS OFF    

Aug. 10 (Mon.)    9 a.m.    &     5 p.m.    (TWO-A-DAY)

Aug. 11   (Tues.)     2 p.m.

Aug. 12   (Wed.)     9 a.m.                                                                    

Aug. 13   (Thurs.)    2  p.m.        

Aug.  14   (Fri.)       9 a.m.   &      5 p.m.        (TWO-A-DAY)                       

Aug. 15   (Sat.)        10: 15 a.m.

Aug. 17 (Mon.)   DOLPHINS VS. JAGUARS AT LAND SHARK STADIUM, 7:30 P.M. (EDT), WFOR-TV     

Aug. 18 (Tues.)        PLAYERS OFF

Aug. 19   (Wed.)        9 a.m.   &   5 p.m.  (TWO-A-DAY)  

Aug. 20   Thurs.        9 a.m.  &  5 p.m.    (TWO-A-DAY) 

Here's my advise to those who want to attend.

The first practice is usually the worst because the team's generally not in pads. It's also going to be crowded, which means the chances of you getting something signed by someone good (Joey Porter, Ronnie Brown, Chad Pennington) it's slim. If you can, attend the practices in the week day because there are fewer fans.

A lot of the time the weather throws the team a curve ball, and that curve ball usually beans the fans because the team takes their practices inside, and that means you won't be able to see the action.

That's why it's important to call the practice hot line (954-452-7004) before coming. Sometimes the team will even push up, or back practice time to avoid a rain shower. Put this number in your phone because even I have to check it daily because of how frequently things change.

It's also better to come to the morning sessions (the afternoon sessions usually feature rain.)

Practices before a game are horrible because the team's usually doing run throws, which is boring. But they do provide some indication of the depth chart.

Also, there's one practice that's usually lighter than the other during two-a-days. So if you can, do the morning session because there will likely be more action, and the players will likely dedicate more time to signing stuff when practice is over.

All practices are FREE, and will be held at the team’s Nova Southeastern University training facility in Davie, Fla. Parking is available at the Nova Southeastern University Medical School garage, located near the intersection of University Drive and S.W. 30^th Street, between Griffin Road and I-595.  Access to this garage is off University Drive and S.W. 30^th Street.

Look forward to seeing those who can make it, and if you see me please do speak. At least throw me a Deuces. If you can't make it, don't worry because we'll be blogging and twittering the action every day.

Deuces.