Camp Countdown: Tight Ends

Training Camp 2009 is scheduled to begin with the first practice in the afternoon of Aug. 2, and it figures to be an intriguing summer for the Dolphins. We take a look at the Dolphins heading into camp by breaking down the team by position with an analysis of the biggest issue at each spot and a projection of the roster battles. This installment looks at the tight ends.

TIGHT ENDS

On the roster: Anthony Fasano, David Martin, Joey Haynos, John Nalbone, Jared Bronson

Number likely to be kept: 3

On the 2008 opening-day roster: Anthony Fasano, David Martin, Sean Ryan

The big training camp question: Will David Martin recover quickly enough from his sports hernia injury to be able to get himself ready for the start of the regular season?

Analysis: The Dolphins got great production from this position last year — you might even call it surprising production. Fasano was the best of the bunch as he finished with seven touchdowns, but David Martin also contributed and Joey Haynos added a late-season touchdown against San Francisco. If Martin can recover from his injury, the Dolphins again should be solid at tight end, but there's some concern about the severity of the injury. The Dolphins picked John Nalbone from Monmouth in the fifth round of the draft, but he didn't look good in the OTA practices that were open to the media. The key here, though, obviously is Fasano and whether he can build on what he did last season.

Who will make the team: Fasano, Martin, Haynos