September 9th, 2010 by Ethan J. Skolnick

Feed the wolf?

No, this should be the Dolphins’ slogan:

Don’t get hurt.

Here are a few names:

Matt Roth. Justin Smiley. Will Allen. Greg Camarillo. Jake Grove.

What do they have in common?

All are solid NFL players when healthy.

What else do they have in common?

All had health setbacks. And now all are gone — or, in Allen’s case, on injured reserve against his wishes, though that will be remedied soon enough.

...

Allen believed that he could play in the third game against the Jets and, if really pushed, the second game against the Vikings. The Dolphins have issues at cornerback. They put him on IR. And, as I’ve written, they’re against giving him an injury settlement, because of the concern that he will sign with another team — perhaps even New England in time for the game in Week 4. But, according to the players’ association, the Dolphins ultimately will have no choice, ...

Roth claimed he had a groin injury last training camp, a claim he repeated to me when I visited Cleveland early last month: “I played on a torn groin for two years, you know. I played throughout a whole season and went through a whole camp. You know, it was torn. There was nothing to dispute it. It just wasn’t ready to go last year’s camp.” The team didn’t believe it was serious enough for him to sit.

...

You know what Browns coach Eric Mangini keeps saying he likes best about Roth? His toughness.

Camarillo was traded to the Vikings, after having some lower leg setbacks that caused him to miss some practice time.

Smiley believed that his shoulder was responding after it wore down last season, and that he could make it through another season. The team rated him an A-minus for his pass blocking in 2009, and wanted him to work on his run blocking, but mostly didn’t want to deal with the maintenance. Someone in the building put out a story, through some media members, that Smiley couldn’t even lift a weight and probably wouldn’t pass a physical. After his trade to Jacksonville, he passed a physical. He enters the season as a Jacksonville starter.

And while in stay-away-from-the-facility limbo, Smiley predicted that Jake Grove would be next.

Now Grove’s gone, too. Yes, he’s proven to be injury-prone. He’s missed some time.

But this regime knew that when it signed him.

Just as it knew that Smiley had issues with his shoulder.

So, here’s the message to Dolphins players:

If you’re on the injury report, get off it. Get back on the field. Or we’ll get you out of here.

Channing Crowder, among others, better be taking heed.