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Posted on Monday, 09.07.09

DOLPHINS

Miami Dolphins TE David Martin on injury reserve

Tight end David Martin was placed on injury reserve after being hampered by knee problems, and the Dolphins added rookie Davon Drew.

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BY DAVID J. NEAL

dneal@MiamiHerald.com

The Dolphins still have four tight ends on the roster. But now they have only one with significant NFL playing experience.

After putting David Martin and his eight seasons of NFL experience on an injury reserve Sunday, the Dolphins claimed 6-4, 256-pound rookie tight end Davon Drew, a fifth-round draft pick who was waived by the Baltimore Ravens.

That leaves starter Anthony Fasano, a player of 48 NFL games and starter of 27, as the only tight end with more than a smidge of NFL game experience. Joey Haynos' seven games last year put him seven games up on rookies Drew and John Nalbone. And Drew hasn't been in camp, so he is unlikely to be up to speed by Sunday's season opener in Atlanta.

A KEY POSITION

The Dolphins usually run their offense out of single-tight-end sets -- a breakdown of three consecutive November 2008 games found fewer than 10 plays out of a double-tight-end formation -- but they don't hesitate to throw to the tight end.

Fasano, Martin and Haynos combined for 962 yards in 2008, the season high for the position in Dolphins history (and only 22 of those yards belonged to Haynos). Among the wide receivers and tight ends, Martin's 14.5 yards per catch were No. 1, and Fasano's 13.4 yards per catch were No. 3.

``Next to quarterback, the tight end is the hardest position to learn in the offense,'' quarterback Chad Pennington said Saturday. ``They're involved in every play.''

Martin, 30, got the waived/injured release four months after having the sports-hernia surgery that held him out of several offseason workouts and after fighting through knee problems during training camp. Over the past two seasons, Martin had missed several practices, but only one game, with various injuries. The first six years of his career, in Green Bay, Martin had averaged missing 4.3 games per season.

With the Dolphins, Martin caught 65 passes for five touchdowns and averaged 11.6 yards per catch. Last season, he lost his starting job to Fasano, whom Dolphins football czar Bill Parcells, general manager Jeff Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano knew from Fasano's two seasons in Dallas.

The 6-4, 265-pound Martin was going into the last year of a contract paying him $745,000 this season.

Drew, out of East Carolina, had an ankle injury during Ravens training camp. Once the Ravens brought in veteran L.J. Smith to back up longtime starter Todd Heap, Drew had to beat out Edgar Jones, a converted linebacker who plays mainly on special teams, for a roster spot.

MORE NEW NAMES

The Dolphins also stocked their practice squad with cornerback Will Billingsley; defensive lineman Ryan Baker; offensive linemen Nate Garner and Mark Lewis; wide receivers James Robinson and Julius Pruitt; and linebacker J.D. Folsom.

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