Ex-Dolphin sees 'different team'

Ethan J. Skolnick | Sports columnist

7:52 PM EDT, October 5, 2008

L.J. Shelton watched his old team from the Chargers' side Sunday and saw a "different team" than the one he played for last season. More confident. More resilient.

"Obviously, credit goes to that coaching staff too," said Shelton, a Dolphins starting offensive lineman in 2007. "They're doing things in a completely different way than we did last year."

The overlooked part? This new Dolphins regime is not doing it with completely different players.

"They could have come in and said we're changing everything," holdover safety Renaldo Hill said.

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It would have been impossible to change the entire roster in one offseason. So the regime tweaked the roles of many inherited guys.

It found fits.

It moved Joey Porter to his more comfortable side. He harassed the quarterback again Sunday. It turned the middle linebacker spot over to Channing Crowder, and he has made more impact plays in four games than in the previous three seasons. It showed some confidence in David Martin, and Sunday he held on for a spectacular grab. It moved Matt Roth from defensive end to outside linebacker, and Sunday he had a sack, a pressure and three tackles for losses. It rewarded the sure-handed Greg Camarillo with more responsibility. Sunday? Six catches, one touchdown.

"They utilize Greg well," Vincent Jackson said of his former Chargers teammate. "He's very crafty."

So is this regime.