The Dolphins gave Ernest Wilford $6 million in guaranteed money last year, and he proceeded to appear in only seven games and was a complete and utter bust. So it was pretty cool to see him score the only TD of the night Monday when The Robot Chad Henne hit him on a 33-yard scamper to pay dirt. We all scoffed when it was announced that Wilford would be converting to tight end this off-season. But it may have just worked.As strange of a transition as it might sound, the Dolphins do have some precedence when it comes to getting creative with their players. Last year, Matt Roth underwent the equivalent transition on the on the other side of the ball, moving from defensive end to strong-side linebacker. Roth became an effective starter at the new position.
In June, when Wilford began making the move during offseason activities, Sparano started noticing him holding onto all of the passes thrown his way. The more passes he caught, the more opportunities he began to get.
``I don't want to say anything changed,'' Wilford said. ``But when you continue to try to make plays, play after play, the confidence is going to keep rising. I'm just glad I had the opportunity to make plays. Hopefully, that will continue.''
Matt Roth converted himself from a defensive end to a pretty nasty linebacker. Now Ernest Wilford is converting himself from a wide receiver to a touchdown scoring tight end. I once converted a Sprite can to a bong. So I think it's safe to say that I can totally relate to the challenges world class athletes like Roth and Wilford face.
