Against Tampa Bay, Sparano needs to see some of the starters a little more than perhaps he would have in the past on both offense and defense because he and his staff have implemented more changes. Starting quarterback Chad Henne entered camp last year as the backup, and now he has a new weapon at wide receiver in Brandon Marshall and an offensive line that in the interior is still in flux. So while starters on other teams may only a play in a series in the opener, Henne, Marshall and the others need more seasoning.
Sparano plans to play Henne most of the first quarter and possibly into the second, depending on his play count, and then backups Tyler Thigpen and Pat White will split the rest of the reps. Chad Pennington will not play in this game as he has been on a pitch count so as not to put too much stress on the shoulder he had surgery on last year. Marshall, who missed most of the offseason workouts and mini-camps recovering from hip surgery, wants to continue developing chemistry with Henne, while others just want to get a look.
