Here are some news and notes from Dolphins training camp:

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  • Chad Johnson is emerging as the team’s best receiver after having the worst season of his career last year in New England, according to NFL.com. Johnson had 15 catches for 276 yards and a touchdown in his one season as a Patriot. He had averaged 69 catches for 939 yards and 6.5 touchdowns the previous two seasons in Cincinnati. Johnson is battling Davone Bess (51 catches, 537 yards, three TDs n 2011), Brian Hartline (35 catches, 549 yards, one touchdown) and Legedu Naanee (44 catches, 467 yards, one TD for Carolina) for the No. 1 receiver spot in South Beach.
  • There are high expectations for receiver Clyde Gates and running back Daniel Thomas, who are each coming off inconsistent rookie seasons, according to The Miami Herald. Gates, who had two catches for 19 yards in 15 games as a rookie, is fighting for a roster spot after being taken in the fourth round (111th overall) in 2011. Thomas, taken in the second round, rushed for 581 yards and no touchdown on 165 carries during an injury plagued year. He will be counted on to complement Reggie Bush, who rushed for a team-high 1,086 yards last year. Thomas will also have to hold off rookie Lamar Miller to maintain his spot as the No. 2 running back.
  • The left side of the offensive line, which features Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long, guard Richie Incognito and second-year center Mike Pouncey, looks formidable. The right side, which includes rookie tackle Jonathan Martin and veteran Artis Hicks, is a question mark, according to The Sun Sentinel. Martin, who played left tackle at Stanford, is displaying a positive attitude at training camp. "Whenever he has a question, I told him, 'Come up and ask me,'" Long told newspaper. "Then when we watch film and I see anything that can help him out, I definitely try to give him my pointers because I went through the same thing he's going through. I just try to help him out with the things I struggled with, and the things I went through to try to help him out."

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Miami Dolphins from blogger Dave Carey, follow@CBSSportsNFLMIA.