When the Lions named Matthew Stafford their starting quarterback on Monday, he joined an exclusive club.

After watching the Miami Dolphins at training camp Friday, I leave knowing this is Chad Pennington’s team, Ted Ginn is making progress, Jason Taylor will start and Ricky Williams’ has a new-found burst.

Bad news for some of the fringe players waiting on the Hall of Fame, like Cris Carter, Shannon Sharpe and Andre Reed. That wait could become even longer as Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice will be taking two of the available spots in the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Opinions on Michael Vick’s future are varied, with some coaches and executives even suggesting the UFL as the best immediate option, though others are adamant that he’s worthy of a quarterback spot in the NFL if/when he is cleared to return by the league and rounds into shape.

It’s always difficult to project in this topsy-turvy league, but I’m going to say the AFC East. Let me know what you guys think.

The NFL is becoming increasingly comprised of first-time head coaches, with 13 “rookie” coaches filling the 15 head-coaching openings in the league the past two years, and 25 of the 32 coaches with their first NFL team in that capacity.

The Chiefs and Broncos are adopting many of the philosophies of Bill Belichick, but can they achieve a similar degree of success?

It has been well-documented that when Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells was the coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 2006, he and wideout Terrell Owens didn’t have a great relationship.

Through all the years and all the interviews and all the encounters, the one man immersed in the sport that I somehow never had met was Bill Parcells.

Parcells walked into the Gatorade room about 4:15 p.m. ET Friday afternoon. I introduced myself and shook his hand. He sat down across from me. And there it was, my first encounter/interview with him.

Forget about Bill Parcells leaving Miami. Ignore the speculation that he will exercise the opt-out clause in his contract.

Parcells said Friday it’s not happening.

The Jets’ hiring of head coach Rex Ryan received an endorsement from a New York legend — Bill Parcells. That’s because the former Giants and Jets head coach sees himself in Ryan, Parcells told the New York Post on Friday:

Now that Stephen M. Ross officially has become the majority owner of the Miami Dolphins, closing on the purchase of an additional 45 percent of the team and Dolphin Stadium, the clock starts on Bill Parcells, Miami’s executive vice president of football operations.

The coaching class of 2010 is shaping up to be like the quarterback class of 1983.

Next season, the three coaches expected to be available for hire at anytime are former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and former Steelers coach Bill Cowher. Two others, Tony Dungy and Bill Parcells, also could be added to the collection.

The Dolphins are going for more than just a playoff spot in this game: They have the chance to break an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a 16-game regular season. (The Chiefs had just 12 turnovers during the nine-game 1982 season.) After Chad Pennington’s fumble with 11 minutes left in the second quarter against the Jets, the Dolphins have 13 turnovers.

Bill Parcells, the man who prefers to shop for his own groceries, has provided the perfect recipe for turning around a team. Avoid turnovers.