Philbin might not have the charisma that made Rex Ryan a star on the last season of "Hard Knocks," but the first-year coach has impressed with his honest and direct approach to his job. His final sitdown with Chad Johnson was one of the series' most dramatic moments.

Sherman is not a man to mess with. The offensive coordinator channeled his inner-Bud Kilmer in Episode 2, when he undressed rookie tight end Michael Egnew in front of the entire team. "You were terrible! I will cut you today if I was GM! Get your head out of your ass!" Egads.

Tannehill moves into a starring role -- both on the team and in "Hard Knocks" -- after Joe Philbin announced Monday the rookie will be the starting quarterback going forward. From third to first on the depth chart in two weeks. Not too shabby, young man.

Some would say Lauren Tannehill is the true star of "Hard Knocks." Now the wife of a starting NFL quarterback, Lauren is a mortal lock to appear in every episode this season.

Bush had a surprisingly minor role in the first two episodes of the season, though we did see him take down Chad Johnson in the departed receiver's beloved "FIFA" video game. He also seems to have developed a serious man crush on unheralded wide receiver Chris Hogan.

Moore seems like a likeable guy, and it's clear he has the respect of Dolphins teammates. But Moore never appeared to capture the fancy of Joe Philbin and the rest of Miami's new coaching staff. Ryan Tannehill's quick ascent to the top of the depth chart spoke volumes.

One of the biggest takeaways from "Hard Knocks"? Jake Long is a gigantic human. Just massive. The star left tackle is revealed to be the unquestioned leader of a tight-knit offensive line in Miami.

It had to hurt when Wallace learned via premium cable that some of his coaches had taken to calling him "Ankle Weights" Wallace due to his inability to get separation from cornerbacks. Wallace earned some redemption with a solid showing in Miami's second preseason game.

The veteran linebacker hasn't had a huge role in the show to this point, but expect that to change after the comments he made about the Dolphins' decision to cut Chad Johnson following his arrest. "You don't just give up on people, especially when you know their character and you know what they're all about," he said.

An undrafted free agent, Hogan became the subject of Reggie Bush's fascination with his consistent knack for getting open despite the absence of blinding speed or quickness. The wide receiver's talents earned him the elongated nickname, "Chris Hogan, Always Open, 7/11."

Poor David Garrard. The veteran quarterback had won over the coaching staff and appeared on the inside track for the starting job until he heard a "crunch" in his knee while playing with his kids. The QB was forced to go under the knife, putting his Dolphins career in doubt.

After some suspect play early in camp, Egnew became "Hard Knocks Famous" after offensive coordinator Mike Sherman lit into him during a team meeting. He did earn some vindication with a circus catch on a deep pass in the next preseason game.

Speaking of "Hard Knocks Famous," the underachieving cornerback reported to training camp out of shape and quickly got exposed for it in the season premiere. Davis said his conditioning has improved in the weeks since, but he's lost hold of his starting job at corner.

Ireland is Public Enemy No. 1 for many Dolphins fans -- remember the "Fireland" demonstrations outside Dolphins headquarters earlier this year? -- so perhaps it's no coincidence he's kept a low profile in "Hard Knocks" thus far. His star turn came when he sat down with free agent Braylon Edwards, questioning the wideout about his purported character issues. Thankfully, there were no queries about Edwards' mom.

Brown has emerged as the Obligatory Underdog Figure in this season of "Hard Knocks." A former college basketball player who gave up a career in finance to give it a shot in the NFL, Brown has good speed and solid hands. But he cannot block. Not even a little. This could be a problem.