Oh, it’s my least favorite time of year. OTA season.

You know that time of year when nothing of importance is happening in the NFL, and fans overreact to every little thing players do in shorts and drills.

If a player doesn’t show up for a day or two of “voluntary” workouts, he is labeled as “lazy” or “not a team player.”

If a player makes a great play in shorts when there is no contact and, at times, no defense, he is the next coming of Mark Clayton.

And, of course, if a perennial bad player shows up in shape, fans start the revisionist history of how that player really isn’t that bad, and “this is the year” he will break out.

Through two days of Miami Dolphins OTA’s, that has what has happened already.

First-round draft pick bust Austin Jackson showed up in Late-May looking like his “Deal-a-Meal” diet plan he was on in the offseason worked, and he shed a few pounds, and now Dolphins fans think this is the year he will break out finally and show the world he is a great player.

STOP

Please STOP

Just because a player (Austin Jackson in this case)  lost a few pounds because he invested time in “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” during the offseason doesn’t mean he is on the verge of a breakout season.

For the past three seasons, Austin Jackson has proved he is not an NFL football player.

He has struggled and, at times, looked lost on the football field.

Heck, 48 hours ago, 95% of Dolphins fans were clamoring for the team to sign Cameron Flemming (too late; he signed with Denver moments ago) or re-sign Brandon Shell to beat out Jackson in camp, hopefully. But now, because Austin Jackson showed up in shape (something you would have assumed he would have done in, I don’t know, Year 1, Year 2, or Year 3…all is forgotten.

There is now HOPE for Austin Jackson.

Look, I know this time period between now and the kickoff of preseason games is a long and boring wait, but let’s not rewrite history here and forget what reality is.

Austin Jackson is bad at football.

There are hundreds, and I mean hundreds of plays on tape, that prove this.

Do we hope for the best with Austin Jackson? OF COURSE! We are Dolphins fans and want to see all the players do well, and the team win.

If I am wrong about Austin Jackson, I will be the first one back on here to write an article saying I WAS WRONG. That doesn’t hurt me in any way. I will be happy to write that article.

But we have seen this time and time again.

Isiah Ford was a beast in OTA’s and training camps.

When the real games started, Ford was a nobody.

Some guys look the part getting off the bus but can’t perform on the field.

So this time of year, when you read the reports of what happened during an OTA session, please take it all with a grain of salt.

Anybody can look good in shorts.

Anybody can make a play when there is no hitting.

Anybody can look good when there is no defense.

Anybody can look good in a drill.

But when you have a three-year track record on a player (a player almost all of you wanted to be replaced 48 hours ago), don’t start buying into the “this is his year” hype just because he showed up down a few pounds and looking fit in a sleeveless shirt and shorts.

Oh, this time of year…OTA season. Can we get to September already please?