(JP Correia) Ever since Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano took over this franchise, the Miami Dolphins have prided themselves on running the football with authority and stopping the run. A big piece of that ambition was Bill Parcells’ first Free Agent Acquisition as Dolphin VP, Justin Smiley. Smiley has been arguably Miami’s most consistent and reliable interior offensive lineman since arriving and has given Miami leadership on a very young and inexperienced offense and offensive line. The problem though with Smiley, just as it had been in San Francisco, is that he cannot stay healthy.

In 2008 Smiley broke his right leg in multiple places, thus missing the last 5 regular season games of Miami’s season along with a Playoff game against the Ravens in which the Dolphins missed him dearly. Last season Smiley sprained (at least we think) his shoulder; an injury that has led to Miami not letting him near the facility this off season to work out and to his departure. The Dolphins think his shoulder is shot; apparently Jacksonville didn’t.

The Jaguars have traded a conditional 7th round draft pick for Smiley, who passed his physical on Tuesday. Smiley’s departure opens the door for rookie OG John Jerry, last year’s starting RG Donald Thomas, OT/OG Nate Garner who impressed everybody last season with his play down the stretch, and OG/OC Cory Proctor who was just signed Monday. Right now the right guard position looks to be filled by Richie Incognito, however the LG spot is anybody’s game. In my opinion, I think Donald Thomas should remain in the starting lineup. While inconsistent, he has developed nicely over the last two seasons and has shown signs of dominance. It looks like John Jerry will get the job as of right now though.

While I am sad to see Smiley go, as he was one of my favorite Dolphins, Miami saved a lot of cap room for the future with this trade and it opens the door for younger players like Jerry and Thomas. Thanks for your time in Miami, Justin. Your leadership will be missed; hopefully your play will not be missed for too long.

Super Bowl 48 to be played in New York

First of all, you have to be kidding me. This is a joke, right? While some former players like Tedy Bruschi, Fran Tarkenton and Jerry Kramer have expressed their jubilation for a cold weather Super Bowl, I couldn’t disagree more with the NFL’s decision. Yes, the media/marketing aspect of the game will be phenomenal; probably better than any previous Super Bowl. However, it is just too risky. Sure, New England has winter days in which it is 50-55 degrees. It also has days in which two feet of snow fall and the wind blows at 25-35 mph. What if it snows? Can you postpone the Super Bowl? Can you play the game in those conditions? What is the wind-chill is below zero and the wind at 30 mph? Can two high powered offenses battle through those conditions? What if our Dolphins make the Super Bowl? Why should we get that kind of a disadvantage?

The bottom line is that conditions should not play a factor at all in the Super Bowl. None. Yes, you will get rain in South Florida every once in a while, but it rains all over the country all the time. But how can you expect the Super Bowl to be played in February-New York conditions? It just does not make sense. Chad Pennington compares this scenario to the “tuck rule” game. In other words, “bad idea.”

At least it isn’t in London…

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(Excerpt: “Obviously, Brady is still the class of the division.  However, depth may be a concern.  Depth is not, however, a concern with the Dolphins, as they enter into camp with the best depth in the division and a rising star in Henne (12 tds, 14 ints, 60% cp, 75 .2 QB rating).  Sanchez, (12 tds, 20 ints, 53.8% cp,   63 QB rating) gets more hype but has yet to live up to it consistently.”)

A POSITION BY POSITION BREAKDOWN OF THE AFC EAST
by Ken Dasher
Phinfever.com

QB
New England:  Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer                     Rank: 1
Miami:  Chad Henne, Chad Pennington                      Rank: 2
New York:  Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens                Rank: 3
Buffalo Bills:  Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick            Rank: 4

Obviously, Brady is still the class of the division.  However, depth may be a concern.  Depth is not, however, a concern with the Dolphins, as they enter into camp with the best depth in the division and a rising star in Henne (12 tds, 14 ints, 60% cp, 75 .2 QB rating).  Sanchez, (12 tds, 20 ints, 53.8% cp,   63 QB rating) gets more hype but has yet to live up to it consistently.

RB
Buffalo Bills:  Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, CJ Spiller            Rank:  1
Miami:  Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs                Rank:  2
New York:  Shonn Green, Ladanian Tomlinson, Joe McKnight      Rank:  3
New England:  Lawrence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor    Rank:  4

Bills at the top?  Well, the combination of Jackson, Lynch and Spiller is dynamic and versatile.  Their problem is their offensive line.  This might be the last year of R &R in Miami, and their depth (Cobbs and Hilliard) may be among the best in the league.  The Jets swapped Thomas Jones (1402 yds,4.2 ypc,  14 tds) for Ladanian Tomlinson (730 yds,3.3 ypc,  12 tds) and Leon Washington (847 total yds) for rookie Joe McKnight.  Time will tell if that leaves them better off, but on paper, I’d say they took a step back.  The Patriots continue to play with a patchwork lineup of steady but unspectacular role players.

WR
New England:  Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Torry Holt                     Rank:  1
New York:  Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Jericho Cotchery   Rank:  2
Miami:  Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, Davone Bess                  Rank:  3
Buffalo:  Lee Edwards, James Hardy, Roscoe Parrish                    Rank:  4

Tough one to predict.  So many questions… how long until Welker is playing at full speed?  How long until either Edwards or Holmes has a meltdown?  Will Braylon catch more than he drops?  Which Miami receiver will benefit the most from the presence of Marshall, and how long until he develops the chemistry with Henne to finally make opposing defenses respect the passing game?  The top 3 could end up in any order, with Buffalo’s receivers suffering from their woeful QB play (which in turn suffers from its woeful offensive line).

TE
New York:  Dustin Keller, Ben Hartstock                        Rank:  1
New England:  Algae Crumpler, Rob Gronkowski            Rank:  2
Miami:  Anthony Fasano, Joey Haynos                          Rank:  3
Buffalo:  Derek Schoumann, Shawn Nelson                    Rank:  4

Keller is the top TE in the division.  Crumpler is on the downside of a solid career, but Gronkowski could spell trouble for opposing d’s as he gives Brady yet one more downfield weapon if he can stay healthy.  Fasano may have a bounce-back year with the presence of Marshall softening opposing D’s.

Offensive Line
New York:  2,756 rush yds, 4.5 avg, 30 sacks                 Rank:  1
Miami:  2,231 rush yds, 4.4 avg, 34 sacks                      Rank:  2
New England:  1,921 rush yds, 4.1 avg, 18 sacks            Rank:  3
Buffalo:  1,867 rush yds, 4.4 avg, 46 sacks                     Rank:  4

New York gets the hype, but Miami and New England may not be far behind.  The Jets took a gamble by letting go one of the most respected OGs in the game in Faneca  (albeit at the end of his career) and replacing him with a rookie.  Buffalo waited until the 5th round of the draft to address their most glaring offensive weakness last year.
Defensive Line
New England:  Warren, Wilfork and Wright                    Rank:  1
New York:  Ellis, Jenkins, Devito                                  Rank:  2
Miami:  Langford, Starks, Odrick                                  Rank:  3
Buffalo: Kelsay, Johnson, Williams, Schobel                 Rank:  4

From top to bottom, this is a talented group of defensive lines.  Edge to New England based on the presence of Wilfork and their experience playing together.  New York, Miami and Buffalo all have questions to answer… will Odrick live up to his 1st round status and beat out Philip Merling?  Will Kris Jenkins stay healthy?  (If not, their ranking drops…)  How much do Schobel and Kelsay have left in the tank?

LB
New York:  Thomas, Scott, Harris, Pace                      Rank:  1
New England:  Woods, Mayo, Guyton, Banta-Cain        Rank:  2A
Miami:   Wake, Crowder, Dansby, Misi                        Rank:  2B
Buffalo:  Scott, Posluszny, Draft                                 Rank:  4

The Jets are stacked at LB, with pass-rush specialist Jason Taylor coming off the bench most likely in a rotation with Thomas.  Mayo and Banta-Cain provide enough talent and production to edge out Miami’s unproven core, though the addition of Dansby closes the gap significantly.  If Misi and Wake play at a high level, this becomes a formidable- and young- strength for the team.  Posluszny is a stud for Buffalo.

DBs
New York:  Revis, Cromartie, Leonard, Smith                      Rank:  1
New England:  Springs, Bodden, Merriweather, McGowan    Rank:  2
Miami:  Davis, Smith, Culver, Bell                                       Rank:  3
Buffalo:  Florence, Corner, Byrd, Wilson                             Rank:  4

The Jets trade for Cromartie and then drafting of Kyle Wilson adds to a secondary that was already among the best in the league.  Losing Kerry Rhodes hurts, though.  Springs and Bodden are just okay, but Meriweather and McGowan are a talented pair of young safeties.  How long before we see Devin McCourty starting?  Miami’s young, talented pair of corners took their lumps last year and will be pushed by Will Allen in camp.  A big question mark remains at free safety, which was a huge issue last year.  Buffalo has the electric Jairus Byrd at safety, but the corners are suspect.

Special Teams
Buffalo:                                       Rank:  1
Miami:                                        Rank:  2
New England:                              Rank:  3
New York:                                   Rank:  4

What are you looking for?  Exciting return man?  Buffalo’s Roscoe Parrish and Fred Jackson form a dangerous tandem in the return game, while Brian Moorman led the division with a 42.4 yd net average punting the ball.  Rian Lindell is steady, connecting on 84.8% of his attempts while scoring 108 points.  Miami’s Dan Carpenter (112 points, 89.3%) was a pro bowl alternate, and Brandon fields had a very respectable 41.4 yd average.  Both Miami and the Jets lost dangerous return men in Ginn and Washington, and the Jets also brought in a new kicker, replacing ex-Dolphin Jay Feeley (122 pts, 83.3%) with Nick Folk (career 79%) while the Patriots earn points for returning all starters.  Gostkowski  led all AFC East kickers with 125 points, with an 83.9% average.
Coaching
New England:                      Rank:  1
Miami:                                Rank:   2
New York:                            Rank:  3
Buffalo:                                Rank:  4

Until proven otherwise, Beli-cheat is still the best at what he does in our division, if not all of football.  Sparano has proven himself to be the prototype Parcells coach; tough, straight-forward, no-nonsense and effective.   Dan Henning and Mike Nolan form the most proven pair of coordinators in the division.  The Big MOUTH in the Big Apple, in spite of his silly outbursts and bombastic proclamations, is actually a gifted coach and seems to inspire great effort from his players.  Brian Schottenheimer and Mike Westhoff are talented coordinators.  New Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey has assembled a solid staff.  Defensive coordinator George Edwards is a familiar face, having coached linebackers in Miami last year.

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(David Blake) You all read my blog last week when I critized the Dolphins brass for not taking the #1 WR position seriously.  I do understand … Bill Parcells does not like Prima Donna wide receivers, and Dez Bryant is all ready one of those type of receivers despite not playing in a single NFL game. I am also sure that the NFL is short on selfless playmakers such as WR Andre Johnson. And do not think I was on the Anquon Boldin bus, because I applaud the Dolphins for not trading for him.

What position the Dolphins address at #12 is a mystery as we are weak in several starting positions: OLB, NT, OG, WR, S …. and maybe even RB since fan favorite Ronnie is in the final year of his contract and has been injury prone. Heck, there are rumors that the Cowboys are interested in moving up in the draft to address the safety position since they just cut S Ken Hamlin. The Dolphins are rumored to be possibly interested in this trade so that we can address multiple positions in a quality draft.

You all know the drill about Dez Bryant. Scouts are telling teams to stay away from him. Well respected Yahoo Columnist (and former Miami Dolphins writer) Jason Cole summed it up with this:

Bryant is expected to be a first-round pick in April. Some draftniks have predicted that he will go in the top 10, although the consensus appears to be the top 15. Whoever takes him does so at their own peril.

“I wouldn’t draft that kid unless I had someone to wake him up in the morning to get to meetings, someone to wake him up for practice and someone to wake him up for games,” one source said.

A second source said Bryant’s reputation was earned because he was consistently late to team activities. That included showing up late for games.

“We’re not just talking about being a little late for warmups, but like being late for the actual game,” a source said with a chuckle. “When you start to hear some of the stories of there, you go, ‘He did what?’ ”

“Dez isn’t evil, he’s not trying to hurt anybody. He’s just goofy,” another source said. “But it does make you think, ‘If he’s like this in college, what’s it going to be like when he gets paid?’ ”

He has been a player that his college teammates could not depend on, and he hurt his team with his behavor. Oh, did I tell you that he was banned for 10 games for lying to the NCAA concerning his relationship with Deion Sanders?  That is on Deion as well as he knows NFL/NCAA rules. Immaturity. He was seen hanging out with Pacman Jones just a couple of weeks ago. Bad news there as he does not always choose his friends well. The fact that he did hang out with  Deion Sanders is actually a plus as Deion is a good character person.

Our radio host, Tony Simmons (phinfansc), however makes a strong case for Bryant and is confident the Dolphins have the ability to turn this kid’s life around. Face it, Bryant had a very rough upbringing with his dad in prison and he pretty much raised himself.

“Dez Bryant has no criminal record. Is there a maturity issue and could he do better job of choosing the people he associates with, most definitely. But understand that this is a kid that went a stretch without a mother because she was in prison for selling drugs and his father was no where to be seen. Those are not the best of circumstances to go from a child to a young man with values, solid values in place.

As far as sympathy in the NFL, it does not exist. What the NFL is definitely about is finding kids that can play the game of football, kids that can be a difference maker in the NFL. You look on all of these various sites and there boards and there top 100, top 50, you will see Dez Bryant in those top 10-12 list. Dez Bryant is an elite talent, don’t make a mistake about that or twist that. ” (Tony)

The kid does have #1 WR talent and I will agree that the Dolphins could possibly baby-sit him into a respectible player and person. I would rather the Dolphins pass on Bryant as he has “bust” and “underachievement” all over him due to his issues, but would you draft Randy Moss if you had the overall #12 pick and he slid down to you? I certainly would despite his issues. The Dolphins do not have many “prima donnas” on the roster, so, they have a roster of players who can help in the maturity process.

So, with that, I say “do not write him off”. The Dolphins had him in this week for an interview. It could be another draft smoke screen as we know that Parcells has a fetish for pass-rushing outside linebackers in the first round. Still, Parcells can be unpredictable as we saw last year with the drafting of Pat White (I still do not understand that one as Ronnie throws the ball better out of the Wild Cat). While I have been critical of Dez Bryant on the forums, you will not find me bitter if we do select him, but I will be looking to the Dolphins to make this draft pick pay off for us. And, I will not be quick to criticize him. He will need time to develop mentally and physically.

Here’s ESPN Insider analysis on Dez Bryant:

And, of course, we need a video clip to see what the fuss is all about. Go get some popcorn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sXYiZjT038

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBO2-do2Vng

(Tony Simmons) The 2010 NFL Draft is now 25 days away, and as we get closer to the draft the smoke is getting REAL heavy in regards to who teams are interested in, LEGITIMATELY interested in.

It is hard to try to get through all the false signals, and when it comes to Miami, they are as good as any orginization in the league in hiding there true intentions leading up to the draft, which is really what you want.  If there is a certain player you are targeting in the draft and another team is interested in him also, the less a team knows, the better so that team can’t jump you and take a kid.

Let’s go ahead and take a look at the likely candidates for the #12 pick of the Dolphins in the 2010 NFL Draft, in no particular order.

Derrick Morgan, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech, 6′3, 272 lbs, 4.72 40 - Thoughts on whether Morgan can make the conversion to a 3-4 OLB are mixed, with some analyst thinking he can make the move, while some analyst think he will have troube because of his movement skills.  Mike Mayock seems to be going to the side of Morgan being able to make the move after initially having some reservations.  What we do know about Morgan is he fits the prototype for what this regime likes in their OLB in regards to size, 6′3 or taller.  He is stout against the run, has a non stop motor and had 12.5 sacks this year, and was named  ACC Player of the Year defensively.  He has 19.5 career sacks as he played mostly in his sophmore and junior years.

Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan, 6′1 3/8, 268 lbs, 4.72 40 - Brandon is a kid that I really became very high on when I started doing my research on the draft.  The kid has been tremendously productive while at Michigan with  29.5 career sacks, 10.5 in his senior year.  He has a non stop motor and is relentless and plays hard.  He had a tremendous Senior Bowl week and game and was named Senior Bowl MVP after a 2 sack game.  The one thing that I think will hurt Brandon is the trifecta sticking to there prototype in regards to the size of there personnel at each position.  It does not sound like much as Brandon is a little more than an inch short from of what the trifecta likes.  They are rigid in there belief, and this could mean Brandon does not get picked at #12.

Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama, 6′3 3/8, 249 lbs, 4.68 40 - Once Miami draft Karlos Dansby, the thought was Miami would not look to take another ILB with there pick at #12, but I think they still could pull the trigger on Rolando.  Channing Crowder is coming off a very subpar season with 52 overall tackles, 44 of them solo, 1 sack and 1 interception.  He also was very vocal in his support of one Joey Porter after Joey started his campaign to be released by Miami by trashing the orginization.  He signed a new contract in 2009, but it is not a huge money contract and McClain is the #1 ILB in the draft.  He’s tough, smart and has a high football IQ.  He also played for one of the most demanding college coaches in the nation in Nick Saban and Saban speaks very highly of the young man, and he comes out of the 3-4 scheme featured by Saban.  The Dolphins could solidify and upgrade the ILB position tremendously if they were to take McClain.

Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB, Texas, 6′3, 250 lbs, 4.71 40 - Kindle is a very talented defender and has been linked to Miami in a few mock drafts.  He is coming off a stellar, multiple sack game in the NC game against Alabama.  He has a career 16 sacks, and 10 of those sacks came in his sophmore season as he had 5.5 sacks this past season.  He been inconsistent in his play while at Texas, and he has also had multiple transgression in reagards to DUI’s, and that has to be a concern for a team that had Will Allen and Ronnie Brown involved in DUI transgressions.

Dan Williams, NT, Tennessee, 6′2, 327 lbs, 5.27 40 - Miami has a big need at NT with Jason Ferguson being suspended for the 1st eight games because of testing positive for PED.  Paul Solai has been inconsistet at best while it sounds like Ryan Baker, the undrafted free agent from Purdue could also get a shot to man the position along with Tony McDaniel.  The fact of the matter is when Jason got hurt last year, the Dolphins went from a top 10 defense agains the run to a team giving up over 40 yards more a game against the run.  Williams is stout against the run and does a great job of pursuing plays away from him, and occupies multiple defenders, which is very important.  Some have question whether Williams was a one year wonder, but his numbers from 2007 & 2008 are very similar.

Everson Griffen, DE/OLB, Southern Cal, 6′3 3/8, 272 lbs, 4.66 40 - Very talented, freakishly athletic kid that is inconsistent and his motor runs hot and cold.  The light seems to have came on for this talented kid this past year, but teams will certainly look to see if he will be a guy that can keep the motor running high all the time.  He had 18.0 sacks in his 3 year career with SC and has played both DE and the elephant position for SC, which is an OLB.  He has the size and movement skills to make the move to a 3-4 OLB, but at #12 he could be a reach.  If Miami were to be fortunate enought to have a chance to trade down, he definitely comes into the picture.

Earl Thomas, FS, Texas, 5′10 1/4, 208 lbs, 4.49 40 - Considered the 2nd most talented FS in this draft behind Eric Berry except on Mike Mayock list, who has Thomas as the top FS.  Thomas has 10 career interceptions, 8 this past year.  He is a 2 year starter, as Thomas is a RS sophmore.  Very instinctive player with good ball skills, anticipates well and has terrific range.  A willing tackler and is physical and will deliver the big hit.  The knock is that he does not have idea height and can be to aggressive.  But with Miami releasing Gibril Wilson, FS is now a position were Miami will look to bring a player in and Thomas is in play.

Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State, 6′2, 220 lbs, 4.5 40 - Chad Henne has made it known that he would like a #1 WR, and we know that Miami will not pursue Brandon Marshall or Terrell Owens.  Miami has a nice group of #2 & 3 wide receivers, but not that guy that you have to account for everywhere on the field, a threat all over the field, including the red zone.  Bryant is considered the most talented wide receiver to come out since Calvin Johnson in 2007.  Big, athletic, terrific with the ball after the catch, Bryant is a big YAC guy.  Big play wide receiver.  In just 28 games Bryant had 147 catches for 2,425 yards at a 16.5 yard average with 29 career touchdowns.  He also had 19 punt returns for 320 yards, which is a 16.8 average with 2 touchdown returns.  The concerns with Dez are off the field, as he was suspended for the remaining 9 games in 2009 for lying to the NCAA in regards to having dinner with Deion Sanders.  A lot is swirling out there about Bryant, but the kid has never had any issues with the law and we know this is also the time of the year when information, true or false comes out in hopes that a kid will drop.  Bryant has to be a serious consideration for Miami if he drops to them at #12, and he very well could.

CJ Spiller, RB/RS, Clemson, 5′10 5/8, 196 lbs, 4.37 40 - Explosive playmaker who can score from anywhere on the field as a running back, and in the return game as a punt and kickoff return guy.  Versatile as a running back, Spiller is very good in the passing game as he had 123 catches for 1,420 yards and 11 touchdowns and is a solid blocker in the passing game.  He rushed for 3,547 career yards and 32 touchdowns, and in my opinion, is a stronger inside runner than Reggie Bush, a guy Spiller get’s compared to a lot.  74 kickoff returns for a 27.7 yard average with an NCAA record 7 returns for touchdowns.  53 punt returns for a 10.7 yard average and 1 touchdown. He has 51 career touchdowns, with 20 of those touchdowns being over 50 yards. Spiller would give Miami an explosive, consistent threat on the offensive side of the ball as he would be ideal to use on 3rd downs and in the Wildcat package or as a change of pace back.  Running back may not be an IMMEDIATE need, but there will be a need a year later as both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown will be free agents.

A few names I did not mention were Eric Berry, the super FS prospect from Tennessee and Mike Iupati, the talented OG from Idaho.  I don’t believe Berry will come close to making it to Miami at #12 and I don’t see Miami looking to trade up, but for some reason if he does, he would be the pick, probably without hesitation.  Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported earlier this week that Iupati was in Miami for a workout and speculated that he could be a consideration at #12.  OL is one of the strongest positions for Miami, and while they probably will look to bring in another offensive lineman, I don’t seriously believe it will be at #12.

The draft can’t get here soon enough.

(David Grotefend) The Bloodfest is over, the initial surge as the most coveted free agents are courted by their prospective new employers. Now teams glean over the remaining talent pool, adding an element here or there, but sort of in a holding ‘wait and see’ mode. Of course, as a Dolphin fan I wanted to grade them all ‘F’s, but that wouldn’t be true or fair.

Buffalo has not been a big player so far, with only the signing away from Oakland of OT Cornell Green (an 11th year veteran who has only started 46 games in ten seasons). They did resign Bryan Scott for 3-yr, 9M and kept TE Klopfenstein (their RFA). They lost Jonathon Scott, a 4th yr OT to Pittsburgh, to a 1-yr deal no less.

A couple semi-notable names dot their FA board, but there’s not a whole lot to pick through. Josh Reed, Ryan Denney…

Analysis: Ho-hum, really. Scott is a solid depth player when he’s in there, but he’s only been able to start 18 games…in the last three seasons combined. There’s more interest in if T.O. is going to Cincy than the rest of the Bills FA follies combined. Gailey is a decent enough coach, but he’s going to need more than FA backups and journeymen…The Jill’s offense was 30th in yards, 30th in passing, 16th in rushing and 28th in scoring. Their defense was better, but still 30th against the run. Their pass defense was an over-inflated 2nd because in part other teams simply pummelled them on the ground. Without a franchise QB who can get the job done, they are going to struggle; without the addition of better overall talent they are going to struggle mightily. D, because they got little, and lost some of what little they had.

New England, on the other hand, has been busy. They moved quickly with a number of their players, resigning Banta-Cain, Bodden, Faulk, Neal and slapped the franchise tag on Wilfork. They did lose Chris Baker to Seattle (TE), Jarvis Green to Denver (DE), and Ben Watson to Cleveland (TE). The team has obviously taken a stand against others raiding their depth, but the state of the Patriots is easily determined by looking at one thing…Junior Seau is still on their FA board, apparently available for hire. They have not, conversely, gone after other teams’ players, with only the backup DE Marques Murrell being garnered from the Jets, which probably has more ego chest-beating value in the Boston-NYC feud than it ever will on the field.

Analysis: Wilfork is a beast, and his Hurricane lineage had me salivating at the prospect of bringing him home to be our monster in the middle. However, the Dark Lord has apparently closed the doors of Citadel Pestilence, allowing no raiding of the cupboard. Derrick Burgess appears to be the best of the remaining pickings, unless you count Gostkowski and Hanson, their Placekicker and Punter. B, though I am loathe to admit it. They kept a lot of their depth, which will be critical for an aging team.

New York is a rare case: they will continue to do things over and over again as a franchise though it has failed in every attempt. They passed on Pennington last season, shipping him out in favor of an aging veteran who turned into Mr. Interception and kept them away from the playoffs. Pennington had his best season and beat them in their house to rub salt in the wound. They passed on Jonathan Vilma, sending him to New Orleans and bringing in Calvin Pace. Vilma in ‘08-’09, 242 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 14 PDs, 4 Ints, 2 FFs and 3 FRs. Yeah, he was washed up.

This time, the Jets cut Thomas Jones, who is coming off a career year and FIVE consecutive 1000 yd seasons. They bring in the aging veteran LT to replace him, coming off his worst year. They stand to lose Leon Washington, because there will be someone take a shot at him: he won’t be looking for premium top-dollar coming off an injury. They will be counting on a promising Rookie (Shon Greene), an erratic Rookie (Mark Sanchez) and an aging star near the end of the line (LT).

Their splash has been defensively, as they bring in disgruntled problem child AC, and Cromartie paired with Revis has the already-bandwagon Jet faithful frothing at the mouth.

Analysis: Tannenbaum will continue to convince Woody that he knows what he’s doing. With the circus clown act their new coach has already made that position, it seems somehow inevitable that this Keystone Kops aspect gets exposed. The switch from Jones to Tomlinson is an upgrade? The Jets, though they played well in the Postseason, were an afterthought that got gifted into the Playoffs by their final opponents resting their players. Now they send away their best offensive weapon. Braylon Edwards wasn’t immediately resigned, either…they’re letting him test the waters, apparently. C-; as erratic as Sanchez was, why on earth wouldn’t you keep the part of the machine that WAS functioning properly (#1 rushing game) alone???

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(David Grotefend) Here are some of the views and news around the NFL Combine happening in Indianapolis…

Mitch Petrus OG, Arkansas set a new bench-press mark with 45 reps of 225 lbs.

“I talked to a lot of different quarterbacks coaches and a lot of people who said ‘Wait till after the draft (to change the motion), but I’m not afraid of what anybody thinks. If I need to change it, then I’m going to do it now.” Tim Tebow QB, Florida

“This is the best first round going into the draft that I’ve seen since 1983.” Charley Casserly CBS/NFL Network Analyst

“I’ll play whatever. If I’m on the field it doesn’t really matter. I want to win. I want to contribute. I like football regardless, I’m a safety but I can play linebacker, especially on nickel and sometimes the safety is a linebacker playing in the box, but I trust that a team will hopefully draft me based on what they think I can do best.” Taylor Mays S, USC

“I’m 6-1 and a quarter, 217 [pounds]. I’d like to say I’m 6-4, but this is what God gave me. I did my absolute best in college. I played for four years. I started 53 games in a row … We won more games in college than anyone else. So I don’t know what more anybody can ask of me.” Colt McCoy QB, Texas

“For the wide receivers, these 40s are very important. They’re indications of top-end speed and how quickly you can get to top-end speed.” Michael Irvin NFL Network Analyst

“Coach Sparano was phenomenal. He’s someone who likes to be succinct and to the point and wants to get his message across. The coaches were very laid back and wanted us to succeed. The one thing that Coach Nolan, Coach Bowles, Coach Bonamego, they all said they wanted to put us in positions to excel and to shine because all of these teams were going to be looking at us and evaluating us, they didn’t want to put us out of position so we wouldn’t look that good. So I thought that was tremendous to hear that from NFL coaches and it was great to be coached by that staff.” Myron Rolle S, FSU (and Rhodes Scholar, hoping to one day become a Neurosurgeon)

“When I first got here Thursday, a scout from a team showed us where our hotel rooms were, told us what to wear and where we had to meet before we went to the hospital. When we got to the hospital, the first thing they said was we had to get some blood work done. I have a needle-phobia. I told the nurse to stick me quick so I don’t see the needle but I don’t think she heard me. I saw the needle, my knees got weak and I almost passed out. They took like six tubes of blood and I was like, ‘How much do you need?’ I thought they were going to drain me. That was about the only thing I haven’t liked.” Jonathon Dwyer RB, Georgia Tech

“Coach Weis is a professional-caliber coach. I knew I was going to have a headstep when I decided to pursue my dream and play professional football. That’s one of the things going into college I understood.” Golden Tate WR, Notre Dame

“It would be pretty special, almost like playing in my father’s footsteps or finishing where he left off, so it would be very big to play with either the Saints or Dolphins. But it would be very cool to play with the Dolphins because I’d be right at home and my mom could come to the games anytime and see me. She wouldn’t have to get on an airplane and I have a lot of people that I know down in Florida so that would be very big playing for my home team.” Geno Atkins DE/OLB[3-4] DT[4-3], Georgia (and son of former Dolphin Gene Atkins)

Jacoby Ford WR, Clemson turned in the fastest 40-time so far with a 4.28. Jahvid Best RB, California was the fastest RB with a 4.35.

Early Mock Draft … And the pick is …
( JP Correia) 1) St. Louis - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska - Bar none the best player in the draft. Suh is the next Richard Seymour and will wreck havoc for the next decade in St Louis. Suh is the absolute complete package with unbelievable size, strength, athleticism, relentlessness, character…everything. There’s nothing to not like about Suh. He’s going to be a big time player.

2) Detroit - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma - McCoy isn’t Suh, but he is one hell of a player. McCoy will be an 8+ sack guy in the middle of Detroit’s D-line for years, and should be a beast in the run game as well. McCoy will open things up for everybody else and will instantly make the Lions D better. Detroit is in complete disarray right now defensively, and Jim Schwartz took a QB last year. I look for him to go D with the first pick, and McCoy is the best player available. Schwartz knows what a big time D-tackle can do for a defense, and while McCoy isn’t Albert Haynesworth, he’s one hell of a football player.

3) Tampa Bay - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee - Tampa will be real lucky and elated if one of the top 2 D-tackles falls to them here, but I don’t see it happening. Berry is one heck of a player and will help a young Defense tremendously. Put this guy anywhere on the football field and he will make plays for you. Berry is the next Troy Polamalu, and it won’t be long until he proves it at the NFL level.

4) Washington - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma - I definitely see the Skins taking a QB to build around with this pick. Whether it is Bradford or Clausen remains to be seen, but to me, the best QB in this year’s draft bar none is Sam Bradford. Bradford is the prototypical NFL pocket passer and reminds me of a young Tom Brady. Mike Shanahan will be looking for the next John Elway with this pick, and I think he’ll see a winner in Bradford.

5) Kansas City - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma - That’s 3 Oklahoma Sooners taken in the top 5. A lot of people consider Trent Williams to be right below the other top OT’s in this year’s draft, but I would consider Williams to be the best pass protector in this year’s class. Williams has the same type of build and style of play as Matt Light, who Scott Pioli obviously is very familiar with. While I would personally take McClain with this pick, I think KC needs to find a way to protect Matt Cassel, and drafting Williams and moving Albert to RT would go a long ways in doing just that.

6) Seattle - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame - Pete Carrol will need a young QB to build around, and he’ll need to get one before Matt Hasselbeck retires. I think Clausen could be a very good QB to run a west coast type offense in Seattle, and Hasselbeck should be a very good mentor. Walter Jones needs a replacement, and while there is a lot to chose from at this spot, I think that the Seahawks delay it another few picks.

7) Cleveland - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St. - While the Browns did take 2 WR’s in the 2nd round last season, their offense is absolutely atrocious and they need a big time play-maker on the outside. While Dez is not the best player on the board, the Browns need to go offense here, even if it means reaching for somebody. They’re defense is terrible as well, but not as noticeably incapable as the offense. Take Bryant, and build around him.

Oakland - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida - While CJ Spiller and Taylor Mays are the most attractive skill position players on the board here for Al Davis, JPP is a ridiculous athlete at DE, and the Raiders could use some help pass rush wise. While I think Paul is a bust at the next level, Al Davis will fall in love with him, and will take him at number 8.

9) Buffalo - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers - Buffalo’s offensive line is second to none in the NFL in terms of terribleness. The Bills’ offensive line is pathetic, and with good value here and some good OT’s still available, they would be nuts not to take one here. Davis is the best available OT at this spot, in my opinion.

10) Denver - Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama - Miami fans are now devastated and looking for the nearest bridge to jump off of. I think that McClain and Haden are the two best players on the board here. CB is not a need in Denver, so I think they go get the big time ILB. Denver needs some bulk in the middle as their run D was terrible last season. McClain is a real good pick-up with Dez Bryant off the board here.

11) Jacksonville - Joe Haden, CB, Florida - This is crazy good value here for the Jags as Haden is a steal, and the Jags have needed a CB to opposite Mathis for years. Haden is a great pick at 11.

12) Miami - Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan - The Dolphins need help at LB more than anywhere else on the field, and with McClain off the board, there is no ILB really worth this pick. Bill Parcells goes with the big time pass rusher in Graham and gives himself a hell of a duo for the future with Graham and Cam Wake. The question then becomes who plays the strong side? Graham is built to be more of a SOLB because of his size, strength, and unique ability against the run. Wake is more of the pure pass rusher, which you would automatically think weak side, however Miami clearly likes him on the left side. In any case, I guess it’s a good problem to have. Graham is a heck of a player though, and would be a solid pick.

13) San Francisco - Taylor Mays, S, USC - I think Mike Singletary will fall in love with this guy. He’s a Singletary type of a player. The 49ers really do not have a safety worth noting, and while I don’t like Mays, I think San Fran will fall in love with his athleticism and envision a lethal combo between him and their stud in the middle Patrick Willis.

14) Seattle - Russel Okung, OT, Oklahoma St. - Okung would be a steal at 14. If recent history suggests anything, it is that OT’s will not fall; in fact, teams will reach for them. This year though I see things going differently. Seattle though gets a great pass protecting OT in Okung to protect their new young QB.

15) New York Giants - Earl Thomas, FS, Texas - Anybody who saw the G-Men play last season knows that their secondary was just pathetic. They got burned by opposing QB’s week in and week out with ease. They need to address the safety position, and Earl Thomas is going to be a very good FS in the NFL.

16) Tennessee - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech - Tennessee gets maybe the best pass rusher in the draft with Morgan at 16. Morgan should be able to provide a presence opposite of Kyle Vanden Bosch, and an eventual replacement as he is 31 years old. Morgan has the perfect size to play LDE.

17) San Francisco - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa - Another first round pick for Mike Singletary. This one goes to fortifying the offensive line. Bulaga could be a steal here at 17. He fits the mold of a Mike Singletary type of a player; mean, tough, physical. He could provide SF with one of the best OT combo’s in the NFL.

18) Pittsburgh - Dan Williams, DT/NT, Tennessee - Casey Hampton is a potential FA, and the Steelers need an eventual replacement even if he does come back next season. Hampton is getting older, and the Steelers always draft for the future. There aren’t any interior O-lineman really worth this pick, so Pitt goes with Williams, who will be a force at 34 NT.

19) Atlanta - Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida - The Falcons need to start generating more pressure on the QB, and former number 8 overall pick Jamaal Anderson has been a complete bust. John Abraham is getting older as well. Dunlap has the right size to play LDE, and is a top 10 talent. The DUI will drop him down to 19 where Atlanta gets a steal.

20) Houston - CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson - It’s hard to imagine Spiller falling this far. Somebody will likely take a risk and take him in the 12-15 range. I don’t like Spiller as much as most but he fits the Houston offense extremely well. He would be a perfect fit and the Texans front office would go bazurk if he fell to 20.

21) Cincinnati - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma - Gresham is going to be an absolute stud at the TE position for years to come. The Bengals need to get back to throwing the football a little more, and a big target at TE like Gresham could work wonders for Carson Palmer. A young WR is also a possibility here, but there really is nobody worth taking. That said Gresham would be a steal.

22) New England - Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB, Texas - The Patriots need a pass rusher as badly as anyone in the NFL. Kindle is a good player and Bill Bellichick will have a lot of fun moving him around the front 7.

23) Green Bay - Everson Griffin, DE/OLB, USC - Aaron Kampman will probably not be back next year in GB, and that leaves a hole at OLB. Griffin wouldn’t be a bad pick-up here and has ideal size to play SOLB. Other options would include ANY O-lineman available.

24) Philadelphia - Sean Witherspoon, OLB, Mizzou - Philly will probably trade out of this pick and grab a future 1st rounder, as they really do not have any holes at all…they have very good young players across the board on both sides of the football. If they do stay they take the BPA, and so Witherspoon is the pick. Witherspoon had a huge Senior Bowl and will have a monster combine. He’s going to be a very good player at the next level.

25) Baltimore - Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois - The Ravens need a WR badly, and while it might be a bit of a reach, Benn is the best potential number 1 WR available, with good size, speed, agility, and hands. Baltimore will probably make a run at a veteran, but if they are forced to draft one it could very well be Benn.

26) Arizona - Muarkice Puncey, C, Florida - The Cardinals need to start running the football a little more with Kurt Warner gone and Matt Leinart now at the helm. The Cardinals have a significant hole at C, and could use a guard as well. Puncey should help shore up the inside and create some run lanes for Wells and Hightower.

27) Dallas - Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame - Dallas is one of the more talented teams in the NFL, if not the most talented. Austin is a heck of a receiver on the outside, but do they really have anybody to opposite him? Roy Williams seems to get worse each Sunday, and they don’t have anybody for the future at the position besides Austin. Tate could add another play maker to an already explosive offense.

28) San Diego - Jahvid Best, RB, California - While the Chargers need an every down RB, I think that they can get that a little bit later. They could lose Sproles in FA, and LT is all but gone. Best is an explosive, dynamic play maker that would add yet another weapon to the Charger offense. team him up with a power RB like a Toby Gerhart and you could be looking at a 6 ypc guy in Best.

29) New York Jets - Jared Odrick, DE/DT, Penn St. - The Jets need to find some pass rushing LBs, and while Odrick is not a LB he is an extremely talented player that would fit real well in Rex Ryan’s 34 D.

30) Minnesota - Brian Price, DT, UCLA - The Vikings’ Williams Wall has been an impenetrable force for the last few years, but one of the pieces is approaching 40. Kyle Wilson could also be an option at CB, but the Vikings need to get a replacement for Pat Williams, and Price could be just that.

31) Indianapolis - Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia - I think the Colts finally get smart here and go get a D-tackle. Unfortunately it’s not to get a run stuffer, it’s to get a fast, play making interior lineman to wreck havoc on 3rd down’s with Freeney and Mathis. Atkins was unstoppable at the Sr. Bowl, and fits the Colts D real well.

32) New Orleans - Daryl Washington, LB, TCU - Washington would move to OLB in the Saints D. While New Orleans does not really have any holes anywhere, they do have some impending FA’s, including Scott Fujita. Washington is a fast play making LB that could help out the Saints D from day 1, and would make an excellent 3rd down LB.

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With the Saints winning the Super Bowl after being dead last the year before, we are seeing the sports media making an attempt to see who will be the next “New Orleans Saints”. To me, the Saints (cannot call them the “Aints” any longer, can we?) were not that big of a surprise as I thought they were Super Bowl material the year before. Still, the Dolphins made a bold move by firing long-time Parcells friend PAUL PASQUALONI and hiring DC MIKE NOLAN. Nolan has a history of improving a defense just by being there … just like the Saints Greg Williams. Add to the fact that Parcells knows how to add playmakers to a defense and you have people wondering if we are close.

PETE PRISCO, of CBS Sports, thinks the Dolphins are one of 5 teams that can make the leap forward: Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers. I pretty much agree with all 5 of these teams having the potential to take it to the Super Bowl, but I find the Dolphins and Falcons to be teams that would have it harder than the rest: too many holes to fill still. To me, the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers are two very dangerous teams that are loaded with talent and have Pro Bowl quarterbacks leading them. The Dolphins have to fight it out with the Patriots and the Jets, so, next year’s season will be like a playoff game each week.  It should be interesting in 2010.

Here are Prisco’s thoughts on why he feels the Dolphins could find them in the Super Bowl next year:

“Why they can: They have a lot of good, young talent, but the reason they can take the next step is quarterback Chad Henne. As a first-time starter last season, Henne came on as the season moved along. He has a chance to be a playoff-type quarterback for a long time.

What they must fix: They need to get him a big-play receiver. It’s clear that Ted Ginn is really a No. 2 receiver at best, so they have to find one this offseason. Maybe they make a run at Miles Austin or Vincent Jackson as restricted free agents or they draft one in this first round, which is usually not Bill Parcells’ style.

Player who must step up: Henne. The Wildcat offense will fall away as Henne continues to develop. I think he has a chance to be a really good one. He just needs more freedom from the coaches on early downs.”

A lot seems to be riding on CHAD HENNE and rightfully so. He is going to need a lot of help as he still is a very young quarterback. The offensive line needs another guard, but it is set. I fully expect to see Parcells add another receiver in free agency or the draft. I know that Boldin is a decreasing talent, but he is still better than any receiver that we will find in the third round, so, I would give up a 3rd round pick for him. Prisco has hated the “Wild Cat” so I expect a negative comment on it from him. What I do agree with him is that it is ridiculous to take your best quarterback out of the game for a play. I would do with Henne what we did with Pennington and that is to spread him out wide and out of the play. Then you can use him in the Wild Cat with a little trick play that the defense will have to account for. Oh, and yes, the Dolphins need a good tight end.

Just to put some balance to this story, the Miami Herald’s ARMANDO SALGUERO does not think the Dolphins are close . Salguero has really stepped up the quality of his reporting and it could be because Mike Marvez and Jason Cole left for better pastures. Hard work always pays off.

“NFL teams are judged by what they do through an entire season, not by what they do in one game. And during the 2009 regular season, the Colts were 14-2 while the Saints were 13-3. The Dolphins were 7-9. So Indy won twice as many games as Miami while the Saints almost accomplished the feat.

Both the Saints and Colts won their respective divisions and were No. 1 seeds in the playoffs. The Dolphins finished third in the AFC East and didn’t make the playoffs

The Dolphins aren’t close.”

While you cannot take away the fact that the Dolphins made both the Colts and Saints sweat out a victory, it is important to look at how a team played the entire year and how they finished off the season. I think if we had played the Colts and Saints in December, and those teams played their starters, we would have gotten our butts beat. The team we now have is not that close in my opinion. But, there is the hope of our young talent improving as the Cowboys did in the 90s. Plus, you know that Parcells has a reputation of putting together good teams and TONY SPARANO is being known as a good coach. During DON SHULA’s time as the Dolphins head coach you could never count out the Dolphins. I feel the same thing applies to Bill Parcells teams.

DANSBY NAMES THE FINS IN HIS “TOP 5″

Now this is interesting, because the position the Dolphins need the worst is the Inside Linebacker position. CHANNING CROWDER needs someone paired up with him who could make an impact and Dansby is one of the best in the league. He is going to be too expensive for the Cardinals to fanchise him, so, he should enter the free agent market free and clear of the Cardinals. It will not cost anyone a draft pick to get him.

I would love to see him in Miami, but I am wondering if it would be better for us to trade our 3rd round pick for WR Anquon Boldin and draft an ILB in the first round to fill those two needs. Still, Dansby is a sure thing.

Here are Dansby’s top 5 teams (I imagine the Cardinals are one of his 5 teams)

“Free agent LB Karlos Dansby called the Giants, Chargers, Dolphins, and Redskins possible 2010 destinations in a Friday interview with Sirius NFL Radio.”

I could go either way with him.

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