(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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(David Blake) All of the media outlets jumped on the news that JOEY PORTER was released, so, I joined the crowd with my two cents earlier today.What is evident now is that if the Dolphins release Porter before March 5 they will go over the cap for the 2009 year. No kidding. With a roster bonus due of $1 million due on March 10 it looks like the Dolphins will now have time to find a trade partner before then.

This is a poor decision on the Dolphins part as every team now knows the Dolphins want to be rid of Porter.  Does our organization know what they are doing? In a situation like this it sure does not look like it. As embarrassed as I am for writing the earlier article about Porter’s release, the Dolphins organization is the one that really has to wear the shame. I will bet the paint on Parcells office walls are melting off.  Of course, I am sure even the NFL doesn’t understand the rules that apply now.

(David Blake) You have to hand it to former Dolphins owner WAYNE HUIZENGA. He did everything he could to make the Dolphins a winner.  He went after coaches that other teams wanted but no one could sign … and he got them. In comes Jimmy Johnson, Nick Saban, and Bill Parcells. Do we need better players? He opened up his wallet to all of his coaches including DON SHULA who wanted to go out with another Super Bowl ring.

Today the Miami Dolphins released OLB JOEY PORTER. He was another high-priced player the Dolphins just had to have to get us to the Super Bowl. He is also another one of those players not to deliver the goods. Perhaps BILL PARCELLS has the right idea in not overpaying for talent that is no longer peaking. When Porter came to Miami he had become a one-domensional linebacker. He had the sack numbers but he usually ranked at the bottom of most outside linebackers against the run. It is because he played each down like a passing down going after the quarterback.

The defensive coordinators tried to spell him in games during running downs, but he wanted nothing to do with it. You see, he was a full time linebacker. This year it got so bad that COACH SPARANO had to step into the middle of it and bench him for ignoring his defensive coordinator. Due to his unhappiness he went to the media last week to ask for his release, something that DON SHULA called a classless act. He even used his leadership to poison CHANNING CROWDER.

So, I am all for the release of Joey Porter. Good luck to him whevever he goes, but he did not inspire a cohesive unit as was advertised. Thank for the sacks, but they came in bunches and he disappeared for long stretches. And thanks for what he did last week for alienating even the fans that liked him. He turned out to be a real class act.

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(J.P. Correia) Watching the Saints win the Super Bowl in Dolph….err….Land Sh….err….Sun Life Stadium, was actually enjoyable. I think I speak for everyone when I say I was happy to see the city of New Orleans get that victory. And yes, while it was somewhat painful to see Drew Brees hoist that Super Bowl trophy in our house…coulda, shoulda, woulda… that was not what I was thinking about today. What will it take for us to get to that pinacle? Is year 3 the year we make the big leap?

Obviously personnel wise, Miami is not there quite yet. Can they get there with one more off season? Who knows. Never under-estimate Bill Parcells, however, it would take one heck of a draft and a couple of very good FA pick-ups, (not necessarily Shawne Merrimen or Vince Wilfork, but a couple of solid football players who can contribute). But there is more than just how talented your group of 53 is. To me, there are 4 things that your organization needs in order to win it all.

1) Leadership. Your team needs leadership in the locker room, and also upstairs. I think we have one-half of this. There is no greater presence in the NFL than Bill Parcells’ watchful eye keeping tabs on the team. I think that we have a very solid front office, and very solid leadership within our front office. Do we have the leadership in the locker room though? Sure, you’ve got guys like Jason Ferguson, Jason Taylor, Chad Pennington, etc. And while a lot of those types of players could be gone next season, I do think we have guys who can step in and fill that role. But do we have the leadership from the coaches and the Head Coach himself? This whole Joey Porter situation illustrates my point pretty well. Not only did we allow for one of the faces of the franchise to ignore coaches during games, and create a rift in the locker room, but we also allowed him to take it public, and get teammates to defend him … publicly. I’m worried.

2) Coaching. This past Sunday was one of the best displays of coaching I have ever seen. If it didn’t work, I’d probably be writing about how foolish some of Sean Payton’s decisions were, but I’m not. One of the biggest things I have with this coaching staff is not what they do Monday-Friday, because clearly these players are prepared and they do get taught well by their coaches on the game they play, but what they, or he, do/does on Sunday. Coach Sparano is unfortunately one of the most conservative coaches in the NFL, yet he also makes very odd and bone head on-the-spot decisions sometimes. Whether it is when to bring in the Pat White package, or when to use his timeouts, he seems to have lost it at times. I think a lot of these things will come with experience; after all, this is his first Head Coaching gig in the NFL. But he needs to become less conservative, and that comes with learning how to trust his players and how to send them a message while on the field saying, “I trust you to win this game for us.” Sean Payton sent this message to his team Sunday with such confidence, that I think it was the deciding factor in them winning. Coach, I love you, but you need to put some bigger pants on, on Sunday’s.

3) Experience. While I do think that ‘experience’ is a little overrated when it comes to the Post Season, I do think it does play a minor factor. But this is not the experience I am talking about. This kind of goes along with leadership, however, you need guys on that team, on that field, in that locker room who have been there - done that. You need veterans who know how to get out of a slump, how to slow their team down after a big win, how to pick their team out of a tough divisional loss, and a player out of a bad play or game. You look at the Saints; yes they have youth, but they’ve got great leadership and experience on the field, and it just makes it easier on the young guys. From Sharper, to Vilma, to Brees, or Shockey, they have guys who can take young guys under their wings, and guide them through a very strenuous NFL season. I think we have this, but we cannot afford to let guys like JT, Ferguson, or Pennington go if possible to bring them back.

4) Passion/Heart. Bill Parcells is all about passion, and that is what his football teams have always been about. This team played with a lot of passion in 2008. Enough to carry them to a division title. I did not see that same passion last season. Was it because of injuries to so many key players? Was it because of the locker room “rift”? I don’t know what it was, but there was no passion. Passionate teams do not give up the most 4th quarter points of any team in the NFL. Passionate teams do not lose their last 3 games with the playoffs on the line. Passionate teams do not start the season 0-3. I am not sure where it stemmed from, but the passion needs to be placed back into Miami Dolphin football in 2010.

Right now, Miami is a young team still trying to find the right mix in the locker room, and with a Coach still trying to get comfortable calling the shots on Sunday. It’s a team that needs to add a little more passion, a little more leadership, and a little more experience to the roster. I’m not saying it needs to get older, just more experienced; there is a difference.

Can this all be done this off season? Like I said, never under estimate the Tuna.

Well….here we go. The season is officially over, and the 10 year long off season has arrived. The Draft countdown has officially begun. Just 2 and a half more months!!

Ugh…

GO PHINS!!!

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(Gary Ramey) It is almost expected after a season of disappointment that you’d hear rumors of discontent and discord between players and coaches but the drama going on with Joey Porter goes beyond the normal. It is starting to blossom into the Terrell Owens - Randy Moss type of soap opera.

The problem here is obvious, Porter isn’t producing on the field. You might put up with his prima-donna attitude if his production on the field were at the same level as his mouth. Unfortunately for Joey, it is not. I’ve been a supporter right up until his latest demand for a trade. Trade? Did he mention trade?

Joey, I hate to be the first to break it to you but Miami might get a used decoder ring and a Mark McGuire baseball card for you. Your trade value is zilch…nada…zero. Sparano has to put an end to this charade quickly. There’s a lot of young guys on the team and right now Porter is a cancer.

Apparently the rift began about mid-season when Porter was benched. The rumor says he refused to come off the field when told to. So Sparano benched Porter.

It is funny that after the benching Porter actually started to produce on the field.Most of his sacks came after that point. Maybe Joey saw the writing on the wall and was trying to buy his bus ticket out of Miami.

Well, as sad as it is to say, it is time for Miami to part ways with J-Peezy. Time to move on with Wake, resign Taylor and draft an OLB this spring.

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(by David Grotefend) I’ve thought a lot about what my piece this week would be. I decided it would be best if I simply confronted some truths, and focused on what the Dolphins can do to get back in it.

Yes, I said back in it.

There are those already throwing in the towel on ‘09.

They look at us at 0-3 and the Jets at 3-0 and start the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

They see Pennington going down for the season and they begin the lamentations.

Are you kidding me?

There are thirteen games left in this season, and people are already losing faith?

Nonsense.

Buffalo comes to town this week, and they are a team that we can beat. They’re 1-2, or one game
ahead of us.

If you don’t believe we can, then why are you here?

Buffalo’s defense is 27th Overall, 27th in Pass, 17th in Rush and 23rd in Scoring.

You think we can’t beat them?

Let’s confront some truths.

First, our secondary is very weak. Not the rookies, who are playing well considering,
but Gibril Wilson has yet to look like a starting-caliber player. Nathan Jones and Tyrone Culver are
second-tier fodder, not the answer. If Clemons shows any aptitude, he may replace Wilson.

Second, expect a ton of blitzing and disguised coverages from Buffalo on Henne, trying to rattle him as he makes his first start. The O Line will have to protect him, and they have had occasional lapses in pass protection.

Third, nothing has come out of the TE position to help the QB out. Fasano has looked lost. Haynos has 1 catch.

Fourth, only Ginn is averaging ten yards a catch, and that is just barely. We are NOT throwing it downfield, and that is on the OC. You have to try more than once a game to make the opponent at least suspect that you will. Henning must become more aggressive.

Okay, that’s what is NOT working with the Dolphins. What IS?

The Rush Defense. The Charger’s Sproles (who up to that point led the NFL in All-Purpose Yards) and Bennet were impotent, gaining 2.3 and 2.2 Yards a carry.

In fact, we are giving up only 66 yards a GAME, good for #3 in the NFL. It will not be an easy road for Marshawn Lynch for his return to the field.

The Rush Offense. Ricky and Ronnie are both better than 4 yards a carry (Brown is better than FIVE). This is against defenses stacked close to the line, mind you. If we get any semblance of a vertical game, watch out. This duo will destroy a defense. 161+ yards a game, good for #3 in the NFL. Our first down % on runs (an important stat reflecting success) is the BEST amongst the six teams with a 100+ attempts.

So, where are we at?

We will have a young QB making his first start in front of a home crowd thirsting for a win, against a Division rival. There will be a learning curve.

Our team needs to step up and help him out.

Trent Edwards needs to meet Porter and Taylor and Langford and Merling…often.

Fasano/Haynos need to do more than just occupy space: help your QB out. TE is vital to be the safety valve for a young QB, especially in a ball-control scheme.

Throw DEEP a few times EARLY. Even if it doesn’t work out every time, you must TRY. Ginn can burn their corners, they can’t run with him. He lit this team up for 175 yards last year. THROW to him deep.

WE CAN BEAT THIS TEAM.

I honestly believe that. I honestly believe we WILL.

I also honestly believe that we have beaten ourselves in the last two games more than either of our opponents have beaten us.

Correct it, and I think we can play with anybody.

Sound insane?

WE DID play ‘anybody’…the Colts are looking unstoppable and they barely escaped with their lives.
Pittsburgh is 1-2. Tennessee is 0-3.

Does Kyle Orton and 3-0 Denver scare you?

Does Tom Brady and the Patriots?

Do the Jets?

If we correct what’s not working, with our ground attack and the ability to stop it, I don’t fear anybody.

Sound crazy?

We’ll see. I’m keeping the faith, and I’m making my pick. Sparano and company figure this out. Miami 24, Buffalo 10.