2008 Miami Dolphins Preview

2008 Preview: The Miami Dolphins


The Big Tuna took reigns of a Miami Dolphins’ franchise that had just come off a disastrous 1-15 season and it did not take long for his presence to be felt. If there is one word to describe the Miami Dolphins this off-season it would be activity. The Dolphins have been more active than they had been in a very long time and have achieved complete roster overhaul. Parcells got his boy Jeff Ireland in as General Manager and got his boy Tony Sparano in as the teams’ Head Coach. I feel that organization put together a marvelous draft which included Jake Long, Phil Merling, Chad Henne, Kendall Langford, and Shawn Murphy. The Dolphins were also very active in free agency locking up Randy Starks, Ernest Wilford, Justin Smiley, and Josh McCown among others. The Dolphins made some very solid trades this off-season as well such as sending their 6th Round pick for Jason Fergeson and sending their 4th to acquire Akin Adoyle and Anthony Fasano. I expect the Dolphins to improve greatly from their disastrous season and accumulate seven times the amount of wins they had last season.

Quarterback: B

The Dolphins have no idea who their starting Quarterback will be come start of the season but one thing is for sure, they addressed that area of need this off-season. John Beck is the only hold-over from the old regime and seems like he will be a heavy favorite in this competition. Beck showed solid poise on the road in hostile environments last season but then at times just looked lost. But he was a rookie and has been working extremely hard this off-season to be the man. The Dolphins signed Josh McCown who would be considered a veteran on this club and let’s face it, he is a huge upgrade to Trent Green or Cleo Lemon. McCown performed well at times in Oakland and at times played poor but there was not much talent supporting him there. McCown has come out and stated that he thinks that he will win the starting job and I think he is right, that’s until Chad Henne is ready to take over. The Dolphins showed some faith in Beck and McCown when they passed on Henne at #32 but when he was still available at #57, they could not resist. Henne was the second best QB in this draft behind Matt Ryan; a 4 year started at Michigan proved over the course of his collegiate career that he is tough, accurate, and ultimately a winner. One thing is for sure; the Dolphins are better-off at Quarterback right now more so than they have been since the departure of Dan Marino. This Quarterback competition is going to be one fun thing to watch over the next few months.

Running-Back: B+

This would be a definite A if Ronnie Brown was not recovering from a tore ACL. Brown was not only having a Pro-Bowl season before he tore his ACL against New England, he was having an MVP type season. I think with the additions of Jake Long, Shawn Murphy, and Justin Smiley indicate to me that Ronnie Brown is going to have a great season. Brown proved he could do it all last year; nail the long run, catch out of the back field, and most importantly take over a game. Ronnie Brown is the best player on this team and I expect him to have a better year than he was having last year. Ricky Williams is back in the Aqua and Orange and for the first time in a long time he seems motivated. If Williams is in good condition and take this serious, there is no question that the Miami Dolphins have the best backfield in the NFL. Jalen Parmele was drafted for depth and after watching tape on him, I can say that he is quite impressive. The Dolphins have a Full-Back competition ongoing as well between Boomer Grisby, Reagen Mauia, and rookie Lex Hilliard. I would be surprised if Grisby sees the axe before the season.


Wide Receiver/ Tight End: B-

Ted Ginn Jr. enter his second season after the first season when he marginally producted, In Ginn’s defense, the Dolphins barely had anyone to get him the ball and didn’t see much action until they traded away Chris Chambers. However, Ginn Jr. did show that he posses great speed and hands much better than expected. I expect Ted Ginn Jr. to become a major contributor on the ball club this year. The Dolphins signed Ernest Wilford to start opposite of Ginn. Wilford is a reliable possession receiver who will pay dividends for the team in the red-zone. The Dolphins need Derek Hagan to step up or step out. Hagan has been very inconsistent during his tenure with the team. Tab Perry was another off-season addition who I think can make some plays for the team. The team’s final receiver spot will be a battle between Greg Camirillo, David Kircus, and rookie Davone Bess who impressed during mini-camp. The Dolphins did acquire Anthony Fasano in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys. Fasano should step in a start right away. I think it will be interesting to see if Fasano can be a true #1 or if he just benefited from playing in Dallas. David Martin and Justin Pelle could become cap casualties this off-season. Sean ryan is a solid #2 Tight End who is a solid blocked in the running game.

Offensive Line: A-

The Dolphins improved their offensive line more than any other position this off-season. Samson Satele enters his 2nd year at center where he was the Dolphins best rookie contributor last season. Satele is a future pro-bowler who will continue to make heads spin. Vernon Carey moves back to the Right side where he was playing at a Pro-Bowl lever two seasons ago. Jake Long, the #1 overall pick comes in at the Left Side. Jake Long will pay huge dividends for this team. Justin Smiley fills in a Left Guard which is a huge improvement from the clowns they had last year. Rookies Donald Thomas and Shawn Murphy will compete with 2nd year man Drew Mormino for the starting right guard gig. Murphy will ultimately win the battle and will prove to be a 2nd day steal for the club. I am very optimistic about the starting line and the depth that the club has inside.

Defensive Line: B

I think this will be an A in a couple of years once rookies Phil Merling and Kendall Langford have a chance to blossom. Both guys will be starting by the end of the year and were absolute steals in terms of being drafted where they were drafted. Matt Roth and Vonnie Holliday will be fighting to start on this defensive line with such impressive rookies; I would not be shocked to see Roth or Holliday sent packing. Rod Wright was impressive last season when he had a chance to play and I think that he can beat out Roth and/or Holliday for a starting gig. Inside Jason Fergeson is no spring chicken but is the best run-clogger we have had since Tim Bowens. Fergeson is a short term replacement but if we get 3 years out of him, we will be very happy. Randy was signed and the guy can play both outside and insides. I think Starks will prove as the teams’ best free agent signing and will be a starter and make an impact immediately. We need Paul Soliai to get his head out of his arse and start learning to toughen up and work hard to play. The guy has unbelievable ability but questionable work ethic.

Linebackers: B

The only reason this position is rated so high is since Jason Taylor is being considered an outside linebacker. JT is on the league’s best defensive players and we are damn lucky the team did not trade him this off-season. Age is not a factor with this guy because as he gets older, he gets more productive. I think JT will strive in this Parcells system and will be in the running for his 2nd defensive player of the year. Joey Porter starts on the other side and I am shocked about the amount of slack thus guy received. It was clear that he was slow recovery from off-season surgery last season but he was the team MVP for the 2nd half of the season. With one season in Miami under his belt I think we see the Joey Porter of the 2nd half of last season all year in 2008. Inside we have Reggie Torbor who was a contributor on the Super-Bowl Champion, New York Giants. I think the starters will be Akin Ayodele and Channing Crowder. Crowder needs to have a solid season because he is a free agent after the year. Ayodele and Crowder should be solid wit Torbor providing great depth. Quentin moses is a guy the front-office likes and I think they are so high on him, they think that when JT retires, he can replace him

Secondary: C-

Jason Allen finally came along last season. He proved to be solid for us against the run and flashed a little of his play-making ability. Yeremiah Bell returns off an injury and I am concerned with his health. Keith Davis was signed for depth and to be a special team’s ace. Renaldo Hill is still on the club which surprises me due to his high cap number. Will Allen is very solid and consisten for us at corner but the major concern is who will be our # 2 and nickel corners. Travis Daniels, Mike Lehan, and Andre Goodman are all okay but I don’t see any of them as legitimate NFL starters. The front office must think differently but did signed Nate Jones and Joey Thomas to come in and compete.

Special Teams: A

Jay Feely played at a very high level last year and Brandon Fields boomed some punts and got better as the season progressed. Ted Ginn jr is straight nasty in the return game. Sure he only took one punt back for a TD in 2007 but he has 2 kickoff returns for TD’s called back. As the season went on, he showcased improved maturity and hit the holes with less hesitation. I think that Ginn becomes one of the league’s elite return men in a matter of weeks this season. Keith Davis was signed to be a special team’s ace and he will be making tackles all over the field.

Overall: B-


Projected Team Roster:

QB: Josh McCown/John Beck/Chad Henne
RB: Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams/Jalen Paremele
FB: Reagen Mauia/ Lex Hilliard
TE: Anthony Fasano/ David Martin/ Sean Ryan
WR: Ted Ginn Jr./ Derek Hagan/ Devone Bess
WR: Ernest Wilford/ Tab Perry
LT: Jake Long/ Julius Wilson
LG: Justin Smiley/ Drew Mormino
C: Samson Satele
RG: Shawn Murphy/Donald Thomas
RT: Vernon Carey/ Dan Gore

K: Jay Feely
P: Brandon Fields
LS: John Denney

DE: Vonnie Holliday/ Phil Merling
DT: Jason Fergeson/ Rod Wright/ Paul Solia
DE: Randy Starks/Kendall Langford/Matt Roth
OLB: Jason Taylor/ Quentin Moses
ILB: Channing Crowder/ Reggie Torbor
ILB: Akin Ayodele/ Ed Miles
OLB: Joey Porter/ Charlie Anderson
CB: Will Allen/Travis Daniel/Nate Jones
CB: Mike Lehan/ Andre Goodman
FS: Jason Allen/ Renaldo Hill
SS: Yeremiah Bell/ Keith Davis