,Chad Pennington

Heading into training camp, the Dolphins are the X-Factor in the AFC East. They can
do what many expect and simply improve a tad and challenge the AFC East

Or they can moderately surprise and do very well although seriously contending for the division.

Or they could
shock the NFL however again and take it.

Before anything, though, there are a few questions I have as the Dolphins prepare for the grueling month that is camp. These questions are just a few in a
long list and cannot be answered correct away. I will need re-visit them when
we are a few weeks into August.

? Is Brandon Marshall really the missing piece? Well, he must be since the Dolphins
have needed a big play wide receiver since, well, basically their glory days. It has been nearly a
a period of ten years that the Fins have had a WR that got DBs shaking in their pads. Marshall has
the tools, is happy (hopefully) and

has a young strong-armed QB in Chad Henne. So,
the questions are … How’s the hip? How’s the attitude? And how good can it get with a
Henne-to-Marshall connection?

? Who is the MVRB? The most valuable running back on this team is not who you
probably thought. Ronnie Brown is an injury risk as we all have seen. Last year
when Brown injured his foot,Jared Odrick, Ricky Williams stepped up and was a beast in the tail end of the
season. It is going to be very interesting watching the camp progressions, and
see if this is a 50/50 share or not. Williams is the RB to watch this season….as of
the moment.

? Will Chad Henne silence the critics? When asking many fans around the league what
they think about the Dolphins, most say, “They need a QB.” Sure, that was the decade-long mantra until they had Chad Pennington to thank for their 2008 division crown. Now
the other Chad takes the Week 1 snaps instead of the Week 1 clipboard, and it is his
career that is now the focus in South Beach from a football standpoint. Let’s see if he
can become a poor man’s Matt Schaub this season, or, let’s see if he is relegated to
creature a poor man’s Mark Sanchez.

? What young defensive performer will step it up and make Dolphin fans say Joey and
Jason who? We know that Sean Smith and Vontae Davis have already “stepped-up,”
as apparent by their very imnewspapersive 2009 season as a young CB duo. This question
is focusing squarely on the front seven.

Even as Joey Porter and Jason Taylor waltz (yeah,
that’s a DWTS jab at J.T.) to new teams in their career twilights, their presence and
production will be missed in Mike Nolan’s 3-4 defensive scheme. Nolan,Davone Bess, Tony Sparano
and Fins Nation are waiting to see who the next young Dolphins defensive stud will
be. Say what you want about the offensive drafting over the past few seasons, but
defensively, the Fins have found gold in the draft humorh the likes of the aforementioned
Smith and Davis,Mark Gregory, Channing Crowder, and going
back a little further, Sam Madison, and of course the poster boys for the Dolphins
defensive juggernauts in the 2000’s, Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor.

Will Jared Odrick and/or Koa Misi be the next defensive youngsters to make a name for themselves? Both
could, and one better, if this team hopes to contend in the East. Outside of the talented
rookies, look for Cameron Wake to be a solid player for Miami who can appeal some of
the missing sacks lost by Porter and Taylor’s departure.

– JASON SARNEY
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Miami travels to Buffalo in an AFC East division battle

As I was driving home from seeing The Blind Side (excellent movie, by the way — I strongly recommend it), I changed to on the radio to a local sports station, and heard two radio guys run through all of the NFL games for the week.

As the game between Miami and Buffalo was discussed, doubt existed that the Dolphins could travel to Buffalo and win,Jake Long, a task that has proven tough for the Miami squad over the past few years. But the prevailing opinion was that Miami was superior enough of a team to overcome whatever road woes existed in the past in Buffalo.

Sure enough, it turns out that Miami has only defeated the Bills when in the last five years in Buffalo,Davone Bess, which occurred last year by a score of 16-3. The previous four years had seen the Bills defeat the Dolphins by a combined scentral idea of 99-44 in Western New York.

As Miami (5-5) travels to Buffalo (3-7) this weekend, I just may have to throw out any home field advantage that Buffalo may possess.

Why? Because Buffalo managed to lose, 6-3, at home to the now 1-9 Cleveland Browns earlier this season. Also, because Miami already defeated Buffalo by 28 points earlier in the season.

So common sense tells us that Miami should handily defeat Buffalo. But the folks at Vegas say ‘not so fast,’ as those folks have Miami as just a 2.5 point favorite.

Miami’s reveal — running the football — seems to be facing a favorable misequal, as Buffalo is 31st against the run (not an appealing stat for Bills’ fans, as there are only 32 teams in the league).

The Dolphins’ fourth-ranked run offense, which will be humorhout Ronnie Brown, has gained an average of 156 yards per game, with an average of 4.7 yards per carry. The Bills have allowed 165.9 yards per game,Jared Odrick, an average of 4.9 yards per carry, and 15 rushing touchdowns.

Opponents have not been afraid to run against the Bills, as Buffalo has defended an average of 34.1 carries per game,Mark Gregory, probably partly due to opponents creature comfortably ahead on the Bills for a from important part significant portion of the season.

Consistent logic tells us that Ricky Williams will run all over the Bills. After all, Williams has run for 221 combined yards the past two weeks and is coming off of a game last Thursday against the Carolina Panthers in which he carried the ball 22 times for 119 yards and a touchdown.

Both defenses will crowd the line of scrimmage and try to force the respective quarterbacks to beat them. I do not expect Williams to run wild all game for the Dolphins as the statistics would indicate, but he will be a important asset in the fourth quarter, as Miami will attempt to wear down Buffalo over the course of the game.

I expect a tight game throughout with a lot of three-and-outs from each offense. It will be ugly. Miami will wear down Buffalo by the fourth quarter and will put together a long drive towards the end of the game and win the game with a field goal at the end of said drive. Miami wins, 16-13, in Buffalo and keeps its performoff hopes alive by moving to 6-5.

LUKE JACKSON

,Mark Gregory

Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle, working out at the combine in Indianapolis, could be a fit for the Dolphins.

Now that the NFL Scouting Combine is underway, it’s time to start talking about the draft. It’s only two months away,Jared Odrick, and after all, it is the closest thing to football we’ll have for the next five months.

In the 2010 NFL Draft, the Dolphins will, depending on what they speech in free agency,Chad Pennington, have four main holes to fill: Outside and inside linebacker,Ronnie Brown, wide Receiver and defensive tackle.

humorh the 12th total pick in the first round the Dolphins could have an opportunity to draft a premier player from each one of those positions.

The chances of Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant, the consensus No. 1 receiver in this year’s draft, falling to the Fins at 12 would take a miracle. But considering none of the teams picking above Miami in the foremost round is in dire need of a wideout, there is a small possibility.

The more likely options for the Dolphins would be Texas outside linebacker Sergio Kindle, Alabama inside linebacker Rolando McClain and perhaps UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price. All three are expected to be on the board when the Dolphins pick, and all three present pretty enticing options for Miami.

Kindle and McClain both have instant-influence possibility, and based on the success of recent first-round linebackers like Brian Cushing, Jerod Mayo, Clay Matthews, Patrick Willis, Lawrence Timmons and Jon Beason, these two might present the most upside for the Dolphins.

If the Dolphins broaden their consider in the second round, two performers worth watching are Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster and Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham.

McCluster is a very interesting option, think abouting the instability of the Dolphins’ running back central idea and the fact that he played out of a wildcat-type were createdation at Ole Miss. It’s also worth noting that McCluster played for the Dolphins’ coaching staff at the Senior Bowl, giving them an up-close-and-personal look.

Gresham had been projected as a possible first-rounder before missing the 2009 season because of a torn ACL. Tight end isn’t the Dolphins’ biggest need, but Anthony Fasano hasn’t exactly proven himself as the long-term solution. More importantly is Bill Parcells’ track record with tight ends. He had Mark Bavaro in New York, Ben Coates in New England and Jason Witten in Dallas. So even if Gresham is not the guy for Parcells, history tells us that there’s a good chance the Dolphins will take a shot at a tight end this year.

– SCOTT ALTMAN

,Miami Dolphins

The AFC won the Pro Bowl 41-34. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub won the MVP award after throwing two TD passes. But what we will remember most about this experience are the sights and sounds — and smells — of checking out the NFL’s elite up close.
– Want to be Ochocinco’s date for the Super Bowl? He is seeking big-game companionship in the Dolphins ownership box with Mark Anthony and J-Lo:

– Ray Lewis discusses Rex Ryan,Jared Odrick, Dwight Freeney and Peyton Manning:

– Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports asks Ray if he could have one QB in one game, who would it be. Lewis,Jake Long, showing his true colors,Chad Pennington, debates the assumption about even choosing a QB to start. You know he’d probably select a middle linebacker first … but when newsed on the subject Ray gives the only answer he could — Joe Flacco!

– Pint-sized reporter hits Lewis humorh tough questioning:

– Darrelle Revis and Vince Young meet the newspapers:

– DAVID KATZ
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I wouldn’t be surprised if the only things left standing after a nuclear explosion are cockroaches and the New England Patriots. Since Tom Brady required over as the starting quarterback in 2001 the Patriots have won three Super Bowls and seven AFC East division titles. Their head coach, Bill Belichick, is adaptable and smarter than most of his opponents. When he had a fantastic offensive line and a rock solid defense in the early part of the century, he played conservatively always banking on his compete with making the foremost mistake. When he picked up two of the top wide receivers in the league in Randy Moss and Wes Welker, he began to throw caution in the wind (most notoriously going for it on fourth down on his own twenty-eight yard line against the Colts last year).

This year,Karlos Dansby, though, it appears cracks are seeping into the Patriot facade. Pro Bowler left guard Logan Mankins is holding out for a taller contract. Their running game is nonexistent as they traded underwhelming running back Laurence Maroney to the Denver Broncos. Their stalwart veteran running back Kevin Faulk has been placed on injured reserve and Fred Taylor has injured his toe, leaving BenJarvus Green-Ellis and ex-Dolphin Sammy Morris as the last runners standing. Their defense is falling apart allowing the Buffalo Bills to scentral idea 30 points last week. But with all of these problems the Patriots are still 2-1 undertaked with the Jets and Dolphins for the AFC East division lead.

But what should one expect as they have one of the greatest coaches, one of the top ten quarterbacks of all time in Tom Brady and the second best receiver of all time in Randy Moss? I know it seems wrong to have Moss named as the second best receiver of all time,Dan Marino, but try to think of someone other than Jerry Rice that was better. Impossible.

It seems unlikely that the second best performer of all time at a particular position could at the same time have his career be dubbed a disappointment (and also perhaps be the second best receiver on his own team after Wes Welker). But when Moss entered the league with his height, speed,Jared Odrick, and coordination, we expected him to continue to break records as he did his rookie season with 17 touchdowns. And when he met the Patriots in 2007 Moss did break the single season record for the most touchdowns by a wide receiver with 23. But he never had the discipline to take the records that should correctfully be his from the less talented but more driven Jerry Rice. There were Moss’ two lost seasons humorh the Raiders and this year Moss has been whining about not signing a contract extension. But when you’re as good as Moss you don’t have to bring your best to be the best. And if the Jets’ Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller were able to tear apart the Dolphins’ secondary,Miami Dolphins, it will be a terrifying nuclear scare to see what moss can do to them.

– DAVID ROLLAND
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