Miami Dolphins In Depth

Thoughts (I have a few) on White activation

I know for a fact the Dolphins liked Pat White early in the draft process. Bill Parcells personally fell in love with the kid's play at West Virginia and in the Senior Bowl and was sharing that fact with his buddies at Spring Training games up in Jupiter, FL. early on.

The stuff about the Dolphins being moved to pick White because they feared New England would snatch him is bogus.

And now that Miami has Pat White, it has to figure out what to do with Pat White.

That normally isn't a big issue. If you've got a player that is going to contribute, you suit him up, activative him and throw him out there, hoping he'll succeed. But White, who's position, plays and even game status are veiled in secrecy, is not your ordinary player.

First of all, the Dolphins don't want folks to know when and how they're going to use White. That's a problem because the Dolphins also have made it clear White is strictly a quarterback and the NFL has rules concerning the three quarterbacks on the roster.

Because White is a quarterback, the Dolphins last week decided to designate him the No. 2 while true backup QB Chad Henne was designated the No. 3, or the emergency QB. As ESPN's Len Pasquarelli points out in his Friday Tip Sheet, that immediately tipped off the Falcons that White was indeed going to be used against them.

"When we saw that White was No. 2," Atlanta coach Mike Smith said, "We knew they had some Wildcat stuff planned."

So the Dolphins, try as they might to keep White's status a secret, are dogged by the fact you must designate your QBs 90 minutes before the game so the Wild cat is out of the bag.

To combat this Pasquarelli suggests the Dolphins designate White as a receiver or running back instead, so as to not tip off the opposition before the game. Sounds logical on the face of it. But there are problems with that approach.

First, White cannot be designated a wide receiver because he doesn't wear a WR number. He'd have to change his number to officially change positions. Secondly, the Dolphins did little to no work with White at wide receiver during training camp.

And though White might be able to line up at receiver as he did against Atlanta, that's not what the team has planned for him. The Dolphins want him taking snaps from center and either running or passing out of the spread offense. They have receivers to play receiver a lot better than White can.

Finally, the idea of designating White as a receiver or a defensive tackle for that matter, doesn't change the fact he takes up an active roster spot. And if Henne is taking up an active roster spot, that means someone who was active last week has to be deactivated.

The simple math is if you have White, Chad Pennington and Chad Henne active, someone has to be take a seat in the stands as an inactive player.

That poses a problem in its own right because the Dolphins are freaks about how many plays they will milk from each player they take to the game. If the Dolphins lose one of those players, somebody has to pick up the slack.

So there is no easy solution for making White active. It might be that Chad Pennington, Pat White and Chad Henne might all be active for some game to not tip Miami's hand on the use of White 90 minutes before the game. But that is a fleeting strategic victory as most teams will assume if White is active, he'll get snaps regardless.

That leads me to these two scenarios:

Is White worth having active at all. I would tell you that if White is active versus Indianapolis -- which is NOT a certainty -- he must produce because two consecutive unproductive weeks might cause coaches to conclude he's not yet ready to contribute.

And what makes White any less accountable than any other player, particularly a rookie? You're not ready? You sit.

Also, White has to be productive and do so in a package of plays that numbers at least half a dozen to a dozen. After all, what good is having White active for three plays and plays that fail at that?

So the pressure is on White to show up soon.

One more thought:

This conversation would be so different had White actually completed that lone pass attempt last week to Ted Ginn. That pass connects and it changes everything.

Defenses, you see, expect White to run. So, if they react like the Falcons reacted, they will load the box when he was at QB. That was obvious on his run for zero yards.

But if White completes that fateful pass, defenses have to respect his arm. And now they're not putting eight defenders in the box. And now White can run, which forces them to respect the run. And now they have to respect both run and pass. And that causes problems for the defense!

Had that pass been two feet shorter, it would have changed everyone's outlook on Pat White.

Of course, had I picked the right six numbers last weekend and actually played those numbers, I wouldn't be writing any of this right now. That, like the completion, did not happen.

So White must make something good happen this week. Assuming he gets another opportunity.

SI: Dolphins 8-8 and out of the playoffs in '09

The one thing you will be pleased to know by the time this post is over is that Sports Illustrated, despite being a beacon for excellent sports writing, is awful at predicting what the Dolphins will do in the coming NFL season.

Remember the magazine had the Dolphins in the Super Bowl in 2006. The Dolphins finished the season 6-10.

So in the 2009 NFL preview edition that hits the newstands (those still around?) tomorrow, the magazine is telling everyone it believes the Dolphins will follow their 11-5 season in 2008 with an 8-8 record in 2009.

That record, by the way, would not be good enough for Miami to be in the playoffs. SI has the Patriots winning the AFC East with a 13-3 record and the Dolphins finishing second.

The playoff teams, the magazine predicts, will be the Steelers (11-5) winning the AFC North, the Texans (10-6) winning the AFC South, San Diego (11-5) winning the AFC West, and Baltimore (9-7) and Indianapolis (10-6) earning wild card berths.

The magazine has the Patriots beating the Bears in Super Bowl 44 to be played in Miami.

So what do you think of the prediction?

Game review: Miami Dolphins 10, Bucs 6

The good: Brian Hartline earned a starting WR job. Well, he wasn't actually annointed by the coaching staff, but trust me, he's going to be a starter in the regular-season opener at Atlanta in two weeks.

The kick return team also did a fairly good job, averaging 30.3 yards on three returns.

The bad: A much, much longer list for the Dolphins during Thursday night's 10-6 victory over Tampa Bay. 

"I would assess it this way," coach Tony Sparano said. "Our defense was on the field too long and our offense wasn't on the field long enough."

You think, coach? The Dolphins, ineffective on offense much of the first half, ran a total of 54 plays. The Bucs, relying on an offense that looked good-not-great while Byron Leftwich was in the game, ran 74 plays and was electrifying by comparison.

During the time Leftwich was in there, the Miami defense looked terrible. Miami defenders mounted precious little pressure on the quarterback. And the secondary blew a couple of coverages some times, while failing to make plays at other times even as defenders were draped around receivers. Luckily Leftwich is a mediocre QB so he didn't make the Dolphins pay for their problems.

"They converted too many third downs," Sparano said. "I have to watch the film and reserve judgment on that. But I thought they missed a few receivers at times during the course of that thing. I thought our guys battled hard and kind of bent but didn't break. We came up with a few good rushes and hit the quarterback a couple of times in certain situations in the course of the game."

This is where I remind you the Bucs did not play their two starting receivers. Antonio Bryant is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Michael Clayton is recovering from a hamstring injury. Some dude named Stovall torched the Miami secondary for 73 yards on six catches in the first half. 

"We have to get off the field on third down," strong safety Yeremiah Bell said. "A completion is a completion no matter who you're against, no matter who's in the game. Like I said, the concepts stay the same, it's just that the first guys are normally better receivers. At the same time we have to make the plays and get off the field."

The ugly: Chad Henne may indeed become the starter at some point this year and more likely in 2010. But he's not ready for that baton to be passed quite yet -- not if this game was an indicator. Henne completed 2 of 8 passes for 55 yards with one interception.

Let me give you some perspective on Henne's night. His passer rating was 16.1. He completed only one more pass to his teammates than to players on the other team. It was a struggle.

"I wasn't excited about how we threw the ball as a whole tonight," Sparano said when asked specifically about Henne.

The Miami defense was disappointing in that it seems a step slow a lot. The rush gets there just after the passer releases the ball. The cornerbacks stick a hand in just after the receiver pulls in the pass. And there was too much shoddy tackling.

One more thing on the ugly. Lex Hilliard did a lot of things well the last seven months to earn a spot on the Dolphins' 53 man roster. And he might still earn that spot. But Thursday night did not help. He was ineffective running the ball, gaining only 32 yards on 11 carries for a 2.9 yard per carry average. He also fumbled, which is a transgression Sparano detests.

Did I mention Brian Hartline played well? I'm telling you he's the starter after he caught three passes for 79 yards. I asked Sparano if Hartline is the starter, because it sounds better coming from the head coach than a goofy columnist. But the coach wouldn't give up the money quote. 

"I got to watch the film," Sparano cliched. "I like what he did, OK? He did make some big plays, which is critical. One of the things we have to do a better job of on offense is we can't take 15 plays to score every touchdown. We have to get some chunk yards and Hartline was able to make some chunk yards tonight. [Greg] Camarillo was able to make a catch out there one time, too, but Hartline was able to get down the field that way, so that was positive."

Well, the head coach didn't give me what I wanted to hear. So I asked Hartline if he has adjusted his goals from simply making the club to winning himself the starting job. And ... bingo!

"Absolutely," he told me. "There's no reason why I can't ... I'm going to try to set goals to maybe so high I can't reach them. I have high goals and I'm always readjusting my goals. But as you saw tonight, we have a lot of good receivers on this team and any rotation or how we're going to use them, that's going to be the coach's thoughts. But I'm changing goals. Probably daily.

"There's a lot of things I know I'm going to learn from this film going against guys like ronde and other guys. There's stuff that I see that maybe you guys might not that when I get a chance to watch the film, I can correct and do better on."

Can I throw this out at you guys without starting an insurrection? Miami's two most productive receivers now, today, as you read this, are Brian Hartline and Greg Camarillo. Camarillo is still not at the level he reached just prior to his ACL injury last season. But he's progressing and he finds a way to make a play almost every game.

Ted Ginn Jr.? Almost invisible for the second consecutive game. He had one catch for 19 yards.

"The coverage was dictating where the ball was going and [Hartline] was able to make some plays for us and the ball was going his way quite a bit," quarterback Chad Pennington said. "We're just working on trying to get better. We got some things we have to clean up, polish up and get a little bit better which is disappointing. We've been doing pretty well on third down, made that an emphasis and tonight we didn't do a good job. And that's how you keep your defense off the field and how you keep drives going and create some momentum so we have to do a better job there."

Pennington started painfully slow, missing on five of his first nine passes, which is like a personal disaster for a guy who completed 67.4 percent of his passes last season. But Pennington recovered nicely and finished the night 9 of 16 for 128 yards and one TD. His passer rating was 103.1.

Finally, I've been hearing a lot this morning about how the Dolphins are excused for looking bad in the areas where they struggled because, well, they didn't prepare for the game. They didn't game plan. They didn't have much time between games.

Fair. But ...

They played an opponent that didn't prepare for the game, that didn't game plan, and didn't have much time between games.

Big day with two practices on tap

The Dolphins coaching staff will put the rooks through their toughest day of the minicamp so far today and I'll be right there covering it for you.

After mostly confusing the rookies with reams of information Friday, the staff will add to that with more playbook information today. Like coach Tony Sparano said yesterday, if they haven't gotten it, they need to study more because we're not waiting for anybody, we're adding more tomorrow.

It's tomorrow!

I will blog for you after the 10 a.m. practice and I will blog for you after the afternoon work as well. Meanwhile, please take a look at the column I wrote off of the rookie camp's first day.

It includes some interesting, perhaps only to me but whatever, information on how the Dolphins see the possibilities with Pat White. It also tells you the struggles of the first day of the first rookie camp. And it tells you a bit about Vontae Davis and what the Dolphins think of him as well.

It's really awesome stuff!

So remember to check back here for the updates. Yes, I know it's Saturday. Yes, I know most of the country is not working today. So what?

The Dolphins are working. And I'll be working for you as well.

Reasons Dolphins not in Cutler sweepstakes

[Before starting this post I need to thank you. The Herald has released its blog numbers for the month of March and you guys did a fantastic job. Dolphins In Depth continues to be the No. 1 sports blog at The Herald without compare, not even close. But what is amazing is that some days this is the No. 1 blog at the paper overall. That is humbling because Pulitzer Prize winner Dave Barry's blog also calls the site home and Dave has always been the biggest dog on the Herald porch. This blog is now a Great Dane regularly running with Dave. Last month this blog had 174,543 visitors generating 568,686 page views. That's a nearly 30 percent jump in both categories month to month. So again, many thanks. I encourage you to keep coming back as the draft looms this month. And tell your fellow Dolphins fans to do the same.]

I have been impressed that only about 100 e-mails have come into my outlook box demanding the Dolphins trade for Denver quarterback Jay Cutler.

I expected more, frankly, considering the love-hate relationship Dolphins fans seem to have with quarterback Chad Pennington. Yes, they love his production and leadership and gamesmanship. But yes, they hate his questionable arm strength.

Cutler obviously would be an upgrade (physically) and that's the reason fans wanting him cite for wanting him. He is younger, has a stronger arm and is proven.

But the Dolphins are not in the Cutler derby that includes, at least initially, about half a dozen teams because there are other plans already afoot for the Miami quarterback position. Have you heard? The Dolphins are quite pleased with Chad Henne. He is their quarterback of the not-too-distant future.

As the linked story states: "Because of the confidence Miami has in Henne, the team is not interested in making a trade for a young but proven starting quarterback, such as Denver's Jay Cutler. The plan is to go with Pennington early this season and Henne by 2010."

Henne is so entrenched in Miami's plans, that Herald collegue Jeff Darlington reported last weekend he accompanied Bill Parcells, Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland as they worked out a handful of top-tier college wide receivers, including Hakeem Nicks, Percy Harvin and others.

Henne was brought along to throw to the receivers in the workouts because, well, he's going to be the guy throwing to them in the future if the receivers are drafted by Miami.

You might argue the Dolphins could improve dramatically by adding Cutler. The Dolphins would argue giving up the draft picks or players or both necessary to make the trade possible would weaken the team more than strengthen it. The Dolphins, you should remember, are in the business of collecting draft picks now, not trading them away.

You might argue Henne is unproven and Cutler is already a Pro Bowl player. The Dolphins might argue Henne has the makeup they like and Cutler's handling of his relationship with Denver coach Josh McDaniels raises questions about his makeup.

So the only part of the Jay Cutler saga you need worry about as a Dolphins fan is watching where he winds up. If it's Detroit or some other distant NFL outpost, the issue is moot to you. If he ends up with the division-rival Jets, which are apparently interested in the player, then it becomes a concern.

But only then.

  

What about (fill in name here) for Dolphins?

The last couple of days have served to fill up my Outlook box in Microsoft because many readers want to know what the chances are of Miami signing this veteran or that veteran, this aging receiver here, or that overpriced cornerback there, or possibly even that complaining quarterback over yonder.

So rather than spend an hour replying individually to everyone's e-mails on a day off, I figured I'd just work five minutes on here to answer everyone's questions in one fell swoop. [Blog effeciency note: 'Tis better to work five minutes than 60 minutes on a day off.]

Below you'll find the names of some veterans released or generally considered available via trade. And you'll find my take on whether the Dolphins will show interest or not. I have asked specifiically about some of these players. Others, I've not asked about and will tell you I haven't. But I have a guesstimate as to Miami's interest and will share that.

OK, here we go:

WR Torry Holt: The man nicknamed "Big Game" had his string of eight, count 'em, eight consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons broken in 2008 when he caught 64 passes for 796 yards. He also had a career low three TD receptions. And his average per reception, on the decline in three of the past four years, was at a career low 12.4 yards per catch. I have not asked about Holt because the timing isn't right for him to join the Dolphins. Let's face it, the Dolphins are going to draft a receiver. If this was May rather than March and Miami already had failed to come out of the draft with a receiver, this would be more of a possibility. But Miami is intent on adding youth and vibrancy and future potential to the receiver corps. Holt is none of those.

The Dolphins are going to take only five, and sometimes four, receivers to the game, as Tony Sparano would say. After Ted Ginn Jr., Davone Bess, Greg Camarillo and Brandon London (for special teams), there isn't a lot of roster room for a soon-to-be 33-year-old declining player, who doesn't play special teams, and probably wants to maximize his final chance at a contract. Other teams such as San Francisco, Pittsburgh or either New York team would be a better fit for Holt.

One more thing about Holt that all but erases his chances of playing for Miami. You recall last season's game between the Rams and Dolphins? At one point, late in the game, the Rams had the ball with a chance to win if they could author a touchdown drive. Throwing the ball on every down, the Rams scored a couple of first downs, but surprisingly, Holt was on the sideline at that time. In the game's most important moment, Holt took himself out of the game! He was not injured and he was not ordered to come out, I confirmed later. I asked cornerback Andre' Goodman what he made of Holt and Goodman told me he was surprised and that he had seen no fire in Holt's face all game long. That is not the reputation Holt carried throughout his previous 10 seasons. But it definitely is not the type of response or example the Dolphins need for their young receiver corps.

CB Pacman Jones: You guys that think this is a fit are simply trippin'. I know Adam Jones, as he supposedly goes by now, did an interview with Foxsports.com to rehabilitate his reputation. But that doesn't mean he's rehabilitated. What he is is a player three years removed from a good season. He is a guy who sat out all of 2007 on suspension, missed parts of 2008 because of another suspension, and is one misstep from another suspension. Oh, and he's not that good anymore. When he did play in 2008, he wasn't able to lock down many receivers, much less a starting job. He started six times in nine games, but that was only because the Cowboys were depleted at cornerback and they really had no other options. Bill Parcells, by the way, is a big believer in not hiring thugs. He hates the fact some of his players go to clubs because he believes nothing good ever comes out of those visits. He has told his players as much. So you think Parcells is then going to sign a player known for embracing the thug lifestyle and visiting all sorts of clubs, particularly ones with the word, "strip," in front of it? Stop it. Just stop it. 

QB Jay Cutler. Hmmmm. Very interesting. It is clear the Pro Bowl quarterback is on the outs in Denver. The Broncos considered trading him because Josh McDaniels is the new coach and the new coach apparently doesn't feel quite comfortable with the old coach's quarterback. And the old quarterback doesn't necessarily like the new coach, as every meeting between the two worsens a bad situation. So I look for Cutler, who is already selling his home in Denver, to be traded by draft day. Cutler would be an upgrade for the Dolphins. He's better than Chad Pennington. He's proven and Chad Henne is not. The guy took a team with no defense and no running game into the final game of the season with a chance to win the AFC West. That's how good he is.

But he would not come cheap. The Broncos would want a first-round pick for him along with other considerations. It's the other considerations that cloud the picture. If Denver wants two first round picks, that eliminates Miami because the need isn't big enough to justify the move. Other teams such as the Jets, Vikings, Houston, San Francisco, and St. Louis would pull the trigger on a such a deal before Miami ever would. So the chances of this happening in Miami are slim. But to dismiss those chances as impossible is wrong also.

CB Chris McAlister: His agent made a pitch to the Dolphins about signing McAlister but as of this morning, the Dolphins had not shown interest. I am thinking the signing of Eric Green to a two-year contract with base salaries of $1.2 million in 2009 and $1.625 million in 2010 sends a clear signal of Miami's intentions at cornerback:

The Dolphins will give Green the opportunity to compete for a starting job this season and maybe next. But they intend to bring in an early draft pick this year with the hope that rookie also competes for the same starting job. Would McAlister have been a better veteran option than Green? I think so, particularly since Green isn't being veiwed as the long-term solution. But I don't make these decisions and the Dolphins know more about these players than I ever could. So I don't think McAlister is in the picture now. 

DE/OLB Jason Taylor: As I've reported first and exclusively, the Dolphins have not closed the door on a JT sequel. Given the right circumstances, Bill Parcells would love the addition of a proven pass-rush threat that he believes would bring double-digit sacks to the team in 2009. But ...

The window of opportunity is closing. The Dolphins are scheduled to begin their offseason conditioning program March 30 and if Taylor wants to wear the aqua and orange again, he would have to fully commit to being part of that program from the start, and indeed, being a star in that program. I am not sure Taylor wants to make that commitment.

There is also the small issue of MONEY. The Dolphins are not able at the moment to give Taylor the two-year, $10-14 million deal he could probably get elsewhere. They could pay him excellent money, no doubt, but not premium money. So as Miami would welcome JT back under the right circumstances, it would be up to JT to decide if those circumstances suit him.

If he's about getting the biggest payday possible, he won't play in Miami. If he's about taking a vacation until training camp opens, he won't play in Miami.

But if he wants to return home, work his tail off in the conditioning program to prepare for a comeback season, be driven by something other than the biggest available paycheck, and play with a competitive and up-and-coming team, then Miami is his answer.

OK, my five minutes are up. Discuss at will ...

What's so special about special teams?

Everyone remembers last offseason the Dolphins spent a lot of time and resouces during free agency improving their special teams.

Keith Davis was signed to help on special teams. Charlie Anderson was signed to help on special teams. Reggie Torbor, we were told, would help on special teams. The Dolphins made a lot of elitist fans, people who think they know more about football than the average Mando, really happy because they were spending tons of time on their special teams.

Me? I want more points on offense and want the defense to yield fewer points. But I digress.

Earlier this week, a special teams study in the The Dallas Morning News showed which teams had great special teams play in 2008, and which did not. And, not surprisingly to anyone who watched the Dolphins throughout the season, Miami's special teams weren't really that special.

But the chart also shows something the elitists didn't expect: Special teams play is seriously overrated. That's right, spending undue time, effort and salary cap resources on special teams was something of a no-win proposition, at least in 2008.

If you study the overall chart, the worst special teams in the league belonged to the Indianapolis Colts, a team that won 12 games. The Dolphins were 30th and they won 11 games and the AFC East. The Arizona Cardinals were 28th and they won the NFC title and went to the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl champion Steelers were 20th, for goodness sake!

And the great special teams units, the ones that dominated the NFL? They didn't fare so well. 

Take the Buffalo Bills.

They have the distinction of being the best special teams in the NFL for the third time in five years -- and they have not made the playoffs any of those seasons. In fact, the Bills haven't been in the playoffs since the dawn of the new century.

The Cleveland Browns had a great special teams, according to the rankings. They were No. 3 and they didn't make the playoffs. The Oakland Raiders were No. 5. and they were terrible overall. In all, seven of the NFL's top 10 special teams units spent the postseason in front of their TVs watching teams with poor special teams compete for a Super Bowl berth.

So next time you hear a team, specifically the Dolphins, talk of improving the special teams, your reaction should be: So?

Health seems fine for Sparano, Dolphins

The Dolphins' fitness this offseason seems to be pretty good, according to coach Tony Sparano, who on Saturday spent some time talking about his and his players' health issues.

Sparano confirmed he spent some time in a hospital two weeks ago before going to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. He denied rumors the visit was caused by an irregular heartbeat.

"To be honest with you, for me, it was one those routine and get checked up kind of things," Sparano said. "They said I'm healthy as a cow. Or horse.

"I feel great. I feel really good. I'm going to take a break this week on Thursday."

Sparano looked fine, with plenty of color and energy, so there is no reason to think he's not well. As to the players, Sparano seemed upbeat, even saying rookie guard Donald Thomas will be healthy enough to take part in the offseason conditioning program.

"Players are getting healthy," he said. "They're doing a nice job right now. Some of the guys that were injured that need to rehab are in that rehab phase. It's too early to tell with someof them right now. We just finished this thing. Thankfully, other than the obvious injuries, the Camarillo's and the Smiley's, Donald Thomas is really doing pretty well right now. Other than those injuries there really was nothing that came at the end of the year that was significant."

I asked if Thomas, who suffered a foot injury in the regular-season opener and missed the rest of the season, would be inthe offseason program that begins in March. "Oh, Ibelieve so," Sparano said. "I can't put my finger on that yet. But I would say so. He's doing pretty well."

As to the health of Miami's roster, Sparano agrees with football czar Bill Parcells that the Dolphins have much improvement to do. Parcells said Friday the Dolphins need "more firepower."

"I'm not going to identify specific areas, but there are several areas we need to get better in," Sparano said. "Quite honestly, when you're a young team like us, we can get better in a lot of areas out there."

The interesting thing about the Dolphins is that they could easily improve next year and not have that improvement show dramatically in the won-loss record based on the fact the schedule seems tougher for 2009 than it was in 2008.

"It's not something I've sat there and really thought about," Sparano said. "I know we need some pieces to continue to get better and I think that was the plan when we came here. We knew we weren't going to solve everything in year one. We were fortunate to have a little bit of success but we will have a tougher road this yearwhen you look at the schedule.

"That's hard to tell because every year, I don't think people expected some of the teams we played this year not to be ... When you look at this whole thing down the road, I don't know where this whole thing will take us. It's our job to make the sure the team is better and is as well prepared as we can we get out there."

OT Jake Long headed to the Pro Bowl after all

Dolphins left tackle Jake Long, originally a first-alternate to the Pro Bowl, is going to Hawaii after all.

Long was named to the team Tuesday after Buffalo's Jason Peters ceded his spot on the squad for physical reasons. Long joins running back Ronnie Brown and linebacker Joey Porter as Miamians on the Pro Bowl roster.

"It's a huge honor to be named to the Pro Bowl team," Long said in a statement released by the Dolphins. "I'm excited about the opportunity to join so many other great players in the game, and looking forward to representing my teammates and the Dolphins organization in Hawaii."

Long, the first pick in the 2008 draft, becomes the first player selected No. 1 overall to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie since George Rogers did it for the New Orleans Saints in 1981. Only four No. 1 overall picks have made the Pro Bowl as rookies since the NFL merger in 1970 -- the other three were Rogers, Billy Sims and Earl Campbell.

Congrats, large man.

By the way, if you're thinking the Dolphins won't be going back to the offensive line in the draft, think again. I am told a player who is impressing the Miami contingent in Mobile, Ala., in advance of Saturday's Senior Bowl, is Oregon State's Andy Levitre.

Levitre, 6-3 and 317 pounds, played primarily right tackle for the Beavers. But he projects as a guard in the NFL and can always work at right tackle in a pinch -- something the flexibility loving Dolphins are always looking for.

Keep an eye on Levitre, who is not a first-rounder, but likely no worse than a third rounder.

Breaking down the chance of a Boldin trade

I'm not going to describe the ugly scene because a picture is worth a thousand words and, frankly, I don't want to overload the Internet with so many words as it might break or something. So check out Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin going after offensive coordinator Todd Haley on the sideline during Sunday's NFC Championship game.

Those eight seconds of boiling rage from Boldin came after months of simmering dissatisfaction the receiver felt while playing well for the Cardinals. Boldin, productive, competitive, and headed to the Super Bowl, is unhappy because he believes the Cardinals reneged on a promise to give him a new contract.

So his goals are to help his team win the Super Bowl and then force his team to trade him.

Boldin's agent, Miami-based Drew Rosenhaus, asked the Cardinals to trade the player on several occasions since July. I know Rosenhaus will make things seem more urgent this offseason -- turning a request into something of a demand.

So Boldin is hoping the Tampa Super Bowl is the first of many he plays in his native Florida this year. That's because Boldin badly wants a new contract, badly wants out of Arizona, and would prefer to play in Florida -- preferably with Miami, and possibly with Tampa or Jacksonville.

So we know Anquan Boldin would welcome the chance to become a Miami Dolphin. But is a trade plausible?

The chances are against it. I would say the chances are about one in ten ... thousand.

I believe the Cardinals might be tempted to move Boldin this offseason for the sake of removing an unhappy player from the locker room. Boldin has been productive and, video above notwithstanding, he is not usually a problem child. But Arizona has one of the two best receivers in the NFL in Larry Fitzgerald, another 1,000-yard receiver in Steve Breaston, and the chance to upgrade further in the coming draft if need be.

So the Cardinals would practically have to consider trading Boldin for a first-round pick and other considerations in the coming draft. The team will deny any desire to trade a core player such as Boldin because it sets a bad example that players can get out if they pout. But in truth, considering a trade that returns multiple draft picks makes business sense for the Cardinals.

And Boldin is probably worth multiple picks if you're talking about a late first rounder and possibly a late second-day pick. Remember Wes Welker has brought New England a nice return on their investment of a second- and seventh-round picks. Some GM needing to upgrade a receiver corps will consider it. Some GM out there would likely be willing to do it.

But is that GM's name Jeff Ireland? I seriously doubt it.

Big Tuna Bill Parcells and Tuna Helper Ireland seem convinced they can more effectively upgrade the Dolphins the more traditional way -- through the draft and free agency. Yes, they made several significant trades to upgrade the team last year, but did you see the picks they were willing to give up in those deals?

They gave up a fourth-rounder for Akin Ayodele and Anthony Fasano. They gave up a sixth-rounder for Jason Ferguson. First day picks? Not in their DNA. 

I grant you, Boldin is not typical bait dangling on the trade line. He is 28, which means he's just about entering his prime. He is a No. 1 receiver, as he has four seasons with at least 1,000 yards or more to his credit, including 2003 before Fitzgerald wason his team. And, although not rocket fast, Boldin is the prototype of what Parcells would love in a pass-catcher: He is 6-1 and 218 pounds of chiseled granite that punishes the secondary with yards after catch as well as good blocking downfield.

From a production standpoint, Boldin would be perfect in Miami.

But here are the problems -- and there are plenty:

1. The Dolphins are trying to be in the business of collecting draft picks, not shipping them elsewhere. They have nine picks in the coming draft, including three in the first two rounds.

2. The sideline outburst in which Boldin ripped into Haley, even as the coach was trying to direct Arizona's game-winning drive, was terrible form. It made Boldin seem more selfish than competitive.

3. The fact Boldin wants out of Arizona only because he wants a new deal has to worry Miami or anyone else considering him. Boldin has two seasons remaining on his current deal, which he signed after the 2005 season. Were the Dolphins to make the trade and give Boldin a new deal, what guarantee would they have that two years from now, the player wouldn't want to start from scratch all over again?

So what we have is a player who will do all he can this offseason to escape a Super Bowl team. He will do all he can to get home to Florida first, but really, get any place that gives him a new contract. We have a local agent who can be very persuasive. And we have a rare talent and production level that is tempting because the draft might not offer an equivalent.

We also have a Super Bowl team that likely would listen to trade offers to rid itself of a disgruntled player while also getting a chance to add valuable draft picks.

And we have a big-play starved Miami offense that could seriously use the upgrade.

It all adds up nicely on paper.

But this deal wouldn't be made on paper. And, considering all the factors involved, I doubt it would be made at all. 

Cameron Wake: 'I know I can play' in the NFL

New Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake just took part in a conference call with a handful of American and Canadian reporters.

During the call Wake addressed what seems to be the biggest question about his weekend signing with the Dolphins after a stellar career with the British Columbia Lions: Can he match what he did in the CFL in the NFL, particularly after not getting drafted in 2005, then washing out with the New York Giants and not playing in 2006?

"I know I can play," Wake said. "And I know what I can do. Every time I step on the field I wanted to show people that I belong and that I can play and produce. That's the mentality I took to the CFL and that's the mentality I'm going with to the NFL."

Wake was out of football entirely in 2006. He has worked as a mortgage broker.

"Definitely wasn't something I appreciated," he said of his time away from football. "Not being in football, I was sitting at home on the couch watching people I played with and played against all my life. I know what it's not like to not play. I know what it's like to be at home hoping and wishing I could play. It's something I can carry with me the rest of my life."

Wake suffered an MCL tear in 2001 but that clearly wasn't the reason he was not drafted in 2005. It also wasn't the 4.49 time in the 40-yard dash Wake said he ran at his pro day. So why wasn't Wake drafted?

"That's the first question I asked," Wake said. "I had no idea. I know I wasn't a dominator or crazy All-American in college. But I tested with any of the names at linebacker and at defensive end at the combine and during workouts. So I don't know. That's a good question."

Wake played defensive end for the BC Lions and led the CFL in sacks both his seasons there. But he says he's already been told he's going to be used as an outside linebacker in Miami. He said he weighs between 250 and 260 now.

Wake said between four and five NFL teams showed serious interest in signing him immediately after the CFL season was over. So why Miami?

"I wanted to eliminate all the fluff," Wake said. "It wasn't about whoever offered the biggest deal. It was about the coaching staffs, the opportunity, the organizations. Miami put themselves above the others in those things even if it wasn't by much."

Having said all this, I would caution all of you to appreciate the signing but not go overboard. The fact this is good but not great contract as it would relate to proven free agents should tell you how the Dolphins view it.

The team is hopeful Wake comes as advertised. If he does, I would say Charlie Anderson should be worried. But to suggest this signing makes Matt Roth obsolete is wrong. Roth will come to camp and compete as will Wake.

And the better player will play.

Cameron Wake signs Miami Dolphins contract

[This entry has been updated as Wake has now officially signed and the Dolphins announced the signing of another player today also.]

The Dolphins thought they had turned over a stone and found a shiny diamond when they brought CFL defensive end Cameron Wake to Miami for a workout last week. Then, after an impressive workout, they sat down to negotiate with the kid and realized other teams were also trying to tap the potential mother lode.

So the Dolphins not only had to outbid eight other interested teams for Wake, they had to give the kid a nice chunk of guaranteed money to land him. But land him they apparently have.

Wake, the CFL's leading sacker the past two seasons, has agreed  and signed a four-year contract with the Dolphins, the team is now confirming. Wake's deal is worth approximately $3.6 million with over $900,000 in guarantees. The contract has incentives clauses that could add about $1 million to the deal.

The Dolphins also just announced the signing of safety Ethan Kilmer, who spent the past three years with the Cincinnati Bengals. Kilmer, 25, is going to have to overcome injury problems to make an impact in Miami as he's been on the injured reserve each of the past two seasons.

In case you haven't heard Wake's tale, this is some background you should read.

The Dolphins have been searching for a pass-rusher so that it's not all about Joey Porter next year. The team also realizes Porter, who led the team with 17.5 sacks last year, will be 32 in March. At 6-3 and 241 pounds, Wake is not a defensive end in the 3-4 set. He is more suited to the strong or weak side linebacker spots in Miami's base defense.

The team can use him as a down end, however, in its four-man rush on obvious passing downs. By the way, the video below shows Wake in the BC Lions locker room, basically jumping to the ceiling and getting himself some lunch money for his trouble.

Third in series: A look at free agency

[Blog note: This is the third in a series of posts evaluating Miami's player acquisition moves of 2008. Today: Free agency. Next, which does not necessarily mean tomorrow: The draft.]

We've already agreed in the first two parts of this series that Big Tuna Bill Parcells and Tuna Helper Jeff Ireland did magnificent work in remaking, refurbishing and retooling the Dolphins this season. We've already established they did great work overall and did great work with their trades.

Unrestricted free agency?

Did I mention they did great work with their trades?

Unrestricted free agency was not the duo's shining moment, with the exception of one Chad Pennington. I grant you, signing Pennington as a free agent when the Jets released him was Miami's signature move of the season.

Pennington changed everything. But does that completely erase the problems with signing Ernest Wilford? And Josh McCown? And Boomer Grigsby, and Chris Crocker, and Sean Ryan?

Were it not for Pennington becoming unexpectedly available, Miami's 2008 venture into free agency would have graded a C-minus, at best. Of course, Pennington's acquisition turned an ugly picture into a winning portrait.

But as the team prepares for the start of a new free agency period in about a month, one hopes some lessons have been learned. The Dolphins seemed to overpay on some players -- Wilford. The Dolphins figured some players would develop into starters and they did not -- Randy Starks.

And the Dolphins refused to dabble in any players past the age of 26-27 when clearly expanding the horizon a bit might have improved the team's ability to add talent. On the bright side, Miami apparently learned that last lesson by the time the 32-year-old Pennington became available.

What follows is a player by player breakdown of the free agents Miami signed from other teams. Miami's own free agent signees will be evaluated later in the series.

The player: QB Chad Pennington. The deal: Signed a two-year, $7.9 million contract on Aug. 8. The deal included a $500,000 guaranteed roster bonus for 2008. The skinny: The Dolphins convinced Pennington to come to Miami over Kansas City. That was great for both parties, but greater for Miami. Pennington brought leadership, confidence and work ethic to the QB, something the offense had lacked for years. Pennington was the team MVP and that far overshadowed the fact he is still challenged in getting the football down the field because of his arm strength. Pennington has already been named the starter for the 2009 season by coach Tony Sparano. The bottom line: Stellar acquisition.

The player: OLB Charlie Anderson. The deal: Signed a three-year, 7.35 million contract on Feb. 29. The deal included a $2.5 million guarantee. The skinny: He was the starting weak side linebacker for about five minutes during training camp before the Dolphins realized he wasn't good enough for the duty. So Anderson instead was asked to become a special teams and pass-rushing specialist. As the special teams specialist, Anderson was Miami's third-leading tackler but led the special teams in penalties, including one that cost a touchdown. As a rusher, Anderson had 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles. The bottom line: Anderson was OK but to say he played up to his contract is exaggeration.

The player: QB Josh McCown. The deal: Signed a two-year, $2.25 million  contract on Feb. 29. The deal included a $2.5 million signing bonus. The skinny: McCown would have been a good hire as a backup, but the Dolphins actually considered him starter material when they signed him. Bad call. McCown struggled in training camp and was actually playing no better, perhaps worse, than rookie Chad Henne when Pennington dropped from heaven. The bottom line: The luck in getting Pennington overshadowed the lack of insight in believing McCown could start. But the Dolphins should try to avoid living on the edge like that in the future.

The player: G Justin Smiley. The deal: Signed a five-year, $25 million contract on Feb. 29. The deal included $9 million in guarantees. The skinny: Smiley was confident he would be better than Alan Faneca, who signed with the Jets for a lot more gaudy numbers. That didn't happen even as Faneca declined somewhat. Smiley came to the Dolphins with something of an injury history and, through no fault of his, was injured when the team was making its final-month push for the playoffs. But Smiley was invaluable in helping rookie Jake Long. He was tough. He usually played well when he was healthy. He was an excellent locker room influence. The bottom line: This one won't be decided for another year or two. If Smiley can find a way to get, and stay healthy, this signing will prove wise. If he isn't on the field all the time the next couple of years, the Dolphins didn't get their money's worth.

The player: DL Randy Starks. The deal: Signed a five-year, $20.05 million contract on March 1. The deal included $7 million in guarantees, of which $5.75 million was a signing bonus. The skinny: Starks played and produced better in 2008 with Miami than he did in 2007 with Tennessee. So in that regard, he was what the Dolphins hoped -- a player on the rise. But Starks was also something of enigma in that he didn't produce as much as he had in 2005 and 2006, and he spent the entire season behind a couple of rookies in Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford. The bottom line: If this is the price of depth on the defensive line, it didn't come cheap.

The player: ILB Reggie Torbor. The deal: Signed a four-year, $14 million contract on March 1. The deal included $5 million in guarantees, of which $4 million was a signing bonus. The skinny: This signing will pay dividends (or not) this offseason. At that point, the Dolphins may feel good enough about Torbor to allow Channing Crowder to walk via free agency. But if the Dolphins make moves that ensure Torbor will continue being a fallback option at ILB, then his contract seems way too rich for a backup and special teams player. The bottom line: If this is the price of depth and special teams help, it was way too expensive.

The player: Boomer Grigsby. The deal: Signed a one year, $525,000 contract on March 5. The contract included a $5,000 signing bonus. The skinny: Grigsby was a victim of not having familiarity with the Dolphins coaching staff while also declining at the wrong time. He was replaced by Casey Cramer, who played for several Miami coaches in Carolina. Grigsby didn't help his cause by missing a key block in the season opener, but his fate seemed sealed even before that game was played. He did not sign with another team during the season. The bottom line: You win some, you lose some. The loss is mitigated by the nominal investment.

The player: S Keith Davis. The deal: Signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract on March 11. The skinny: Part of the Cowboyfication of the Dolphins, Davis seemed like a lock to make the team. But before the final preseason game he was cut even though Miami didn't need to make space on the roster. Davis was better on special teams than several players that remained on the roster. And later in the season coach Tony Sparano said Davis cut because he was behind other players at safety -- except the Dolphins then had to bring in less accomplished safetys such as Brannon Condren and Courtney Bryan to play on special teams. Davis re-signed with the Cowboys. The bottom line: The signing was a good one but waiving the guy was a mistake.

The player: Nathan Jones. The deal: Signed a two year contract with undisclosed terms on March 14. The skinny: Another former Cowboy signed primarily to play on special teams, Jones was valuable on special teams throughout the season and increased his value starting in Miami's nickel and dime package the final month of the season. The bottom line: Assuming he got about $1 million per year, Jones was a good addition.

The player: Chris Crocker. The deal: Signed a one-year, $1.15 million contract on March 31. The deal included $300,000 in guarantees. The skinny: It looked like a wise move for a while as Crocker took the free safety spot Jason Allen could not keep during training camp. And then the season actually started and Crocker was responsible for several busted coverages in the deep secondary. He was demoted, then released on Oct. 21. Interestingly, Crocker joined the Bengals and became a valued member of their secondary. The bottom line: You win some, you lose some. This was a loss.

The player: WR Ernest Wilford. The deal: Signed a four-year, $13 million contract on March 1. The deal included a $6 million signing bonus. The skinny: Wilford was inactive 10 of 17 games, including a playoff game in which the Dolphins felt more comfortable going with only three receivers than having him suited up. Wilford caught three passes for 23 yards and was labeled a, "disappointment," by an understating Ireland midway through the season. The bottom line: Miami's worst personnel move the entire season, including free agency, trades, and draft.

The player: TE Sean Ryan. The deal: Signed a one-year, terms undisclosed. The skinny: He was waived Sept. 12 when the team needed to make room on the roster for T Kirk Barton, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago. The moved proved fruitless all the way around as Barton was waived a month later. The bottom line: The Anthony Fasano trade erased the mistake of this signing.

Dolphins go international in talent search

This summer Bill Parcells assigned a couple of Dolphins scouts to scour the CFL for talent.

"Find me a guy that can do something special," Parcells told his scouts.

The scouts answered that mandate this week when they presented the Dolphins with one Derek Cameron Wake. Wake, 6-3 and 241 pounds, is a former Penn State linebacker. In 2005 he was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent but was eventually released in 2006.

In 2007, finding no NFL suitors, Wake signed with the British Columbia Lions. Having struggled as a tweener with the Giants, Wake was converted from a linebacker to a defensive end in BC. Wake rewarded the Lions with 16 sacks and earned the league's rookie of the year and defensive player of the year awards.

This season, Wake picked up where he left off -- in the backfield tormenting quarterbacks -- as he led the league with an eye-popping 23 sacks. And he was named most outstanding defensive player again.

This week Wake got a workout with the Dolphins because he can do something special and because his specialty happens to be a Dolphins need. The Dolphins are looking desperately for pass-rush help. Although Miami had a very respectable 40 sacks in 2008, 17.5 of those came from one player, Joey Porter. So the Dolphins are looking for another pass-rushing threat.

Although Wake cannot play defensive end in the NFL at his current 241 pounds, he can definitely help in Miami's four-man rush in nickel and dime situations. (This suggests Charlie Anderson could become expendable.) Anyway, Wake was good in his workout, according to a source. The guy is in shape -- a big plus to the Dolphins -- and apparently has a great motor.

It will be interesting to see if he is signed as a free agent.

Check out the video of Wake getting the outstanding defensive player award from 2007. It includes some of his work.

First of series: Rating the 2004-2006 drafts

[This is the first of a series of articles analyzing Miami's drafts and personnel acquisitions. The series will run through the end of the week. Next: Grading Jeff Ireland and Bill Parcells.]

During the hard times, which I guess was anytime after 1995 and before 2008, much was written about how the Dolphins got little or no help from their drafts.

Remember the sobering statistics about the 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 drafts? The Dolphins have a grand total of one player -- Yeremiah Bell -- from those drafts helping the cause now. Those drafts, in part, were blamed for the franchise's steep decline prior to this season.

One could not really measure or rate the 2004, 2005 and 2006 drafts because, to be fair, the results don't come in fully on a draft until each class has at least three seasons to prove itself. Well, three seasons or more have passed for the 2004-2006 classes as well. And outside of 2005, the results are not good.

Today the Dolphins have one player on the roster drafted in 2004. In other words, of the class that saw Vince Wilfork, Steven Jackson, Chris Snee, and Bob Sanders picked after Miami selected in the first round, there remains one player on the Miami roster -- first round pick Vernon Carey.

And Carey is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month unless he signs a new contract.

So the 2004 draft class that included such memorable acquisitions as Tony Bua and shrewd moves such as the trading away of a fourth-round pick to Minnesota to move up one spot in the first round, the Dolphins got one player with lasting value.

No wonder Miami had a new coach and a new personnel administration by 2005. And that new coach and general manager, Nick Saban, had his finest hour in 2005. He won more games (9) in 2005 than in his other season (6). And his 2005 draft was successful.

The Dolphins plucked three starters with lasting value, including one Pro Bowl player, out of the 2005 draft. Pro Bowl running back Ronnie Brown was picked in the first round, starting outside linebacker Matt Roth was picked in the second round, and starting inside linebacker Channing Crowder was picked in the third round. The Dolphins even got a little mileage out of fourth-round selection Travis Daniels.

In rating the 2005 draft a success, one must also remember Saban salvaged a pretty bad situation. He wasn't supposed to have a second-round pick because previous GM Rick Spielman had traded to Philadelphia for A.J. Feeley. But Saban got a second-rounder back when he traded away Patrick Surtain. Saban also didn't have Miami's own third-round pick based on the Lamar Gordon panic move trade from the year before, and didn't have a sixth-round pick in the David Boston fiasco trade -- again, left to him by Dave Wannstedt and Spielman.

So one must say Saban did well in his 2005 draft, considering what he had to work with.

2006? Not so much.

The players drafted in 2006 have now finished their third NFL season. And they are now proven to be unspectacular in most cases, and labeled as busts in other cases.

The 2006 draft brought Miami Joe Toledo in the fourth round. The guy was cut by Miami last January, picked up by San Francisco, and true to form, did not play in a regular-season game. The second round pick was forfeited to Minnesota in the trade for Daunte Culpepper. You know how that worked out.

Miami had no fifth-round selection because it invested that pick during the supplemental draft on one Manny Wright. Wright's best game in Miami was his crying game, which you can see below in the video. Anyway, three years and six tackles later, Wright was out of the league in 2008.

Fred Evans, picked with the first of three seventh-round selections, showed promise but was cut when he threw up in a Miami Beach taxi cab and was arrested for public intoxication and allegedly assaulting the driver. Seriously, I don't have the imagination to make this stuff up. Evans played this season as a backup with the Minnesota Vikings.

And that brings us to the two remaining players still on the Miami roster from that 2006 draft: First-rounder Jason Allen and 7b pick Rodrique Wright.

Wright has been something of a non-factor. He started nine games in 2007 when injuries devastated the team. He didn't play in any regular-season games this season, as he was inactive every weekend.

But the guy was a seventh-round pick -- the second of Miami's three seventh-rounders. It's understandable when someone picked that late doesn't contribute. At least the guy has shown enough promise to be on the roster so the coaches can work with him.

Jason Allen is another story. After this, his third season in the league, he is officially a bust.

Allen is an enigma to me. He has size (6-1, 200 pounds). He is fast and quick enough to play. He always seems to be around the football, as evidenced by his three interceptions in 2007 when he started nine games.

But something just fails to click every time he gets an opportunity. And he's had plenty of those. In his rookie season the Dolphins tried him at safety, where he didn't seem to understand Saban's complex system, and at cornerback, where he didn't seem to understand Saban's complex system.

When Saban left, new coach Cam Cameron kept Allen at safety and wanted him to compete there. Except Allen couldn't compete. He was overmatched by the skill and experience of players such as Cameron Worrell. Cameron Worrell!

It wasn't until the Dolphins suffered injuries to Worrell and Bell and Renaldo Hill and a couple of other guys, that Allen got his shot. And Allen played OK during that opportunity, considering he was basically playing for the first time.

So we all hoped for better in 2008. And initially things looked better. Allen was basically handed the starting free safety job in training camp which no one questioned because he's a freaking first-round pick! But Allen's grasp on the job was fleeting.

Chris Crocker passed him. Renaldo Hill, coming back from knee reconstruction, passed him. Even when Crocker was cut, Allen still couldn't get ahead of guys like Courtney Bryant or Tyrone Culver in the deep secondary.

So the Dolphins moved him to cornerback, where he started in Miami's nickel package for ... five minutes.  And then Randy Moss burned him and it was over for him. Allen was removed from the nickel defense and was passed by Nathan Jones and then Joey Thomas.

Allen was playing only on special teams when the season ended.

So to recap: Saban didn't know what to do with Allen so he benched him. Cam Cameron tried him at two different spots but didn't trust him until half the team got injured and a couple of fans refused to come out of the stands to play safety. Then, handed a starting free safety job this season, Allen handed it back. Then he lost his position, then was moved to a new position and handed a new job in the nickel package. Then he handed that back as street free agents passed him on the depth chart.

Initially, I believed Allen was getting a bum deal.

Then I thought he was just unlucky. I'm now convinced he cannot be very good when three coaching staffs have basically relegated him to special teams duty.

There is a word that defines a first-round pick who plays only special teams in Year Three of his career: Bust.

And that makes the 2006 Dolphins draft every bit a bust as some of the others.

Notes off the divisional playoff weekend

Some notes coming out of the playoff weekend and headed toward the championship weekend:

There are reports suggesting one of Miami's AFC East rivals is about to be weakened. The Boston Globe is reporting talks between personnel genius Scott Pioli and the Kansas City Chiefs are progressing. This suggests the Pats could lose part of the personnel acumen that has helped keep them competitive the past, oh, eight seasons or so.

Meanwhile, this ESPN story says the Denver Broncos have hired New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. It was under McDaniels that Tom Brady had his best NFL season in 2007. It was under McDaniels that Matt Cassel went from an anonymous backup to a solid starter when Brady was injured practically all of 2008.

The Dolphins defense won't be seeing McDaniels in 2009 unless the Broncos and Dolphins meet in the playoffs.

So while the Patriots have survived a talent drain over the years, next season they might be dealing with something of a brain drain. Can't wait.

--------------------------

You should know by know that quarterback Tim Tebow is staying at the University of Florida.

So my blog post about him fitting in with Miami's Wildcat package if he comes out is now moot. But, as many of you rightly suggested, West Virginia's Pat White would also be a pretty good fit for that package.

And those of you claiming the Dolphins will scrap Wildcat next year because they'll be much improved offensively and won't need a gimmick spark for their attack, I pose this question: How do you know for sure?

Oh, that's right, you don't.

------------------------

Have you noticed the four teams in the NFL conference championship games?

Philadelphia, Arizona, Pittsburgh and Baltimore all have something in common: They all play killer defense or have been playing killer defense in the playoffs.

The Steelers had the NFL's No. 1-rated defense in the regular season. The Ravens had the NFL's No. 2-rated defense in the regular season. The Eagles had the NFL's No. 3-rated defense in the regular season.

The Cardinals? They were rated No. 19.

But they are allowing a paltry 259 yards per game in the playoffs and that's better than any of the other three teams still alive. They have seven interceptions, which is best in the playoffs. They have five sacks, which is best in the playoffs. And they are yielding only 67.5 rushing yards per game in the postseason, which is second to Pittsburgh of all the teams still alive.

The point is that in this postseason, like most others I've witnessed, the most dominant defenses have advanced.

Suggests the Dolphins would do well to continue upgrading their defense if they hope to do what coach Tony Sparano said was the goal for next season: Win a playoff game.

Tim Tebow a perfect fit for the Dolphins wildcat?

Like all underclassmen, University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow must decide by Thursday whether to enter the upcoming NFL draft or stay on campus.

I am told that Tebow sought and received information from the NFL's advisory committee for underclassmen. I have no idea what exactly he was told, but the opinion of three scouts and one GM I've contacted the past five days is this:

Tebow will go anywhere from the late, late first round to the fourth round.

"His intangibles make him someone you definitely want on your team," one scout told me. "But those intangibles would be diminished if he's just sitting on the bench and not producing. You cannot lead or be a leader from the bench. And that's where I think he'd be spending most of his time."

So why all the Gator stuff on a Dolphins blog?

Well, there is this: If Tebow decides to come out, and I stress that decision is not public one way or the other yet, you must be very wary of the New England Patriots trying to draft him. New England coach Bill Belichick is very close with Florida coach Urban Meyer and attended the game between Florida and Oklahoma. It should not surprise if Belichick, who spent time with Meyer the past couple of offseasons, gets access to whatever inside information there is to be had on Tebow.

Also of interest to the Dolphins is the fact they run the wildcat package and probably will continue to do so as long as they deem it viable. Well, hello, is there anyone more suited to running that package than Tebow?

Tebow would be more effective in the wildcat than anyone I can think of outside of Vince Young. [Really surprised the Titans didn't use it, but I guess they did well for themselves without it.] Tebow would be more effective than Ronnie Brown because, unlike Brown, Tebow is a legitimate threat to pass.

Teams copied the Ravens strategy of blitzing the wildcat package late in the season. The best way to beat that blitz is to throw the football. Except the Dolphins were not entirely comfortable with Brown throwing downfield very often.

The comfort level would rise dramatically with Tebow. And it would make Tebow, a quarterback that needs polishing and experience in the NFL, and instant contributor to a team like Miami. I guess what I'm telling you is that he has the perfect make-up for the Dolphins -- size, strength, never injured, great attitude, and ability to contribute immediately.

No, I'm not advocating Tebow as a first round pick. But as one of Miami's two second rounders? No doubt in my mind. And laugh if you wish, but folks laughed at me when I advocated drafting Devin Hester between late first and early third rounds also -- and look how that turned out for Chicago.

Discuss ... And enjoy the video.

Bowles uses Miami experience in interviews

Dolphins assistant Todd Bowles has completed his interviews for the head coach job at Detroit and Denver and he's talking to the Denver media about his experience of the past couple of days.

"[The Lions] were 0-16, so they were very interested in the turnaround we had in Miami," Bowles told the Rocky Mountain News. "The Broncos are in a little different situation, but I feel like I've been preparing for this kind of job - to be a head coach - for a long time. I've always felt like it was important to do all of the things necessary to be prepared if the opportunity to be a head coach came my way."

Bowles, so far the only Miami assistant to parlay the success of 2008 into a head coaching interview, is convinced what he learned this season with the Dolphins can be invaluable to any team he works for in the future.

"I don't know if what we did helps my cause, but maybe they're talking to me just because of the turnaround," Bowles said. "But it's not like the Broncos are 0-16, 1-15 and are looking for that kind of total turnaround. Having been a part of it, though, you understand what change is about and how you go about it, that everybody has to be involved and be willing to do what it takes to make a different result."

The Broncos have interviewed seven candidates and there are reports that is where owner Pat Bowlen will stop now and decide in what direction to carry his search. For the record, Dolphins assistants who are not coordinators are not allowed to speak with the media in South Florida. But the Dolphins apparently have no such restrictions on their assistants when they're in other cities.

I wish Bowles the best in his search to land a head coaching gig. If he doesn't do it this year, it won't be long -- another year or two -- before he's climbing the coaching ladder.

The truth about Miami's interior offensive line

Unlike most weeks during this Dolphins season when neither you, nor I, nor the Dolphins, can chew on one game for days and days after it is history, Sunday's playoff game against Baltimore is still on my mind. It is also on the NFL Network, which replayed the game much of Wednesday.

So I watched. And watched. And watched again.

And the result, inexplicably, never improved.

But one thing did become clear as I studied what happened in this defeat. Yes, the Dolphins turned the ball over five times. Yes, Chad Pennington had his worst game of the season. Yes, the defense gave up a long Ravens clinching drive in the final five minutes.

But this game was really, truly decided at the line of scrimmage where the interior of the Ravens defensive line and blitzing linebackers dominated Dolphins center Samson Satele, left guard Andy Alleman, and right guard Ikechuku Ndukwe. The score Sunday was 27-9. It was much, much, much worse than that if one judges the play of Miami's interior line.

Here is the truth of what happened:

Miami's offensive tackles didn't play great nor horribly. Left tackle Jake Long yielded a sack to Terrell Suggs while Vernon Carey gave up one to Trevor Pryce. But both tackles were responsible for man-blocking on all but a handful of pass plays. They were both 1-on-1 with pretty good rushers all game and did well on all but two plays.

So that wasn't an issue.

The interior of the line was a different, terrible story.

On one Ronnie Brown run to the left, Baltimore nose tackle Haloti Ngata picks Ndukwe up, tosses him about two feet to the left and Ndukwe lands where the hole on the left side is supposed to be. Brown actually goes head over heels over Ndukwe and then Ngata finishes him off. It looked like Brown got jacked up by a Ngata on TV and that he got right back up in defiance. But the slow motion shows Brown simply having his legs cut out from under him by Ndukwe's rag doll impersonation.

I have never seen anything like that in such tight space.

The Ravens blitzed a lot on Sunday. And the Dolphins could not figure out how to stop it. On one play, Ray Lewis blitzed between Satele and Ndukewe and neither one blocked him. He was there. And, zip, he was past and into the Miami backfield. It didn't result in a sack, but it led to an incomplete pass.

On Pennington's interception to start the second half, the Ravens rushed four. Long and Carey handled their assignments one-on-one. But Miami's interior trio cannot block Ngata and Pryce. Ndukwe and Satele double team Ngata while Alleman blocks Pryce. Except that Ngata beats both Ndukwe and Satele. So Alleman peels off Pryce to pick up the charging nose tackle. That leaves Pryce free to force Chad Pennington into throwing the football. He happened to throw it into a swarm of three defensive backs, but that is beside the point. The point is three Miami linemen are beaten by two Ravens defensive linemen.

That was bad, but it wasn't ridiculous. This was ridiculous: With the score 20-9 and the Dolphins at the Baltimore 25 yard line everything collapses for the Dolphins. On a second-and-seven, the wheels came off the cart. Dan Henning called a Ted Ginn end around at the same time the Ravens called for a blitz. The end around was set up with the Dolphins using an unbalanced line to the right side with Long outside of Carey.

That left tight end Anthony Fasano on the left side, with Alleman inside of him, and then Satele, then Ndukwe, then Carey and Long. Fasano got a block. Alleman pulled right, and that leaves Satele and Ndukwe doing their impersonation of swinging gates while a horde of Baltimore defenders poured through. Three Ravens were in the backfield as Ginn didn't seem to want took the handoff and fumbled it.

That 19-yard loss killed Miami's momentum and pretty much sealed the loss.

"We had favorable matchups and we took advantage of them," Pryce said. "It's quite simple."

So here is the deal: The Dolphins should, must address the interior of their offensive line this offseason. They cannot compete with elite defenses with this starting group. I realize neither Alleman nor Ndukwe were slated to be starters in 2008 but that doesn't change the need to upgrade there in 2009.

Obviously Donald Thomas is supposed to come back in 2009 after missing all but two quarters in 2008. And Justin Smiley is also supposed to return. But both are hopes. The Dolphins hope Thomas, a rookie last year, can live up to his potential and not be an injury-prone guy. The Dolphins hope Smiley, who has finished each of the past two seasons on the injured reserve list, is not an injury-prone guy. Smiley, by the way, is having another shoulder procedure this offseason.

I believe the Dolphins must add at least one starting caliber guard to hedge their bet. See how the Shawn Murphy pick is starting to hurt?

The Dolphins also need a starting center. There. I said it. Satele is not a starting center, in my opinion. He isn't very physical, he doesn't really move anyone in the running game, and on pass plays, I often see him with his back to the defense, chasing the on-rushing defender that just whipped him as the defender makes a target out of Miami's QB.

I am officially debunking the myth that Satele is a good player. He wasn't that against Baltimore, and I've seen him struggle too often during the regular season to believe he's any better than average -- maybe not even that. Satele is a guy you want as a backup center-guard, a swing guy. When he assumes that role, you'll know the Miami offensive line has upgraded.

Anyway, if you forgot what the debacle along the interior of Miami's offensive line looked like Sunday, watch the video. Make your own decision.

Peterson: Miami job "not going to happen"

Former Chiefs boss Carl Peterson bid his farewell to Kansas City on Tuesday, but failed to shut the door on the possibility he might soon be joining the Dolphins in some capacity under new owner Stephen Ross. Wednesday he was much more convincing on that matter.

"It's not going to happen," Peterson told the Associated Press. "I have good friends there, but I need to get away for a while. It's been 20 years of making decisions every day and I need a rest."

There is but no doubt Peterson -- seen in the picture wearing the famous Dolphins pin I reported about Tuesday -- was angling for a job when he was visiting with incoming Miami owner Stephen Ross during Sunday's playoff game against Baltimore at Dolphin Stadium. And there is no doubt he had the opportunity but not the desire to close the door on that possibility Tuesday.

So I'm speculating (and that is all it is at this moment) that something happened between Tuesday and Wednesday when Peterson apparently is leaving nothing to interpretation.

That obviously is a good sign for Dolphins fans that want there be no chance Bill Parcells leaves the Dolphins once Ross becomes the owner. The Peterson obstacle apparently being cleared makes the road to a good relationship between Ross and Parcells a lot smoother.

But again, nothing is done until something is done. And Ross has yet to take over the team and Parcells has yet to say he is definitely staying. So stay tuned.

But at least for now, this shred of news is good.