Miami Dolphins In Depth

Tonight's game a chance for a little revenge

BUFFALO -- Here it is. The opportunity. This is the night.

If you are old enough and remember back long enough to know that Dave Wannstedt did enormous damage to the Miami Dolphins, then tonight is the opportunity for a bit of revenge.

It was Wannstedt who was pushed upon Dolphins fans when Jimmy Johnson convinced Wayne Huizenga to pick his friend Wannstedt to coach the team -- even after Johnson had failed in the assignment.

At first it seemed like a good idea. The Dolphins won the AFC East in 2000 under Wannstedt. And then the slow, steady decline of a franchise ensued. First the records got increasingly worse, then the team stopped making the playoffs. The wasting of talent Johnson drafted -- including Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain -- was underway.

And by the time Wannstedt was ousted (he quit after he was told he'd be fired) at midseason in 2004, the Dolphins were no longer the shining example of an NFL franchise they had been under Don Shula.

All that comes rushing back to me because tonight the Dolphins meet a unit Wannstedt coaches for the first time since 2004. Oh, Wannstedt was with the Bills last year when Reggie Bush went for over 200 rushing yards. But he was not the man in charge of the Bills defense. Now, he's the Bills defensive coordinator.

Did I mention the Bills have the worst defense in the NFL?

They give up more points on average than anyone. Perhaps the fact Wannstedt is still running that old 4-3 with press corners and not much change game-to-game is one reason. I was told by a long-time Buffalo observer the Bills didn't blitz the first four games of the season.

"Vanilla is a good word for it," he told me of the Bills defense.

Awesome! 

All I'm saying is this is a purely emotional issue. This is not a football issue. The players on the field tonight have nothing to do with this. This is between Dolphins fans who still remember the start of this century and the man responsible for Miami's decline at that time.

Revenge, you say?

You bet.

By the way, there's a live blog coming tonight. I'll post the inactives in a few minutes. Hop on board. I'll join the blog at kickoff.

Proof Dolphins are working these days

The Dolphins are in the middle of their offseason program and I know this because the pictures don't lie.

Below are Reggie Bush, a workout machine, on the bench; quarterback Matt Moore, who will be competing for a starting job, doing some heavy lifting; and cornerback Sean Smith is showing off his new look hair cut.

(All photos courtesy the Miami Dolphins)

Ireland's assignment is simple really -- make a difference

Jeff Ireland will conduct his 2011 pre-draft presser (as ordered by NFL rules) today and I will be certain to look beneath his footwear to check for a net. I'm pretty certain I will not find one, but for journalism's sake one has to confirm things.

I want to confirm Ireland is indeed operating in this draft without the Bill Parcells net under him.

This draft, you see, Ireland's on his own. It's his baby and his alone. To him goes the glory if things work out. To him goes the ignominy if things don't.

This draft will be different for the Dolphins in that there can be no rewrite of history when or if things go wrong. The Pat White draft pick, for example, was pretty much an orphan for quite some time until the last three months when I got Ireland and Parcells to took responsibility for the mistake on the record -- Ireland on my radio show, Parcells in a column I wrote last week.

No big deal, but I think that kind of set the record straight.

Parcells is still proud of the Jake Long pick and doesn't deem it a mistake but he understands, he also told me, if some folks think Matt Ryan would have been the better selection. The Big Tuna has also told me that in the spring of 2008 he sent Dan Henning, Tony Sparano and Ireland to Ann Arbor (to see Chad Henne), to Delaware (to see Joe Flacco) and to Boston (to see Ryan) and everyone came back saying Henne was every bit as good as the other two. 

So again, responsibility goes where responsibility goes -- on the entire organization.

Now the responsibility belongs to Ireland. As it should be. No more shadows behind curtains. No more masters jostling puppet strings. We're not in Oz anymore.

Jeff Ireland is the man and he will get from fans whatever his picks bring him -- credit or contempt.

But, I wonder, what is your confidence level he's ready? Are you anxious whether he can avoid mistakes that would not be made if Parcells were here? Are you excited he might make more bold moves now that Parcells is gone?

My view?

There can be no doubt Ireland has an approach that is his own. I hope he does, anyway, because he is an individual rather than a clone of his mentor. He's younger than Parcells which suggests he might be bolder but also comes with the caution that he might not be wiser.

I do not predict he will depart from precepts Parcells taught him. He'll pick prototype guys or try to, anyway. He'll want big guys. He'll especially want fast guys in this draft. He'll try to stay away from troublemakers.

I hope he is desperate. I hope he comes to this draft ready to go for the end zone rather than settle for field goals. I've had enough of field goals. I saw too many field goals the past couple of seasons. I want picks that will prove themselves to be touchdowns!

Think about it: The Dolphins have been good at drafting the past three years. Assuming Jared Odrick does get healthy and back on the field and becomes productive, the last three years brought outstanding to solid picks, with Long being outstanding and Vontae Davis representing solid.

The second round has brought satisifaction (Sean Smith) and disappointment (White) and a still hung jury in the court of public opinion (Chad Henne). Later rounds have had both good and bad picks.

So the work is worthy of a C-plus, in my opinion. 

That's because there has been no awe inspiring pick. There has been no take-your-breath-away, give-that-personnel man-a-prize selection. Not one Dolphins pick the past three years has been a game-changer. Not one Dolphins pick the past three years has brought a player other teams must game-plan around or for. Long isn't that because, by definition, left tackles can only change the course of a game by screwing up. They do not change the course of games when they merely do their jobs.

Davis has not been a game-changer. Smith hasn't although had he caught his six potential interceptions a year ago that he dropped, he might have reached that plateau. Odrick hasn't gotten a chance. Henne hasn't been a game-changer in any consistent or confidence-building manner. Anyone else?

Anyone?

Ireland needs to find a game changer this draft. He needs to do something his mentor could not. Oh, Parcells helped bring solid talent to the Dolphins when they were lacking even that. But conference titles and Super Bowls are won with difference-makers, game-changers stacked atop solid talent.

Ireland, on his own this draft, has work to do.

NOTES: I will be updating the blog several times Thursday so check back throughout the day. I will also provide real-time updates from Ireland's presser on twitter. So please follow me to get those updates.

Henne's meeting with Daboll, Dorrell apparently violates CBA contact rules

The NFL has warned "several teams" that players are not to meet with coaches and receive playbooks during this time in the offseason, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported over the weekend. The league has sent the Dolphins no such warning.

But perhaps it should.

That's because Chad Henne, Miami's presumed starting quarterback, told The Miami Herald today he's been meeting with new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for the last month in preparation for player-organized workouts that would replace any offseason workouts or minicamps lost to a possible lockout or other circumstance related to the uncertain and unresolved collective bargaining contract.

Henne, apparently comfortable with the new playbook, would presumably run the offensive portion of the workouts. To be equiped for that task, Henne had to learn portions of the playbook, or at least significant portions of it. And to do that, he likely had to study the darn thing.

Regardless, even meeting with Daboll to discuss strategy and plays is apparently out of bounds, according to the Plain Dealer. And that definitely happened.

"I took some vacation time, maybe a week or two here or there, but once we signed Coach Brian Daboll, I tried to get into there as quick as I could to learn the offense," Henne told the Herald's David J. Neal. "I've been meeting with him for the last month now. I feel pretty comfortable with what he's teaching and what the offense is going to be about just in case -- who knows what's going to happen this Thursday? -- that I can pass it on to the guys and help the guys out."

Henne is quoted extensively in the story talking about the new offense and how it is quarterback friendly and a mix of the New England and New York Jets offense. The story does not make the conclusion that Henne violated any rules. It does not even consider the topic.

But I do.

According to the Plain Dealer, coaches and GMs at the NFL Scouting Combine were told by league officials that existing rules forbid meetings with coaches and the dispensing of playbooks until the official start of offseason conditioning programs on March 15. The league is saying the offseason rules were a concession to the wishes of the players union, which did not want coaches pressuring players to meet with coaches until the off-season programs kicked off, the Plain Dealer reported.

The Plain Dealer report specifically addressed meetings relative to strategy. Players and coaches are allowed to meet to discuss other matters, such as contract issues and to simply handle introductions and other business until March 3, it has been reported. 

An NFL spokesman could not immediately be reached on this matter. A message left with a Dolphins spokesman has not yet been returned.

Update: A Dolphins spokesman declined comment and added he would not even confirm that Henne had indeed met with Daboll -- although the spokesman was present today when Henne said he met with Daboll. I find that amusing for some reason.

Update 2: Whatever advantage the Dolphins gained (if any) is done because the league year ends March 3rd anyway and everyone knows and understands there is to be no contact between players and their teams after March 3rd.

Update 3: Veteran St. Louis scribe and radio host Howard Balzer passed along the portion of the NFL's clarification of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that shows the contact between Henne and Daboll to be out of bounds.

The current collective bargaining agreement, which doesn’t expire until midnight March 3, has strict rules regarding what players can do before the beginning of offseason programs. The NFL has made this clear to clubs by way of written clarification. That clarification reads:

 "Prior to the start of off-season programs, players are permitted to use the Club’s facilities on a voluntary basis subject to the following rules: (i) such players may not receive per diem payments or workout bonuses of any kind and may not be paid or reimbursed expenses for travel, board or lodging during this period; (ii) such players are not permitted to participate in organized workouts, practices or meetings of any kind; (iii) the Club’s strength and conditioning coaches may not direct such players’ individual workouts, but may supervise use of the weight room to prevent injury, correct misuse of equipment, etc.; and (iv) such players may not be directed or supervised by position coaches during this period."

Obviously, the quarterback meeting with the offensive coordinator is a meeting of some kind when the CBA clearly states meetings of any kind are out of bounds.

Balzer also tells me via e-mail that in St. Louis, quarterback Sam Bradford has not met with his new offensive coordinator for this reason.

Update 4: Henne didn't just meet with Brian Daboll. Quarterback coach Karl Dorrell was in the room also at Dolphins training camp. That is similarly a violation of the CBA. And this is not just speculation. This is straight from Henne's mouth.

Watch the video:

We get evaluated, Dolphins should be evaluated top to bottom

All of us that have jobs are evaluated at least once a year to mark the progress or regression we've made on the job. Am I right?

So an evaluation isn't an insult.

So, as I write in my Sunday column, the Dolphins need to perform a comprehensive top to bottom evaluation of the entire football side of the franchise.

In other words, coach Tony Sparano needs to be evaluated.

General manager Jeff Ireland needs to be evaluated.

All the players need to be evaluated.

All the assistants need to be evaluated.

I tell you in the column what result the evaluation of Sparano and Ireland should be, barring a final month collapse by the Dolphins.

I also tell you why the Dolphins need to encourage a couple of other high-ranking assistants to find something else to do next season because their work in 2010 won't stand up very well to an honest evaluation, regardless of what happens in the final four weeks of the season.

Those final four weeks begin today, by the way, with the Dolphins facing the New York Jets. We will have a live blog around 4 p.m. I will update the blog and and get us set up for the live blog, with pregame news, well before then.

So come back. 

Henne getting more comfortable in his own skin

There is a feeling from those around Chad Henne that he is feeling more comfortable these days.

That's interesting because so many critics called him robotic and unfeeling and just not comfortable in his own skin when he was on the field in recent times, most notably before his benching following the Nov. 7 loss to Baltimore.

But that seems to be shifting a bit these days. I cannot exactly quantify for you that Henne is feeling more comfortable with his status on the Dolphins because there is no statistic for that. But it's just a hunch, a gut feeling, that he seems more at ease.

The most tangible example of that is what Henne said today about throwing interceptions. Look, Dolphins coaches have beat him over the head with the dogma that he must not make the big mistake and throw interceptions.

These coaches preach not losing the game as much as winning it.

But the truth, as has been discussed on this blog before, is that great quarterbacks throw interceptions. It's a fact of greatness. If the QB is going to expose himself and gamble sometimes and stretch skills to the breaking point, sometimes the result will be an interception.

The measure of greatness could include making sure the touchdowns far outnumber the interceptions. But the interceptions will come. And the great ones, while not accepting the interceptions, understand they are a fact of life.

Henne showed on Wednesday he understands interceptions are to be avoided. But they are sometimes a fact of life.

"This isn't life or death," he said of the miscues. "There's worse things in life out there that you can do. Obviously it hurts you deep down inside, but you have to let those things go. You have to keep on trucking ...

Henne cracked a smile.

"That's like Will Ferrell there, huh? No, you just have to put it behind you and move on to the next play because you can't let something despise you and shy away from it. You have to keep confident and keep throwing the ball out there."

I like it. I don't want the Dolphins quarterback playing scared.

On the other hand, Henne isn't a wild child, either. He has a sometimes funny, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes edgy streak he rarely shows the media. But it is there.

On the other hand, he is still big on saying the right thing. So when he was asked today if Arizona quarterback Derek Anderson blew it by smiling and laughing on the sideline in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to San Francisco on Monday night, Henne straddled the fence.

He would never condone what Anderson did. But he didn't want to rip a fellow QB, either.

"I think you take the game seriously," Henne said. "It's not time to joke around, I guess, on the sideline. I mean, sure, if someone says something funny, you're going to laugh but I think staying focused and staying in command at all times shows the team you're there to play, this is a business, this is a game. You have fun and I'm sure whatever Derek did wasn't to say, 'Blow off the game or my mind's out of the game.' "

Well, that's polictically correct Henne. Maybe he's not totally comfortable being himself yet. But he seems to be headed in that direction.

 

Veterans Day 2010: More important than football

If you're looking for more words about Chad Pennington and Chad Henne or Dan Henning and Jason Allen, I don't have those for you here this morning. You can read my column in The Herald on the topic if you like.

Today this blog pauses to remember, to celebrate, to honor those that defended my right to write and speak those words without fear of reprisal from any despot or tyrant -- no, not Nick Saban. This morning this blog honors the fighting men and women of the United States armed forces and all the veterans who served therein.

This blog honors these people on Veteran's Day 2010 because they are more important than most of the fanciful, frilly things you come to this blog to enjoy. You come here to debate. You come here to exchange ideas. You come here to speak your minds. That is a freedom you should not take lightly.

That is a freedom I do not take lightly. You see, I come from a country where people don't have the basic fundamental freedoms of free speech, or liberty or the pursuit of happiness.

So perhaps I value those who preserve those freedoms here more than the next person. Forgive me if that somehow causes you any inconvenience. You have a right to your opinion so you can think me too sappy if you wish. Isn't that wonderful?

You have a right to your opinion.

People fought and died for that right. And for that reason, this morning, this blog is dedicated to our veterans. I will update with football information this afternoon. But for now, please acknowledge the service of people worthy of much respect. 

On dreams, Henning, Merriman, and Moss

Two facts: Today is my birthday! HBTM! Yeah, I'm 48 years old today. Thank you, Lord for keeping me alive this long. I am truly blessed.

I didn't feel that way this morning when the alarm clock sounded, however, because I soon realized Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning was in one of my dreams last night. I have no idea what he was doing in my dream but it is fair to assume he was interrupting a good thing with one moment of I-know-more-football-than-everyone genius.

Anyway, today should be an interesting day -- aside from my B-day celebration -- in that we should get some clarity about where former Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss and former Chargers outside linebacker Shawne Merriman will end up. Both were reportedly on the waiver wire at 4 p.m. Tuesday so their status could be settled by 4 p.m. or so today.

We know the Dolphins are interested in Moss. We know Brandon Marshall would more than welcome his arrival in Miami as he said on a local radio station in South Florida Tuesday. (I'd credit the station but as it spouts my information as if they did the legwork without crediting The Herald, they can bite it.) Anyway, Marshall said on the station that will not be named that he would be thrilled to have Moss on the Dolphins, contrary to the idea that he wouldn't want another alpha receiver on the team taking catches away from him.

Marshall, in fact, said he would welcome Moss as a deep threat on the team because that would open things up for him. Indeed, with Randy Moss on the Dolphins, which receiver do you not double-team? Yikes!

Again, the Moss idea makes sense.

Merriman?

Not too sure about that one. I am not aware whether Merriman is on Miami's radar or not. I assume not. Fact is current GM Jeff Ireland was in the DeMarcus Ware camp when the debate in Dallas in 2005 was whether to go with Ware or Merriman.

Merriman is enticing in that he's 26 years old, comes relatively cheaply short-term, and has had 43.5 sacks.

But ...

Merriman is a walking injury situation. He has never played all 16 games in his career and has missed much of the season in 2008 and so far this season (calf). You know how the Dolphins feel about perpetually injured players.

Merriman's production is also misleading in that only four of his career sacks have come in the past three seasons so he is not necessarily a guaranteed performer. It should be noted that Merriman's production declined after, ahem, he was suspended by the NFL in 2006 for testing positive for performance enhancing substances. 

Merriman also has something of a reputation for loving the nightlife. It was a source of contention for San Diego GM A.J. Smith. How would that play in South Florida with South Beach down the road from the Dolphins practice facility?

Finally, what statement would acquiring Merriman send to current Miami players Cameron Wake and Koa Misi? Wake is playing at a Pro Bowl level. Misi is having a good rookie season with decent run defense and 3.5 sacks -- which is only .5 sacks less than Merriman has had the past three years.

Soooo ... I'm not exactly seeing the Merriman idea too well.

Maybe I should go back to sleep and have Dan Henning explain it to me.

 

Ross tells Ireland Peterson won't be hired

Ever since we learned Bill Parcells was out of sight of the Dolphins -- living up the coast in Jupiter but no longer coming to work in Davie nor keeping an office there -- fans and team personnel alike have been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The name of the other shoe is Carl Peterson.

But as I write in my column for Sunday's print edition of the Miami Herald, the Peterson shoe isn't a fit. At least that is what Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has told General Manager Jeff Ireland. My source(s) tell me the Dolphins owner has given Ireland assurances Peterson will not be hired to replace Parcells.

The column has other interesting nuggets regarding Parcells, the trade deadline and the Davone Bess contract negotiation so please check it out when it goes online or lands on your porch.

But, really, the Peterson information is the most noteworthy to folks worried the man who never brought a title to Kansas City might be hired by Ross to bring a title to Miami.

In my legwork for the column, I also confirmed my earlier report that Ireland had amended his contract with the Dolphins so that he is answering directly to Ross and no one else. I was told that happened "a while back." The amendment would make the hiring of Peterson moot from a power standpoint, anyway, because Ireland would not report to him. But the amendment would not necessarily prevent Ross from making the move if he wanted to do it.

Now, however, we know the owner is not inclined to go in that direction. At least that is what he has told various people, including Ireland himself.

Funnyman Brandon Marshall regales media

Brandon Marshall can be a funny guy. Yeah, that's it. He has a sense of humor.

He did his third press conference since coming to the Dolphins. Before he began to address the local hacks, he asked a Miami Dolphins staffer for a football, got it, and punted it to begin the press conference.

"Any questions," he said laughing.

Like I said, funny guy. Anyway, below you can find the full transcript of his talk with the reporters:

(On explaining what just happened) -- "Well, you guys aren't really good journalists because you reported it wrong. It didn't make it over the fence; it stayed in the facility (referring to his punting a ball in practice the other day after a drop, laughing)."

(On what emotions the punt expressed) -- "I don't think it's a secret; I'm the type of guy where I want to compete and I want to compete at the highest level on a consistent basis. When you struggle at times, well when I struggle at times, I'm not going to be happy, and it's not going to be a secret, and I will never let it be a secret. When I'm frustrated in practice, I'm going to be frustrated. Now in the game it's a different story; I think in the game you don't want to give your opponent that edge so you try to control your emotions but in practice you want to compete and you want to get better. That's exactly what we're trying to do here."

(On his showing of emotion in the past) -- "Well I think that's exactly what it is. I'm not going to compare a situation in the past to my situation now. This is the first time in, in four years that I've went into a season or a training camp where I was completely happy. Now am I happy every day, no because we compete every day, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and that ultimate competitor in me, I'm not going to be happy. I think we're doing a great job as a team competing every day and trying to get each other better. A lot of great competition going on you know on the field, which I think is going to help our team in the long run."

(On whether his new contract puts any additional pressure on him) -- "Not at all, I mean the pressure to do what, catch a football? I've been doing that since I was six years old. The only thing I can do is what I can do; I'm going to be the same guy. Whatever made me great is what's going to be on the field throughout this season. I'm excited about this opportunity that we have as a team, our goals, and working to achieve that."

(On if he enjoys the spotlight) -- "I love it. I embrace it. I think this is an organization where there's going to be a lot of lights on us. I think we have a special team here. It's a special organization, and I think we have a chance to do some special things."

(On him seeing his charisma wearing off on his teammates) -- "Well like I said, it's good when you take the positive from it like Vontae (Davis). Every day we're going out there and competing. Every day he wants to prove to me and to our teammates that he can shut me down. There's, what's the word…I guess I'm supposed to be a good receiver. It gives him an edge on other receivers. It gives him a confidence when he does great against me. Every day he's out to prove one thing, that he can shut me down and our other receivers in our room. So it's exciting to see that our young corners are getting better and they're taking advantage of this opportunity."

(On his reaction to Vontae's punt after breaking up a pass in practice) -- "Yesterday? I didn't like it at all. I went back to the sideline and I told coach, I can't believe I let him get the opportunity to kick the ball because he made a great play. It's a play I think I should have had and he knocked the ball away, and he got up and punted the ball, and I didn't like that at all."

(On his relationship with Vontae) -- "Oh I care, oh I care. It makes me mad (when he punts the ball) just like if I make a good play and I say some words to him, it's not good for TV but he's going to come back out and he's going to compete that much harder."

(On the competition aspect of his relationship with Vontae) -- "Yeah I mean me and Vontae, we went out to lunch today and we just sat down and tried to pick each other's brains' about what we're seeing on the practice field, how we can make each other better, and it's exciting. Sean (Smith) the same. Sean's a corner who like I said before is physically gifted and the way he's been applying himself in this camp is amazing, and I think those two are going to have a great year."

(On how this camp is different for him considering he is happy and healthy) -- "Yeah, definitely healthy, definitely happy, the only thing is I'm hot. Add another H to that, the three H's: happy, healthy, hot."

(On how things are coming along with Chad Henne) -- "You know what; we got off to a slow start last week. We let the conditions get the best of us. I went out there and had two drops; you definitely don't want to start off that way. But hey, we got three more preseason games left, a bunch of practices before Buffalo, 24 days till Buffalo. We got time to get things better; we're not where we want to be, but we'll work to get there."

(On whether getting off to a slow start makes this weekend's game a big game) -- "Every practice, every game is a big game. Not just because how things went for our first team last week. Every time we step on the field, and every time, whether it's practice or game day, we want to take advantage of it. That's exactly what we do every day."

(On whether his being out during OTA's has slowed his progression with Chad Henne) -- "No, not at all. That was a time where I was able to get mental reps and pick his brain every play. That helped a lot, and like I said, we have a bunch of practices before Buffalo and that's all we need. We'll be fine."

(On his reaction to people saying he should change his number away from #19) -- "I think this is kind of played out, but it's just practice. I'm not going to go over there with A.I. (Allen Iverson) (laughing). Like I said, that's why I get frustrated because the way you play is how you practice. If you're dropping the ball in practice, you got a chance that you'll drop the ball in the game. It's something that we definitely, I definitely need to correct, so there it is."

(On him having all the attention) -- "I've always had a bullseye on my back and a spotlight on me. Not always for the positive, but it's been there before. It's nothing that's unique to me, and I embrace it."

(On the quarterback group as a whole) -- "Well I'm excited because we get a chance to grow together. We have a leader in Chad Pennington who has a lot of wisdom, who's played a lot of games. He helps not only the quarterbacks but he helps us receivers in the segment room. I'm going into my fifth year, I don't know it all. I may be one the oldest in my room, but I still have a lot of learning to do. How to approach the game in a professional way on and off the field, and that's what Chad Pennington brings to us, so we're excited to have him, and I hope he stays around for a long time."

(On how the offense compares to the offense he played in for Denver) -- "Well actually, it's similar. The formations, personnel calls, it's kind of from the same (coaching) tree. The transition for me is pretty easy and pretty similar."

(On his relationship with Mike Sims-Walker) -- "Well that was my college roommate, one of the best men in my wedding, more like a brother. So that's my buddy."

(On whether there are ever any wagers between the two) -- "Definitely. Every time we match, man we got wagers on everything. We're always betting but it ain't about cash though, (it's a) gentlemen's bet, gentlemen's bet."

(On whether he wants Darrelle Revis to settle his contract dispute with the New York Jets so he can go up against him) -- "Well of course because I mean in order to be the best, you got to go against the best and you would love to compete against someone of his caliber and make plays on him. It kind of gives you that confidence; kind of solidify yourself, so I would love to see him out there. I think it will get done; I don't think it's a matter of if, but when."

(On how he expresses his emotion even while he's in the spotlight) -- "Well I think down here, it's new to you guys because I'm a new guy, but a year from now you guys will be  able to say oh that's just Brandon. That's how he performs, that's how he practices, he plays with a lot of emotions, he approaches the game with a lot of passion. You don't want to do that in the game but it's practice. Like I said, I'm a guy that wants to compete, and compete at a high level. Hopefully things will work out for us where we get things rolling in the right direction."

(On how he channels his emotion to make sure it's positive) -- "Well I mean I honestly believe you're supposed to be, you should be harder on yourself than anyone else. I honestly believe that. If you don't push yourself, then how can someone else push you? So that's what I believe in, and that's how I approach the game."

Smith guarantees he won't be shut out in 2010

As you may already know, my column in The Herald today shares the feelings the Dolphins have about all the moves and boasts the New York Jets have made this offseason. I talked with cornerback Sean Smith to gather information for the column and I wish to share here some of the material about Smith I didn't use in the column.

Smith, who started all 16 games at cornerback as a rookie, is locked in a competition with Will Allen and Vontae Davis -- three men wanting two starting jobs. My opinion is Davis is going to win one of those jobs and it will fall to Allen or Smith to decide the other.

So what does Smith think of how he did in his rookie season with hindsight giving him clearer vision of 2009?

"I think I did some real good things out there," he said. "I don't think there was a game where I was getting my butt whipped all game. I would say there wasn't any receiver that had my number for a whole game. I think my coverage was solid for the most part. Even though I didn't have any interceptions, I'd say my play was above average for a rookie."

The zero interception statistic is obviously one Smith isn't thrilled about. He says, indeed, guarantees that number will change in 2010.

"I guarantee that will change this year," he said. "Guaranteed. No way I will go another year without an interception. It's impossible."

Smith might have thought he was going to be an interception machine after collecting two in the 2009 preseason. But the real games are different and the higher stakes obviously affected Smith's coverage plans.

"The first year I moved to corner from wide receiver, I had four [interceptions]," Smith said. "So I was like, 'It's not really that hard, I don't see how guys struggle.' Next year I had five. Then I had two in the preseason and I thought, 'We'll keep rolling.' But then you get in the game when it really counts and you don't want to be that guy that messes up.

"At times I was being a little bit too hesitant. And we were in some close, close games and if I gamble one time and I get beat, I'm like, 'No way. I'm not bearing that on my shoulder.' You can't play like that."

So how far does Smith believe he's come one year into his career?

"I'm a lot more comfortable," he said. "I'm talking out there. I'm more vocal. I'm able to disguise things. I'm able to feel like a real vet, you know what I mean? I got the rookies asking me things. It's good to give advice instead of asking all the time."

Smith is also being smarter about his body and training regimen. Last year, he'd eat fast food and not concern himself with massages or icing down. Now he's eating more vegetables and fruits and staying away from fast food.

He hopes that will help him avoid the letdown he felt the final five or six games of last year when he felt somewhat worn down.

"I seen guys getting ice the first couple of weeks and I figured, 'I'm fresh I'm good,' " Smith said. "But after a while I had to take their advice. It was tough but I got through it.

"As the year went on I started to get the feel for body language of the receivers, learning how he lifts when he's going to break down. When you're watching things from the side you can tell when he's going to stop but when you're watching things from dead on its harder to tell when he's going to (drop) the hips."

It should be an interesting competition at cornerback.

[Check back throughout the day Saturday for updates from Day 2 of minicamp.]

Karlos Dansby finally gets some attention

It is rare when a star free agent signs a $43 million contract with $22 million guaranteed, is asked to come to his new team and assume a leadership position, and that player is somehow overshadowed much of the offseason.

And yet that is what has happened with Karlos Dansby.

He was the big offseason acquisition ... until the Dolphins acquired Brandon Marshall.

Unlike Marshall, Dansby didn't get a press conference -- either one approved by the Dolphins or simply attended by Dolphins staffers offsite at a hotel the team uses to house players during training camp.

Unlike Marshall, there was no grand fascination with what his number would be.

Wednesday's OTA day was supposed to be the day Dansby got the attention because it would be his first official press conference with the South Florida media and his debut as the leader of the Miami defense. But the attention was still on a million other things:

Marshall's number.

Marshall's hip.

Marshall's other hip.

Jason Ferguson's excuse for a positive performance enhancing drug test.

Ronnie Brown's health.

The rest of the team's lack of health.

Chris Clemons as the first-team safety.

The outside linebackers.

Can we give Karlos Dansby his moment, please?

We found out Dansby is playing the Moe exclusively while Channing Crowder is expected to continue at the Mike. Tim Dobbins, acquired from the San Diego Chargers on draft day, will likely be asked to learn both but he's playing primarily the Mike right now with Crowder still rehabilitating his lisfranc surgery.

"It’s a lot different, a lot different," Dansby said comparing the system he played in Arizona and the one defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has installed in Miami. "A lot of different responsibilities...I’m looking forward to it. They want me to be a leader. You got to do that by actions. You can’t do that by words. I am out there right now trying to prove myself.

"You got to earn that. That’s everywhere you go. You got a responsibility, I’m just trying to do my job and put my best foot forward.

"We are having a good time. I’m meshing well. You know, all the guys, we’re taking to each other. We are doing a lot of stuff off the field and on the field, so I’d say we’re meshing real well right now."

Dansby has been upstaged by Marshall but he nonetheless carries the weight of improving the run defense that ranked No. 18 last season.

"I wouldn’t call it a weight," he said. "I’d just call it an opportunity to be great, and that’s what I’m trying to be right now. I’m taking all major steps to try to be great."

Dansby is still feeling his way around. That's perhaps one reason he is not certain he's going to be on the field all three downs. (It would be a shock if he's not because he's getting paid like a three-down linebacker.) But that assurance must wait. If it comes, Dansby may get the opportunity to call the defensive plays.

“I’m not sure yet," he said. "We still have changes to do. If I’m an every down backer, I might have the opportunity to call the calls. If not, it really doesn’t matter, as long as I’m on the field."

Regardless of whether he's calling plays or not, Dansby must somehow earn a spot as one of this new defense's leaders in 2010. It is on him because the young unit doesn't really have many veterans more accomplished than him.

But Dansby seems to know what is required to lead.

"It’s being disciplined," he said. "Being disciplined, taking care of your body and going on the field, being in front of the guys, and like I said, and making all the plays that we’re supposed to make, and that’s how you become a leader."

Salguero NFL pre-camp rankings No. 32 to No. 1

For some reason, this morning when I woke up I got this wild hair idea to give you my NFL ranking of teams from 32-1. Six hours later, I'm done writing.

So with no further delay, the Salguero NFL 2010 pre-training camp rankings:

32. Tampa Bay: Gerald McCoy is an upgrade for the defensive line, but folks in Tampa will soon see he's not in Warren Sapp's league -- good not great. The quarterbacking is suspect, they've exchanged experienced WR talent for inexperienced and untried WR talent, the running game is pedestrian, and there is nothing about the coaching staff or front office that induces confidence.

31. St. Louis Rams: Improvement! They were the NFL's worst team last year but the truth is until and unless the Sam Bradford pick takes hold, this team will be struggling near the bottom of the pack. Sorry, Lou, but A.J. Feeley can be a lockerroom killer. And, yes the offensive line will be somewhat better with Rodger Saffold, but the DL, 27th versus the run last year, is a leaky dike.

30. Buffalo: Very few folks with other options want to go to Buffalo -- not bigtime coaches nor players. It's the reason the franchise has struggled since the start of free agency in the mid-1990s. The quarterback situation is unresolved, the defense is transitioning to the 3-4, they dismissed one of their more effective playmakers in Terrell Owens, and everyone else in the division is good. That is no formula for success.

29. Jacksonville: The big free agent signings were, wait for it, a special teams player (Kassim Osgood) and a defender (Aaron Kampman) that had 3.5 sacks last year. They reached in the first round on Tyson Alualu, nobody is showing up to games, this is a train headed in the wrong direction.

28. Detroit: The Lions scored core players in the draft's first round (Suh and Best) while continuing to shore up the secondary in the third round (Amari Spievey). Kyle Vanden Bosch will bring veteran professionalism to the locker room and some solid production to the field. But look out for the biggest jump to come from the quarterback (Matt Stafford) and wide receiver (Calvin Johnson) positions. This team has stopped declining.

27. Oakland: They actually had a good draft! Cryptkeeper Al Davis didn't over-reach or make any head-scratching gambles -- those have backfired in recent history. But this team is still overcoming the mistakes of its recent past (JaMarcus Russell) and the coaching is simply not stellar outside of passing game coordinator Ted Tollner.

26. Cleveland: The Browns have straightened out their front office -- largely by raiding the Dolphins front office -- and are well on their way to returning to, um, mediocrity for the short term. Mike Holmgren and Tommy Heckert Jr. have done fine work turning the CB spot from a weakness to a strength by trading for Sheldon Brown and drafting Joe Haden. If T.J. Ward can stay healthy, the deep secondary is also taken care of. But the Cleveland offense, No. 32 last year, still reeks. Jake Delhomme is highly paid but highly inconsistent. And that will be this offense's story in 2010.

25. Arizona: To recap, they've lost Kurt Warner, Antrel Rolle, Karlos Dansby, Bertrand Berry, Bryant McFadden, and Anquan Boldin. And while I love Dan Williams and Daryl Washington as their first two draft picks, adding aging vets Joey Porter and Alan Faneca is not about getting better but plugging leaks poorly. The Cards, a Super Bowl team in 2008 and division winners in 2009, will be fighting Seattle for third place in the NFC West.

24. Seattle: Leon Washington (if healthy), LenDale White (if motivated) and Russell Okung (if he lives up to his draft status) should help the running game improve on last year's terrible (26th overall) rating. That should also take pressure of Matt Hasselbeck and perhaps help him stay healthy. Simply, if the QB is healthy, the Hawks can vie for mediocrity. If the job falls to Charlie Whitehurst, a talented but inexperienced career backup, it's going to be a looong season. 

23. Washington: They were perhaps the most active team this offseason, hiring an outstanding new coach, trading for a future Hall of Fame quarterback, and adding more horses at running back than a stable at the Kentucky Derby. All that is well and good, but the quarterback is not everything. Donovan McNabb can't do it all. The offensive line, and secondary are question marks. The drafting of Trent Williams will solve some of the OL problems once he gets over his rookie growing pains. 

22. Carolina: One does not get better by losing Julius Peppers, having a coach enter a season as a lame duck, having no first round draft pick, and using the second-round pick on a player (Jimmy Clausen) who probably will not play as he learns the NFL game. As horrible offseasons go, Carolina is right up there. Their best move might have been picking Brandon LaFell in the third round because at least he might start in 2010.

21. Denver: Josh McDaniels acts like he knows things no one else does. So he's traded away a franchise quarterback, a franchise wide receiver, gotten rid of a fine defensive coordinator, reached for Tim Tebow in the first round, traded away his starting TE, and pieced together an offensive line with a ton of question marks and one major injury -- the patellar tendon tear to left tackle Ryan Clady's left knee. McDaniels will also learn that there is a reason Akin Ayodele was cut.

20. Kansas City: New England Midwest got significantly stronger in the defensive backfield this offseason with the drafting of Eric Berry and Javier Arenas, who will be a fine nickel player. The rest of the defense, putrid against the run last year, is still a work-in-progress. The offense should be better with the addition of running back Thomas Jones and center Casey Wiegmann. Both are in the twilight of their careers, but serve as upgrades for this team nonetheless. It'll be interesting to see what new OC Charlie Weis can do for QB Matt Cassell.

19. New York Giants: Yes, this is a surprise but this team is starting to age and not very well. Despite an emphasis on the defensive line, opponents were able to run the ball quite well last season. Adding rookie Linval Joseph will probably only make up for the loss of Fred Robbins. Jason Pierre-Paul is a project player who as a rookie has the feel of a wonderful athlete but only an average football player. He needs much work. The Giants have no backup quarterback, having replaced David Carr with Jim Sorgi. If Eli Manning breaks down, this is a cellar-dwelling team. Otherwise, welcome to third place in the NFC East. Again.

18. Chicago: They were 7-9 despite the fact Jay Cutler threw 26 interceptions. Twenty-six interceptions! If new OC Mike Martz can get Cutler to cut that number in half, the Bears win 10 games this year. The expensive addition of Julius Peppers will work only if the player feels he has to live up to his salary -- something that hasn't always been the case. The return of linebacker Brian Urlacher will help but the release of Alex Brown remains a head-scratcher. Former Dolphins seventh-round pick Devin Aromashodu seems on the verge of stardom.

17. San Francisco: They added a future Pro Bowl player in Mike Iupati but reached badly for Anthony Davis. Safety Taylor Mays will remind the Bay Area of Ronnie Lott in the manner he hits, but definitely not in the manner he covers. The team also improved its return game by getting Ted Ginn for a fifth-round pick -- a good trade for them. But let's face it, the 49'ers look set at most of their positions save quarterback. If Alex Smith can finally become a solid NFL starter, this team wins its division. If Smith continues his roller coaster career, this team once again struggles to win eight games.

16. Pittsburgh: They want to go back to their old pounding running game personality because quarterback Ben Roethlisberger won't be around for at least four games and possibly up to six games. The addition of Maurkice Pouncey to the offensive line will help that. Santonio Holmes is gone so the air around his former hotel room on the road has cleared. But that means second year player Mike Wallace needs to become the star his rookie campaign suggested he could be. The defensive front and linebackers are solid but the cornerback play is still a concern despite the re-aquisition of Bryant McFadden.

15. Houston: Signing a kicker and former Dolphins offensive tackle Wade Smith in free agency, while losing standout cornerback Dunta Robinson is not the way to improve a team. The Texans seem to be forever treading water around the 8-8 mark and this year bodes no differently as the defense seems weakened by the loss of Robinson and coming suspension of Brian Cushing. The offense has made no significant improvement. Matt Schaub will once again have to throw for nearly 5,000 yards to keep the Texans above .500

14. Tennessee: They are counting on this draft to help immediately and last year's draft to finally help because it certainly didn't contribute much in 2009. The Titans are obviously also banking on Chris Johnson being able to continue his torrid rushing pace which could be a reach because he simply doesn't have the size to carry 720 times in two years -- particularly not if he sits out most of the offseason and preseason in a contract squabble. The picking of Derrick Morgan should deaden the pain of losing Kyle Vanden Bosch.

13. New England: I'm sure there will be angry e-mails from Massachusetts. Too bad. Tom Brady is still great, but honestly, he's not working as hard these days as he once did. Wes Welker probably will not be around early in the season and it might take a while before he's 100 percent. The team doesn't have an offensive coordinator or a defensive coordinator and that's just weird. The cornerback spot is still a weakness despite the selection of Devin McCourty in the first round. And the running game ... well, what running game?

12. Philadelphia: The good news: Brandon Graham will be 2010's defensive rookie of the year and he will not fail any drug tests. Nate Allen will be solid in the deep secondary and Ricky Sapp will seem like a bargain if the Eagles let him rush the passer on a situational basis. The bad news: One does not improve by getting rid of a great quarterback and sending him to a division rival. The bet here is Kevin Kolb will not have a better season in 2010 than McNabb had in 2009. And trading away Sheldon Brown will not result in a net gain.

11: Cincinnati: If Antonio Bryant stays healthy and tight end Jermaine Gresham, a tight end with deer speed, is recovered from his knee injury, the Bengals slow-developing offense will finally give quarterback Carson Palmer weapons to work with. The prediction here is that Jordan Shipley will also become a favorite of the veteran quarterback. Cincy's defense is intact and actually improved the depth at corner with the addition of Brandon Ghee. Adam "Pacman" Jones? Special teams help. Nothing more.

10: Miami: They've come a looong way this offseason. Seriously. The addition of Brandon Marshall means the Dolphins finally have a consistent playmaker in the passing game. Adding inside linebacker Karlos Dansby and moving Randy Starks to nose tackle will help solidify the run-defense that fell from No. 10 in 2008 to No. 18 last year. The secondary remains a major question mark with the free safety spot a huge concern. If Chad Henne develops into a top-tier quarterback, this team should be back in the playoffs. If he doesn't, 8-8 here we come.

9: New York Jets: Yeah, they're making Super Bowl noises but that's just what it is -- noise. The Jets didn't improve by switching out Thomas Jones and Leon Washington for Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson. They took a step back which isn't the best way for a running game to go. Their pass-rush, nearly non-existent last year, will be better with the addition of Jason Taylor, and Antonio Cromartie improves the secondary. But left guard is a concern as is at least one defensive end spot.

8: Minnesota: Will he? Won't he? And how is his ankle? All the questions about the Vikings revolve around Brett Favre and whether he'll play his 20th season or not. I believe he'll play. I also believe age will begin catching up to him. Simply, it is hard to expect another 33-TD, 4,200-yard season from a soon-to-be 41-year-old. The Vikings still have an excellent offensive line and running game and can bring pressure on defense, but they don't scare the elite teams with a diminished Favre or Tarvaris Jackson at QB.

7. San Diego: The Chargers upgraded by adding rookie running back Ryan Mathews, who will retrun dowhill running to the San Diego offense. But there is no visible upgrade in trading out Antonio Cromartie for Nathan Vashar and Donald Strickland, who are nothing more than backup players at this point. The idea of eliminating a player that's motivated only 75 percent of the time is a good one, but only when he's replaced by someone as talented and more motivated. The Chargers failed in that regard. This is still a highly talented roster, led by perhaps the NFL's best quarterback.

6. Dallas: The Cowboys have plenty of talent at all positions with the possible exceptions of left tackle and safety. Yes, Alex Barron is now in town and will compete with Doug Free to protect Tony Romo's blind side, but can he stay onside? The team cut Ken Hamlin, who is still on the market, but hasn't really replaced him. Owner Jerry Jones took a huge gamble in drafting Dez Bryant, who is clearly still out of shape after missing most of 2009 at Oklahoma State. But the kid has great potential and seems to be in the right place because he'll get advice from Michael Irvin.

5. Green Bay: The Packers needed to keep their talent early this offseason and did exactly that by re-signing offensive tackle Chad Clifton and rewarding playmaking safety Nick Collins. The other major assignment was shoring up the offensive line and GM Ted Thompson did that by selecting tackle workmanlike Bryan Bulaga with the first overall selection. The rookie might play at guard initially. The Packers are so solid they used their second and third round picks to address possible future needs. 

4. Atlanta: They have the franchise quarterback. Matt Ryan reminds of a young Tom Brady. The passing game and running game are in great hands. The secondary is better with the addition of Dunta Robinson. First round pick Sean Weatherspoon is going to be a star in the NFL someday and will be in sub packages as a rookie. The Falcons will also get an added punch by the return of 2009 first-round pick Peria Jerry to the lineup, after he missed all but two games with a knee injury. This team has the feel of a comer. 

3. Indianapolis: The left guard question remains and there are questions about the return to health of safety Bob Sanders and receiver Anthony Gonzalez. But the Colts don't seem to be sweating the Gonzalez injury based on the expected improvement of Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. On defense, Colts fans are going to love Jerry Hughes and Pat Angerer, who might become core players on the defense for the next decade. Oh yeah, Peyton Manning is pretty good.

2. New Orleans: Charles Grant is gone, but younger, better Alex Brown replaced him. Running back Mike Bell also left via free agency but the bad news is the Saints might have to pass more. Let's face it, the only things that can derail this team are complacency or a wave of injuries. Quarterback Drew Brees is likely to work toward preventing the former. That latter is a matter of fate. 

1. Baltimore: Anquan Boldin gives them an answer for third-down and crunch passing situations. Donte Stallworth comes with a new view of life after spending the past year on suspension. They drafted talented tight ends Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson to offer yet more large targets for quarterback Joe Flacco to hit -- assuming Todd Heap isn't on the field, of course. Derrick Mason is back. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed haven't slowed down. Terrell Suggs is healthy again. And while house-sized defensive tackle Haloti Ngata recovers from pectoral surgery, the Ravens will give lots of training camp snaps to condo-sized Cory Redding and mansion-sized Terrence Cody at defensive tackle. Oh, almost forgot, if Suggs and Jarret Johnson and Antwan Barnes aren't getting to the QB enough, the Ravens will probably throw top draft pick Sergio Kindle in the mix as well. They're loaded!

[BLOG NOTE: I'll be off until next Wednesday, so I'll post again then. You have plenty to chew on until then, I'm sure. And remember to read my Sunday column in The Herald or online at on the Herald site because it will explain why I ranked the Jets and Dolphins practically together.]

Which players will things 'click' for in 2010?

A dividend of having a young team, as the Dolphins inarguably have, is that players can take significant leaps from their rookie or second seasons, thus helping to raise the team to a much higher level almost overnight.

Sure, some players fail to take that big step or they don't meet the expectations and potential their gifts suggest. (Such players get traded to the San Francisco 49'ers for a fifth-round pick.)

But many up-and-comers make their biggest move in their second or third years.

I was discussing this in part with former wide receiver Nat Moore on our recent day-trip to Haiti when he recounted the story of Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. Moore told of how as a rookie year, Clayton often benefitted from the fact defenses typically doubled Mark Duper on the outside or himself on the inside. Clayton was still learning and really didn't contribute much as a rookie -- six catches for 114 yards.

"But the next year when the light bulb went on for him, there was no stopping him," Moore said of Clayton. "He beat single coverage and then he figured out the game so well, he could beat double-coverage. With his talent, he just took off."

Took off like a rocket, actually. Clayton caught 73 passes for 1,389 yards and a whopping 18 touchdowns in 1984. Duper, who didn't catch a pass as a rookie in 1982, climbed to 51 in 1983 and 71 for 1,36 yards in 1984. Apparently things clicked for him as well.

Well, we should expect the 2010 Miami Dolphins to sound like a field of crickets because I expect there to be a lot of clicking going on for that young roster.

The Dolphins have players that everyone in the organization hopes are on the cusp of being big-time contributors if not outright stars.

Chief on that list is quarterback Chad Henne.

In his third season and second as the starter, Henne must have a breakthrough season for the Dolphins to make a legitimate run at the playoffs. This is the year he has to solve the accuracy and timing issues he had at times in 2009 as a first-year starter. Those were understandable then. There's a next step to take now.

I think Henne will take that step. He's too gifted, too confident, and too hard-working not to take the step. I'm not expecting him to lead the league in passing. That's not what Miami's system is initially going to ask of him.

But 24-25 touchdowns? Why not?

And as long as he keeps the mistakes to maybe 10-12 interceptions, things will be very, very good in Miami.

Of course, Henne will need help. And there's a good chance he'll get it. Here is a list of other players I believe can have a breakout year in 2010. You'll notice some folks are missing. I'm being conservative here. I'm sure you will add the missing names in the comments section.

This is my list:

Brian Hartline: I predict he will win the starting job opposite Brandon Marshall. He is bigger than Davone Bess, faster than Greg Camarillo and he can play all three WR positions. He's a smart guy. He's mature. He gets it. He has shown reliable hands. No, he is not a burner. But he did run track in high school and I believe he's fast enough to hurt defenses when their focus is on Marshall.

Vontae Davis: It took him a while to find his NFL niche. He was raw and a little wide-eyed at first. But he is tough, he is as athletic as they come, he's fearless and there's no quit in him -- as evidence by that TD-saving tackle from behind on a kickoff last year. Davis suffered something of a setback with a wrist injury earlier this offseason. But there has been no mention of that lately and if he continues to rise at the rate he did after the midpoint of 2009, he'll be the second-best cornerback in the AFC East by the end of 2010.

I wanted to include Cameron Wake. I even had his paragraph written up. But I just need to see more. The fact is he was very explosive as a pass-rusher, but still had only one sack the final four games of the season when he was getting his most playing time. Wake might bust out with 14 sacks in 2010 and that would surprise no one. But he also might have six sacks in 2010 and, well, that would surprise no one. It will all depend on whether things clicked for him.

The revote on Defensive Rookie of the Year

The Defensive Rookie of the Year award handed out annually by the Associated Press has been in the news lately because its recipient Brian Cushing was just suspended after failing a test for performance enhancing drugs, and then losing his appeal.

The test, reportedly taken last September, suggests Cushing played 2009 while benefitting from a cycle of PEDs that are banned by the NFL.

So the AP yesterday decided to have a revote. The 50 people who vote annually on the AP All-Pro team and post-season awards got an e-mail ballot that is due Wednesday. I am one of those voters. I had no trouble re-submitting my ballot.

I orginally picked Buffalo safety Jairus Byrd as my DROY choice and was only one of six people to do so. Cushing got 39 votes. I simply stuck with my original vote.

The AP also took a revote on the outside linebacker position. In that one, I had to make a change. I had originally voted for Cushing and Elvis Dumervil. In my new ballot I changed out Cushing for DeMarcus Ware, who was an All-Pro selection even without my original vote.

So here is the question: Do you, as fans, believe a positive drug test can rightfully cost a player a post-season award because his performance was enhanced by a drug?

I obviously do think the award deserved a revote. And I'll live with the results of the majority. But I have a bad taste about giving any award to someone who gains it by cheating.

The reason I'm blogging this is that someone following me on twitter wanted me to vote for Vontae Davis or Sean Smith for DROY. Now, I have no problem voting for local guys. In fact, I feel I know them best as I've watched all their games.

That's the reason I voted for Tony Sparano as coach of the year in 2008 (he didn't win) and voted for Jake Long for All-Pro last year (he got it).

But Vontae Davis or Sean Smith for DROY?

I believe both played well at times. I believe both made strides. I believe both will continue to improve and become better players. But both also had moments in which they struggled.

Davis was beaten deep a handful of times. Smith's coverage was not always as tight as one would want and he didn't have any interceptions. In defending Gibril Wilson at the Indianapolis Combine, general manager Jeff Ireland laid some of the blame for the lapses in the secondary on the rookies.

Byrd, meanwhile, had nine interceptions. No, he wasn't Ronnie Lott in run-support. But which one of you wouldn't have taken nine interceptions from your free safety last year?

So I cast my vote. I'm sticking with it.

Discuss ...

Rebuilding can frustrate when it's done over & over

There is building a franchise. Don Shula did that and it resulted in a couple of Super Bowl titles.

There is rebuilding a franchise. Jimmy Johnson did that and the nucleus of players he brought in were flawed on offense, very good on defense, and ultimately good enough overall to contend for playoffs spots from 1997 through 2003.

What we have now, however, is something much different. What we are seeing with the Miami Dolphins now is in some respects rebuilding position that we though had already been rebuilt. Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland are in the midst of doing that and so far the results are mixed.

Miami's dynamic and enigmatic personnel duo corrected a lot of wrongs their first season, turning a 1-15 disaster into a division winner and playoff team. But last year was a step-back season as the Dolphins dropped to third place in the AFC East with a 7-9 record. (Some of you may not accept it was a step-back year, but the facts are impossible to ignore.)

Now, after two years of building the team as they would want it, the Dolphins find themselves in the curious position of rebuilding the same team. 

After two years on the job, Parcells and Ireland got about the business this offseason of rebuilding practically the entire defense. The defensive coordinator is new. At least three of the four opening-day starters at LB will be new. The starting nose tackle will be different in the 2010 regular-season opener than he was in 2008 and 2009. The starting free safety will be new for the third time in three regular-season openers. Miami's right defensive end will be new -- again -- as the Dolphins will start Jared Odrick or Phillip Merling or Tony McDaniel as the fourth person to fill that starting job in three years.

All these are facts. And all the facts speak of the Dolphins having to cover ground in rebuilding that they already supposedly addressed in their initial rebuilding of this team the past two years.

Let's face it, the club has failed to properly address the free safety spot -- first giving the job to Jason Allen, then Chris Crocker, then Renaldo Hill, then Gibril Wilson, and now another player to be named at a later time.

Let's face it, the Dolphins invested two years, a modest draft pick, and millions of dollars in ILB Akin Ayodele only to find out he wasn't very good at stopping the run or in coverage.

Let's face it, the nose tackle position was an issue before last season began. Everyone knew Jason Ferguson was a stopgap measure and I remember Ireland being asked why he didn't address the position in the 2009 draft. He basically answered there are only so many big bodies to go around and one of them didn't fall to the Dolphins.

So Miami went into 2009 with Ferguson and he broke down. The Dolphins finally addressed the issue this offseason by moving Randy Starks to nose tackle.

The greater point here is Miami has reached a stage where the fixes need to finally take. The club cannot keep addressing the defensive line time and again. The club cannot keep addressing the free safety spot year after year.

And this rebuilding upon a rebuilt position also affects the offense. For all the money and resources the Dolphins have invested on the offensive line, the unit is still not completely resolved. In 2008, the right guard spot was an issue. In 2009, the right guard and left guard spots were issues.

Can we get the guards addressed once and for all, please?

The Dolphins believe they have done that at right guard where Richie Incognito is expected to compete for a starting job with Donald Thomas and perhaps Nate Garner.

The left guard spot is much less certain. Garner and rookie John Jerry seem the most likely challengers for the job. Justin Smiley, who Miami signed to a 5-year, $25 million contract in 2008, lasted only two years. He is now on the trade block because of shoulder injuries that one might have seen on the horizon when he was with San Francisco and was forced to miss the latter part of 2007 with a shoulder issue.

So three years into rebuilding their offensive line ... the Dolphins are still rebuilding the offensive line.

My greater point is this: Everyone accepts the Dolphins needed a thorough rebuilding. Everyone accepts it was going to take time to do. But it is hard to accept that the Dolphins are already in Year 3 and still rebuilding what they already supposedly rebuilt. They are having to double-back, so to speak, to address issues they supposedly already addressed.

That slows things down.

And it cannot continue because, as with all teams, new issues pop up every year. Next offseason the Dolphins could be looking for help at running back or tight end, and perhaps wide receive. Next year the Dolphins could be looking for more backup quarterback help. Anyone looking off into distance can see that.

The last thing the team needs is to have those concerns, while also needing to address OLB (again) or FS (again) or CB (again) or OL (again).

Therre is still a lot of building being done around the construction site that is the Dolphins roster. Here's hoping the work currently being done won't soon require that it be redone. Again.

The Cowboys draft board (the real McCoy) here

The days and weeks leading to the NFL draft see a glut of draft boards or mock drafts from experts and non-experts alike, but we never really see an actual NFL draft board.

Until now.

The picture above is Dallas owner-president-general manager Jerry Jones standing in front of his team's draft board on Saturday, April 24 -- the third day of the draft. Many of the names on the board are clearly visible. You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

The Cowboys have confirmed this is their actual board. Apparently the team's in-house television department mistakenly put a video clip of Jones in front of the board up on the Internet somewhere. A loyal reader of mine in Iowa passed the picture along to me. I then confirmed its authenticity.

The picture speaks for itself, but in case you are having trouble deciphering all the names, the list of those that are legible are found below.

Here's how it works: The Cowboys graded the players on their board and put their names on computer readout tags. As players are drafted, the Cowboys replace the tag with the player's name, the team and spot where he was actually taken. The original Dallas order remains intact.

So Sam Bradford was the top-rated player by the Cowboys and he was selected by the Rams No. 1. In that the two teams agree.

But, for example, the Cowboys had Gerald McCoy rated ahead of Ndamakong Suh. So McCoy remains at No. 2 on their board while Suh is No. 3. The team simply removed McCoy's tag when he came off the board and added the team selecting him and the actual spot he was picked.

So why is this interesting to you?

Well, it is interesting to me the Cowboys had Dolphins first round pick Jared Odrick rated No. 15 on their board. The Dolphins got him with the No. 28 overall selection. So according to the Cowboys' grade, the Dolphins got a bargain.

Same thing with Koa Misi, who the Cowboys rated No. 35 overall, but the Dolphins got with the No. 40 overall selection.

It works the other way also, by the way. The Dolphins drafted guard John Jerry in the third round with the 73rd overall selection. The Cowboys had a fourth-round grade on Jerry -- 110th overall. So according to the Cowboys' grades, the Dolphins reached on Jerry.

The teams more or less agreed on a fifth-round grade for safety Reshad Jones.

Obviously this is all opinion. Not every team is going to agree on the grades and worth of players. One assumes the Dolphins don't believe they reached for Jerry.

Anyway, take a look at the Cowboys player rankings below. The round, overall selection and team that actually selected each player is in parenthesis. Some names were illegible. I could not find A.J. Edds and other Dolphins picks on the board. Perhaps you can. 

Round 1
1. Sam Bradford (1st round, No. 1 overall, St. Louis)
2. Gerald McCoy (1st, No. 3, Tampa Bay)
3. Ndamakong Suh (1st, No. 2, Detroit)
4. Russell Okung (1st, No. 6, Seattle)
5. Trent Williams (1st, No. 4, Wash.)
6. Eric Berry (1st, No. 5, KC)
7. Rolando McClain (1st, No. 8, Oak.)
8. Joe Haden (1st, No. 7, Cleve.)
9. CJ Spiller (1st, No. 9, Buff.)
10. Mike Iupati (1st, No. 17, S.F.)
11. Dez Bryant (1st, No. 24, Dallas)
12. Earl Thomas (1st, No. 14, Seattle)
13. Bryan Bulaga (1st, No. 23, GB)
14. Sean Lee (2nd round, No. 55, Dallas)
15. Jared Odrick (1st, No. 28, Miami)
16. Jason Pierre-Paul (1st, No. 15, NYG)
17. Derrick Morgan (1st, No. 16, Tenn.)
18. Kyle Wilson (1st, No. 29, NYJ)
19. Maurkice Pouncey (1st, No. 18, Pitt.)
20. Navorro Bowman (3rd, No. 91, S.F.)
21. Jahvid Best (1st, No. 30, Det.)
22. Tyson Alualu (1st, No. 10, Jax.)
23. Jermaine Greham (1st, No. 21, Cincy)

Round 2
1. Devin McCourty (1st, No. 27, N.E.)
2. Demaryius Thomas (1st, No. 22, Den.)
3. Koa Misi (2nd, No. 40, Miami)
4. Jerry Hughes (1st, No. 31, Indy)
5. Brandon Graham (1st, No. 13, Phila.)
6. Nate Allen (2nd, No. 37, Phila.)
7. Morgan Burnett (3rd, No. 71, G.B)
8. Taylor Mays (2nd, No. 49, S.F.)
9. (covered name)
10. Dan Williams (1st, No. 26, Ariz.)
11. Kareem Jackson (1st, No. 20, Hou.)
12. Ryan Matthews (1st, No. 12, S.D.)
13. Brian Price (2nd, No. 35, TB)
14. Rob Gronkowski (2nd, No. 42, NE)
15. Brandon Ghee (3rd, No. 96, Cincy)
16. Jimmy Clausen (2nd, No. 48, Car.)

Round 3
1. Sergio Kindle (2nd, No. 43, Balt.)
2. Anthony Davis (1st, No. 11, S.F.)
3. Corey Wooton (4th, No. 109, Chic.)
4. Patrick Robinson (1st, No. 32, N.O.)
5. Dexter McCluster (2nd, No. 36, K.C.)
6. Joe McKnight (4th, No. 112, NYJ)
7. (covered name)
8. - Chad Jones (3rd, No. 76, NYG)
9. - illegible
10. Colt McCoy (3rd, No. 85, Cleve.)
11. Taylor Price (3rd, No. 90, N.E.)
12. Lamarr Houston (2nd, No. 44, Oak.)
13. D’Anthony Smith (3rd, No. 74, Jax.)
14. Damian Williams (3rd, No. 77, Tenn.)
15. Eric Decker (3rd, No. 87, Den.)
16. Thaddeus Gibson (4th, No. 116, Pitt.)
17. Corey Peters (3rd, No. 83, Atl.)
18. Rodger Saffold (2nd, No. 33, StL.)
19. Toby Gerhardt (2nd, No. 51, Minn.)
20. Golden Tate (2nd, No. 60, Sea.)
21. Brandon LeFell (3rd, No. 78, Car.)
22. Amari Spievey (3rd, No. 66, Det.)
23. Mike Neal (2nd, No. 56, G.B.)

Round 4
1. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (4th, 126th, Dall.)
2. Javier Arenas (2nd, 50th, K.C.)
3. Vladimir Ducasse (2nd, 61, NYJ)
4. Ed Dickson (3rd, 70, Balt.)
5. Tag illegible
6. Clay Harbor (4th, 125, Phila.)
7. Perry Riley (4th, 103, Wash.)
8. (plate removed)
9. Torell Troup (2nd, 41, Buff.)
10. Carlton Mitchell (6th, 177, Cleve.)
11. Mike Johnson (3rd, 98, Atl.)
12. John Jerry (3rd, 73, Miami)
13. Linval Joseph (2nd, 46, NYG)
14. Major Wright (3rd, 75, Chic.)
15. Dominique Franks (5th, 135, Atl.)
16. Larry Asante (5th, 160, Cleve.)
17. Tony Moeaki (3rd, 93, K.C.)
18. Mitch Petrus (5th, 144th,  NYG)
19. Ben Tate (2nd, 58, Hou.)
20. Kam Chancellor (5th, 133, Sea.)
21. Andre Roberts (3rd, 88, Ariz.)
22. Myron Lewis (3rd, 67, TB)
23. Tag illegible

Round 5

1. Shawn Lauvao (3rd, 92, Cleve.)
2. Jacoby Ford (4th, 108, Oak.)
3. Danny Batten (6th, 192, Buff.)
4. Sam Young (6th, 179, Dall.)
5. Daniel Te'o-Nesheim (3rd, 86, Phil.)
6. Kevin Thomas (3rd, 94, Indy)
7. Tag illegible
8. Dennis Pitta (4th, 114, Balt.)
9. Darrell Stuckey (4th, 110, San Diego)
10. Alterraun Verner (4th, 104, Tenn.)
11. Alric Arnett (undrafted)
12. Tag illegible
13. Garrett Graham (4th, 118, Hou.)
14. Reshad Jones (5th, 163, Miami)
15. Tag illegible
16. Tag illegible
17. Tag illegible
18. Tag illegible

Round 6
1. Jared Veldheer (3rd, 69th, Oak.)
2. Tag illegible
3. Tag illegible
4. Tag illegible
5. Tag illegible
6. Tag illegible
7. Tag illegible
8. Tag illegible
9. Tag illegible

Round 7
1. Walter Thurmond (4th, 111, Sea.)
2. Marcus Easley (4th, 107, Buff.)
3. Mike Kafka (4th, 122, Phila.)
4. Tag illegible
5. Tag illegible
6. Tag illegible
7. Tag illegible

Owens sets off Dolfan frenzy with tweet

At 8:36 a.m. today, Terrell Owens tweeted the following:

"Miami bound..."

And about 10 seconds later I got a bunch of twitter followers asking if this meant Owens is going to sign with the Dolphins. From what I can see, many of Owens' own followers recognized the same possibility and asked him if he's coming to sign.

Ah, the Internet.

Anyway, I cannot confirm for you the specific reason Owens is coming to Miami. He has a place here, I know that. He often trains down here.

But I can confirm for you that T.O. is not coming to join the Dolphins, according to a club source. I think the Dolphins generally like their receiver corps now that Brandon Marshall is part of the group. And I do not see them currently adding anyone who is 36 years old and will be 37 during the season, regardless of whether he has gas in the tank or not.

Simply, I think the Dolphins don't need someone to take catches away from Marshall and Owens might either do that or be unhappy that he's not seeing enough passes his way.

Having said that, I do think Owens still can be a solid contributor for some team in the right situation.

But do I think he's "miami bound," to make the Dolphins that team and that situation?

Nope.

[Update: Owens was asked by one of his followers if he meant he's headed for Miami or the team and he replied, "city." So that should be that.]

The sad tale of Justin Smiley's shoulder injury

[Before I begin today I simply want to thank you, the readers, for your loyalty to this blog. April was a record-breaking month here. This blog enjoyed nearly 1.2 million page views in April. Yes, I said million. It is amazing to me that so many of you are so hungry for Dolphins information, analysis and opinion. It is humbling that you come here to satisfy that hunger. Thanks again.]

There is a good reason the Dolphins asked Justin Smiley not to show up for the offseason conditioning program when it began in late March: The team is concerned their left guard would blow out his already weakened right shoulder by merely lifting weights.

That's how bad things have gotten for the gritty, wily, tough, often injured Smiley.

The Dolphins have been trying to trade Smiley for over a month. No other NFL team has shown enough interest in Smiley to convince the Dolphins to trade their starting left guard of the last two seasons. Miami doesn't simply want to give him up for an afterthought sixth- or seventh-round pick.

But there is probably no choice. No team has offered anything higher. And I would predict no other team will offer anything higher anytime soon.

So Smiley is still on the team -- for now.

"I'm not sure where that whole thing is right now," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said Friday. "And I'm not really skirting it. I really am not. At this particular time, right now, we are not sure and he is a member of my football team right now."

He may be a member of the team but that could change before the Dolphins report for the mandatory full-squad mini-camp at the end of May. By then the team hopes to have the issue resolved one way or the other.

The solutions?

It is clear the Dolphins intend to go in a direction that doesn't include Smiley. The club has told him he still might be brought back for 2010, but who is kidding whom here?

Smiley's shoulder is shot. The Dolphins know it. The San Francisco 49ers knew it when Smiley signed with Miami as an unrestricted free agent in 2008. Smiley missed the final eight games of the season with the shoulder that required surgery in 2007. He injured the shoulder again in 2009 and missed one game and was a backup in three others because of that injury.

The 2007 surgery apparently didn't go very well. Smiley, according to two sources, has lost strength in the shoulder over the past two years. He often struggles to lift his right arm over his head and has lost some of the punch and explosion generated at the shoulder.

That wouldn't be a problem for a school teacher. But Smiley makes his living as an NFL offensive linemen. He is supposed to push and punch at 300-pound defensive players and the torque for that is generated at the shoulder and elbow. For Smiley, the shoulder isn't generating the necessary torque.

The problem for Smiley is also that lifting weights to strengthen the shoulder isn't really the solution. Lifting extremely heavy weights, you see, could cause another injury to the shoulder.

So while he could come back and probably play and contribute at his current weakended condition, the Dolphins and probably even Smiley recognize he is on borrowed time. More games or more strenuous weight lifting would probably land Smiley on another injured list.

That is the reason he is on the trade block. That is the reason no one has jumped at the opportunity to trade for him.

Simply, for the Dolphins, the future at left guard once belonged to Justin Smiley. Now it belongs to rookie John Jerry. And Smiley?

He may have played his final game for the Dolphins.

Football returns to the front burner today

At approximately 2:45 p.m. on Friday the Dolphins can get back to thinking about football. Thank you, Jesus!

After a couple of weeks that weren't necessarily all about football, but rather raised issues about sensitivity and arrogance and vision, we get back discussing football today. Dolphins coaches this afternoon will take eight draft picks, maybe eight or nine undrafted free agents, maybe a dozen tryout players, and some others onto the field for an afternoon practice.

So let's discuss football, shall we?

First thing to look for today? Mike Nolan, the Dolphins new defensive coordinator.

I'll be interested to hear about his style on the field ... Is he a yeller or a mild-mannered teacher? I'll be eager to hear what position he pays closest attention to on defense. Remember Nick Saban used to concentrate almost exclusively on the defensive backs?

I'll be interested to hear how exactly the Dolphins line up on defense. Yes, I know it's just a rookie camp but the alignments should be the same as the ones Nolan will or has already installed for the veterans.

As so many of Miami's draft picks were defensive players, the focus is going to have to be on defense.

Can Koa Misi cover? After playing mostly defensive end in college, is he really a fine OLB candidate like the Dolphins believe he is? (Let's hope!)

Is Reshad Jones instinctive enough, smart enough, agile enough, fast enough to play free safety? Or is he more of a strong safety?

Is A.J. Edds really as good in coverage as everyone says. Remember he had like 78 interceptions in college (actually 7) so this is supposed to be his ticket to plays in the nickel package.

Does weakside linebacker Chris McCoy have the explosive ability to pass-rush that the Dolphins say he does? Where does he get it from? Is it strength, an amazing first step, great technique, what?

Can Nolan Carroll stay healthy? And is he a viable candidate to compete for spot on the roster as a fourth cornerback or perhaps a special teams contributor? Can he catch punts and kickoffs well enough that he might become a return option?

Finally, Jared Odrick will be on display. It's hard to judge what a lineman can do in a minicamp setting. I'm not that sophisticated. Tony Sparano is that sophisticated. He'll find something interesting about Odrick, learn something, tweak something.

How about that? Football.