A couple quick things from Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland's briefing with reporters this afternoon at the Senior Bowl:
### He said he wants to re-sign Reggie Bush and Jake Long (though it's clear Miami won't overpay for either). He called the Long talks "a very complex negotiation."
### He said Miami will use all avenues to improve, including free agency, and that he and Joe Philbin discuss free agent options daily.
### He admitted the Dolphins need to add playmakers and was blunt about the months ahead: "This is the year we've got to do something. This is a big offseason for us. We understand that."
### He predicted Michael Egnew "is going to have a good season" in 2013 -- and that Miami hasn't given up on him.
### He was very complimentary of Ryan Tannehill, especially his composure, and pointed to the Seattle comeback as what he's capable of. "We've got to get him help," Ireland said.
### He strongly praised Pat Devlin, suggesting the Dolphins might consider him as a No. 2 if Matt Moore leaves, which wouldn't surprise the Dolphins.
(Our Adam Beasley is in Mobile and will have a full story soon.)
### The Dolphins have a large contigent at the Senior Bowl, headed by Ireland and Philbin, but the odds aren't good that Miami's first-round pick will come from the group of players convening this week in Mobile.
Three players at the game could be picked in Miami's range at No. 12 or within 10 picks after that: North Carolina defensive tackle Sylvester Williams (wouldn't make sense at No. 12), Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher (even if Jake Long leaves, it would be a shame if Miami used another high pick on an offensive lineman) and BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah.
Most mock drafts have Ansah in the 18 to 24 range, but he could rise because he's incredibly gifted and has considerable pass-rush potential. Mel Kiper compares him with Jason Pierre Paul. So Ansah isn't out of the question at No. 12, especially if Randy Starks leaves via free agency and Miami moves Jared Odrick to tackle.
Dozens of potential second, mid-round and late-round picks will be under inspection by Ireland and his scouts this week. Among the receivers to keep an eye on: Baylor's Terrance Williams (No. 12 is too high but it's highly unlikely he falls to Miami's next pick at 42), Louisiana Tech's Quinton Patton (104 catches, 1392 yards, 13 TDs this past season), Oregon State's Markus Wheaton (speed has been compared with Mike Wallace), Texas A&M's Ryan Swope (nobody should be surprised if Miami adds another Aggie) and Elon's under-the-radar Aaron Mellette.
### Of the four prominent uncommitted players who visited UM this past weekend (Jaynard Bostwick, Alex Collins, Denver Kirkland and Keith Bryant), Miami has reason to feel most optimistic about Bostwick, a defensive tackle, and Kirkland, an offensive tackle. Arkansas, which has assistant coach Randy Shannon helping recruit South Florida, is making a strong push for Collins and Kirkland, with both scheduled to visit Arkansas' campus in the next couple of weeks.
### The Marlins plan to scout an upcoming audition for former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, 33, who hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2009 because of shoulder problems.
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As we have referenced in recent months, the NCAA has been trying hard for months to pin something on former UM coach Frank Haith, according to multiple people who are or have been involved with the UM basketball program.
Apparently, they have, according to a report from CBSSportsline.com.
CBS reported Monday afternoon that Haith, now the Missouri coach, is expected to be charged with unethical conduct and failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance.
A source told CBS that the NCAA was unable to prove anyone paid $10,000 to a DeQuan Jones family member -- a claim made by Nevin Shapiro. But Haith will be charged with unethical conduct because the NCAA did not believe his story that payments to his former UM assistants intended for camp money did not wind up going to repay Shapiro.
According to CBS, Haith also will be charged with a failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance due to impermissible airline travel given to the family of two UM players from a member of his UM staff, and also because of the interaction between Shapiro and players while on recruiting visits.
Haith might get a "show-cause" penalty, but it's unclear how that will affect his status at Missouri.
The report said Haith's former UM assistants - Jorge Fernandez, Jake Morton and Michael Schwartz - also will receive unethical conduct charges. Haith took none of them with him to Missouri, which caused some hard feelings.
Fernandez lost his job at Marshall because of the NCAA investigation. Morton has a non-coaching job in the Western Kentucky basketball program, and Schwartz is a Fresno State assistant.
All of the coaches can defend themselves in front of the NCAA's infractions committee before receiving their penalty.
UM's Durand Scott and Reggie Johnson were suspended last season reportedly because Fernandez gave impermissible travel benefits to Johnson's mother and Scott's AAU coach. In one case, Fernandez used frequent flyer miles to pay for transportation.
A source told me in recent days that the NCAA tried to get one of Haith's former assistants to give incriminating information about Haith.
As noted in our last post, John Wall's former AAU coach, Brian Clifton, was questioned by the NCAA late last year and insisted that while Clifton visited Shapiro's home, Wall was not with him and never interacted with Shapiro.
The CBS report also said that UM was supposed to get its notice of allegations on Tuesday but the NOA could be withheld for another week or two because of procedural issues.
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