Miami Dolphins: 5 Players Primed to Have a Breakout Year

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The Miami Dolphins are in an uphill battle looking into the 2012 season. There are those who are very pessimistic about the Miami Dolphins, and those who think that this is the year that the team will break loose.

With newly named rookie Ryan Tannehill taking the role of starting quarterback for Miami, the team as a whole is going to have to step up and start playing at the top of their game.

Here are the five players that I believe will have a breakout year.

Jared Odrick

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2010 first-round pick Jared Odrick hasn't made a splash in Miami just quite yet. He was injured his first year, and off and on in the starting role in 2011. 

It finally looks like Jared Odrick will get his chance to show everyone his first-round skills. He seems to have a starting role on the roster locked up, and it is now just up to him to make an impact. 

Going back into the 2011 season, Odrick had a very promising season. He was constantly pressuring the quarterback and making big plays.

Look for Jared Odrick to finally bring that first-round talent onto the football field in 2012. After this next year, he will be one of the best defenders on the team. 

Daniel Thomas

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The outlook on Daniel Thomas' future has been dim lately. But many people forget that last year Thomas played great in the beginning of the season when he was put into the starting role. Once Reggie Bush became starter, Daniel Thomas' production went down.

Don't get me wrong, Reggie Bush should still be first string RB, but look for Daniel Thomas to embrace the backup running back position, and make Miami's running game one of the best in the league.

His physical style of play and powerhouse running will be a huge impact in the red zone and on short yardage plays. Thomas will finally accept his role on the team and hopefully become one of the best backups in the game. 

Davone Bess

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Davone Bess has been one of the most underrated slot receivers in the league for years, and if the Dolphins don't find a true number one receiver soon, Davone Bess might have a career season.

As it looks right now, Miami is not going to have a go-to receiver, but if Davone Bess plays as well as he has the past few seasons, his role might just turn into a Wes Welker type position.

Bess can catch anything and run pure routes. He also has the agility and quickness that many receivers could only hope for. Look for him to have a breakout year and become Miami's new go-to guy. 

Charles Clay

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University of Tulsa graduate Charles Clay has some of the best potential on the team. Every time he was out on the field last season, he made big plays.

The upside that Clay possesses is too hard to ignore. He is big, fast, a great blocker and a great route runner and he has great hands. What more can you ask for?

Hopefully Philbin has a plan for him this coming season, because he could be one of the biggest threats in the Miami Dolphin's offense.

Sean Smith

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Since the departure of Vontae Davis, the Miami Dolphins' defense is short an outstanding defensive back. Starters Richard Marshall and Sean Smith must both step up, and play to their full potential. 

Sean Smith has been up and down ever since he was drafted in 2009. He has never been able to play at a highly consistent level in the NFL. Hopefully now that Davis is gone, Smith will step up and become that true star CB that Miami has always wished he could be.

Training camp and preseason have been great for Smith so far. Let's see if he can bring that same high level of play into the 2012 season and show people why he deserves to be a starting cornerback in the NFL.