10 Dolphins Most Likely to Make the Pro Bowl

My little-by-little 2011 Miami Dolphins preview started with me giving you five reasons why they're a playoff team, then a few days later predicting that they would be exactly that.

Now, I'll do something a bit more reasonable: give you 10 possible Pro Bowlers currently playing for the Miami Dolphins.

I know it's very unlikely that the Dolphins will have 10 pro bowlers, however, there are 10 players on the team with Pro Bowl type talent.

Last season, Miami sent LT Jake Long, OLB Cameron Wake, DE Randy Starks and Long Snapper John Denney, with Long and Wake named as starters (Long didn't play due to injury).

Will any of these players make it back?

Click to find out, plus, who could potentially join them. 

Brandon Marshall

Last season, Brandon Marshall had what he would consider an off-year.

After a two-year stretch where he averaged 102 catches, 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns, Marshall saw his catches dip down to 86, and his receiving yards went down to 1,014 yards. He also saw his touchdowns go down from 10 to three.

This season, I see the trend going up. Marshall won't make it to 100 (too many other weapons in Bess, Hartline and Bush) but will still get 90 catches along with 1,098 yards and seven touchdowns.

Pro Bowler? Possible with those numbers even though the AFC is deep with receivers.

And yes, I'm the same guy that wrote an article posing the question about Marshall potentially being the problem (a knee-jerk article based off of an abberation of a performance against Oakland) that made fellow Dolphins Featured Columnist Chris J. Nelson state: "This article is ridiculous. And wrong." 

Quick Tangent: I won't miss Dan Henning. Not one bit. I don't think I would have written that article if Henning wasn't offensive coordinator last year. The way I feel about the Dolphins this season, I was most likely wrong in that article. And I'm glad I was.

Reggie Bush

Reggie Bush will rush for 1,000 yards this year.

I can't believe I'm making this prediction, but considering that the Dolphins seem to believe in Daniel Thomas so much that they've actually signed Larry Johnson.

Well, something tells me that Reggie is going to get 240 touches and will break off enough long X-Box Madden Runs that he'll revert to his 2009 5.2 yards per carry average. That's 1,248 yards.

Now add in the fact that Bush will also be used on a lot of Chad Henne checkdowns (hence making Henne look better as you'll see later) and you'll see Bush getting 53 catches for 448 yards. That's 8.5 yards per catch.

Add it together and you'll have someone who throughout the season will get the ball 293 times this season and gained 1,696 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per catch.

Add to that eight rushing touchdowns and seven receiving touchdowns (that's 15 total) and you'd have yourself a Pro Bowl running back. 

Cameron Wake

Last season, 14 sacks got Wake in as a starter.

This season, with a stronger defense around him, I see Wake getting about 16.5 sacks along with 53 tackles and eight tackle assists.

Pro Bowl? Try defensive player of the year. He should've gotten some votes for the award last year; this year he will be a full-fledged candidate.

Vontae Davis

I might be a bit biased, but Vontae Davis is the best CB in the NFL not named Revis or Asomugha.

Last season, Davis only had one interception in 16 games, along with 12 pass deflections and a forced fumble.

With more teams attempting to pass against the Dolphins, thanks to more muscle up front, plus a pass rush poised to disrupt the pass, Davis' numbers will easily go up. Also remember, he's 23 this season.

How much will his numbers go up? I see about 25 pass deflections, with seven interceptions, one of which he'll return for a touchdown. On top of that, a forced fumble and 53 tackles.  

Sean Smith

A case could be made that Vontae Davis and Sean Smith are the best CB tandem that nobody is talking about. (Not the best in the NFL, not yet at least.)

They remind me a bit of Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain, who wreaked havoc in the Dolphins secondary at the start of the last decade.

Both players combined for seven Pro Bowl appearances, with both players appearing in 2002.

While Vontae was more highly touted coming out of college and is a better cover corner; Sean Smith is more physical.

What will this physicality lead to? I see about 16 pass deflections and five interceptions, along with 59 tackles and the rare sack.

Odds are only one or the other will go to the Pro Bowl, but they'll both be worthy candidates.  

Koa Misi

In his first year in the league, the 2010 second-round pick racked up four-and-a-half sacks, two fumble recoveries and 29 tackles with 12 assists.

This year, with the starting job all his, I expect to see eight sacks, at least one fumble recovery, a forced fumble and 40 tackles. Not too much to ask, right?

A Pro Bowler? Those numbers only make him a maybe, however he could very well be an alternate. 

Karlos Dansby

Karlos Dansby has yet to have a Pro Bowl appearance in seven seasons in the NFL.

Will the eighth season be a charm?

Last season, Dansby recorded 77 tackles, 17 assists, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

What could get Dansby to Hawaii (and maybe the Dolphins to the playoffs)?

How about 102 tackles, 14 assists, four sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. 

Think Zach Thomas Mr. Dansby. Be the ball hawk that you can be, and the ball hawk that the legendary former Dolphin was.

Yeremiah Bell

Yeremiah Bell is as dependable as it comes in the secondary. 

This season, he'll be Miami's strong safety, next to either Chris Clemons or Reshad Jones. 

But no matter who's patrolling free safety, this won't stop Yeremiah from putting up good numbers as Miami's old reliable.

Bell won't approach the numbers that got him into the Pro Bowl in 2009 (Gabril Wilson helped out a lot, especially in the tackles department because of all the missed tackles Wilson racked up), but he will still be worth 82 tackles, 15 assists, two interceptions and five pass deflections. He'll also add about a sack and a half.

Pro Bowl? Maybe, it depends on the overall strength of the Dolphins defense since Bell is their last line of defense.

Jake Long

Three years, three Pro Bowls.

You expect that from a No. 1 pick at left tackle.

On a turbulent offensive line, Jake Long has been the one true rock of the group.

You can't blame any of Henne's struggles on Long; he's protected the blind side of both Henne and Pennington so well for the last three years that he's been a Pro Bowler every year and was named to the NFL's All-Pro team in 2010 and was a second-teamer in 2009.

Unless the knee injury that has kept him out training camp and the preseason up until Saturday is worse than the Dolphins have led us to believe (doubtful since he passed his physical and was cleared to be activated from the PUP list), why should we expect any different from the former No. 1 pick this season? 

Chad Henne

Now's the point where you're wondering if this article has become a satire.

It hasn't.

I'm sticking with the optimistic prediction I have for the 2011 season, including these numbers from Chad Henne:

Henne's projected numbers (regular season only): 316/453 for 3,833 yards, 29 touchdowns and 17 picks with a quarterback rating of 101.17.

If that's what happens, then aloha Mr. Henne. No seriously.

Thomas Galicia is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist. Follow him on twitter @thomasgalicia. For more of his opinions on other subjects, visit www.thomasgalicia.com.