Packers FAs Who Could Soon Join Joe Philbin as Miami Dolphins

Joe Philbin has been named the new Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins and, with him, the Dolphins could see the arrival of a few of his former players in Green Bay.

Similarly to the influx of ex-Cowboys (that continued even into this past season) that we saw upon the arrival of Sparano, Ireland and Parcells in 2008, Philbin could bring along a group of Packers to help with his adjustment to a new location.

As he was the offensive coordinator in Green Bay, it is obviously more likely that we see some members of the elite Green Bay offense join up in Miami, but a couple of defensive players are mentioned as well.

Here we go...

Matt Flynn

The obvious choice here is Matt Flynn, who has spent the last few years backing up reigning Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers at the quarterback position.

At the moment, the Dolphins have Matt Moore who'll be the likely starter in 2012, but now that Philbin is here, the Dolphins may make a move for the more promising Flynn.

Flynn has made himself a hot commodity in the NFL since his record-breaking performance against the Detroit Lions on the last day of the regular season. 

With an owner who loves to spend money, it is certainly a possibility that Miami will give him a Kevin Kolb-esque contract, despite the fact that he has really only had one good start.

But, as is the NFL these days, the quarterback position is so important that a risk like this will have to be taken at some point down the road. Whether it be trading up for Luck or Griffin, or giving big money to Matt Flynn, the Dolphins will have to make a drastic move to acquire an upgrade on Matt Moore.

Jermichael Finley

Along with Flynn, the Dolphins could also bring in tight end Jermichael Finley, who many consider to be one of the best in the game.

The Dolphins tight end position has been a talking point recently, with Fasano seemingly disappearing in the first half of the season, before catching fire towards the end.

When the Dolphins won the AFC East division in 2008, they did so with a pair of quality tight ends in Fasano and David Martin and their passing game hasn't been the same since Martin started picking up career-altering injuries.

Bringing in Finley would give the Dolphins a pair of tight ends with the potential to rival the elite two over in New England—Hernandez and Gronkowski.

I would certainly be a proponent of this move, in an effort to further improve an offensive unit that was impressive in the second half of the 2011 season.

Bringing in Finley to add to a talented set of receivers and an elite pass-catching back in Reggie Bush would certainly open things up for the Dolphins—all they'd need to do is fill the quarterback position.

Ryan Grant

When you consider the fantastic season that Reggie Bush just had in his first season in Miami, it would seem unlikely that the Dolphins would pick up running back Ryan Grant from Green Bay.

That being said, a lot of people were disappointed with the display of Daniel Thomas in his rookie season and the Dolphins may turn to grant to supply that change of pace to that of Reggie Bush.

Grant's game, like Thomas', is predicated on hard-hitting interior running and the Dolphins will certainly be looking to bring this type of player in if they don't think that Thomas can be that guy.

An injury in 2010 and a poor showing in 2011 have reduced Grant's value dramatically and he has all but played himself out of that "big contract range". As a result, Grant may be available on the cheap for the Dolphins, at which point he becomes worthy of at least some consideration.

At the end of the day, I don't see the Dolphins giving up on Daniel Thomas as the "1b" running back so soon after his drafting but there is a small possibility that we see Grant in Miami in 2012. 

Erik Walden

Erik Walden, a former Dolphin, started for the Packers in their Super Bowl winning season, to the surprise of many—not least the Dolphins.

It was injury that caused his rise to the top of the depth chart but the mere fact that he was starting on the way to a Super Bowl victory shows that Miami made a bad decision by originally cutting him.

Now, with Philbin at the helm, the Dolphins have a chance to make amends and bring him over to provide depth after the retirement of Jason Taylor, the team's second-leading pass rusher in 2011.

It's unlikely that Philbin will have a major impact in bringing Walden back to Miami, considering that he was the offensive coordinator, but the Dolphins know who he is and he likely already has a relationship built with a lot of the players on this defense.

Jarrett Bush

The final possibility—yet another player who Philbin will likely not have much of an influence on—is Jarrett Bush.

As a former captain in Green Bay, Bush could bring some control to the Dolphins defensive backs, who were somewhat erratic—both on and off the field—in 2011.

With Will Allen a year older and Nolan Carroll looking ever unimpressive, cornerback depth is something the Dolphins will be looking to fill in the 2012 offseason. 

Bush won't be an impact player in Miami but his arrival could certainly help with the filling out of this new roster.