Can the Miami Dolphins Repeat in 2009?

When Bill Parcells took over the helm for the Miami Dolphins, he inherited a mess of a team. To right the ship, he brought in former Dallas Cowboys assistant Tony Sparano to be the head coach, and then started making moves immediately.

One of the last ones was to bring in former New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, who was cast aside from New York in favor of Brett Favre, and it would pay off. The Dolphins lost four of their first six games, but won nine of their final ten to win the AFC East and clinch a playoff berth over the Jets and New England Patriots.

Sadly for Miami, the team lost in the first round of postseason action; nevertheless, 2008 was a dramatic improvement over the 2007 season, in which Miami finished a miserable 1-15.

Key Additions

Gibril Wilson (S)—The Dolphins brought in Gibril Wilson to start at safety and also provide leadership and mentor the rest of the team’s defensive backs, which is something they need badly.

Last year, the Dolphins were ninth in the league in points allowed, despite their struggles in defending the pass, where they ranked 25th in passing yards allowed. Wilson will generally intercept a couple passes each year and is good for a few more pass deflections.

But, more importantly, having averaged 108 tackles over the last four seasons, Wilson provides that safety net in the secondary that the Dolphins lacked last year.

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