2010 NFL Season Preview: Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a very storied franchise. They used to be one of the most dominant teams in the league in the early 70's, and, for the most part, have been consistent winners.
Despite a one-win season in 2007, they've rebounded very nicely and are now a team on the rise. Is this the year they take the next big step?
Biggest Question Heading Into Next Season
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As I've said on countless occasions, generating an effective pass rush is an integral key to success.
During the offseason, the Dolphins lost Jason Taylor and Joey Porter; two of their most productive players in that area. Last year, they were accountable for 16 of the team's 44 sacks, so they're absences will definitely be felt.
Whether or not young, yet promising players such as Cameron Wake can develop into serious threats off the edge be very important.
Key Additions
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WR Brandon Marshall
The Dolphins traded a pair of second round draft picks to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Brandon Marshall. He's one of the Top 5 receivers in the league, and will provide QB Chad Henne a reliable target to work with.
ILB Karlos Dansby
The addition of Marshall really overshadowed another great acquisition. Dansby was signed in free agency and will fill a huge void along the interior of the Dolphins' defense.
G Richie Incognito
It appears as if Incognito is set to be the starter at right guard. While he's not great, he is a powerful run blocker.
DE Charles Grant
Grant will provide great depth at defensive end. Last year, he registered 5.5 sacks for the Saints.
Key Losses
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WR Ted Ginn Jr.
Ginn, a former 1st round pick, failed to emerge as a top-flight receiver. Therefore, it wasn't surprising to see him let go.
G Justin Smiley
Despite being a talented guard, the team parted ways with Smiley due to his major injury concerns
NT Jason Ferguson
Ferguson retired this offseason. It will be interesting to see how they handle the nose tackle spot.
OLB Joey Porter
Porter, even at 33, has had 26.5 sacks over the past two seasons. As I referenced to earlier, it will be tough to overcome his loss.
OLB Jason Taylor
Other than the one year he spent with the Redskins, Taylor has been the heart and soul of the Dolphins defense.
FS Gibril Wilson
This move is ultimately an addition by subtraction. Wilson played very poorly last year.
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Draft Recap
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1st Round (No. 28 Overall): Penn State DE Jared Odrick
2nd Round (No. 40 Overall): Utah OLB Koa Misi
3rd Round (No. 73 Overall): Ole Miss G John Jerry
4th Round (No. 119 Overall): Iowa ILB A.J. Edds
5th Round (No. 145 Overall): Maryland CB Nolan Carrol
5th Round (No. 163 Overall): Georgia S Reshad Jones
7th Round (No. 212 Overall): Middle Tennessee ILB Chris McCoy
Bill Parcells and the Dolphins did an excellent job drafting, filling their needs with high-value talent.
Coaching Staff
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Tony Sporano is entering his third season as the Dolphins' head coach. He's done a nice job, so far, compiling a record of 18-13. He will be expected to lead the team back to the playoffs.
Dan Henning will return for his third year as the team's offensive coordinator. He will be responsible for the growth of young QB Chad Henne, as well as continuing the success they've had in the running game and the Wildcat formation.
Mike Nolan was brought in to be the defensive coordinator. He's one of the best in the business, and the group should respond with improved play.
Offensive Outlook
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The Dolphins offense is one of the more underrated in the league.
Under center, they will have young, yet talented Chad Henne. I expect him to elevate his game to the next level, especially with the addition of Brandon Marshall.
In my opinion, Marshall is the third best receiver in the league, and he will join Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo.
Barring injury, the Dolphins also have one of the better rushing tandems in the league with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Both are great all-around talent, and have thrived in the Wildcat formation. They will force opponents to gameplan against them and are the focal point of this offense.
Blocking for them is a very strong offensive line. Tackles Jake Long and Vernon Cary from a great bookend duo and they not only set the edge for the running game, but also only allowed a combined nine sacks last season. The interior line is also very solid, and their only concern lies at right guard.
I project this offense to finish in that 11-15 range in terms of points scored and overall yards.
Defense Outlook
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The Dolphins defense is an average unit, for the most part.
At defensive line, they have a stout 3-man front with Randy Starks at nose tackle with Kendall Langford and Jared Odrick alongside him at defensive end.
Behind them, at linebacker, they will be led by new free agent signing Karlos Dansby. The rest of the players, are mediocre at best though. Next to him is Channing Crowder, while Cameron Wake and either Charlie Anderson and Koa Misi will play outside.
As I referenced to earlier, everyone will have to step up and pressure the quarterback.
Luckily, their secondary is better. Their starting corners will be second-year pros Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, who played very well last year. At strong safety, they have Yeremiah Bell who's very effective in run support. The only hole is at free safety where Chris Clemons and rookie Reshad Jones will battle for the starting spot.
Special Teams Outlook
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The Dolphins' special teams is a very reliable unit.
They have a Pro Bowl kicker in Dan Carpenter, who nailed over 89 percent of his field goals last year.
Their punter, Brandon Fields had a terrific year, as he maintained a 46.3 average and pinned 33 percent of his punts inside the 20-yard line.
With Ted Ginn Jr. gone, though, they will have to depend on others to fill his shoes. It appears as if Davone Bess will take over punt returns, and Patrick Cobbs will handle kickoffs.
Fantasy Outlook
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WR Brandon Marshall
Marshall should be one of the first receivers taken off the board as he is expected to continue his three-season streak of at least 100 catches and 1,000 yards.
RB Ronnie Brown
Brown is a staple to the Dolphins' offense, and projects to have around 1,000 yards from scrimmage. However, he does have a tendency to get injured, so be cautious.
RB Ricky Williams
Williams, Brown's counterpart, played extremely well as he amassed 1,385 yards from scrimmage and 13 TD. While I don't expect him to repeat that success due to old age (33), he is still a viable No. 2 option. Do note that he also had five fumbles last year.
QB Chad Henne
Henne should take the next step in his development this year, and he could throw for 20 TD and 3,000 yards in his first full season as the starter.
WR Davone Bess
Bess caught 76 receptions for 758 yards last year. It will be interesting to see how the addition of Marshall will affect those numbers. Nonetheless, he's a decent late-round choice.
Schedule
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Week 1 @ Buffalo Bills
Week 2 @ Minnesota Vikings
Week 3 vs. New York Jets
Week 4 vs. New England Patriots
Week 5 Bye
Week 6 @ Green Bay Packers
Week 7 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 8 @ Cinccinati Bengals
Week 9 @ Baltimore Ravens
Week 10 vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 11 vs. Chicago Bears
Week 12 @ Oakland Raiders
Week 13 vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 14 @ New York Jets
Week 15 vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 16 vs. Detroit Lions
Week 17 @ New England
The Dolphins face a tough road ahead of them, particularly in the first half. In fact, in a worst case scenario they could start 1-7.
Moreover, they have a very busy itinerary as they will be traveling all across the country.
In A Nutshell
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Despite having a very talented squad, the brutal schedule will make it tough for them to win more than 8 or 9 games. However, I could also see a couple game swing on either side.
Final Record: 9-7 (divisional ranking TBD)
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