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Our Football insiders for NFL Picks report that the Miami Dolphins are truly a team on the up rise and one of the NFL teams to watch for the 2010 NFL season. The Miami Dolphins ran an unconventional wildcat offense last year that no one in the league could solve as they had one of the NFL's best rushing attacks ranked 4th in 2009. With a solid rushing attack, the Dolphins will look to Chad Henne who was named the starter by default when Chad Pennington was injured to be their quarterback of the future.

Chad Henne went 7-7 as a starter while throwing 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his 1st year as a starter for the Dolphins who were ranked 20th in passing. The Dolphins made one of the biggest impact moves on offense this off season by getting receiver Brandon Marshall from the Denver Broncos who comes to Miami catching at least 100 passes per season the last three years while scoring 23 touchdowns during that span. Marshall makes Miami's offense a threat on every down with the combination of Ricky Williams who rushed for 1,121 yards and Ronnie Brown who is coming back from a foot injury in the 2009 season.

The Dolphin defense struggled last year against the pass and the rush ranked 22nd in total yards. Their pass defense was a disaster ranked 29th in the league which caused the firing of defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and in with their new coordinator Mike Nolan. The Dolphins made an overall of changes on this side of the ball getting rid of cornerback Will Allen and safety Gibril Wilson as they will rely on second year cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith to take over a secondary that allowed a total of 57 completions of 20 yards or more. Miami was ranked 18th against the run and may suffer early in the season without nose tackle Jason Ferguson who was suspended for the first eight games although new outside linebacker Karlos Dansby should close some holes for their rush defense.

The Dolphins have high expectations for Henne who showed signs of being a top flight NFL quarterback and if he can capitalize on his experience, this offense has the weapons to control the ball and score a lot of points. The question will still be with this soft Miami defense but with the changes made and new offensive coordinator Mike Nolan, they should improve immensely. The Dolphins will be in a three headed race in the tough AFC East Conference with the Patriots and Jets. Our Football experts for NFL picks predict that after surviving a 7-9 season playing a first year starter who was thrown into the fire, there is no reason the Dolphins shouldn't make the playoffs in 2010 if the stay healthy.

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The Miami Dolphins were unable to defend their AFC East title in 2009, as they went just 7-9 and finished third in the division after going 11-5 in 2008. The down year has put head coach Tony Sparano on the hot seat, just a season after everyone was praising him for the work he did to get this team back on track. The Dolphins made two big moves this off season adding wide receiver Brandon Marshall and linebacker Karlos Dansby, and are hoping the new additions will be able to get this team back on top. Here is a look at what the Dolphins will bring to the table on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they finish the season in the AFC East.

Offense: The Dolphins were forced to put Chad Henne into the fire last season, as opening day starter Chad Pennington went down with a season ending injury in week 3. Henne had his ups and downs in his first real stint as a starting NFL quarterback, and has earned the starting spot heading into the 2010 season, but he must find a way to keep his interceptions down this season.

The Dolphins also suffered a big injury to the running game in 2010, as they lost Ronnie Brown after just nice games. Brown's injury allowed the ageless Ricky Williams to prove he still can be one of the better backs in the league, as Williams finished the year with 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns. With Brown back the Dolphins will once again feature one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL.

I believe that the addition of Brandon Marshall is going to pay huge dividends for the entire Dolphins offense in 2010. Marshall will keep teams from loading up the box to stop the running game, and will also give wide outs Greg Camarillo, Devon Bess, and Brian Hartline more room to roam in the secondary. Also look for a bounce back year from tight end Anthony Fasano.

The offensive line has the potential to be pretty good, as they return one of the top young left tackles in the game in Jake Long. It looks as though the Dolphins will have two new guards to start the 2010 season, as they added Richie Incognito to play right guard, while rookie John Jerry is expected to start at left guard.

Defense: The Dolphins hired Mike Nolan as the team's new defensive coordinator, and are hoping he can turn around a unit that struggled in 2009. The Dolphins are hoping that their first round pick of defensive end Jared Odrick will be ready to go and start at one of the end spots, while Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling fight to start at the other end spot. In 2009 Randy Starks grabbed 7 sacks at defensive end, but the Dolphins are hoping he can make the move to nose tackle this season.

At linebacker the Dolphins are hoping that rookie Koa Misi and former CFL star Cameron Wake can step in and play well at the two outside spots. Dansby figures to make a huge impact in the middle, and don't be surprised to see a much better season out of Channing Crowder, who should really benefit from playing alongside Dansby.

The Dolphins were forced to start two rookies at corner in 2009, and both Sean Smith and Vontae Davis are expected to keep those starting jobs in 2010. Veteran Will Allen missed most of last season, and will likely be used mainly as a nickel corner this season. Strong safety Yeremiah Bell is a tackling machine, and figures to be a mainstay for years to come. The other safety spot is wide open, and it looks like rookie Reshad Jones has the early edge at landing the starting job.

Prediction - 2nd AFC East: The Dolphins are one of my surprise teams heading into the 2010 season, and I feel they have what it takes to finish ahead of the Jets this season, but not quite enough to take down the Patriots for the top spot.

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The Miami Dolphins came out of nowhere in 2009 to win the AFC East before succumbing to the Baltimore Ravens in the first roundof the playoffs. The two main factors for the dramatic turnaroundnd rest with the acquisition of QB Chad Pennington who was released by the NY Jets after the team signed Brett Favre and the rise of the Wildcat formation that proved to catch several team (ie New England) off guard. In terms of fantasy though the Dolphins really don't have much in the way of players who fantasy owners would feel comfortable starting week in and week out. Let's dissect Miami in terms of fantasy potential heading into 2009.

After building a foundation along the offensive anddefensive lines in last year's draft, the Dolphins added to the framework with more skill position players on the second day of the 2009 NFL Draft. That was a good move because the Dolphins have very few play makers on the offensive side of the ball. Chad Pennington is back for another year but Chad Henne appears to be the future QB for the team. Even Pennington in his hey day with the Jets was really nothing more than a number 2 QB or someone that you may play based on the match ups.

So, needless to say don't be surprised if Pennington goes undrafted in most 12 team leagues this summer. Obviously, Henne bears no fantasy value at this point either. The only QB on Miami's roster that might be worth taking a very late round flier on is former WV QB Pat White with whom the Dolphins selected in the 2nd round. I doubt highly that White will be playing any QB this year and I am assuming the Dolphins drafted him specifically for the Wildcat which was so successful last year. This would be perfect for White andhe would be an upgrade over Ronnie Brown in that capacity. White, would represent the only Dolphin QB that I may consider in the late late rounds of my draft this summer.

Miami's running game was fairly decent in 2009 as Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 1575 rushing with a 4.2 yards per carry. There lies the problem though in terms of fantasy. If you read my column "Draft Running Backs Early: Buyer Beware" this is exactly what I am talking about. While the RB by committee is advantageous to incorporate in the NFL it represents a fantasy owners' worst nightmare. I personally drafted 420 Ricky last year and to be perfectly honest with you I thought he would rush for over 1000 yards because I didn't think Brown's health would make it through a whole season thus giving Williams the majority of the carries. Needless to say I was wrong mainly because Browns knee held up better than I thought it would. Don't expect anything special out of either of these guys in 2009 either. The committee will continue and to make matters worse at least half of Brown's 10 rushing TD's came in the Wildcat formation and with the inclusion of White into the mix Brown's role in the Wildcat is expected to decrease. Treat Brown as a number 3 RB or a Flex start and Williams as a reserve worth a late round pick in most leagues.

The receiving corps for Miami is worse that its running game in terms of fantasy potential. At this point the only consistent receive threat on the Dolphins lies with TE Anthony Fasano. 2008 saw Fasano catch 34 balls for 454 yards but 7 TD's. That is an outstanding TD total for an NFL TE and Fasano clearly became the go to guy for Pennington as the season wore on. I don't believe that Fasano was a fluke and with Pennington coming back for a 2nd year there is no reason to think that he can't be good for between 5-6 TD's this year. Consider Fasano a low end number 1 TE or at worst a great number 2 TE.

Although, improving Ted Ginn Jr. has not come close to living up to his potential. Moreover, Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo are nothing more than emergency stop gaps and if you are relying on either of them to produce for you consistently chances are your season will be ending early. Miami drafted Patrick Turner out of USC and Brian Hartline out of The Ohio State University to help solidify the receiving corps. After breakout 2008 campaign and subsequent impressive Senior Bowl scouts the Dolphins are high on Turner. At 6'5" he gives the Dolphins a big target something that the team has been lacking. Look for both Turner and Hartline to make the team but neither are warrant being drafted this summer in leagues with 12 or less teams. In larger leagues then maybe as a late round flier but not much more than that. As for Ginn and Camarillo treat them both as late round reserves until they start to produce quality fantasy points on a consistent basis.

Dan Carpenter converted on all 40 of his PAT attempts and was 21-25 on FG's making him a reliable fantasy option heading into 2009. Ginn makes the DST interesting but still not a unit at this point is worthy of playing every week especially seeing as though they have 4 games agains T.O. and Randy Moss. In summary, with the exception of Carpenter and Fasano I wouldn't rush out to draft many Dolphins for your fantasy roster for the upcoming season. Next up tomorrow: The New York Jets.

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of Gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider/fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Visit today at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]

Miami Dolphins Draft Needs

Heading into the offseason the Miami Dolphins had a few majors holes. The biggest holes are definitely on Defense as their offense is surprisingly pretty set. The Miami Dolphins have a lot of young players who are almost ready to contribute continuously to the team and just need to fill some holes on the defense.

On Offense, the Dolphins are extremely young. The Dolphin's offense is actually the youngest offensive unit in the NFL. Because of their youth, the offense should be expected to improve from last year simply based on the fact that the players are a whole year more experienced. The Dolphins offense was really no slouch to begin with. The Dolphins could already run the ball extremely well. The run game is anchored by Jake Long and Vernon Carey and they plow holes open for Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on a consistent basis. Miami had quality guards but decided to bring in another great option by signing Incognito. Incognito, while being a troubled player in the past, is extremely talented and could turn out to be a steal for the Dolphins.

While the running game was one of the top rated for much of the 2009 season the Dolphin's passing game wasn't too bad either. The Dolphins obviously did not resemble the Colts or the Saints on offense, but they were effective. The Dolphins receivers run crisp routes and always find a way to get open on third downs and 1st year quarterback Chad Henne always has a way of finding them. The deep ball has not developed yet but it can be expected in the future. While many blame the receivers for the lack of deep balls, the blame should really lay with Chad Henne. Henne had accuracy troubles with the deep ball but should be much improved after a full season as a starter.

The Defense is where the Dolphin's real problems are. The Miami Dolphins had a very soft defense in 2009. The defense was great against the run, in large part to Langford, Starks and Ferguson. Once Ferguson became injured the run defense went downhill. Soliai can be effective, but not every play. The dolphins need to look for a NT in the first three rounds. The Dolphins pass defense was also terrible. The bad pass defense is a direct result of having 2 rookie corners starting along with bad safety play. Those corners aren't rookies anymore and the bad safety had been cut. In order to sure up the pass defense, the dolphins just need to find a free safety. There are a couple good options in the draft that could easily fill the role, and the Dolphins also could consider 2009 draft pick Chris Clemmons or standout reserve Tyrone Culver.

Another weakness, inside linebacker, has already been addressed. Early in the offseason the Dolphins signed free agent Karlos Dansby to a lucrative contract. Dansby is expected to help the Dolphins defense greatly and will likely fill the void left by the termination of Akin Ayodele's contract.

There is great reason for optimism among the Dolphin's organization and they should be a much improved team in 2010. The Dolphins are getting better, but so are the Patriots and Jets. The AFC East will continue to be a tough division and the Dolphins will have to continue to get a lot better if the wish to compete.

Brian Gibson is a writer who specializes in subjects such as Sports, Entertainment and Money Management. He also has a website, Products Review Network, which reviews products such as Calms Forte 4 Kids.

1st Round (#28) DE Jared Odrick, Penn State

Key Player(s) Passed On: DE/OLB Jerry Hughes

Analysis: It is hard to find fault with the Odrick selection. He was a terrific player at Penn State and has the long arms and height to play defensive end in Miami's 3-4 defense. Odrick will fit in nicely on the Dolphins' defensive line. Miami needed outside linebacker prospects who can rush the quarterback. Jerry Hughes was one of the better college defensive ends who could have been converted to outside linebacker in this draft. Hughes would have been a solid selection. However, Odrick was a fundamentally sound and probably the safer pick. Miami has a young and talented defensive line (DE Philip Merling, DE Jared Odrick, NT Randy Starks and reserve DE Kendall Langford) that should be good for a number of years.

2nd Round (#40) DE Koa Misi, Utah

Key Player(s) Passed On: DE Sergio Kindle

Analysis: The loss of Joey Porter and Jason Taylor made finding a young pass rusher at outside linebacker a very high priority. The Dolphins chose Koa Misi over Sergio Kindle. Misi consistently gives good effort, but he has to learn more counter moves. He also has to finish plays better. The former Ute gets close, but lets quarterbacks and running backs escape his grasp too often. PFDN preferred Kindle over Misi by a fair amount. Which outside linebacker prospect to draft was a key decision for Miami. Kindle and Misi will be compared for years. Miami will be missing a lot of pass rush pressure with the departures of Porter and Taylor. Miami has to hope that Misi adjusts well to the outside linebacker position and converts more opportunities into sacks and tackles for loss.

3rd Round (#73) OT/OG John Jerry, Mississippi

Key Player(s) Passed On: S Chad Jones

Analysis: Jerry has a chance to be a quality starting guard in the NFL. He has to raise his conditioning level to reach his full potential. Jerry's run blocking prowess will help a Miami line that is much stronger at tackle than it is inside. The safety play for Miami last season was very weak. The team released Gabril Wilson and could use additional talent. Chad Jones would have made sense because he is just scratching the surface of his potential. John Jerry was a solid pick. However, safety was a bigger weakness than the offensive line and Jones has substantial upside.

4th Round (#119) LB A.J. Edds, Iowa

Key Player(s) Passed On: CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah

Analysis: Edds is a smart and fundamentally sound player. He can be a solid backup and contribute on 3rd down passing situations. He is not much of a pass rusher, but Edds has a good feel for pass coverage. We thought Owusu-Ansah had more upside potential. Miami needs help in the secondary and Owusu-Ansah has potential at cornerback and free safety. Edds can carve out a niche for himself in the Dolphins' defense, but we doubt that he will ever be more than a situational player.

5th Round (#145) CB Nolan Carroll, Maryland

Key Player(s) Passed On: TE Andrew Quarless

Analysis: Carroll had a lot of injury issues in college and missed most of his senior season with a broken leg. Miami missed Will Allen when he was injured last season. Every team wants to have quality depth at cornerback. However, Carroll is a raw size/speed prospect who did not make many plays as a cornerback for Maryland. He also was not a dangerous kick returner. Andrew Quarless would have provided quality depth behind Anthony Fasano. Quarless runs better than Fasano and has starting potential. Dolphins' general manager, Jeff Ireland, shies away from character risks and likely passed on Quarless for that reason. Quarless showed more maturity as a senior and represented little risk in the 5th round.

5th Round (#163) S Reshad Jones, Georgia

Key Player(s) Passed On: RB Jonathan Dwyer

Analysis: Reshad Jones was a decent pick in the 5th round. He displayed a combination of hitting ability and ball skills at Georgia from the strong and free safety position. He also was very inconsistent and made mental mistakes in coverage. The biggest question concerning Jones is how well will he handle the mental side of diagnosing complicated pro passing attacks? Miami has Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown at running back, but they both have issues. Williams is 33 years old and Brown is 28 and returning from another injury. Jonathan Dwyer is a young, big back who could have injected youth into a position that is getting long in the tooth.

7th Round (#212) DE Chris McCoy, Middle Tennessee State

Key Player (s) Passed On: TE Dorin Dickerson

Analysis: McCoy is a conversion project from defensive end to outside linebacker. He had a productive senior season (64 tackles, 20 tackles for losses and 7 sacks), but it took him until his 5th year to be a full-time starter. McCoy is not unusually quick, strong or fast. He faces long odds to be anything more than decent depth. Dickerson is really an H-back. He catches the ball well and has speed. Miami may have been able to come up with an offensive package on passing situations to take advantage of his skill-set.

7th Round (#252) LB Austin Spitler, Ohio State

Key Player(s) Passed On: CB Donovan Warren

Analysis: Spitler spent much of his career at Ohio State backing up James Laurinaitis at middle linebacker. He played more as a redshirt senior and had modest production. Spitler is a good special teams player and he will have to be very strong in this department to make the Dolphins. PFDN rated Donovan Warren as the better prospect with more potential. Warren is comfortable in press coverage and could have been tried at free safety. Warren dropped like a stone in the draft partly due to a bad ankle that resulted in slow 40 times. He was a three-year starter at Michigan. Warren clearly made a mistake from a draft standpoint in coming out after his true junior season. He has talent and we thought he was worth a late-round selection to secure his services and see what he can do in camp.

Bottom Line: Miami came away with three potential starters (Odrick, Misi and Jerry) from this draft. The Dolphins really need Misi to develop into an outside linebacker who can post double-digit sack totals consistently. We question whether he is that kind of player. The team did not adequately address their safety position, in our opinion. Miami also did not add a young running back to the mix and passed on improving the depth at tight end.

Grade: B-

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So after some really terrible seasons, the Miami Dolphins have reintroduced themselves back into the National Football league. They haven't been in the playoffs with a winning season since 2001 and in that time they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild card round. It was almost like the Dolphins received their own type of curse like the Cubs and RedSox face in baseball.

Since the days of Don Shula and Dan Marino, the Miami Dolphins have gone through so many changes to players, coaching staff, and even front office staff. It just seemed like they couldn't catch a break. After the last two years of huge loses for the team, they made significant changes in the 2008 season to bounce back the organization.

The Dolphins added one of the toughest and smartest football minds as their GM which happens to be Bill Parcels. He turned the organization around with changes to the coaching staff, adding Tony Sparano and picking up players around the league that made the teams short game the winning game. The Dolphin organization traded for Chad Pennington, who has had trouble with injuries in the past but still remained to be a quarterback that made smart decisions with limited mistakes on the playing field.

With all the new additions to the lineup one thing that turned the loses to wins was the change in play calling. The Dolphins brought out its new Wildcat formation with two of the top and most frightening guys in the backfield, Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. They have both been known for confusing the defense and making big running plays. Converting first downs and putting points on the board has become a standard for the Miami Dolphins. Joey Porter and the rest of the outstanding defense definitely give the opposing team a lot of trouble when it's their time to have the ball.

As the season winds down, whether the Dolphins take it all the way or not there is one thing for sure, they finally rediscovered themselves and brought life back to South Florida fans. I'm sure all the fans hope that they get back to those Don Shula and Dan Marino days with some really historical wins and playoff runs.

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Nick Saban begins year number two with fresh faces and a new offensive coordinator in Mike Mularkey. The former Bills coach takes over for the departed Scott Linehan, the new head coach of the St. Louis Rams. Optimism reigns supreme in Miami as Saban turned a 3-13 team the year before into a 9-7 one last season. With a veteran cast returning, along with key free agent pickups, many feel the Dolphins are legitimate playoff contenders in 2006.

Offense: The biggest acquisition of the off season was grabbing Daunte Culpepper from the Minnesota Vikings. Gone is Gus Frerotte, who did a respectable job as the starter last season and in comes Culpepper. There's no question when he's healthy, Culpepper is one of the best in the game. But a devastating knee injury, where he suffered damage to three ligaments, may keep him off the field on opening day.

To correct that problem the Dolphins made a trade for Joey Harrington (2,021 yards, 12 touchdowns), who wore out his welcome in Detroit. The former number two overall selection hasn't lived up to his draft status, but could be reborn with Saban in Miami. Either way, he'll be an adequate backup and an upgrade over Sage Rosenfels.

Ricky Williams was suspended again so he took his papers and bong to Canada for a year. No matter, second year man Ronnie Brown will be handed the reigns of the feature back role and should do well. The Auburn standout rushed for 907 yards and four scores splitting time with Ricky last season. Travis Minor will be his principle backup. Fred Beasley didn't leave his heart in San Francisco and will help Brown immensely at fullback. Beasley has decent hands and is a solid blocker.

The Dolphins have two good starters, but not much depth after that at the wide receiver position. Chris Chambers (82-1,118-11) had a breakout year last season and Marty Booker is a solid number two guy. Behind them rookies Derek Hagan and Devin Aromashodu will be asked to play key roles.

Randy McMichael is one of the best receiving tight ends in the game and proved it again last season with 60 receptions and five TDs. Justin Peele was brought in from San Diego to be a blocker in running situations.

There is plenty of competition on the offensive line and it's here where the most spirited battles will take place. Rex Hadnot is the incumbent center, but Seth McKinney returns from injury and will challenge. Free agent signee Bennie Anderson (Bills) will team with returner Jeno James at guard, but McKinney could land here as well. Vernon Carey and Damion McIntosh return at tackle but free agents L.J. Shelton (Browns) and Mike Pearson (Jaguars) are in the mix as well.

Defense: This is an aging defense even with Junior Seau gone, particularly on the line. Ageless wonder Jason Taylor (12 sacks) and Kevin Carter (six sacks) return at defensive end, but look out for high energy Matt Roth to get even more playing time in 2006. Vonnie Holliday (five sacks) and Keith Traylor man the tackle spots with Jeff Zgonina providing adequate backup. Manuel Wright and rookie Rodrique Wright provide youthful legs.

Zach Thomas continues to defy father time and looks to put up another outstanding season on the boards. Thomas led the team with 166 tackles from his middle linebacker slot and shows no signs of slowing down. On the outside, emerging star Channing Crowder (90 tackles) could have a break out year and Donnie Spragan is solid if not spectacular. Eddie Moore is a quality backup.

The secondary is in a state of flux after a turbulent off season. Gone are safety Lance Shulters and corners Sam Madison and Reggie Howard. Travis Daniels will man one corner spot while free agent signees Will Allen (Giants), Renaldo Hill (Raiders) and Andre Goodman (Lions) will compete for the other. Tavaris Tillman returns at strong safety, while Yeremiah Bell and number one draft pick, Jason Allen, will battle for the free safety spot.

Special Teams: Olindo Mare had another great season, scoring 108 points on 25-30 field goals and 33-33 on extra points. You can't find many better or more consistent then him. Donnie Jones looks to improve on his solid 43.5 yards per punt last season and Wes Welker is an exciting return man (22.6 KR; 9.1 PR).

Outlook: Nick Saban is one of the best young coaches in the business and he'll have the Dolphins fighting for a playoff spot. The Culpepper injury situation, coupled with an aging defense and instability in the secondary will keep them from catching New England in the division.

Prediction: Saban has picked Miami out of the cellar and restored confidence in the fans, the city and the team. The Dolphins are still a couple of pieces away from being a serious contender, but a wild card berth is not out of the question in 2006. Miami finishes 9-7 or 10-6.

Brian Carson is a writer and sports fanatic who, along with a select group of coaches has created the ultimate multimedia guide to coaching youth football at http://www.pigskinplaybooks.com To read more football articles go to http://carcorner.blogspot.com/

A general rule in gambling is to beware of the Trendy Team. The public usually gets it in its mind that this team or that team is going to have a "breakout" year or be a "sleeper" this season. The trouble is, when everyone thinks that about a crew they're no longer a "sleeper". They're shackled by the heavy, cold steel grip of expectations.

That, and The Public is usually wrong.

That's where we're at with Miami. They ran off six consecutive wins to end 2005, made a few high-profile moves in the offseason, and are now the sheik pick to come out of the AFC East. Hype is the kiss of death. But to be honest with you, there may be some merit to all of this.

The acquisition of Dante Culpepper gives the Dolphins offense a leader that they haven't had since some Marino guy took his Isotoners and went home. His ability to consistently throw the deep ball should reenergize the careers of Chris Chambers and Marty Booker. Also, the best defense can be a good offense.

However, there are karma concerns. Ricky Williams was banished to Canada. Miami signed career underachievers L.J. Shelton, Dan Wilkinson and Will Allen. There's the awkward Jason Taylor-Zach Thomas divorce thing (they're not divorcing each other, but Taylor is separating from Thomas' sister). Culpepper didn't exactly leave Minnesota under the best of circumstances, and he wasn't Mr. Reliable when he was there.

All in all, this is a tough team to read. The talent is there, but with some volatile personalities and inconsistent performers decorating the roster you have to wonder how hard you can press the Dolphins. It will be a read-and-react situation. And don't be surprised if they pulled the classic Start With a Bang, Finish With a Whimper that Miami is known for.

Here's Doc's 2006 Miami Dolphins Preview:

2005 Record: 9-7 (5-3 home, 4-4 road)

2005 Rankings: 14th offense (16th pass, 12th rush); 18th defense (20th pass, 17th rush)

2005 Against the Spread: 7-9 (3-5 home, 4-4 road); 8-8 vs. total (5-3 h, 3-5 r)

2006 Odds: 22/1 to win SB, 11/1 to win AFC, 2/1 to win AFC East, 9.0 wins O/U

2006 Strength of Schedule: 27th (.469 opp. win %)

Key stat: Defensively, the Fins allowed just 3.7 yards per carry (7th in the league). Offensively they managed 4.3 yards per rush (8th in the league).

Returning starters: 17 (8 offense, 9 defense)

Key acquisitions: Daunte Culpepper, QB (from Minn.); Will Allen, CB (from NYG); Jason Allen, CB (draft); L.J. Shelton, OT (from Cleve.); Fred Beasley, FB (from S.F.); Joey Harrington, QB (from Detroit); Kelly Campbell, WR (from Minn.); Dan Wilkinson, DT (from Detroit)

Key departures: Ricky Williams, RB; David Boston, WR; Reggie Howard, CB; Sam Madison, CB; Tebucky Jones, S; Stockar McDougle, OT; Lance Schulters, S; Junior Seau, LB.

Offense: The tools are in place, but now they have to hope that Culpepper can be the straw that stirs the drink. Ronnie Brown needs to stay healthy, and both Chambers and Booker need to step up. The line made tremendous strides last season, and will now be charged with protecting Culpepper's knee. A lot of that responsibility falls on the shoulders of Shelton, who has a million-dollar body and a 10-cent head. They had the eighth-worst third-down conversion rate last year (35.1 percent) which helped contribute to their No. 30 time of possession ranking.

Defense: The Miami defense played better than its ranking last year. Their 49 sacks were second best in the league, and they were No. 7 against the run in terms of yards per carry against (3.7). However, the top eight defensive lineman in their rotation average 33 years old. I guess the good news is that there are eight of them. They lost both starting corners, but fortunately Miami doesn't face many pass-happy teams this year. A lot falls on the health of Thomas in the middle because they have little depth at LB. That's also why it's so important for Channing Crowder to make an impact.

X-factor: Culpepper. Can the knee hold up? If not, I think Joey Harrington is a great insurance policy. However, if they want to have a special year it will be on the arm, er, knee of Culpepper.

Outlook: I'm torn on the Dolphins. They've received a lot of hype, and I see a lot of potential landmines, but I did pick them to win the division. I don't like Culpepper. I've never liked him. And their defense is old. But honestly, this pick reflects the respect that I have for Nick Saban. We will see.

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Things Have changed in Miami. These Dolphins that have been struggling ever since Dan Marino left have found a new identity. I like what they are doing. Chad Pennington for example, I like how he is playing now better than when in New York.

Tedd Ginn Jr. is looking better than some people expected. He is making plays for this team, and he will get better. Ronnie brown, and Ricky Williams are running the ball well, and once People start fearing the passing game like they should. The game that they played against the Patriots, even though they lost, will give Pennington and the his receivers the respect that they deserve.

Parcells and Sparano have done a great job turning this franchise around. They still have a good chance at getting into the playoffs this year, but even if they don't, look out for them in the years to come. Some people say that Henne to Ginn could be the next best combo in the nfl. Im not trying to dog on Pennington. He has caught a lot of criticism for having a noodle of an arm, but from what I have seem this year, I think that he has an underated arm. I also like the heart that Jake long has shown. Despite being a little hurt, he has stood his ground and provided superb protection for Pennington. This team has came along way since their 1 and 15 record a year ago. There is nothing but optimism in Miami right now, and who can blame them.

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With all due respect to the players the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills have added this offseason - OK, I probably shouldn't include the Bills - there was no bigger potential impact move in this division than the Dolphins trading for Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Behind Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, the Dolphins were fourth in the NFL in rushing last season on their way to a 7-9 record one season after winning the AFC East. But they were 20th in yards per game passing under Chad Henne, and the Dolphins had just 15 touchdown passes (27th in the NFL) and 29 completions of more than 20 yards, which was better than only the inept Cleveland Browns.

Miami had 331 completions last year, and Marshall had nearly a third of that by himself with the Broncos after another All-Pro season with 101 catches (record 21 in a game) for 1,120 yards and 10 TDs despite missing the season finale due to a team-issued suspension. Marshall did have offseason hip surgery but should be fine by the opener. The Fins haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2005.

And look for Williams and Brown - the latter who is reportedly near 100 percent after last season was cut short by an injury - to have big seasons because both are in the final years of their contracts.

The Dolphins did lose Jason Ferguson, Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, among others, off their defense from last year, but added the top free agent linebacker on the market in Arizona's Karlos Dansby. Perhaps the biggest addition was coordinator Mike Nolan from Denver, as this team will now be much more aggressive on defense. Cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith both started games as rookies and should be much improved as sophomores. The Miami defense ranked just 26th in the NFL last season, giving up 24.4 points per game.

WagerWeb lists Miami's over/under for NFL season win totals at 8.5. Let's break down the 2010 Miami Dolphins schedule:

Week 1: Sunday, Sep. 12, at Buffalo, 1:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sep. 19, at Minnesota, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sep. 26, NY Jets, 8:20 PM
Week 4: Monday, Oct. 4, New England, 8:30 PM
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 17, at Green Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 24, Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 31, at Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 7, at Baltimore, 1:00 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 14, Tennessee, 1:00 PM
Week 11: Thursday, Nov. 18, Chicago, 8:20 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 28, at Oakland, 4:05 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 5, Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 12, at NY Jets, 4:15 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 19, Buffalo, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 26, Detroit, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 2, at New England, 1:00 PM

The NFL betting lines are ranked right in the middle of the 32 teams in strength at a tie for 16th with an opponents' 2009 winning percentage of.500 (128-128). There are eight games against playoff teams from last year. Miami plays eight road games and six will be against 2009 playoff teams.

Miami needs to learn to start fast. Last year the Dolphins were 0-3 out of the gate. In 2008, they were 0-2 to start. And in 2007 the Fins were 0-13. Miami has to win at Buffalo to open the season because then the schedule gets downright scary for a while. However, the Bills thumped Miami at Ralph Wilson Stadium last year. Actually the 31-14 score was misleading as Buffalo scored 24 unanswered points, all in the fourth quarter.

Weeks 2 through 9 will likely determine Miami's season. They have the Vikings (NFC title game last year), Jets (AFC title game last year), Patriots (AFC East champs last year), Packers (NFC North favorites this year; playoff team last year), Steelers (likely playoff team this year and which beat the Fins in Week 17 last year), Bengals (reigning AFC North champs), Ravens (playoff team last year, AFC North favorites this year). If there's a tougher stretch for any team in the league, I don't know one that could compare. And I'm not even including two very possible playoff teams in Weeks 10 and 11 in the Titans (beat Miami last year) and Bears. That's a lot of teams at the top of the NFL Power Rankings.

So that's the bad news. Here's the good: In Weeks 12 through 16, the Dolphins play teams that were a combined 27-53 last year with only the Jets having a winning record. And Miami beat the Jets twice in 2009. Hard to see the Fins winning in the elements in New England to close the year out, however. This will be the ninth time in 11 seasons the Dolphins end on the road. It's not a good thing that Miami's final two games against the other AFC East contenders, the Jets and Pats, both likely will be in very cold weather.

I think that rough midseason stretch kills this team's playoff hopes and the Fins go 8-8. Miami is +300 to win the AFC East, but it simply isn't better than the Pats or Jets.

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Miami is located in the state of Florida and has produced one of the greatest football teams in the United States. They are well known for their Super Bowl VII and VIII wins. In 1972, to the delight of their fans, they had the NFL's first and only perfect season. People who live in the Miami area are proud to be known as their fans and wear Miami Dolphins jerseys.

The team's jersey colors have not changed very much since they were first formed. The colors are aqua and orange with a navy trim, which was added in the 1997s. At the present time there are several different combinations. Home uniform is aqua jersey with white pants. The numbers are in white with orange trim. An aqua, white and orange strip is trims the pant's sides. There is a dolphin trim on the jersey's sleeve.

The road uniform is white jerseys and pants. The tops are trimmed in aqua and the strip on the pants is predominately orange with white and aqua in the stripe. The team member's number is in aqua. Their alternate uniforms are white jerseys, aqua pants; aqua jerseys and aqua pants and orange jersey, white pants. All tops have dolphin emblems on the sleeves.

It is said that the team wears white outfits for daytime home games, forcing their opponents to wear colored ones that draw the heat day's heat, causing them to perspire. It is felt this gives them an advantage because of the area's humid weather. The dolphin emblem has been changed from time to time to make it stand out better.

Copies of jerseys worn by the team are very popular with their fans. The younger crowd likes to wear them to school to show their support. Older fans are also enthusiastic to wear these jerseys and have found them comfortable while being able to express their preference for, they feel, the best football team throughout the nation.

Any collector is very enthusiastic when a well-known dolphin player's jersey is put up for sale, especially if they are autographed. A recent jersey worn and autographed by Ricky Williams, a famous dolphin player, was on the Internet and sold for over $100. Two more, worn and signed by the players, sold for over $600. These jerseys increase in value as the years go by with the older ones becoming very rare.

In addition to wearing copies of the team's jerseys to the game and in their everyday life, the fans join with the team and the cheerleaders to have things such as tailgate parties where they go to every game and collect items for different causes such as canned goods and toys for a shelter. They can easily be spotted in their colorful jerseys as they are parked around the arena.

One of the most popular Christmas gifts among teenagers in the Miami area are Miami Dolphin jerseys. The day after Christmas one can see these teens proudly wearing them about. Throughout the town, one can see pride in the team displayed in bars and other locations with banners, jerseys, and other paraphernalia that displays their insignia.

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Ricky Williams seems to be a living enigma, of sorts. With an exorbitant amount of football talent, Williams brought great hope to the Dolphins' lackluster running game in the 2002 season. With the exception of his 1999 season with the New Orleans Saints during which he had only 884 yards on the ground with 253 carries, Williams has done well. He boasted 1000 rushing yards in 2000 with 248 carries, and 1245 rushing yards with 313 carries for two years before he joined the Dolphins.

When he joined Miami in 2002, instead of playing a role in the backfield, he was asked to pretty much spearhead the Dolphins offensive explosion. Ricky accumulated 1853 rushing yards with an almost machine-like 383 carries; do you think they ran the ball that year? By the time the 2003 season rolled around, the hype around Ricky Williams was astonishing. Ricky was thrown into the spotlight by not only the local media, but also by the national media which acclaimed him as the next great running back in the NFL This only heightened an already escalating problem. The Dolphins continued to utilize Ricky in the 2003 season the same way they had the year before; he compiled an amazing 392 carries, but only 1372 rushing yards. Opposing teams seemed to figure out that Miami was going to run the ball, a lot.

Right before training camp started for the Dolphins, on July 25, 2004, Ricky Williams placed a phone call to the team to announce that he had planned to "retire" and not play the 2004 season. Ricky cited many reasons for his choice to leave the high-paying career of football. He said, "I just don't want to be in this business anymore," and added, "I was never strong enough to not play football, but I'm strong enough now." Ricky also added that he was "finally free," and he couldn't remember being this happy. The Dolphins weren't. Miami ended up finishing that season with a 4-12 year. The Dolphins' savior had become their downfall. The story of Ricky Williams' decision to leave football to pursue a career as a holistic healer made the news often during the 2004 season, and many twists and turns surfaced in that time, including Ricky failing a drug test due to marijuana use just prior to his decision to leave football.

Last season, Williams returned to the Dolphins to play football, and tried to work off some of the money that he owed them for the 2004 season he did not play. Ricky missed the first four games of the season, serving a suspension for his failed drug test prior to training camp the year before. He came back slowly, only achieving seven yards rushing during the first two games of his return. Ricky then finished the season with two games during which he gained more than 100 yards rushing. At this point, Nick Saban was onto something; not only did he have an established power runner in Ricky Williams, but he also had a finesse running back in Ronnie Brown. Enter the two-headed monster of power and finesse.

Now the power-half of the two-headed monster is gone. Williams failed another drug test last month and has just been handed a one-year suspension by the NFL as of last week. The real question isn't ”How will the Dolphins welcome him back next year or will they use him as trade bait?” The real question is how well Nick Saban can convince his team that Ricky Williams is insignificant to their success. While most of us know that Williams is one heck of a running back, I doubt his failure to play this season will seriously affect their chances in the AFC East. The Dolphins have improved themselves greatly in the off-season, and their competition in the division has either lost key players or has remained dormant in free-agent signings. The Patriots (God-bless) have lost Adam Vinatieri, Ted Washington, and, probably the biggest hit of them all, Willie McGinnest. Not to mention the fact that the Patriots seemed to ignore the last free-agent signing. Meanwhile, the Jets and the Bills do not look like they are going to provide much of a challenge.

So, it seems the Dolphins will survive this year with the loss of Ricky Williams. Unless something else happens that derails their train off the tracks, they seem to be the favorite to win the AFC East. What about Ricky, though? What will become of his career? Will he play for the Dolphins next year? What will happen to his legacy? Well, only time will tell. Only Ricky can decide his future. Either he can serve his one year suspension and come back and try to be a model NFL player again, or he can mix dry herbs into a burlap pouch and give them to natives in the Australian outback. Maybe he can get a gig with the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe. Either way, the Dolphins are much better off this year than in 2004; Ricky Williams, not so much.

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The Miami Dolphins weren't able to build on their 2008 division title, falling to just 7-9 last season. But things are looking up as the 2010 season approaches. The Dolphins were able to land wide receiver Brandon Marshall, giving them a true No. 1 wideout for the first time in several years. His presence should immediately improve a passing attack which ranked No. 20 in the NFL last season. After ranking No. 25 in scoring defense, it was clear the Dolphins needed to part ways with Paul Pasqualoni. Former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan has been brought in to take over defensive coordinator duties. Miami is hoping that this move, along with the signing of Karlos Dansby, will help the rejuvenate the defense.

Offense: Marshall may be a diva, like so many other wide receivers in today's game, but he will have an immediate impact on the offense in a positive way. First off, he gives emerging quarterback Chad Henne a go-to guy. Secondly, he demands a lot of defensive attention. That means fellow wideouts Davone Bess, Greg Camarillo and Brian Hartline will have the potential to have more productive seasons. It also means Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown will benefit as defenses are forced to pay more attention to the passing game. Marshall's presence will also allow offensive coordinator Dan Henning to abandon the Wildcat offense. Miami started to abandon it when Brown went down with an injury last season, and Henne impressed throwing the football during that time. Miami won't need to depend on deception as much now that it has a top notch playmaker. Led by tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey, the Dolphins also boast one of the better offensive lines in the league.

Defense: If Miami hopes to return to the top of the AFC East, it must turn things around on this side of the football. Last season, the Dolphins were among the worst scoring defenses in the league, allowing 24.4 points per game. They gave up way too many big plays while not making enough big plays themselves. While Dansby fills a big hole at inside linebacker, making a major turnaround won't be easy. Players will need to step up to fill the shoes of departed outside linebackers Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. Plus, the Dolphins will have to juggle personnel following the retirement of nose tackle Jason Ferguson. The impression I'm getting is that Randy Starks will slide down to take Ferguson's spot. Porter and Taylor combined for 16 sacks last season, so Koa Misi, Charlie Anderson and Cameron Wake must be able to at least match that production. First round draft pick Jared Odrick must produce at the defensive end spot as well. Pro Bowl safety Yeremiah Bell leads a defensive backfield which should show some improvement as long as Miami can mount a formidable pass rush. Cornerbacks Votae Davis and Sean Smith will benefit from getting lots of experience as rookies last year.

Prediction: 3rd AFC East The Dolphins could certainly do better than third, but there are still some areas of concern on the defensive side of the football. Miami should be able to muster a winning season, and it may be able to find its way into the playoffs. Be sure to check out my 2010 NFL predictions to see who I have winning the division.

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