My Ricky Williams Blog

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 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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