The former Arizona Cardinal signed a 5-year $43 million deal, with $22 million guaranteed, making him one of the highest paid linebackers in the NFL. Dansby is an instinctive player with a great knack for making the big play, something Miami has sorely lacked at the position since the days of Zach Thomas. He is still young at 27 and should step right in as the leader of a young Miami defense.

The fins filled a HUGE need and this allows them to focus in other areas in the upcoming draft. There are still glaring needs at receiver, nose tackle, safety, and outside linebacker. Some will be addressed in free agency but look for a majority of these spots to be filled with young talent via the draft.

The Dolphins also officially released linebackers Akin Ayodele and Joey Porter. Safety Gibril Wilson was also sent packing after his first year in Miami was comprised of one missed tackle after another.

Dansby proved to be huge in the first round of the playoffs last year. See for yourself.

Around the league

The Chicago Bears made the big signing of day one, agreeing to terms with standout defensive end Julius Peppers in a six year deal reportedly worth over $40 million in the first three years.

Anquan Boldin finally was traded away from Arizona and it was the Baltimore Ravens who won his services. The Ravens gave up their 3rd and 4th round picks in the upcoming draft for Boldin and the Card’s 5th rounder.

The Cardinals lost their third major player of the day when Antrell Rolle was made the highest paid safety in the league by the New York Giants. With Kurt Warner retiring as well, that makes four major guys lost from a team that went to the Super Bowl just a year ago.

With the 12th pick in the 2010 Fanball NFL mock draft, the Miami Dolphins select…

Dez Bryant, WR Oklahoma State

2008 Stats (Suspended for most of 09′) – 87 catches, 1480 yards, 19 touchdowns

It’s no secret the Dolphins lack playmakers on the outside. While they do have solid possession receivers in Hartline, Bess, and Camarillo, they lack someone with the ability to take it to the house on any given play. Ted Ginn doesn’t count because you actually have to catch the football before you can do anything with it.

Their running game is excellent, and Chad Henne has shown promise at the quarterback spot. To further boost Henne’s development he needs some explosiveness and attitude at receiver and Dez Bryant fits the bill. Henne has a cannon so lets dust off the cobwebs and use it.

He is hands down the top receiver in the draft. Although he missed most of the season after being suspended, he is too much of a talent to pass up at this point.

He is built in the T.O. mold at 6′2″ 220 and has the prototypical strength and explosiveness combination. He might not run a 4.4 forty but he has great burst in and out of his cuts and after the catch and is certainly fast enough.

Dez also has a knack for making the tough physical catches with his strong hands and incredible jumping ability. He would be a killer in play action situations.

The only way the Dolphins pass him up is if his character is really that much of an issue for Bill Parcells’ liking.

Throw in a solid tight end and some playmaking linebackers later in the draft and the Fish will return to the Super Bowl before you know it.

As for the pass, the blame cannot be solely on them because the receiving core and quarterback play was pitiful during many of the times that led to sacks or quarterback hurries.

One glaring need for improvement revolves around the line’s health. Only two players started every game this season and they were the two tackles in Jake Long and Vernon Carey.

The line consistently rotated seven different guys and the one positive result was some invaluable  experience for Joe Berger who played every interior lineman position at some point. Berger should provide the team with a nice versatile backup who can fill in wherever needed in the future.

If the line can avoid the injuries they experienced last year, and create some chemistry, there is no reason why they can’t become one of the NFL’s elite units.

Grade: B +

Linebacker might have the most turnover next season with several aging veterans having played most of the snaps last year. It also might be the most addressed position in this year’s draft, as early as rounds one and/or two.

Jason Taylor, 35, continued his productive career with 7.0 sacks and 3.0 forced fumbles. He certainly has lost a step or two and is nowhere near the monster off the edge he used to be, but he is still an asset to any team whether it’s on or off the field. The question is whether he will be back. If the dolphins make enough moves to vault themselves into contender status for next year, it might be enough to force him to squeeze out one more year.

Joey Porter has been a massive disappointment, even with his team high 9.0 sacks. Watch the game tape and you’ll see a highly unmotivated lazy Porter, who was a shell of his 2008 version in which he had 17.5 sacks. Often times, you’ll see him quit on plays. It seems like all he cares about are getting sacks and it has turned him into an incomplete player. He is also not the type of guy you want grooming your younger players. Porter was recently cut and it was a great move.

Channing Crowder has had a solid but not spectacular career as a dolphin so far. He brings emotion and energy to the field on every snap but his production doesn’t always match his mouth. He is definitely not worth big money and giving him a fat contract would be a monumental mistake. He had a so-so season last year in which he only played in 13 games due to injuries.

The guy who made a big, yet quiet splash in his first year was 27-year-old rookie Cameron Wake, ripe out of a stint in the CFL. In limited snaps he provided 5.5 sacks. This is incredible considering he only played on passing downs. Although he is listed as a linebacker, he often lined up as an end whose sole responsibility was to get after the quarterback. He displayed incredible burst of the line along with brute strength. He often overpowered many much bigger offensive tackles several feet backwards into the pocket just upon impact. He is a special talent who should find regular minutes next season as long as he works on the mental aspects of the game, such as where to be against the run and also if he is dropping back into coverage. Look for huge sack totals from this young prospect in the near future.

Reggie Torbor and Akin Ayodele complete the regulars in the linebacking core. Ayodele saw extended minutes while Torbor played sparingly. Both players don’t really make or a break a unit and are not the long term answers, but are solid backups.

Wake could be the only returning linebacker along with backups like Torbor and Ayodele. Porter is due $3.6 million next year and a $1.2 million bonus in March and is a huge reason he is no longer a dolphin. This group was solid but not spectacular in the 2009 season and definitely needs a few upgrades going forward.

Linebackers Grade: C +

When Chad Pennington went down in week 3, in stepped Chad Henne, a second year ‘rookie’ out of Michigan.

The quarterback of the future was now thrusted into the man of the present.

It was a rollercoaster season for Chad, but there is no doubt he has the ability to become a top flight passer in this league. He displayed his immense arm strength and calm mentality all season long. He went through incredible stretches, like in the Jacksonville game where he completed 17 consecutive passes at one point, He also experienced ugly games as well, like at Tennessee when he threw three picks.

However, if you take a look at his entire body of work, in his first season as a starter, he displayed more promise than anything else. I haven’t had this comfort level with a dolphins quarterback since Dan Marino.

I’m not saying Henne is the next Marino, but he is the best thing going for Miami under center since the hall-of-famer, no doubt.

The Pennington injury was a blessing in disguise because it jumpstarted the Chad Henne maturation process. If the fins finally pair Henne with a top flight receiver, we will get to see just how good the Michigan product can be. It was tough to critique him at times when the guys he’s throwing to wouldn’t make most of the teams in the league.

Expect big things in the young gunslinger next year as he has all the physical (arm strength, accuracy, quick release) and mental (poise and smarts) tools to succeed at this level.

The backups were another story with Pat White looking like a huge bust, at least at the quarterback position. Don’t be shocked when he becomes a a receiver in the near future. It was apparent in the Pittsburgh game that he simply was nowhere near big enough to man that spot at this level.

Miami made a trade for Tyler Thigpen midseason and he showed some ability in the last game of the season when both Henne and White were knocked out of play.

Chad Henne 2009 Stats

Rating: 75.2

TD: 12

INT: 14

YDS: 2878

COMP%: 60.8

Quarterbacks Grade - C+

Halfbacks

The fish had a legitimate chance of having two 1,000 yard backs this season in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. That idea blew up when Brown’s right foot broke, weakening the team’s explosiveness and Wildcat effectiveness.

Brown was the most important piece in the Wildcat formation because of his acceleration and ability to read blocks so well. With Brown down, they still ran it well with Ricky who passed the 1000 mark for the first time since 2004, but the speed just wasn’t the same. Brown was always a threat for big chunks of yardage, while Ricky is more a of a bruiser who wears a team down in bits and pieces of yardage over the period of an entire game.

Lousaka Polite quietly had a pro bowl caliber season after finishing second in the league in first down percentage within 3 yards at 92% (12/13) while dishing out punishing blocks in both the pass and run game.

Ricky Williams 2009 Stats

YDS: 1,121 (Rushing)

TD: 11

AVG: 4.7

Ronnie Brown 2009 Stats

YDS: 648 (Rushing)

TD: 8

AVG: 4,4

Halfbacks Grade – A-