The Dolphins secondary has been average for the last few years.  Nothing special but nothing horrible.  That seems all about to change as the Phins added new blood and some draft picks to change the way they play ball.  Hard hitting safeties and smart corners have added depth and promise to a unit that will face the toughest group of WR’s in the NFL not once….but twice!

Before jumping into the player by player breakdown, news out of ESPN, according to a post on Finheaven.com is that the Dolphins may be looking at veteran corner-back Mike McKenzie.  McKenzie, a 10 year veteran, was with the New Orleans Saints before being cut back in March.  He is recovering from a fractured patella (knee cap) but will likely be available for training camp.  McKenzie was a staple in the N.O. secondary and one of the few bright spots the team had on the unit.  If the Phins did in fact contact the CB as indicated by ESPN, what does that say about their feelings for newly signed Erik Green?  Let’s find out.

CORNER-BACKS:

Will Allen: Allen has been the only steady outside defender over the past few years.  The Dolphins put an end to speculation that he would be playing elsewhere in 2010 by signing him to a contract extension shortly after the draft.  Allen will team with the winner of the number 2 CB spot to try and form a formidable tandem on the outsides.  He will also serve well as a tutor/mentor for the younger guys.

Prediction: Allen has zero chance of not being on the roster come September.

Eric Green: The free agent signee came from Arizona where he lost his starting job to a rookie.  By seasons end he was the 3rd CB on the team and didn’t see playing time in the Super Bowl.  Green will be once again competing with a rookie, this time Vontae’ Davis.  Green has drawn more media criticism from OTA’s than accolades and it’s possible that the Dolphins are wondering if he will be able to hold down the position throughout training camp.

Prediction: More and more it looks as though Green could be riding the bench and working as a support player rather than a starter.  I base this simply on the OTA comments of media guys present on those days as well as the fact that rumors circulate that the Dolphins are looking for another CB.  While I don’t think Green will be cut, he will have to compete for a roster spot and a poor training camp showing may not give him an edge.  For now, Green can rely on his veteran status and experience but that is only going to get him so far.  Green is someone to keep an eye on this August as his play, or lack of, could make for an interesting development before the start of the season.

Will Billingsley: Signed as a free agent last season, Billingsley enters his 2nd year in the NFL.  The Phins seem to like his upside but not enough to really believe that the answers to their future CB position resided on his shoulders.  Billingsley has decent speed but at 5′10 and 195 is going to have a problem matching up with the Terrell Owens and Randy Moss’s of the AFC East.  Still, he has value to the team as a young rising player who could make a career out of being a reliable back-up.

Prediction: Billingsley naturally will be on the bubble for a roster position because he doesn’t possess the immediate benefits or pedigree of the Davis’, Smith’s, and Clemons’.  Interestingly enough, it’s my opinion that if Eric Green falters in TC, Billingsley could be the benefactor.

Joey Thomas: Thomas is the same weight as Billingsley but stands 6′1.  He also has the additional benefit of 3 more years experience which gives him an edge over the younger less experienced CB’s.  The Dolphins appear to like Thomas’ potential but that will inevitably start to wane if he doesn’t continue to progress.  This is his 3rd NFL stop in his 4 year career.  Thomas played in 6 games last year for the Dolphins and tallied 4 solo tackles.  Not enough to raise eyebrows but his open-field tackles were impressive nonetheless.

Prediction: Thomas is far from a lock to make the team but he is still learning and the Dolphins can use decent depth.  Thomas never really has been given the opportunity to showcase himself regularly having only 14 games under his belt.  I think Thomas will make the team but he is going to have to earn it.

Jason Allen: The 16th overall pick 4 years ago is all but officially labled a bust.  He has been tried at safety, tried at corner, and then back to each again.  This is pretty much it for the Tennessee CB/S.  To Allens’ credit he has endured what few other player’s have had to outside of the Raiders’ organization.  3 new HC’s, 3 new DC’s, 3 new systems, and a change at position in every one of those seasons.  This is the first time that Allen will enter a training camp under the same system with the same coaches.

Will that be enough?  While you want to think it is, the flashes of potential in games has hardly been enough to say he can take the next step.  Allen has to move up on the depth chart this year or that’s it.  There is younger prospects on the roster that cost less and have more potential than Allen has shown thus far.

Prediction: Barring a complete surprise, Allen will likely be cut by September but will likely have the entire TC to prove himself.  If he falters early, he could be gone early.  Allen has a ton of talent but it appears that too many wasted years under bad coaching (Saban and Cameron) may have finally taken it’s toll.

Nathan Jones: Jones spent two seasons in Dallas before joining the Dolphins during last seasons Dallas to Miami migration.  He played in all 16 games and recorded 1 INT, 1 PD, and 20 tackles.  A reliable veteran that can be used in nickle packages, Jones isn’t going to win any starting CB jobs but his play and his availability on special teams makes him a valuable player to have.

Prediction: Jones in my opinion is not in danger of losing his job this year but he still needs to improve to show he has worth in the future.  Still young, Jones is entering his 4th NFL season…all with Bill Parcells and company behind the wheel.

Continue reading for the rookie’s and the safeties.

The Rookies:

Vontae’ Davis:  The first pick for the Dolphins this season will shoulder more than just potential as fans want to see a starter out of the gates.  That is not likely to happen.  Davis has to make the transition from college to the NFL and that isn’t easy sometimes for CB’s.  He has the mental make-up and definitely has the desire to succeed.  In fact, his attitude alone could make him better than what he really is at this stage of his career.  He isn’t likely to accept losing or failure and his ego puts him in the “I will prove I’m the best in class” category.  That is good.

Prediction: Davis is the long term answer to the teams CB spot and the Dolphins are relying on him to quickly adjust to the NFL speed.  While I doubt he will be the starter out of the gate…especially if the Phins sign a corner-back off the street such as McKenzie, but I do think that by years end, fans and opposing WR’s are going to know his name.

Sean Smith: Perhaps more than any other player selected this past draft, Smith was my favorite.  At 6′3 214, Smith has the speed to close on balls quickly and will likely make an impact on the team in nickle and dime packages.  He has good hands and even better vision of the field but can he use that to adjust to the NFL?  So far, witnesses have praised the youngster far more than they have criticized.  In fact, most of his mistakes thus far have been simple rookie mental mistakes.  When the pads come on, this kid is going to be fun to watch.

Prediction: I thin Smith will play a dual roll in the secondary being lined up at times as a safety in coverages that will allow him to roam a bit or play up on the line to use his size and speed.  It’s not out of the question that we hear his name more than the other rookies by the mid-way point of the season.

Corner Wrap:

The Phins are not going to keep everyone but they only have 8 on the roster as of today.  Of those 8, the biggest question marks sit on the shoulders of Jason Allen and Eric Green.  If both of those guys fail to make the roster, then Billingsley and Thomas will have shown enough in camp.  The Dolphins could keep 7 or maybe even 8 going into the season but I think that there very well could be another player in this mix by the end of training camp that is not on the roster right now.  The fact that the Dolphins are looking at McKenzie, even if just doing due-diligence, it’s a flag that should be noted.

Safety in numbers, a look at the safety position:

The Dolphins have 6 safeties listed on their roster and one has to imagine that one of the corners may slide over to that spot as well…say maybe Sean Smith?  In any case, only one name on the current roster stands to be looking for a job come September.  The Dolphins have found youth and experience a very nice mix on this unit.

Yeremiah Bell: Bell is the 2nd longest tenured Miami draft pick on the roster after returning DE Jason Taylor.  Drafted in 2003 by Dave Wannstedt as a compensatory 6th rounder, Bell has managed to overcome coaching change after coaching change and injury after injury.  Perhaps the injuries were the best things that could have happened to him.

Last year Bell made it through an entire season as the starting safety.  Bell was set to become a free agent but on the eve of free agency found himself inked to a 4 year 20 million dollar deal.  He will stay at strong safety where he has developed into one of the leagues toughest hitters.  A combination of speed and athleticism, Bell can close fast and hit hard.  He will be one of the focal mainstays on the defense and one of it’s leaders as well as he calls the schemes from the cheap seats.

Gibril Wilson:  The Dolphins last year, and for a few years prior, suffered by not having a hard hitting tandem in center field to help on the outside, pass rush, and support the run.  Shortly before the start of free agency, the Dolphins signed Wilson to contract after he was released by the Oakland Raiders.  Wilson isn’t a bad safety and led all strong safeties last season in tackles…through the entire league.  Wilson will switch to free safety this year where he will be able to use his mental game as he roams the field looking for someone to hit.

Wilson is the veteran leader that will compliment Bell in the defensive secondary and his natural abilities will help the corner-backs on the outside while adding much needed run support behind the linebackers.  Looking at training camp, Wilson will be fun to watch not so much for his prowess but for his complimenting style to that of Yeremiah Bell.

Tyrone Culver: Culver impressed someone in the Dolphins organization last season.  After a year that saw him contribute in 15 games, Culver raked up 35 tackles, 3 PD’s, and one Int.  Culver will enter his 4th season in the NFL but he has only played in 2, last year with the Dolphins and in 2006 with Green Bay.  Culver was signed to a contract extension a couple of weeks ago that shows the Dolphins determination to making him part of the long term solution.

Culver will see a significant increase in his playing time this season and training camp should do him well.  Last year he was finally healthy, and this year he goes into it with a solid knowledge of the schemes.  Culver will be more than just a simple depth player.

Courtney Bryan: The clock is ticking on Bryan and this could be the last year that he finds himself on the Dolphins roster.  Bryan played in 7 games last season and will have to battle this training camp with Ethan Kilmer, another bubble player.  If the Dolphins choose to keep 5 safeties on the roster to open the season than Bryan will have to beat out Kilmer for the spot, the Phins however could go with 4 and both Bryan and Kilmer could be looking for jobs.

Predictions:  Bryan is going to have to play well in training camp or he will be released.  The Phins don’t disslike his potential but after 2 years it’s time to show more than depth talent.  I say he makes the roster for now.

Ethan Kilmer: Signed as a free agent this past off-season, Kilmer will compete with Bryan for what could be the final safety roster spot and may find that spot closed as well if the Phins opt for 4 rostered safeties.  Kilmer spent 3 season with the Cincinnati Bengals but missed all of the 2008 season.

Kilmer played in the 2006 season with the Bengals and appeared in all 16 contests before missing all of 2007 and 2008.  He was credited with 19 tackles in his rookie season.

Predictions: The team is far too talented at safety to think that Kilmer will make an impact in training camp.  While he likely won’t be one of the first players cut, it will be surprising to see him last until the final cut.

The Rookie:

Chris Clemons: Clemons is a 5th round pick out of Clemson who has turned as many heads alone as Sean Smith and Vontae’ Davis have together.  Clemons has received many compliments on his ability on the field and his class work off the field.  In fact, Clemons demonstrated the ability to quickly learn the play calls and then demonstrated an no uneasiness in calling the schemes on the field while directing others around him.

Clemons is far from a future star but his mental acuity to learn the playbook and the signals before trying to learn everything else will bode him well.  It’s a trait that he shares with many of this years rookie class.  Clemons wants to succeed and he wants to be better than the 5th round pick that was used on him.

Prediction: While Clemons will likely struggle at times in training camp when the pads go on, he could be very hard hitting safety by years end.  His development will go a long way to securing the position for years to come.

My first task of course was to decide how best to “give them away” and a contest to receive one of the keychains will be forthcoming.  In order to feel confident in the product itself, I had to try it out.  So to the fridge I went a beer bottle came out.  With the bottle opening keychain I enjoyed am enjoying the perks of having it right on my keychain where I can get to it.

How do you describe exactly a “keychain“.  While it’s tangible and something you can hold in your hand, it’s still a keychain.  So what makes it exciting?  For one, the bottle opener.  Two, the quality.  These are not simply cheap Wal-Mart keychains but instead the company, Wholesalekeychain.com is offering solid product with jump out colors.

See all the Miami Dolphins keychains here.

I admit I was more than a little skeptical.  I hate writing reviews and I hate attatching my name to something for the sake of getting something free in the mail.  Surprisingly…I really like these keychains and will be keeping the “used” bottle opening chain myself…!

So here is the deal.  You can get your own keychain/s very easily.  You can go to Wholesalekeychain.com and browse around and then place your order.  When asked for a “promotional code”, enter Phinphanatic.  There are a lot of keychains to choose from and the Dolphins selections are very nice as well.

Keychains start at only 6.99 and go as high as 9.99…the money clip looks really nice as well.  You can add personal engraving to the chains at an additional 5.99.

Over the course of the next week, I will be designing a simple contest for our readers, to try and win free keychains.  I also have one more bottle opening keychain that will immediately be going to the “BANNER FAN” picture contest.  If you haven’t sent your picture in yet, you need to do so.  Bmiller.phan@gmail.com is the Email for those pictures with the subject titled Banner Fan.

If you are one of the winners of that contest…please Email me your opinion and review of the items and I will be sure to post that on here as well.

In the meantime, head over to Wholesalekeychain.com and start placing your orders.  By the way, all my keychains have our website printed on the backs of them so keep that in mind if looking to personalize yours.

Hmmm, took me a little longer than I thought it would to write this…guess I need to try out that bottle opener again!

McNair, married to Mechelle, was romantically involved with 20 year old Sahel Kazemi. Kazemi, distraught over mounting personal debt and a fear that McNair was having another affair shot McNair while he slept on the couch before turning the gun on herself.

Steve McNair, according to police was first shot in the head while asleep and then twice in the chest before the final shot was again at his head.  Kazemi then turned the gun on herself slumping off the couch and onto the floor.

Kazemi had reportedly told a friend that her life was “shit” and she should end it.  If there is good news out of all this, the city autopsy reports shows no signs of defensive wounds which means that McNair likely never knew what happened.

Some will say that this is what can happen when you play around.  That will not matter to his wife and 4 children that he leaves behind.  A class act on the field for 13 years and a class act off the field and in the community, his death while opening a glimpse to a different side, is tragic nonetheless.

Our condolence’s and prayers to his friends, his family, his wife, and of course his children.  May he rest in peace.

Last year the Dolphins found a gem in 6th round selection Donald Thomas but lost him for the year after game 1.  A second injury slowed down his return.  Can he make it back and will he progress enough to win the starting RG spot?  Let’s take a look at who he is competing against.  Here is our countdown to training camp:  Guards.

You can hear about all the offensive line tonight on Finsradio.net as we explore the line of scrimmage from the offensive side.  Join us at 8PM Eastern time as “On the Fin Side” continues it’s look toward training camp.

Donald Thomas: Taken with the Dolphins 2nd 6th round pick in the 2008 draft, Thomas quickly became the penciled in starter…while still working in OTA’s.  The Dolphins swapped right guards throughout training camp but after day 3 when Thomas received his first full day in pads as the number 1, it became clear that he wouldn’t give it up.

Thomas is tough and despite the fact he started football late (walk-on in college), he has the mental make-up and the body size to move defenders and play at the NFL level.  A rare late round gem that is learning from some of the best Oline coaches in the NFL.  Still, there is always a but, and in Thomas’ case, that “but” will make this training camp anything but his job to lose.

Thomas was placed on IR last season after the opening game for a Lisfranc fracture in his foot.  Thomas recovered quickly from the injury and began to do the off-season workouts only to tear his pectoral muscle lifting weights.  Is this going to be a continual problem or just simply bad luck?

It appears that Thomas has recovered from his torn pec and at last report he was lifting weights at normal ranges.  Still, the fact that he missed all of last season means that he lost a valuable year in his development.  That will allow other guards on the team an opportunity to step into that starting spot.

Prediction: Too hard to tell now and without pads but Thomas’ downfall could be another injury regardless of how minor it may be.  It’s hard to imagine that a healthy Thomas couldn’t beat out Ikechuku Ndukwe or Shawn Murphy but can he beat out a healthy Joe Berger?  That’s what training camp is for.

Joe Berger: Berger was one of the Dolphins first free agent signings.  He played back-up center and guard in Dallas but only saw 3 games in his time there.  Berger was on the Miami Dolphins roster in 2005 and 2006.  He won the starting job at center during training camp but an injury put him on IR and he was released a year later.

Berger knows the Tony Sparano offensive line philosophy and his value to the team as both a guard and center will do him well.  Can he steal the RG spot away from Donald Thomas or do the Dolphins value him too much as a back-up center to Jake Grove who has an injury history?

Prediction: Berger is in no danger of losing his roster spot unless he just melts down in training camp.  The Dolphins have only one listed center on the roster which means that Berger is in line for a lot of action this year if injury strikes.  Berger will likely push Thomas for the starting guard spot and it should be a tough battle between them.

Andy Alleman: Alleman was a 3rd round 2007 draft pick by the Saints and upon his release was claimed off waivers by 6 teams including New England.  Miami was awarded the center/guard.  Alleman and Berger will serve as the back-up centers on the roster and last season when Samson Satele was shifted to RG, Alleman did well suiting up at the center position.

Alleman will battle with Joe Berger for the number 2 Center position while Berger will battle with Donald Thomas for the starting RG job.  If Thomas wins out at RG, the battle between the two behind Grove could be a good one.  Alleman is a strong physical lineman who showed good footwork and quickness last year but he still needs to progress to become a full-time player for the Phins.  Something that won’t likely happen anytime soon.

Prediction: Alleman is not going to be the outright starter on this team, not for a couple of years anyway.  Alleman will keep his roster spot because of his flexibility and high ceiling of potential but for now he is a back-up who can like Berger can play both center and guard positions.

Shawn Murphy: The Dolphins moved up in round 4 of the 2008 draft to take the son of former Atlanta Braves star Dale Murphy.  So far that is still his only claim to fame.  Smallish in size for a Bill Parcells type lineman, Murphy quickly fell off the depth chart during last years training camp.  Out shined by 6th rounder Donald Thomas.

Murphy struggled with footwork and speed and at times was unable to move the defenders.  He did however manage to make the final 53 but remained inactive for all 16 regular season games.  The Dolphins are not in a position to do the same thing with Murphy this year.

Murphy has bulked up in the weight room and his off-season conditioning program will serve him well.  Even though he is a 4th round pick, he still has an uphill battle that could make it hard to find a roster spot.  The Dolphins, who have been thin on the offensive line suddenly find themselves, like at the WR position, holding the cards of a lot of unproven potential.  Can Murphy step it up?  He has to.

Prediction:  Murphy is on the bubble in my opinion.  Despite his youth, the Dolphins have better options with more experience in Alleman and Berger and even Ndukwe.  Murphy is still raw and the Dolphins have a couple of other lineman with raw talent potential.  I don’t think the Phins will keep him on the final 53 only to keep him inactive again.  He may be a candidate for the practice squad but if he lands there, it likely means that his time in Miami could be over.  Murphy will have to have made some very solid progress from last year to impress the coaches enough to warrant making the team.

J.D. Quinn: Quinn went undrafted in this past April’s draft and that was more as a result of off-field issues than on-field play.  Quinn was one of the Oklahoma Sooner’s who were kicked off the team for NCAA violations stemming from work related compensation.  He transferred to Montana where he excelled as the teams guard.

Quinn could have been a mid-round draft pick had his off-field issues been curtailed and the Dolphins will keep a close eye on what Quinn does while he is not in camp.  When he is in camp, Quinn, 6-4 300 pounds, will get a chance to show that he can play at this level.  Quinn is a powerful guard and can move defenders out of the hole.  He has solid upper body strength and a good base with adequate footwork to move laterally along the line of scrimmage while holding his ground.  While the opponents against Montana are not as big as say the NFL, the opponents against Oklahoma are and Quinn held his own very well in short term with the Sooners.

While Quinn played well at Oklahoma, he struggled his final 2 years at Montana, perhaps because of more off-field issues that resulted in 3 DUI charges.  Quinn can be a brutally nasty player on the field and that’s why the Dolphins brought him in to the fold.  The question is has he grown up?

Prediction: Quinn on the field, will push Shawn Murphy for what could be the last spot on the team and if he can regain his earlier college play, he will have little problem doing so.  If he can’t, it could be a push.  Qunn off the field will battle himself and the Dolphins have him on a short leash.  Quinn can’t afford any more DUI’s or anything else.  I think Quinn gets it together and realizes that this may be his only shot at making it in the NFL.  If it comes down to Quinn and Murphy…my money is on Quinn.

Ikechuku Ndukwe:  Ndukwe was forced into the starter roll last year when the team lost Donald Thomas.  He struggled and was replaced but found the starting roll again later in the season when Justin Smiley went down.  As a back-up Ndukwe did well and later in the season he performed at a higher level.  Ndukwe is young entering only his 3rd NFL season.  He has proven that he can be an adequate back-up in this league but as a starter still has much to prove and gain by more experience.

With Berger on the roster and Thomas coming back from injury, Ndukwe could find himself backing up Smiley on the left side.

Prediction: It’s unlikely that Ndukwe loses his job unless he struggles and Quinn and Murphy excel.  He won’t be the starter unless there is an injury to someone else, but he could compete with Berger given that he has one year up on him in Miami…but I doubt it.

Mark Lewis: Lewis was signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon where Lewis played 4 years.  Originally a tackle, the Ducks eventually moved him to guard.  Lewis has a long way to go to make the roster and could simply be auditioning for another tryout somewhere else.  It’s unlikely that he makes the teams practice squad unless he shows enough upside to the coaches.

Prediction: I don’t see the Dolphins keeping him on the roster throughout training camp.

Justin Smiley: Smiley is road grading mean SOB who the Dolphins made a priority in the infant hours of the 2008 free agent period.  Smiley who left San Francisco coming of an injury riddled career easily became the starter at LG providing then rookie Jake Long with a solid veteran leader on his right.

Smiley was placed on IR later in the year when he broke his ankle, a freak injury that occurred when someone rolled up on him.  Smiley has rehabbed enough to do drills in camp and it appears that he will undoubtedly be ready to go when training camp kicks off in August.

Smiley is an important piece on the offensive line as he will work between the “Two Jakes” leading the charge on the left side.  A brilliant blocker, Smiley can move a line almost at will at handled larger opponents easily last season before going down to injury.

Prediction: There is no reason to believe that Smiley will not return to his playing capabilities this season.

Steve McNair was more than a 3 time pro-bowler.  He was the only QB to ever lead the Titans to a Super Bowl.  A leader and well respected, McNair was a hard fighting QB who could run the ball and learned to play beyond his limitations to make a career in the NFL as a starter proving some media skeptics wrong.

McNair rarely opened his mouth.  If he danced, he danced in victory and not in stats.  If he talked trash it was with a smile in spite of himself.  A tough competitor on the field, a leader in the locker-room, and a model citizen off the field.  He was the roll model that pro-athletes should be.

Details of his death are sketchy.  He reportedly was shot multiple times while the woman found beside him was shot once in the head.  Steve was found on his couch in a condo that he co-rents in Nashville, TN.  The woman, identified as 20 year old Sahel Kazemi was found close by.

The Nashville police have released little on the double murder but are ruling nothing out, including the possibility that McNairs’ wife Mechelle could be involved despite publicly stating she is “distraught” over the news.  The woman is being referred to as a friend.

ESPN earlier last night reported that the 20 year old woman was arrested for DUI a week or so ago while Steve McNair was riding in the passenger seat.  The vehicle was registered to both McNair and Kazemi.  Regardless of the reasons behind his death or the truth behind the relationship between himself and the woman, his death is nonetheless shocking.

Steve McNair was drafted 3rd overall by the then Houston Oilers in 1995.  He played for 13 seasons before retiring.  During his NFL career, Steve threw for over 31,000 yards and 116 touchdowns.  Perhaps one of his best remembered passes wasn’t for a TD by the one that came up one yard short of a Super Bowl winning drive.

Tomorrow, autopsies will be conducted on the two bodies and the police will continue their investigation.

Whether a fan of the Titans, the Oilers in his early years, or the Baltimore Ravens in his final 2, as a fan it was hard not to respect the man who always brought his best to the field.  Today, more than then NFL mourns his death.  More than his family.  Fans of the NFL mourn as well.  Steve is survived immediately by his wife and 4 children.

All of us here at Phinphanatic.com send our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.  Rest in peace Mr. McNair.

That whole concept led me to thinking about these Miami Dolphins.  The roster.  The aging veterans who should be calling it a career.  Is there a Brett Favre on the team?  An over the hill veteran who really needs to take a long look in the mirror and cry “No Mas!”  The answer is simply no.

The Phins have 4 guys on the team that are over 10 years in the league. Chad Pennington is the youngest of the bunch at 10 years NFL service.  He is followed by Joey Porter at 11 and then Jason Ferguson and Jason Taylor with 13 each.  Of those 4, an argument may be had in regards to Ferguson but even then it’s a bit of a stretch.

Ferguson seems to have become a bit younger since joining the Dolphins and there is no reason why he shouldn’t make an impact on the defense in his 13 season.  While the years ahead of him are dwindling, he still can play an important roll on the team and anchor the 3-4 defense until the Phins can find a younger solution.  Ferguson doesn’t need to retire just yet.

The other 3 are a bit less debateable.  Jason Taylor is only a few years removed from defensive MVP and last years one season in Washington while injury fatigued was hardly an example to why he should call it quits.  In Miami he should return to his former self albeit in a more limited roll.

Chad Pennington has some good football left in him and his age isn’t creeping on him as it does on other QB’s.  Mainly because in CP, the long ball is not any more a threat today as it was 6 years ago.  He still uses his brains to run the team and that doesn’t change with age.

Joey Porter was on the verge starting last season but his 17 sacks a year ago put an end to speculation that he is done.  This season with Jason Taylor back in the mix, could provide the opportunity for Porter to become a dominant force once again.

The Phins also only have 4 guys with 8 or 9 years experience and only Ricky Williams is likely to find himself out of football in the next two years.  Will Allen, LB Akin Ayodele, and TE David Martin are all in that group as well.  David Martin may not be on the team come September.

While Dawn of the Dinosaurs will likely take home this weekends box office championship, the Dolphins list of aging veterans and over the hill never were’s looks to finally have gone the way of the dinosaurs.  If you are looking for ancient relics to pour over, take a look towards New England and their linebacking corp.

The NFL handed down the 4 game suspension after Pace was found in violation of the leagues policy of performance enhancing drugs.  Pace claims the violation was as a result of over the counter drugs that he was not aware contained league prohibited ingredients.  His suspension will allow him to practice with the team as well as participate in pre-season games.

When the Jets finish their pre-season schedule, Pace will begin his suspension and will not be allowed to practice with the team until October 5th.  His first game back will be on Monday night in the teams first contest of the season with the Miami Dolphins.

“I am responsible for what I put into my body and I should have paid closer attention to the league’s guidelines,” Pace said. “I regret that this has happened and apologize to my teammates, the entire Jets organization, as well as the fans. Hopefully, this does not distract from our ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl.”

I’m not knocking Mike Dee at all, in fact, I envy him.  So naturally I have to find some fault with a guy 5 years older than myself who has what I would describe as “the best job in freaking world”.  Dee, a former MLB executive has been long rumored to be joining the Phins.  That rumor is now a reality.

Dee was an integral part in turning around the attendence of the Boston Red Sox prior to the team winning…got that New England fans…you didn’t support the Red Sox until Dee got you buying tickets…THEN they started winning.  Amazing how many come out of the woodwork when a team is winning.  Oh, I digress but in the words of Lee Ann Womack…”she makes such an easy target”.

Dee also served with the San Diego Padres and was a major reason that John Henry of the Red Sox was able to gain 50% of NASCAR’s Roush racing.  Red Sox President Larry Luchinno had this to say about the new Phins CEO.

”He’s a bona-fide first-round draft pick for the front office,” Lucchino, the Red Sox president, said. “He’s got enormous energy and has spread his wings in every business issue that can confront a franchise. On top of that, he has the sensibilities of a sports fan.”

Dee was recommended to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross by former owner Wayne Huizenga who knew Dee.  Dee is the second executive hired by the Dolphins today, following earlier news that Miami developer Jorge Perez joined the team as Vice Chairman.

IN OTHER NEWS…Miami Dolphins 1st round pick Vontae’ Davis has been cleared by Champaign, Ill police of an arrest that has now been officially been classified as an identity theft case.  Davis was reportedly arrested on June 9th but has maintained that he was in fact in Miami participating in OTA’s, something that the Dolphins confirmed.

Folsom becomes the next rookie of the Dolphins 9 picks to sign.  OT Andrew Gardner, WR Patrick Turner, and TE John Nalbone have all agreed to deals while Chris Clemons is expected to be announced soon as well.

The 6′3 230 pound LB from little Weber State college will compete in a unit that has a lot of potential but few stars.  Folsom could be a candidate for the practice squad if he doesn’t make the teams 53 man roster an unlikely scenario barring injury or excellent special teams play.

Folsom like many of the Dolphins drafted and un-drafted rookies has tremendous upside but lacks pedigree and experience.  He will compete against several LB’s with more experience.