The Phinsider

Weekend Roundup: Incognito to visit Dolphins

2010-03-15T04:15:16Z

The "Mad Head-Butter" will visit with the Dolphins on Monday. Everybody at the team's facility in Davie must be on alert.

Browse more photos »

Another week begins as we inch closer to the NFL Draft. But this past weekend was far more quiet than last weekend - when the Dolphins were wrapping up the signing of Karlos Dansby and the Ryan Clark saga was beginning to play out. But there's still a couple of things to talk about.

Dolphins to host "dirty" free agent lineman on Monday
While the Dolphins haven't hosted any free agents in days, they have generated quite a stir with the report that free agent guard Richie Incognito will be visiting the Dolphins on Monday. The 26 year old Incognito is a guy who has the talent and the measurables that this regime likes (6'3, 320). He also plays with the "mean streak" that Tony Sparano likes to see out of his offensive linemen.

However, it's that same "mean streak" that is creating the stir - and is why Incognito remains jobless to begin with. Why else would a physical, talented, young offensive lineman who has started every game (47) that he's played in still be on the market? Well it's simple - he's widely regarded as one of the dirtiest players in the league - finishing seventh in a Sports Illustrated poll of players and first in a Sporting News poll of players.

But it's not just these polls that have given Incognito such a bad name. The Rams released their former third round pick last season after committing two personal fouls in a single game (head-butting an opposing player) and then getting into a heated argument with their head coach. He was also fined $50,000 for his actions in that game and has a grand total of nearly $100,000 in league fines for dirty plays on the field.

With all that said, it's easy to see why the Dolphins have an interest in Richie. He plays hard - you can't argue that. He's versatile as well, having started at three different positions while in St. Louis. But what about Incognito's reputation?

"You can call me what you want. I’m a hard-nosed football player. I bring my ‘A’ game every Sunday," said Incognito to a Buffalo newspaper last year. Well you can't argue that.

Perhaps it's Rams GM Billy Devaney who sums up Richie best, saying, "There is the 90 to 95 percent of Richie that is outstanding. It’s the other 5 or 10 when the dark Richie kicks in and it becomes a problem."

So would he be worth the risk to the Dolphins? I think so. He'll be inexpensive. He'll work very hard. He'll likely come to Miami with a chip on his shoulder. And I think that the Dolphins have the kind of veteran leadership along the offensive line that can keep Incognito in line on the field.

Stupid personal fouls can kill drives. And the Dolphins aren't exactly an explosive offensive football team that can afford those kinds of mistakes. So there's some risk involved, for sure. But guys like Justin Smiley and Jake Grove, I believe, will be able to work with Incognito and help him mature.

Signing him would also eliminate a position the Dolphins need to address in the draft. Offensive line depth is something you can never have enough of and I did expect to see at least one interior lineman drafted at some point by the Dolphins. But bringing in Incognito and letting him battle with Donald Thomas and Nate Garner would allow the Dolphins to focus on their more pressing needs next month.

Will it be difficult to root for someone who can act like a turd on the field at a moment's notice? Without a doubt. But there's a lot of "cheap upside" that would make this move a low-risk, high-reward signing - assuming Monday's visit goes well. Of course, if Incognito head-butts Bill Parcells because he's unhappy with the pudding selection at the team's facility, this whole debate will be moot.

What Quinn's trade to Denver might mean to Dolphins
As I'm sure you all heard, the Browns traded QB Brady Quinn to the Broncos for RB Peyton Hillis and some throw-in draft picks. Other than the obvious link between the Dolphins and Quinn and what might have been (but as it turns out, neither Quinn or Ted Ginn were worthy of a top 10 pick that year), this move could benefit the Dolphins on draft day.

There's a growing belief now that Cleveland will be looking to get into the quarterback derby in next month's draft. They have Jake Delhomme now but they have no real long-term answer. Mike Holmgren should be looking to find his quarterback and the two top quarterbacks in this year's draft - Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen - will likely be on Cleveland's radar. Many mock drafts were predicting Cleveland to take a defensive player with their seventh overall pick.

But if the Browns do land a quarterback - whether by trading up or with the number seven pick - that would mean a potential Dolphins target could fall, creating a domino effect and potentially resulting in a top 10 pick falling to number twelve.

NFL Draft Strategies: Part 1

2010-03-15T02:40:05Z

There are a plethora (look it up) of different draft strategies that teams employ for the Annual Player Selection Meeting. None of them are the "right" way to do things, and most teams combine various strategies or change their preferred method based on draft talent, need, and the overall talent level of their current players. As fans, we rarely get a glimpse into these strategies, as most information filtered to us during the draft season is intentionally misleading or completely useless, but sometimes you can determine a team's preferred strategy after the fact, figuring out their pre-draft needs, evaluating their roster, and then observing how the team drafted. That is how we know that Ted Thompson in Green Bay loves to draft the best player on his board, and that Al Davis sleeps right up until it's his turn, then takes the best combine performer.

After the jump, I'll cover some of the Draft Strategies that I know of, how they work, how each would affect our Dolphins' draft this season, and then I'll try to blend them into 3 or 4 "ideal" mocks based on one overriding strategy. The philosophies I'm going to cover are BPA, or best player available; Positional Value; Need-Based Drafting; Stockpiling; Target and Attack; and Drafting for the Future. I'm sure many of you are familiar with these, but I'm going to go into a little bit of depth into how they work and why teams choose to follow these strategies.

For length purposes, I'll break this up into 3 parts, with 2 philosophies in each part. Part 1 (this one) will cover BPA and Positional Value.

Jump.

BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

Drafting for the Best Player Available doesn't always mean what fans and experts think, because most of us set a draft board based only for our team, and the experts usually set a generic Big Board based on overall rankings. Each team has a customized board for their team, so while they may not have drafted the top guy on "Mel Kiper's Best Available" sidebar, they took the top guy on THEIR draft board. This is the strategy used mostly by rebuilding teams trying to add as much talent to a depleted roster, and worry about need later. This is because just about every position is a need, so it makes sense. But there are also teams like Green Bay that tend to go BPA more often than not, based on the belief that you should never pass up superior talent and reach for a "need." I tend to agree with this strategy based on that same principle.

We saw this with Detroit last season, taking the top-rated prospect in the draft, Matt Stafford, first overall. Then, picking again at #20, they passed up on a LT (perceived to be their second-greatest need and a position of high importance and value) for who I believe was their highest-rated remaining player, TE Brandon Pettigrew. The new GM of the Lions, Martin Mayhew, felt that they needed to add to his teams' talent pool regardless of position.

~IF MIAMI USES THIS STRATEGY~

Eric Berry would be the BPA if he's there at 12, since I believe he's the top prospect in this draft. CJ Spiller, in my opinion, will most likely be the top player on the board at our pick, so going BPA would land him in South Beach come April.

POSITIONAL VALUE

Many teams use this strategy in the top 5 mainly because of the huge contracts given to these players. The GM's determine that certain positions (QB, LT, DE) are cornerstones of a team, and those positions are really the only ones worth the cost of a top 5 pick. This is smart drafting, most of the time, because you end up with a reasonable contract if the player becomes elite at his position, while if you take a less-important position (say, WR), the cost is still high even if the player reaches All-Pro status. So using this philosophy may lead to some reaches, but it can also keep you in a good salary cap situation, as well as landing you a highly ranked player at a highly valuable position.

This strategy was on full display with the Kansas City Chiefs (and GM Scott Pioli) in 2009. With LB Aaron Curry (most experts' top rated player) and WR Michael Crabtree (other experts' top rated player) available at the 3rd selection, Pioli reached slightly for Tyson Jackson, a defensive end (KC had a young LT in Branden Albert and had just signed QB Matt Cassel to a nice contract, so DE was the next highest-value position). Pioli determined that, if he was going to pay that huge contract (Jackson ended up signing for 5 years, $57 million with $31 million guaranteed), he was going to pay it to one of the 3 most important positions in the sport.

~IF MIAMI USES THIS STRATEGY~

We already have a young QB (Henne) that is on the verge of "Franchise" status, and a true anchor at LT in Jake Long, so we would look to the next most important position, which is either NT or Strong OLB (equivalent of 4-3 DE) for our 3-4 defense. While the contract isn't nearly as big at 12 (last year's 12th pick, RB Knowshon Moreno, signed for 5 years $16.7 million with just over $13 million guaranteed) as it is at 3, it's still a decent-sized contract, and if you follow the positional value philosophy, you want that money to be well-spent. Our pick would either be NT Dan Williams or Terrence Cody, or DE/OLB Derrick Morgan or Jason Pierre-Paul.

Reasons not to draft a NT at #12

2010-03-15T02:37:31Z

There have been a lot of posts recently expressing the need for a NT. Whether it’s Dan Williams or Mt. Cody, a lot of fans of the Phinsider seem to want the Front Office to address this need, especially with the first round pick at #12. As many of you know, I have been advocating against this, instead wanting to go offense at #12 (specifically CJ Spiller). I won’t go into the many reasons why I want to go offense, El Presidente 00 does a good job explaining the reasons in his post “Why CJ Spiller is the Solution” (http://www.thephinsider.com/2010/3/12/1370738/why-cj-spiller-is-the-solution), but I will get into why drafting a NT at #12 would be a mistake.

Here is a chart of some of the NT’s in the NFL. In compiling this chart, I focused on the Top 15 Ranked Defenses in the NFL in ’09. I left off all of those defenses in the Top 15 that don’t run a 3-4 defense but included the Phins NT’s for sake of argument.

TEAM	TOTAL D	RUSH D	NT	DRAFT RD	T-A-S	% SNAPS	RUSH RANK	PASS RANK
NYJ	1	8	SIONE POUHA	3 (88)	40-4-0	44.8%	24.2	-6.2
			KRIS JENKINS	2 (44)	10-2-0	58.7%	4.4	-1.2
GB	2	1	RYAN PICKETT	1 (29)	25-4-0	40.8%	3.0	-2.5
			BJ RAJI	1 (9)	18-3-1	40.4%	1.9	-5.7
BAL	3	5	KELLY GREGG	6 (173)	41-9-3	44.2%	18.5	0.2
PIT	5	3	CASEY HAMPTON	1 (19)	25-6-3	57.3%	7.3	-9.5
DEN	7	26	RONALD FIELDS	5 (137)	26-9-0	51.7%	1.2	-8.1
DAL	9	4	JAY RATLIFF	7 (224)	26-7-7	72.1%	13.2	-0.1
NE	11	12	VINCE WILFORK	1 (21)	45-7-0	64.7%	14.1	-2.5
SF	15	6	AUBRAYO FRANKLIN	5 (146)	35-5-2	56.0%	12.2	-8.6
MIA	22	18	JASON FERGUSON	7 (229)	18-3-0	49.0%	2.5	0.6
			PAUL SOLIAI	4 (108)	27-0-0	42.0%	3.0	-5.0

The T-A-S (tackles-assists-sacks), % Snaps, Rush Rank, & Pass Rank stats came from www.profootballfocus.com (thanks for the heads up on this site Vanman!). Here is a link to how they establish a “grade” for a particular player: http://profootballfocus.com/about.php?tab=about. Needless to say it is a little convoluted, but basically each player is graded per play on a +2.0 to a -2.0 scale with 0 being average.

NT’s Are Ineffective At Rushing The QB

One of the big reasons stated for drafting a NT is to get “push” up the middle when rushing a QB. As the chart shows, the NT’s listed above simply don’t rush the passer well. Only 3 of the NT’s listed graded out as “average” by Profootballfocus.com. All others are ranked “below average”. When grading the Pass Rank, the site takes into effect sacks, QB hits, and QB pressures and none of the NT’s graded very well at all. How many on this site have wanted a NT to pressure the QB like Wilfork or Jenkins? Yet, both of those players are considered below average when rushing the passer.

But as you noticed, all NT’s ranked above average in Rush Rank. The likes of Pouha, Gregg, Ratliff, Wilfork, and Franklin are outstanding run defenders. Also notice that Ferguson is the best ranked pass rusher but is ranked slightly behind Soliai when it comes to defending the run. (How many of you are surprised by Soliai ranking ahead of Fergie when it comes to defending the run?)

NT’s Are Part Time Players

Another interesting stat shown in the chart is the % of snaps played. Most NT’s in the chart play between 40% - 60% of the snaps. Only two played more than 60% of the snaps available, Wilfork (64%) and Ratliff (72%). The reason why these players are playing a small % of snaps points to the Pass Rank category above. NT’s don’t rush the passer, so they are not on the field on passing downs. If you delve into the % of snaps played by NT’s in 2nd & Long or 3rd & Long situations, the % of snaps falls dramatically.

Drafting NT’s In The 1st Round Are Not Sure Things

There are 4 NT’s on the list taken in the 1st round (Pickett, Raji, Hampton, Wilfork). None of them are elite pass rushers (in fact Hampton is the worst pass rusher on the list). Only one, Wilfork, would be considered an elite run stopper. I would make the argument that the best all around NT’s on the list are Gregg and Ratliff and they were drafted in the 6th and 7th round respectively. Not only are they excellent at stopping the run, they are average at rushing the passer, which grades out much higher than the other NT’s on the list. (As an aside, Fergie and Ratliff were both drafted by Parcells and both in the 7th round).

In conclusion, the Phins are going to make a big investment in the #12 pick. Last year the #12 pick, Knowshon Moreno, got a contract worth $23 million over 5 yrs with $13 million guaranteed. If I was going to pay that much for a defensive player, I would want that guy to be a multi-dimensional player (not just a run stopper) and be on the field more than 60% of the time. If the Phins must go defense, go after an OLB. Get a player like one of these guys who not only stop the run (except for Dumervil), but rush the passer as well.

TEAM	TOTAL D	RUSH D	RUSH OLB	T-A-S	% SNAPS	RUSH RANK	PASS RANK
NYJ	1	8	CALVIN PACE	40-7-9	96.8%	10.8	4.9
GB	2	1	CLAY MATTHEWS	30-9-11	85.0%	10.5	8.8
PIT	5	3	LAMARR WOODLEY	39-16-14	99.7%	10.1	25.6
DEN	7	26	ELVIS DUMERVIL	23-6-17	83.7%	-12.1	21.2
DAL	9	4	DEMARCUS WARE	39-13-15	92.6%	9.9	27.8
NE	11	12	TULLA BANTA CAIN	37-6-10	68.5%	11.1	14.9

Why be a Lefty when you can be Right! =)

Video Time: Outside Linebacker Prospects

2010-03-13T06:00:18Z

Without a doubt, outside linebacker is clearly a position of need for the Dolphins. Even if the Dolphins do re-sign Jason Taylor - and that's no sure thing, either - the Dolphins will likely draft at least one outside linebacker in next month's draft, likely earlier rather than later. So this week's "video time" will focus on some of the best outside linebackers that will be available.

All of the videos are below after the jump. Enjoy.

First up - my official 2010 "mancrush" - other than Eric Berry, that is: TCU pass-rusher Jerry Hughes.

Next up is Michigan's Brandon Graham, a player that the Dolphins are rumored to be interested in.

Sergio Kindle is another guy who many love.

And USC's Everson Griffen is a guy who is rising up draft boards around the NFL.

Dolphin Mock Drafts Around the 'Net, 3/12 Edition

2010-03-12T05:15:10Z

With the start of free agency last Friday at midnight, I chose to focus solely on all the news and rumors and put off this post for a week. But my inbox was surprisingly flooded with e-mails from people wondering where the updated mock draft post was.

Sorry to disappoint you all last week, but it's back today and will be back every Friday between now and the draft. I'm glad you all like this little feature. So let's get to it. The list of 44 mocks is below after the jump. And they should be a bit more interesting now that free agency has played out for a week and the big names that were available have found new homes, clarifying the needs of many teams throughout the league.

2010 MIAMI DOLPHINS MOCKS AROUND THE NET
Site	Upd.	1st Round (12th)		2nd Round (43rd)		3rd Round (74th)
Mocking The Draft	3/5	ILB	Rolando McClain	FS	Nate Allen	NT	Torell Troup
New Era Scouting	3/1	RB	C.J. Spiller	WR	Arrelious Benn	NT	Cam Thomas
ESPN's Mel Kiper	3/10	NT	Dan Williams
ESPN's Todd McShay	3/10	NT	Dan Williams
SI.com's Don Banks	3/4	OLB	Sergio Kindle
NFL.com's Pat Kirwan	3/10	DE	Jared Odrick
NBC Sports' Evan Silva	3/9	OLB	Sergio Kindle
National Football Post	3/10	WR	Dez Bryant
Pro Football Weekly	1/30	OLB	Sergio Kindle
Al Fronczak	3/10	FS	Earl Thomas
NESN	3/11	OLB	Ricky Sapp
FOX Sports	3/2	NT	Dan Williams	WR	Brandon LaFell	ILB	Brandon Spikes
Scout.com	3/8	NT	Dan Williams	RB	Dexter McCluster
Roto Times	3/1	WR	Dez Bryant
Football's Future	3/5	S	Taylor Mays	OLB	Thaddeus Gibson
Walter Football	3/9	OLB	Jason Pierre-Paul	FS	Nate Allen	NT	Torell Troup
Draft Countdown	2/11	OLB	Jason Pierre-Paul	WR	Brandon LaFell
CBS Sports Rob Rang	3/9	NT	Dan Williams
CBS Sports Chad Reuter	3/8	NT	Dan Williams
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco	3/4	OLB	Brandon Graham
Russ Lande	3/8	WR	Demaryius Thomas
Weller and Bryan	3/6	RB	C.J. Spiller	WR	Brandon LaFell	NT	Cam Thomas
DrafTek	3/11	RB	C.J. Spiller	FS	Nate Allen	WR	Carlton Mitchell
The Draft Matters	2/13	WR	Dez Bryant
Draft King	3/5	WR	Dez Bryant
Football Jabber	3/7	NT	Dan Williams
Fantasy Football Jungle	2/20	OLB	Jason Pierre-Paul	WR	Damian Williams	ILB	Pat Angerer
NFL Draft Dog	2/28	OLB	Jason Pierre-Paul
Saturdays2Sundays	1/12	WR	Arrelious Benn
NFL Draft 101	3/8	NT	Dan Williams	OLB	Ricky Sapp	TE	Aaron Hernandez
NFL News and Rumors	3/11	RB	C.J. Spiller
Fantasy Football Xtreme	3/6	CB	Joe Haden
NFL Mocks	1/28	OLB	Sergio Kindle
QI Sports	3/4	WR	Dez Bryant	OLB	Jerry Hughes
Draft Huddle	3/3	OLB	Brandon Graham	OLB	George Selvie	WR	Demaryius Thomas
Draft Board Insider	3/5	OLB	Brandon Graham	WR	Brandon LaFell
Scout's Notebook	3/11	OLB	Jason Pierre-Paul
Redzone Report	2/11	OLB	Sergio Kindle
Draft Zoo	2/12	WR	Dez Bryant	NT	Cam Thomas	OLB	Koa Misi
Sunday Kickoff	3/11	OLB	Jason Pierre-Paul	WR	Arrelious Benn	OG	Mitch Petrus
ProFootballTalk	2/18	WR	Dez Bryant
Scout's Mock Draft Muncher	3/11	NT	Dan Williams
KFFL	3/3	NT	Dan Williams
Sideline Scouting	3/8	OLB	Brandon Graham

Trends:
(Denotes if percentage is up or down over last edition)

Dan Williams: 23% (+)
Dez Bryant: 16% (+)
Jason Pierre-Paul: 14% (-)
Sergio Kindle: 11% (-)
C.J. Spiller: 9% (+)
Brandon Graham: 9% (+)

It should come as no surprise that many of these mocks are aboard the "Dan Williams to Miami bandwagon," especially following the Jason Ferguson suspension. Williams has been seeing draft stock rise in general, too, since his performance all week at the Senior Bowl.

It's also interesting to see that Dez Bryant is seeing an increase despite many "scouts" claiming his stock is actually falling. One of the mocks that had the Dolphins taking Bryant may have said it best, calling the Dolphins one of the organizations strong enough to help mold Dez.

It should come as no shock, though, that Rolando McClain is not being connected to the Dolphins as he once was. Just two weeks ago, 20% of these mocks had Miami taking McClain with the 12th overall pick. But the signing of Karlos Dansby and McClain's potentially falling stock has changed that.

But we're now in the weeks of the "Pro Day" workouts. So these mocks will be very fluid between now and April's draft - especially as the "misinformation" really starts to fly. So it'll be interesting to see how these mocks shift week in and week out.

Fan's Pulse: The Dolphins' biggest need?

2010-03-11T05:15:09Z

It seems as though the Dolphins' activity in free agency is slowing. Outside of their one big signing, Miami has been relatively quiet. While I'd expect another move or two between now and the draft in April - nothing big, of course - it's clear that the Dolphins will head into next month's draft with a number of holes to fill.

The signing of Karlos Dansby, in my opinion, removes inside linebacker from the Dolphins' needs list. However there are still many areas this front office can address to improve this football team for 2010. So my question to all of you is simple: which need should currently be considered the Dolphins' biggest need?

The poll below lists what I think are currently Miami's top four needs - in no particular order. I've quickly touched on the four positions below. So read them, cast your vote, and then tell us why you voted the way you did.

Wide Receiver - This should come as no surprise. We've all talked about this over and over. While I feel like the makings of a solid receiving corps is currently in place, the one major piece of the puzzle missing - and hardest piece to find - is that true number one receiver, a player who can make plays. The Dolphins need that guy who can go up and make tough catches in traffic, keep the opposing defense honest, and create chunk yardage. The Dolphins were 22nd in yards after the catch in 2009. Until the Dolphins find that big play, YAC type of receiver, this offense will be limited.

Nose Tackle - Even with the re-signing of the aging (and suspended) Jason Ferguson, the Dolphins have got to find their long-term answer for the nose tackle position. It may be the single most important position in a 3-4 defense. And if it isn't, it's definitely in the top two or three as far as its importance to the success of a 3-4. It's not a coincidence that a rushing defense that was ranked in the top five in the league with Ferguson plummeted to 18th in the NFL by the season's end once Jason suffered his season-ending injury. As it stands now, Paul Soliai will be the starting nose tackle for the first eight games of 2010. Is anybody out there comfortable knowing that? I didn't think so.

Outside Linebacker - This is the other critical part of a 3-4 defense. The reason the Steelers have been so dominant defensively for all of these years has been thanks to, in large part, consistently good play from their outside linebackers. If the season began today, Cameron Wake and Charlie Anderson would be this team's starters at the two OLB spots. Yikes! While Wake showed flashes last season and will likely improve in 2010, I don't know if he's ready to be a full-time starter. And Anderson is a solid role player who just is not a starting caliber NFL linebacker. I do hope to see Jason Taylor re-signed. But even still, this position has to be - and will be - addressed in next month's draft. The question isn't if, but in what round will the Dolphins target this position.

Free Safety - Despite Jeff Ireland's words at the Scouting Combine about Gibril Wilson, he was handed his pink slip on the first day of free agency - leaving a void in the secondary (though even with Wilson, there was still a void at FS). The Dolphins missed out on Antrel Rolle and Ryan Clark and now currently have Tyrone Culver or Chris Clemons penciled in as the starting free safety. But let's face it - if this front office had any faith in either of these two, they wouldn't have made major contract offers to Rolle and Clark. The Dolphins need to find a safety to pair with one of the most under-rated strong safeties in the league.

So have at it. What is this team's biggest need right now?

Poll

What position is currently the Dolphins' biggest need?

Agent Lamont Smith said the Dolphins have expressed an interest in free agent receiver Antonio...

2010-03-10T12:46:14Z

Agent Lamont Smith said the Dolphins have expressed an interest in free agent receiver Antonio Bryant. But Cincinnati hosted him Tuesday and has been more aggressive.

-Miami Herald's Barry Jackson.

As much as I'm not a fan of Bryant's, signing him to a short-term deal has its benefits - especially in terms of draft flexibility. But other teams are probably more interested in Antonio at this point.

[UPDATE: Bryant has signed with Cincinnati - a reported 4 year, $28 million. That's a lot of money for a player with one good season.]

Pondering the re-signing of Jason Ferguson

2010-03-10T05:15:11Z

More photos » Lynne Sladky - AP

This photo was taken moments after Jason found out Bill Parcells still wanted him despite his injury and his suspension. Time to celebrate, big guy!

Browse more photos »

The big story out of Miami on Tuesday was the Dolphins' decision to bring back veteran nose tackle Jason Ferguson despite the recent news that he is facing an eight game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Of course, the move has generated a rather big debate among many Dolphin fans, some of which are wondering why the Dolphins would bring back a 35 year old nose tackle who is rehabbing from injury and is now likely out for the first half of the 2010 season due to this suspension.

I can't say I blame them for questioning this decision.

But before we jump the gun, it's important to note that we really don't know enough about Ferguson's suspension. The term "performance-enhancing drug" is pretty vague. Ferguson could have been suspended for taking weight-loss medication. Or he could have been taking some kind of substance that would help him recover faster from his quadriceps surgery. Or he could have taken some substance that he didn't even know was banned.

Or he could have taken steroids.

The point is that we really have no idea what he took or the circumstances surrounding the suspension. However, cheating is cheating and Jason is 100% responsible for whatever he did. Pro athletes have got to know what they can and can't put in their own body. Ferguson got caught - for the second time in his career, that is - and now he must pay the price.

With all that said, I'd imagine Ferguson - who has a great relationship with Bill Parcells - sat down with this front office and explained in detail why he was suspended. Perhaps the Dolphins know something we don't. Maybe they know Jason is planning an appeal and think his suspension could be reduced.

Or maybe Bill Parcells is just too loyal to "his guys." And that's exactly what Ferguson is.

"In Parcells' world, loyalty is important. That's why loyalty is the best way to explain why the Dolphins re-signed Ferguson to an undisclosed deal Monday," writes Omar Kelly.

So is Bill's loyalty blinding him? Was this a good move for the Dolphins?

I think there are positives and negatives to the move. Some of the possible negatives include:

The fear of having a player with two PED suspensions around some of the young, impressionable players on this team.
The front office becoming complacent with the state of the nose tackle position on this team. I really hope the Dolphins do not decide to avoid addressing the need at NT because they know that Ferguson will be returning for the second half of the season.
The money handed to Ferguson. The Dolphins are already paying $2.5 million to a supposed "3rd string quarterback." Now they're giving out more of Stephen Ross's money to a player who won't be playing for half of the season.
The idea that the front office is filled with hypocrites. Bill Parcells has said he doesn't want any "thugs or hoodlums" on this team. But this roster has a couple of guys who have been arrested and now will have a two-time PED offender. And yet, this is the same front office that doesn't want to acquire any players from outside the organization who have questionable character issues. It just doesn't look good.

After saying all that, I will admit that I believe the pros do outweigh the cons here. Some of the positives include:

Being a great guy to have in the locker room, despite the two PED suspensions. He's well-liked and considered a consummate professional, two suspensions not withstanding. I'd imagine Jason will make it a point to address the team and explain what happened, taking full responsibility for his actions.
Being a mentor for Paul Soliai and/or any other young nose tackle that is brought in. What he's learned in his 10+ seasons in the league would be invaluable to helping develop a future nose tackle. It's a tough position to transition to from college and anything he could teach young nose tackles would be huge.
Having a fresh nose tackle coming back to the team midway through the season for the playoff push. He won't take up a roster spot on the 53-man roster until his suspension is over. And when he does finally come back, the Dolphins will have an experienced veteran nose tackle with a fresh body to step into the nose tackle rotation.

So that's a little bit of my hopefully coherent rambling on this subject. I'll be very interested in learning how much money this contract is worth. But for now, I can't say I'm against the move. But I'm certainly not 100% for it. Put me down as "somewhat" in favor of the move.

So what about all of you?

Is Dez Bryant's stock falling?

2010-03-10T04:11:13Z

Is Dez Bryant's stock falling?

Interesting read from the NFP.

"I spoke with several NFL coaches today — as well as a high-level NFL executive — who think that drafting Bryant is a major risk," writes Matt Bowen.

Jim Mandich is battling cancer

2010-03-10T01:47:56Z

Jim Mandich is battling cancer

Former Dolphin tight end and popular sportscaster Jim Mandich is battling cancer and that is why he took a leave of absence from WQAM a little over a month ago. He's undergoing chemotherapy and hopes to know in a matter of weeks if the treatment is working.

All thoughts and prayers are with Mandich and his family. Get well soon!

And if you want to share your well wishes with Jim, do so below in the comments. I'll be attempting to get this post to him in a day or so.

Dolphins re-sign Jason Ferguson

2010-03-09T23:25:01Z

Dolphins re-sign Jason Ferguson

He has started 128 games and has 387 tackles & 21.5 sacks.

What's next for Dolphins in free agency?

2010-03-09T05:15:09Z

More photos » J. Pat Carter - AP

You want to know what the sad part about this is? I had a million photos to choose from of Gibril Wilson missing tackles or allowing completions.

Browse more photos »

With safety Ryan Clark re-signing with the Steelers, many Dolphin fans have been left pondering where the Dolphins will turn next in free agency. Now don't get me wrong, the uneasy feeling I have right now has nothing to do with me loving Clark so much that I'm disappointed we didn't sign him. In fact I said last week that I wasn't so high on Clark, writing that "Clark scares me because he might be too much like the guy we just dumped."

Some think it might be time to second guess the decision in 2008 to let safety Renaldo Hill walk and sign with Denver. That's a fair reaction, I suppose. But don't act like Hill was some great player or anything. In 2008, he was credited with allowing 21 receptions on 35 passes thrown to guys he was covering. And to me, that's not worth a 4 year, $10 million contract like the Broncos signed him to - especially at the age of 30, which he was last offseason.

Of course, Hill was at least a decent guy back there who, if nothing else, did a solid job directing Miami's secondary. He was the "quarterback of the secondary" and was the guy in charge of making adjustments at the line of scrimmage, if necessary. You can't put quantify that kind of role.

Some also think it might be time to second guess the decision to release Gibril Wilson when they did last Friday rather than waiting to see how they intended replace him. That's also a fair criticism - and one that I do agree with. At the same time, we don't know if the Dolphins might have really needed the money that was saved by Wilson's release to aid in the signing of Karlos Dansby. If that is indeed the case, then this front office did what it had to do.

But now we are left to ponder what the Dolphins will do next to address this issue. Despite filling one major need by signing Dansby, the Dolphins also now have two new big needs - one at free safety and the other at nose tackle, following Jason Ferguson's eight game suspension, if he even decides to play football in 2010.

The popular solution being thrown around by many fans is to sign restricted free agent safety O.J. Atogwe to an offer sheet. The Rams used the lowest tender on him, meaning they only have the right of first refusal (aka the ability to match the offer) but receive no draft pick compensation should St. Louis choose not to match. I'll admit that I do like Atogwe a lot. He's a very good coverage safety - exactly what the Dolphins need. He'll be just 29 when the season rolls around, too. But with the Rams having the ability to match any offer, you have to wonder how much money it would cost to sign away their former franchise player. And it's not like the Rams have dumb football people running their team. So it's a red flag, in my opinion, if a team so low on overall talent is willing to let one of their best defensive players leave with no compensation in return.

Another idea being tossed around - which I tweeted a few hours before I wrote this article - is to bring back Wilson on a far smaller contract. It's not a terrible idea. As much as we all hated him last year, perhaps he could improve now that he's familiar with his teammates and we have a guy like Mike Nolan running the defense. You never know - don't rule this possibility out. It's not like other teams are knocking down the door to meet with Gibril.

Another possible way to handle this turn of events might have nothing to do with the free safety position at all - at least not in free agency. The Dolphins could look to sign (or trade for) a player at another position of need - say nose tackle, for example - and then use an early draft pick on a free safety. As you all know, my fantasy would be for Eric Berry to land in Miami some how on draft night. More realistically, though, is Texas safety Earl Thomas. He doesn't have as high of a ceiling as Berry, in my opinion, but is a tremendous prospect in his own right. He's a ball hawk. He's fast. He makes plays. So the draft is clearly an option to fill the void at free safety. And if the Dolphins bring in a player prior to the draft at one of their other big positions of need (nose tackle, outside linebacker, wide receiver), that could give us a clue as to how they plan on addressing the FS spot.

Of course, they could also be content with a Tyrone Culver/Chris Clemons training camp competition to fill the hole at free safety. I, for one, am not totally comfortable with this. Culver has shown some flashes as a solid third safety and I think he's quite good in that role. But I haven't seen enough of him to feel confident he could start for this club.

And don't get me started on Clemons. Yes - he's a kid who has all the physical tools to be a very good safety. He's got speed. He's got hands. He seems like a solid tackler. But it takes more than that to be good at the position. The question I have about Clemons is if he's mentally ready to take on such a huge role in just his second season. He saw limited action as a rookie, too, and yet so many Dolphin fans are ready to just hand him the starting job. I don't get it. What have these fans seen out of Clemons to think he's ready to start in the NFL? Personally, I haven't seen nearly enough. And if it was a competition between Clemons and Culver, my money is definitely on Culver.

Then, of course, is the radical idea of trying to convert cornerback Will Allen to safety. It's not a terrible idea, either. But I just don't know if he'd have enough time to learn the position while he also continues his rehab from a torn ACL.

Whatever the Dolphins do to address this need, though, won't be nearly as important as the progression of Miami's two young corners. If Sean Smith and Vontae Davis continue to improve and mature, then we wouldn't have to rely on our safeties nearly as much. Hopefully these two kids are ready to step up to the next level - and quickly.

Ryan Clark spends day visiting with Dolphins, re-signs with Steelers

2010-03-09T01:46:36Z

In what is a bit of a surprise, safety Ryan Clark has re-signed with the Steelers, according to various media outlets. This comes after Clark landed in Miami yesterday and told some Miami writers that he hoped to sign with the Dolphins during his visit on Monday.

The Dolphins are now left to wonder how they plan to fill their void at free safety following the release of Gibril Wilson last week.

While on the surface it seems as though Clark simply used the Dolphins as leverage for a better deal with the Steelers, Clark's agent insists it wasn't about the money. In fact, agent Joel Turner says that Clark actually left money on the table to return to Pittsburgh on a four year deal.

So what was it about ?

"This is no indictment in any way of the Dolphins organization," Turner said. "He just didn’t want to be there. Those guys were great. They treated him great, showed him a good time. They’re going to be successful with him or without him. He just felt he needed to be somewhere else."

"[Clark's family] is happy. I would hope anybody with a family could understand that. Anybody who doesn’t have a family and can’t understand that, I hope someday they will."

So where do the Dolphins turn now?

Thoughts on a busy opening weekend of NFL free agency

2010-03-08T05:15:09Z

It was just a few nights ago when Dolphin fans everywhere were up late and scouring the internet for any bits of news related to who their team might have in for free agency visits. If you were here with us last Thursday night then you probably were one of the many who were up later than they should have been in hopes of finding any info about the Dolphins being interested in this player or that player.

We're now three full days removed from the beginning of free agency and a lot has happened. So I thought a great way to kick off the week would be to just share some quick thoughts on some of what has transpired over the last 72 hours, as well as touch on what still might happen as we inch closer to the NFL Draft.

Clark to visit Dolphins on Monday, expected to sign
The latest bit of free agency news to come our way is that Steelers safety Ryan Clark flew into Miami on Sunday night and will meet with the Dolphins on Monday. From everything we've heard already from Clark upon his arrival to Miami, it sure seems like it's highly likely that he will sign a contract with the Dolphins later on today, filling the void in Miami's secondary.

We'll talk more about this tomorrow if/when the Dolphins actually come to terms with Clark. But for now my initial reaction is simple - it'll be hard for him to play any worse than Gibril Wilson. He should come cheaper than Wilson. And this move would reduce the number of holes the Dolphins must fill in the draft. Could the Dolphins still draft a safety next month? Sure. But they would no longer need to. And when you can cut down the number of needs you have entering the draft, you can be much more flexible in how you approach each pick. So for these reasons alone, signing Clark would be a solid move.

But again, we'll talk more about Clark if the Dolphins do sign him. I already have an e-mail into the blogger of SBN's Steelers blog that could allow us to get a Steelers' fans perspective on Clark. So be sure to check in with us tomorrow for continuing coverage.

Dolphins now have a BIG void to fill
Part of the reason why I wasn't as stressed as some about the nose tackle situation of this team was because I felt like Jason Ferguson would eventually get back to being healthy and re-sign with the Dolphins. So I figured the combination of Ferguson and Paul Soliai could put together one more decent year before the Dolphins had to address this situation.

But that all changed late Saturday night when we learned that Ferguson would be suspended for the first eight games of the 2010 season following his second positive drug test for performance-enhancing drugs. Just like that, the Dolphins had to instantly add the nose tackle position to their rather long list of "must haves" for this offseason - joining free safety (which could be filled in a few hours), outside linebacker, and wide receiver.

The only possible option on the free agent market who I think could fill the role for at least one season is former Chargers NT Jamal Williams. Williams, who will be 34 in April, was released last week by San Diego and is coming off of a season in which he played just one game before tearing his triceps muscle and undergoing season-ending surgery. But reports are the 340+ pound nose tackle is nearing completion of his rehab and should be ready for OTAs. But it remains to be seen if the Dolphins will show any interest.

There are some possible nose tackles to be had in the draft as well. But it's always a risk to rely on a rookie nose tackle as a major contributor. Tennessee's Dan Williams, though, looks as though he could come right in and win the starting job from day one. He's got the perfect NT body, is strong at the point of attack, and seems to have good stamina - something he'd need in the South Florida heat. But using the 12th overall pick on a nose tackle is never a popular idea.

It'll be interesting to see how the Dolphins go about filling this critical position, that's for sure.

Did Dolphins make mistake passing on "Q"?
We're all well aware at how badly some of you wanted the Dolphins to acquire Anquan Boldin. But it was the Ravens who stepped up to the plate and offered up a 3rd and 4th round pick for Boldin. They then signed Anquan to an extension that will pay him $28 million over the next four seasons, with $10 million guaranteed. If you ask me, I believe the contract is the reason why the Dolphins were not in on the Boldin sweepstakes. Well - the money and the fact that Boldin, for as physical as he plays the game, will be 30 in October and has had trouble staying healthy for a full 16 games.

Boldin plays the receiver position like a running back. Because of that, he has the kind of wear and tear on him that a running back usually does by the time they reach 30 years of age. So I can see why Miami's front office was wary of giving him an average of $7 million per year while handing his former Arizona teammate almost $9 million per year. It was the money, in my opinion, not that draft pick compensation that kept "Q" from coming to Miami. And I agree with the decision.

But the Dolphins do need receiver help - we all know that. They could try to find their guy in the draft. Or they could show interest in free agent receiver Antonio Bryant. The Miami Herald's Greg Cote and agent Drew Rosenhaus both think the Dolphins do have some interest in Bryant. And though I'm not a fan of Bryant's at all, if the price is right, why the hell not?

Safety Ryan Clark arrives in Miami for free agency visit

2010-03-08T00:22:10Z

We've been wondering since Friday what the Dolphins planned to do about their hole at safety. Tonight we're hearing of a potential solution. The Palm Beach Post and Miami Herald are reporting that Steelers' free agent safety Ryan Clark has arrived in Miami for an official visit scheduled tomorrow.

Clark arrived today and Jeff Darlington was there to greet the safety. Darlington tweets that "without question" Clark hopes to make Miami his one and only visit as a free agent. Clark said of this visit:

"There were a lot of good offers and a lot of good fits. But this seems like a good spot. So I’m praying it goes well."

So what do you think? Would Clark be a good fit in Miami?

Report: Jason Ferguson to be suspended for first eight games of 2010

2010-03-07T05:34:00Z

A report out of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat is reporting that Dolphins free agent nose tackle Jason Ferguson is going to be suspended for the first eight games of 2010 due to violating the performance-enhancing drug policy.

If this is true, Ferguson would still be eligible to sign with a team and to take part in training camp and preseason games. His eight game suspension would then begin once the rosters are finalized with 53 men.

The 35 year old nose tackle was suspended for four games in 1999 for also violating the performance-enhancing drug policy. And if this latest report is true, you have to wonder about Ferguson's future. He' still rehabbing from a torn quadriceps injury he suffered last November. It was unknown if Jason would even be back in 2010. But it was believed that if he did want to come back, he only wanted to be a member of the Dolphins.

However, this latest report would throw a huge curve ball into the situation. The Dolphins clearly need a nose tackle for the future regardless of Ferguson's status in 2010. But if this report is accurate, then the need for a nose tackle is multiplied - perhaps bringing Tennessee's Dan Williams, Alabama's Terrence Cody, and North Carolina's Cam Thomas back into the mix for the Dolphins in rounds one or two.

I, for one, am hoping to hear that this report is false. Ferguson is a respected and well-liked guy. But you have to imagine that if this is indeed accurate that Jason's days in Miami - and potentially in the NFL - could be coming to an end.

Dansby speaks with media, talks about his role and why he chose Miami

2010-03-06T21:55:43Z

The Dolphins still haven't "officially" announced the signing of LB Karlos Dansby. But Jeff Darlington just tweeted moments ago that the contract is done and Dansby is on his way to the facility to sign it. Regardless, Dansby and his wife were house shopping in South Florida today. However, Karlos still found some time to chat with the local media via telephone.

[Editor's Note: The Dolphins have now officially announced the signing of Karlos Dansby.]

And when you read the things he told the Palm Bech Post's Edgar Thompson and Miami Herald's Jeff Darlington, it's hard not to be excited for both Dansby and the team.

So why did Karlos choose the Dolphins (other than that huge contract, of course)? Well when he showed up to the facility on Friday he saw over 40 Dolphin players working out as part of the team's offseason training program.

"That showed me their commitment to winning. This organization is doing whatever it needs to do to facilitate these guys and make them feel comfortable. That's what sold me, to be honest.''

Dansby also added, via Thompson's Twitter page, that this is "how we did it in Arizona. That’s why we went to the Super Bowl that year. But the year after, we had only 15 to 20 guys working out."

But that wasn't the only reason. The presence of Bill Parcells made a difference as well:

"Why? I say, Bill Parcells is why. Parcells and the moves he’s making to win a championship and build a dynasty. He builds winners."

"He told me I was a helluva player and he liked how I played the game. I took that to heart and I just tried to get better each year and each year. He still sees the same guy that he saw then. For him to believe in me like that, can’t pass on an opportunity like that.

"We had a great conversation (Friday). He’s expecting the same kind of player in Miami. I’m like, ‘Coach, whatever you need.’"

So what's Dansby's role going to be in Miami?

"I'm an inside guy. Me and Channing are on the inside. I'm looking forward to playing with him. And we've got a lot of young outside guys with a lot of talent. I'm looking forward to playing with those young guys. They'll keep me motivated!''

Karlos had some praise for Channing, too, saying Crowder "is on the rise, man. He's going to be good."

All that's left now is for Dansby to start working with his new teammates and proving he's worth that big contract. And he can't wait to get started:

"I'm excited. I've got to get rooted here. Time to get into the mix and earn some respect."

The Phinsider is on Twitter

2010-03-06T18:22:05Z

The Phinsider is on Twitter

Now seems like a good time to remind you all that The Phinsider is on Twitter. I plan on becoming a more active user of Twitter as well. So it you're on Twitter or just use it for news, be sure to follow us!

Click the link above or right here to view our page and become a follower. After all, all your friends are doing it. Shouldn't you be doing it, too?

Where does Antrel Rolle's signing with Giants leave the Dolphins?

2010-03-06T11:00:21Z

In one day the Arizona Cardinals lost three key players from their Super Bowl team of two years ago. Anquan Boldin was traded to Baltimore. Antrel Rolle signed with the Giants. And, of course, Karlos Dansby came to terms with our Dolphins. We have already spoken at length about the acquisition of Dansby - and we'll most likely continue to discuss it for days and weeks. So let's take a moment and quickly talk about "the one that got away."

Antrel Rolle is now a Giant - in more ways than one. The Giants signed Rolle to the richest contract ever handed out to a safety in NFL history - more than Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Adrian Wilson, Bob Sanders, and Nick Collins to name a few. It will pay him a whopping $37 million over five years, with $15 million in guarantees and $22.5 million total in the first three years.

That was way to rich for Miami's blood - especially after signing Dansby to an NFL record deal for non-pass rushing linebackers. Truth be told, I was never sold on the idea of Rolle being worth the kind of money it would take to bring him in. Of course, I wonder what might have happened if the Dolphins were unable to sign Karlos. Would they have made a bigger push to bring in Rolle? Hmmm - you know what? Let's not even think about that scenario. Dansby is a Dolphin - no worries.

But with the release of Gibril Wilson on Friday, the Dolphins have a glaring hole at their free safety position. Well actually - it's not any more glaring than it was when Wilson was still on the roster. But let's not get into that. He's gone - we shall rejoice.

So where do the Dolphins turn now to address their need at free safety? Well there are some options.

Ryan Clark is out there on the market. The 30 year old free safety from Pittsburgh will come for less money than Rolle signed for and will be a good value for the team that signs him. But he's more known for his hitting and tackling ability than his coverage ability. And having played next to Troy Polamalu for a number years, there's a chance he looked better than he really is thanks to having a teammate back there in the secondary like Troy. Clark only has three interceptions total in his last two years and I don't know how well he fits in playing next to Yeremiah Bell. Clark scares me because he might be too much like the guy we just dumped.

Darren Sharper is also available. But I don't think he fits this system at his age. Might not be fast enough to do what this defense needs out of their free safety. With that said, I wouldn't be opposed to a one year deal if this regime is sold on his ability to fit in.

One interesting idea might be to sign O.J. Atogwe to an offer sheet. The Rams only tendered Atogwe at the lowest possible level. It gives St. Louis the "right of first refusal" but wouldn't entitle them to any draft picks if they let him leave for another team. In other words, the Rams would be able to match any offer sheet Atogwe might sign. If they don't, they get nothing.

Atogwe will be just 29 this offseason and remains among the best coverage safeties in the league. But what kind of price tag might he be looking for? He's coming off of a year in which he was franchised and paid over $6 million as a result. So Atogwe might not come cheap. But he's worth at least a look.

There are also some guys in the draft - with Eric Berry and Earl Thomas being the cream of the 2010 crop. As you all probably know, I love Berry. He's the best draft prospect since Ed Reed. But it's just not realistic to even hope for him to fall in April's draft all the way to the 12th pick. Thomas, though, should be there and is an excellent prospect himself. He can cover and he's a major ball-hawking play-maker back at the free safety spot. I'm not opposed at all to the Dolphins using their first rounder on Thomas.

Two possible replacements for Gibril already on the roster include Tyrone Culver and speedster Chris Clemons, who is coming off of his rookie season. Culver has flashed in the past in his reserve role. But I think he's the kind of player where he plays best when given less responsibility. I don't think he's starting material. As for Clemons, the jury is still out. He has the raw physical ability. But there's more to being a good starting safety than just physical talent. Does Clemons have the mental make-up to handle the position?

Dolphins re-sign Chad Pennington

2010-03-06T03:52:44Z

Just hours after coming to terms with LB Karlos Dansby, the Dolphins have made another move. ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that the Dolphins and QB Chad Pennington have come to terms on a one year deal that is worth $2.5 million.

Yesterday it was reported that the Dolphins and Pennington were close to a new one year deal. But the talks hit a snag when Pennington requested a no-trade clause as part of the deal. It wasn't an unreasonable request, either. Pennington wanted to return to Miami for many reasons, one of which being his family that liked South Florida and didn't want to have to move. So Chad wanted to ensure the Dolphins wouldn't eventually trade him if another team came calling.

But the two sides have found middle ground. The contract the two sides agreed on will pay Pennington an additional $1.515 million if the Dolphins were to trade Chad. That means his $2.5 million salary would become a deal worth just over $4 million if he was traded by the Dolphins in 2010.

Mortensen also writes that Pennington's "primary goal is to strengthen is surgically repaired shoulder throughout the year, mentor the team's young quarterbacks and provide insurance at the position if he's needed to play, a team source said."

Some will question the move - but I, for one, love it. Pennington clearly knows his role on this team. Peter King tweeted yesterday that Pennington would be "content backing up" in Miami and that the starting job "solidly" belongs to Chad Henne. So don't buy into the "quarterback controversy" crap that some will try igniting. Pennington simply loves living in South Florida and loves this organization. He knows his role and will do it well. He's the ultimate professional. And in my opinion, this move will benefit Chad Henne - not hurt him.

But what will the Dolphins do with their other backup quarterbacks? Pat White and Tyler Thigpen remain on the roster. Could one of them be trade bait for a draft pick?