The Dolphins had an opportunity to contend for a playoff spot. All they had to do was send a 3^rd rounder to Denver for Kyle Orton. Orton isn’t a great quarterback or anything, but this team has a good defense and they fixed the running game and offensive line in the offseason so all he’d have to do is not turn the ball over, something Chad Henne can’t manage, and this team could win 9-10 games. Instead, they settled for Henne.

That would have made some sense if they were convinced the 2008 2^nd round pick still had potential, but they don’t seem to be convinced of that. They brought in Matt Moore to compete for the starting job and even have been linked to Brett Favre. Moore, a former undrafted free agent, has never proven to be anything other than a solid backup in his career. Favre, meanwhile, is done and would do nothing except sell tickets for them.

Henne has a nice supporting cast around him. Brandon Marshall is a legitimate #1 receiver. Brian Hartline is an okay #2 and Davone Bess is one of the league’s most underrated players in the slot. Rookie 4^th rounder Edmond Gates has some upside, but he’ll be hurt by the lockout. He could become a factor later in the season, however. Tight end Anthony Fasano is a marginal player.

They fixed the running game. Gone are Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown and in are Reggie Bush and rookie 2^nd rounder Daniel Thomas, who complement each other well. Thomas, a bigger, more powerful back, is a rookie, but won’t be hurt by the lockout as much as other rookies because of his position. He’ll struggle with route running and pass protection, but Bush will be the 3^rd down back so he won’t be counted on to do a lot of that right away. Meanwhile, Bush was a disappointment in New Orleans, but might have just needed a change of scenery. He also needs to stay healthy. Overall, I like their running back situation better than I did last year, especially with the addition of Mike Pouncey at center.

Pouncey will be hurt by the lockout as a rookie, but should still be a fine starting center for this team and a punishing run blocker. The offensive line was a major problem last year, aside from Jake Long. However, Vernon Carey has moved inside to guard with Marc Colombo coming over from Dallas to play right tackle. If he can stay healthy, he still can contribute to this team. If not, I suspect Carey moves outside and 2010 3^rd round pick John Jerry takes over at right guard. Richie Incognito is the other starter on the offensive front. He is a decent offensive lineman. After Long, it’s arguable he was their best offensive lineman last year.

However, their offense will still be stagnant until Chad Henne can figure out how to lead a drive and not turn the ball over. He’s going into his 3^rd year as a starter so he probably has a short leash, and rightfully so. The Dolphins ranked 30^th in the league in scoring last year with Henne at the helm. Unfortunately, if he gets benched, Matt Moore would start. Moore has never proved himself to be anything more than a former undrafted free agent turned backup so I don’t have high expectations for him, and thus, I don’t have high expectations for this offensive unit as a whole.

 

Their defensive unit is a different story. They have one of the deepest defensive lines in the league with 2010 1^st round pick Jared Odrick coming back from injury. In Odrick’s absence, Randy Starks, who was training to be the starting nose tackle, moved back outside. Paul Solial flourished as the starting nose tackle, helping the Dolphins rank 4^th against the run.

This year, Odrick is expected to start at end, with Solial in the middle. However, that displaces Randy Starks, a solid starter in his own right who hasn’t done anything to merit losing his starting job. Odrick would start opposite Kendall Langford, an extremely talented young player. They also have talented reserves Tony McDaniel and Phillip Merling in the mix. It’s no wonder they tried to trade Randy Starks in any potential Kyle Orton deal.

As for their pass rush, it starts and ends with Cameron Wake. Wake had 14 sacks last year, his first full year as a starter. Koa Misi was 2^nd on the team with 4.5, but the 2010 2^nd round pick faded down the stretch. The Dolphins even considering finding a new rush linebacker this offseason and moving Misi inside next to Karlos Dansby. If even they aren’t high on Misi’s upside as a pass rusher, I don’t have high hopes for him.

They didn’t move Misi inside, instead deciding to sign Kevin Burnett, one of the league’s most underrated players. It’s crazy that Burnett got less money in his contract than Clint Session and Quincy Black. Burnett lines up next to, of course, Karlos Dansby. Dansby was paid like one of the best middle linebackers in the league before last season and rightfully so. He is one of the best middle linebackers in the league.

At cornerback, the duo of Sean Smith and Vontae Davis has been together since they were rookies and they’ve gotten better each year. Now in their 3^rd seasons, they should be a very solid duo. However, their depth behind them is pitiful. Benny Sapp, formerly a solid nickel in Minnesota, sucked last year in that same role in Miami. They had to sign Al Harris midseason. That’s how bad it was. Sapp is listed as the nickel back as of right now so they better hope he becomes what they expected him to be after they traded for him from Minnesota.

Meanwhile, at safety Yeremiah Bell is solid, but Chris Clemons at free safety was responsible for several blown coverages last year. 2010 5^th round pick Reshad Jones has yet to take Clemons’ spot in the lineup which isn’t a good sign for Jones’ development. I’m really surprised the Dolphins didn’t address either the nickel back position or the free safety position through the draft.

The Dolphins won 7 games in 2010 despite scoring the 3^rd fewest points in the league. Having a good defense helps, but if they rank 30^th in points, or thereabouts, again their record will probably be worse. You just can’t contend in this league unless your quarterback can lead drives and theirs can’t. They went 3-6 down the stretch last season, including 1-4 in their last 5. They had a point differential of -60, which suggests they got lucky with a few wins and really played like a 5-6 win team.

Quarterback: D

Running backs: C+

Receiving corps: B-

Offensive line: C+

Run defense: A

Pass rush: C+

Pass coverage: B-

Coaching: C

Projection: 5-11 4^th in AFC East