NFL Draft Info - Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins 2010 season review

Most Dolphins fans probably now wish they had shielded their eyes from Miami's 2010 season, too

Yes, the same fans who took Owner Stephen Ross' word as the gospel when he predicted the Dolphins would reach Super Bowl XLV; the same fans who thought blockbuster wideout acquisition Brandon Marshall could magically cure quarterback Chad Henne's idiocy; the same fans who were rooked by the once-beloved "Trifecta" of former Executive VP of Football Operations Bill Parcells, General Manager Jeff Ireland and Head Coach Tony Sparano into believing that the team's days of underachieving were long gone. In actuality, the losing ways and questionable decision-making that has plagued the Miami Dolphins during the last 15 years is still very much a current affair.

Ah ... you can practically hear Dolphins fans throughout South Florida screaming, "How did we not see any of this coming!?" right now.

Promising offseason no match for coaching staff arrogance and messy, underachieving offense

Miami’s 2010 offseason started with a bang, thanks to the additions of Marshall, stud inside linebacker Karlos Dansby and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Expectations for the team were understandably high in Miami, and many people—both fans and pundits--believed this Dolphins team was going to be right there with both the Patriots and Jets at the conclusion of the season.

Yeah ... not so much.

A threat to win the AFC East? More like a disastrous 7-9 season. And don't forget that hideous home record of 1-7 that included losses to the Browns, Lions and Bills, as well as a 41-14 blowout loss to the Patriots on national television, made possible by perhaps the worst demonstration of special teams play the NFL has ever seen.

And how is it possible for a team to not get Brandon Marshall the ball at least 10 times a game? The guy spent most of the 2009 season making Kyle Orton look like Terry Bradshaw circa 1975. Worse yet, Dolphins fans expected Marshall to help take Henne's game to the next level, only to find out early in the 2010 season that Henne is possibly the most underdeveloped quarterback  in the league (would you take Henne over Derek Anderson or Alex Smith? Of course not! And if you said yes, you're lying).

Henne and his partner in crime, then-offensive coordinator/prehistoric fossil Dan Henning, had almost no problem completely shutting down the Dolphins' passing game this season (no small feat, considering that the Dolphins have both third-down wideout phenom Davone Bess and budding possession receiver Brian Hartline on the roster). leaving the Dolphins with literally no choice but to run the ball behind an offensive line that was porous at best, especially along the interior. Naturally, when center Joe Berger is getting repeatedly run over by opposing defensive linemen, it’s nearly impossible to control the trenches and run the ball. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams might be up there in years and wear, but a consistent (and pathetic) lack of push from the offensive line—especially up the middle—is what really killed the Dolphins ground game this season.

Head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback all contribute to offensive woes

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that much of the blame for the Dolphins’ inept offensive play goes to Henne and Henning, but Sparano is also at fault here. Sure, Henning’s play calls made it seem like he wished the forward pass had never been invented. And Chad Henne, while dropping back to pass, often looked like someone who had just encountered a Rubik’s Cube for the first time. But wasn’t Sparano an offensive line “guru” while he was in Dallas? What happened to that? The Dolphins’ current offensive line is anything but a polished, cohesive unit, and that's unacceptable.

Defense shines under Mike Nolan

At least the defense showed up this season … and in a big way. The Dolphins were ranked sixth in total defense in 2010, giving up an average of 209.2 yards in the air and 100.1 yards on the ground. Not bad, considering the Dolphins were ranked 22^nd in total defense a year ago. And that drastic improvement should be mainly attributed to Mike Nolan, who used an attacking (and sometimes exotic) scheme to get the most out of his young players. Take Paul Soliai for instance: The fourth-year nose tackle absolutely dominated as the defensive line anchor this season, consistently commanding double teams and even occasionally getting into the backfield. 

And then there’s burgeoning outside linebacker/sack machine Cameron Wake, who absolutely pummeled opposing quarterbacks this season, finishing third in the NFL with 14 sacks and earning a starting spot in the Pro Bowl. Experience and reps are all Wake will need to get better, so Dolphins fans at least have that to look forward to.

Dolphins' 2011 forecast not as bleak as you might think

So here’s the good news, Dolphins fans: this team really is close to putting together a squad that can contend--both in their division and conference--for the next decade. The bad news is the Dolphins have major holes at the two most important areas in today's NFL: quarterback and offensive line. Without answers at those positions, the Dolphins have zero hope of returning to the Super Bowl.

Of course, the first step towards becoming a perennial contender is to find a replacement for Chad Henne, who proved countless times this season that he’s just not the answer the Dolphins are seeking at quarterback. And the Henne mold of a big, dumb, strong-armed passer with zero awareness and poor accuracy should serve as a warning to the Dolphins as they search for their next quarterback, especially because several of the QB prospects in this draft come with concerns regarding their mental approach to the game. Which 2011 quarterback draft prospect best fits what the Dolphins need? That will remain to be seen, but it’s so hard to envision Sparano and Co. pursuing a project QB (especially in the first round) when this team is trying to compete right now ... and that means the Dolphins will likely try to find the answer at quarterback via free agency (you can literally hear the entire fan base groan at the thought of pursuing another free agent quarterback ... and with good reason).

Miami's draft focus could be on the quarterback position, but don’t forget about the offensive line

Dolphins fans want to draft a big-name quarterback, and they want to draft him in round one. After all, it's been 11 years since Dan Marino hung up his cleats, and it's been 11 long years since the Dolphins had a franchise quarterback on the roster. Yes, to say that Miami needs to draft a quarterback this year seems like a no-brainer, but there is a chance Washington’s Jake Locker and Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert--arguably the best quarterback prospects in this draft--will be long gone by the time Miami makes the No.15 pick. Of course, new Dolphins Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll has already said he wants to implement aspects of the spread offense into the Dolphins' game plan, and that makes a spread-offense quarterback like Gabbert even more attractive. And what about Arkansas' Ryan Mallett and Auburn's Cam Newton? Mallett's biggest flaw is his footwork, but that can be easily corrected by a good QB coach. And the accuracy Mallett demonstrated on those two touchdown passes in the Sugar Bowl was absolutely jaw-dropping. Mallett certainly needs some work, but the Dolphins could certainly do much worse with the No.15 pick.

Newton's even more of a wild card than Mallett, though--even with a National Championship on his resume. His Vince Young-like release is certainly unorthodox, and his accuracy looked shoddy at times during the BCS title game. That said, Newton's size and athleticism is an enticing mix, and a strong combine and/or pro day should propel Newton firmly into the first round ... just hopefully not to the Dolphins.

The Dolphins' offensive line is also a complete mess, so in the event there isn't a franchise-caliber quarterback available when the No.15 pick comes around, it’s very possible the Miami will trade down and go after a stud lineman prospect like Florida’s Mike Pouncey or Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi. Neither would be a very sexy pick, especially for a team that lacks any kind of explosiveness on offense, but reinforcing the offensive line is essential for an organization that prides itself on pounding the ball via the running game. Once the offensive line is reinforced (or at least improved), the Dolphins should think about acquiring a speed-merchant running back or two (Carolina’s DeAngelo Williams would be a nice addition, as would San Diego’s Darren Sproles).

Miami also desperately needs a vertical threat at wide receiver, so look for them to add a speedster wideout sometime before the fifth round.

Bottom line: The quarterback position is important, but take a cue from the (hated) Jets and reinforce the offensive line

The NFL is very much a quarterback's league right now, but very rarely does a team actually get to the Super Bowl without a strong offensive line (the 2008 Steelers are one of the few exceptions to this rule), which means the Dolphins would be wise to continue building the offensive trenches and finish what they started three years ago when they selected Jake Long with the first overall pick.

The Dolphins’ 2010 season carried a theme of underachievement and disappointment, so here’s a nice early goal for the 2011 squad: fix the offensive trenches once and for all. Why? Because both the passing and running game in South Beach, regardless of who is behind center or lining up in the backfield, is officially dead until the offensive line is fixed.

2011 Dolphins Unrestricted Free Agents: quarterback Chad Pennington; running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams; guard Richie Incognito; cornerback Al Harris

2011 Dolphins Restricted Free Agents: quarterback Tyler Thigpen; running back Patrick Cobbs; fullback Deon Anderson; tight end Joey Haynos; offensive tackles Nate Garner, Allen Barbre and Pat McQuistan; defensive tackles Paul Soliai and Tony McDaniel; linebacker Quentin Moses