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2009 Team Report: Miami Dolphins

Quarterbacks

Starter: Chad Pennington
Backup(s): Chad Henne, QB Pat White [R]

Starting QB: Last season, many football fans believed that Chad Pennington would start the first half of the season until the Dolphins fell out of contention and then-rookie QB Chad Henne would get some playing time. A funny thing happened on the way to that scenario -- Pennington enjoyed a phenomenal season in leading the Dolphins to a division title. Pennington's arm may not be a cannon, but he proved in 2008 that he can make the difficult throw into coverage and that timing, rather than am strength can make a good deep ball. His ability to spread the ball around the field is second-to-none as seven players had at least 29 receptions on the season. He quickly became a team leader and should be cemented in that role for some time to come.

Backup QB: The Dolphins are wellstocked at the quarterback position. Second-year quarterback Chad Henne is the anointed future starting quarterback. He made a huge impression last season and if Pennington had not emerged, Henne may have received plenty of playing time last year. Henne is a smart, athletic kid with natural leadership ability. Finally, in this year's draft, the Dolphins added an intriguing player in Pat White. With amazing athleticism and natural talent, White fits perfectly into the 'Wildcat' formation that the Dolphins utilized so well last year. He can run the ball as well as some NFL backs but also upgrades the passing option from that formation. White has enough talent to emerge as a legitimate starting quarterback but for now, expect plenty of wildcat looks for the rookie.

Running Backs

Starter: Ronnie Brown
Backup(s): Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs
Fullback(s): Lousaka Polite, Chris Brown

Starting RB: Last season, Ronnie Brown rebounded nicely from his devastating 2007 injury, rushing for 916 yards on just 214 carries and had 10 rushing touchdowns. He led the 'Wildcat' formation that gained so much attention last year and did a great job for an overachieving football team. He still has yet to carry the ball more than 241 times in one season and has yet to show the durability necessary to carry the ball 20 times per game without wearing down. He has great size plus explosive quickness when healthy and his knee should be even stronger this season after exceeding expectations last year. Expect more of the same from Brown in 2009.

Backup RBs: Make no mistake about it -- Ricky Williams is not the player he once was. He is not going to come in and dominate football games as he did for the franchise when he was almost unstoppable in 2002. However, Williams brings a positive attitude to the team, works hard all the time and is more of a second starter than a backup to Ronnie Brown as he'll get 10+ carries per game. He had eleven games with 10+ carries last year and did have a 100-yard game (and a 98-yard game). Patrick Cobbs is the change-of-pace running back and a threat in the passing game. He caught 19 passes for 275 yards last season.

Fullback: Lousaka Polite did a good job for the Dolphins last year. He did have 23 carries for 85 yards but his job is to block, and he was solid in that role for the club. Chris Brown is a tight end/fullback project who is still developing.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Ted Ginn, Greg Camarillo
Backups: Davone Bess, WR Patrick Turner [R], Brian Hartline [R], Brandon London, Ernest Wilford

Starting WRs: The weakness of the Dolphins offense is the lack of production coming from the receiver position. Ted Ginn is entering his third season. While he improved last year with 56 receptions for 790 yards, he appears to be miscast as a top receiver in the offense. He finished with only two receiving touchdowns, and his slender build is sometimes overmatched by defenders that are more physical. He also had two rushing touchdowns and will get plenty of looks this season. The second receiver position appears to be Greg Camarillo's to lose right now. He is far from flashy but did catch 55 passes for the team a year ago and has decent size and quickness. His 11.1 YPR is a concern.

Backup WRs: One of the better stories from Miami last year was the emergence of undrafted WR Davone Bess from the University of Hawaii. He was an unknown heading into the season, but his quickness and superb underneath route running proved invaluable, as he became the third/slot receiver and a favorite of Chad Pennington. His upside is likely limited (although the same thing was said about Wes Welker), but he'll continue to get many receptions in key situations and with hard work could emerge as a very nice player. Two rookie receivers Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline will be in the hunt for playing time along with veterans Brandon London and Ernest Wilford, who was a huge disappointment last year.

Tight Ends

Starters: Anthony Fasano
Backups: David Martin, John Nalbone [R]

The Dolphins found a player when the franchise traded for TE Anthony Fasano last year. He is a skilled receiving tight end who caught seven touchdowns for the club last year. His downfield blocking is better than advertised and he can get open down field. He finished with 34 receptions and a very strong 13.4 YPR average. At only 25, his best days are still ahead of him. Not to be outdone, veteran TE David Martin also had a strong season. He finished with 31 receptions and 450 yards and scored three times. His average of 14.5 yards per reception was very impressive. Nalbone looks good both as a blocker and a receiver, but he'll be challenged to acclimate his game coming from the small-school competition encountered at Monmouth.

Place Kicker

Dan Carpenter : During his senior season at Montana, Dan Carpenter made 19 of 23 (82.6 pecent) field goals, including 3 of 3 from 50+ yards. When the Dolphins signed him after the draft, Jay Feely and Dave Rayner were already on the roster. In the end, neither one of them was a Bill Parcells or Steve Hoffman guy. Both were eventually released. Carpenter made 21 of 25 (84.0 percent) field goals and was perfect on his 40 PATs last year. After ranking 23rd in kicker scoring in 2006, Miami dropped to 29th (89 points) during the Cam Cameron experiment of 2007. Carpenter's 103 points last year brought the Dolphins back to 23rd in kicker scoring. They have not finished in the Top 10 since 2000. With everything in place from last year, it would be reasonable to see the Dolphins' kicking totals improve, although the elusive top ten finish is probably further down the line.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Ted Ginn Jr., Davone Bess, Patrick Cobbs, Brandon London, Anthony Armstrong, Chris Williams, Brennan Marion

Last year WR Davone Bess pull off a modest upset by displacing WR Ted Ginn Jr. as the primary kickoff specialist to start the season. Bess averaged 22.2 yards on 14 kickoff returns. During his rookie year with Dolphins in 2007, Ginn averaged 22.7 yards, and amassed the 4th most kickoff return yards in the NFL since he had plenty of opportunities (63 returns). He eventually got the job back last year (32 returns, 20.5 avg.). Backups and upmen include WR Brandon London (2 returns, 14.0 avg.) and RB Patrick Cobbs (8 returns, 23.6 avg.). Three wide receivers are hoping to impress on returns to improve their chances of making the final roster. Anthony Armstrong has been around: with the IFL's Odessa Roughnecks in 2006, the AFL's Dallas Desperados in 2006 and 2007, and on the Dolphins' practice squad last year. Undrafted Chris Williams returned kickoffs all four years at New Mexico State and scored twice. Undrafted Brennan Marion had far less experience, returning only seven kickoffs, all during his junior year.

Punt Returners: Davone Bess, Ted Ginn Jr., Brian Hartline, Chris Williams

Davone Bess also won and retained the lead punt returner role. He averaged a healthy 11.0 yards on 21 returns, plus had 10 fair catches. Ted Ginn Jr. averaged 14.1 yards on punt returns during his college career and scored six times (a Big Ten record). In 2007 he was the only Dolphin to return a punt (24 returns, 9.6 avg., 1 TD). As a backup last year (7 returns, 7.7 avg.), he was the only player to return a punt besides Bess. Fourth round draft pick WR Brian Hartline could join the mix this year. He had experience returning punts at Ohio State, primarily during his junior year when he totals 229 yards and scored once. Chris Williams returned kickoffs each of the last three years at New Mexico State and scored once last year. Miami ranked 29th in fantasy returns last year, which was a step (maybe even two steps) backwards from their 15th place finish the previous year.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Jake Long, LG Justin Smiley, C Jake Grove, RG Ikechuku Ndukwe, RT Vernon Carey
Key Backups: G Donald Thomas, T Andre Gardner [R], C Andy Alleman

The Dolphins offensive line had a fine 2008 season but must deal with a change at the center position. Samson Satele was traded to Oakland for a draft pick, and the Dolphins brought in former Raiders center Jake Grove to be the new center. Grove is talented and experienced and brings a lot of the table for the club. However, he has fought injury woes throughout his career; he must stay healthy or they'll have a hole in the middle of the line. Jake Long was everything he was advertised to be as a No. 1 overall pick, and Vernon Carey has really found a home at right tackle. The guards are serviceable players without a great deal of upside which hinders the overall grade. Second-year guard Donald Thomas will push for the starting job at one of the guard positions.

Team Defense

The Dolphins were a huge surprise in 2008 and their defense was a big reason. The ninth-best scoring defense also had 40 sacks and 30 takeaways, landing them among the Top 10 fantasy units. The one weakness that showed up last season was at 25th-rated pass defense. The club addressed that shortcoming by adding three potentially new starters in the secondary. Free agency landed Gibril Wilson who is among the league's best safeties, and Eric Green who was previously a starter in Arizona. They then further solidified the secondary in the draft by using their first round pick on corner Vontae Davis and a second on corner Sean Smith. Davis was arguably the top corner in this draft. He's a fast, physical playmaker who has the ability to match up with an opponent's best receiver. Wilson and Davis should step right into the starting lineup while Green will compete with holdover Will Allen at the other corner. A tougher schedule will make it difficult for the Dolphins to improve on last year's numbers, but they have certainly addressed their needs and should remain very productive. The return of Jason Taylor will be a big plus.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Philip Merling, DE Kendall Langford, NT Jason Ferguson
Backups: DE Randy Starks, DT Tony McDaniel, DE Lionel Dotson, DE Rodrique Wright, NT Paul Soliai, NT Joe Cohen

Starting DL: The release of Vonnie Holliday has opened up a starting spot at RDE for last year's 2nd round pick Philip Merling. He's a bit more athletic than a typical 3-4 DE, as he showed when he returned an interception 25 yards for a TD in the season finale. Kendall Langford was a 3rd round pick last year and he could wind up starting at the other DE spot. Although he recorded a sack in his first two games, he's more of a run defender and wasn't able to add to that total the rest of the season. Jason Ferguson is 34 years old so he might be losing a bit of his quickness and could even be close to retirement, but he remains an effective nose tackle who is a good anchor for the Dolphins defense.

Backup DL: Randy Starks joined the Dolphins last year from the Titans and will likely be a big part of the DE rotation this year. Tony McDaniel was picked up via a trade with the Jaguars for a 7th round pick and will provide some experienced depth on the line. Lionel Dotson was a 7th round draft pick a year ago who Justin Smiley said was the best pass-rushing DE in practice but he saw very little playing time as a rookie. Rodrique Wright received a lot of playing time in 2007 but none in 2008. Paul Solilai will return as the primary backup at NT, but he finished 2008 with 3 solo tackles and 2 suspensions. Joe Cohen was a 4th round pick of the 49ers in 2007 who was signed to the Dolphins practice squad last season.

Linebackers

Starters: OLB Joey Porter, ILB Channing Crowder, ILB Akin Ayodele, OLB Jason Taylor
Backups: ILB Reggie Torbor, OLB Matt Roth, OLB Cameron Wake, OLB Charlie Anderson, OLB Quentin Moses, OLB Erik Walden, OLB Tearrius George

Starting LBs: Joey Porter was released by the Steelers but wound up being a huge addition to the Dolphins defense. Low tackle numbers hurt his fantasy value in most leagues, but he also finished with an amazing 16.5 sacks and was the only Dolphins defender to put consistent pressure on opposing QBs. Channing Crowder took over the primary ILB spot for the Dolphins last year thanks to the release of Zach Thomas. Crowder's lack of big plays limit his fantasy upside, but he's a reliable tackler who can produce LB2 numbers as long as he stays healthy. Akin Ayodele is a versatile player who has lined up at several different positions throughout his career but he appears to have found a home as a 3-4 ILB. He has ideal size for the position and helps take on guards to free up Crowder to chase down plays. Jason Taylor rejoined the Dolphins not even a year after being traded to the Reskins. Taylor is no longer the dominant player he was just 2 years ago, but he can still be an impact pass rusher when healthy and should combine with Porter to make things rough on opposing QBs.

Backup LBs: Reggie Torbor is another veteran linebacker who provides quality depth behind both starting ILBs. Matt Roth was a former DE who seemed more comfortable after making the transition to a 3-4 OLB. He may wind up splitting time with Taylor and playing primarily on running downs. The Dolphins didn't add any linebackers in the draft but they have some unproven players they like. Cameron Wake was a 2-time defensive player of the year in the CFL who could bring some pass rush skills to the some packages. Charlie Anderson filled the pass rush specialist role a year ago but only finished with 2.5 sacks. Quentin Moses was a college DE drafted in the third round of the 2007 draft who was released by two teams before winding up with the Dolphins. Erik Walden is another college DE turned LB who the Dolphins picked up midseason last year. Tearrius George had some success in the CFL before spending last season on the Cowboys practice squad.

Defensive Backs

Starters: SS Yeremiah Bell, FS Gibril Wilson, CB Will Allen, CB Eric Green
Backups: CB Jason Allen, CB Vontae Davis [R], CB Sean Smith [R], CB Nathan Jones, FS Chris Clemons [R], SS Tyrone Culver, FS Courtney Bryan, FS Ethan Kilmer

Starting DBs: After missing most of the 2007 season with an injury, Yeremiah Bell broke out last season and finished with 100 solo tackles. Although Bell is not much of a playmaker with 1 career interception in 52 games, the Dolphins rewarded him with a 4-year, $20 million contract that included $10 million in guarantees. One of the only players in the league to finish with more tackles than Bell last year was Gibril Wilson, who the Raiders released just one year after signing him to a big contract. The Dolphins moved quickly to snap up Wilson with a 5-year deal so now it looks like they have their starting safety tandem locked up for awhile. Wilson will likely see a significant drop in his tackle numbers with the move to FS but there hasn't been a more consistent fantasy safety in the league over the past 4+ years. Will Allen is the most proven corner on the roster, but he'll be 31 years old by the time the season starts and he's a free agent after this season. The Dolphins lost Andre Goodman in free agency and replaced him with Eric Green who they signed from the Cardinals. Green has starting experience but he's nothing more than an average talent who is probably just keeping the spot warm until one of the young players are ready to take over.

Backup DBs: Jason Allen was a first round pick in 2006 but it appears that his job could be in jeopardy this year. He was a draft pick of the Nick Saban regime and may need a change of scenery to reach his potential. The Dolphins hope to have better luck with their top two picks this year. Vontae Davis is a physical corner out of Illinois who was taken 25th overall and should compete for a starting job right away. Sean Smith was taken in the 2nd round and has incredible size for a corner which should make him a force in run support and an interesting fantasy sleeper in dynasty leagues. Nathan Jones was an effective nickel back down the stretch last season but he may need a strong preseason to hold off the new guys. Chris Clemons is an intriguing safety prospect with great speed who figures to backup Wilson at free safety. Tyrone Culver is another young safety who flashed some potential last year. Courtney Bryan saw time as a backup the past two seasons and Ethan Kilmer signed with the Dolphins this year after spending 2008 out of football.

Last modified: 2009-08-29 14:16:01