No one was happier to see the Miami Dolphins season end more than the team itself! Fans watched in amazement as Miami produced one of the worst NFL seasons, ever! Miami’s first and only win came in game #14 in which they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 22 to16. That is about the only highlight that came from this sorry team. RB Ronnie Brown was enjoying what was one of the better seasons by any running back in the league, having accumulated 991 total yards through his first seven games and scoring a combined 5 touchdowns before suffering a season ending ACL tear. Miami’s only other possible fantasy contributor, WR Chris Chambers was shipped to the San Diego Chargers mid-season for a 2008 second round draft choice.
Miami didn’t sit around long, hiring Bill Parcells to run the organization. Soon after, Parcells fired Head Coach Cam Cameron, replacing him with Tony Sparano. These hirings can only be seen as a positive sign as anyone and everyone knows that Parcells will not tolerate anything less than 110% effort!
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Key Departures
Trent Green (QB) – Granted he is one hit away from being completely taken out of the game of football, but he was the Dolphins only real chance at having a respectable QB for the 2008 season. He was cut and now takes his game to the St. Louis Rams. He takes with him a very solid veteran presence, great leadership and possibly Miami’s only shot at giving their WR’s a chance to make some type of fantasy impact.
Zach Thomas (LB) – Another injury prone veteran, Thomas will be taking his skills and laundry list of injuries to Dallas. In what was already a pretty weak defense, Miami just gutted themselves of possibly their heart and soul on the defensive side of the ball.
Marty Booker (WR) – In another cost-cutting move (see the two above), the Dolphins parted ways with their best veteran WR. No, he didn’t put up amazing stats, and no, he shouldn’t have been considered for a roster spot on your 2008 fantasy roster unless you play in a insanely deep league, but it very well could affect Miami’s QB’s as they now have no one to really rely on veteran wise at the position which could also affect the development of young WR Ted Ginn Jr.
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Key Additions
Tony Sparano (HC) - Sparano is widely respected on the offensive front and may be able to squeeze some edible juice out of these rotting apples! He doesn’t have much to work with, most likely going with a RBBC approach to the season, as his top two RB’s Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams both suffered season ending surgeries. His most experienced QB is Josh McCown, and their WR situation is so pathetic that free agent/retired WR Keyshawn Johnson is considering making a comeback with the Dolphins. It is a very tall task to ask someone to create a masterpiece painting with dirty oil, mustard and ketchup, but that is exactly what Sparano has in the cards for the 2008 season.
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2008 Bruno Boys Crystal Ball
QB Miami Dolphins (QB) – The Dolphins head into 2008 without a true #1 QB. Josh McCown and second- year QB John Beck will be fighting for the starting gig, but that doesn’t mean the victor will be able to reap the spoils as the only true offensive weapons the Dolphins have are the running backs. Neither QB will have a very talented WR group to work with, and knowing Bill Parcells anxiousness, it is doubtful that if either QB goes through a tough stretch that they will keep the job. Look for a rotating wheel at this position and I clearly recommend not having either QB on your fantasy squad for the 2008 season. Neither of these QB’s should put up anything more than average stats.
Ronnie Brown (RB) – Ronnie was on his way to having a breakout year until he tore his ACL. How big of an affect did the injury have on the team? He was the teams leading rusher and one of their most reliable receivers when he went down for the year. This is a situation to definitely watch come training camp, as he has to prove that he is ready to go. He has been quoted as saying that he is 85% there, but in the NFL the last 15% is always the hardest to achieve. Definitely keep him on your radar, but see how he reacts to his injury before slotting him as a #2 back. If healthy, a 1000 yard season on the ground and 500 in the air could be had. Definitely a high-risk, high-reward type of guy.
Ricky Williams (RB) – Ricky has only 6 carries the past two years combined thanks to his love for Marijuana as well as his inability to stay healthy. He definitely has skills, but it hasn’t been easy to have him on the field to show them off, nor has his dedication to the NFL policy on banned substances made him a desirable first option for NFL teams. He is expected to split carries with Brown if both are healthy, meaning that both his and Brown’s value could take a hit this year due to inconsistent touches. Williams primary fantasy value would probably have to go to the owner that would want to handcuff him to Brown. Other than that, I wouldn’t waste your roster room on him unless he A) Becomes the primary back due to an injury and B) Is proving capable of carrying the full load in such a circumstance.
Ted Ginn Jr. (WR) – Ginn’s 2008 season will depend a lot on what they do at the QB position. If they go with what they have on their roster as of June 1, it is very unlikely that he will make a significant jump from his 2007 stats, which to say the least, were very unimpressive. Even if the QB situation plays out to be serviceable, Ginn is more of a #2 NFL receiver, thus making him at the most a low-end #3, high-end #4 receiver on your fantasy team. As with all Miami players, be very careful not to pay a high price for Ginn on draft day and make sure that you are not stuck having him as your primary backup at WR. He could blossom into something solid one day, but 2008 is definitely not the year! Look for a slight increase in both yardage and TD’s, but not the type of numbers that a fantasy #1 or #2 will produce.
Ernest Wilford (WR) – Wilford enters Miami as a free-agent signing from Jacksonville. He will compete with Ginn for the #1 WR spot, which should be Wilford’s to lose. But like Ginn, it doesn’t matter what you are capable of if you have no one solid to throw you the ball. Watch camp carefully and if he does in fact win the #1 spot, rank him just ahead of Ginn, but not much more. The Miami offense should be very sporadic this season.
David Martin (TE) – In 2007 Martin set a career high in reception yards with a whopping total of 303. He has the capability of being a good high-end #2 tight end, but with this offensive situation in Miami, it is very unlikely that he will ever produce enough to achieve such status! Possibly a solid bye-week replacement off of the waiver wires if the matchup is good.
Jay Feely (K) - In the end, it doesn't really matter who the Miami Dolphins kicker really is. Realistically, you can grab 30 other kickers before you consider Feely. The key to getting a good kicker is to go with one on a team with a good offense. The Dolphins won't have a good offense in 2008.
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Rookies to Watch
Jake Long (OT) - Listed at 6-7, 315 pounds, Long dominated in his career at Michigan. That is why the Dolphins did not hesitate to make him the #1 overall pick in this years draft, having signed him to a multi-year deal before draft day even started. Long, who is expected to fill in at the Left-tackle position, must strengthen his pass protection skills some, but for the most part should be a solid foundation for a team that is looking for anything and everything. As Long says, "I’m just going to come in here and do the same things I’ve been doing, which is work hard, try to be a good leader, make myself better and help make the team better."
Phillip Merling (DE) - Coming off a great JR year in college in which he ranked first in tackles behind the line of scrimmage as well as sacks, he was made the Dolphins second pick of the draft. Possessing great size at 6-5, 270, he sometimes plays smaller than he is. If he can put it all together and keep progessing, he could become a solid NFL player for the Dolphins.
Chad Henne (QB) - The Dolphins, desperate for QB help after the departure of Trent Green, rolled the dice on 4-year starter Chad Henne. Not known as an incredibly talented QB, he does have all the intangibles to become a solid QB in the NFL. Unfortunately though, he is known to be more of a QB that relies on the talent around him to excel, which the Dolphins do not have much of, and he is also not going to run much to get out of trouble. This pick could either work out really well for them, or it could completely backfire. Only time will tell. He did struggle in rookie camp though.
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Other Team Capsules
NFC WEST - ARI I STL I SF I SEA
NFC SOUTH - ATL I CAR I NO I TB
NFC NORTH - CHI I DET I GB I MIN
NFC EAST - DAL I NYG I PHI I WAS
AFC WEST - DEN I KC I OAK I SD
AFC SOUTH - HOU I IND I JAX I TEN
AFC NORTH - BAL I CIN I CLE I PIT
AFC EAST - BUF I MIA I NE I NYJ