As I watched the Dolphins take the field against the Super Bowl hopeful San Diego Chargers on this Sunday I got that feeling in my stomach, the feeling Dolphins fans have become use to. A great team that should have beaten the 1-15 Dolphins discovered something at the same time the fans did, this is not the 1-15 Dolphins. That was made clear with a goaline stand where the Fins new defense stuffed the NFL’s most prolific runner. That was made clear when Ronnie Brown decided to knock Antonio Cromartie out rather than running out of bounds because of liberties Cromartie had taken the entire game on Dolphins receivers. It was made clear when Joey Porter was playing so well his mouth couldn’t keep up.

Now what’s clear is that the Dolphins are more than just rebuilding, their contending. I know it may be too early to say, the Fins could run off 5 straight losses and the playoffs could be lost. But for one week, Dolphin fans can enjoy being contenders, being in the playoff mix. Does it feel familiar? Not long ago the question surrounding the Dolphins wasn’t making the playoffs, it was winning the Super Bowl. We may be returning to that, those great times when the wins don’t matter as much because they happen often.

The team is built better than it has been in years, strong rookies mixed with veteran leaders, and a coach who does what it takes to win and demands the same from his players. We still dont know what the future holds, but for now it is bright and the present is sweeter than it has been in a long time.

As the NFL free agent period began this off season many Dolphin fans expected certain and drastic changes. However, the changes were to the surprise of many Dolphin fans. Before free agency, it was almost a fact the Dolphins would address several areas:

1. The secondary; one of the worst in the NFL, the Dolphins were expected to be in the running for top free agent Asante Samuel. Not only did the Dolphins not pursue him, they didn’t add much to the secondary either in free agency or the draft.

2. The linebackers; with the release of Zach Thomas the Dolphins were sure to draft or sign a big name linebacker. While the Fins did sign several solid linebackers to add depth and contribute on special teams, they did not bring in a big name. Instead they felt they would also address this with in house talent, Channing Crowder and Joey Porter.

3. The Wide Receivers; a glaring need the Dolphins needed to improve on quickly. The only free agent signing of relevance was Ernest Wilford, who appears to be on his way to the free agent ranks once again. The Dolphins didn’t even address this need in the draft and still managed to find a potential diamond in the rough. Davone Bess has impressed in camp and in the preseason and appears to not only have won a roster spot, but perhaps the 3rd receiver spot as well. The 3rd receiver will be crucial to the Dolphins because they will give Ted Ginn Jr. plays off after returns.

Then there were the areas that didn’t seem as critical for the Dolphins to address, but they actually focused on more.

1. Offensive line; One strength the Dolphins did have last season was the running game despite the injuries to Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. However despite the success the new Dolphins front office wasn’t impressed and added 3 new starters, including 1st overall pick Jake Long, and free agent Justin Smiley. The two biggest contracts of the off season for the Dolphins went to the left side of the offensive line.

2. Running backs; Truly the Dolphins strength last year, and the one area people knew wasn’t going to be touched, the Dolphins have actually made several moves. Lorenzo Booker who was expected to fit perfectly as a 3rd down back was traded just before the draft and the Dolphins used 2 draft picks on tailbacks.

3. Kicker; Jay Feeley had a solid year last year. But an early camp injury and the emergence of free agent rookie Dan Carpenter lead to Feeley getting the ax after the 1st preseason game.

So the fins needed to make changes, but they went a different route. Areas of strength were reevaluated and in most cases revamped. The moves they made this off season certainly were a surprise, the signings, trades and the draft. But among the confusion of sports reporters and fans you can see a method to the madness. Let’s just hope it equals wins, and not more madness.

We saw it Saturday night. Chad Pennington leading the dolphins down field for a touch down. It was an unfamiliar site. Lately if the Dolphins scored a touchdown it was a mistake, the Defense blew coverage, maybe the drive started in the red zone, a player fell, something that explained why a mediocre offense at best was able to score.

Please don’t rush for your number 10 jerseys. Pennington won’t challenge Tom Brady’s touchdown record from last year. He is one of the most injury prone quarterbacks in the NFL. With him, the Dolphins are still expected to finish last in the division.

However there is still something to look forward to. Chad Henne has looked very impressive in his first 2 preseason games. For the first time in a long time the Dolphins finally have a true young quarterback prospect and a veteran to mentor him. Perhaps this can become a situation similar to the Bengal’s a few years back. The Bengal’s drafted Carson Palmer and brought in Jon Kitna to mentor him. Kitna lead the Bengal’s to an 8-8 season. The young team had confidence and experience when Palmer took over and Cincinnati made it back to the playoffs with their new franchise quarterback.