Baltimore Raven’s head coach John Harbaugh is new to the NFL head coaching gig, so maybe a pass is warranted on this occassion. In an attempt to defend his offensive coordinator, former Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron, Harbaugh told a local radio reporter that Cameron “was an effective coach down in Miami last year, even though the results weren’t what people were hoping for. He did a great job there with what he had to work with.” Is he serious? Do you really consider 1-15 a good job?!

Miami Dolphins’ players have been told by team management to refrain from making any negative comments regarding this statement and/or former coach Cam Cameron. That doesn’t extend to anyone else though and retaliation is warranted in this case. Every player left on that team (who was with the team last year) should be personally offended and I hope they read this quote, or better yet listen to it, multiple times before Sunday’s game. Cam Cameron may not have had an established QB like Chad Pennington last year, but he had an offense that included Ronnie Brown (albeit for half the season) and Chris Chambers. Cameron had plenty of tools to win more than 1 game. This year’s Dolphins have no better offensive attack than last years, but Sparano is able to get the most out of the players he has.

I for one believe the blame should lay with Cam Cameron, he was not only less than effective as a head coach during games but was also terrible at controlling his team off the field. The Dolphins’ locker room last season was a mess and Cameron was never able to establish himself as the leader of MEN. Perhaps like USC coach Pete Carroll, Cameron is not capable of leading men. Maybe the next time Cameron wants to be a head coach in charge of an organization on the field, he should go with work kids in the NCAA ranks.

Make no mistake, Cam Cameron did NOT do a good job last year. He was unable to control his players and establish himself as the head of the team as coach. True, Cameron didn’t have a whole ton of help. No real QB existed last season, Ronnie Brown went down injured, Chris Chambers was traded, and the OL was a mess, but he only won 1 game. Cameron was incapable of adjusting his schemes to the players he had. The Dolphins welcome Baltimore to Miami this weekend and new coach Tony Sparano and his players should show the Ravens just what they are capable of doing to opponents.

This time last year, the Dolphins were sellers when the NFL Trade Deadline came around. WR Chris Chambers was sent packing in what proved to be just the start of a purge that would see several veteran faces in Miami depart. This year however, the Dolphins could be buyers at the trade deadline, but who could they be trading for?

The Kansas City Chiefs are openly shopping Tony Gonzalez and the Detroit Lions are shopping several players. The Dolphins should quickly get involved in talks with both teams to try and get a new face in Miami. Tony Gonzalez has asked to be traded to a contender, and though the Dolphins had the longest odds at the start of the season to make the playoffs (not to mention the Super Bowl), the Dolphins aren’t out of anything yet. Lets not get carried away, I’m not guaranteeing any playoff run. That being said, the AFC East is wide open and it is not impossible the Dolphins could make the playoffs. Tony Gonzalez would be a priceless addition and would provide another option in that crazy single wing attack the Dolphins are becoming fond of.

Then there are the Detroit Lions, who are shopping several players. The Lions are done already this season sitting at 0-5. Roy Williams has commented to Detroit media he might like to leave and though the Lions have said he isn’t on the trading block, they would probably part with him given the right offer. Williams too would be a fantastic addition. Whether or not Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells admit to it, the WR corps for the Dolphins stinks, STINKS. Roy Williams is a big body, fast receiver that would immediately legitimize the Dolphins pass offense. Williams would not only be another option for the crazy single wing, but would allow the Dolphins to be much more effective with a standard offensive set as well.

At 2-3 I’m not going to call the Dolphins a playoff lock, but they do stand a chance to make the playoffs. What is the harm in making a trade for one of these guys to see if you can make waves the rest of the season. At worst, you have these quality players coming back next year to form an offense with. This should be a no brainer, DO IT!

Lets not mix words, for the better part of this decade the Miami Dolphins have been a bungling team searching for a new identity in their post Dan Marino years. To lose a player of his caliber, at arguably the most important position on the field, is tough to adjust to. It is even tougher to try and replace a player like Marino. The Dolphins are not the only team that was once prominent, riding the arm of a legendary quarterback, only to fall on hardship for years. The Dallas Cowboys were a different team for several years after Troy Aikman retired, the Denver Broncos lost their mystique when John Elway retired. For those franchises, their quarterback was the shining example of what their team stood for, he was their identity in human form.

The departure of Marino, and Don Shula a few years before, left the Dolphins without an identity. For so long under Shula they had been a no nonsense, mistake free, responsible football franchise. They new exactly what they were, and so did other teams. Early on (pre-Marino) they would grind the game out on the ground, and when Marino arrived the team shifted gears to an aerial assault. But in the time since, the franchise had become a bungling flock of loveable losers who just couldn’t seem to all get on the same page. Mistake free, solid football had been replaced with laughable quarterbacks, poor head coaches, dropped passes, and few playoff chances to speak of.

Much like everything in life though, football is cyclical. Sure, it is hard to imagine some franchises as ever having been bad. It doesn’t stick out in the memory of most that the Dallas Cowboys not too long ago were awful, the Green Bay Packers had their stretches of poor play as well, but those franchises have also come out of those stretches. So to it appears, will the Miami Dolphins. It is beginning to appear as though all the moves of Bill Parcells may be paying off. The team is beginning to play as one cohesive unit, on offense and defense.

More than anything, the Dolphins want to be considered tough. They are tired of being that team that is circled on the opponents calendar as an “easy win” before the season even starts. With the recent improvement on defense and the fact that the offense is now clicking, perhaps a few more teams will think twice before they face the Dolphins. The days of them being a lock to beat might be coming to end. The road to redemption is a long one, but it would appear as though the Dolphins are headed in the right direction.

Despite all the changes and promises of change during the offseason and preseason, it appears the nightmare of 2007 has extended into 2008. A new head coach, Bill Parcells in the front office, and a new quarterback just haven’t proven enough to fix anything and all the promises of a renewed franchise seem to be spiraling downward.

Sunday afternoon the Dolphins went into Phoenix and fell flat on their faces against the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona may end up making the playoffs this season, but don’t be fooled, it will be a result of them winning the NFC Worst, er West. Their division mates, Seattle, San Francisco, and St. Louis are a combined 1-5. That being said, the Arizona Cardinals are not an All Pro team headed for the Super Bowl. You wouldn’t have known that though as the Cardinals just destroyed the Dolphins.

Former stock boy Kurt Warner dominated the Dolphins secondary going 19-24 for 361 yards and 3TDs. The Dolphins on the other hand couldn’t move the ball through the air or on the ground against the Cardinals defense. Chad Pennington was a woeful 10-20 for 112 yds and was eventually pulled in favor of Chad Henne who was 7-12 and 67 yards and led the Dolphins on their only touchdown drive, an 18 play 89 yard drive.

Again this week the Dolphins receiving corps was pitiful. Hagan caught 3 for 51 yards, Camarillo 4 for 49 yards, and Ginn Jr 1 for 9 yards. Absolutely pitiful. Arizona, realizing they didn’t have a passing game to worry about, was able to stifle Miami’s run game just as the Jets were able to in Week 1. Ricky Williams ran 11 times for 28 yards and Ronnie Brown 11 times for 25 yards and 1TD.

The Dolphins’ defense wasn’t capable of playing any better than the offense. The secondary apparently forgot they had a game to play this week as they were picked apart by the 37 year old Kurt Warner and his WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald caught 6 passes for 153 yards and Boldin 6 for 140 yards and 3TDs.

Two things NEED to come out of this game. The Dolphins must, MUST, address their wide receivers and do it immediately. Clearly these guys are incapable of playing at a remotely professional level. Ginn Jr is suppose to be one your top WRs and he caught 1 pass for 9 yards?! Stop thinking you have what you need, Sparano and Parcells need to admit to defeat and sign someone ASAP. Also, give Chad Henne the ball. Put the kid under center and let him take his lumps. If the Dolphins are going to lose anyway, lets at least see what Henne can do in the process, who knows maybe he can help pull out a victory here and there.

If something doesn’t change soon, the Dolphins will find themselves watching more NCAA games on Saturday instead of tapes of their opponents in preparation for April’s draft and the #1 draft pick. Dolphins fans were sold a packet of “change change change” this offseason, its about time we see some!

Head coach Tony Sparano and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells are allowing their inflated opinion of their own judgment hold back the potential performance level of the Miami Dolphins offense. Despite the week 1 performance of the Dolphins’ offense, Sparano and Parcells refuse to admit that the trio of Ginn Jr, Camarillo, and Hagan just aren’t sufficient enough talent to provide a potent passing game.

It was clear to me as I watched on Sunday, and I would imagine clear to all, that the aforementioned trio just aren’t talented enough to strike fear into an opponent’s pass defense. Pennington completed 26 passes last Sunday, and only 5 of them were to Camarillo and Ginn Jr. Hagan didn’t even see action on the field. 12 passes were caught by TEs Anthony Fasano and David Martin. RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined to catch 6 passes. The Dolphins’ offense is not going to click until they have a passing game that can be effective.

To be fair, the team did make a WR move this week. Derek Hagan was moved to the #1 WR position, despite not playing next week. Is it really that hard for Sparano and Parcells to admit that perhaps they were wrong? Perhaps their faith in Ginn Jr, Camarillo, and Hagan is misplaced? It is silly to continue believing that outside help isn’t needed. There are talented WRs out there that are jobless right now. Terry Glenn, Joe Horn, Eric Moulds, Chad Jackson, and even Koren Robinson are all out there to be had, each of them (Chad Jackson aside) brings more talent to the team than any of their current WRs.

Chad Jackson would be a fabulous pick up, he’s young and extremely talented with a brighter future than Camarillo and Hagan, though he wouldn’t be adding any experience. I’ve already discussed the benefits of bringing in either Glenn or Horn, Eric Moulds would bring the same excellent ability and veteran presence to the WR corps. Robinson would be the last on my list, but in a pinch I’d give him a shot.

In the end, Sparano and Parcells need to take their heads out of the sand. Their current 3 WRs just can’t get it done well enough to help the Dolphins offense. Without a decent passing game and some WRs that are legitimate deep threats, teams will just continue to stackk 8 in the box and deny Williams and Brown the room to run. Adding legitimate talent at WR will be the key to balancing the Dolphins offense and giving it the opportunity to flourish. Sparano and Parcells, STOP WAITING! Your guys aren’t going to turn it around in the blink of an eye, outside help is needed.

Well, the first game is in the bag. The Miami Dolphins officially began their 2008 campaign against the New York Jets and lost. How will this new campaign that sees new management in the front office, a new head coach prowling the sidelines, a new QB, and a fresh look to the defense with the departures of veterans Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas do this season?

First, lets look real quick at the Dolphins schedule this year, then we’ll break it down and make a prediction as to how the Dolphins will fare this season.

Week1 – New York Jets (lost), Week2 – @ Arizona, Week3 – @ New England, Week4 – BYE, Week5 – San Diego, Week6 – @ Houston, Week7 – Baltimore, Week8 – Buffalo, Week9 – @ Denver, Week10 – Seattle, Week11 – Oakland, Week12 – New England, Week13 – @ St. Louis, Week14 – @ Buffalo, Week15 – San Francisco, Week16 – @ Kansas City, Week17 – @ New York Jets

Now, lets break this schedule down a little. The most interesting game for a number of reasons was the first game of the season. New Dolphins QB Chad Pennington faced his old team roughly 4 weeks after being cut by the Jets. The Dolphins have it tough though in their own division and will likely finish 3rd or 4th, depending on how they handle Buffalo who could be worse than the Dolphins. Even though Tom Brady went down, the Patriots are still the favorite in the AFC East with their deep roster. As for outside the division, within the AFC, the Dolphins have tough tests as they face Denver, San Diego, and Houston. However, they also face Baltimore, Kansas City, and Oakland outside their division, within the AFC, teams they are capable of beating. The Dolphins drew a tough NFC division to face as they will meet up with Seattle, Arizona, St. Louis, and San Francisco. The 49ers are the worst of that group, but Seattle is returning to the form which saw them make the Super Bowl following the 2005-2006 season. Arizona and St. Louis are not slouches either.

The biggest hurdle the Dolphins will face in their season is getting their offense moving. Despite losing Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, the defense will still be a decent one. The rushing game will be very potent, but the Dolphins continue to turn down possible free agents and stubbornly insist they are set at WR. The passing game is the biggest question mark, and in the end will probably hamper the Dolphins season, barring a change in attitude from management.

In the end, my feeling is (and you may call it a push as its not really a bold prediction) the Dolphins, assuming all stay healthy are capable of bouncing back this season from last years horrors and go 8-8. I believe they can sweep Buffalo, split with the Jets, and will likely be swept by the Patriots. The Dolphins will likely struggle against San Diego, Houston, Denver, Seattle, and St. Louis, but can certainly beat Arizona, Oakland, San Francisco, and Kansas City. 8-8 isn’t enough to make the playoffs in the AFC, not even close in fact. However, for a team coming off a 1-15 season and with a lot of change taking place, 8-8 is nothing to sneeze at. Time will tell!

Well, game 1 of the 2008 season is in the books, and for the Miami Dolphins it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done. The Dolphins attempted a late comeback, but fell short losing to Brett Favre and the New York Jets 20-14 at Dolphin Stadium today.

It is hard to decide where to start in critiquing the effort of the Dolphins today. Lackluster and sputtering are probably the two best ways to describe the game from a Dolphins perspective. The offense sputtered horribly until late in the 4th quarter, the play of the WRs was downright awful, and the running game failed to deliver.

Even though the Dolphins lost, I would have to say the defense did its part in this game. Brett Favre came out firing on all cylinders, and has the targets to pick apart opposing defenses, but the Dolphins hung in there. One thing was clear throughout the game, the DBs for the Dolphins could be the strength of the defense as the season progresses. The DBs did a good job of sticking to their men and Will Allen in particular was right there every time the ball came toward his man. The run defense is of some concern as it was there at times and non existent at others.

Chad Pennington looked very shaky in his debut for the Dolphins. He will no doubt want to forget his 1st half in a Dolphins uniform as he went 7-14 for 63 yards. He had all kinds of trouble finding his WRs, only 1 of his 7 first half completions were to WRs. Tight Ends David Martin and Anthony Fasano caught passes, as did Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown out of the backfield.

Speaking of the running game, it was a tough day for Williams and Brown. The lack of an effective passing game allowed the Jets to stack 8 men in the box most of the afternoon and stifle Williams’ and Brown’s attempts to get going. Both backs were strong when they got the ball, but only managed 23 and 24 yards respectively on a combined 16 carries. The offense will need to develop at least some passing threat to give these guys a little daylight to exploit, they can still carry this team.

That leaves the WRs, their performance can best be summed up as ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC. Clearly the biggest question mark entering the season, head coach Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells continued to insist they were fine with the WRs they had and would only consider signing someone if injury or poor performance persisted. Ginn Jr, despite progress in route running during camp, was awful in his routes today often putting himself in the wrong position or allowing the DB to get between him and the ball. Hagan did not catch a single ball, and Camarillo had the “best” performance with 3 receptions for 37 yards.

My belief that the Dolphins were capable of going 8-8 this season may look bleak at this point, but if Parcells and Sparano can put their egos aside and go looking for a quality WR, the passing game can improve, opening the holes for Williams and Brown. The defense will hold its own and keep the team in games, but the offense needs to wake up soon, or the Dolphins will find themselves paying close attention the NCAA football again this year in preparation for the #1 pick in the draft next April.

If last seasons 1-15 season for the Miami Dolphins has any positive lining, it is occuring right now. As teams trim their squads as the preseason nears an end, the waiver wires will start to fill up with players. The Dolphins, thanks to last season league worst record, get first dibs on any player on the waiver wire with 4 years or less experience.

Since the Dolphins refuse to act and bring in Terry Glenn or Joe Horn, this will be the next best option for adding depth at WR. For the Dolphins, the waiver wire can work as a 2nd Draft for them. Head coach Tony Sparano has commented that the Dolphins have had “lots” of scouts out at other preseason games collecting information on players who could potentially be cut.

Tuesday of this week marked the first roster slash for the NFL. Teams were to cut their rosters to a maximum of 75 players. The Dolphins, already at 72, will also be awaiting Saturday’s 4pm deadline at which point all teams must have their rosters down to the regular season max of 53 players. For an organization none to shy about cutting people so far this season, don’t be surprised if the Dolphins come in under the 53 with room to make some moves if they see a diamond in the rough, so to speak.

Wide receiver of course is not the only concern. The Dolphins will watch the wires for any offensive lineman to provide some depth, and given Joey Porter’s back injury (which will keep him out of the final preseason game), linebacker will also likely be a position the team will look to pad in the event Porter’s injury is worse than believed or recurs during the season.

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.

Veteran wide receiver Joe Horn, who was cut by the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week, has been seeking employment with any of the remaining 31 teams in the league. He had reportedly narrowed his choices to Miami, the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and St. Louis Rams. Thursday, the Dolphins got back to Horn’s agent and said they were not interested in signing Horn at this time. Are they nuts? Lets look at this situation logically and figure out if this is a good or bad decision.

First, the cons of bringing in Horn. Throughout his career, Joe Horn has been known as a flashy player, outspoken, and possessing quite an attitude. All of these things could be detremental to the Dolphins in the locker room and affect the team’s cohesion and performance on the field. Not necessarily something the team can afford as they try to turn around the franchise. Horn would also no doubt be seeking a hefty salary and still considers himself a legitimate #1 WR. Installing Horn as the #1 could damage the confidence of Ted Ginn Jr and Derek Hagan who as of Thursday appear to have locked down the #1 and #2 slots at wideout.

The pros of bringing in Horn could be limitless. Joe Horn was the face of the New Orleans Saints franchise for 6 seasons, and was a wonderful contributor to the community of New Orleans, especially after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. Miami is a team without a face for its franchise, Jason Taylor – gone, Zach Thomas – gone, Chris Chambers – gone. Bringing in Horn would be beneficial off the field and on. On the field, Horn is a 4 time Pro Bowler (4 appearances in 6 season with New Orleans) and a very reliable contributor. As good as Ginn Jr and Hagan have looked in preseason, it is just that, preseason. Teams never roll out all their tricks, and Ginn Jr and Hagan are likely to see several new tricks against full, first team defenses when the season starts for real on September 7.

Miami already passed on one opportunity to bring in a veteran to guide their young receiving corps, it would be a huge mistake to do so again. Veteran wide receivers don’t just fall out of the sky, and even though the Dolphins have said they’re open to bringing in Horn later, they need to bring him in now! Give Ginn Jr and Hagan someone to learn from, someone to teach them the finer points of the wideout position. More importantly, give Chad (take your pick, Pennington or Henne) a reliable go to receiver to get this offense moving!