Up next in the team needs features for the draft section are the Jacksonville Jaguars. THN will be filling in all of the needs’ pages throughout February, so keep checking back for your favorite team.
Miami Dolphins
2005 Results: 9-7, 2nd in AFC East
2006 Projected Cap Status: $85,913,349
2005 Season Recap:
Nick Saban’s first season as head coach of the Miami Dolphins was a huge success. Saban turned a 4-12 team into an above .500 team with hope. This hope is based on how the team finished the season (with six straight wins, including road victories at Oakland, San Diego and New England). WR Chris Chambers finally began to play like a No. 1 receiver, reaching the Pro Bowl for the first time, but this was a team effort. The defense set a franchise record for most sacks, the offense improved 15 spots to 14th in the league, and the defense set a franchise record for most sacks. With 3 rookie starters (RB Ronnie Brown, LB Channing Crowder and CB Travis Daniels) and four other promising rookies for the future (particularly supplemental-draft pick DT Manuel Wright) the Dolphins are well on there way to giving the Pats a run in the East.
Team Needs:
1. QB – Frerotte did a solid job guiding the Dolphins as a starter. Backup Sage Rosenfels is likely to depart via free agency. Look for Saban to pursue a starter during the off-season and for Frerotte to be shifted to the backup role
2. Depth for all Defensive Units – The Dolphins run a 3-4 Defense however 34 is also the average age of the defensive line is LE Kevin Carter, RE Jason Taylor, and NT Keith Traylor. Look for an upgrade here even if only for Depth, after all, this unit did put 49 sacks in 2005. With Junior Seau’s recent injury history and age the Phins only have undersized Derrick Pope to turn to for depth in a linebacker driven scheme. $3.5 million, $3.25 million, and $6.5 million are the cap numbers for CB Sam Madison, CB Reggie Howard, and SS Tebucky Jones they are all likely to be elsewhere in 2006
3. OL – The Dolphins will more than likely cut LT Damion McIntosh for the $4 million in cap space he’ll free up and C Seth McKinney is headed out via free agency. RG Rex Hadnot can play center but the switch would only create another hole on the other side of the line.
2006 Draft Picks:
1st Round – 16th Overall
Free agency status:
C Seth McKinney, FB Sammy Morris, OL Stocker McDougle, OL Alonzo Ephraim (RFA), QB Sage Rosenfels, WR Bryan Gilmore, RB Travis Minor, S Lance Schulters, LB Jason Glenn, S Yeremiah Bell (RFA), LB Nick Rogers, CB Kiwaukee Thomas, WR David Boston, WR Kendall Newson
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Edit: This blog was archived in May of 2016 from our original articles database.It was originally posted by Bernie Marshall