Photo Credit: Miami Dolphins/360 Arc

When the Miami Dolphins kicked off this off season with big signings such as Mike Wallace, Dustin Keller, Dannell Ellerbe and Phillip Wheeler, exciting rang through the minds of Miami Dolphin fans. Not only were the Dolphins aggressive in free agency, but they were just as combative in the draft after they traded up to the third pick in the draft to select Dion Jordan. This aggressiveness out of the Dolphins front office has been a new thing for us fans to witness. Jeff Ireland is finally making the right transactions and it appears that the Dolphins future in Miami is going to be a marvelous one.

With all eyes towards the future and possible present talent that this team has, there seems to be only one issue; a stadium. After all the Miami Dolphins have done in the past couple of months to ensure the team stadium upgrades have seemed to fail. Before I continue, I am not stating that the Dolphins decided to finally sign Pro-Bowl caliber players just to get themselves stadium upgrades, but the moves that were made should have increased their chances of getting approved for the upgrades. Unfortunately, they failed to get approved and now everyone is starting to wonder “what’s next?”

Over the past couple of days, speculation has swirled around what the Dolphins might possibly do. There have been talks about them moving north to the Palm Beach territory and there have also been rumors about a possible move to Los Angeles. While a move to Los Angeles might be a little bit far-fetched, a move to Palm Beach might seem quite realistic. Mike Dee, the CEO of the Miami Dolphins is actually keeping an open mind on a possible move up north. When asked about the possibility to moving the franchise to Palm Beach, Dee replied with “We’re open-minded to all long-term solutions.” He also added in that “All ideas – good, bad, indifferent –should be considered.”

It seems as if Dolphin fans aren’t the only people that would like to see the team stay in South Florida. NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has already voiced his opinions on the Dolphins situation. After he played down the speculation that the franchise could possibly move across country to California, Goodell said “We do want to see the Dolphins stay in Miami,” he also went onto say “Steve Ross was doing the investing and was really the guy who was putting his heart and soul into this and his passion into this.”

Although a move to Palm Beach could be in the Dolphins plans, I really doubt that this team is going anywhere. The Mayor of Palm Beach County, Steve Abrams, has said that he has yet to be approached by the team about moving into Palm Beach County.

I myself am not worried about a move. In my opinion this is either just the media trying to come up with some new rumors to give themselves something to do or it could just be the Dolphins trying to call someone’s bluff. Regardless of what it is, I am confident that everything will eventually get sorted out and that that lot right in between Northwest 199^th St. and Northwest 203^rd St. will continue to be the home of our Miami Dolphins.

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Apr 25, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Miami Dolphins fans cheer after Deon Jordan (Oregon) is introduced as the number three overall pick to the Dolphins during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

From the opening day of free agency and throughout the NFL Draft, Jeff Ireland and the Miami Dolphins have arguably been one of the most active and aggressive teams in the National Football League. It all started with an overhaul of the roster, after they decided to release Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett, while also letting players such as Jake Long and Sean Smith sign with other teams. Although they decided to release these veteran players, they were able to sign a couple of really good young players such as Dannell Ellerbe, Phillip Wheeler and Mike Wallace. The aggressiveness continued through the draft as the Dolphins decided to surprise the NFL world by trading up to the third spot in the draft and selecting the athletic linebacker/defensive end out of the University of Oregon, Dion Jordan. Although many people have their own negative opinions about trading up for Jordan, you have to enjoy the fact that Ireland is finally going out of his way to try and obtain playmakers. With dozens of moves already made by the Miami Dolphins, you have to wonder exactly what else they are going to do in order to improve this team.

December 23, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Dallas Clark (44) against the St. Louis Rams during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. St. Louis Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Some of the positions that could use another veteran player are the tight end position, the running back position and the offensive line. When the offseason began, the Miami Dolphins decided to opt out of re-signing tight end Anthony Fasano; instead they chose to sign former New York Jet, Dustin Keller. Not only did they sign Keller to a contract, they also went out and drafted Dion Sims out of Michigan State University. Although they have properly addressed the position, I think it is important that they go out and sign another tight end; here’s why. For the most part, Keller has been able to remain healthy throughout his career; however, last season Keller missed eight games due to a variety of ankle and groin issues. If Dustin Keller misses time due to injury (knock on wood), then the tight ends would be rookie Dion Sims, Kyle Miller, and Michael Egnew. I don’t know about you, but to me, that doesn’t sound like a very good group of tight ends. Although the quality of available tight ends has dropped, there are still some tight ends that can come in and play at a decent level.  Some tight ends that are still available to come in and be a second or third stringer are Kevin Boss, Dallas Clark and Chris Cooley. I know that these players are a bit older and not as good as they once were earlier in their careers; however, they would add incredible depth and experience to the position which currently lacks both.

Dec 30, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) runs the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at MetLife Stadium. New York Giants defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 42-7. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Another position that could be addressed is the running back position. Yes, the Dolphins do have potential at the running back position with Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas, but, it can’t hurt to have another guy come in and compete for a backup role. When you look at some of the free agent running backs that are left, you have to wonder how they are still available. Some players that are currently out of a job are Ahmad Bradshaw, Michael Turner, Kevin Smith, Beanie Wells and Cedric Benson. Out of those running backs, I would only see Bradshaw competing for a starting job; however, a back like Michael Turner or Kevin Smith would be really nice to have on the field. They’re not starting backs and they probably won’t rush for 1,000 yards, but their ability to pound the ball up the middle or bounce it outside every so often would be a nice luxury for the Dolphins to have. Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas are still ridiculously young, so a veteran to come in in order to push them to the next level would be a fantastic thing for the Dolphins.

Last but certainly not least, the offensive line. When Jake Long decided to sign with the St. Louis Rams, the offensive line took a huge hit. With the line having tons of question marks coming into this offseason, the Dolphins haven’t really done much to address the need. So far Lance Louis has been the premiere signing at the offensive line position. For weeks Eric Winston has been a popular name that has been thrown around across the different social media sites. Despite having a down year last year with the Chiefs, Eric Winston would be a great addition to the Dolphins offensive line. I know all of you have probably already heard this a million times, but Winston is a great zone-blocker and the Dolphins want to run a zone-blocking scheme. Not only does he fit strategy wise, but he also played his collegiate ball at the University of Miami. Not only did he play college ball here, but his brother is a scout for the Dolphins. To me, it doesn’t make sense as to why Winston is still a free agent and not a Miami Dolphin. Hopefully he will soon become a Dolphin. If he doesn’t, there are still some quality tackles left that could give the team some quality play. Tyson Clabo, Barry Richardson and Sean Locklear are all still available. Those players could easily step in and have a high impact immediately.

Even though Miami has been aggressive, there are still some holes that could be filled. Clearly, the Dolphins have vastly improved their team and are expected to compete with the New England Patriots for the top spot in the AFC East. I cannot wait to see what other tricks Jeff Ireland and the rest of the front office have up their sleeve. Normally I won’t say this, but until I am proven wrong I am just going to have 100% trust and faith in Jeff Ireland’s abilities to put together a playoff caliber team.

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Nov 17, 2012; College Park, MD, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Xavier Rhodes (27) prior to the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

In just six days, hundreds of lives will be changed. What exactly am I talking about? Well, the NFL Draft. On April 25^th, 2013, the top rookie talent in the collegiate rankings will finally get to fulfill their life long dreams of playing in the National Football League. With the draft being just six days away, you would have to think that teams have an idea on what player they will like to select. The Kansas City Chiefs are on the clock first. With a new regimen of both coaches and players coming in, there are tons of options for them.

This article however isn’t about what the Kansas City Chiefs will do, but what the Miami Dolphins will do. As a fan we have little knowledge of what is going on through the minds of Jeff Ireland and Joe Philbin. Do they want to draft an offensive lineman to protect Ryan Tannehill? Do they want to draft a cornerback in hopes that he will provide immediate help in the secondary? How about another receiving or tight end option for Tannehill to go to? Will they trade the pick in order to acquire a veteran to help out the team? All of these are valid questions; however, as fans we simply just don’t know. It is always a fun surprise to see what name Roger Goodell will announce on Thursday and quite frankly, I cannot wait.

In my opinion, the Miami Dolphins will draft a player and not trade away the 12^th spot in the draft. But who will they pick? With tons of holes still needing to be filled, I think the Dolphins will decide to help out their defense and draft a cornerback in the first round.  For the Dolphins, Xavier Rhodes is a player that would make a lot of sense. Rhodes, who played his college ball at Florida State University is rated as not only one of the best cornerbacks in the draft, but also one of the best defensive players that will be available. Standing at six foot two inches tall, Rhodes has a fantastic combination of both size and speed. His speed has clearly been shown as he runs a 4.39 forty yard dash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GELytS0ne24

Rhodes has shown his ability to play the cornerback position at a very high level.  At FSU, he showed that he knows how to use his great size. Play after play you would constantly see him either jam or be really physical with the receiver. Even when the officials blew the play dead, you would still see Rhodes continue to be physical. Not only does he have a knack of playing physical, he also has one key quality that most scouts looks for in a collegiate football player; confidence. Although it is nearly impossible for a scout to go into the minds of these college players, they see how the player carries himself both on and off the field. Sometimes players at big time programs who have too much confidence find themselves getting into trouble off the field. Not Rhodes. In his time spent at Florida State, he has failed to get into trouble with the law, the school, or the NCAA. It is safe to say that character concerns are not an issue when it comes to Rhodes.

His rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism has definitely helped Rhodes’s draft stock. Whether the Dolphins pick him or not will not be determined until next Thursday. So for now we will just have to sit here and let the speculation continue. Hopefully whoever the Phins do decide to take will turn out to have a solid career in the new Miami Dolphins uniforms!

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