December 9, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin encourages his team during action against the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Dolphins 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

As most of you already know, the Miami Dolphins still have slim playoff hopes going into the last two weeks. You would have to be wearing a particularly fine pair of aqua and teal sunglasses to think it could be pulled off. However, there is still a lot that can be gained from these final two weeks.

First, and possibly best from a die-hard fan perspective, the team has a chance to be relevant for Week 17. To make that happen all that has to be done is beat the Buffalo Bills at home and see the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals. Both are quite reasonable. (The Week 17 hurdles are far more difficult). However as a fan, it would mean a lot to see the team get to face that challenge.

However, even more important to the team then making Week 17 relevant, is managing to win out. Even without making the playoffs, finishing the season strong is extremely beneficial. A young team that finishes on three wins to go 8-8 comes across as a team on the rise. If you didn’t notice, the Dolphins only had one prime time game this season and it was a Thursday Night game.

Teams that look like they’re on the rise tend to get more prime time. Oh and they also sell more tickets, which the Dolphins have struggled to do recently.

So the Dolphins have a ton to play for going into the final two games in terms of setting the stage for next year. And as fans that means we can still enjoy these final Sundays of the regular season.

Oct 28, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith (24) gestures on the field against the New York Jets during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Dolphins won 30-9. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

We are now three quarters of the way through the 2012 season. The Miami Dolphins have a significant number of key players with contracts expiring at the end of the season and I am going to take this chance to rank these players in order of how important it is to resign each player.

1. Sean Smith
Smith has not been an all-pro cornerback this season. However, he has made great improvements since last year. Smith’s size allows him to compete with receivers that had simply crushed the Dolphins defense in the past. The Dolphins have very poor depth at the cornerback position and can ill afford to lose him. Smith is also young enough to continue his improvement and possibly become an elite player.

2. Jake Long
Long was injured during the Patriots game and it is quite likely that the injury is season ending. Long has had his weakest season as a pro this year. He will garner a very large contract and there are questions about his ability to fit into the current regime’s blocking scheme. I do not agree with this opinion. I think he is talented enough to adapt and the team should not throw away talent due to a regime change.

Because of the large investment necessary, Long is ranked behind Smith in necessity to resign. However, it is a very close second. It would be a very bad start to the off-season if Jake Long walks. He has proven that he is the leader of the offensive line and has performed at a high level in the past. The franchise tag might be used on Long, which would give him a one year contract equal to the average of the top five left tackles in the league. This might be the best option if the team is still unsure about him.

3. Randy Starks
The bright spot for the Dolphins this year has been the run defense. It has been stout in most games and ranks among the league’s best units. Starks has been a key performer for this unit. He may get offered really big money from another team. The team also has the possibility of moving Jared Odrick inside and bringing in another pass rusher on the outside. Starks is a very good player, but not impossible to replace. This is the first player on the list I could live with the Dolphins allowing to walk.

4. Brian Hartline
Hartline briefly lead the league in receiving yards, but soon after returned to his normal level of production. Hartline is a solid number two receiver and a very hard worker. Unfortunately he lacks the physical ability to consistently stretch the field. The team needs to upgrade at the position, but retaining Hartline would still be in their best interests. Hartline is likely to come at a reasonable price and I expect him to be retained.

5. Reggie Bush
Bush has been a disappointment in the second half of the season. The Dolphins have been unable to consistently establish the run and the offense has sputtered as a result. This puts Bush’s future in Miami in question. The presence of Lamar Miller makes Bush expendable. At this point, Bush will only be retained if he gives the team a discount. Bush is a player I like, but he has proven he isn’t an every down back like he wanted to be and the contract he receives must reflect that.

The good news is that if he does leave, Bush is unlikely to go to the New York Jets due to the animosity that developed between him and the Jets during this season due to the “Hot Sauce” incident. At the beginning of the season I saw the Jets as a likely landing spot if Bush was not resigned.

6. Chris Clemons
Clemons has had a solid season, though he has not looked as exciting as his counterpart Reshad Jones (who looks like he could be one of the league’s best in a few years). Clemons is an acceptable starter at this point. I do not expect the market to be extremely competitive for his services so, while he is low on this list, he should be fairly easily retained.

These six free agents are the ones the team should be most concerned about. This off-season will provide the team with a big opportunity for change. The team has a lot of open money, but a lot of players becoming free agents. It will be interesting to see if the team focuses more on retaining players or if the front office is aggressive in free agency.

NOV 25, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) throws a pass over Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) in the second half at Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins defeated the Seahawks 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

Ryan Tannehill did exactly what he needed to do today. Charles Clay did exactly what he needed to do today. The Miami Dolphins got a win that they needed to get today. The team is once again making fans optimistic about the future. However, issues that appeared during the awful three game losing streak still need to be addressed.

The primary issue is the feeling of suffocation that comes with watching the Dolphins offense far too often. The Dolphins managed to make things work today, but they still need to get a guy who can stretch the field out and allow room for the offense to work. Fortunately for Miami, there is a player who might be available in free agency next year who would be the best cure for this problem. That would be Mike Wallace.

Wallace is due to be an unrestricted free agent next season. He will command big money, and that is the only reason a player of his caliber might be available. Wallace grudgingly accepted his tender from the Pittsburgh Steelers going into this season. It is clear he wants a big long-term deal. Pittsburgh could still franchise tag him but based on his actions last offseason he would not be happy at all if that occurred.

Wallace gets downfield faster then any other receiver in the league and commands double teams. He would be the best possible way to spread out defenses and give the Dolphins offense room to work. However, adding Wallace alone would not be enough to catapult the Dolphins offense to elite status.

They also need to add more guys that can stretch the field in the draft and find a solution at tight end. In a previous article I expressed my desire that they target Dustin Keller in free agency. That opinion has not changed and Keller would be another great addition next year. Clay made strides today but the team is far from set at tight end.

The Dolphins are back on the right track but they still have a long way to go before they are an elite offense. Hopefully they will be aggressive in free agency in 2013.